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.
Balasuriya UB, Lee PA, Tsai YL, Tsai CF, Shen YH, Chang HG, Skillman A, Wang HT, Pronost S, Zhang Y.Equine herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy (EHM), a major problem for the equine industry in the United States, is caused by equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1). In addition, EHV-1 is associated with upper respiratory disease, abortion, and chorioretinal lesions in horses. Here we describe the development and evaluation of an inexpensive, user-friendly insulated isothermal PCR (iiPCR) method targeting open reading 30 (ORF30) to detect both neuropathogenic and non-neuropathogenic strains on the field-deployable POCKIT™ device for point-of-need detection of EHV-1. The analytical sensitivity of the EHV-1 ...
McGivney CL, Sweeney J, David F, O'Leary JM, Hill EW, Katz LM.Previous studies support good intra- and interobserver agreements for endoscopic evaluation of various upper respiratory tract (URT) diseases in horses. However, these studies mainly assessed resting endoscopic examination videos and/or focussed on a single URT abnormality. Objective: To estimate intra- and interobserver agreement for identification and grading of all URT abnormalities from resting and overground endoscopy (OGE) videos of Thoroughbreds. Methods: Blinded, fully crossed design. Methods: Resting and OGE URT videos for n = 43 Thoroughbreds were retrospectively chosen based on iden...
Yamada K, Sato F, Hada T, Horiuchi N, Ikeda H, Nishihara K, Sasaki N, Kobayashi Y, Nambo Y.Five Thoroughbred foals (age, 8-33 weeks; median age, 31 weeks; weight, 122-270 kg; median weight, 249 kg) exhibiting ataxia with suspected cervical myelopathy (n=4) and limb malformation (n=1) were subjected to computed tomographic (CT) myelography. The areas of the subarachnoid space and cervical cord were measured on transverse CT images. The area of the cervical cord was divided by the area of subarachnoid space, and stenosis ratios were quantitatively evaluated and compared on the basis of histopathological examination. The sites with a ratio above 52.8% could have been primary lesion sit...
Haas DJ, Dorneles EM, Spier SJ, Carroll SP, Edman J, Azevedo VA, Heinemann MB, Lage AP.Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis biovar Equi is an important pathogen of horses. It is increasing in frequency in the United States, and is responsible for various clinical forms of infection, including external abscesses, internal abscesses of the abdominal or thoracic cavities, and ulcerative lymphangitis. The host/pathogen factors dictating the form or severity of infection are currently unknown. Our recent investigations have shown that genotyping C. pseudotuberculosis isolates using enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus (ERIC)-PCR is useful for understanding the evolutionary g...
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...
Sarin JK, Brommer H, Argüelles D, Puhakka PH, Inkinen SI, Afara IO, Saarakkala S, Töyräs J.We investigate the potential of a prototype multimodality arthroscope, combining ultrasound, optical coherence tomography (OCT) and arthroscopic indentation device, for assessing cartilage lesions, and compare the reliability of this approach with conventional arthroscopic scoring ex vivo. Areas of interest (AIs, N = 43) were selected from equine fetlock joints (N = 5). Blind-coded AIs were independently scored by two equine surgeons employing International Cartilage Repair Society (ICRS) scoring system via conventional arthroscope and multimodality arthroscope, in which high-frequency ul...
Schutten KJ.A 12-year-old Standardbred mare was diagnosed with a ruptured prepubic tendon 1 month prepartum. The mare was treated with analgesia, stall rest, and an abdominal support wrap that was tightened daily. Both a live foal born 1 month later and the mare are doing well. Poulinage réussi par une jument Standardbred ayant une rupture du tendon prépubien. Un mois avant la parturition, une rupture du tendon prépubien a été diagnostiquée chez une jument Standardbred âgée de 12 ans. La jument a été traitée à l’aide d’analgésiques, d’un repos en stalles et d’un pansement de soutien r...
Metzger J, Gast AC, Schrimpf R, Rau J, Eikelberg D, Beineke A, Hellige M, Distl O.The Miniature Shetland pony represents a horse breed with an extremely small body size. Clinical examination of a dwarf Miniature Shetland pony revealed a lowered size at the withers, malformed skull and brachygnathia superior. Computed tomography (CT) showed a shortened maxilla and a cleft of the hard and soft palate which protruded into the nasal passage leading to breathing difficulties. Pathological examination confirmed these findings but did not reveal histopathological signs of premature ossification in limbs or cranial sutures. Whole-genome sequencing of this dwarf Miniature Shetland p...
Sarkar S, Bailey E, Go YY, Cook RF, Kalbfleisch T, Eberth J, Chelvarajan RL, Shuck KM, Artiushin S, Timoney PJ, Balasuriya UB.Equine arteritis virus (EAV) is the causative agent of equine viral arteritis (EVA), a respiratory, systemic, and reproductive disease of horses and other equid species. Following natural infection, 10-70% of the infected stallions can become persistently infected and continue to shed EAV in their semen for periods ranging from several months to life. Recently, we reported that some stallions possess a subpopulation(s) of CD3+ T lymphocytes that are susceptible to in vitro EAV infection and that this phenotypic trait is associated with long-term carrier status following exposure to the virus. ...
McQueen CM, Whitfield-Cargile CM, Konganti K, Blodgett GP, Dindot SV, Cohen ND.Rhodococcus equi (R. equi) is an intracellular bacterium that affects young foals and immuno-compromised individuals causing severe pneumonia. Currently, the genetic mechanisms that confer susceptibility and/or resistance to R. equi are not fully understood. Previously, using a SNP-based genome-wide association study, we identified a region on equine chromosome 26 associated with culture-confirmed clinical pneumonia. To better characterize this region and understand the function of the SNP located within TRPM2 that was associated with R. equi pneumonia, we performed RNA-Seq on 12 horses repres...
Avcıoğlu H, Güven E, Balkaya İ, Yavuz Ş, Abay U, Akyüz M, Eltas Ö.This study aimed to determine the parasites present in horses belonging to the Erzurum Province. Methods: Fecal samples were collected from 76 horses of different ages, genders and breeds in Erzurum. Individual fecal samples were collected and examined by flotation and sedimentation methods. Results: The following species were detected: strongylid egg (57.89%), Parascaris equorum (10.52%), Dicrocoelium dendriticum (2.63%), Fasciola spp. (2.63%) eggs, and Eimeria spp. oocysts (5.26%). Conclusions: Equine animals are significantly infected with Strongylosis in the Erzurum Province, and effective...
Al-Obaidi QT, Mohd Mokhtar A, Al-Sultan II, Azlinda AB, Mohd Azam KGK.Equine piroplasmosis (EP) is global disease of equids affect the international movement of horses and their industry. This work was conducted on a random collection of blood samples from a total of 306 equids (horses and ponies) comprising both clinically healthy (n=276) and clinically suspected animals (n=30) for EP from 53 stables in eight districts at Kelantan, Malaysia. Competitive-inhibition enzyme linked immunosorbent test (cELISA) was applied to detect the antibodies for Theileria equi and Babesia caballi and their titers in the serum. Hemato-biochemical parameters were analyzed from bl...
Elschner MC, Thomas P, Melzer F.Burkholderia mallei is a zoonotic agent causing glanders, a notifiable disease in equines. During the past decades glanders emerged, and the Kingdom of Bahrain reported outbreaks to the World Organization of Animal Health in 2010 and 2011. This paper presents the complete genome sequence of the Burkholderia mallei strain 11RR2811 Bahrain1.
Dorado J, Anaya G, Bugno-Poniewierska M, Molina A, Mendez-Sanchez A, Ortiz I, Moreno-Millán M, Hidalgo M, Peral García P, Demyda-Peyrás S.Chromosomal abnormalities are one of the main causes of genetic infertility in horses. Currently, their detection rate is rising due to the use of new diagnostic tools employing molecular markers linked to the sex chromosome pair. Despite genetic similarities, there are no previous reports of sterility associated with chromosomal abnormalities in the domestic donkey (Equus asinus). Hereby, we determined the presence of a chromosomal mosaicism in a female donkey with reproductive problems using molecular methodologies developed for horses. A two-and-a-half-year-old jenny characterized by morpho...
Pinto PS, Libonati H, Lilenbaum W.Leptospirosis is a worldwide zoonosis which can affect many species. Control programs need accurate diagnosis to be successful, and currently, diagnosis relies on serology. It presents three main issues: the sampling, the antigen panel, and the cutoff point. Herein, we propose a systematic review on leptospirosis among dogs, pigs, and horses in Latin America in order to improve the understanding of the seroepidemiology of leptospirosis in these species in the region as well as the temporal development of the research on this topic and, consequently, improve the chances of success on control pr...
Luo W, Sandy J, Trella K, Gorski D, Gao S, Li J, Brounts S, Galante J, Plaas A.Equine degenerative suspensory ligament desmitis (DSLD) in Peruvian Paso horses typically presents at 7-15 years and is characterized by lameness, focal disorganization of collagen fibrils, and chondroid deposition in the body of the ligament. With the aim of developing a test for disease risk (that can be used to screen horses before breeding) we have quantified the expression of 76 TGFβ-signaling target genes in adipose-derived stromal fibroblasts (ADSCs) from six DSLD-affected and five unaffected Paso horses. Remarkably, 35 of the genes showed lower expression (p<0.05) in cells from DSL...
Doubli-Bounoua N, Richard EA, Léon A, Pitel PH, Pronost S, Fortier G.The potential involvement of viruses in inflammatory airway disease (IAD) was previously investigated through either serology or PCR from nasopharyngeal swabs (NS). The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence and incidence of viral genome detection by qPCR in the equine airways, and their association with respiratory clinical signs. Both NS and tracheal washes (TW) were collected monthly on 52 Standardbred racehorses at training, over 27 consecutive months (581 samples). Equid herpesviruses (EHV)-1, -4, -2 and -5, equine rhinitis virus-A and -B (ERBV), equine adenovirus-1 and -2, e...
Vina-Rodriguez A, Eiden M, Keller M, Hinrichs W, Groschup MH. (VEEV) is an from the family that causes epizootic outbreaks in equids and humans in Central and South America. So far, most studies use conventional reverse transcriptase PCR assays for the detection of the different VEEV subtypes. Here we describe the development of a TaqMan quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase PCR assay for the specific detection and quantitation of all VEEV subtypes which uses in parallel a universal equine encephalitis virus control RNA carrying target sequences of the three equine encephalitis viruses. The control RNA was used to generate standard curves for t...
Singh S, Sardhara J, Singh AK, Srivastava AK, Bhaisora KS, Das KK, Mehrotra A, Sahu RN, Jaiswal AK, Behari S.This study aims to focus on a rare presentation of spinal hydatid cyst as cauda equine syndrome and misdiagnosed as intradural extramedullary (IDEM) benign lesion on magnetic resonance imaging. In this article, we report a case of spinal hydatid cyst masquerading as IDEM tumor, and intraoperatively, we accidently find clumped granuloma with severe arachnoiditis and hydatid cyst in lumber region, which was present as bilateral S1 radiculopathy with cauda equina syndrome. An 11-year-old boy who presented with symptoms and signs of cauda equina syndrome and planned for surgical excision. His radi...
Goodman LB, Anderson RR, Slater M, Ortenberg E, Renshaw RW, Chilson BD, Laverack MA, Beeby JS, Dubovi EJ, Glaser AL.Nanoliter scale real-time PCR uses spatial multiplexing to allow multiple assays to be run in parallel on a single plate without the typical drawbacks of combining reactions together. We designed and evaluated a panel based on this principle to rapidly identify the presence of common disease agents in dogs and horses with acute respiratory illness. This manuscript describes a nanoscale diagnostic PCR workflow for sample preparation, amplification, and analysis of target pathogen sequences, focusing on procedures that are different from microliter scale reactions. In the respiratory panel prese...
Flethøj M, Kanters JK, Pedersen PJ, Haugaard MM, Carstensen H, Olsen LH, Buhl R.Although premature beats are a matter of concern in horses, the interpretation of equine ECG recordings is complicated by a lack of standardized analysis criteria and a limited knowledge of the normal beat-to-beat variation of equine cardiac rhythm. The purpose of this study was to determine the appropriate threshold levels of maximum acceptable deviation of RR intervals in equine ECG analysis, and to evaluate a novel two-step timing algorithm by quantifying the frequency of arrhythmias in a cohort of healthy adult endurance horses. Results: Beat-to-beat variation differed considerably with he...
Luo QH, Chen ML, Chen ZL, Huang C, Cheng AC, Fang J, Tang L, Geng Y.The aminolycoside Gentamicin is a widely used antibiotic, applied in equine medicine. Despite its clinical use, concerns remain regarding the potential toxic side-effects, such as nephrotoxicity. Early detection of renal damage is critical in preclinical drug development. This study was aimed to determine whether kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1) and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) may be early indicators in the assessment of Gentamycin-induced nephrotoxicity. Methods: In our study, a model of Gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity in male Sprague Dawley rats treated for up to 7 da...
Burnheim K, Hughes KJ, Evans DL, Raidal SL.Respiratory problems are common in horses, and are often diagnosed as a cause of poor athletic performance. Reliable, accurate and sensitive spirometric tests of airway function in resting horses would assist with the diagnosis of limitations to breathing and facilitate investigations of the effects of various treatments on breathing capacity. The evaluation of respiratory function in horses is challenging and suitable procedures are not widely available to equine practitioners. The determination of relative flow or flow-time measures is used in paediatric patients where compliance may limit c...
Tigre DM, Brandão CF, de Paula FL, Chinalia FA, Campos GS, Sardi SI.Equine infectious anemia is an important infectious disease that affects equids worldwide. Control of the disease is currently based on detection of anti-p26 EIAV by Agar Gel Immunodiffusion (AGID). In this work, 62 animals were examined by AGID and nested-PCR using primers for the gag gene. Fifty-three samples (85.5%) were positive by nested-PCR, whereas only 33 samples (53%) were positive for AGID. Fifteen amplicons obtained by nested-PCR were sequenced and the aligned results subjected to phylogenetic analysis. The analysis suggests that the Brazilian EIAV form a cluster with WSU5, EIAVUK a...
Pronost S, Hue E, Fortier C, Foursin M, Fortier G, Desbrosse F, Rey FA, Pitel PH, Richard E, Saunier B.Like hepatitis C virus (HCV) in humans, the newly identified equine hepacivirus (NPHV) displays a predominating liver tropism that may evolve into chronic infections. The genomes of the two viruses share several organizational and functional features and are phylogenetically closest amongst the Hepacivirus genus. A limited amount of data is available regarding the spread of hepacivirus infections in horses. In this study, we asked whether in a more representative sample the prevalence and distribution of NPHV infections in France would resemble that reported so far in other countries. A total ...
Ploeg M, Saey V, van Loon G, Delesalle C.The aorta can rupture at the aortic root or aortic arch. In most breeds, the aortic root is the likely site and rupture leads to aortocardiac fistula with communication between the aorta and the right atrium, right ventricle and/or the interventricular septum. There is a high prevalence of aortic rupture in young Friesian horses and rupture occurs at the aortic arch with pseudoaneurysm and potentially aortopulmonary fistulation. Echocardiographic and post-mortem techniques must be adapted to identify aortic arch rupture that is not generally identified with standard approaches. Given the narro...
Bonilla AG, Bertone AL, Brokken MT, Santschi EM.CASE DESCRIPTION 4 horses were examined because of signs of chronic hind limb lameness. CLINICAL FINDINGS 3 horses had a history of lameness for > 6 months; specific duration was unknown for 1 horse. On initial evaluation, grade 3 to 4 (on a scale from 1 to 5) hind limb lameness was present in all 4 horses. Radiography of the stifle joint of the affected limb revealed medial femoral condyle subchondral lucencies or subchondral cystic lesions (SCLs) in all 4 horses, medial femorotibial osteoarthritis in 3 horses, and medial tibial condyle SCLs in 3 horses. TREATMENT AND OUTCOME 2 horses were...
Woo PC, Teng JL, Bai R, Wong AY, Martelli P, Hui SW, Tsang AK, Lau CC, Ahmed SS, Yip CC, Choi GK, Li KS, Lam CS, Lau SK, Yuen KY.In a molecular epidemiology study using 791 fecal samples collected from different terrestrial and marine mammals in Hong Kong, genogroup I picobirnaviruses (PBVs) were positive by RT-PCR targeting the partial RdRp gene in specimens from five cattle, six monkeys, 17 horses, nine pigs, one rabbit, one dog, and 12 California sea lions, with 11, 9, 23, 17, 1, 1, and 15 sequence types in the positive specimens from the corresponding animals, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the PBV sequences from each kind of animal were widely distributed in the whole tree with high diversity, shar...
Mazan MR, Lascola K, Bruns SJ, Hoffman AM.Inflammatory airway disease (IAD) is very common in stabled horses. Short-acting beta agonist (SABA) drugs are often used to relieve clinical signs, although long-term exposure to these drugs may result in rebound bronchoconstriction. The purpose of this study was twofold: i) to describe the deposition of radiolabeled drugs using a novel one-nostril design mask-spacer combination with a breath-activated inhaler (BAI), and ii) to determine whether treatment for 10 d with inhaled albuterol using this device would impair the ability of albuterol to prevent bronchospasm during a histamine challeng...
Held J, Schmitz R, van der Linden M, Nührenberg T, Häcker G, Neumann FJ.Purulent pericarditis is a life-threatening disease that usually manifests following bacteraemia or through spreading from an intrathoracic focus. Only a few cases of this disease have been reported with Lancefield group C streptococci as aetiological agents, and the primary focus in these infections remains unknown. We report a case of purulent pericarditis with septic and cardiogenic shock, caused by Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus (group C) in a 51-year-old patient. The pathogen was possibly contracted through contact with horses. Most probably, it caused initially pneumonia before ...
Bosu WT, Van Camp SC, Miller RB, Owen RR.A five year prospective study of equine ovarian problems requiring surgical correction was undertaken at the Ontario Veterinary College. Thirty mares were studied, of which 14 had granulosa cell tumors, six were with anovulatory persistent follicular "structures", five had ovarian hemotoma, two presented ovarian hypoplasia and one each of ovarian dysgerminoma, teratoma and abscessation. The clinical signs manifested by the affected animals were varied. The affected ovaries were removed via flank or midline laparotomy or through colpotomy. Their morphology was studied and representative portion...
Miglio A, Morelli C, Gialletti R, Lauteri E, Sforna M, Marenzoni ML, Antognoni MT.The clinical, histological, and immunophenotypic findings are presented for 4 horses affected by different types of lymphoma. Diagnoses of a monomorphic epitheliotropic intestinal T-cell lymphoma, a diffuse splenic large B-cell lymphoma, a peripheral T-cell lymphoma, and a T-cell rich large B-cell lymphoma of the third eyelid were made. Constatations cliniques et immunophénotypiques pour quatre formes de lymphomes équins. Les constatations cliniques, histologiques et immunophénotypiques sont présentées pour quatre chevaux affectés par différents types de lymphome. Des diagnostics d’un...
Hahn CN, Mayhew IG, de Lahunta A.Equine grass sickness (EGS) is an acquired disease of unknown aetiology affecting horses kept at grass. The disease is characterised by postganglionic sympathetic and parasympathetic neuronal pathology and is categorised as a dysautonomia. This study undertook a systematic examination of brain stem cranial nerve nuclei in 59 cases of EGS. Pathology consisting of neuronal chromatolysis was most consistently noted in the lower motor neurons of the general visceral efferent nucleus of CN III and X and the general somatic efferent nuclei of CN III, V, VII and XII. The prevalence of chromatolysis d...
Khan RZU, Rosanowski SM, Parkes RSV.Hoof morphometry, conformation and shoeing practices have all been associated with lameness in horses. Hoof morphometry in working donkeys in Pakistan has not been objectively measured. Objective: To quantitatively assess hoof morphology in donkeys, to identify factors underlying hoof morphology, and interrelationships between conformation, lameness, and shoeing status. Methods: Cross-sectional study. Methods: Donkeys were assessed in-harness using a modified five-point lameness scale by two veterinarians and digital photographs of front hooves taken alongside a grid. Factor analysis was used ...
Luethy D, Frimberger AE, Bedenice D, Byrne BS, Groover ES, Gardner RB, Lewis T, MacDonald VS, Proctor-Brown L, Tomlinson JE, Rassnick KM, Johnson AL.Prognosis associated with lymphoma in horses is poorly characterized, and treatment is often palliative. Long-term outcome after chemotherapy for horses with lymphoma is not well documented. Objective: To report long-term outcome of horses with lymphoma treated with chemotherapy. Methods: Fifteen equids. Methods: Retrospective case series. Medical record search and call for cases on the ACVIM listserv for horses treated with chemotherapy for lymphoma. Results: Fifteen cases with adequate data were identified. Complete remission was achieved in 5 horses (33.3%), partial response was achieved in...
van den Enden MS, Dixon PM.Examination of 110 cheek teeth (CT) that were clinically extracted (between 2004 and 2008) because of apical infection (n=79; mean dental age 3.5 years) or idiopathic CT fractures (n=31; median dental age 8.5 years), including examinations of transverse and longitudinal sections, showed the apical infections to be mainly (68%) due to anachoresis, with the residual cases caused by periodontal spread, infundibular caries spread, fissure fractures and dysplasia. The idiopathic fracture patterns were similar to previously described patterns. Occlusal pulpar exposure was found in 32% of apically in...
Buschmann E, Van Steenkiste G, Boussy T, Vernemmen I, Schauvliege S, Decloedt A, van Loon G.We describe the diagnosis and treatment of an atrioventricular accessory pathway (AP) in a horse using 3-dimensional electro-anatomical mapping (3D EAM) and radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA). During routine evaluation of the horse, intermittent ventricular pre-excitation was identified on the ECG, characterized by a short PQ interval and abnormal QRS morphology. A right cranial location of the AP was suspected from the 12-lead ECG and vectorcardiography. After precise localization of the AP using 3D EAM, ablation was performed and AP conduction was eliminated. Immediately after recovery ...
Vanel M, Olive J, Gold S, Mitchell RD, Walker L.Deep digital flexor (DDF) tendinopathy is one of the most frequent causes of foot lameness and the prognosis is guarded. The progress of lesion healing may be followed by magnetic resonance (MR) imaging to formulate a prognosis and to adapt the rehabilitation program. We assessed the correlation of outcome with total tendon damage and temporal resolution of MR abnormalities. Images from 34 horses with DDF tendinopathy that had undergone at least two low-field standing MR examinations of the foot (mean 2.5 ± 1.3 times) were reviewed. No horse having a T1-GRE hyperintense lesion over 30 mm in l...
Troedsson MH, Liu IK, Ing M, Pascoe J, Thurmond M.The electrical myometrial activity of three mares with a documented increased susceptibility to chronic uterine infection (CUI) and three mares considered to be resistant to CUI was investigated. Electrodes were surgically implanted in the myometrium of the mares and electrical activity was monitored by a Grass polygraph. Oestrus was determined by transrectal ultrasonography of the reproductive tract and teasing of the mares with a stallion. Findings were confirmed by blood progesterone concentrations 35 mm was detected, the uterus was infused with a genital strain of 5 x 10(6) Streptococcus ...
Nguyen D, Vilela R, Miraglia BM, Vilela G, Jasem-Alali N, Rohn R, Glass R, Hansen RD, Mendoza L.To describe the geographic distribution of infections caused by Pythium insidiosum in dogs, horses, and other animal species in the US. For the last 20 years, we have collected data from cases of pythiosis in 1,150 horses, 467 dogs, and other species (59) from various geographic locations in the US. Due to lost data (from 2006 to 2016), the selected cases include years 2000 to 2005 and 2016 to 2020. The selection of cases was based on infected host clinical features, serum samples demonstrating strong positive anti-P insidiosum IgG titers in serologic assays, and positive results on ≥ 1 of t...
Musilova P, Kubickova S, Zrnova E, Horin P, Vahala J, Rubes J.Using laser microdissection we prepared a set of horse chromosome arm-specific probes. Most of the probes were generated from horse chromosomes, some of them were derived from Equus zebra hartmannae. The set of probes were hybridized onto E. grevyi chromosomes in order to establish a genome-wide chromosomal correspondence between this zebra and horse. The use of arm-specific probes provided us with more information on the mutual arrangement of the genomes than we could obtain by means of whole-chromosome paints generated by flow sorting, even if we used reciprocal painting with probe sets from...
Hopster K, Kästner SB, Rohn K, Ohnesorge B.To compare, ventilation using intermittent positive pressure ventilation (IPPV) with constant positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) and alveolar recruitment manoeuvres (RM) to classical IPPV without PEEP on gas exchange during anaesthesia and early recovery. Methods: Prospective randomized study. Methods: Twenty-four warm-blood horses, weight mean 548 ± SD 49 kg undergoing surgery for colic. Methods: Premedication, induction and maintenance (isoflurane in oxygen) were identical in all horses. Group C (n = 12) was ventilated using conventional IPPV, inspiratory pressure (PIP) 35-45 cmH2O; gr...
Parbhakar OP, Duke T, Townsend HG, Singh B.Pulmonary intravascular macrophages (PIMs) are present in horses and are believed to increase their sensitivity to endotoxin-induced cardio-pulmonary shock. However, owing to a lack of a marker for PIMs and the inability to isolate them, their precise contributions in the horse remain unknown. We designed this study to identify an immuno-phenotypic marker for PIMs and to develop a protocol for their transient depletion with gadolinium chloride (GC). GC is a lanthanide that has been used to deplete liver and lung macrophages. The horses (N = 15) were divided into control (n = 5) and GC-treated ...
Björnsdóttir S, Axelsson M, Eksell P, Sigurdsson H, Carlsten J.The prevalence of degenerative joint disease (DJD) in the distal tarsal joints and the relation between radiographic and clinical signs compatible with the disease were estimated in a population of Icelandic horses used for riding. The material consisted of 614 horses age 6-12 years (mean age = 7.9 years). Radiographs with 3 projections of each tarsus were made and a clinical examination, including palpation of the medial aspect of the distal tarsus and motion evaluation of the hindlimbs before and after a flexion test of the tarsus, was performed. Radiographic signs of DJD in the distal tarsa...
Schambourg MA, Farley JA, Marcoux M, Laverty S.Transrectal ultrasonography is a reliable technique to identify intra-abdominal testes, but can be hazardous or impractical in fractious, juvenile or small equids. The transabdominal approach therefore requires validation. Objective: To evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of transabdominal ultrasonography to localise cryptorchid testes. Methods: Thirty-eight horses admitted for cryptorchidism underwent transabdominal ultrasonography to locate errant testes. Location of the testes was confirmed during surgery (n = 37) or necropsy (n = 1). Results: Horses weighed 175-760 kg. Twenty-two test...
Balasuriya UB, Evermann JF, Hedges JF, McKeirnan AJ, Mitten JQ, Beyer JC, McCollum WH, Timoney PJ, MacLachlan NJ.A virus isolated from an aborted equine fetus was determined to be antigenically distinct from several other strains of equine arteritis virus (EAV) by use of a neutralization assay with a large panel of neutralizing monoclonal antibodies. The virus was readily neutralized by polyclonal equine anti-EAV serum. Comparative nucleotide and amino acid sequence analyses indicated that the virus (WA97) isolated from the aborted fetus was virtually identical to a virus (S1971) isolated from imported semen used to inseminate another mare on the farm. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the WA97/S1971 ...
Riihimäki M, Aspán A, Ljung H, Pringle J.The aim of the study was to use culture, qPCR and seM sequencing to map Streptococcus equi subspec. equi (S.equi) isolates in long term carrier animals. A strangles outbreak affecting 41 Icelandic horses was followed to determine strangles free status using nasal and/or guttural pouch lavages collected serially on eleven separate occasions over 13 months. Ten persistent carriers, of which eight had repeated culture positive samples for S. equi, were selected for the study. Of 115 samples collected, 61 were S. equi positive on qPCR; from which 32 were also culture positive. Amplification of par...
Baptista C, Lopes MS, Tavares AC, Rojer H, Kappmeyer L, Mendonça D, da Câmara Machado A.Equine piroplasmosis is a tick-borne disease of equids that is often caused by the parasite Theileria equi. We applied competitive ELISA (cELISA) and nested PCR diagnostic methods to detect this parasite in horses by screening 162 samples from mainland Portugal where the parasite is endemic, and 143 from the Azores representing both native and imported horse populations. We found that 2.8% of the Azorean samples tested positive exclusively by cELISA, 1.4% tested positive only by nested PCR, and 9.1% tested positive using both tests. Samples from the native Terceira Pony population were negativ...
Takai S, Iimori S, Tsubaki S.Quantitative culture of Corynebacterium (Rhodococcus) equi from feces of 17 foals on a farm (A) with an endemic C. equi infection problem and 26 foals on a farm (B) without the disease in the past decade was done with a selective medium at weekly or monthly intervals from April to August of 1984. Corynebacterium equi was observed in the feces of 16 of 17 foals on farm A, and 19 of 26 foals on farm B. The mean viable count of C. equi in one gram of feces was 4.1 +/- 3.7 (log10) on farm A, and 3.9 +/- 3.4 (log10) on farm B. Corynebacterium equi was recovered from feces of foals as young as two w...
Finno CJ, Stevens C, Young A, Affolter V, Joshi NA, Ramsay S, Bannasch DL.Horses belong to the order Perissodactyla and bear the majority of their weight on their third toe; therefore, tremendous force is applied to each hoof. An inherited disease characterized by a phenotype restricted to the dorsal hoof wall was identified in the Connemara pony. Hoof wall separation disease (HWSD) manifests clinically as separation of the dorsal hoof wall along the weight-bearing surface of the hoof during the first year of life. Parents of affected ponies appeared clinically normal, suggesting an autosomal recessive mode of inheritance. A case-control allelic genome wide associat...
Albano AP, Klafke GB, Brandolt TM, Da Hora VP, Nogueira CE, Xavier MO, Meireles MC.Paracoccidioides brasiliensis is the etiological agent of the major systemic mycosis in Brazil, called paracoccidioidomycosis. Although the Rio Grande do Sul is considered an endemic area of the disease, there are few studies on the ecology of P. brasiliensis in the state. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the infection of P. brasiliensis in horses from the mesoregion of Southwest Riograndense, using these animals as sentinels. Serological techniques, such as double immunodiffusion in agar gel (AGID) and indirect ELISA, were performed to detect the anti-gp43 P. brasiliensis antibody in h...
Sacchi L, Corona S, Gajadhar AA, Pozio E.The nurse cell-larva complex of nematodes of the genus Trichinella plays an important role in the survival of the larva in decaying muscles, frequently favouring the transmission of the parasite in extreme environmental conditions. The ultrastructure of the nurse cell-larva complex in muscles from different hosts infected with T. nativa (a walrus and a polar bear), T. spiralis (horses and humans), T. pseudospiralis (a laboratory mouse) and T. papuae (a laboratory mouse) were examined. Analysis with transmission electron microscope showed that the typical nurse cell structure was present in all...
Yao H, Osterrieder N, O'Callaghan DJ.The EICP0 gene (gene 63) of equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) encodes an early regulatory protein that is a promiscuous trans-activator of all classes of viral genes. Bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) technology and RecE/T cloning were employed to delete the EICP0 gene from EHV-1 strain KyA. Polymerase chain reaction, Southern blot analysis, and DNA sequencing confirmed the deletion of the EICP0 gene and its replacement with a kanamycin resistance gene in mutant KyA. Transfection of rabbit kidney cells with the EICP0 mutant genome produced infectious virus, indicating that the EICP0 gene is not...
Barlaam A, Traversa D, Papini R, Giangaspero A.Over the past few decades, among equine parasitoses caused by gastrointestinal nematodes, habronematidosis has been discontinuously studied worldwide. Habronematidosis is a parasitic disease distributed all over the world. It is caused by Habronema microstoma, Habronema muscae, and Draschia megastoma (Spirurida, Habronematidae), and it is maintained in the environment by muscid flies which act as intermediate hosts. At larval and adult stages these species live in the stomach of domestic and wild equids. However, the larvae can also be found on the skin, causing lesions known as "summer sores"...
Pusterla N, Mapes S, Johnson C, Slovis N, Page A, Gebhart C.The purpose of the current study was to compare the molecular detection rate of Lawsonia intracellularis between feces and rectal swabs collected from 42 foals with suspected equine proliferative enteropathy (EPE). Fecal samples and rectal swabs were processed for DNA purification by using an automated extraction system. The purified DNA was then analyzed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the presence of the aspartate ammonia lyase (aspA) gene of L. intracellularis. Absolute quantitation was calculated by using a standard curve for L. intracellularis and expressed as copy number...
Murray MJ, Eichorn ES, Dubovi EJ, Ley WB, Cavey DM.Whole blood and serum were collected from foals to determine the prevalence of Equine herpesvirus type 2 (EHV 2) infection in foals, age at which infection can first be identified and serological responses to infection. Equine herpesvirus type 2 was isolated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from 68 of 69 foals, 1-8-months-old, sampled once. Virus isolation was performed twice at intervals of 2-7 months on PBMCs from 33 foals and EHV2 was isolated on both occasions in all but one foal (negative, then positive). Regression analysis of log2-transformed reciprocal serum EHV2 virus ne...
Robin CA, Wylie CE, Wood JL, Newton JR.Detailed knowledge of horse populations can better facilitate effective control of equine diseases. Preliminary studies were undertaken to ascertain the type of information held on the UK's National Equine Database (NED) and to determine the geographical resolution at which mandatorily recorded owner addresses might be a suitable proxy for predicting horse locations. Results indicated that relatively few UK passport-issuing organisations requested details of where horses were kept in addition to owner address details. Examination of data on 1440 horses held on an Animal Health Trust syndromic ...
Robin M, Archer D, Garros C, Gardès L, Baylis M.There are concerns that outbreaks of exotic or novel vector-borne viral diseases will increasingly occur within northern Europe and the UK in the future. African horse sickness (AHS) is a viral disease of equids that is transmitted by Culicoides and is associated with up to 95 per cent mortality. AHS has never occurred in the UK; however, it has been suggested that appropriate Culicoides species and climatic conditions are present in northern Europe to support an outbreak. No data are currently available regarding the Culicoides species present on UK equine properties. This study demonstrates ...
