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Topic:Diagnosis
Diagnosis in horses involves the systematic identification of diseases and conditions affecting equine health. This process relies on a combination of clinical evaluations, laboratory tests, imaging techniques, and other diagnostic tools to assess the health status of horses. Veterinarians utilize these methods to identify symptoms, determine the underlying causes of health issues, and formulate appropriate treatment plans. Diagnostic procedures in equine medicine can include blood tests, ultrasound, radiography, endoscopy, and more specialized tests such as genetic screening or advanced imaging modalities like MRI and CT scans. This page aggregates peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore various diagnostic techniques, their applications, and advancements in the field of equine veterinary medicine.
The clinical diagnosis of equine sarcoids – Part 1: Assessment of sensitivity and specificity using a multicentre case-based online examination. Equine clinicians and researchers often make the diagnosis of equine sarcoids (ES) on clinical assessment alone, without histopathological confirmation. However, the accuracy of the clinical diagnosis of ES has not been critically assessed. To assess sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of the clinical diagnosis of ES, 40 clinical cases with histologically confirmed equine skin lesions (26 ES and 14 non-ES) were compiled in a representative online examination. For each case and lesion, at least one photograph and all relevant information were presented in a standar...
The clinical diagnosis of equine sarcoids-Part 2: Assessment of case features typical of equine sarcoids and validation of a diagnostic protocol to guide equine clinicians in the diagnosis of equine sarcoids. Research has shown that the accuracy of the clinical diagnosis of equine sarcoids (ES) can be improved. Particularly, less experienced veterinarians are often mistaken in their clinical judgement despite a high level of diagnostic confidence. The aim of this study was to develop and assess the performance of a diagnostic protocol (DP) to improve diagnostic accuracy and identify diagnostically challenging cases. The design of the DP was based on typical clinical features of ES and its algorithm was optimised through repeated tests on clinical cases prior to validating its performance in a repre...
Comparison among three different serological methods for the detection of equine influenza virus infection. The equine influenza virus (EIV) H3N8 subtype is responsible for all EIV outbreaks worldwide while the H7N7 subtype is less pathogenic and is considered extinct as it has not been confirmed in outbreaks since 1980. Although EIV is enzootic in Brazil, few reports describe the actual EIV antibody status in the country. The aims of this study were: - to evaluate the efficiency of different serum treatments described by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and the World Health Organization (WHO) to remove non-specific haemagglutination inhibitors for the haemagglutination inhibition (HI)...
Limitations of a chromogenic agar plate for the identifying bacteria isolated from equine endometritis samples. The use of commercial chromogenic agar plates for the rapid, easy and correct identification of equine endometritis-causing bacteria has been proposed. Preliminary tests in our lab revealed undescribed limitations. Therefore, we tested the ability of the Brilliance UTI agar, a commercially available chromogenic agar, to accurately identify bacteria causing equine endometritis. Objective: To 1) investigate whether bacteria present in the equine uterus are able to grow on this chromogenic agar plate, 2) determine whether these bacteria belong to the genera for which these agar plates were origin...
Conjunctival aerobic bacterial flora in healthy Silesian foals and adult horses in Poland. Commensal bacterial and fungal flora of the conjunctival sac has been described in horses and other animals. The identification of commensal flora of the conjunctival sac may aid in the diagnosis of ocular inflammatory diseases, such as conjunctivitis or more severe ulcerative keratitis, common in horses. Moreover, damage of ocular protective barriers may lead to an opportunistic infection. The study was carried out in Silesian horses kept at a single breeding center in South-western Poland, in order to limit any breed-dependant and climate-dependant variables affecting the results. Following ...
Induction of Synovitis Using Interleukin-1 Beta: Are There Differences in the Response of Middle Carpal Joint Compared to the Tibiotarsal Joint? The effects of recombinant interleukin-1β (rIL-1β) have been described for the middle carpal joint (MCJ). However, we are unaware of any studies that have described the cytological response of the tibiotarsal joint (TTJ) to rIL-1β or compared the clinical and cytological responses of the MCJ to the TTJ following the administration of intra-articular rIL-1β. Such information is critical for researchers planning to use rIL-1β to create acute synovitis models in horses. To compare the clinical and cytological responses of the MCJ to the TTJ following administration of intra-articular rIL-1...
Molecular survey and genetic diversity of piroplasmids in equids from Midwestern Brazil. We evaluated the distribution of piroplasmids in equids from the Mato Grosso state in Midwestern Brazil using molecular methods and the interspecific genetic diversity. For this, 1,624 blood samples of equids from 973 farms were examined by PCR, using primer pairs that amplify a fragment of the genes rap-1 and ema-1 of Babesia caballi and Theileria equi, respectively. For molecular characterization and phylogenetic studies, 13 and 60 sequences of the rap-1 and ema-1 genes, respectively, were used to build a dendogram using maximum parsimony. B. caballi and T. equi were detected in 4.11% and 28...
Evaluation of chromocystoscopy in the diagnosis of cystitis in female donkeys. Early detection of cystitis in equine is essential to improve the prognosis and outcome of therapy. However, the conventional white light endoscopy is not sufficiently accurate for this purpose. Hence, this study evaluated chromoendoscopy as a recent diagnostic tool for cystitis in female donkeys. For this purpose, 5 apparently normal donkeys (control group) and 5 female donkeys with cystitis (diseased group) were used. Physical and rectal examinations, urine analysis, white light cystoscopy, methylene blue-based chromoendoscopy and histopathology were performed in all animals. Turbid urine ex...
Equine Myxovirus Resistance Protein 2 Restricts Lentiviral Replication by Blocking Nuclear Uptake of Capsid Protein. Human myxovirus resistance protein 2 (huMxB) has been shown to be a determinant type I interferon (IFN)-induced host factor involved in the inhibition of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) as well as many other primate lentiviruses. This blocking occurs after the reverse transcription of viral RNA and ahead of integration into the host DNA, which is closely connected to the ability of the protein to bind the viral capsid. To date, Mx2s derived from nonprimate animals have shown no capacity for HIV-1 suppression. In this study, we examined the restrictive effect of equine Mx2 (eqMx2) o...
Endotoxin-induced changes of type VII collagen- cleaving matrix metalloproteinases in lamellar tissue of extracorporeally perfused equine limbs. OBJECTIVE To investigate the effect of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on type VII collagen- cleaving matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in the lamellar tissue of extracorporeally perfused equine limbs. SAMPLE 10 right forelimbs and 3 left forelimbs collected from 10 adult horses after slaughter at a licensed abattoir. PROCEDURES Extracorporeal perfusion of the isolated equine limbs was performed for 10 hours under physiologic conditions (control-perfused limbs; n = 5) and with the addition of 80 ng of LPS/L of perfusate (LPS-perfused limbs; 5). Lamellar tissue specimens were then collected from the do...
Hepacivirus A Infection in Horses Defines Distinct Envelope Hypervariable Regions and Elucidates Potential Roles of Viral Strain and Adaptive Immune Status in Determining Envelope Diversity and Infection Outcome. Hepacivirus A (also known as nonprimate hepacivirus and equine hepacivirus) is a hepatotropic virus that can cause both transient and persistent infections in horses. The evolution of intrahost viral populations (quasispecies) has not been studied in detail for hepacivirus A, and its roles in immune evasion and persistence are unknown. To address these knowledge gaps, we first evaluated the envelope gene (E1 and E2) diversity of two different hepacivirus A strains (WSU and CU) in longitudinal blood samples from experimentally infected adult horses, juvenile horses (foals), and foals with sever...
Development and characterization of ORF68 negative equine herpes virus type-1, Ab4p strain. Equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) is an important pathogen, which infects horses worldwide with high morbidity but low mortality rates. The respiratory disorders and abortions are the most common indicators. Ab4p (an abortigenic and paralytic virus) is one of the most important and virulent strains. The development and functional characterization of the open reading frame-68 (ORF68) negative EHV-1 Ab4p mutants and an assessment of their roles in the infection at the cellular level were the main targets of the current study. Escherichia coli DH10β containing the Ab4p bacterial artificial chromosome...
Serial evaluation of resting and exercising overground endoscopic examination results in young Thoroughbreds with no treatment intervention. We hypothesised that grade/appearance for upper respiratory tract (URT) disorders identified at the first overground endoscopy (OGE) examination would vary at subsequent examinations. Objective: To compare OGE examinations from horses evaluated on at least two occasions under similar exercise conditions without treatment intervention. Methods: Retrospective cohort. Methods: Pre-exercise and exercising OGE recordings from Thoroughbred horses undergoing multiple examinations under similar exercise conditions were reviewed, with the first two recordings for each horse statistically evaluated. Pai...
Prevalence of owner-reported ocular problems and veterinary ocular findings in a population of horses aged ≥15 years. Previous studies suggest that ocular disease is common among aged horses but owners may fail to identify or underestimate their clinical relevance. Objective: To document the prevalence of owner-reported ocular disease in horses aged ≥15 years. In a subset of these horses, to document ophthalmic findings from veterinary examination and compare with owner-reported ocular disease, and to determine risk factors for veterinary ophthalmic findings. Methods: Cross-sectional study. Methods: Owners of aged horses completed a survey on management, clinical signs and medical history. Risk factors for ...
Evidence of equine influenza A (H3N8) activity in horses from Eastern and Central Saudi Arabia: 2013-2015. Equine influenza virus (EIV) is one of the main causes of viral respiratory affections in horses. Little is known about the prevalence of EIV in Saudi Arabia especially the H3N8 serotype. Objective: To assess prevalence of equine influenza in horse populations in Eastern and Central Saudi Arabia. Methods: Cross-sectional study. Methods: We collected 145 sera, 323 nasal and 323 rectal swabs from horses from six major cities in Eastern and Central regions. None of the horses were vaccinated against EIV. Sera were tested in ELISA assays for influenza A type-specific antibodies and by haemagglutin...
Altered mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation capacity in horses suffering from polysaccharide storage myopathy. Polysaccharide storage myopathy (PSSM) is a widely described cause of exertional rhabdomyolysis in horses. Mitochondria play a central role in cellular energetics and are involved in human glycogen storage diseases but their role has been overlooked in equine PSSM. We hypothesized that the mitochondrial function is impaired in the myofibers of PSSM-affected horses. Nine horses with a history of recurrent exercise-associated rhabdomyolysis were tested for the glycogen synthase 1 gene (GYS1) mutation: 5 were tested positive (PSSM group) and 4 were tested negative (horses suffering from rhabdomyo...
Growth and function of equine endothelial colony forming cells labeled with semiconductor quantum dots. Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) contribute to neovascularization and vascular repair in vivo and are attractive for clinical use in ischemic disease. Tracking of stem and progenitor cells is essential to determine engraftment after administration. Semiconductor quantum dots (QD) are promising for cell labeling due to their ease of uptake by many cell lines and their continued presence after many cell generations. The purpose of this study was to evaluate function and growth of equine EPCs after QD labeling. Additionally, this study evaluated the duration of QD label retention and mechanism...
Identification of third stage larval types of cyathostomins of equids: An improved perspective. Cyathostomins comprise around 50 parasite species of equids, offering a great challenge regarding their individual identification. The objective of our work was to improve identification of infective third stage larvae (L3) with a morphological key supplemented with detailed scientific illustrations based on our research and available literature. The highlighted features were; the number, arrangement, and shape of intestinal cells (IC), general features and the total body length of the eight different Cyathostomin sensu latum types (Type A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H), Gyalocephalus capitatus, and Po...
Time-dependent antiarrhythmic effects of flecainide on induced atrial fibrillation in horses. Pharmacological treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF) in horses can be challenging because of low efficacy and adverse effects. Flecainide has been tested with variable efficacy. Objective: To test whether the efficacy of flecainide is dependent on AF duration. Methods: Nine Standardbred mares. Methods: Factorial study design. All horses were instrumented with a pacemaker and assigned to a control or an AF group. On day 0, all horses were in sinus rhythm and received 2 mg/kg flecainide IV. Atrial fibrillation subsequently was induced in the AF group by pacemaker stimulation. On days 3, 9, 27, ...
Antifungal non-invasive soak under general anaesthetic to treat fungal rhinitis in an Australian Quarter Horse gelding at pasture. Mycotic rhinitis is a rare disease in horses, with few cases reported worldwide and none reported in Australia. Fungal infection of the upper respiratory tract can occur in all species, but its prevalence in horses is considerably lower than in canines or humans. The disease is linked to a variety of pathogens and the clinical signs are associated with subsequent upper respiratory tract damage. Methods: A 6-year-old Quarter Horse gelding in Queensland, Australia, was presented with chronic nasal discharge and dyspnoea following previous unsuccessful medical treatment of 9 months' duration. C...
Lipid peroxidation biomarkers for evaluating oxidative stress in equine neuroaxonal dystrophy. Equine neuroaxonal dystrophy/equine degenerative myeloencephalopathy (eNAD/EDM) is a neurodegenerative disorder affecting genetically predisposed foals maintained on an α-tocopherol (α-TOH) deficient diet. Currently no antemortem diagnostic test for eNAD/EDM is available. Objective: Because α-TOH deficiency is associated with increased lipid peroxidation, it was hypothesized that F2 -isoprostanes (F2 IsoP), F4 -neuroprostanes (F4 NP) and oxysterols derived from free radical oxidation would be increased in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and neural tissue of eNAD/EDM affected horses and could ...
Deletion of the ORF2 gene of the neuropathogenic equine herpesvirus type 1 strain Ab4 reduces virulence while maintaining strong immunogenicity. Equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) induces respiratory infection, abortion, and neurologic disease with significant impact. Virulence factors contributing to infection and immune evasion are of particular interest. A potential virulence factor of the neuropathogenic EHV-1 strain Ab4 is ORF2. This study on 24 Icelandic horses, 2 to 4 years of age, describes the infection with EHV-1 Ab4, or its deletion mutant devoid of ORF2 (Ab4ΔORF2) compared to non-infected controls (each group n = 8). The horses' clinical presentation, virus shedding, viremia, antibody and cellular immune responses were...
Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid cytology and airway hyper-reactivity in clinically normal horses. To characterise the relationship between bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) cytology and pulmonary function testing with histamine bronchoprovocation (HBP) methods in a population of clinically normal horses. Methods: Cross-sectional study METHODS: Clinically normal adult horses (n = 33) underwent pulmonary function testing and HBP with a commercial flowmetric plethysmography system. BAL was performed 1-5 days later. Statistical analysis was used to assess associations between BALF cell concentration, relative inflammatory cell percentages and categorisation, and airway hyper-reactivity...
Dynamic flexion/extension and non-weight bearing ultrasonography is helpful for identifying manica flexoria tears in horses. Lesions of the manica flexoria are a tenoscopic finding in horses with digital flexor tendon sheath tenosynovitis. This retrospective case series study describes the ultrasonographic findings in seven horses admitted for digital flexor tendon sheath swelling associated with lameness and tenoscopic confirmation of a manica flexoria tear. Six horses had a partial manica flexoria tear, one a complete rupture. The ultrasonographic examination included a static examination on the weight and non-weight bearing limb and a dynamic limb assessment during flexion and extension. The main ultrasonographic...
Monitoring of tidal ventilation by electrical impedance tomography in anaesthetised horses. Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) is a method to measure regional impedance changes within the thorax. The total tidal impedance variation has been used to measure changes in tidal volumes in pigs, dogs and men. Objective: To assess the ability of EIT to quantify changes in tidal volume in anaesthetised mechanically ventilated horses. Methods: In vivo experimental study. Methods: Six horses (mean ± s.d.: age 11.5 ± 7.5 years and body weight 491 ± 40 kg) were anaesthetised using isoflurane in oxygen. The lungs were mechanically ventilated using a volume-controlled mode. With an end-tidal...
Sympathetic Innervation and Adrenergic Receptors in Equine Deep Digital Flexor Tendinopathy: Preliminary Results. The aim of this study was to delineate the pattern of sympathetic innervation in the suprasesamoidean region of the deep digital flexor tendon (DDFT) in horses with tendinopathy by immunohistochemical labelling for tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and α-1 adrenergic receptor (α1-AR). Twelve forelimbs were obtained from 10 horses with DDFT tendinopathy and six feet obtained from six horses were used as healthy controls. Post-mortem radiographic, ultrasonographic and gross examinations were performed on the suprasesamoidean area of the DDFT to assess the presence of tendinopathy. Longitudinal section...
A mini-STR typing system for degraded equine DNA. Degraded biological samples are a challenge for testing laboratories. Genotyping success can be improved through the use of mini-STRs, by which primers are placed adjacent to the repeat motifs to reduce amplicon size. Here, we present a genetic profiling system comprising 13 autosomal and one X-linked dinucleotide-repeat markers and the SRY gene based on the internationally accepted equine parentage panel. The markers are divided into two panels with all alleles falling at or below 182 bp. The application of this method significantly increases the ability to profile difficult samples and to p...
