Getah virus as an equine pathogen

Outbreaks of Getah virus infection first occurred in racehorses at two training centers in Japan in 1978. Since then, a limited number of outbreaks of the disease have occurred, only one of which has been reported from outside Japan, in India in 1990. Typically, clinical signs of infection are mild and characterized by pyrexia, edema of the hind limbs, swelling of the submandibular lymph nodes, and urticarial rash. Getah virus is a mosquito-borne viral disease, and swine may play a significant role as amplification hosts in the natural transmission cycle of this virus in endemic areas.