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.
Talbot SE, Tallon R, Dunkel B.Gastric impactions (GI) have been identified as primary lesions (lone GI; LGI) or associated with other intestinal lesions (concurrent GI; CGI). Anecdotally, CGI resolve more rapidly with a better prognosis than LGI. Objective: To determine clinical, laboratory, and ultrasonographic findings, and short- and long-term survival in horses with GI. We hypothesized that LGI carries a worse prognosis than CGI. Methods: Seventy-one horses from 2 referral hospitals (2007-2022). Methods: Retrospective cohort study. Gastric impactions were defined as feed extending to the margo plicatus after ≥24 h...
Gorji FF, Sadr S, Borji H.Eimeria is a genus of protozoan parasites that infect many animal species, including horses. We conducted a cross-sectional study of indigenous breeds of horses from the North and Northeast of Iran to establish the prevalence and distribution of Eimeria species. Methods: Using standard coprological techniques, 340 faecal samples from randomly selected horses (141 from North Iran and 199 from Northeast Iran) were examined for Eimeria oocyst. Results: Out of 340 samples, only three from north Iran were positive for coccidiosis. Infections occurred by Eimeria leuckarti. The mean intensity of oocy...
De Paolis L, Armando F, Montemurro V, Petrizzi L, Straticò P, Mecocci S, Guarnieri C, Pezzolato M, Fruscione F, Passeri B, Marruchella G, Razzuoli E.Vulvar squamous cell carcinoma (VSCC) has been recently associated with Equus caballus papillomavirus type 2 (EcPV2) infection. Still, few reports concerning this disease are present in the literature. Objective: To describe a case of naturally occurring EcPV2-induced VSCC, by investigating tumour ability in undergoing the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Methods: Case report. Methods: A 13-year-old Haflinger mare was referred for a rapidly growing vulvar mass. After surgical excision, the mass was submitted to histopathology and molecular analysis. Histopathological diagnosis was c...
Townsend KS, Johnson PJ, Kuroki K.Primary squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck occurs in the skin or squamous epithelial lining tissues of the oral cavity, pharynx, larynx, and sinonasal tract. Although it is a common tumor in horses, distant metastatic spread to the lung is rare. This report describes a case of metastatic pulmonary squamous cell carcinoma in a 23-year-old Morgan gelding. The clinical signs displayed by this gelding in some ways mimicked the typical presentation of equine multinodular pulmonary fibrosis or thoracic lymphoma. The postmortem diagnosis in this case was head and neck squamous cell carcinom...
Haugaard SL, McGovern KF, Tallon R, Gough R, Watrobska N.Horses commonly receive hyoscine butylbromide (HB) prior to hospital admission for colic. This could alter the appearance of the small intestine (SI) on ultrasound scan and affect clinical decision making. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of HB on ultrasonographically assessed SI motility and heart rate. Six horses hospitalised for medical colic with no significant abnormalities on baseline abdominal ultrasound examination were included. Ultrasound was performed in three locations (right inguinal, left inguinal and hepatoduodenal window) before and at 1, 5, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, an...
Clark B, Steel C, Vokes J, Shan JR, Gedye K, Lovett A, Sykes BW.Rebound gastric hyperacidity (RGH) secondary to hypergastrinemia has been suggested to contribute to the rapid recurrence of equine squamous gastric disease (ESGD) in horses after discontinuation of omeprazole. Objective: To evaluate changes in serum gastrin and chromogranin A (CgA) concentrations in response to medium-term (57-day) omeprazole treatment and after omeprazole discontinuation. Methods: Fourteen mature Thoroughbred racehorses in simulated race training. Methods: Horses received 2.28 g of oral omeprazole PO q24h for 57 days within a 61-day period, excluding a withholding period...
Kašpárková N, Bártová E, Žákovská A, Budíková M, Sedlák K.Lyme disease, caused by some strains of bacterial spirochetes Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (Bbsl), affects humans but also domestic animals including horses. The primary pathogens in horses in Europe are B. afzelii, B. garinii and B. burgdorferi sensu stricto. To our knowledge, there are no data available on the seropositivity of B. burgdorferi s.l. in horses from the Czech Republic. In this country, horses are mainly used for sport, breeding, and recreational riding in areas where vectors of B. burgdorferi s.l. are present, which is why they are frequently at risk of infection. The aim of ...
Ohnuma A, Tozaki T, Kikuchi M, Ishige T, Kakoi H, Hirota KI, Takahashi Y, Nagata SI.To ensure fair competition and sports integrity, gene doping is prohibited in horseracing and equine sports. One gene doping method is by administering exogenous genes, called transgenes, to postnatal animals. Although several transgene detection methods have been developed for horses, many are unsuitable for multiplex detection. In this proof-of-concept study, we developed a highly sensitive and multiplex transgene detection method using multiple πCode with identification patterns printed on the surface. The following steps were employed: (1) multiplex polymerase chain reaction amplification...
Pearson GB, Ysebaert MP, Papa B, Reesink HL.This article, as part of the Currents in One Health series, reviews the current state of diagnostics for synovial sepsis. Synovial sepsis is a condition that affects veterinary and human medicine and requires coordinated efforts from both parties, as well as environmental considerations to accurately diagnose and preserve effective treatments. The article discusses best practices to identify the causative agent in septic synovitis, trends in bacterial identification and antimicrobial resistance patterns across common bacterial species, and a one-health perspective to optimize diagnostics acros...
Fugazzola M, Nissinen MT, Jäntti J, Tuppurainen J, Plomp S, Te Moller N, Mäkelä JTA, van Weeren R.Strategies for articular cartilage repair need to take into account topographical differences in tissue composition and architecture to achieve durable functional outcome. These have not yet been investigated in the equine stifle. Objective: To analyse the biochemical composition and architecture of three differently loaded areas of the equine stifle. We hypothesise that site differences correlate with the biomechanical characteristics of the cartilage. Methods: Ex vivo study. Methods: Thirty osteochondral plugs per location were harvested from the lateral trochlear ridge (LTR), the distal int...
Elata A, Galon EM, Moumouni PFA, Ybanez RHD, Mossaad E, Salces CB, Bajenting GP, Ybanez AP, Xuan X, Inoue N, Suganuma K.Animal trypanosomosis is one of the most important parasitic diseases significantly affecting the Philippine economy. It is considered by the government to be the second most important disease of livestock after fasciolosis. A PCR-based molecular survey for trypanosomes in different animals in Bohol, Philippines, was performed to assess the prevalence of trypanosomosis in the area during the rainy and dry season. Methods: A total of 269 blood samples were collected in two batches in rainy and dry season from different animal species in Ubay Stock Farm in Ubay, Bohol, the Philippines, including...
Shapter FM, Granados-Soler JL, Stewart AJ, Bertin FR, Allavena R.Crofton weed (Ageratina adenophora) is a global and highly invasive weed, with ingestion causing severe respiratory disease in horses, leading to irreversible and untreatable pulmonary fibrosis and oedema. While reports of equine pneumotoxicity remain common in Australia and New Zealand, equine pneumotoxicity may be underdiagnosed in other countries where Crofton weed is endemic but poorly differentiated. The pathogenesis of Crofton weed toxicity following ingestion has been well described in a number of different animal models, including rodents, rabbits, and goats. However, induced toxicity ...
Martins AV, Coelho AL, Corrêa LL, Ribeiro MS, Lobão LF, Palmer JPS, Moura LC, Molento MB, Barbosa ADS.The frequency of gastrointestinal parasites with an emphasis on Strongylus vulgaris was investigated among the Brazilian Pony breed kept on farms in the municipality of Teresópolis, state of Rio de Janeiro. Fecal samples were collected in three stud farms: A (n= 22 animals), B (n= 3), and C (n= 2). Fecal samples were subjected to the quantitative Mini-FLOTAC technique, using three different solutions, and to qualitative techniques. The parasite prevalence was found to be 81.4%. Eggs from strongylids were identified in 74% of the ponies. Eggs of Parascaris spp. were detected in 22.7% of the an...
Peat FJ, Kawcak CE, McIlwraith CW, Keenan DP, Berk JT, Mork DS.Subchondral lucencies (SCLs) in the distal aspect of the medial femoral condyle (MFC) of young Thoroughbred horses are a source of controversy on presale radiographs. There is limited scientific evidence regarding the risk of progression and impact on future racing performance. Objective: To (1) identify the prevalence of MFC SCLs on sales repository radiographs in yearling and 2-year-old Thoroughbreds; (2) identify any association between grade of MFC SCL and future racing performance and (3) monitor changes in MFC SCL grades between yearling and 2-year-old sales. Methods: Prospective cohort ...
Lazić S, Savić S, Petrović T, Lazić G, Žekić M, Drobnjak D, Lupulović D.The paper presents the findings of specific antibodies in the blood sera of donkeys against the following viruses: equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV), African horse sickness virus (AHSV), equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1), equine influenza virus subtype H3N8 (EIV) and equine arteritis virus (EAV). The analyses were conducted during the year 2022. From a total of 199 donkeys bred in "Zasavica", blood was sampled from 53 animals (2 male donkeys and 51 female donkeys), aged 3 to 10 years. Specific antibodies against EIAV were not detected in any of the tested animals using the agar-gel immunod...
Huggins L, Norris J, Conley A, Dini P.Abnormal or undesired mare behaviours are often assumed to be associated with ovarian abnormalities. Objective: We aimed to determine the incidence of abnormal behaviours and their association with concentrations of one or more ovarian hormones associated with a granulosa cell tumour (GCT). Methods: Retrospective descriptive. Methods: A total of 2914 hormonal profile samples submitted with the words behave, behaviour, or behaving in the submission history were analysed. The association between reported abnormal behaviours and concentrations of testosterone, anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), inhib...
Rock KD, Polera ME, Guillette TC, Starnes HM, Dean K, Watters M, Stevens-Stewart D, Belcher SM.Central North Carolina (NC) is highly contaminated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), in part due to local fluorochemical production. Little is known about the exposure profiles and long-term health impacts for humans and animals that live in nearby communities. In this study, serum PFAS concentrations were determined using liquid chromatography high-resolution mass spectrometry and diagnostic clinical chemistry endpoints were assessed for 31 dogs and 32 horses that reside in Gray's Creek NC at households with documented PFAS contamination in their drinking water. PFAS were detec...
Jaimes-Dueñez J, Jiménez-Leaño Á, Enrique-Niño S, Arias-Landazábal N, Bedoya-Ríos M, Rangel-Pachón D.Piroplasmosis and trypanosomiasis are debilitating diseases of great economic impact on the equine industry of Latin America. Considering the lack of studies in the northeastern part of Colombia, this study aimed to determine the epidemiological, clinical and genetic features associated with infection of the Babesia, Theileria, and Trypanosoma species in horses from this geographical area. Two hundred and eighty horses from the Arauca, Meta, and Santander departments were molecularly analyzed for infection with Babesia caballi, Theileria equi, Trypanosoma evansi, and Trypanosoma vivax. Further...
Reisbig NA, Pifko J, Lanovaz JL, Weishaupt MA, Carmalt JL.Although the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is the major contact point between the reins in the riders' hand, the bit in the mouth, and the rest of the horse under saddle, the role of inflammation of this joint on equine locomotion and rein tension is unknown. Unassigned: To determine the effect of acute TMJ inflammation on rein-tension and horse movement when horses were long-reined on a treadmill. Unassigned: A randomized, controlled, cross-over design. Unassigned: Five horses were trained by one clinician to walk and trot on a treadmill wearing long-reining equipment instrumented with a rein...
Erasha AM, Nazih M, Ali S, Alsafy M, El-Gendy S, Sayed RKA.A significant extent of researches in veterinary study have been focused on dental structure; however, there are scanty ones on the orientation and identification of their cusps. Therefore, the present article aimed to spot a light on arrangement pattern of dental cusps in the camel as a folivorous and graminivorous animal. This study was conducted on eight heads of adult, healthy camel of both sexes, collected from slaughter houses. To perform exact orientation of cusps of molar teeth, additional radiological and CT scans were performed on the mandible as a landmark that should facilitate the...
Nielsen MK, Leathwick DM, Sauermann CW.Over the past three decades, equine strongylid egg reappearance periods (ERPs) have shortened substantially for macrocyclic lactone anthelmintics. The ERPs of ivermectin and moxidectin were originally reported in the 8-10 and 12-16 week ranges, respectively, but several recent studies have found them to be around 4-5 weeks for both actives. This loss of several weeks of suppressed strongylid egg output could have substantial implications for parasite control. This study made use of a computer simulation model to evaluate the impact of shortened ERPs on the anthelmintic performance of ivermecti...
Azhar M, Gadahi JA, Bhutto B, Tunio S, Vistro WA, Tunio H, Bhutto S, Ram T.Babesiosis is a protozoal disease affect livestock and pet animals such as cattle, buffaloes, sheep, goats, horses, donkeys, mules, dogs, and cats. It causes severe economic losses in livestock as well as in pet animals. A large number of dairy animals are imported in order to fulfill the demands of milk, milk, meat and its products. In addition, different pet animals are transported from Pakistan to various parts of the world, therefore, it is important to identify the current status and distribution of babesiosis throughout Pakistan in order to control the disease and draw attention for futu...
Couroucé A, Normand C, Tessier C, Pomares R, Thévenot J, Marcillaud-Pitel C, Legrand L, Pitel PH, Pronost S, Lupo C.A total of 752 horses were involved in the CES Valencia Spring Tour 2021. Due to an equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) outbreak, the competition was cancelled and the site was locked down. The objective of this study was to describe epidemiological, clinical, diagnostic, and outcome data of the 160 horses remaining in Valencia. Clinical and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) data were analysed for 60 horses in a retrospective case-control observational study. The risk of developing clinical manifestations was explored using a logistic regression approach. EHV-1 was detected by qPCR, genot...
Hemberg E, Niazi A, Guo Y, Debnár VJ, Vincze B, Morrell JM, Kútvölgyi G.The presence of a microbiome/microbiota in the placenta is hotly debated. In previous studies, the presence of bacteria in equine amniotic fluid and umbilical blood was independent of foal health. The objective of the present study was to determine if the same bacteria are present in the equine placenta as in amniotic fluid and umbilical blood. Samples were obtained from 24 parturient mares and foals. Placental bacterial DNA was extracted, and the microbiome was identified using 16S rRNA sequencing. All amniotic fluid samples contained some polymorphonucleocytes; bacteria were isolated from fo...
Höglund N, Nieminen P, Mustonen AM, Käkelä R, Tollis S, Koho N, Holopainen M, Ruhanen H, Mykkänen A.Equine asthma (EA) is an inflammatory disease of the lower airways driven by mediators released from cells. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are vehicles for lipid mediators, which possess either pro-inflammatory or dual anti-inflammatory and pro-resolving functions. In this study, we investigated how the respiratory fatty acid (FA) profile reflects airway inflammatory status. The FA composition of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), BALF supernatant, and bronchoalveolar EVs of healthy horses (n = 15) and horses with mild/moderate EA (n = 10) or severe EA (SEA, n = 5) was determined w...
Gysens L, Vanmechelen B, Maes P, Martens A, Haspeslagh M.Infection with bovine papillomavirus (BPV) types 1 and 2 results in the most common skin tumor of horses, termed equine sarcoid. The persistent and recurrent nature of this tumor stands in contrast to the regressive nature of BPV-1/- 2 induced cutaneous papillomas in cattle. The circulation of horse-specific BPV-1/- 2 variants within equine populations has been suggested as a possible explanation for the difference in clinical presentation of BPV-1/- 2 infection between horses and cattle. In order to investigate this hypothesis, we identified 98 complete BPV-1/- 2 genomes using a Nanopore ...
Knych HK, McKemie DS, Yim S, Stanley SD, Arthur RM.Given the potential for long-term inhibition of bone remodeling/healing and detrimental effects to horses in training, bisphosphonates are tightly regulated in horseracing. Hair has proven to be an effective matrix for detection of drug administration to horses and has been particularly effective in detecting drugs for a long period of time post administration. Thus, hair may prove to be a useful matrix for detection of administration of this class of drugs. The objective of the current study was to develop an assay and assess the usefulness of hair as a matrix for long-term detection of clodr...
Gao Y, Yoshida S, Takeyama A, Tagami M, Rajabi-Toustani R, Tsogtgerel M, Nambo Y.Ultrasound examination during late gestation is one of the best methods for monitoring potential pregnancy risks. Enlarged bladder is a urological disorder rarely observed in equine fetuses. This clinical case report aimed to present a case illustrating the development of equine fetal enlarged bladder using transabdominal ultrasound examinations and maternal hormone evaluation during gestation. An 8-year-old Hokkaido native pony was impregnated by embryo transfer, and at 215 days of gestation, abnormalities of the fetal bladder were detected. The bladder volume increased with gestational age, ...
Skiöldebrand E, Adepu S, Lützelschwab C, Nyström S, Lindahl A, Abrahamsson-Aurell K, Hansson E.This study aimed to test a novel treatment combination (TC) (equivalent to sildenafil, mepivacaine, and glucose) with disease-modifying properties compared to Celestone® bifas® (CB) in a randomized triple-blinded phase III clinical study in horses with mild osteoarthritis (OA). Joint biomarkers (reflecting the articular cartilage and subchondral bone remodelling) and clinical lameness were used as readouts to evaluate the treatment efficacy. Unassigned: Twenty horses with OA-associated lameness in the carpal joint were included in the study and received either TC (n = 10) or CB (n = ...
Rhodin M, Pfau T, Roepstorff L, Egenvall A.Lungeing is an important part of lameness examinations, since the circular path enforced during lungeing is thought to accentuate low grade lameness. However, during lungeing the movement of sound horses becomes naturally asymmetric, which may mimic lameness. Also, compensatory movements in the opposite half of the body may mimic lameness. The aim of this study was to objectively study the presence of circle-dependent and compensatory movement asymmetries in horses with induced lameness. Ten horses were trotted in a straight line and lunged in both directions on a hard surface. Lameness was in...
Weiss M, Steck F, Kaderli R, Horzinek MC.After inoculation into 2 foals, Berne virus induced neutralizing antibody, but did not cause clinical symptoms. In a horizontal study of seropositive mares and their offspring, a decline of maternal antibodies and a sudden synchronous seroconversion in all foals were observed, again without clinical symptoms. The virus is widespread in the Swiss horse population and has been so during the last decade; rises in antibody titers were noted in 9% of paired sera sampled at random. Positive reactions were also obtained in serum neutralization tests and ELISA using small numbers of horse sera from Ge...
Aréchiga-Ceballos N, Aguilar-Setién A.Summary Alphaviral equine encephalomyelitis is a mosquito-borne infection that causes severe neurological disease and fatalities in horses and humans in the Americas. Consequently, the equine alphaviruses (Eastern, Western and Venezuelan) are of considerable concern worldwide and are notifiable to the World Organisation for Animal Health. In addition, these diseases are considered a potent potential biological weapon, emphasising the need to develop an effective vaccine. Alphaviral equine encephalomyelitis is caused by Eastern equine encephalomyelitis virus (EEEV), Western equine encephalomyel...
In 2001, West Nile virus (WNV) activity was reported from 359 counties in 27 states and the District of Columbia (DC) to ArboNET, a web-based, surveillance data network maintained by 54 state and local public health agencies and CDC. This activity represented a marked increase from 2000, when WNV activity was reported from 138 counties in 12 states and DC. This report summarizes surveillance data for 2001, which indicate that 66 human illnesses were reported from 10 states and that widespread WNV activity in birds, horses, and mosquitoes extended into the midwestern United States and several s...
Seltenhammer MH, Heere-Ress E, Brandt S, Druml T, Jansen B, Pehamberger H, Niebauer GW.Equine melanoma shows striking features particularly with regard to clinical development in grey horses: in contrast to malignant melanoma in humans and in solid coloured horses that are characterized by early onset of metastasis, pigment cell tumours display almost benign clinical features in ageing grey horses. Through evolution, grey horses appear to be in a favourable position in regard to the biological behaviour of melanomas. Yet unknown factors inhibiting or retarding early melanoma metastasis may be responsible for this phenomenon. In this study, immunostaining profiles and histopathol...
Cemazar M, Tamzali Y, Sersa G, Tozon N, Mir LM, Miklavcic D, Lowe R, Teissie J.Electropermeabilization is a method that uses electric field pulses to induce an electrically mediated reorganization of the plasma membrane of cells. Electrochemotherapy combines local or systemic administration of chemotherapeutic drugs such as bleomycin or cisplatin that have poor membrane permeability with electropermeabilization by direct application of electric pulses to the tumors. Preclinical studies have demonstrated excellent antitumor effectiveness of electrochemotherapy on different animal models and various tumor types, minimal toxicity, and safety of the procedure. Based on resul...
Wang E, Bowen RA, Medina G, Powers AM, Kang W, Chandler LM, Shope RE, Weaver SC.Following a 19-year hiatus, Venezuelan equine encephalitis (VEE) reemerged in western Venezuela in December 1992. This outbreak is important in understanding VEE emergence because phylogenetic studies imply that sympatric, enzootic, subtype ID VEE viruses mutated to generate the epizootic/epidemic. Although the 1992-1993 strains belong to subtype IC, a serotype implicated in extensive outbreaks during the 1960s and in 1995, relatively small numbers of human and equine cases occurred in 1992-1993. We, therefore, evaluated the pathogenicity of these Venezuelan enzootic ID and epizootic IC viruse...
Mackie RI, Wilkins CA.Samples from the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum, as well as from the cecum and colon, were obtained from 11 mature grass-fed horses. Viable counts of total culturable and proteolytic bacteria were made on habitat-simulating media containing 40% clarified ruminal fluid. The mean pHs in the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum were 6.32, 7.10, and 7.47, respectively; the mean pH decreased to 6.7 in the hindgut. The acetate concentration increased along the length of the small intestine and was the only volatile fatty acid present in this gut segment. Molar proportions of acetate, propionate, and butyrate ...
Dakin SG, Dudhia J, Werling NJ, Werling D, Abayasekara DR, Smith RK.The contribution of inflammation to the pathogenesis of tendinopathy and high prevalence of re-injury is not well established, although recent evidence suggests involvement of prostaglandins. We investigated the roles of prostaglandins and inflammation-resolving mediators in naturally occurring equine tendon injury with disease stage and age. Levels of prostaglandins E(2) (PGE(2)), F(2α) (PGF(2α)), lipoxin A(4) (LXA(4)) and its receptor FPR2/ALX were analysed in extracts of normal, sub-acute and chronic injured tendons. To assess whether potential changes were associated with altered PGE(2) ...
Argüelles D, Carmona JU, Pastor J, Iborra A, Viñals L, Martínez P, Bach E, Prades M.The aim of this study was to evaluate single and double centrifugation tube methods for concentrating equine platelets. Whole blood samples were collected from clinically normal horses and processed by use of single and double centrifugation tube methods to obtain four platelet concentrates (PCs): PC-A, PC-B, PC-C, and PC-D, which were analyzed using a flow cytometry hematology system for hemogram and additional platelet parameters (mean platelet volume, platelet distribution width, mean platelet component concentration, mean platelet component distribution width). Concentrations of transformi...
Allen GP, Coogle LD.The molecular structure of the equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) gene encoding glycoprotein 13 (gp13) was analyzed. The gene is contained within a 1.8-kilobase AccI-EcoRI restriction fragment mapping at map coordinates 0.136 to 0.148 in the UL region of the EHV-1 genome and is transcribed from right to left. Determination of the nucleotide sequence of the DNA fragment revealed a complete transcriptional unit composed of typical regulatory promoter elements upstream to a long open reading frame (1,404 base pairs) that encoded a 468-amino-acid primary translation product of 51 kilodaltons. The p...
Pollock PJ, Prendergast M, Schumacher J, Bellenger CR.The serum concentrations of serum amyloid A, haptoglobin and fibrinogen were measured in a group of horses before and at intervals after elective and non-elective surgery, and in a control group of normal horses. There was a significant, rapid and repeatable increase in the concentration of serum amyloid A in response to both elective and non-elective surgery. In the control horses its serum concentration was within the normal range, from 0 to 0.2 microg/ml. Twenty-four hours after elective surgery its mean peak concentration was 16.4 microg/ml, and after non-elective surgery it was 27.3 micro...
Belgrave RL, Dickey MM, Arheart KL, Cray C.To compare serum amyloid A (SAA) concentration, plasma fibrinogen concentration, total WBC count, and serum albumin-to-globulin concentration ratio (A:G ratio) in clinically normal (CN) and clinically abnormal (CA) horses. Methods: Prospective cohort study. Methods: 111 CN horses and 101 CA horses hospitalized at a specialty clinical practice. Methods: Shortly after admission, a blood sample (20 mL) was collected from each horse for a CBC, serum protein electrophoresis, and determination of plasma fibrinogen concentration; SAA concentration was assessed with a previously validated immunoturbid...
Schwarz S, Roberts MC, Werckenthin C, Pang Y, Lange C.A total of 838 staphylococcal isolates representing 19 different species were obtained from cattle, cats, dogs, ducks, guinea pigs, horses, mink, pigeons, pigs, rabbits, and turkeys. From these 228 (27.2%) isolates were shown to be resistant to tetracycline and to carry one or two of the tetracycline resistance (tet) genes tet (K), tet (L), tet (M), or tet (O) with seven different distribution patterns. Additional resistances to one or more antibiotics were observed in 153 (67.1%) of the tetracycline resistant isolates. The tet (M) gene was found in 94.3% of the resistant S. intermedius isolat...
Lannergård J, Guss B.Streptococcus equi ssp. equi is the causative agent of strangles, a highly contagious and serious disease in the upper respiratory tract of horses. The present study describes the characterization of IdeE, a homolog of the secreted IgG-specific protease IdeS/Mac of Streptococcus pyogenes. The activity of IdeE is compared with the activity of IdeZ, the corresponding enzyme of the closely related S. equi ssp. zooepidemicus. A study of the proteolytic activity of recombinant IdeE and IdeZ on IgG from a selection of mammals shows that only antibodies containing the substrate site of IdeS/Mac are c...
Yondon M, Heil GL, Burks JP, Zayat B, Waltzek TB, Jamiyan BO, McKenzie PP, Krueger WS, Friary JA, Gray GC.Equine influenza virus (EIV) epizootics affect 2.1 million Mongolian horses approximately every 10 years and critically impact economy and nomadic livelihood of Mongolia. Objective: An active surveillance program was established in 2011 to monitor influenza viruses circulating among Mongolian horses. Methods: Nasal swabs were collected from horses in free-ranging horse herds in Töv, Khentii, and Dundgovi aimags (provinces) from January to September 2011. Real-time reversetranscriptase-polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) was used to determine the presence of influenza A virus. Influenza A-posi...
Pozor MA, McDonnell SM.The objectives of this study were to evaluate the potential use of color Doppler ultrasound to characterize blood flow to the stallion testis, and to establish reference values for Doppler measures of blood flow in the testicular artery of the stallion. Both testes from each of 52 horses were examined using a pulsed-wave color Doppler ultrasound with a sector array 5/7.5 MHz transducer with a 1mm gate setting. Peak systolic velocity (PSV), end diastolic velocity (EDV), resistive index (RI), and pulsatility index (PI) of the testicular artery were measured in each of two locations, the convolut...
Kern A, Perreten V.To determine the antibiotic resistance and fingerprint profiles of methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci (MRCoNS) from animal infections among different practices and examine the history of antibiotic treatment. Methods: Isolates were identified by mass spectrometry and tested for antimicrobial resistance by broth dilution, microarrays and sequence analysis of the topoisomerases. Diversity was assessed by PFGE, icaA PCR and staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec), arginine catabolic mobile element (ACME) and multilocus sequence typing. Clinical records were examined re...
Kadlec K, Schwarz S.In the BfT-GermVet monitoring study, 417 Escherichia coli isolates collected during 2004-06 in Germany from various disease conditions of pigs (n = 87), horses (n = 102) or cats/dogs (n = 228) were investigated for their susceptibility to 24 antimicrobial agents. This study dealt with the identification of integron-associated resistance genes among these isolates. Methods: Class 1 and class 2 integrons were detected by PCR. The variable parts of the integrons were cloned and sequenced. Transformation and conjugation experiments were conducted to confirm a plasmid location of the integrons. Res...
Van de Walle GR, Peters ST, VanderVen BC, O'Callaghan DJ, Osterrieder N.Equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) is a member of the Alphaherpesvirinae, and its broad tissue tropism suggests that EHV-1 may use multiple receptors to initiate virus entry. EHV-1 entry was thought to occur exclusively through fusion at the plasma membrane, but recently entry via the endocytic/phagocytic pathway was reported for Chinese hamster ovary cells (CHO-K1 cells). Here we show that cellular integrins, and more specifically those recognizing RGD motifs such as alphaVbeta5, are important during the early steps of EHV-1 entry via endocytosis in CHO-K1 cells. Moreover, mutational analysis revea...
Depecker M, Richard EA, Pitel PH, Fortier G, Leleu C, Couroucé-Malblanc A.The aim of this study was to determine whether the lung side being sampled would significantly influence bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cytological profiles and subsequent diagnosis in Standardbred racehorses. One hundred and thirty-eight French Trotters in active training and racing were included in a prospective observational study. BAL was performed using videoendoscopy in both right and left lungs during summer meetings in 2011 (64 horses) and 2012 (74 horses). Cytological data performed 24h later from right and left lungs were compared and specifically used to classify horses as affected wi...
Seltenhammer MH, Simhofer H, Scherzer S, Zechner R, Curik I, Sölkner J, Brandt SM, Jansen B, Pehamberger H, Eisenmenger E.Equine melanomas occur most commonly in grey horses at age 5 years or more. Generally, benign and malignant melanomas are distinguished by microscopy, but a more distinct classification would be helpful. Objective: The objectives of this study were to gain further evidence concerning the occurrence of melanotic tumours, and to evaluate the impact of heredity on melanoma development. Methods: A clinical study was conducted on a defined population of 296 grey horses of Lipizzaner breed. Individuals were classified according to their stage of disease using a 0-5 scale. Heritability was estimated ...
Dugdale AH, Taylor PM.To review the literature concerning mortality associated with general anaesthesia in horses and to assess whether there is evidence for a reduction in mortality over the 20 years since the Confidential Enquiry into Perioperative Equine Fatalities (CEPEF). Methods: PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar. Search terms used: horse; pony; equine; anaesthesia; anesthesia; recovery; morbidity, and mortality. Conclusions: The most recent studies, in which isoflurane and sevoflurane have been more commonly used for anaesthesia maintenance, report fewer intraoperative cardiac arrests than older studies in whi...
Padalino B, Raidal SL, Knight P, Celi P, Jeffcott L, Muscatello G.This study aimed to document the effects of an eight hour journey on behavioural, clinical, haematological, environmental and respiratory parameters, and to identify possible associations between factors. Twelve horses underwent clinical examination, respiratory endoscopy with tracheal wash (TW) aspiration, and collection of venous and arterial blood before (BJ) and after the journey (AJ). TW were submitted for conventional quantitative bacteriological evaluation and genetic microbiome analyses. Behaviour was assessed in stables prior to transportation and throughout the journey. Transportatio...
Steel CM.The most important application for synovial fluid (SF) analysis in the horse is in the diagnosis of synovial sepsis. Misdiagnosis of synovial sepsis is costly, and SF analysis makes correct diagnosis more likely, although far from certain. The precision of diagnosis may be increased with polymerase chain reaction analysis for detection of bacterial DNA in SF and with assays for various enzymes and cytokines. These tests are currently not widely available, however, and routine SF analysis remains of prime importance in diagnosis.
Manole V, Laurinmäki P, Van Wyngaardt W, Potgieter CA, Wright IM, Venter GJ, van Dijk AA, Sewell BT, Butcher SJ.African horsesickness (AHS) is a devastating disease of horses. The disease is caused by the double-stranded RNA-containing African horsesickness virus (AHSV). Using electron cryomicroscopy and three-dimensional image reconstruction, we determined the architecture of an AHSV serotype 4 (AHSV-4) reference strain. The structure revealed triple-layered AHS virions enclosing the segmented genome and transcriptase complex. The innermost protein layer contains 120 copies of VP3, with the viral polymerase, capping enzyme, and helicase attached to the inner surface of the VP3 layer on the 5-fold axis,...
Tamarit A, Gutierrez C, Arroyo R, Jimenez V, Zagalá G, Bosch I, Sirvent J, Alberola J, Alonso I, Caballero C.An outbreak of Trypanosoma evansi infection that occurred in mainland Spain is described. The outbreak occurred on an equine and camel farm to which dromedary camels from an infected area of the Canary Islands had recently been introduced. One of these camels developed clinical signs and T. evansi was discovered in a blood smear examination. The herd was evaluated in order to determine the extent of the disease. The results showed that 76% of the camels, 35% of the donkeys and 2% of the horses were affected. The animals were isolated and treated using Cymelarsan((R)) (0.5mg/kg). After treatmen...
Harrington DJ, Sutcliffe IC, Chanter N.Streptococcus equi is the aetiological agent of strangles, one of the most prevalent diseases of the horse. The animal suffering and economic burden associated with this disease necessitate effective treatment. Current antibiotic therapy is often ineffective and thus recent attention has focused on vaccine development. A systematic understanding of S. equi virulence, leading to the identification of targets to which protective immunity can be directed, is a prerequisite of the development of such a vaccine. Here, the virulence factors of S. equi are reviewed.
