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.
Gordon AN, Marbach CR, Oakey J, Edmunds G, Condon K, Diviney SM, Williams DT, Bingham J.A 5-year-old Australian stock horse in Monto, Queensland, Australia, developed neurological signs and was euthanized after a 6-day course of illness. Histological examination of the brain and spinal cord revealed moderate to severe subacute, nonsuppurative encephalomyelitis. Sections of spinal cord stained positively in immunohistochemistry with a flavivirus-specific monoclonal antibody. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction assay targeting the envelope gene of flavivirus yielded positive results from brain, spinal cord, cerebrospinal fluid, and facial nerve. A flavivirus was isolate...
Bauer N, Nakagawa J, Dunker C, Failing K, Moritz A.The automated laser-based hematology analyzer Sysmex XT-2000iV™ provides a 5-part differential count and specific cytograms that are of great interest for large veterinary laboratories. The aim of the study was to validate the Sysmex XT-2000iV compared to the laser-based hematology analyzer ADVIA® 2120 and manual differential in dogs, cats, and horses as well as the impact of anticoagulant (heparin, ethylenediamine tetra-acetic acid [EDTA], and citrate) and storage at 22°C and 4°C. Consecutive fresh K(3)-EDTA blood samples from 216 cats, 314 dogs, and 174 horses were included. The impact ...
Vaccaro C, Busetto R, Bernardini D, Anselmi C, Zotti A.To evaluate the precision and accuracy of assessing bone mineral density (BMD) by use of mean gray value (MGV) on digitalized and digital images of conventional and digital radiographs, respectively, of ex vivo bovine and equine bone specimens in relation to the gold-standard technique of dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). Methods: Left and right metatarsal bones from 11 beef cattle and right femurs from 2 horses. Methods: Bovine specimens were imaged by use of conventional radiography, whereas equine specimens were imaged by use of computed radiography (digital radiography). Each specim...
Doan R, Cohen N, Harrington J, Veazey K, Juras R, Cothran G, McCue ME, Skow L, Dindot SV.Copy number variants (CNVs) represent a substantial source of genetic variation in mammals. However, the occurrence of CNVs in horses and their subsequent impact on phenotypic variation is unknown. We performed a study to identify CNVs in 16 horses representing 15 distinct breeds (Equus caballus) and an individual gray donkey (Equus asinus) using a whole-exome tiling array and the array comparative genomic hybridization methodology. We identified 2368 CNVs ranging in size from 197 bp to 3.5 Mb. Merging identical CNVs from each animal yielded 775 CNV regions (CNVRs), involving 1707 protein- and...
Wahl K, Adams SB, Moore GE.To assess fetlock joint contamination with tissue debris and hair after arthrocentesis. Methods: Experimental. Methods: Fetlock joint tissues (n = 10 horses). Methods: Soft tissue flaps including the joint capsule were dissected from the dorsal fetlock joints of 7 anesthetized horses leaving an intact proximal base. Needles inserted through the tissue flaps were flushed into tissue cell culture plates and examined for debris. Studies were repeated on excised fetlock tissue preparations after being stored for 5 days. Variables included gauge and type of needle, insertion of spinal needles with ...
Erol E, Locke SJ, Donahoe JK, Mackin MA, Carter CN.The goal of this retrospective study was to have a comprehensive picture of the β-hemolytic streptococci of horses including tissue/organ distributions and susceptibility patterns against specific antimicrobials between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2010. A total of 2,497 β-hemolytic streptococci were isolated from 2,391 cases, of which Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus was the most frequent isolate (72.0%). Other species isolated were Streptococcus dysgalactia subsp. equisimilis (21.3%), Streptococcus equi subsp. equi (5.8%), and unidentified β-hemolytic streptococci (0.9%). As ex...
Bauer N, Nakagawa J, Dunker C, Failing K, Moritz A.The automated laser-based hematology analyzer Sysmex XT-2000iV™ providing a complete blood cell count (CBC) and 5-part differential has been introduced in large veterinary laboratories. The aim of the current study was to determine precision, linearity, and accuracy of the Sysmex analyzer. Reference method for the accuracy study was the laser-based hematology analyzer ADVIA® 2120. For evaluation of accuracy, consecutive fresh blood samples from healthy and diseased cats (n = 216), dogs (n = 314), and horses (n = 174) were included. A low intra-assay coefficient of variation (CV) of approxim...
Malik P, Bálint A, Dán A, Pálfi V.Equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) can be classified into distinct groups by single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in their genomes. Only a few of these can be associated with a special attribute of the virus. Differences in the ORF30 region can determine the neuropathogenic potential, while by substitutions in the ORF68 region several strain groups can be made. In previous studies no connection was found between the neuropathogenic potential and the SNPs in ORF68, but the occurrence of members of distinct groups in different outbreaks can facilitate epidemiological investigations because the geogr...
Terkawi MA, Alhasan H, Ueno A, Ratthanophart J, Luo Y, Cao S, Kamyingkird K, Aboulaila M, Youn-Kyoung G, Nishikawa Y, Yokoyama N, Xuan X, Igarashi I.A recombinant C-terminal antigen derived from Babesia caballi 48-kDa rhoptry protein (rBc48/CT) was made for the development of a serologically diagnostic test. Antiserum raised against the rBc48/CT reacted specifically with the corresponding native protein by Western blotting and the indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT). Next, an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (Bc48/CT-ELISA) and an immunochromatographic test based on the Bc48/CT (Bc48/CT-ICT) were constructed and employed for the detection of an antibody to B. caballi in a variety of equine sera. The results of Bc48/CT-ELISA...
Manso-Díaz G, Taeymans O.A 14-year-old Quarter Horse had chronic facial swelling and a more recent history of progressive bilateral epiphora. Radiographic findings were compatible with exostosis of the nasofrontal suture. Computed tomography (CT) of the head, including CT dacryorhinocystography, confirmed the diagnosis and allowed presurgical planning of resection of the exostosis, which resulted in resolution of the clinical signs.
Dwyer AE.Equine practitioners examine patient eyes on a daily basis. Indications range from inspection of normal anatomy to treatment of traumatized eyes to workups of sight threatening inflammatory or neoplastic ocular conditions. Assessment of equine eyes requires practitioners to take time to create a good "exam room" in the field and administer appropriate restraint, sedation and/or regional anesthesia to facilitate thorough examination. Accurate diagnosis and treatment of equine eye problems requires skill in ocular surface staining and cytology, and basic proficiency in standing surgery. Expertis...
Priest HL, Irby NL, Schlafer DH, Divers TJ, Wagner B, Glaser AL, Chang YF, Smith MC.Borrelia burgdorferi, the etiologic agent of Lyme disease is a tick born spirochetal infection. Clinical signs of Lyme borreliosis are uncommon in horses, but when present they are often vague and nonspecific. In horses, Lyme borreliosis has been implicated in musculoskeletal, neurological, reproductive, and ocular disorders, including uveitis, but definitive diagnosis can be challenging as the causative agent is rarely isolated and serologic tests can be unreliable and do not confirm active disease. Here, we report two cases of equine uveitis associated with B. burgdorferi based on the identi...
Firestone SM, Christley RM, Ward MP, Dhand NK.Equine influenza is a highly contagious and widespread viral respiratory disease of horses and other equid species, characterised by fever and a harsh dry cough. In 2007, in the first reported outbreak in Australia, the virus spread through the horse populations of two states within 4 months. Most of the geographic spread occurred within the first 10 days and was associated with the movement of infected horses prior to the implementation of movement controls. This study applies social network analysis to describe spread of equine influenza between horse premises infected in the early outbreak ...
Dakin SG, Werling D, Hibbert A, Abayasekara DR, Young NJ, Smith RK, Dudhia J.Macrophages (Mφ) orchestrate inflammatory and reparatory processes in injured connective tissues but their role during different phases of tendon healing is not known. We investigated the contribution of different Mφ subsets in an equine model of naturally occurring tendon injury. Post mortem tissues were harvested from normal (uninjured), sub-acute (3-6 weeks post injury) and chronically injured (>3 months post injury) superficial digital flexor tendons. To determine if inflammation was present in injured tendons, Mφ sub-populations were quantified based on surface antigen expression of...
Gutierrez-Nibeyro S, Werpy N, White Ii N.Conventional imaging modalities can diagnose the source of foot pain in most cases, but have limitations in some horses, which can be overcome by using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). However, there are no reports of the MRI appearance and prevalence of foot lesions of a large series of horses with chronic foot lameness. Methods: In the present study, 79 horses with unilateral or bilateral forelimb lameness because of chronic foot pain underwent standing low-field MRI to make a definitive diagnosis. Results: Of the 79 horses, 74 (94%) had alterations in >1 structure in the lame or lamest foo...
Erol E, Sells SF, Williams NM, Kennedy L, Locke SJ, Labeda DP, Donahue JM, Carter CN.Nocardioform placentitis associated with gram positive branching actinomycetes caused a record number of abortions in mares diagnosed by the University of Kentucky Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (UKVDL) affecting the 2011 foal crop (2011 foal crop: the cohort of foals conceived during the 2010 breeding season). The goal of the present study is to make a comprehensive analysis of this outbreak in terms of frequencies of the bacteria causing nocardioform placentitis mediated abortions and to investigate the ages of fetuses, abortion months and breeding times. In the present study, characterist...
Onishi JC, Park JW, Häggblom MM, Fennell MJ, Fugaro MN.A common sequella of chronic laminitis in horses is repeated abscesses with variable lameness and drainage. It is unclear whether the exudate represents the debridement phase of a non-septic inflammatory process involving clearance of laminar tissue damaged during the acute episode of laminitis, or a response to a microbial infection developed by ascent of microbes from the environment to the tissue via the white line. The objective of this study was to evaluate the possibility that an undiagnosed microbial infection in laminar tissue is present in laminar tissue collected from chronically lam...
Greenberg SM, Plummer CE, Brooks DE, Craft SL, Conway JA.An 8-year-old Gypsy Vanner gelding presented to the University of Florida Ophthalmology service for the evaluation of chronic, recurrent corneal ulcers behind the third eyelid of the right eye. On ophthalmic examination, a cluster of aberrant hairs was identified growing along the margin of the third eyelid. This portion of third eyelid was surgically excised, and histopathology identified the haired tissue as a dermoid. Chronic keratitis secondary to a third eyelid dermoid was diagnosed, and excision appeared curative at 6 months post-operative follow-up.
Chiers K, Deschaght P, De Baere T, Dabrowski S, Kotlowski R, De Clercq D, Ducatelle R, Vaneechoutte M.Routine cultivation methods are able to distinguish between isolates of the Mycobacterium avium and the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex. However, molecular tools are needed to further identify the several subspecies in the M. avium complex, especially for the subspecies avium and silvaticum. A rapid technique using HhaI restriction digestion of a 349 bp amplification product of the 85B antigen (α-antigen) gene was used for the identification of M. avium subsp. silvaticum in a three-year-old gelding presenting with caseous, necrotizing, granulomatous lesions. The result was confirmed by seq...
García-Bocanegra I, Cabezón O, Arenas-Montes A, Carbonero A, Dubey JP, Perea A, Almería S.Antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii were determined in serum samples from 616 equids (454 horses, 80 mules and 82 donkeys) in a cross-sectional study of 420 herds in Andalusia (Southern Spain), the region with the highest number of equids in Spain. Antibodies to T. gondii were found in 10.8% horses, 15.0% mules and 25.6% donkeys by using the modified agglutination test (MAT) at a cut-off of 1:25. Herd seroprevalence for horses, mules and donkeys was 14.7% (48/327), 23.9% (11/46) and 34.0% (16/47), respectively, and 75 herds (17.8%) had at least one seropositive animal. Significant differences in T...
Doan R, Cohen ND, Sawyer J, Ghaffari N, Johnson CD, Dindot SV.The catalog of genetic variants in the horse genome originates from a few select animals, the majority originating from the Thoroughbred mare used for the equine genome sequencing project. The purpose of this study was to identify genetic variants, including single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), insertion/deletion polymorphisms (INDELs), and copy number variants (CNVs) in the genome of an individual Quarter Horse mare sequenced by next-generation sequencing. Results: Using massively parallel paired-end sequencing, we generated 59.6 Gb of DNA sequence from a Quarter Horse mare resulting in an...
Short MA, Clark CK, Harvey JW, Wenzlow N, Hawkins IK, Allred DR, Knowles DP, Corn JL, Grause JF, Hennager SG, Kitchen DL, Traub-Dargatz JL.A 7-year-old Quarter Horse gelding was hospitalized in Ocala, Fla, because of lethargy, fever, anorexia, and swelling of distal aspects of the limbs. A tentative diagnosis of equine piroplasmosis (EP) was made on the basis of examination of a blood smear. The case was reported to the Florida State Veterinarian, and infection with Babesia equi was confirmed. The subsequent investigation included quarantine and testing of potentially exposed horses for B equi and Babesia caballi infections, tick surveillance, and owner-agent interviews. Results: 210 horses on 25 premises were tested for infectio...
Ehnen SJ, Divers TJ, Gillette D, Reef VB.Eight adult horses with obstructive nephrolithiasis and/or ureterolithiasis were examined between 1981 and 1987. One horse had bilateral ureteral obstruction at hospital admission; the others had unilateral ureteral obstruction. All horses had similar bilateral renal pathologic findings that were compatible with chronic intermittent or complete obstruction. Horses were referred for evaluation of weight loss, poor performance, and/or decreased appetite. Clinical findings, laboratory results, and/or postmortem findings in all horses supported the diagnosis of chronic renal failure. Age of the 8 ...
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...
