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Topic:Animal Health
Animal Health encompasses a broad range of topics focused on maintaining and improving the well-being of equine species. This field addresses various aspects of horse care, including disease prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and management of health conditions. Key areas of interest include equine nutrition, vaccination protocols, parasite control, dental care, and the management of chronic conditions such as laminitis and colic. Additionally, animal health research in horses investigates the impact of exercise and training on physical health, the role of genetics in disease susceptibility, and the development of new therapeutic approaches. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the latest advancements, challenges, and best practices in preserving and enhancing the health of horses.
Complete Genome Sequences of Getah Virus Strains Isolated from Horses in 2016 in Japan. Getah virus is mosquito-borne and causes disease in horses and pigs. We sequenced and analyzed the complete genomes of three strains isolated from horses in Ibaraki Prefecture, eastern Japan, in 2016. They were almost identical to the genomes of strains recently isolated from horses, pigs, and mosquitoes in Japan.
Spectroscopic Study of the Interaction between Horse Heart Myoglobin and Zirconium(IV)-Substituted Polyoxometalates as Artificial Proteases. A recent study [Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2015, 54, 7391-7394] has shown that horse heart myoglobin (HHM) is selectively hydrolyzed by a range of zirconium(IV)-substituted polyoxometalates (POMs) under mild conditions. In this study, the molecular interactions between the Zr-POM catalysts and HHM are investigated by using a range of complementary techniques, including circular dichroism (CD), UV/Vis spectroscopy, tryptophan fluorescence spectroscopy, and H and P NMR spectroscopy. A tryptophan fluorescence quenching study reveals that, among all examined Zr-POMs, the most reactive POM, 2:2 Zr -...
Spatially offset Raman spectroscopy for photon migration studies in bones with different mineralization levels. The ability of Spatially Offset Raman Spectroscopy (SORS) to obtain chemically specific information from below the sample surface makes it a promising technique for non-invasive in vivo diagnosis of bone conditions by sampling bone through the skin. The depth below a surface interrogated by SORS depends on the system's optical properties and is difficult to estimate for complex bone material. This paper uses 830 nm laser excitation to investigate the influence of bone mineralization on photon migration properties in deer antler cortex, equine metacarpal cortex and whale tympanic bulla. Thin sl...
[Anthelmintic resistance in ruminants: development, diagnostics, and procedures]. Anthelmintic resistance of gastrointestinal nematodes in small ruminants, but also in cattle and horses, is now found worldwide. The reason for increasing anthelmintic resistance is, in particular, the extensive use of all the anthelmintic agents available on the market. A non-targeted use leads to the selection of naturally occurring resistance genes within parasite populations. The most practical method for evaluating the efficacy of an anthelmintic is the fecal egg-count reduction test. To reduce the rate of anthelmintic resistance development, the available active substances must be applie...
Response to acupuncture treatment in horses with chronic laminitis. There is a need for evidence-based scientific research to address the question of the effectiveness of acupuncture in improving clinical signs of laminitis in horses. The objective of this study was to compare lameness levels before and after 2 acupuncture treatments in horses with chronic laminitis. Twelve adult horses with chronic laminitis received 2 acupuncture treatments 1 week apart. The points were treated using dry needling, hemo-acupuncture, and aqua-acupuncture. Lameness level was objectively evaluated using an inertial sensor-based lameness evaluation system (Lameness Locator), as w...
Application of the Hands-On Donkey Tool for Assessing the Welfare of Working Equids at Tuliman, Mexico. Equids are still used for diverse chores in Mexico and are essential for the livelihoods of numerous families. Appropriate health and behavior are prerequisites for performing work without affecting welfare. This study aimed to assess the welfare of working equids in Tuliman, applying the hands-on donkey tool. This tool evaluates five dimensions (behavior, body condition score [BCS], wounds, lameness, and other health issues) and was applied to 438 working equids (horses, mules, and donkeys). The Kruskall-Wallis test was applied to investigate differences between species and sex. Donkeys were ...
Immunogenicity of plant-produced African horse sickness virus-like particles: implications for a novel vaccine. African horse sickness (AHS) is a debilitating and often fatal viral disease affecting horses in much of Africa, caused by the dsRNA orbivirus African horse sickness virus (AHSV). Vaccination remains the single most effective weapon in combatting AHS, as there is no treatment for the disease apart from good animal husbandry. However, the only commercially available vaccine is a live-attenuated version of the virus (LAV). The threat of outbreaks of the disease outside its endemic region and the fact that the LAV is not licensed for use elsewhere in the world, have spurred attempts to develop an...
Antigenic characterization of 52-55kDa protein isolated from Trypanosoma evansi and its application in detection of equine trypanosomosis. Trypanosoma evansi is a haemo-protozoan parasite responsible for the disease surra, an economically important disease of wide range of domestic and wild animals. The present diagnostic methods using soluble antigens have inherent problems like lack of standardized and reproducible antigens, as well as ethical issues. This entails further efforts for search of defined antigenic molecules with satisfying sensitivity and specificity for sero-epidemiology of trypanosomosis. In present investigation, we have identified and purified 52-55kDa immuno-dominant protein cluster in molecular mass ranges b...
Genomic Dissection of an Icelandic Epidemic of Respiratory Disease in Horses and Associated Zoonotic Cases. Iceland is free of the major infectious diseases of horses. However, in 2010 an epidemic of respiratory disease of unknown cause spread through the country's native horse population of 77,000. Microbiological investigations ruled out known viral agents but identified the opportunistic pathogen subsp. () in diseased animals. We sequenced the genomes of 257 isolates of to differentiate epidemic from endemic strains. We found that although multiple endemic clones of were present, one particular clone, sequence type 209 (ST209), was likely to have been responsible for the epidemic. Concurrent ...
Welfare Status of Working Horses and Owners’ Perceptions of Their Animals. Appropriate interventions to improve working equine welfare should be proposed according to scientific evidence that arises from different geo-cultural contexts. This study aims to assess and compare the welfare status of working horses in two administrative regions of Chile and to determine how owners perceive their horses. Horses' welfare status was assessed through direct indicators (direct observation and clinical examination) and indirect indicators (an interview with the owner). Owners' perceptions of their horses were determined through a discourse analysis of their statements. In total...
Risks for animal health related to the presence of zearalenone and its modified forms in feed. Zearalenone (ZEN), a mycotoxin primarily produced by Fusarium fungi, occurs predominantly in cereal grains. The European Commission asked EFSA for a scientific opinion on the risk to animal health related to ZEN and its modified forms in feed. Modified forms of ZEN occurring in feed include phase I metabolites α-zearalenol (α-ZEL), β-zearalenol (β-ZEL), α-zearalanol (α-ZAL), β-zearalanol (β-ZAL), zearalanone (ZAN) and phase II conjugates. ZEN has oestrogenic activity and the oestrogenic activity of the modified forms of ZEN differs considerably. For ZEN, the EFSA Panel on Contaminants...
Diagnosis of equine influenza. During the summer months, there will be increased movement and, therefore, increased mixing of the horse population, leading to a higher risk of disease transmission and subsequent clinical cases. It is important that both vets and owners remain vigilant for equine influenza infection. Here, Adam Rash, of the Animal Health Trust, discusses the diagnosis of this disease.
SURVEY OF ANAPLASMA PHAGOCYTOPHILUM ANTIBODIES IN CAPTIVE PRZEWALSKI’S HORSES (EQUUS FERUS PRZEWALSKII). Anaplasma phagocytophilum (formerly Ehrlichia equi ) is a tickborne pathogen of domestic horses and the causative agent of equine granulocytic anaplasmosis. After the occurrence of clinical anaplasmosis in a Przewalski's horse ( Equus ferus przewalskii) housed at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in 2008, opportunistic serosurveillance of the herd was initiated. From 2008 to 2014, 57 serum samples were collected from 27 individuals (10 males; 17 females). Using indirect immunofluorescent antibody assays for anti- Anaplasma phagocytophilum antibodies, it was determined that prevale...
Exploring Animal Models That Resemble Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis. Large multicenter clinical trials have led to two recently approved drugs for patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF); yet, both of these therapies only slow disease progression and do not provide a definitive cure. Traditionally, preclinical trials have utilized mouse models of bleomycin (BLM)-induced pulmonary fibrosis-though several limitations prevent direct translation to human IPF. Spontaneous pulmonary fibrosis occurs in other animal species, including dogs, horses, donkeys, and cats. While the fibrotic lungs of these animals share many characteristics with lungs of patients w...
Assessment of listing and categorisation of animal diseases within the framework of the Animal Health Law (Regulation (EU) No 2016/429): equine encephalomyelitis (Eastern and Western). Equine encephalomyelitis (Eastern and Western) has been assessed according to the criteria of the Animal Health Law (AHL), in particular criteria of Article 7 on disease profile and impacts, Article 5 on the eligibility of equine encephalomyelitis (Eastern and Western) to be listed, Article 9 for the categorisation of equine encephalomyelitis (Eastern and Western) according to disease prevention and control rules as in Annex IV, and Article 8 on the list of animal species related to equine encephalomyelitis (Eastern and Western). The assessment has been performed following a methodology compos...
The consistency and influence of environmental and animal factors on exhaled breath condensate hydrogen peroxide, pH and leukotriene B4 in horses. This study was performed to determine the consistency of exhaled breath condensate (EBC) hydrogen peroxide (HO), pH and leukotriene B (LTB) measurements in asymptomatic horses and to define the influence of environmental and animal factors on these variables. Intra- and inter-day consistency for both HO and pH measurements were adequate, with intraclass correlation coefficients ≥0.8, whereas the consistency for LTB was poor. HO was influenced by ambient temperature (T), humidity, time of day and collection location (all P<0.01), while pH was influenced by respiratory rate during EBC colle...
Detection of anti-Leptospira inhibitory antibodies in horses after vaccination. Leptospirosis is a relevant zoonosis that affects the reproductive performance of livestock, impairing the economy. Few studies have demonstrated the effects of vaccination against leptospirosis on naturally exposed horses. This study aimed to detect anti-Leptospira inhibitory antibodies in horses after vaccination. A total of 54 mares were studied using Growth Inhibition Test (GIT) in three moments. The present results demonstrate the usefulness of GIT for confirming inhibitory effects of specific antibody production. Results have also demonstrated that vaccination positively influenced on th...
Effect of lidocaine on inflammation in equine jejunum subjected to manipulation only and remote to intestinal segments subjected to ischemia. OBJECTIVE To examine effects of continuous rate infusion of lidocaine on transmural neutrophil infiltration in equine intestine subjected to manipulation only and remote to ischemic intestine. ANIMALS 14 healthy horses. PROCEDURES Ventral midline celiotomy was performed (time 0). Mild ischemia was induced in segments of jejunum and large colon. A 1-m segment of jejunum was manipulated by massaging the jejunal wall 10 times. Horses received lidocaine (n = 7) or saline (0.9% NaCl) solution (7) throughout anesthesia. Biopsy specimens were collected and used to assess tissue injury, neutrophil inf...
Impact of equine assisted reproductive technologies (standard embryo transfer or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) with in vitro culture and embryo transfer) on placenta and foal morphometry and placental gene expression. Assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) such as intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), in vitro embryo culture and embryo transfer (ET) may be associated with alterations in fetal and placental development. In horses, ET has been used for decades. More recently, in vitro embryo production by ICSI and in vitro culture, followed by embryo transfer (ICSI-C) has become an accepted method for clinical foal production. However, no information is available on the effects of ICSI-C or even of standard ET itself on placental and neonatal parameters in horses. We therefore evaluated placental and ne...
Effect of exogenous progesterone administration on luteal sensitivity to PGF during the early development of the corpus luteum in mares and cows. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of exogenous progesterone administration at ovulation and during the early development of the CL, on its future sensitivity to a single administration of PGF2a in mares and cows. Horse Retrospective reproductive data from an equine clinic in the UK during three breeding seasons were used. Mares were divided into: control group, cycles with single ovulations; double ovulation group cycles with asynchronous double ovulations; and PRID group: cycles with single ovulations and treatment with intravaginal progesterone device (CIDR) immediately...
The Effects of Weaning Methods on Gut Microbiota Composition and Horse Physiology. Weaning has been described as one of the most stressful events in the life of horses. Given the importance of the interaction between the gut-brain axis and gut microbiota under stress, we evaluated (i) the effect of two different weaning methods on the composition of gut microbiota across time and (ii) how the shifts of gut microbiota composition after weaning affect the host. A total of 34 foals were randomly subjected to a progressive (P) or an abrupt (A) weaning method. In the P method, mares were separated from foals at progressively increasing intervals every day, starting from five min ...
Effect of kisspeptin-10, LH and hCG on serum testosterone concentrations in stallions, donkeys and mules. This study was conducted to determine the response of serum testosterone (T) in male equines (stallions, donkeys and mules) after administering intravenous doses of kisspeptin-10 (KP-10), human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and luteinizing hormone (LH) and saline as a control. The animals were divided into four groups of three each: Group I, 3 ml of 0.95% saline; Group II, 50 μg KP-10; Group III, 2500 IU hCG and group IV, 400 μg LH. The administration of KP-10 and hCG to stallions resulted in a significant increase in serum T concentration at 240 min; whereas it was significantly higher a...
Seroepidemiology of Sarcocystis neurona and Neospora hughesi infections in domestic donkeys (Equus asinus) in Durango, Mexico. There is currently no information regarding Sarcocystis neurona and Neospora hughesi infections in donkeys in Mexico. Here, we determined the presence of antibodies against S. neurona and N. hughesi in donkeys in the northern Mexican state of Durango. Serum samples of 239 domestic donkeys (Equus asinus) were assayed for S. neurona and N. hughesi antibodies using home-made enzyme-linked immunoassays; six (2.5%) of the 239 donkeys tested seropositive for S. neurona. The seroprevalence of S. neurona infection was comparable among donkeys regardless of their origin, health status, or sex. Multivar...
Characterization of Fitzroy River Virus and Serologic Evidence of Human and Animal Infection. In northern Western Australia in 2011 and 2012, surveillance detected a novel arbovirus in mosquitoes. Genetic and phenotypic analyses confirmed that the new flavivirus, named Fitzroy River virus, is related to Sepik virus and Wesselsbron virus, in the yellow fever virus group. Most (81%) isolates came from Aedes normanensis mosquitoes, providing circumstantial evidence of the probable vector. In cell culture, Fitzroy River virus replicated in mosquito (C6/36), mammalian (Vero, PSEK, and BSR), and avian (DF-1) cells. It also infected intraperitoneally inoculated weanling mice and caused mild c...
Stable isotopes reveal diet shift from pre-extinction to reintroduced Przewalski’s horses. The Przewalski's horse (Equus ferus przewalskii), the only remaining wild horse within the equid family, is one of only a handful of species worldwide that went extinct in the wild, was saved by captive breeding, and has been successfully returned to the wild. However, concerns remain that after multiple generations in captivity the ecology of the Przewalski's horse and / or the ecological conditions in its former range have changed in a way compromising the species' long term survival. We analyzed stable isotope chronologies from tail hair of pre-extinction and reintroduced Przewalski's horse...
Pharmacokinetic profile and partitioning in red blood cells of romifidine after single intravenous administration in the horse. The aims of this study were to assess the plasma concentrations of romifidine in horses after intravenous injection, to evaluate the red blood cell (RBC) partitioning of the anaesthetic drug, and to improve knowledge regarding its sedative effect in horses describing the pharmacokinetic model. Eight adult Standardbred horses received a single bolus of romifidine at a dosage of 100 g/kg. Blood samples (5 mL) were collected immediately before romifidine administration (), and at 2, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, 60, 75, 90, 105, 120, 150 and 180 min after injection. A sedation score was recor...
Comparison of the effects of topical application of UMF20 and UMF5 manuka honey with a generic multifloral honey on wound healing variables in an uncontaminated surgical equine distal limb wound model. To compare the effect of application of manuka honey with unique manuka factor (UMF) 5 or 20 with a generic multifloral honey on equine wound healing variables. Methods: Two full-thickness skin wounds (2.5 × 2.5 cm) were created on the metatarsus of both hindlimbs of eight Standardbred horses. The wounds on each horse were assigned to 1 of 4 treatments: UMF20 (UMF20) and UMF5 (UMF5) manuka honey; generic multifloral honey (GH); and a saline control. Bandages were changed daily for 12 days, after which treatment was stopped and the bandages were removed. Wound area was measured on day ...
Equine hepacivirus persistent infection in a horse with chronic wasting. Equine hepacivirus is the closest homologue of hepatitis C virus. Limited data on the clinical features of this infection are available. We report the identification of a horse with high-titre viremia by equine hepacivirus. Over a 15-month follow-up, the clinical signs and the viremic status persisted, suggesting a chronic evolution.
The effects of intrauterine infusion of peanut oil on endometrial health, salivary cortisol and interovulatory period in mares. Intrauterine infusion of peanut oil at Day 10 post-ovulation has been reported to prolong dioestrus in mares. However, the effects of peanut oil treatment on the endometrium and whether the technique is painful have not been assessed. The objectives of this study were, (i) to determine the effect of intrauterine infusion of peanut oil on endometrial health, (ii) to determine whether use of intrauterine peanut oil is painful and (iii) to confirm that peanut oil causes prolonged dioestrus. Six mares aged 3-12 years old were used in a cross-over design with each mare administered both 1 ml of in...
