Abstract
Equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) is an alphaherpesvirus which is a major cause of abortion in mares and it is of a considerable economic importance worldwide (Crabb and Studdert, 1996). EHV-1 has been isolated in New Zealand from cases of abortion and perinatal mortalities (Hutton and Durham, 1997; Horner, 1989). Recently, a herpesvirus was isolated from a lung sample from an aborted foetus and this virus was identified as EHV-1 by the immunoperoxidase technique with the use of a monoclonal antibody specific for EHV-1.