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Topic:Disease Diagnosis
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.
IHH gene polymorphism among three horse breeds and its application for association test in horses with osteochondrosis. Genetic polymorphism of IHH gene were investigated in Angloarabian, Polish Coldblood and Polish Halfbred horses with the inclusion of a group of Polish Halfbreds affected by osteochondrosis. IHH is a good candidate gene for association study of developmental disorders mainly affecting skeleton development. DNA sequence spanning IHH gene annotated in the horse genome and its putative promoter were investigated using SANGER sequencing. Analysis of genetic variability at polymorphic sites in the IHH gene body and the promoter region confirmed genetic differences between warmblood and coldblood ho...
Bronchial collapse during bronchoalveolar lavage in horses is an indicator of lung inflammation. The bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) procedure can return variable volumes of fluid, possibly depending on the presence of bronchial collapse during fluid aspiration and on the severity of lung inflammation. Objective: We tested the hypothesis that horses with bronchial collapse during BAL are at higher risk of having severe lung inflammation. Methods: Prospective field study. Methods: Bronchial collapse was graded using a new simple scoring method (0, 1 or 2) during a standardised BAL procedure in the field on 131 horses with normal, mild/moderate or severe lower airway inflammation on cytology o...
Surveillance of equine influenza viruses through the RESPE network in France from November 2005 to October 2010. The Réseau d'Epidémio-Surveillance en Pathologie Equine (RESPE, the French epidemiological network for equine diseases) is a network for epidemio-surveillance of major equine diseases based around sentry veterinarians in France. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the contribution of RESPE to efficient surveillance of equine influenza virus (EIV) in France. Methods: Retrospective cross-sectional study. Methods: From November 2005 to October 2010, epidemiological and phylogenetic studies were performed on 1426 nasopharyngeal swabs received at the Frank Duncombe Laboratory. Detect...
Lawsonia intracellularis infection and proliferative enteropathy in foals. Equine proliferative enteropathy (EPE) is a disease of foals caused by the obligate intracellular organism Lawsonia intracellularis. This organism is unique in that it causes proliferation of infected enterocytes, resulting in thickening of the intestinal epithelium, most often the small intestine. This disease affects mainly weanling foals and causes fever, lethargy, peripheral edema, diarrhea, colic and weight loss. The diagnosis of EPE may be challenging and relies on the presence of hypoproteinemia, thickening of segments of the small intestinal wall observed on abdominal ultrasonography, ...
Breathing pattern and thoracoabdominal asynchrony in horses with chronic obstructive and inflammatory lung disease. The aim of the study was to show that changes in thoracoabdominal asynchrony (TAA) between quiet breathing and CO2-induced hyperpnoea can be used to differentiate between horses with healthy airways and those suffering from inflammatory airway disease (IAD) or recurrent airway obstruction (RAO). The level of TAA was displayed by the Pearson's correlation coefficient (PCC) of thoracic and abdominal signals, generated by respiratory ultrasonic plethysmography (RUP) during quiet breathing and hyperpnoea. Changes in TAA were expressed as the quotient of the PCCs (PCCQ) during normal breathing and ...
Development of a double sandwich fluorescent ELISA to detect rattlesnake venom in biological samples from horses with a clinical diagnosis of rattlesnake bite. Rattlesnake bites in horses are not uncommon and the clinical outcomes are widely variable. Treatment of horses with anti-venom is often cost prohibitive and could have negative consequences; therefore, the development of a quantitative test to determine if anti-venom therapy is indicated would be valuable. The objective of this study was to develop an ELISA to detect rattlesnake venom in biological samples from clinically bitten horses. Nineteen horses were enrolled in the study. Urine was available from 19 horses and bite site samples were available from 9 horses. A double sandwich fluoresce...
Comparative genome sequencing identifies a prophage-associated genomic island linked to host adaptation of Lawsonia intracellularis infections. Lawsonia intracellularis is an obligate intracellular bacterium and the causative agent of proliferative enteropathy (PE). The disease is endemic in pigs, emerging in horses and has also been reported in a variety of other animal species, including nonhuman primates. Comparing the whole genome sequences of a homologous porcine L. intracellularis isolate cultivated for 10 and 60 passages in vitro, we identified a 18-kb prophage-associated genomic island in the passage 10 (pathogenic variant) that was lost in the passage 60 (non-pathogenic variant). This chromosomal island comprises 15 genes dow...
Plasma fructosamine concentrations in horses with pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction with and without laminitis. Plasma fructosamine concentration ([fructosamine]) is believed to reflect medium term, average blood glucose concentration and in a previous study was higher in horses with active laminitis than in normal horses. Pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) is associated with hyperglycaemia and laminitis. Objective: To test the hypotheses that: [fructosamine] is higher in PPID cases than normal animals; furthermore, that within cases of PPID [fructosamine] is higher in those with active laminitis than nonlaminitic cases and in cases that have been affected by active laminitis in the preceding ...
The molecular basis for recognition of bacterial ligands at equine TLR2, TLR1 and TLR6. TLR2 recognises bacterial lipopeptides and lipoteichoic acid, and forms heterodimers with TLR1 or TLR6. TLR2 is relatively well characterised in mice and humans, with published crystal structures of human TLR2/1/Pam3CSK4 and murine TLR2/6/Pam2CSK4. Equine TLR4 is activated by a different panel of ligands to human and murine TLR4, but less is known about species differences at TLR2. We therefore cloned equine TLR2, TLR1 and TLR6, which showed over 80% sequence identity with these receptors from other mammals, and performed a structure-function analysis. TLR2/1 and TLR2/6 from both horses and hu...
Jugular thrombophlebitis in horses: a review of fibrinolysis, thrombus formation, and clinical management. 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...
Postsurgical segmental mesenteric ischemic thrombosis in a horse. A 16-year-old, Lusitanian stallion was admitted to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital with a 12-hour history of signs of abdominal pain. Exploratory celiotomy was performed due to an inguinal hernia, and a second celiotomy was performed in response to the abdominal pain. The horse was euthanized and mesenteric venous thrombosis was diagnosed and considered likely due to peritonitis and systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS). Un étalon Lusitanien âgé de 16 ans a été admis à l’hôpital d’enseignement vétérinaire avec une anamnèse de 12 heures de douleurs abdominales. Une coel...
Long-term follow-up of atrial function after cardioversion of atrial fibrillation in horses. Atrial fibrillation (AF) causes atrial electrical and contractile remodelling in horses. The aim of this study was to quantify left atrial (LA) contractile function and its time course of recovery after cardioversion of naturally-occurring AF in horses. The study population included 42 AF horses which were successfully treated using transvenous electrical cardioversion TVEC (n=39) or quinidine sulfate (n=3), with trivial or mild mitral regurgitation present in 25 horses. Thirty-seven healthy horses were used as controls. AF duration was estimated based on the history and previous examinations....
Development of a real-time PCR to detect Streptococcus equi subspecies equi. Infection with Streptococcus equi subspecies equi (S. equi) is endemic in the UK. A proportion of horses serve as long-term carriers and act as a reservoir of infection. Detection of these persistently infected horses is difficult using standard culture techniques owing to a lack of sensitivity and overgrowth by contaminating bacteria. In addition, differentiation of this causative bacterium from the closely related S. equi zooepidemicus has made the development of reliable and accurate diagnostic tests difficult. Objective: To develop and validate a sensitive and specific real-time PCR assay ...
Evaluation of neutrophil apoptosis in horses with acute abdominal disease. To quantify peripheral blood neutrophil apoptosis in equine patients with acute abdominal disease (ie, colic) caused by strangulating or nonstrangulating intestinal lesions and compare these values with values for horses undergoing elective arthroscopic surgery. Methods: 20 client-owned adult horses. Methods: Peripheral blood was collected from horses immediately prior to and 24 hours after surgery for treatment of colic (n = 10) or elective arthroscopic surgery (10), and neutrophils were counted. Following isolation by means of a bilayer colloidal silica particle gradient and culture for 24 h...
Tenascin-C Expression in Equine Tendon-derived Cells During Proliferation and Migration. In vitro cell studies might be a useful tool for studying tendon pathology, but no suitable in vitro models exist for tendon disorders. The purpose of this study was to confirm whether cell scratch culture using tendon-derived fibroblasts can provide a suitable in vitro tendon disorder model. Extracellular matrix components were examined immunohistochemically in tendon tissue, and then their related gene expression levels were analyzed by conventional reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and/or quantitative real-time RT-PCR in tissues and cells. Collagen type I (Col I), col...
Evaluation of the effects of age and pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction on corneal sensitivity in horses. To determine effects of age and pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) on corneal sensitivity in horses. Methods: 20 adult horses allocated into 3 groups (PPID group, old [> 15 years old] horses with PPID [n = 5]; old group, old [> 15 years old] horses without PPID [9]; and young group, young [≤ 10 years old] horses without PPID [6]). All horses with PPID had hirsutism and abnormal fat deposition or laminitis; none of the old or young horses had hirsutism, abnormal fat deposition, or laminitis. Methods: A Cochet-Bonnet aesthesiometer was used to measure the corneal touch threshold (CTT...
Effects of equine metabolic syndrome on inflammatory responses of horses to intravenous lipopolysaccharide infusion. To test the hypothesis that inflammatory responses to endotoxemia differ between healthy horses and horses with equine metabolic syndrome (EMS). Animals-6 healthy horses and 6 horses with EMS. Methods: Each horse randomly received an IV infusion of lipopolysaccharide (20 ng/kg [in 60 mL of sterile saline {0.9% NaCl} solution]) or saline solution, followed by the other treatment after a 7-day washout period. Baseline data were obtained 30 minutes before each infusion. After infusion, a physical examination was performed hourly for 9 hours and at 15 and 21 hours; a whole blood sample was collect...
Equine grass sickness in Scotland: a case-control study of signalment- and meteorology-related risk factors. Equine grass sickness (EGS) remains a frequently fatal disease of equids in Britain. Since previous investigations of signalment- and meteorology-related risk factors for EGS have yielded some conflicting data, further investigation is warranted. Objective: To identify signalment- and meteorology-related risk factors for EGS in Scotland. Methods: Retrospective time-matched case-control study. Methods: This study was undertaken using data for 455 EGS cases and 910 time-matched controls that were referred to the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, and average UK Meteorological Office weat...
Hysteroscopic hydrotubation of the equine oviduct. Diagnostic techniques for oviductal obstruction in the mare are limited and development of a more reliable and direct method to assess oviductal patency is needed. Objective: To evaluate the feasibility of hysteroscopic selective hydrotubation of the equine oviduct via videoendoscopy in standing mares. Methods: Using a catheter inserted under endoscopic guidance into the uterotubal junctions of 10 mares, 5 ml of indigo carmine solution (4 mg/ml) was flushed into the oviduct. After introduction of the dye, peritoneal fluid was obtained via abdominocentesis. A colpotomy was also performed to all...
Intramodality and intermodality agreement in radiography and computed tomography of equine distal limb fractures. Computed tomography (CT) is increasingly accessible in equine referral hospitals. Objective: To document the level of agreement within and between radiography and CT in characterising equine distal limb fractures. Methods: Retrospective descriptive study. Methods: Images from horses that underwent radiographic and CT evaluation for suspected distal limb fractures were reviewed, including 27 horses and 3 negative controls. Using Cohen's kappa and weighted kappa analysis, the level of agreement among 4 observers for a predefined set of diagnostic characteristics for radiography and CT separately...
Expression of reference genes and T helper 17 associated cytokine genes in the equine intestinal tract. There is accumulating evidence for the involvement of pro-inflammatory cytokines associated with a T helper 17 response in intestinal disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in humans. The involvement of interleukin (IL)-17 or IL-23 in equine IBD has not been studied and most gene expression studies in the equine intestine have been limited to the use of a single non-validated reference gene. In this study, expression of the reference gene candidates β2 microglobulin (β2M), glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), histone H2A type 1, hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltra...
Oral examination and charting: setting the basis for evidence-based medicine in the oral examination of equids. The oral examination is performed in equids to assess and monitor oral health status, provide diagnoses, and determine efficacy of treatments. While there is currently insufficient scientific material of adequate quality to enable evidence-based medicine in equine dentistry, this by no means negates the clinician's responsibility to provide oral health care in a scientific and ethical manner. To do so requires that the clinician be knowledgable and skilled in dentistry and general medicine, that each case upholds the principles of scientific method, and that data is gathered and appraised in a...
Isolation and genetic characterization of naturally NS-truncated H3N8 equine influenza virus in South Korea. Equine influenza virus (EIV) causes a highly contagious respiratory disease in equids, with confirmed outbreaks in Europe, America, North Africa, and Asia. Although China, Mongolia, and Japan have reported equine influenza outbreaks, Korea has not. Since 2011, we have conducted a routine surveillance programme to detect EIV at domestic stud farms, and isolated H3N8 EIV from horses showing respiratory disease symptoms. Here, we characterized the genetic and biological properties of this novel Korean H3N8 EIV isolate. This H3N8 EIV isolate belongs to the Florida sublineage clade 1 of the America...
Corneal cross-linking in 9 horses with ulcerative keratitis. Corneal ulcers are one of the most common eye problems in the horse and can cause varying degrees of visual impairment. Secondary infection and protease activity causing melting of the corneal stroma are always concerns in patients with corneal ulcers. Corneal collagen cross-linking (CXL), induced by illumination of the corneal stroma with ultraviolet light (UVA) after instillation of riboflavin (vitamin B2) eye drops, introduces crosslinks which stabilize melting corneas, and has been used to successfully treat infectious ulcerative keratitis in human patients. Therefore we decided to study i...
Alfalfa dodder (Cuscuta campestris) toxicity in horses: clinical, haematological and serum biochemical findings. The objective of this observational study is to describe clinical, haematological and serum biochemical findings of horses affected with alfalfa dodder (Cuscuta campestris) toxicity. Twenty horses naturally exposed to alfalfa dodder toxicity were examined and information was collected on history and clinical signs. Physical examination was done on horses in the premises (n=20), and venous blood samples of 12 horses were submitted for haematology and serum biochemical examination for each horse. Abnormal clinical signs started around 36 hours after horses were fed the contaminated alfalfa. Abno...
