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.
McAndrews A, Zarucco L, Hopster K, Stefanovski D, Foster D, Driessen B.Maxillary nerve blocks (MNBs) commonly facilitate dental surgeries in standing horses. The goal of this prospective, blinded, cross-over design trial including 15 client-owned horses was to evaluate 3 methods of sensory function testing for confirming a successful MNB. Testing was performed bilaterally before sedation, 5 min after sedation, and 15 and 30 min after MNB with 0.5% bupivacaine and involved a needle prick dorsal to each naris, hemostat clamping of each nostril, and gingival algometry (measuring sensitivity to pain). Responses to stimulation were numerically scored and scores were s...
Berman N, Tirosh-Levy S, Steinman A, Minderigiu A, Blinder E, Leszkowicz Mazuz M. is a tissue cyst forming coccidia, which affects multiple host species worldwide. Equine besnoitiosis is characterized mainly by generalized skin lesions and cysts in the scleral conjunctiva. Recent reports revealed exposure to in equines in Europe and the United States. However, the exposure to spp. in the Israeli equine population was never investigated. The aim of this study was to evaluate the seroprevalence and associated risk factors for besnoitiosis in equids in Israel. A cross-sectional serosurvey was performed using serum samples of apparently healthy horses ( = 347), donkeys ( = 9...
Golombieski L, Bassi das Neves G, Casa MDS, Costa GCS, Miletti LC, Saito ME, Fonteque JH.Campeiro horse is a breed locally adapted to the Santa Catarina plateau region and its main characteristic is the gait, it is known as "Marchador das Araucárias." It is a breed considered in danger of extinction, being fundamental the search for the preservation of this important genetic resource. Surra, caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma evansi, is among the diseases that affect horses. However, there are no data on the prevalence of infection in Campeiro horses. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of T. evansi in Campeiro horses, correlate hematology and serum biochemistry, and id...
Busechian S, Conti MB, Sgorbini M, Conte G, Marchesi MC, Pieramati C, Zappulla F, Vitale V, Rueca F.Equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS) is the most common disease of the stomach in horses and treatment is based on the oral administration of omeprazole for at least 28 days. Aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of two formulations of oral omeprazole-powder paste and gastro-enteric resistant granules-in the treatment of naturally occurring gastric ulcers in racehorses. Thirty-two adult racehorses, aged between 2 and 10 years old, with clinical signs of EGUS were included in this blinded, randomized clinical trial. Two gastroscopies were performed to evaluate gastric lesions in the squ...
de Favare GM, de Almeida Cipriano I, do Carmo TA, Mena MO, Guelpa GJ, do Amarante AFT, de Soutello RVG.The indiscriminate use of drugs to control gastrointestinal helminths in horses can lead to serious consequences for the animals, which represents a growing problem for health, animal welfare and productivity. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the anthelmintic efficacy of ivermectin in naturally infected horses in the western region of the state of São Paulo. From May 2021 to April 2022, 123 naturally infected adult horses in 12 equine breeding farms (7 to 14 animals per farm) were evaluated with the fecal egg count reduction test. The horses had not been treated with anthelminti...
Brown KA, Davidson EJ, Johnson AL, Stefanovski D, Wulster KB, Ortved K.Caudal cervical articular process joint osteoarthritis (CAPJ OA) leads to career-altering clinical signs in the horse. Oblique radiographs and standing cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) facilitate the assessment of this area, however, the variability of interpretation of these images is currently unknown. This retrospective, secondary analysis, methods comparison study investigated interobserver agreement between clinicians and modality in grades of CAPJ OA on lateral and oblique radiographs and CBCT. We hypothesized that agreement between clinicians' grades of CAPJ OA would be lowest for o...
Blangy-Letheule A, Vergnaud A, Dupas T, Rozec B, Lauzier B, Leroux AA.Sepsis is a life-threatening disease defined as an organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to an infection. Early diagnosis and prognosis of sepsis are necessary for specific and timely treatment. However, no predictive biomarkers or therapeutic targets are available yet, mainly due to the lack of a pertinent model. A better understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms associated with sepsis will allow for earlier and more appropriate management. For this purpose, experimental models of sepsis have been set up to decipher the progression and pathophysiology of human seps...
Bernardino PN, Pusterla N, Conrad PA, Packham AE, Tamez-Trevino E, Aleman M, James K, Smith WA.Among the recognized neurologic diseases in horses, equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) has been reported around the world and still presents challenges in diagnosis and treatment. Horses can present with clinical neurologic signs consistent with EPM while testing negative for the two main causative agents, Sarcocystis neurona or Neospora hughesi, and may still be clinically responsive to anti-parasitic drug therapy. This context led to our hypothesis that another protozoal parasite, Toxoplasma gondii, which is known to cause toxoplasmosis in other mammalian species, is a potential pathog...
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 < ...
Bevevino KE, Cohen ND, Gordon SG, Navas de Solis C.A point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) protocol for evaluation of the cardiac and respiratory systems in horses does not exist. Objective: (a) Describe the windows of a POCUS protocol for cardiorespiratory assessment of horses (CRASH); (b) Estimate the number of acoustic windows that can be acquired by a sonographer-in-training; (c) Estimate the time required to complete the protocol for specific groups of horses; (d) Describe the sonographic abnormalities detected in horses presented with cardiovascular, respiratory, or systemic disease. Methods: Twenty-seven healthy horses, 14 horses competing i...
Tyrnenopoulou P, Fthenakis GC.Antibiotic administration is a standard therapeutic practice for the treatment of reproductive disorders of equids. This might lead to undesirable microbial imbalance and could favour the acquisition of antibiotic resistance. Therefore, it is imperative for clinicians to understand patterns of antibiotic resistance when considering and developing treatment regimes. Continued engagement of clinicians with novel alternative approaches to treat reproductive infections would be essential in order to address this rising threat within the One Health perspective. The objectives of the present review ...
Wright AL, Earley ET, Austin C, Arora M.Equine Odontoclastic Tooth Resorption and Hypercementosis (EOTRH) is a common, painful and poorly understood disease. Enamel, dentin and cementum accumulate both essential and toxic trace elements during mineralization. Characterization of the spatial accumulation pattern of trace elements may provide insight into the role that toxic elements play and inform biological processes affecting these hard dental tissues for future research. Laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) was used to map the distribution of multiple trace elements and heavy metals across equin...
Hansen S, Otten ND, Spang-Hanssen L, Bendorff C, Jacobsen S.Studies in people have found neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) concentrations are increased in asthma and can be used to distinguish between asthma subtypes. NGAL has not yet been investigated in equine asthma (EA). Objective: To investigate the ability of NGAL concentrations in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid and serum to distinguish between control horses, horses with mild-moderate EA (MEA) and horses with severe EA (SEA). Methods: Retrospective cross-sectional study. Methods: Details of endoscopic examination including tracheal mucus score (TMS, scale 0-5) and BAL cytolog...
Mahalingam-Dhingra A, Bedenice D, Mazan MR.Hemosiderophages in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) are commonly ascribed to exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH). Little information exists regarding the presence of these cells in horses that perform light or no work and that are referred for respiratory problems. Objective: Evaluate the presence of hemosiderophages in BALF of horses suspected of respiratory disease without history of or risk factors for EIPH and determine predictors of hemosiderophages in BALF in this population. Methods: Observational retrospective cross-sectional study using STROBE (Strengthening the Reporting...
Go YY, Hazard NW, Balasuriya UBR, Chapman AM, Fitton NS, Kenéz Á, Andrews FM.Accurate quantitative analysis of equine insulin in blood samples is critical for assessing hyperinsulinemia in horses. Although there are various laboratory methods for evaluating equine serum insulin, different immunoassays show significant discrepancies between the determined insulin concentrations and are often not comparable. The aim of this study was to evaluate the Immulite® 1000 chemiluminescent immunoassay (CLIA) to establish independent laboratory and assay-specific cut values to provide an accurate diagnosis of hyperinsulinemia in horses. Thus, the analytical and clinical performan...
Yu YY, Xu MS, Liang H, Wang HY, Yu CQ, Liu Q.Despite over 40 years of research on the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) vaccine, we still lack a considerable progress. Equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) is a lentivirus in the Retroviridae family, akin to HIV-1 in genome structure and antigenicity. EIA is an important infectious disease in equids, characterized by anemia, persistent infection, and repeated fevers. The EIAV attenuated vaccine in China is the only lentiviral vaccine used on a large scale. Elucidating the mechanism of waning and induction of protective immunity from this attenuated vaccine strain will provide a ...
Pellegrini F, Buonavoglia A, Omar AH, Diakoudi G, Lucente MS, Odigie AE, Sposato A, Augelli R, Camero M, Decaro N, Elia G, Bányai K, Martella V....Massive sequencing techniques have allowed us to develop straightforward approaches for the whole genome sequencing of viruses, including influenza viruses, generating information that is useful for improving the levels and dimensions of data analysis, even for archival samples. Using the Nanopore platform, we determined the whole genome sequence of an H3N8 equine influenza virus, identified from a 2005 outbreak in Apulia, Italy, whose origin had remained epidemiologically unexplained. The virus was tightly related (>99% at the nucleotide level) in all the genome segments to viruses identif...
Bannai H, Kambayashi Y, Ohta M, Nemoto M, Tsujimura K.To assess the prevalence of equine coronavirus infection in riding horses, virus-neutralizing tests were performed on serum and saliva samples collected at four facilities in Japan. Seropositivity rates ranged from 79.2% to 94.6%, suggesting widespread circulation of the virus in these populations. Antibody prevalence in saliva samples from two facilities that had experienced outbreaks in the previous year (67.6% and 71.4%) was significantly higher than at the other facilities without reported outbreaks (41.7% and 45.2%, P<0.05). The presence of salivary antibodies in a high proportion of h...
Mawhinney I, Bollard A.Detection of Taylorella equigenitalis (CEMO) in the horse uses genital swabs. These swabs traditionally have been put in Amies charcoal transport medium for detection by culture but are also used for PCR. We determined the suitability of swabs without transport medium (Dry swabs) for CEMO PCR compared to swabs in Amies charcoal transport medium. The experiment was a factorial design using swab type and dilution of organism in culture suspensions, done in two parts. Simulated genital swabs were prepared in the laboratory by dipping in pairs into culture suspensions containing T. equigenitalis w...
Rissi DR, Avery AC, Burnett RC.T-cell-rich, large B-cell lymphoma (TCRLBCL) is the most commonly diagnosed type of lymphoma in horses. Here we describe the clinical signs, neuropathology, immunohistochemistry (IHC), and PCR for antigen receptor rearrangement (PARR) analysis results of a TCRLBCL in the brain of an 8-y-old male Quarter Horse that was euthanized after acute anorexia, tremors, head pressing, falling, blindness, incoordination, and seizures. Autopsy revealed a firm, smooth, pale-yellow mass that expanded both lateral ventricles and the adjacent subcortical white matter. Histologically, the mass consisted of a de...
Satué K, Fazio E, Medica P, Miguel L, Gardón JC.In the present review, the authors, based on the multiple functions performed by the liver, analyze the multiple biochemical and hematological changes as an expression of altered liver function in the horse. The liver performs important metabolic functions related to the synthesis, degradation, and excretion of various substances. Modification of these functions can be evaluated and diagnosed by determining serum concentrations of several serum analytes, including enzymes and other endogenous substances. Hepatocellular enzymes, such as sorbitol dehydrogenase-SDH and glutamate dehydrogenase-GLD...
Satué K, Fazio E, Gardón JC, Medica P.The interpretation of the blood count is essential to help the equine clinician in the diagnosis, prognosis, patient management, and control of equine diseases. Hematologic alterations often reflect the condition of the individual or an overall response to a pathological situation. A thorough clinical examination of the patient is essential to correctly interpret the hematological results. The most common abnormalities in the erythrogram are mainly anemia and polycythemia. The frequent causes of anemia in horses are acute and chronic blood loss, hemolytic anemia, and anemia caused by chronic d...
Kellon EM, Gustafson KM.Sodium-Glucose CoTransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, the -flozin group of drugs, which block glucose reuptake in the renal proximal tubule, are being increasingly used off-label to treat horses with refractory hyperinsulinemia. After 2 years of use by animals in our group, a horse on canagliflozin was incidentally noted to be hyperlipemic. We have been following a cohort of equines (n = 20) treated with SGLT2 inhibitors due to refractory hyperinsulinemia. The animals are owned by members of the Equine Cushing's and Insulin Resistance Group and treated by their attending veterinarians. The index ...
Spadari A, Gialletti R, Gandini M, Valle E, Cerullo A, Cavallini D, Bertoletti A, Rinnovati R, Forni G, Scilimati N, Giusto G.The occurrence of colic could be influenced by the characteristics of a population, geographical area, and feeding management. The aim of this study was to report the short-term postoperative complications and survival rates and to identify factors that might affect the outcome of horses that underwent colic surgery in three Italian surgical referral centres. Data of horses subjected to colic surgery in three referral centres (2018-2021) were analysed. Comparisons of the outcomes were performed using a Mann-Whitney or a Chi square test. Areas under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) c...
McCue PM, Matthews PM, Prell MJ, Bellone RR, Allen H.Genetic testing is required for the registration of foals of most equine breeds. Objective: To describe two clinical cases of marked delayed embryonic development or delayed fertilisation in pregnancies generated by embryo transfer. Methods: Case report. Methods: Donor mares were inseminated with semen from one stallion during one oestrous cycle and semen from a different stallion on the subsequent oestrous cycle. Embryo(s) were collected 8 days after ovulation during the second oestrous cycle and transferred into synchronised recipient mares. Genetic testing was performed to determine paren...
Gerber V, Kaiser-Thom S, Oesch S.Equine pastern dermatitis (EPD) is a nonspecific cutaneous reaction pattern on the distal extremities, typically in the palmar/plantar area of the pastern. Although EPD is commonly seen in equine practice and can be a debilitating condition, peer-reviewed original studies on many aspects of this multifactorial syndrome are still scarce. This narrative review aims to give an overview of the clinical presentation (forms of EPD and clinical scores and differential diagnoses), risk factors, and therapeutic approaches. The emphasis is on intrinsic and extrinsic risk factors as most of the original ...
Stoughton WB, Begin S, Outman S, Stryhn H, Yu J, Conboy G, Nielsen MK.Widespread overuse of anthelmintics has produced a growing population of intestinal parasites resistant to control measures. A paradigm shift in equine parasite control is warranted to prevent continued resistance development and maintain equine health. Small strongyles, which are ubiquitous in horses, are currently the most important intestinal parasites of adult horses. Sustainable management programs consider the variation in egg shedding by individual horses, and varied risks associated with age, use, density, climate, and environment. To develop regional recommendations for Prince Edward ...
Donnelly CG, Johnson AL, Reed S, Finno CJ.Cervical vertebral compressive myelopathy (CVCM) and equine neuroaxonal dystrophy/degenerative myeloencephalopathy (eNAD/EDM) are leading causes of spinal ataxia in horses. The conditions can be difficult to differentiate, and there is currently no diagnostic modality that offers a definitive antemortem diagnosis. Objective: Evaluate novel proteomic techniques and machine learning algorithms to predict biomarkers that can aid in the antemortem diagnosis of noninfectious spinal ataxia in horses. Methods: Banked serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from necropsy-confirmed adult eNAD/EDM (...
Menarim BC, Gillis KH, Oliver A, Ngo Y, Werre SR, Barrett SH, Rodgerson DH, Dahlgren LA.Synovitis is a major component of osteoarthritis and is driven primarily by macrophages. Synovial macrophages are crucial for joint homeostasis (M2-like phenotype), but induce inflammation (M1-like) when regulatory functions become overwhelmed. Macrophage phenotypes in synovium from osteoarthritic and healthy joints are poorly characterized; however, comparative knowledge of their phenotypes during health and disease is paramount for developing targeted treatments. This study compared patterns of macrophage activation in healthy and osteoarthritic equine synovium and correlated histology with ...
Zoonoses and public healthJuly 30, 2009
Volume 57, Issue 7-8 476-486 doi: 10.1111/j.1863-2378.2009.01245.x
Monaco F, Lelli R, Teodori L, Pinoni C, Di Gennaro A, Polci A, Calistri P, Savini G.In August 2008, West Nile disease re-emerged in Italy. The infection is affecting the North Eastern regions and, as of November 2008, has caused 33 clinical cases and five fatalities in horses. Until now, no deaths have been reported in birds. Mosquitoes, blood, serum and tissue samples, from horses and birds, within and around the outbreak area, have been collected and tested by various methods both serologically and virologically. West Nile virus strains have been isolated from blood samples of one horse and one donkey and from pools of brain, kidneys, heart and spleen of a pigeon and three ...
Johns IC, Adams EL.This study aimed to identify changing antimicrobial resistance patterns in isolates commonly obtained from equine clinical submissions. Laboratory records from 1999 to 2012 were searched for equine samples from which Escherichia coli or Streptococcus species was isolated. Susceptibility to enrofloxacin, ceftiofur, gentamicin, penicillin G, trimethoprim sulfamethoxazole (TMPS) and tetracyclines was noted. Isolates were divided into those identified between 1999 and 2004 (Early) and between 2007 and 2012 (Late). The proportion of isolates resistant to each antimicrobial and multiple drug-resista...
De Clercq D, van Loon G, Tavernier R, Duchateau L, Deprez P.In humans, atrial fibrillation (AF) induces electrical, contractile, and structural remodeling leading to AF stabilization. Little is known about AF-induced atrial remodeling in horses. Objective: Induced AF produces rapid atrial electrical and contractile remodeling in horses. Methods: Six horses, 5 animals completed the study. Methods: Each horse was instrumented with a pulse generator and pacemaker to maintain AF by burst pacing and to study atrial and ventricular electrophysiology (AF cycle length [AFCL], AF duration, and atrial/ventricular effective refractory period [AERP/VERP] at differ...
Eiler H, Frank N, Andrews FM, Oliver JW, Fecteau KA.To characterize the physiologic response to i.v. bolus injection of glucose and insulin for development of a combined glucose-insulin test (CGIT) in horses. Methods: 6 healthy mares and 1 mare each with pituitary adenoma and urolithiasis. Methods: Horses were given a CGIT (glucose, 150 mg/kg; insulin, 0.1 U/kg); results were compared with a singular i.v. glucose tolerance test (GTT; 150 mg/kg) and a singular i.v. insulin sensitivity test (IST; 0.1 U/kg). Healthy horses were also given a CGIT after receiving xylazine and undergoing stress. Results: Physiologically, the CGIT resulted in a 2-phas...
Carnevale EM, Ginther OJ.The uterine function and reproductive efficiency of 31 nonlactating pony mares were compared for two age groups: young (5 to 7 years, n=9) and old (>/=15 years, n=22). For pregnant mares, differences between age groups were not significant for the diameter of the largest follicle, cross-sectional area of the corpus luteum, growth profile of the embryonic vesicle or embryo mobility characteristics. Uterine contractility scores were lower (P<0.05), day of fixation of the embryonic vesicle was later (P<0.05), and uterine tone tended (P<0.10) to be lower in the old than the young mares...
Lind EO, Kuzmina T, Uggla A, Waller PJ, Höglund J.The objective of the study was to investigate different aspects on the efficacy of three anthelmintics on cyathostomin nematodes of Swedish horses. A faecal egg count reduction (FECR) test was performed on 26 farms. Horses were treated orally with recommended doses of ivermectin, pyrantel pamoate or fenbendazole. Faecal samples were collected on the day of deworming and 7, 14 and 21 days later. No resistance was shown against ivermectin; the FECR was constantly >99%. The effect of pyrantel was assessed as equivocal in 6 farms 14 days after treatment; the mean FECR was 99%. As many as 72% of...
Giles CJ, Urquhart KA, Longstaffe JA.Clinical and laboratory findings are recorded from a series of 15 cases (aged one to 16 years) of sudden-onset chronic diarrhoea with weight loss, progressing in many cases to emaciation and death, associated with the emergence of fourth stage cyathostome (trichoneme) larvae in large numbers through the colonic and caecal mucosae. Apart from a single incident in mid-October, disease only occurred in winter and spring (January to May). Characteristic features included hypoalbuminaemia, increased alpha and beta plasma globulin levels and neutrophilia without left shift. Faecal egg counts were fr...
Pacholewska A, Mach N, Mata X, Vaiman A, Schibler L, Barrey E, Gerber V.MiRNAs regulate multiple genes at the post-transcriptional level and therefore play an important role in many biological processes. It has been suggested that miRNA exported outside the cells contribute to inter-cellular communication. Consequently, circulating miRNAs are of particular interest and are promising biomarkers for many diseases. The number of miRNAs annotated in the horse genome is much lower compared to model organisms like human and mouse. We therefore aimed to identify novel equine miRNAs for tissue types and breed in serum. We analysed 71 small RNA-seq libraries derived from n...
Aleman M, Williams DC, Brosnan RJ, Nieto JE, Pickles KJ, Berger J, Lecouteur RA, Holliday TA, Madigan JE.Idiopathic headshaking (HSK) in horses is a distressing disorder in which the etiology and pathophysiology are unknown. Objective: Differences in sensory function of the trigeminal nerve exist between healthy and affected horses. Methods: Six healthy mature geldings and 6 mature geldings with idiopathic HSK. Methods: Prospective study. Sensory nerve action and somatosensory evoked potentials studies were performed. The stimulus site comprised the gingival mucosa dorsal to the maxillary canine. A pair of recording electrodes was placed along the sensory pathway of the trigeminal complex at the ...
Ribera T, Monreal L, Armengou L, Ríos J, Prades M.Increased synovial fibrinolytic activity (detected by increases in synovial D-Dimer concentrations) has been observed in different joint diseases in humans and adult horses, presumably in order to minimize fibrin deposition within the joint and thus avoid its detrimental effects. Objective: To investigate fibrinolytic pathway activation in joint sepsis in foals by measuring synovial D-Dimer concentrations. Methods: Eighteen septic foals with septic joints, 9 septic foals without septic joints, 9 systemically healthy foals with septic joint, and 3 controls are included. Methods: Prospective obs...
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 ...
Sun Y, Wang C, Wang Y, Zhang T, Ren L, Hu X, Zhang R, Meng Q, Guo Y, Fei J, Li N, Zhao Y.Based on the recently released horse genome, we have characterized the genomic organization of the horse Ig gene loci. The horse IgH locus in genomic scaffold Un0011 contains 40 D(H) segments, 8 J(H) segments and 50 V(H) segments. The Igkappa locus contains only a single C(kappa) gene, 5 J(kappa) segments and a 60 V(kappa) segments, whereas the Iglambda locus contains 7 C(lambda) genes each preceded by a J(lambda) gene segment. A total of 110 V(lambda) segments with the same transcriptional polarity as J(lambda)-C(lambda) were identified upstream of the J(lambda)-C(lambda) cluster. However, 34...
Crothers SL, White SD, Ihrke PJ, Affolter VK.Sporotrichosis is an uncommon to rare cutaneous and subcutaneous mycosis of animals and humans caused by the dimorphic fungus Sporothrix schenckii. Twenty-three mammalian cases of sporotrichosis examined between 1987 and 2007 at the University of California, Davis - Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, were retrospectively evaluated with regard to the historical, clinical, diagnostic and treatment findings. Cats were the most common species affected (n = 14). In addition, sporotrichosis was diagnosed in four dogs, four horses and a donkey. Six of 23 cases were diagnosed with the localized cut...
Hollis AR, Furr MO, Magdesian KG, Axon JE, Ludlow V, Boston RC, Corley KT.Critical illness is associated with hyperglycemia in humans, and a greater degree and duration of hyperglycemia is associated with nonsurvival. Hypoglycemia is also seen in critically ill humans, and is associated with nonsurvival. This might also be true in the critically ill foal. Objective: To investigate the association of blood glucose concentrations with survival, sepsis, and the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS). Methods: Blood glucose concentrations at admission (515 foals) and 24 hours (159 foals), 36 hours (95), 48 hours (82), and 60 hours (45) after admission were analy...
Durand B, Chevalier V, Pouillot R, Labie J, Marendat I, Murgue B, Zeller H, Zientara S.During late summer and autumn 2000, a West Nile fever outbreak in southern France resulted in 76 equine clinical cases; 21 horses died. We report the results of a large serosurvey of all equines within a 10-km radius of laboratory-confirmed cases. Blood samples were obtained from 5,107 equines, distributed in groups of 1 to 91 animals. West Nile virus immunoglobulin (Ig) G antibodies were found in 8.5% of animals (n=432). Forty-two percent of the IgG-positive animals were also IgM positive. Horses living in small groups were more affected than those in large groups. The results suggest that We...
Ireland JL, Wylie CE, Collins SN, Verheyen KL, Newton JR.This study aimed to describe the provision of preventive health care and owner-reported disease prevalence in horses and ponies within Great Britain (GB), and to assess geographical variations in health care provision. A cross-sectional survey was conducted, using a postal questionnaire administered to a random sample of veterinary-registered owners of horses and ponies in GB (n=797). The majority of animals received regular preventive health care: 95.6% had regular hoof care; 71.3% were vaccinated for both influenza and tetanus and median time since last anthelmintic administration was 8.7 we...
Hillyer MH, Taylor FG, French NP.The aim of this study was to estimate the incidence of colic in horses in Thoroughbred training premises in 1997 in the British Isles. The seasonal pattern and outcome of colic episodes were also investigated, together with any association between premises level variables and colic. Data were collected by a postal questionnaire. The results showed a colic incidence density of 7.19/100 horse years (s.e. 0.42) and a cumulative incidence of colic of 5.80% (s.e. 0.30). Premises were grouped according to whether they had more Flat than National Hunt horses (Flat premises) or more National Hunt than...
Brown CM, Timoney PJ.An outbreak of disease, characterized by depression, anorexia, fever, limb oedema and lymphocytopenia, occurred on a farm for thoroughbreds in India in 1990. Twenty-six of the 88 horses on the farm were affected, predominantly adults. Signs were present in affected horses for 7-10 days, and the outbreak lasted 21 days. Seven of the 26 affected horses were tested for exposure to Getah virus using paired serum samples, acute and convalescent. Four of the 7 horses seroconverted to Getah virus, and the other three showed a 4-fold or greater rise in titre. The clinical and laboratory findings were ...
Mullen KR, Yasuda K, Divers TJ, Weese JS.While certainly not a novel concept, faecal microbiota transplant (FMT) has recently garnered renewed interest in veterinary medicine due to its remarkable success in treating recurrent Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) in man. There is a dearth of information on indications and efficacy of FMT for the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders in the horse; however, based on evidence in man and other veterinary species, and anecdotal reports in horses, FMT may be a useful treatment for selected cases of acute and chronic diarrhoea and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in the horse. In the abs...
Perkins NR, Reid SW, Morris RS.To describe and enumerate conditions that interrupted training and racing in a population of Thoroughbred racehorses in New Zealand. Methods: A longitudinal study design was used to collect data on horses training under the care of 20 licensed racehorse trainers from venues in the mid to lower regions of the North Island between October 1997 and July 2000. Incidence rates were reported for first and second occurrences for different categories of musculoskeletal injury (MSI), and first occurrences of upper and lower respiratory tract disease, using training days as time-at-risk. The proportion ...
Beards GM, Brown DW, Green J, Flewett TH.Pleomorphic virus-like particles have been observed by electron microscopy in the faeces of children and adults with diarrhoea. Some of these particles were approximately 100 nm in diameter and had a "fringe" of closely applied peplomers approximately 10 nm long; they closely resembled Berne virus of horses and Breda virus of calves, the two representatives of a newly proposed family called the Toroviridae. In one sample a toroidal nucleoprotein-like structure was observed within the particles. For two samples a buoyant density of 1.14 g/ml was determined by centrifugation through a sucrose de...
Pérez DS, Tapia MO, Soraci AL.Fosfomycin (FOS) is a natural bactericidal broad-spectrum antibiotic which acts on proliferating bacteria by inhibiting cell wall and early murein/peptidoglycan synthesis. Bactericidal activity is evident against Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria and can also act synergistically with other antibiotics. Bacterial resistance to FOS may be natural or acquired. Other properties of this drug include inhibition of bacterial adhesion to epithelial cells, exopolysaccharide biofilm penetration, immunomodulatory effect, phagocytosis promotion and protection against the nephrotoxicity caused by ot...
Quintana AM, Landolt GA, Annis KM, Hussey GS.Our understanding of innate immunity within the equine respiratory tract is limited despite growing evidence for its key role in both the immediate defense and the shaping of downstream adaptive immune responses to respiratory disease. As the first interface to undergo pathogen invasion, the respiratory epithelium is a key player in these early events and our goal was to examine the innate immune characteristics of equine respiratory epithelia and compare them to an in vitro equine respiratory epithelial cell model cultured at the air-fluid interface (AFI). Respiratory epithelial tissues, isol...
Wagner AE.General anesthesia of horses entails considerable risk of morbidity and mortality. A large-scale, multicenter study reported that the death rate from non-colic-related anesthetics was 0.9%, while the perianesthetic mortality rate at a single, busy equine surgical practice was somewhat more favorable, at 0.12%. While any perianesthetic death is devastating, mortality figures alone do not reflect the overall morbidity of equine anesthesia in terms of nonterminal events or injuries related to recovery. In some circumstances, recognition of perianesthetic complications may allow appropriate interv...
Paras KL, George MM, Vidyashankar AN, Kaplan RM.Gastrointestinal nematode parasites are important pathogens of all domesticated livestock species. Fecal egg counts (FEC) are routinely used for evaluating anthelmintic efficacy and for making targeted anthelmintic treatment decisions. Numerous FEC techniques exist and vary in precision and accuracy. These performance characteristics are especially important when performing fecal egg count reduction tests (FECRT). The objective of this study was to compare the accuracy and precision of three commonly used FEC methods and determine if differences existed among livestock species. In this study, ...
Tijms MA, Snijder EJ.Non-structural protein 1 (nsp1), the N-terminal subunit of the replicase polyprotein of the arterivirus Equine arteritis virus (EAV), is essential for viral subgenomic mRNA synthesis, but fully dispensable for genome replication. However, at the molecular level, the role of nsp1 in EAV subgenomic mRNA synthesis is poorly understood. A yeast two-hybrid screen did not reveal interactions between EAV nsp1 and other viral non-structural proteins or the nucleocapsid protein, although both nsp1 and the nucleocapsid protein were found to form homomers. Subsequently, a yeast two-hybrid screen of a HeL...
