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.
Schneeweiss W, Puggioni A, David F.Diagnosis and treatment of pathologies involving synovial structures in the shoulder region are technically difficult. Ultrasound-guided (UG) injection techniques have been shown to be highly accurate, safe and reliable for various structures in human and equine patients. Objective: To develop easy-to-use and reliable UG injection techniques for the infraspinatus bursa (IB), bicipital bursa (BB) and scapulohumeral joint (SHJ) and to compare them with conventional 'blind' methods. Methods: Eight pairs of equine shoulders were positioned on a computed-tomography (CT) table with left and right sh...
Kuhnert-Paul Y, Schmäschke R, Daugschies A.Results of parasitological examination of faecal aliquots may vary between diagnostic laboratories. To examine whether inhomogeneous distribution of worm eggs in faecal samples is responsible for this observation, horse faeces provided for routine diagnosis of helminth infection were examined. Distribution of worm eggs was assessed by examining aliquots taken from different locations of the faecal sample by a combined sedimentation-flotation method (KSFV). In addition, it was tested, whether the homogenization of a larger amount (minimum of 40 g) of faeces before performing KSFV improved repro...
Bienert-Zeit A, Müller JM, Feige K.The article provides hands-on advice and scientific background information regarding the management of the equine acute colic patient. It summarizes essential information on the patient's history, clinical examination, and legal aspects. The scope of the history is based on the clinical appearance of the patient. In horses with violent and barely controllable signs of pain, it is limited to colic-associated information such as onset, course and severity of colic signs, and the last time of defecation, as well as prior therapeutic intervention. In these patients, the clinical examination is foc...
Burgess BA, Tokateloff N, Manning S, Lohmann K, Lunn DP, Hussey SB, Morley PS.There is little information on the duration of nasal shedding of EHV-1 from horses with naturally occurring equine herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy (EHM). Objective: To evaluate the duration of nasal shedding of EHV-1 in horses affected by EHM. Methods: One hundred and four horses naturally exposed to EHV-1, 20 of which had clinical signs of EHM. Methods: All horses on affected premises were monitored. Those horses developing EHM were sampled in a longitudinal outbreak investigation. Nasal swabs were collected daily from 16 of 20 horses affected by EHM. A qPCR was performed on 98 of 246 nasal s...
Chiaradia E, Pepe M, Tartaglia M, Scoppetta F, D'Ambrosio C, Renzone G, Avellini L, Moriconi F, Gaiti A, Bertuglia A, Beccati F, Scaloni A.Osteoarthritis (OA) and osteochondrosis (OC) are two of the main challenges in orthopedics, whose definitive diagnosis is usually based on radiographic/arthroscopic evidences. Their early diagnosis should allow preventive or timely therapeutic actions, which are generally precluded from the poor relationships occurring between symptomatologic and radiographic evidences. These limitations should be overcome by improving the knowledge on articular tissue metabolism and on molecular factors regulating its normal homeostasis, also identifying novel OA and OC biomarkers suitable for their earlier d...
Holý O, Matousková I, Holý V, Koukalová D, Chmelar D.Cronobacter spp. belongs to the family Enterobacteriaceae. It is a motile (peritricha) Gram-negative non-spore forming bacterium. At present, Enterobacter sakazakii is reported as a Cronobacter spp. species with 16 biogroups. It is a ubiquitous organism whose isolation used to be associated with a contaminated powdered infant formula and feed for neonates and infants. Information about the Cronobacter spp. species incidence in the environment, its potential dissemination and its vectors, is very limited. The authors have documented incidence of Cronobacter spp. in the nostril mucous membrane o...
Sykora S, Samek L, Schönthaler K, Palm F, Borzacchiello G, Aurich C, Brandt S.Squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) are malignant tumours arising from keratinocytes. In horses, there is increasing evidence for Equus caballus papillomavirus type 2 (EcPV-2) being causally involved in SCC development. However, only little is known regarding intralesional transcription of the virus, and sparse information on the incidence of EcPV-2 infection in healthy equids is available so far. Using RT-PCR, total mRNA from 8 EcPV-2 DNA-positive and 1 EcPV-2 negative SCC/SCC precursor lesions was screened for the presence of EcPV-2 E6 and E1 transcripts. Using PCR, we tested 193 sample specimens...
Puppione DL, Della Donna L, Bassilian S, Souda P, MacDonald MH, Whitelegge JP.As a continuation of our proteogenomic studies of equine apolipoproteins, we have obtained molecular masses for several of the apolipoproteins associated with the HDL in horse cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Using electrospray-ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS), we report on values for apolipoproteins, A-I and A-II, as well as acylated apoA-I. In comparison with our previously published data on equine plasma apolipoproteins, there appears to be a higher percentage of acylated apoA-I in the CSF than in plasma. As was the case in plasma, apoA-II circulates as a homodimer. These studies also reveal...
Bogaert L, Willemsen A, Vanderstraeten E, Bracho MA, De Baere C, Bravo IG, Martens A.Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) represents the most common genital malignant tumor in horses. Similar to humans, papillomaviruses (PVs) have been proposed as etiological agents and recently Equine papillomavirus type 2 (EcPV2) has been identified in a subset of genital SCCs. The goals of this study were (1) to determine the prevalence of EcPV2 DNA in tissue samples from equine genital SCCs, penile intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) and penile papillomas, using EcPV2-specific PCR, (2) to examine the prevalence of latent EcPV2 infection in healthy genital mucosa and (3) to determine genetic variabili...
Bergström K, Aspan A, Landén A, Johnston C, Grönlund-Andersson U.Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in animals is a rare finding in Sweden. In horses, MRSA was first detected in a screening survey in 2007. In 2008, six clinical cases occurred in an equine hospital, indicating an outbreak. Methods: All MRSA isolates detected, 11 spa-type t011 and one t064 (n = 12), in infected horses (n = 10) and screening of horses (n = 2) in Sweden from December 2007 to March 2010 were retrospectively analysed with pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) using Cfr9I and ApaI restriction enzymes, to study relationship between the isolates. Medical records of...
van Eeden C, Williams JH, Gerdes TG, van Wilpe E, Viljoen A, Swanepoel R, Venter M.To determine which agents cause neurologic disease in horses, we conducted reverse transcription PCR on isolates from of a horse with encephalitis and 111 other horses with acute disease. Shuni virus was found in 7 horses, 5 of which had neurologic signs. Testing for lesser known viruses should be considered for horses with unexplained illness.
Pérez Ruiz M, Gámez SS, Clavero MA.West Nile virus (WNV) is an arbovirus usually transmitted by mosquitoes. The main reservoirs are birds, although the virus may infect several vertebrate species, such as horses and humans. Up to 80% of human infections are asymptomatic. The most frequent clinical presentation is febrile illness, and neuroinvasive disease can occur in less than 1% of cases. Spain is considered a high-risk area for the emergence of WNV due to its climate and the passage of migratory birds from Africa (where the virus is endemic). These birds nest surrounding wetlands where populations of possible vectors for the...
Pretorius A, Van Kleef M, Van Wyngaardt W, Heath J.African horsesickness (AHS) is an infectious but noncontagious viral disease affecting all species of Equidae. The recall immune response of AHSV naïve horses immunised with an attenuated African horsesickness virus serotype 4 (AHSV4) was characterised using immune assays including ELISPOT, real-time PCR (qPCR) and flow cytometry. The recall immune response detected in PBMC isolated from three inoculated horses showed an upregulation of circulating B lymphocytes that correlated with elevated IL-4 mRNA expression indicative of humoral immunity, but reduced frequency of CD4⁺ cells. In additio...
Stokes AM, Lavie NL, Keowen ML, Gaschen L, Gaschen FP, Barthel D, Andrews FM.This study investigated the use of a wireless ambulatory capsule (WAC; SmartPill(®) pH.p GI Monitoring System) to determine WAC-gastric emptying time (GET) in ponies. Objective: To measure WAC-GET and compare it to those findings with GET assessed by nuclear scintigraphy (S-GET). Objective: WAC-GET will be slower than S-GET, but will be significantly correlated. Methods: Seven healthy adult mixed-breed pony mares were used in this study. Feed was withheld for 12 h prior to the WAC administration. After administration, a complete-feed diet was fed to allow the WAC to pass into the stomach. Lum...
Foord AJ, Middleton D, Heine HG.Hendra virus (HeV) is a zoonotic paramyxovirus endemic in Australian Pteropus bats (fruit bats or flying foxes). Although bats appear to be unaffected by the virus, HeV can spread from fruit bats to horses, causing severe disease. Human infection results from close contact with the blood, body fluids and tissues of infected horses. HeV is a biosecurity level 4 (BSL-4) pathogen, with a high case-fatality rate in humans and horses. Current assays for HeV detection require complex instrumentation and are generally time consuming. The aim of this study was to develop a Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amp...
Getachew AM, Innocent G, Proudman CJ, Trawford A, Feseha G, Reid SW, Faith B, Love S.A 12/13 kDa antigen, tapeworm ELISA test, developed for use in horses, was used to detect parasite-specific serum antibody, IgG(T), in the serum of donkeys. In a pilot study the 12/13 kDa antigen was tested and proved to detect the antibody, IgG(T), in donkey sera. Blood samples from 797 donkeys, naturally exposed to cestode infection, from four geographical localities were collected and sera were prepared and analysed. There was substantial serological evidence that donkeys were potentially infected with A. perfoliata. A range of ELISA OD values were obtained from the serological assay. Over ...
Lores M, Lofstedt J, Martinson S, Riley CB.A 15-day-old American Quarter horse colt was presented for depression and pyrexia. Peritonitis was diagnosed following peritoneal fluid analysis. Exploratory laparotomy revealed an area of focal necrosis over the dorsal wall of the urinary bladder leading to peritonitis and uroperitoneum. The affected area of the urinary bladder was resected and the peritonitis resolved with medical treatment. Péritonite et uropéritoine septiques secondaires à une omphalite subclinique et à une cystite nécrosante concomitante chez un poulain. Un poulain American Quarter Horse âgé de 15 jours a été pr...
Mc Brearty A, Auckburally A, Pollock PJ, Penderis J.Deafness has been reported in horses due to a variety of causes and objective auditory assessment has been performed with brainstem auditory evoked potential testing. Evoked otoacoustic emission (OAE) tests are widely used in human patients for hearing screening, detecting partial hearing loss (including frequency-specific hearing loss) and monitoring cochlear outer hair cell function over time. OAE tests are noninvasive, quick and affordable. Two types of OAE are commonly used clinically: transient evoked OAEs (TEOAEs) and distortion product OAEs (DPOAEs). Detection of OAEs has not been repor...
Longland AC, Dhanoa MS, Harris PA.Pasture (fresh or conserved as hay/haylage) forms the basis of most equid diets and contains varying amounts (0 to ≥ 200 g kg⁻¹ dry matter (DM) or more) of fructans. Over-consumption of fructan is associated with the onset of laminitis in equids, an agonizing condition that may necessitate euthanasia. To enable appropriate dietary management of animals susceptible to laminitis, it is essential that fructans can be properly quantified in fresh and conserved pasture. For research purposes, fructans are frequently quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), but these methods...
Tydén E, Löfgren M, Pegolo S, Capolongo F, Tjälve H, Larsson P.Recently, seven CYP3A isoforms - CYP3A89, CYP3A93, CYP3A94, CYP3A95, CYP3A96, CYP3A97 and CYP129 - have been isolated from the horse genome. In this study, we have examined the hepatic and intestinal gene expression of these CYP3A isoforms using TaqMan probes. We have also studied the enzyme activity using luciferin-isopropyl acetal (LIPA) as a substrate. The results show a differential gene expression of the CYP3A isoforms in the liver and intestines in horses. In the liver, CYP3A89, CYP3A94, CYP3A96 and CYP3A97 were highly expressed, while in the intestine there were only two dominating isof...
Labens R, Blikslager A.Methods of 3D wound imaging in man play an important role in monitoring of healing and determination of the prognosis. Standard photographic assessments in equine wound management consist of 2D analyses, which provide little quantitative information on the wound bed. Objective: 3D imaging of equine wounds is feasible using principles of stereophotogrammetry. 3D measurements differ significantly and are more precise than results with standard 2D assessments. Methods: Repeated specialised photographic imaging of 4 clinical wounds left to heal by second intention was performed. The intraoperator ...
Phillips JC, Lembcke LM, Noltenius CE, Newman SJ, Blackford JT, Grosenbaugh DA, Leard AT.To determine the tissue-restricted expression pattern of tyrosinase mRNA in canine and equine melanocytic tumors and relative tyrosinase and major histocompatibility complex (MHC) I mRNA expression in variants of melanocytic tumors. Methods: 39 canine and 8 equine tumor samples and 10 canine and 6 equine normal tissue samples. Methods: RNA was isolated from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues. Real-time PCR assays were designed to amplify canine and equine tyrosinase, S18 ribosomal RNA, and major histocompatibility complex I transcripts. Relative expression was determined by use of S18 a...
Degroote RL, Hauck SM, Kremmer E, Amann B, Ueffing M, Deeg CA.The molecular mechanism which enables activated immune cells to cross the blood-retinal barrier in spontaneous autoimmune uveitis is yet to be unraveled. Equine recurrent uveitis is the only spontaneous animal model allowing us to investigate the autoimmune mediated transformation of leukocytes in the course of this sight threatening disease. Hypothesizing that peripheral blood immune cells change their protein expression pattern in spontaneous autoimmune uveitis, we used DIGE to detect proteins with altered abundance comparing peripheral immune cells of healthy and ERU diseased horses. Among ...
Kondo H, Wickins SC, Conway JA, Mallicote MF, Sanchez LC, Agnew DW, Farina LL, Abbott JR.A 23-year-old Anglo-Arabian mare was presented with tachypnea, dyspnea, and pitting edema of the ventral thoracic subcutis. On necropsy, a tan to red, friable, irregularly shaped mass (23 × 20 × 18 cm) occupied the cranial mediastinum. Histologically, the mass was classified as a liposarcoma and was composed of short interlacing bundles of spindle-shaped to irregularly rounded cells with discrete, variably sized, clear cytoplasmic vacuoles, which were stained with oil red O in frozen sections of formalin-fixed tissue.
Shakhsi-Niaei M, Klukowska-Rötzler J, Drögemüller C, Swinburne J, Ehrmann C, Saftic D, Ramseyer A, Gerber V, Dolf G, Leeb T.Recurrent airway obstruction (RAO), or 'heaves', is a common performance-limiting allergic respiratory disease of mature horses. It is related to sensitization and exposure to mouldy hay and has a familial basis with a complex mode of inheritance. In a previous study, we detected a QTL for RAO on ECA 13 in a half-sib family of European Warmblood horses. In this study, we genotyped additional markers in the family and narrowed the QTL down to about 1.5 Mb (23.7-25.2 Mb). We detected the strongest association with SNP BIEC2-224511 (24,309,405 bp). We also obtained SNP genotypes in an independent...
Fuentealba NA, Sguazza GH, Eöry ML, Valera AR, Pecoraro MR, Galosi CM.Equid herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) infection has a significant economic impact on equine production, causing abortion, respiratory disease, neonatal death and neurological disorders. The identification of specific EHV-1 genes related to virulence and pathogenicity has been the aim of several research groups. The purpose of the present study was to analyze different genomic regions of Argentinean EHV-1 strains and to determine their possible relationship with virulence or clinical signs. Twenty-five EHV-1 Argentinean isolates recovered from different clinical cases between 1979 and 2007 and two refere...
Tennent-Brown BS.In hospitalized horses, hypovolemia and the resulting decrease in tissue perfusion is the most common cause of hyperlactatemia. Therefore, measurement of blood lactate concentration can be a useful tool for guiding fluid therapy. Similarly, measuring blood lactate concentration can be used to assess the need for and adequacy of transfusions in horses receiving whole blood. Inflammatory leukocytes within closed body cavities consume glucose and produce lactate. Simultaneous measurement of blood lactate concentration and lactate concentration of peritoneal, pleural, or synovial fluid has been us...
Chambers TM, Reedy SE.Serologic tests for equine influenza virus (EIV) antibodies are used for many purposes, including retrospective diagnosis, subtyping of virus isolates, antigenic comparison of different virus strains, and measurement of immune responses to EIV vaccines. The hemagglutination-inhibition (HI), single radial hemolysis (SRH), and serum micro-neutralization tests are the most widely used for these purposes and are described here. The presence of inhibitors of hemagglutination in equine serum complicates interpretation of HI assay results, and there are alternative protocols (receptor-destroying enzy...
Henry Barton M.The recent introduction of more affordable and portable ultrasound equipment makes it possible to perform transabdominal ultrasonography on equine patients in the field. Clipping the hair is not always necessary: intraabdominal structures can be quickly evaluated by soaking hair with isopropyl alcohol and using a 3.0- to 3.5-MHz curvilinear transducer. The ultrasonographer must be acquainted with the location and architecture of normal intraabdominal structures and simultaneously mindful of the depth of the viewing field, the tissue interface densities, the orientation of the transducer relati...
Breuhaus BA.This study was performed to compare thyroid function of premature foals to term foals. Objective: Premature foals are more markedly hypothyroxinemic than expected for their severity of illness alone. Methods: Twenty clinically normal term foals; 28 sick, hospitalized term foals; 24 sick, hospitalized premature foals. Methods: Thyroid hormones (TH) and thyrotropin (TSH) were measured, both at rest and in response to thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH), in the 3 groups of foals. Clinical and clinicopathologic data were recorded. Results: Normal foals had high TH at birth, which decreased over th...
Partlow J, David F, Hunt LM, Relave F, Blond L, Pinilla M, Lavoie JP.Small volume pneumothorax can be challenging to diagnose in horses. The current standard method for diagnosis is standing thoracic radiography. We hypothesized that thoracic ultrasonography would be more sensitive. Objectives of this prospective, experimental study were to describe a thoracic ultrasound method for detection of small volume pneumothorax in horses and to compare results of radiography and ultrasound in a sample of horses with induced small volume pneumothorax. Six mature healthy horses were recruited for this study. For each horse, five 50 ml air boluses were sequentially introd...
Karimi A, Mosavari N.Burkholderia mallei, the etiologic agent of the disease known as glanders. Clinical and bacteriological diagnosis of glanders is difficult in the early stages of the disease. Currently, mallein (allergic hypersensitivity test) is used for the diagnosis of glanders. The mallein test requires an experienced laboratory person and lasts 48 h. Therefore, in order to quickly diagnose the disease, especially in areas (such as the borders of the country) that cannot be kept animals, new methods should be used to identify the disease. The Rose Bengal is a serological diagnostic test and has been recom...
Ennezat PV, Darchis J, Lamblin N, Tricot O, Elkohen M, Aumégeat V, Equine O, Dujardin X, Saadouni H, Le Tourneau T, de Groote P, Bauters C.Although mitral regurgitation (MR) has been associated with an increased risk of death and heart failure after myocardial infarction (MI), the relationship between post-MI MR and left ventricular (LV) remodeling has not been entirely clarified. In addition, the optimal timing for assessing MR after MI remains unknown. Methods: Post-MI MR was assessed by Doppler echocardiography at hospital discharge (baseline) and after 3 months in 261 patients with an inaugural anterior MI. We studied LV remodeling during a 1-year period and clinical follow-up after 3 years, according to MR severity at baseli...
Schuster RK, Sivakumar S, Kinne J, Babiker H, Traversa D, Buzzell GR.Nematode larvae found in histological cuts of lung tissue of a horse from a farm in Al Dhaid (UAE) were determined to belong to the Habronematidae family. The clinical examination of the other 18 horses present in the farm revealed summer sores (cutaneous habronemosis) in two stallions. Nematode larvae were found in 147 (=26.2%) out of 561 male but only in 64 (=8.7%) out of 739 female Musca domestica caught at the farm in November and December 2008. Conversely, all 15 Stomoxys calcitrans specimens caught in the farm resulted negative for nematode larvae. The housefly population caught in the b...
Doucet MY, Vrins AA, Ford-Hutchinson AW.A histamine inhalation challenge (HIC) procedure was developed to assess hyperreactive states in horses. Following clinical evaluation, percutaneous lung biopsies were performed on nine light breed mares aged 6 to 15 years. Five horses, with normal small airways, were classified as group A and four subjects with small airway disease (SAD) lesions formed group B. Pulmonary mechanics parameters were monitored following an aerosol of 0.9% saline and every 5 min for up to 30 min after HIC with 0.5% w/v of histamine diphosphate, administered through a face mask for 2.5 min. Tidal volume (VT) and ai...
Wu J, Cui Y, Yu F, Muhatai G, Tao D, Zhao A, Ning C, Qi M.Piroplasmosis is a disease that negatively affects equine health worldwide. Hence, 324 blood samples were collected from grazing horses in ten sites in Xinjiang and testing them for the presence of Theileria equi and Babesia caballi by PCR of the EMA-1 gene and BC48 gene, respectively. Of the 324 blood samples, 161 (49.7%) were positive for equine piroplasms. The prevalence of T. equi was 38.9% (126/324), while that of B. caballi was 30.2% (98/324). The T. equi and B. caballi co-infection rate was 19.4% (63/324). From the 126 EMA-1 gene sequences and 98 BC48 gene sequences we obtained, 21 and ...
Collins MT, Cho SN, Reif JS.We examined more than 2,800 human and animal sera for antibodies to four serogroups of Legionella pneumophila by using the microagglutination test. Antibody titers of greater than or equal to 1:64 were considered positive. The occurrence of positive equine sera (31.4%) was significantly higher than the occurrence of positive sera in cattle (5.1%), swine (2.9%), sheep (1.9%), dogs (1.9%), goats (0.5%), wildlife (0%), and humans (0.4%). The highest titer measured in horses was 1:512. The occurrence of positive sera in horses was related directly to age. In horses less than or equal to 1, 2 to 3,...
Pawlak E, Wang L, Johnson PJ, Nuovo G, Taye A, Belknap JK, Alfandari D, Black SJ.To determine the expression and distribution of a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs-4 (ADAMTS-4), its substrates aggrecan and versican, and their binding partner hyaluronan in laminae of healthy horses. Methods: Laminae from the forelimb hooves of 8 healthy horses. Methods: Real-time quantitative PCR assay was used for gene expression analysis. Hyaluronidase, chondroitinase, and keratanase digestion of lamina extracts combined with SDS-PAGE and western blotting were used for protein and proteoglycan analysis. Immunofluorescent and immunohistochemical staining of tiss...
Bailey E, Reid RC, Skow LC, Mathiason K, Lear TL, McGuire TC.Equine combined immunodeficiency disease (CID) is caused by homozygosity for an autosomal recessive gene. To identify linked markers for the disease, we studied a family segregating for the equine CID gene. A stallion and 19 of his CID-affected offspring were tested for marker segregation at 23 microsatellite DNA loci. His CID-affected offspring inherited only one of his two alleles at the HTG8 and HTG4 loci, namely HTG8-186 and HTG4-124, respectively. Lod scores for linkage to the CID gene using a theta of 0.01 were 5.34 for HTG8 and 2.37 for HTG4. The apparent genotypes also suggested linkag...
Latif ZA, Fletcher MA.Immunochemical comparisons were made of the reactivity of membrane glycoproteins from horse, bovine, sheep and goat erythrocytes with heterophile antibodies of infectious mononucleosis. The four receptors were tested as competitive inhibitors of a sandwich-type solid-phase radioimmunoassay and of agglutination of glycoprotein-latex reagents by infectious mononucleosis serum. The results of this study showed that the bovine glycoprotein had a superior reactivity with this heterophile antibody system and sheep erythrocyte glycoprotein was the least reactive. The latter had negligible ability to ...
Kinnunen RE, Tallberg T, Stenbäck H, Sarna S.Twenty-one horses with sarcoid tumours were treated by bio-immunotherapy using autogenous vaccines during 1991-1997. At operation the base of the tumour was left in the skin and autovaccines were made from extirpated tumour tissue by polymerization. The horses thus formed their own internal control group. One of 12 horses having a primary tumour, and four of 9 horses suffering recurrent tumours, prior to bio-immunotherapy, developed single recurrences. Four of these five horses suffering recurrence were treated anew, leading to remission. Disease-free intervals were longer for primary (P = 0.0...
Koblinger K, Hecker K, Nicol J, Wasko A, Fernandez N, Léguillette R.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...
Schnabel CL, Wagner S, Wagner B, Durán MC, Babasyan S, Nolte I, Pfarrer C, Feige K, Murua Escobar H, Cavalleri JM.Research on equine cytokines is often performed by analyses of mRNA. For many equine cytokines an analysis on the actual protein level is limited by the availability of antibodies against the targeted cytokines. Generation of new antibodies is ongoing but time consuming. Thus, testing the reactivity of commercially available antibodies for cross-reactivity with equine cytokines is of particular interest. Fifteen monoclonal antibodies against IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-12, IL-18 and Granulocyte Macrophage Colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) of different species were evaluated for reactivity with the...
Scarlet D, Malama E, Fischer S, Knutti B, Bollwein H.Persistent breeding-induced endometritis (PBIE) is a major cause of subfertility in horses and the susceptibility is increased by several factors. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of clinical uterine findings and PBIE therapies, respectively, on pregnancy rate in mares. The analysis included records from 220 mares (390 cycles) inseminated at an artificial insemination (AI) center in Switzerland. Gynecological examinations were performed repeatedly before and after AI to determine cervical tone, uterine edema, and intrauterine fluid accumulation. Pregnancy rate was lower (p < ...
Lewis MJ, Wagner B, Irvine RM, Woof JM.As in other mammals, immunoglobulin A (IgA) in the horse has a key role in immune defense. To better dissect equine IgA function, we isolated complementary DNA (cDNA) clones for equine J chain and polymeric Ig receptor (pIgR). When coexpressed with equine IgA, equine J chain promoted efficient IgA polymerization. A truncated version of equine pIgR, equivalent to secretory component, bound with nanomolar affinity to recombinant equine and human dimeric IgA but not with monomeric IgA from either species. Searches of the equine genome localized equine J chain and pIgR to chromosomes 3 and 5, resp...
Smith MR, Wright IM.Diagnostic navicular bursoscopy has been described in limited cases. Review of greater numbers is needed to define its contribution to case management and prognostic values. Objective: To report: 1) clinical, diagnostic and endoscopic findings in a series of cases, 2) surgical techniques and case outcomes and 3) prognostic values. The authors hypothesise: 1) lameness localising to the navicular bursa is commonly associated with dorsal border deep digital flexor tendon (DDFT) lesions, 2) endoscopy allows extent of injuries to be assessed and treated, 3) case outcome relates to severity of DDFT ...
Tyson R, Graham JP, Colahan PT, Berry CR.An 8-month-old miniature horse filly was presented for evaluation of severe rotational and angular limb deformities of the thoracic and pelvic limbs. On radiographic examination, complete ulnas and fibulas were identified. These findings are consistent with a condition previously described as a form of atavism. The term atavism is used to describe the reappearance of a trait or character that was seen in all earlier evolutionary specimens of a particular species, but has not been seen in recent ancestors. The atavistic traits of complete ulnas and fibulas have previously been described in Wels...
Frazer LL, Santschi EM, Fischer KJ.To predict the bone formation stimulus of a transcondylar screw across an equine subchondral bone cyst (SBC) in an equine medial femoral condyle (MFC). Methods: Finite element modeling (FEM) of an equine MFC with a 2 cm SBC under several transcondylar screw conditions. Methods: The right stifle of a yearling thoroughbred without stifle disease that had been euthanized for reasons unrelated to this study and donated to the University. Methods: The FEM was derived from computed tomography of a yearling thoroughbred and analyzed in ABAQUS v6.14. The transcondylar screw was modeled as a 4.5-mm s...
Di Azevedo MIN, Lilenbaum W.Leptospirosis may be associated with important syndromes in equines, including reproductive ones. Recently, our group demonstrated a reproductive syndrome of leptospirosis in ruminants (Bovine Genital Leptospirosis - BGL), that presents its own agent, particular diagnostic methods, and specific treatment and prevention, requiring special attention. We realized that the genital syndrome of leptospirosis may not be exclusive to ruminants and may also affect horses. The aim of the present study is to gather the available data on leptospirosis in equine reproduction and propose a new genital lepto...
Nemoto M, Niwa H, Murakami S, Miki R, Higuchi T, Bannai H, Tsujimura K, Kokado H.Equine group A rotaviruses (RVAs) cause diarrhoea in foals. We investigated the G genotypes of 360 RVA-positive samples obtained from diarrhoeic foals between 2012 and 2018 in the Hidaka district of Hokkaido, Japan, through sequence analysis of VP7. All samples were classified into genotypes G3A, G3B and G14. G3B RVAs were detected until 2016, and G3A RVAs were detected from 2016 to 2018. G14 RVAs were detected from 2012 to 2018. Although G3B RVAs had been circulating in Japan for a long time, G3A RVAs suddenly emerged in 2016, and have replaced G3B RVAs since 2017. Molecular analyses of VP7 a...
Yamanaka T, Tsujimura K, Kondo T, Matsumura T.In this study, we evaluated whether five rapid antigen detection kits for human influenza could be used for the diagnosis of equine influenza (EI). Limiting dilution analyses showed that Directigen Flu A+B and ESPLINE INFLUENZA A&B-N had the highest sensitivities to equine-2 influenza viruses (EIVs) among the kits investigated. From the results of virus detection in nasal swabs taken from horses infected with EIV, these two kits could produce positive results in reasonable agreement with those obtained by virus isolation or RT-PCR, suggesting that these kits could be useful for rapid diagn...
Zitterl-Eglseer K, Marschik T.Viruses have a high mutation rate, and, thus, there is a continual emergence of new antiviral-resistant strains. Therefore, it becomes imperative to explore and develop new antiviral compounds continually. The search for pharmacological substances of plant origin that are effective against animal viruses, which have a high mortality rate or cause large economic losses, has garnered interest in the last few decades. This systematic review compiles 130 plant species that exhibit antiviral activity on 37 different virus species causing serious diseases in animals. The kind of extract, fraction, o...
Mittelman NS, Stefanovski D, Johnson AL.Accurate antemortem EPM diagnosis requires evidence of intrathecal antibody production. Some advocate the use of acute phase proteins in addition to serology, which alone results in substantial false positives. Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine if serum C-reactive protein (CRP) or serum amyloid A (SAA) concentrations were elevated in cases of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) compared to other neurological diseases. Methods: 25 clinical cases of equine neurological disease: EPM (10), cervical vertebral stenotic myelopathy (CVSM) (10), neuroborreliosis (2), equine mot...
Raisi A, Davoodi F.The purpose of this review is to provide a comprehensive comparison of spermatic cord torsion in domestic animals. Spermatic cord torsion leads to occlusion of testicular blood flow resulting in ischemia and tissue hypoxia. Spermatic cord torsion has been reported in all domestic mammals but dogs and horses are overrepresented. Abdominal pain (colic), anorexia, vomiting, lameness, and stiff gait are the most common clinical signs reported. The condition may be asymptomatic in cases of a low degree of spermatic cord torsion. In dogs, spermatic cord torsion is most commonly reported in undescend...
Zhang J, Miszczak F, Pronost S, Fortier C, Balasuriya UB, Zientara S, Fortier G, Timoney PJ.Genetic variation and phylogenetic relationships among 22 French isolates of equine arteritis virus (EAV) obtained over four breeding seasons (2001-2004) were determined by sequencing open reading frames (ORFs) 2a-7. The ORFs 2a-7 of 22 isolates differed from the prototype virulent Bucyrus strain of EAV by between 14 (99.5% identity) and 328 (88.7% identity) nucleotides, and differed from each other by between 0 (100% identity) and 346 (88.1% identity) nucleotides, confirming genetic diversity among EAV strains circulating in France. Phylogenetic analysis based on the partial ORF5 sequences (n...
Affolter VK, Dalley B, Kass PH, Brown EA, Sonder C, Bannasch DL.Chronic progressive lymphoedema (CPL) is a disabling condition affecting various draft horse breeds, including Friesian horses. Objective: The high incidence of CPL in Friesian horses suggests a genetic component and a predisposing phenotype. Methods: For the genomic study, 26 affected and 19 control horses were evaluated. Body measurements were taken from 28 affected and nine control Friesian horses. Methods: Axiom® Equine Genotyping Array with a total of 307,474 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) was used for the case/control genome-wide association study (GWAS). Height, weight and leg m...
Cohen ND, Neibergs HL, Wallis DE, Simpson RB, McGruder ED, Hargis BM.Members of the genus Salmonella were identified in feces from horses, using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and genus-specific oligonucleotide primers. Feces from healthy horses were determined to be culture-negative for Salmonella spp. Fecal samples were inoculated with known numbers of colony-forming units (CFU) of S anatum, S derby, S enteritidis, S heidelberg, S newport, and S typhimurium. The DNA was extracted from fecal samples and amplified by PCR, using genus-specific primers. Sensitivity of the assay extended to 10(3) CFU of Salmonella sp/g of feces; sensitivity of microbiologic c...
