Disease diagnosis in horses involves the identification and characterization of illnesses through various diagnostic methods and tools. This process is essential for effective veterinary care and management of equine health. Techniques used in diagnosing diseases in horses include clinical examinations, laboratory tests, imaging modalities such as ultrasonography and radiography, and molecular diagnostics. Blood tests are frequently utilized to assess parameters such as complete blood count and biochemical profiles, which can indicate underlying health issues. Additionally, advancements in genetic testing and biomarker identification have enhanced the ability to detect specific diseases early. This page aggregates peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore diagnostic methodologies, their applications, and their impact on equine health management.
Kraus MS, Rishniw M, Divers TJ, Reef VB, Gelzer AR.Evaluate accuracy and utility of a smartphone-based ECG device compared to a standard base-apex lead ECG in horses. Methods: ECGs were acquired prospectively from 28 client-owned horses at 2 equine referral hospitals. Twenty-five pairs of 30-s ECG recordings were acquired simultaneously from 23 horses with a smartphone ECG device (a bi-polar single lead recorder coupled to a smartphone with an ECG application) and with a standard base-apex lead ECG; 2 horses provided two pairs of simultaneously acquired ECGs. In one horse, the ECGs pairs were recorded immediately sequentially. An additional 7 ...
Frazer LL, Santschi EM, Fischer KJ.To predict the bone formation stimulus of a transcondylar screw across an equine subchondral bone cyst (SBC) in an equine medial femoral condyle (MFC). Methods: Finite element modeling (FEM) of an equine MFC with a 2 cm SBC under several transcondylar screw conditions. Methods: The right stifle of a yearling thoroughbred without stifle disease that had been euthanized for reasons unrelated to this study and donated to the University. Methods: The FEM was derived from computed tomography of a yearling thoroughbred and analyzed in ABAQUS v6.14. The transcondylar screw was modeled as a 4.5-mm s...
Peng TL, Armiladiana MM, Ruhil HH, Maizan M, Choong SS.The occurrence of Setaria digitata in a horse is reported for the first time in Malaysia. An 8-year-old Thoroughbred cross mare was referred to the University Veterinary Clinic with the primary complaint of corneal opacity and excessive eye discharge. After initial treatment with Terramycin eye ointment, corneal opacity cleared partially to reveal a moving thread-like cylindrical worm in the anterior chamber of the eye. The parasite was successfully removed surgically, and examination under the light microscope revealed that the isolated worm (length = 45 mm) was a 5th stage larva of S. ...
Azab W, Bedair S, Abdelgawad A, Eschke K, Farag GK, Abdel-Raheim A, Greenwood AD, Osterrieder N, Ali AAH.Equid herpesviruses (EHVs) threaten equine health and can cause significant economic losses to the equine industry worldwide. Different equid herpesviruses, EHV-1, EHV-2, EHV-4 and EHV5 are regularly detected among horse populations. In Egypt, monitoring is sporadic but EHV-1 or EHV-4 have been reported to circulate in the horse population. However, there is a lack of reports related to infection and health status of horses, likely due to the absence of regular diagnostic procedures. In the current study, the circulation of four infectious equid herpesviruses (EHV-1, EHV-2, EHV-4 and EHV-5) am...
Brown LJ, Brown G, Kydd J, Stout TAE, Schulman ML.Equid herpesvirus type 1 is primarily a respiratory tract virus associated with poor athletic performance that can also cause late gestation abortion, neonatal foal death and encephalomyelopathy. Horizontal transmission is well described, whereas evidence of vertical transmission of equid herpesvirus type 1 associated with the birth of a healthy foal has not been demonstrated. This study sampled a population of Thoroughbred mares (n = 71), and their healthy neonatal foals and foetal membranes, to test for the presence of both equid herpesvirus types 1 and 4 using a quantitative polymerase chai...
Al-Kass Z, Eriksson E, Bagge E, Wallgren M, Morrell JM.Although artificial insemination (AI) was developed as a means of controlling disease transmission, pathogens can still be transmitted to females in semen used for AI. In addition, bacteria can cause deterioration in sperm quality during storage. Semen becomes contaminated by the male's normal bacterial flora as it passes out of the reproductive tract but potential pathogens may also contaminate the semen. Therefore, semen samples from stallions to be used for AI are tested before the breeding season to minimize transmission of pathogens to inseminated mares. In Sweden, semen samples are teste...
Borkent D, Smith S, Dixon PM.Peripheral caries (PC) has recently been shown to affect over half of UK and Australian horses. Objective: To examine affected cheek teeth histologically and ultrastructurally, to assess the possible route(s) of carious infection into the dental tissues and to further describe the pathological changes in affected teeth. Methods: Descriptive pathological study. Methods: Four control and 16 cheek teeth with different grades of PC were examined grossly, histologically and by electron microscopy. Results: Cariogenic bacteria from plaque entered peripheral cementum perpendicular to the sides of tee...
Nam B, Mekuria Z, Carossino M, Li G, Zheng Y, Zhang J, Cook RF, Shuck KM, Campos JR, Squires EL, Troedsson MHT, Timoney PJ, Balasuriya UBR.Equine arteritis virus (EAV) is the causative agent of equine viral arteritis (EVA), a reproductive and respiratory disease of horses. Following natural infection, 10 to 70% of infected stallions can become carriers of EAV and continue to shed virus in the semen. In this study, sequential viruses isolated from nasal secretions, buffy coat cells, and semen of seven experimentally infected and two naturally infected EAV carrier stallions were deep sequenced to elucidate the intrahost microevolutionary process after a single transmission event. Analysis of variants from nasal secretions and buffy...
Alnaeem AA, Hemida MG.Equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) is one of the most important threats to the equine industry globally. This is due to the poor performance of the affected horses, which requires euthanization of the infected animals upon the infection confirmation. Infected animals remain carriers throughout their life. EIAV infection has been reported in many parts of the world, including North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. However, the EIAV status is never assessed in horses in the Gulf area, especially in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Objective: This study aimed to perform molecular and serol...
Yasine A, Ashenafi H, Geldhof P, Van Brantegem L, Vercauteren G, Bekana M, Tola A, Van Soom A, Duchateau L, Goddeeris B, Govaere J.Dourine, a venereal transmitted trypanosomosis caused by Trypanosoma equiperdum, has different clinical signs related to the reproductive and nervous system. Pathologic tissue changes associated with the disease are poorly described. The present study describes the histopathological lesions in naturally T. equiperdum-infected horses in the chronical stage of dourine. Results: Four chronically dourine diseased horses underwent a post-mortem examination. They were Woo test negative, but CATT/T. evansi positive, had a low packed cell volume (PCV) and exhibited obvious clinical signs of dourine. P...
The aim of the present study is to assess an arthrographic technique based on the access to the equine tarsus via distal intertarsal and on the existence and frequency of communication between distal and tarsocrural joints in the tarsus of Crioulo horses. Methods: Fifty Crioulo horses of both sexes from 3 to 8 years old were included in the experiment. Animals with radiographic signs of tarsal osteoarthritis and joint space loss were excluded from the experiment. Contrast was injected in the distal intertarsal joint and radiographs were taken at two different times - Time 0 (after contra...
Pezzanite L, Easley J.Cervical vertebral compressive myelopathy (CVCM) represents the most significant disease of the spinal cord in horses for which surgical treatment is described. Current surgical methods used include ventral interbody fusion with kerf cut cylinders and dorsal laminectomy. Polyaxial pedicle screw and rod constructs and ventral locking compression plating have been introduced in the treatment of equine CVCM and present promising alternative approaches to achieve ventral interbody fusion. Advancements in diagnostic imaging and endoscopy of the cervical vertebral canal may improve reliable preopera...
Yadav SC, Kumar P, Khurana S, Kumar R.Trypanosomosis caused by Trypanosoma evansi, commonly known as "surra," is a wasting disease affecting equids, camels, cattle, as well as several other domestic and wild animals. No systematic information is available on disease pattern in equines for development of control and treatment strategies in endemic areas in India. The present study was undertaken with a comprehensive plan to screen large population of equines using indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to obtain epidemiological information on "surra" in different agro-climatic zones of India. A total of 6455 serum samples were ...
Niinistö KE, Määttä MA, Ruohoniemi MO, Paulaniemi M, Raekallio MR.Clinical problems related to intestinal sand accumulation in horses are common in certain geographic areas, but the clinical signs appear nonspecific and the course of the accumulation remains somewhat obscure. This study examined the association between the presence and size of intestinal sand accumulations and owner-reported clinical signs, management, and feeding practices, as well as behavioral patterns in horses with radiographic diagnosis of sand accumulation. Owners of the horses filled in an online questionnaire. A total of 447 responses met the inclusion criteria. The size of the sand...
Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Abortusequi (S. Abortusequi) is a serotype restricted to equines, which produces abortion outbreaks. Nowadays the disease is being reported in different countries including Argentina thus generating an important impact in the equine industry. Molecular characterization of the 95 kb virulence plasmid and the spvC gene of S. Abortusequi demonstrated their importance in the pathogenicity of the serotype. In the last decades, high clonality of S. Abortusequi was identified in Japan, Mongolia and Croatia. Objective: The aim of this work was to characteriz...
Niazmand MH, Hirai T, Ito S, Habibi WA, Noori J, Hasheme R, Yamaguchi R.We performed postmortem examinations on seven Misaki feral horses () and evaluated Misaki feral horses, Japanese wild boars (), domestic pigs (), and wild Japanese macaques () from 2015 to 2017 in Cape Toi, Kushima, Miyazaki Prefecture, southern Japan, for antibodies against Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV). infection with severe arterial lesions and hemomelasma ilei was present in all necropsied horses. We frequently found intestinal ulcers, perihepatitis filamentosa, and poor body condition. We recorded degenerative arthropathy in metacarpophalangeal joints in two cases and a fracture of t...
Meister TL, Tegtmeyer B, Postel A, Cavalleri JV, Todt D, Stang A, Steinmann E.An equine parvovirus-hepatitis (EqPV-H) has been recently identified in association with equine serum hepatitis, also known as Theiler's disease. This disease was first described by Arnold Theiler in 1918 and is often observed after applications with blood products in equines. So far, the virus has only been described in the USA and China. In this study, we evaluated the presence of EqPV-H in several commercial serum samples to assess the potential risk of virus transmission by equine serum-based products for medical and research applications. In 11 out of 18 commercial serum samples, EqPV-H D...
El-Sheikh Ali H, Legacki EL, Loux SC, Esteller-Vico A, Dini P, Scoggin KE, Conley AJ, Stanley SD, Ball BA.The current study aimed to elucidate the mechanisms underlying myometrial activation during equine placentitis related to progestogens and the progesterone receptor signaling pathways. Placentitis was induced via intracervical inoculation with Streptococcus equi ssp zooepidemicus in mares at approximately 290 days of gestation (placentitis group; n = 6) with uninoculated gestationally matched mares as controls (n = 4). Mares in the placentitis and control groups were euthanized, and myometrial samples were collected from two regions: region 1-parallel to active placentitis lesion with plac...
Dembek KA, Johnson LM, Timko KJ, Minuto JS, Hart KA, Barr BS, Toribio RE.The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis regulates the response to sepsis-associated stress. Relative adrenal insufficiency or adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH):cortisol imbalance, defined as a poor cortisol response to administration of ACTH, is common and associated with death in hospitalized foals. However, information on other adrenal steroid response to ACTH stimulation in sick foals is minimal. Objective: To investigate the response of multiple adrenocortical steroids to administration of ACTH in foals. Methods: Hospitalized (n = 34) and healthy (n = 13) foals. Methods: In this prospecti...
Miranda IC, Taylor KR, Castleman W, de Lahunta A, Summers BA, Miller AD.Proliferation of ectopic Schwann cells within the central nervous system (CNS) parenchyma (schwannosis) in early life is most commonly associated with human neurofibromatosis type-2 and has been unrecognized in domestic animals. Three foals and a calf, 5 to 11 weeks old, with progressive neurological signs from birth were studied. Histologically, at multiple levels of the spinal cord, all animals had bilateral plaques of proliferative spindle cells, predominantly affecting the white matter adjacent to dorsal and ventral nerve roots and variably extending into the gray matter. Proliferating cel...
Vitale V, Sgorbini M, Cuteri V, Preziuso S, Attili AR, Bonelli F.The distinction between lower respiratory tract infections caused by Rhodococcus equi and those caused by other pathogens is difficult. The aim of this retrospective study was to describe cytological findings in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of foals with pneumonia caused by R. equi or other bacteria. Nineteen foals aged from 3 weeks to 6 months with evidence of respiratory disease between 2015 and 2016 were selected from the database of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital "Mario Modenato" of the University of Pisa. Eight foals of 19 (42.1%) had R. equi pneumonia, whereas 11 of 19 (57.9...
Casenave P, Leclere M, Beauchamp G, Blais MC.After-hours or out-of-clinic crossmatches are often limited by the lack of access to specialized material and technical expertise. Objective: The goal was to adapt a stall-side crossmatch test for pretransfusion evaluation in horses. Methods: Twelve healthy mares (plasma and blood donors, teaching mares). Methods: In a prospective study, blood from 12 mares was used to compare the results of 132 crossmatches performed with a rapid gel assay to crossmatches performed with a microgel column assay, and with predicted compatibilities based on blood types and detection of antibodies at a reference ...
Canisso IF, Loux S, Scoggin KE, Squires EL, Troedsson MH, Ball BA.Characterisation of fetal fluids in healthy and disease states of pregnant mares can help to unravel the pathophysiology and to identify putative markers of disease. Thus, this study aimed to compare the protein composition of: (1) amniotic and allantoic fluids of healthy mares obtained immediately after euthanasia and (2) allantoic fluid harvested via centesis before and after experimental induction of placentitis via transcervical inoculation of Streptococcus equi ssp zooepidemicus in healthy mares. Fetal fluids were analysed with a high-throughput proteomic technique after in-gel digestion....
Bulak K, Łopuszyński W, Lutnicki K, Pomorska-Zniszczyńska A, Śmiech A, Jodłowska-Jędrych B.Granular cell tumor (GCT) is a soft tissue neoplasm characterized by abundant intracellular eosinophilic granules. The majority of GCTs are benign, although some display malignant behavior. Furthermore, GCTs may mimic other neoplasms. The clinical course and biology of GCTs are poorly understood. Regarding the histogenesis of GCT, a Schwann cell origin is currently favored in light of immunohistochemical and ultrastructural analyses. However, based on literature data, some of the primitive GCTs show non-neural origin; therefore, the histogenesis of this tumor has remained enigmatic. Granular c...
Onyiche TE, Suganuma K, Igarashi I, Yokoyama N, Xuan X, Thekisoe O.Equine Piroplasmosis (EP) is a tick-borne disease caused by apicomplexan protozoan parasites, and . The disease is responsible for serious economic losses to the equine industry. It principally affects donkeys, horses, mules, and zebra but DNA of the parasites has also been detected in dogs and camels raising doubt about their host specificity. The disease is endemic in tropical and temperate regions of the world where the competent tick vectors are prevalent. Infected equids remain carrier for life with infection, whilst, infection with is cleared within a few years. This review focuses on...
Borkent D, Reardon RJM, McLACHLAN G, Glendinning L, Dixon PM.Although, peripheral caries (PC) affects almost half of UK horses, no comprehensive microbiological study has been performed on this disorder. As a high proportion of oral bacteria cannot be conventionally cultured, molecular microbiological techniques such as Next Generation Sequencing are required to examine the complex oral bacteria community. Objective: To identify the microbiota involved in equine PC, including comparing microbiota at the more commonly and severely affected three caudal cheek teeth with the less commonly affected three rostral cheek teeth. Methods: Equine dental plaque sa...
Gy C, Leclere M, Vargas A, Grimes C, Lavoie JP.Asthma in horses is associated with nonspecific respiratory clinical signs and may be manifested only as exercise intolerance. Its diagnosis relies on bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) cytology in the presence of compatible clinical signs. The identification of blood biomarkers for this condition would facilitate diagnosis in the field, because there are regional areas where BAL is not routinely performed in clinical practice. Objective: Identification of blood biomarkers for the diagnosis of asthma in horses. Methods: Fourteen horses with asthma with increased neutrophil numbers in BALF (ne...
Nemoto M, Niwa H, Murakami S, Miki R, Higuchi T, Bannai H, Tsujimura K, Kokado H.Equine group A rotaviruses (RVAs) cause diarrhoea in foals. We investigated the G genotypes of 360 RVA-positive samples obtained from diarrhoeic foals between 2012 and 2018 in the Hidaka district of Hokkaido, Japan, through sequence analysis of VP7. All samples were classified into genotypes G3A, G3B and G14. G3B RVAs were detected until 2016, and G3A RVAs were detected from 2016 to 2018. G14 RVAs were detected from 2012 to 2018. Although G3B RVAs had been circulating in Japan for a long time, G3A RVAs suddenly emerged in 2016, and have replaced G3B RVAs since 2017. Molecular analyses of VP7 a...
Chidlow H, Giguère S, Sanchez LC.Limited information exists on the long-term outcome of foals that survive following hospitalisation for disease as a neonate. Significant financial investment is required to raise foals to racing age, therefore improved understanding of factors that affect long-term outcome and future athletic performance is important. Objective: To analyse racing performance in Thoroughbred foals hospitalised as neonates, compared with their maternal siblings and to determine factors associated with failure to race and racing performance. Methods: Retrospective cohort study. Methods: Medical records of Thorou...
Equine trypanosomosis is a complex of infectious diseases called dourine, nagana and surra. It is caused by several species of the genus Trypanosoma that are transmitted cyclically by tsetse flies, mechanically by other haematophagous flies, or sexually. Trypanosoma congolense (subgenus Nannomonas) and T. vivax (subgenus Dutonella) are genetically and morphologically distinct from T. brucei, T. equiperdum and T. evansi (subgenus Trypanozoon). It remains controversial whether the three latter taxa should be considered distinct species. Recent outbreaks of surra and dourine in Europe illustrate ...
Paterson DL, Murray PK, McCormack JG.Twenty-three horses and three humans in Queensland, Australia, were infected with a novel member of the Paramyxoviridae family of viruses in two geographically distinct outbreaks. Two of the humans died-one died of rapid-onset respiratory illness, and the other died of encephalitis. The third infected human developed an influenza-like illness and made a complete recovery. All infected humans had close contact with sick horses. Since the two outbreaks occurred at sites 1,000 km apart and no known contact between the two groups of humans and horses occurred, extensive testing of animals and bird...
Meehan L, Dyson S, Murray R.Clinical, radiographic and scintigraphic signs associated with spondylosis of the equine thoracolumbar spine have been poorly documented. Objective: To establish an objective radiographic and scintigraphic grading system for spondylosis lesions; to estimate the prevalence of spondylosis in a population of horses with back pain; and to compare the results of radiography and scintigraphy. Methods: Radiographic images of the thoracolumbar spine from 670 horses with clinical signs of back pain were graded. Scintigraphic images from horses with spondylosis lesions underwent subjective and objective...
Ramzan PH, Palmer L, Dallas RS, Shepherd MC.Ultrasonographic (US) abnormalities of the suspensory ligament branch (SLB) have been poorly investigated but can have considerable impact on market value and career path when encountered in athletic horses. There is a need for determination of the prevalence and relationship to clinical injury of these US abnormalities in the Thoroughbred (TB) racehorse. Objective: To establish the prevalence of, and the repeatability of an US grading system for, subclinical US abnormalities of the forelimb SLB in a population of UK TB flat racehorses. Methods: Ultrasonographic assessment of the forelimb SLBs...
Donahue JM, Smith BJ, Poonacha KB, Donahoe JK, Rigsby CL.In this study, the prevalence of leptospira-induced abortions/stillbirths for the past 3 foaling seasons (1991-1993) was determined, and fetal tissues and/or the mare's urine from positive cases were cultured in an attempt to isolate and identify the leptospira serovars responsible for the abortions. The sensitivity and specificity of the primary diagnostic tests, the fluorescent antibody test (FAT) and the microscopic agglutination test (MAT), used for the diagnosis of leptospirosis were also determined. For the 3 years, 74 (3.3%) of 2,264 abortion/stillborn submissions were diagnosed as lept...
Tsachev I, Pantchev N, Marutsov P, Petrov V, Gundasheva D, Baymakova M.Lyme Borreliosis and granulocytic anaplasmosis are less extensively studied in horses than in dogs and humans. Equine ehrlichiosis is not known in Europe and is in the initial stage of investigation in South, Central, and North America. The aim of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of these infections in Bulgaria. A total of 155 horses were investigated from five regions in Southeastern Bulgaria. Horses were tested for Borrelia burgdorferi, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and Ehrlichia spp. antibodies by a commercial rapid ELISA test. B. burgdorferi and A. phagocytophilum antibodies wer...
Faverjon C, Vial F, Andersson MG, Lecollinet S, Leblond A.West Nile virus (WNV) is a growing public health concern in Europe and there is a need to develop more efficient early detection systems. Nervous signs in horses are considered to be an early indicator of WNV and, using them in a syndromic surveillance system, might be relevant. In our study, we assessed whether or not data collected by the passive French surveillance system for the surveillance of equine diseases can be used routinely for the detection of WNV. We tested several pre-processing methods and detection algorithms based on regression. We evaluated system performances using simulate...
Slocombe JO.This review summarizes information on the clinical signs, gross and microscopic lesions associated with nematode and cestode infections and discusses the development of these conditions in the equine host.
Dias DP, de Lacerda Neto JC.Thrombophlebitis of the jugular vein is commonly observed in horses, particularly during intensive care, and leads to local and systemic inflammatory responses as well as head and neck circulatory impairment. Thrombolytic therapy is widely used in human practice with the aim of thrombus dissolution and recanalization of the injured vessels. There are similarities between human and horse coagulation and fibrinolytic processes. This review examines the fibrinolytic system, thrombus formation, and the clinical management of jugular thrombophlebitis, including thrombolytic therapy. There is eviden...
Hytychová T, Bezděková B.To identify the specific pathogens causing sepsis in hospitalized foals in the Czech Republic and identify important factors associated with their survival. Methods: A retrospective study from 2011 to 2013. Methods: University veterinary teaching hospital. Methods: Fifty compromised foals. Methods: None. Results: Blood was aseptically collected for bacterial culture from compromised foals. The foals were classified as septic according to a positive blood culture result or sepsis score ≥11. Blood cultures were positive in 44% of the foals. In these positive cultures, 27.3% had only Gram-posit...
Miller RI, Campbell RS.During a clinical study of equine phycomycosis in tropical northern Australia 3 specific forms of phycomycosis were identified. Of 266 cases diagnosed in 5 different laboratories, hyphomycosis caused by Hyphomyces destruens was responsible for 76.7%, basidiobolomycosis caused by Basidiobolus haptosporus for 18.0%, and entomophthoramycosis caused by Conidiobolus coronatus for 5.3%. Most cases of hyphomycosis were observed between March and July, that is after the monsoonal wet summer, but were calculated from clinical histories to originate in the wet season between November and May. Basidiobol...
Brown CC, McClure JJ, Triche P, Crowder C.Excisional biopsy specimens were received from 8 horses with lesions suspected of being caused by Pythium sp. Pythium sp was isolated from all specimens. An indirect peroxidase technique was applied to formalin-fixed tissues from the biopsy material and there was distinct staining of hyphal cell walls in all specimens. Sections containing hyphae, other than those of Pythium sp, failed to stain. The indirect peroxidase technique could be used for confirmation of suspected cases of pythiosis.
de Lagarde M, Rodrigues N, Chevigny M, Beauchamp G, Albrecht B, Lavoie JP.Bronchospasm results in airway obstruction in horses with heaves. Atropine is the most potent bronchodilator drug currently available for horses, but is associated with side effects that limit its use. Like atropine, N-butylscopolammonium bromide (NBB) is an anticholinergic agent with bronchodilatory properties. Objective: To compare the bronchodilating effects and side effects of atropine and NBB in horses with heaves. Methods: Cross-over experiment using horses with heaves. Methods: Eight horses with heaves were administered atropine and NBB, using a cross-over design. Heart rate, pupillary ...
Yasunaga S, Maeda K, Matsumura T, Kai K, Iwata H, Inoue T.Recently, a type-specific ELISA using equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) and type 4 (EHV-4) glycoprotein Gs (gGs) was developed by Crabb and Studdert [1993]. To investigate the dissemination of EHV-1 and -4 among horses in Japan, we applied their ELISA as suitable for discriminating between EHV-1 and -4 infections serologically. Type-specificity of the ELISA was confirmed by using paired sera of infected horses with either EHV-1 or -4. Application of the ELISA to sera collected before and after the winter season of 1995-1996 from 80 racehorses revealed that 30 horses showed significant antibody...
Grund CH, Lechman ER, Issel CJ, Montelaro RC, Rushlow KE.In this study we used immune sera from equine infectious anaemia virus (EIAV)-infected horses which uniquely display broad reactivity with different lentivirus capsid proteins (CA) to characterize the cross-reactive determinants of lentivirus CA proteins. In particular, the role of the major homology region (MHR) of lentivirus CA proteins in this serological cross-reactivity was evaluated using both equine immune serum and murine monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) directed against the MHR segment of different lentiviruses. The results of our studies indicate that about 80% of sera from long-term exp...
Issel CJ, Cook RF, Mealey RH, Horohov DW.In the absence of an effective vaccine, the success of the test and removal approach for the control of equine infectious anemia (EIA) cannot be overstated, at least in those areas where testing has been traditionally routine. This article addresses 4 main aspects: what has been learned about EIA virus, host control of its replication, and inapparent carriers; international status regarding the control of EIA; diagnostic and laboratory investigation; and reducing the spread of blood-borne infections by veterinarians. An attempt is made to put these issues into practical contemporary perspectiv...
van Loon G, Van Steenkiste G, Vera L, Decloedt A.Minimally-invasive catheter-based interventional cardiology is a mainstay for the diagnosis and treatment of arrhythmias in human medicine. Very accurate imaging using fluoroscopy, CT and MRI is essential during interventional cardiology procedures. Because these imaging techniques are either not possible or provide too little anatomical detail in horses, echocardiography is currently the best technique to visualize catheters in horses. Over the past decades, catheter-based techniques have been applied to induce arrhythmias using pacing and to perform arrhythmia research using electrophysiolog...
Schrock P, Lüpke M, Seifert H, Staszyk C.This study investigated the hypothetical contribution of biomechanical loading to the onset of equine odontoclastic tooth resorption and hypercementosis (EOTRH) and to elucidate the physiological age-related positional changes of the equine incisors. Based on high resolution micro-computed tomography (μCT) datasets, 3-dimensional models of entire incisor arcades and the canine teeth were constructed representing a young and an old incisor dentition. Special attention was paid to constructing an anatomically correct model of the periodontal ligament (PDL). Using previously determined Young's m...
Sweeney CR, Divers TJ, Benson CE.Anaerobic bacteria are important and overlooked bacterial pathogens of the lower respiratory tract in horses. Twenty-one of 46 horses with pleuropneumonia had anaerobic bacteria isolated from pleural fluid or from tracheobronchial aspirate. Bacteroides oralis and B melaninogenicus were the anaerobes most frequently isolated. Survival was significantly less for horses from which anaerobes were isolated than for horses from which anaerobes were not isolated. Putrid odor was associated with the pleural fluid and/or breath in 62% of the horses from which anaerobes were isolated. In these horses, t...
MacKay RJ.All gray horses inherited a single gene mutation, STX17G, that unbalances melanocyte behavior to cause graying and propensities to develop vitiligo and melanoma. The coat color genes ASIPa and MC1RE add risk such that relative likelihood of melanoma based on pregraying coat color is black > bay > chestnut. Melanomas begin at about 4 years. Locoregional control of melanoma masses depends on surgical removal and/or intralesional chemotherapy (possibly with adjunctive hyperthermia or electroporation). Systemic treatment is not evidence based but immunomodulators (cimetidine, levamisole) and ...
Mair TS, Sutton DG, Love S.This report describes the clinical and pathological features of 4 horses affected by caecocaecal or caecocolic intussusceptions associated with larval cyathostomiasis. In each case, there was clinical and/or pathological evidence of concurrent larval cyathostomosis. They all demonstrated variable signs including diarrhoea, pyrexia, weight loss and subcutaneous oedema and cyathostome larvae were identified in the faeces of 3 of the horses. These cases highlight the need to consider caecal intussusceptions as a possible complication in horses affected by larval cyathostomosis, especially where s...
Bell KS, Philp JC, Christofi N, Aw DW.Two regions in the gene coding for 16S rRNA in Rhodococcus equi were selected as species-specific primer sequences for the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). PCR using these primers was tested against 10 strains of R. equi (including the type strain) and gave positive results for all but was negative for all other tested species of Rhodococcus; representatives of the most closely related genera and a number of other bacterial species. This method could therefore be used to identify this species which can infect the lungs or other organs of horses, pigs, humans and other animals.
Norrdin RW, Stover SM.Mechanical overload leads to a common arthrosis in the metacarpal condyle of the fetlock joint of racehorses. This is usually asymptomatic but severe forms can cause lameness. Subchondral bone failure is often present and the predictability of the site provided an opportunity to study of the progression of bone failure from microcracks to actual collapse of subchondral bone. Twenty-five fetlock condyles from racehorses with various stages of disease were selected. Stages ranged from mild through severe subchondral bone sclerosis, to the collapse of bone and indentation or loss of cartilage kno...
Geburek F, Ohnesorge B, Deegen E, Doeleke R, Hewicker-Trautwein M.We report the historical, clinical and histopathological characteristics of skin lesions in biopsies from 37 heavy draught horses with chronic pastern dermatitis. The skin lesions were divided into four macroscopic groups: scaling (group I, n=5), hyperkeratotic and hyperplastic plaque-like lesions (group II, n=14), nodular skin masses (group III, n=16) and verrucous skin lesions (group IV, n=2). The principal histological findings were hyperkeratosis and epidermal hyperplasia. There was a gradual increase in epidermal hyperplasia from groups I to IV, suggesting that the lesions represent diffe...
Pirrone A, Mariella J, Gentilini F, Castagnetti C.Amniotic fluid (AF) lactate concentration and time-dependent changes in blood lactate concentration in mares after parturition have never been evaluated. In this study, the venous blood lactate concentration of mares and foals during the first 72 h of the postpartum period was assessed, and the concentration of lactate in the AF collected during delivery and the utility of its measurement for evaluating the foal's health were investigated. This prospective observational study was carried out on mares attended at delivery. They were divided into mares delivering healthy (Group 1) and sick (Grou...
Cousillas H, Oger M, Rochais C, Pettoello C, Ménoret M, Henry S, Hausberger M.Electroencephalography (EEG) that has been extensively studied in humans presents also a large interest for studies on animal brain processes. However, since the quality of the recordings is altered by muscular activity, most EEG recordings on animals are obtained using invasive methods with deeply implanted electrodes. This requires anesthesia and can thus only be used in laboratory or clinical settings. As EEG is a very useful tool both for detecting brain alterations due to diseases or accidents and to evaluate the arousal and attentional state of the animal, it seemed crucial to develop a ...
Han H, Randhawa IAS, MacHugh DE, McGivney BA, Katz LM, Dugarjaviin M, Hill EW.Thousands of years of natural and artificial selection since the domestication of the horse has shaped the distinctive genomes of Chinese Mongolian horse populations. Consequently, genomic signatures of selection can provide insights into the human-mediated selection history of specific traits and evolutionary adaptation to diverse environments. Here, we used genome-wide SNPs from five distinct Chinese Mongolian horse populations to identify genomic regions under selection for the population-specific traits, gait, black coat colour, and hoof quality. Other global breeds were used to identify r...
Abo-Aziza FAM, Hendawy SHM, Namaky AHE, Ashry HM.The aim of this study was to investigate the early diagnosis of strongyle infection based on early changes in Th1 and Th2 cytokines beside the diagnostic accuracy values and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and western blotting profiles using prepared strongyles antigens. Methods: A total of 73 donkeys had a mean age of 4-32 years old were parasitologically examined for strongyle infection. The early changes in Th1 and Th2 cytokines were determined, and the diagnostic accuracy values and SDS-PAGE and western blotting profiles were performed using prepared st...
Eydal M, Bambir SH, Sigurdarson S, Gunnarsson E, Svansson V, Fridriksson S, Benediktsson ET, Sigurdardóttir ÓG.Opportunistic infections with the free living nematode Halicephalobus gingivalis are infrequently reported in horses but the cases are widespread geographically. The nematodes are believed to penetrate wounds and subsequently reproduce within the host tissues. This paper reports two cases of a fatal disease in stallions of the Icelandic breed in Iceland. Case 1: a stallion, which sustained injuries to the mouth after an accident, developed severe neurological signs and had to be euthanatized. Histological examination revealed mild inflammation and malacia in the cerebellum associated with the ...
Larson EM, Babasyan S, Wagner B.Human IgE-binding monocytes are identified as allergic disease mediators, but it is unknown whether IgE-binding monocytes promote or prevent an allergic response. We identified IgE-binding monocytes in equine peripheral blood as IgE+/MHCIIhigh/CD14low cells that bind IgE through an FcεRI αɣ variant. IgE-binding monocytes were analyzed monthly in Culicoides hypersensitive horses and nonallergic horses living together with natural exposure to Culicoides midges. The phenotype and frequency of IgE-binding monocytes remained consistent in all horses regardless of Culicoides exposure. All horses ...
Palmer JE, Whitlock RH, Benson CE.Equine ehrlichial colitis (Potomac horse fever), a newly identified colitis of the horse, was first recognized in Maryland. In this report, we document occurrence of the disease in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Idaho, and Connecticut. Enzootic areas were recognized by a characteristic pattern. Frequently there was a seasonal pattern and high prevalence of sporadic colitis in unstressed horses. The attack rate per farm generally was low. Horses on pasture, as well as those stabled, were affected. Clinical signs varied from fever and depression to severe diarrhea and laminitis. Occas...
