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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.
Observations on the Echinococcus granulosus horse strain in Spain. The Spanish sheep and horse strains of Echinococcus granulosus possess several differential characteristics in their metacestode stage. Cysts from sheep vary widely in size and fertility, but they usually have a thin cyst wall and, when fertile, a whitish hydatid sand formed by brood capsules and protoscoleces. Two types of infections have been observed in horses: one resembling that of sheep, caused by small, non-fertile cysts with a thin wall, and a second type caused by medium to large, always fertile cysts with a thick wall. In this latter case, hydatid sand is always dark brown in color a...
Use of metronidazole in equine acute idiopathic toxaemic colitis. Sixteen cases of acute idiopathic toxaemic colitis developed in a veterinary hospital over a period of three years. Before the onset of colitis, 15 horses had received antibiotics, 11 had undergone general anaesthesia and various surgical procedures, and 10 had been treated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The horses had acute onset, profuse watery diarrhoea, profound depression, mild to moderate abdominal pain, reduced intestinal borborygmi, tachycardia, dehydration and endotoxic shock. Leucopenia, neutropenia and pyrexia were common early indicators of impending colitis. Metronida...
Identification of a granulocytic Ehrlichia strain isolated from a horse in Switzerland and comparison with other rickettsiae of the Ehrlichia phagocytophila genogroup. This case report describes a 12-year-old Arabian mare with granulocytic ehrlichiosis. Clinical signs included fever, apathy, anorexia, icterus, limb edema, and reluctance to move. Examination of buffy coat smears revealed Ehrlichia organisms in neutrophils and eosinophils. A band of 1,428 bp was amplified from DNA of leukocytes via nested PCR and was identified as part of the Ehrlichia 16S rRNA gene. It differed from the gene sequences of Ehrlichia phagocytophila and E. equi at two and three positions, respectively. Interestingly, the nucleotide sequence of the 16S rRNA was 100% identical to t...
Monoclonal antibody against Babesia equi: characterization and potential application of antigen for serodiagnosis. Monoclonal antibody (MAb) BEG3 was produced against Babesia equi parasites to define a species-specific antigen for diagnostic use. The MAb reacted with single, paired, and Maltese cross forms of B. equi, and no reaction was observed with this MAb on acetone-fixed Babesia caballi, Babesia ovata, or Babesia microti parasites in the indirect immunofluorescent antibody test. Confocal laser and immunoelectron microscopic studies showed that the antigen which was recognized by this MAb was located on the surface of B. equi parasites. This MAb recognized a 19-kDa protein of B. equi antigen and did n...
Determination of the volume changes for pressure-induced transitions of apomyoglobin between the native, molten globule, and unfolded states. The volume change for the transition from the native state of horse heart apomyoglobin to a pressure-induced intermediate with fluorescence properties similar to those of the well-established molten globule or I form was measured to be -70 ml/mol. Complete unfolding of the protein by pressure at pH 4.2 revealed an upper limit for the unfolding of the intermediate of -61 ml/mol. At 0.3 M guanidine hydrochloride, the entire transition from native to molten globule to unfolded state was observed in the available pressure range below 2.5 kbar. The volume change for the N-->I transition is relat...
The effect of endotoxin and anti-endotoxin serum on synovial fluid parameters in the horse. The effects of a commercially available equine hyperimmune anti-endotoxin serum on synovial fluid parameters were evaluated in an induced synovitis model in normal horses. Four groups of 3 horses each received lipopolysaccharide (LPS) plus hyperimmune antiendotoxin (anti-LPS), LPS, anti-LPS, and Ringers lactate (control) respectively injected into the left intercarpal joint. Synovial fluid parameters were measured at 4, 8, 24 and 72 h. It was found that anti-LPS had no attenuating effect on the LPS and that it induced a synovitis almost equivalent to that induced by LPS alone. The introduction...
Datura seed intoxication in two horses. A sunflower-based feed supplement grossly contaminated with the seed of a Datura sp. resulted in severe signs of poisoning in 2 horses. One horse died peracutely of acute gastric dilatation and rupture following ingestion of the contaminated feed. The 2nd horse developed unresponsive paralytic ileus that led to euthanasia. Examination of the feed and gastrointestinal contents of both horses showed a high proportion of the characteristic Datura sp. seeds. The clinical signs and pathology in both cases were consistent with intoxication by the parasympatholytic alkaloid components of Datura sp.
[Halicephalobus (Syn. Micronema) deletrix as a cause of granulomatous gingivitis and osteomyelitis in a horse]. Therapy resistant swellings of the maxillary region and unilateral nasal discharge in older horses are mainly thought to be consequences of neoplasias of the oral cavity, especially of the gingiva and the teeth, or to develop from tumours of the nasal cavity. We report an unilateral swelling of the left nasal and buccal region in a 13-year-old gelding, which was accompanied by an aggressive destruction of involved osseous tissue due to a severe proliferative granulomatous inflammation. The granuloma was caused by the nematode Halicephalobus (syn. Micronema) deletrix. This nematode infection is...
Detection of virulent Rhodococcus equi in tracheal aspirate samples by polymerase chain reaction for rapid diagnosis of R. equi pneumonia in foals. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based assays were developed to detect virulent Rhodococcus equi in transtracheal aspirate samples from sick foals showing respiratory signs. An oligonucleotide primer pair from the sequence of the virulence-associated 15- to 17-kDa antigen gene of the virulence plasmid in virulent R. equi was used to amplify a 564 bp region by PCR, and the result was confirmed by Southern blot hybridization. No positive reaction was seen in DNA from 13 different microorganisms typically found in the respiratory tract. In tracheal aspirates seeded with virulent R. equi, a visible...
Efficacy of moxidectin 2% oral gel against second- and third-instar Gasterophilus intestinalis De Geer. In a trial designed to evaluate the efficacy of the recommended dosage of moxidectin 2% oral gel against the gastric stages of Gasterophilus spp., 14 ponies were selected from a herd on the basis of the inclusion criterion of the presence of Gasterophilus spp. eggs attached to their hair coats. After random allocation, the ponies were treated with 1 of 2 treatments, moxidectin 2% equine gel in a single dose at the commercial dosage of 400 microg moxidectin/kg body weight or placebo gel. The animals were necropsied 14 days posttreatment. Efficacies against second- and third-instar Gasterophilus...
Direct sequencing of the HA gene of clinical equine H3N8 influenza virus and comparison with laboratory derived viruses. Equine influenza viruses propagated in the laboratory in alternate hosts such as embryonated hens' eggs or mammalian cell culture have been analysed by HA sequencing and antigenically and their sequence compared to the original virus present in clinical material. In contrast to clinically derived human influenza virus which generally grows in MDCK cells without change, the data for equine influenza virus were less clear in that variants of equine virus were derived in both eggs and cells. The study indicated that the current use of eggs for equine influenza virus surveillance and vaccine produ...
[Tinea caused by Trichophyton equinum]. We report on the first human infection with Trichophyton equinum in Germany, which was transmitted from an infected pony to a 12-year old girl. Trichophyton equinum was identified by its morphology, dependency on nicotinic acid, hair perforation, and enzyme production. A noteworthy new observation was the development of white pleomorphic tufts on the surface of thalli grown on potatoe-dextrose agar. The girl's tinea was non-inflammatory and responded promptly to topical treatment, whereas the pony's strongly inflammatory lesions persisted for months. In supernatants of cultures supplemented wi...
Epidemiological aspects of dermatophyte infections in horses and cattle. Ringworm infections in the principal domestic animals are a major public and veterinary health problem. The aetiology, epidemiology and symptomatology of these mycoses are quite heterogeneous and complex. In this context, the AA carried out an epidemiological study to investigate the prevalence of dermatophytes in two different animal species, horses (n = 200) belonging to 10 private stables and cattle (n = 1900) belonging to farms with different breeding purposes and management. With regard to horses the results showed a positive level of 9% and Trichophyton equinum was the major organism iso...
Molecular analysis of the virulence determinants of Clostridium perfringens associated with foal diarrhoea. During an epidemiological study of foal diarrhoea, over half of the cases yielded Clostridium perfringens which was significantly associated with disease (Netherwood et al., 1996b). However, the association could not be accounted for by enterotoxigenic isolates which had a low prevalence (Netherwood et al., 1997). Nonetheless, we have hypothesized that the association may be caused by a pathogenic sub-population which would be significantly more common amongst C. perfringens-positive cases compared with C. perfringens-positive healthy controls if it acted as a pathogen when present. Conversely...
Primary hyperparathyroidism caused by a functional parathyroid adenoma in a horse. A 14-year-old Arabian gelding had weight loss and anorexia of 3 weeks' duration. Results of repeated laboratory tests revealed persistent hypercalcemia and serum phosphorus concentration that was within or less than the reference range. Parathyroid hormone concentration was high. Histologic examination of specimens obtained at necropsy revealed parathyroid adenoma. A diagnosis of primary hyperparathyroidism attributable to a functional parathyroid adenoma was made. Abnormalities in calcium and phosphorus concentrations were similar to those seen with primary hyperparathyroidism in dogs, in whi...
Report of the Second Equine Leucocyte Antigen Workshop, Squaw valley, California, July 1995. The final assignment of antibody clusters for leucocyte antigens and immunoglobulins, as described in detail in Sections 3 and 4, is summarized in Table 4. Together with other mAbs developed outside of ELAW II (Table 9) this pool of reagents represent a powerful array of tools for the study of equine immunity. The Second Equine Leucocyte Antigen Workshop made considerable advances in pursuing the objectives of establishing the specificities of mAbs and achieving consensus on the nomenclature for equine leucocyte and immunoglobulin molecules. Of equal importance, several productive collaboratio...
Equinins in equine neutrophils: quantification in tracheobronchial secretions as an aid in the diagnosis of chronic pulmonary disease. Equinins are a closely related group of proteins found in equine neutrophil granules. They demonstrate proteinase inhibiting activity restricted to microbial proteinase K and subtilisin, and they also possess antibacterial and antiviral properties. Antiproteinase K activity was measured in tracheobronchial secretions (TBS) of horses with mild (n = 15), moderate (n = 30) and severe (n = 16) chronic pulmonary disease, to determine its usefulness as an indicator of severity of disease and to measure neutrophil content. Determination of proteinase K inhibiting activity was based on a colorimetric ...
Genetic targets for the detection and identification of Venezuelan equine encephalitis viruses. Rt-PCR probes targeted to different gene sequences of VEE (Venezuelan equine encephalitis) virus strain TC-83 were assessed for their sensitivity, specificity and non-specific cross-reactivity. A generic VEE virus amplimer (VNSP4F2/VNSP4R2), targeted against nsP4 was identified, which was sensitive (detected at least 10 pfu) and robust (worked over a wide range of salt concentrations and annealing temperatures). An E2 amplimer designed against TC-83, (VE2F/VE2R), identified VEE strains TRD (1AB), P676 (1C), 3880 (1D) Everglades (2) vRNA whilst a second E2 primer pair designed against strain 68...
Equine monocyte-derived macrophage cultures and their applications for infectivity and neutralization studies of equine infectious anemia virus. Equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) has been shown to infect cells of monocyte/macrophage lineage. These primary cells are intrinsically difficult to obtain, to purify and to culture in vitro for extended periods of time. As a result, most in vitro studies concerning this lentivirus make use of primary equine fibroblasts or transformed canine or feline cell lines. We describe methods that yield reproducibly pure cultures of equine blood monocytes from peripheral blood mononuclear cells. The in vitro differentiation of these cells into mature equine macrophage was verified using various cytoc...
[Equine Cushing syndrome (ECS). Case report, review of its diagnosis and therapy and substantial differences from Cushing syndrome in dogs]. Equine and canine Cushing's syndrome, both of which are the result of elevated cortisol levels, show some different pathogenetical and clinical features and require different therapeutical approaches. In older horses the equine Cushing's syndrome (ECS) is not uncommon. Nearly all cases result from excessive hormone production in cells of the pars intermedia of the pituitary. Besides elevated levels of adrenocorticotrope hormone (ACTH), high peripheral levels of pro-opiomelanocortin, beta-endorphines and alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone can be measured. In middle-aged and geriatric dogs, Cu...
A dinucleotide mutation in the endothelin-B receptor gene is associated with lethal white foal syndrome (LWFS); a horse variant of Hirschsprung disease. Lethal white foal syndrome (LWFS) is a congenital anomaly of horses characterized by a white coat colour and aganglionosis of the bowel, which is similar to Hirschsprung disease (HSCR). We decided to investigate possible mutations of the endothelin-B receptor gene ( EDNRB ) in LWFS as recent studies in mutant rodents and some patients have demonstrated EDNRB defects. First, we identified a full-length cDNA for horse EDNRB . This cDNA fragment contained a 1329 bp open reading frame which encoded 443 amino acid residues. The predicted amino acid sequence was 89, 91 and 85% identical to human, bo...
A dinucleotide mutation in the endothelin-B receptor gene is associated with lethal white foal syndrome (LWFS); a horse variant of Hirschsprung disease. Lethal white foal syndrome (LWFS) is a congenital anomaly of horses characterized by a white coat colour and aganglionosis of the bowel, which is similar to Hirschsprung disease (HSCR). We decided to investigate possible mutations of the endothelin-B receptor gene ( EDNRB ) in LWFS as recent studies in mutant rodents and some patients have demonstrated EDNRB defects. First, we identified a full-length cDNA for horse EDNRB . This cDNA fragment contained a 1329 bp open reading frame which encoded 443 amino acid residues. The predicted amino acid sequence was 89, 91 and 85% identical to human, bo...
Changes in sulfation patterns of chondroitin sulfate in equine articular cartilage and synovial fluid in response to aging and osteoarthritis. To determine effects of aging on sulfation of chondroitin sulfate (CS) in articular cartilage and synovial fluid from normal equine middle carpal joints, and to determine whether CS compositional analysis can be used to assess alterations in proteoglycan turnover in degenerative cartilage obtained from horses with carpal osteochondral fractures. Methods: Carpal articular cartilage and synovial fluid from 44 cadavers with normal joints and from 16 Thoroughbred racehorses during routine carpal arthroscopic surgery. Methods: After papain/chondroitinase digestion of cartilage, CS disaccharides (un...
Epiglottic retroversion as a cause of upper airway obstruction in two horses. Many disorders of the upper respiratory tract which cause severe
respiratory compromise and poor performance have been
described in the equine athlete (Williams et al. 1990; Morris 1991;
King et al. 1994). Until recently, the diagnosis of upper respiratory
tract dysfunction was based on observations made during resting
endoscopic examination; and conclusions regarding the extent and
exact nature of the dysfunction during exercise were often
inaccurate. This report describes 2 horses presented to the George
D. Widener Hospital in which no significant abnormalities were
noted during res...
Gross, histological and histomorphometric features of the navicular bone and related structures in the horse. Forelimb navicular bones and associated soft tissues were collected from 3 groups of horses and subjected to pathological examinations. The groups consisted of 38 horses with clinical navicular disease (ND) and 2 control groups, with no history of forelimb lameness, consisting of 25 age-matched mature horses (A-MC) and 9 immature horses (IC). Histological and histomorphometric studies were performed on tissue samples from 10 ND, 10 A-MC and 5 IC horses. Gross changes seen only in ND horses included: full thickness defects in the palmar surface fibrocartilage, palmar cortex erosion, medullary l...
