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.
Chiavaccini L, Hassel DM.Esophageal obstruction is common in horses and can result in life-threatening complications. Previous studies have described clinical findings in horses with esophageal obstruction, but there are no reports that attempt to make correlations of clinical findings with outcome. Objective: Specific clinical features of horses with esophageal obstruction are associated with increased likelihood of complications. Methods: One hundred and nine horses with esophageal obstruction. Methods: Retrospective cross-sectional study. All clinical records of horses admitted between April 1992 and February 2009 ...
Reilly PT, Dean EK, Orsini JA.The goals of mechanical treatment during the acute phase of laminitis are to preserve the lamellar interface by reducing the forces that are compromising its integrity and to make the horse more comfortable. Early decision making is important in managing acute laminitis. This article helps the practitioner to identify some of the commonly used and accepted methods of protecting the laminitic foot. The materials available and the theories behind their use are also described. The laminitic foot needs to be understood before determining methods for its support. Most treatment options involve shif...
Alford C, Hanson R.To report natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) using laparoscopic and endoscopic instrumentation transvaginally into the mare's abdomen and identify structures visible using this approach. Methods: Descriptive experimental study. Methods: Mares (n=8). Methods: A standing, transvaginal approach was made in the cranial vaginal vault at either the 1 (right; 4 mares) or 11 (left; 4 mares) o'clock position relative to the cervix. The abdomen was visually explored and the viscera evaluated using a 2 m flexible endoscope followed by a 62 cm laparoscope. Incisional healing was monit...
Kharchenko VA, Kuzmina TA.The fourth larval stage (L4) of Coronocyclus labratus (Looss, 1900) Hartwich, 1986, one of the common species of the Cyathostominae found in equids, is identified and described. The larvae found were identified as C. labratus by finding moulting forms possessing characters of both larval and adult stages. The larvae are similar to those of Cylicocyclus leptostomum (Kotlán, 1920) Foster, 1936, Cyathostomum catinatum Looss, 1900 and Cylicostephanus goldi (Boulenger, 1917) Lichtenfels, 1975. The buccal capsule (BC) wall of the L4 of Cylicocyclus leptostomum is thinner than that of Coronocyclus l...
Shahriar F, Moore J.Thymic malignancy is rare in horses. Thymic epithelial tumor was diagnosed in an 18-year-old mare with invasion and metastasis to the pericardium and heart. At necropsy, the cranial thoracic cavity was obliterated by a large mass located in the thymic region and the right atrium was also expanded and effaced by a similar mass. Histologically, the neoplasm was composed of sheets of spindle cells with intraparenchymal Hassall's corpuscles and formation of pseudorosettes around blood vessels compatible with type A thymic epithelial tumor according to World Health Organization classification. The ...
Metz GE, Ocampos GP, Serena MS, Gambaro SE, Nosetto E, Echeverría MG.To perform genetic analysis of the ORF5 of equine arteritis virus (EAV) may provide new insights into the genetic evolution and origin of the Argentinean EAV sequences. Methods: A total of 76 sequences were analyzed by neighbor joining (NJ), maximum parsimony and maximum likelihood algorithms. The analysis of the selective pressures was performed using the Tajima's test. Results: The trees showed similar topologies. Two clades were identified: the first clade was formed by strains isolated mainly from a donkey, whereas the second clade presented four large groups from different geographic regi...
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...
Bailly-Chouriberry L, Noguier F, Manchon L, Piquemal D, Garcia P, Popot MA, Bonnaire Y.Recombinant human erythropoietins (rHuEPOs) are glycoproteins drugs, produced by the pharmaceutical industry to restore production of red blood cells by stimulating human bone marrow for which this pathology has been diagnosed. It is suspected that these molecules are diverted as doping agents in horseracing to enhance oxygen transport and aerobic power in racehorses. Although indirect double-blotting or direct liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) methods have been developed to confirm the presence of rHuEPO in a sample, the short detection time (48 h) is still a problem for doping ...
Ramsay JD, Leib SR, Orfe L, Call DR, Tallmadge RL, Fraser DG, Mealey RH.Development of an accurate and efficient molecular-based equine MHC class I typing method would facilitate the study of T lymphocyte immune responses in horses. Here, a DNA microarray was designed to detect expressed classical MHC class I genes comprising serologically defined equine leukocyte antigen (ELA)-A haplotypes represented in a closed Arabian horse breeding herd. Initially, cloning and sequencing of RT-PCR products were used to identify sequences associated with the ELA-A1, A4, and W11 haplotypes, and one undefined haplotype, in six horses. Subsequently, sequence-specific, conserved (...
Bubeck KA, García-Lopez JM, Jenei TM, Maranda LS.To compare heat generation during insertion, pullout strength, and associated microdamage between a self-tapping positive profile transfixation pin (STTP) and nontapping positive profile transfixation pin (NTTP). Methods: 30 pairs of third metacarpal bones (MC3s) from adult equine cadavers. Methods: One MC3 of each pair was assigned to the STTP group; the other was assigned to the NTTP group. The assigned pin was inserted into the diaphysis in a lateral to medial direction. Bone temperature increase during pilot-hole drilling and pin insertion was recorded at 1 mm from the final thread positio...
Relave F, David F, Leclère M, Alexander K, Hélie P, Meulyzer M, Lavoie JP, Marcoux M.To validate the use of the LigaSure™ Vessel Sealing System (LVSS) to perform thoracoscopic lung tissue biopsies in heaves-affected horses. Methods: Prospective clinical study. Methods: Heaves-affected horses (n=12). Methods: Lung biopsies (n=34) were collected with the LVSS (2-4 biopsies/horse) in horses with and without clinical signs of heaves. Thoracoscope (13th intercostal space [ICS]) and 2 instruments (between the 12-15th ICS) portals were used. Selected clinical and arterial blood gas variables were monitored. Postoperative pneumothorax was evaluated. Depth of thermal injury to the su...
Hilton H, Aleman M, Madigan J, Nieto J.To describe the indications for, complications arising from, and outcome of horses that had standing lateral thoracotomy for pleural or pericardial disease. Methods: Case series. Methods: Horses (n=16). Methods: Medical records (January 1990-December 2008) of sedated standing horses that had lateral thoracotomy were reviewed. Clinical and surgical findings, perioperative and short-term complications were recorded. Long-term (>6 months) outcome was determined through telephone conversations with owners and veterinarians. Results: Mean (±SD) horse age was 6.6±5.3 years (range, 1-15 years). ...
Lopes MA, Salter CE, Vandenplas ML, Berghaus R, Hurley DJ, Moore JN.To investigate whether expression of inflammation-associated genes in leukocytes from horses with gastrointestinal tract (GIT) diseases correlated with the type of disease and outcome. Methods: 10 healthy horses and 50 horses with GIT disease. Methods: A blood sample was collected from each healthy horse or horse with GIT disease (during admission to the hospital). Leukocytes were isolated, diluted to a standard concentration, and frozen until RNA extraction. Expression of 14 genes associated with inflammation was quantified by use of a real-time quantitative reverse transcription PCR assay. R...
Sanz MG, Sellon DC, Potter KA.A 25-year-old Appaloosa gelding was evaluated for chronic weight loss and diarrhea. A clinical diagnosis of protein loosing enteropathy was made and the gelding was euthanized. Histology revealed neoplastic lymphocytes infiltrating the mucosa of the small and large intestine. Immunohistochemistry was positive for CD3, consistent with epitheliotropic T-cell lymphoma. Lymphome T intestinal épithéliotrope primaire comme cause de diarrhée chez un cheval. Un hongre appaloosa âgé de 25 ans a été évalué pour perte de poids et diarrhée chronique. Un diagnostic clinique d’entéropathie avec...
Gutierrez J, Eisenberg RL, Koval NJ, Armstrong ER, Tharappel J, Hughes CG, Tobin T.Pemoline is a central nervous system stimulant that has been used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and narcolepsy in humans; its identification in horses could be considered evidence of attempts to influence performance. Two recent pemoline 'positives' in English racehorses led us to review the chemical relationships between tetramisole, levamisole, aminorex and pemoline. Pemoline is a simple oxidation product of aminorex, which has been shown in the United States and elsewhere to be an equine metabolite of levamisole. Based on the clear structural relationships between aminor...
Evans DL, Kiddell L, Smith CL.Inflammatory airway disease (IAD) is common in racehorses, and is a cause of wastage in the industry. IAD has been diagnosed by measurement of percent neutrophils (N%) in tracheal aspirates (TA). The aim of this study was to investigate whether spirometric indices of pulmonary function were correlated with N% in TAs. Limits to breathing were measured by analyses of relationships between relative times and relative respiratory gas flows during inspiration and expiration in individual breaths recorded after exercise. Horses with higher N% had significantly lower relative gas flows at the same re...
Kabithe E, Hillegas J, Stokol T, Moore J, Wagner B.CD14 is a receptor for the complex of lipopolysaccaride (LPS) and LPS-binding protein. Binding of this complex to CD14 in association with Toll-like receptor 4 provides a major pathway for the initiation of innate immune responses to bacterial pathogens. We used a mammalian expressed extracellular region of equine CD14 (rCD14) derived from an IgG fusion protein to produce monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to CD14. Eight mAbs were tested by flow cytometric analysis of equine leukocytes and by immunoblotting using rCD14 indicating that the mAbs recognized at least three different epitopes on equine C...
Kim I, Cohen ND, Roussel A, Wang N.Gastric emptying studies are of great interest in human and veterinary medical research to evaluate effects of medications or diets for promoting gastrointestinal motility and to examine unintended side-effects of new or existing medications, diets, or procedures. Summarizing gastric emptying data is important to allow easier comparison between treatments or groups of subjects and comparisons of results among studies. The standard method for assessing gastric emptying is by using scintigraphy and summarizing the nonlinear emptying of the radioisotope. A popular model for fitting gastric emptyi...
Camus MS, Krimer PM, Leroy BE, Almy FS.Beta-gamma bridging (β-γ bridging) on serum protein electrophoresis is touted as being virtually pathognomonic for hepatic disease. However, the criteria for β-γ bridging are not defined, and few publications support a relationship between β-γ bridging and liver disease. The goal of this retrospective study was to evaluate the prevalence of hepatic pathology in animals with β-γ bridging. All serum protein electrophoretograms from clinical patients generated at the University of Georgia between 1994 and 2008 were evaluated for the presence of β-γ bridging, defined as (1) an albumin:gl...
Yan W, Faisal SM, Divers T, McDonough SP, Akey B, Chang YF.Little information is available about experimental induction of leptospirosis in horses. Objective: Determine serologic, hematologic responses of horses to Leptospira interrogans serovar Kennewicki infection. Methods: Four adult horses seronegative for leptospirosis. Methods: Experimental and observational study. Horses were challenged with an equine isolate of L. interrogans serovar Kennewicki at 2 different doses and different inoculation sites. After challenge, the horses were monitored for 60 days. Blood, urine, and aqueous humor samples were collected at intervals until euthanasia 60 days...
Liccardi G, Dente B, Restani P, Senna G, Falagiani P, Ballabio C, D'Amato G.In this report we describe un unusual case of exclusive allergic sensitization to furry animals, as a possible study model to speculate about different modalities ofsensitization to allergens of common and less common mammalian species. A 27-year-old woman referred in our Allergological Centre for the occurrence of conjunctival and severe respiratory symptoms after contact with several animals such as cats, dogs, rabbits, horses, cows etc. Patient underwent clinical and anamnestic evaluation including a detailed information on the modality of exposure to different furry animals. Skin-prick-tes...
Vanderstraeten E, Bogaert L, Bravo IG, Martens A.Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) represents the most common malignant tumour of the eye and external genitals in horses. Comparable to humans, papillomaviruses (PV) have been proposed as etiological agents of cancer in horses and recently, Equine papillomavirus type 2 (EcPV2) has been identified in genital SCCs. Hitherto it had never been demonstrated in ocular SCCs. The first goal of this study was to determine the prevalence of EcPV2 DNA in tissue samples from equine genital and ocular SCCs, genital papillomas and penile intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) lesions, using EcPV2-specific PCR. The sec...
Gough MR, Thibaud D, Smith RK.Tiludronate regulates bone remodelling through a decrease of the resorptive process and should therefore ameliorate the remodelling processes active in osteoarthritis of the distal tarsal joints ('bone spavin') and alleviate pain associated with abnormal bone lysis. Objective: To confirm the efficacy of tiludronate, administered as a single infusion at a dose of 1 mg/kg bwt, in the treatment of bone spavin in the horse. Methods: A double blind placebo controlled trial on 108 clinical cases of bone spavin was undertaken. The lameness score of the lamest limb was assessed following distal tarsal...
Vettorato E, Chase-Topping ME, Clutton RE.The recovery quality scoring systems (RQSSs) in current use have not been critically reviewed for reliability. Objective: To examine reliability (reproducibility) of 4 RQSSs when applied to a ranked series. Methods: A DVD incorporating the recordings of 9 horses recovering from general anaesthesia was evaluated by final year students over 5 days. On Day 1, each evaluator ranked recoveries from 1-9 (1 = best). Over the following 4 days, each evaluator scored the same recoveries using 4 different RQSSs (3 of them in common usage and previously published) applied in random order. The scores from ...
Bandarra PM, Pavarini SP, Raymundo DL, Corrêa AM, Pedroso PM, Driemeier D.After ingesting green leaves of T. micrantha, 2 horses showed apathy, locomotor deficit, blindness, recumbency, paddling, coma and death. The main gross findings were scattered haemorrhages, enhanced lobular pattern of the liver, and cerebral oedema. Histological changes included disseminated haemorrhages, massive hepatocellular necrosis, neuronal degeneration, Alzheimer type II astrocytes and cerebral perivascular oedema. Clinicopathological findings which were comparable with those observed in Trema micrantha poisoned ruminants, associated with epidemiological evidence suggested the diagnosi...
de Lorenzi L, Molteni L, Zannotti M, Galli C, Parma P.This report concerns the cytogenetic analysis, using both C-banding and fluorescence in situ hybridisation techniques, of a sterile mare. Results obtained revealed a 2n = 65, XXX condition with no sign of mosaicism. The work supports the suggestion that X trisomy, rare in horse, causes infertility in mares and is not associated to other clearly visible phenotypic features.
Tranchina MM, Scott DW, McDonough SP.Summary A small population of resident T lymphocytes is present in the healthy human and murine epidermis. However, resident epidermal lymphocytes have not been reported in normal skin of the horse. Skin biopsy specimens from the normal skin of 27 horses were examined histologically and immunohistochemically for the presence of lymphocytes, CD3+ cells and BLA.36+ cells in epidermis and adnexal epithelia. All examinations were negative. It appears that lymphocytes occur rarely, if at all, in the epidermis and adnexal epithelia of normal horse skin. Hence, the presence of lymphocytes in these st...
Kristoffersen M, Parkin TD, Singer ER.Catastrophic biaxial proximal sesamoid bone fractures (PSBF) have not yet been described in detail in the UK racing population. Objective: To determine the incidence and relative risk (RR) of PSBF in different types of racing in the UK; and to describe horse-level characteristics and racing histories of horses sustaining these injuries. Methods: Distal limbs were collected from all racehorses suffering catastrophic fractures during racing at all 59 racecourses in the UK, in a prospective study from February 1999 to December 2004. Post mortem investigation identified the anatomical location and...
Thomsen MH, Persson AB, Jensen AT, Sørensen H, Andersen PH.Equine lameness examination is based on subjective visual scoring of lameness. Instrumented objective methods for lameness examinations may be complicated to perform and the equipment is often stationary. Accelerometry has a potential clinical use; however, the reduction and interpretation of equine accelerometric data are not yet routine and the value of accelerometry in equine lameness examination is unclear. Objective: To use accelerometric data to calculate 2 different accelerometric symmetry scores and to evaluate the agreement of these with traditional lameness scores done by experienced...
Kristula MA, Smith BI.Contagious Equine Metritis (CEM), a venereal disease of horses caused by the bacterium Taylorella equigenitalis, was first diagnosed in 1977 and subsequently spread to many nations [Proc 24th AM Assoc Equine Pract (1979) 287]. The disease was confirmed in the United States in 1978 [Proc Am Assoc Equine Pract (1983) 295]. Specific regulatory procedures for this disease have been established in the United States and 37 other countries. From 1999 through 2001, four of 120 imported European stallions tested positive for CEM at a quarantine facility in Darlington, MD, USA. Two stallions were identi...
Watson J, Halpin K, Selleck P, Axell A, Bruce K, Hansson E, Hammond J, Daniels P, Jeggo M.Before 2007, equine influenza had never been diagnosed in Australia. On 22 August 2007, infection was confirmed in horses at Eastern Creek Animal Quarantine Station near Sydney. The virus subsequently isolated (A/equine/Sydney/2888-8/2007) was confirmed by sequence analysis of the haemagglutinin (HA) gene as an H3 virus of the variant American Florida lineage that is now referred to as Clade 1. The HA sequence of the virus was identical to that of a virus isolated from a contemporaneous outbreak in Japan and showed high homology to viruses circulating in North America.
Kerkvliet NI, Wagner SL, Schmotzer WB, Hackett M, Schrader WK, Hultgren B.Investigations into the cause of health problems on a horse-breeding farm led to the discovery of high concentrations (630 to 9,810 mg/kg of bedding) of pentachlorophenol in wood shavings used as bedding for horses over a period of 2 to 4 years. Toxicologic signs in the horses were characteristic of toxic effects associated with exposure of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans. Tissue residue analysis confirmed presence of toxic polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin and dibenzofuran isomers known to be in pentachlorophenol, substantiating the bioavailability of polychlorinated dibenz...
Fitzharris LE, Franklin SH, McConnell AK, Hezzell MJ, Allen KJ.Exercise-induced upper airway collapse (UAC) probably occurs when the stabilising muscles of the upper airway are unable to withstand the dramatic changes in airflow and pressure that occurs during exercise. In racehorses, the mainstay of treatment is surgical intervention. In human athletes, exercise-induced laryngeal obstruction has been treated successfully with inspiratory muscle training (IMT). The aims of this study were: (1) to assess the feasibility of IMT in racehorses; and (2) describe the exercising endoscopy findings pre- and post-IMT in racehorses diagnosed with dynamic UAC. Horse...
French K, Pollitt CC, Pass MA.Experiments were performed to establish the pharmacokinetics of triamcinolone acetonide and the effects of the glucocorticoid on glucose metabolism in horses. The pharmacokinetics after intravenous (i.v.) dosing was best described by a three-compartment open model. There was rapid distribution from the central compartment followed by two phases of elimination. The half-life of the rapid elimination phase was 83.5 min and of the slower phase was 12 h. The term (Vss/Vc)-1was 12.3 indicating extensive distribution into the tissues. Triamcinolone acetonide given i.v. or intramuscularly (i.m. ) ind...
Harrison GD, Duncan ID, Clayton MK.The age of onset of equine recurrent laryngeal neuropathy has not been ascertained, although the clinical condition of left laryngeal hemiplegia ("roaring") has been recognized for centuries. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the laryngeal muscles of draft horse foals for the presence of fiber-type grouping, indicating denervation and reinnervation, and to determine if histological evidence of recurrent laryngeal neuropathy was present. Abductor and adductor laryngeal muscles from the left and right sides were collected immediately after euthanasia from male draft horse foals, six less...
Harvey SP, Minter JM.In this study, the subspecies differentiation of 25 isolates of Burkholderia mallei was attempted based on their ribotype polymorphisms. The isolates were from human and equine infections that occurred at various times around the world. DNA samples from each isolate were digested separately with PstI and EcoRI enzymes and probed with an Escherichia coli-derived 18-mer rDNA sequence to identify diagnostic fragments. Seventeen distinct ribotypes were identified from the combined data obtained with the two restriction enzymes. The results demonstrate the general utility of ribotyping for the subs...
Richards KS, Riley EM, Taylor DH, Morris DL.Protoscoleces of Echinococcus granulosus were subjected to high concentrations of praziquantel (10-1000 micrograms/ml medium or cyst fluid) for a short, 10 min duration in vitro or in situ within cysts. Drug efficacy was then monitored either by in vitro culture in drug-free medium and/or by passage into rodents. The in vitro test of effectiveness suggested that ovine-derived protoscoleces were more sensitive than those of equine origin, and that the in vitro method of treatment was more successful than that performed in situ. However, the subsequent passage of treated protoscoleces, whether i...
Dakin SG, Dyson SJ, Murray RC, Tranquille C.Osseous abnormalities associated with collateral ligament (CL) injury of the distal interphalangeal (DIP) joint have been documented using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) but there is currently limited information about the frequency of osseous pathology associated with CL injury. Objective: To determine the frequency of occurrence of osseous abnormality coexistent with CL injury of the DIP joint and describe the distribution and character of osseous lesions; and to establish if there was an association between osseous abnormality and increased radiopharmaceutical uptake (IRU). Objective: The...
Wilkie DA, Burt JK.Unilateral ocular squamous cell carcinoma in a horse was treated effectively with a combination of repeated radiofrequency hyperthermia and interstitial radiotherapy. These 2 modalities of treatment are synergistic. Interstitial irradiation was achieved, using 198Au implants to deliver a total dose of approximately 5,000 rads/implant over an area of 1 cm2. Radio frequency hyperthermia was repeated 3 times, and radiotherapy was used twice. Treatment resulted in complete regression of the tumor, and ocular complications have not been seen.
Saes IL, Vera JHS, Fachiolli DF, Yamada PH, Dellaqua JVT, Saes RL, Amarante AFT, Soutello RVG.The aim of this study was to determine the time required by different anthelmintic agents to reduce strongyle egg shedding in horses. Fifty horses were divided into five homogenous groups based on faecal egg counts (FECs). Treatment groups received either ivermectin; moxidectin; fenbendazole; piperazine; or no treatment (control group). Faecal examinations were performed 4, 8, 12, 18, 24, 36 and 48h after the anthelmintic treatment. After this period, faecal samples were taken every 24h over the next 12days and finally on alternate days (48-h intervals) for another 14days until the end of the ...
Maxwell LK.Since vaccination may not prevent disease, antiherpetic drugs have been investigated for the therapy of several equine herpesviruses. Drug efficacy has been assessed in horses with disease, but most evidence is in vitro, in other species, or empirical. Oral valacyclovir is most often administered in the therapy of equine herpesvirus type-1 (EHV-1) to protect adult horses from equine herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy, while oral acyclovir is frequently administered for EHV-5 infection in the therapy of equine multinodular pulmonary fibrosis. Other antiherpetic drugs are promising but require furt...
Crump A, Donaldson WL, Miller J, Kydd JH, Allen WR, Antczak DF.Antibodies to fetal major histocompatibility complex (MHC) antigens are routinely detected in the serum of pregnant mares some 2-4 weeks after formation of the endometrial cups at Day 36-38 after ovulation. Several experimental approaches were taken to determine whether paternal MHC antigens are expressed on horse placental tissues. First, absorption of anti-paternal MHC antisera with a large volume of endometrial cup cells removed antibody activity in only 2 of 4 experiments. Second, repeated immunization of horses with endometrial cup tissue recovered from a mare on Day 47 of pregnancy faile...
Masri MD, Alda JL, Dubey JP.Sarcocystis neurona-like schizonts were found in sections of brain and spinal cord of two ataxic horses from Brazil. The diagnosis was supported by staining with anti-Sarcocystis serum in an immunohistochemical test. One of the affected horses was born in Argentina and raised in Brazil, and the other horse was born and raised in Brazil.
Weiland F, Matheka HD, Coggins L, Hatner D.Morphological studies of EIAV reveal knobs on the surface of the particles, conically and tubularly shaped cores, budding particles with dense crescents directly underlying the plasma membrane, and distinct intracytoplasmic structures in infected cells.
Carstanjen B, Jordan P, Lepage OM.The objective of this retrospective clinical study was to evaluate the carbon dioxide laser in the treatment of single and multiple sarcoids in 60 animals (44 horses, 13 donkeys, 2 mules, and 1 pony). Only animals that had been operated on 6 mo or more ago were included. Recurrence, new manifestation rate, and cosmetic outcome were determined. Recurrence was observed in 23 (38%) individuals. Animals with new sarcoid manifestation with or without recurrence of a sarcoid were observed in 35 cases (58%). Cases of scar tissue formation and, rarely, leukotrichia were observed. Animals presented wit...
Salmon SA, Walker RD, Carleton CL, Robinson BE.A gram-variable pleomorphic bacillus was isolated from the reproductive tracts of 4 mares during routine prebreeding soundness examinations. Using a commercial bacterial identification system, these organisms were identified as Streptococcus acidominimus. However, colonial and Gram-staining characteristics did not support this identification. Subsequent testing indicated the organism was similar to Gardnerella vaginalis. Additional growth and biochemical analysis performed in our laboratory and at the Michigan Department of Public Health and by the Center for Disease Control, Atlanta, Georgia,...
Olver CS, Webb TL, Long LJ, Scherman H, Prenni JE.Disease-specific biomarkers hold diagnostic promise in both human and veterinary medicine, but serum biomarkers in low concentrations may be masked by the presence of abundant proteins, mostly albumin and IgG. Methods to deplete albumin and IgG exist, but efficacy of these methods for depleting equine serum of these proteins has not been established. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine if albumin and IgG could be depleted from equine serum using several commercially available kits and procedures. Methods: One-dimensional gel electrophoresis followed by densitometry was used to de...
Foil LD, Klei TR, Miller RI, Church GE, Foil CS, French DD, Smith JN.Seasonal changes in density and spatial distribution of Onchocerca cervicalis microfilariae were studied in ventral-midline skin of 15 infected pony mares in southern Louisiana. Triple running mean analysis of data over a 13-mo period indicated that a distinct pattern exists in total microfilariae population density and in microfilariae occurrence in different levels of the dermis. Microfilariae density reaches peak levels in the spring followed by a 58% decrease in the summer, a 19% increase in the fall, and a decrease to the lowest numbers in the winter. Microfilariae were found in all level...
Yancik SA, McIlwraith CW, Wagner AE, Trotter GW.Creatine kinase (CK) and lactate dehydrogenase (LD) enzyme activities and isoenzymes were determined for synovial fluid, synovial membrane, and articular cartilage from 24 clinically normal equine tarsocrural (tibiotarsal) and femoropatellar joints. All 3 tissues contained LD isoenzymes LD1 to LD5, and CK isoenzymes BB and MM. The CK isoenzyme MB was not found. The similarities in isoenzyme composition of these 3 tissues made differentiation of the source of LD and CK impossible by isoenzyme pattern alone. Reference values for the total enzyme activities of specific joint tissues also had wide...
Dunkel B, Chaney KP, Dallap-Schaer BL, Pellegrini-Masini A, Mair TS, Boston R.Intestinal hyperammonaemia (HA) has been infrequently reported in individual horses; however, there have been no studies describing clinical and laboratory data as well as short- and long-term outcome in a larger number of cases. Objective: To describe clinical and laboratory data and short- and long-term outcome in a large group of horses with intestinal HA. Methods: Multi-centred, retrospective study; case records of horses with HA were reviewed and any horse with a clinical or post mortem diagnosis of intestinal HA was included. Hyperammonaemia was defined as a blood ammonium (NH(4) (+)) co...
Polley L.In an abattoir survey of 383 horses from the four western provinces of Canada and 240 horses from Washington, Montana and North Dakota prevalences of Onchocerca sp of 11.8% and 25.8% respectively have been demonstrated by umbilical skin specimen examinations. The results of this survey are discussed in relation to the parasite's natural history and its clinical significance in western Canada.
Gozalo-Marcilla M, Luna SPL, Gasthuys F, Schauvliege S.To perform a literature review of the thermal and mechanical antinociceptive devices used in pharmacological studies in standing horses published after 2011 (2012-2019). To complete a full literature review about electrical stimulation used for evaluation in similar studies. Methods: PubMed, Google Scholar and Web of Science. Conclusions: A high level of standardization has been reached in antinociceptive studies in standing horses using thermal and mechanical stimuli in most recent years. Commercially available testing devices to deliver thermal, mechanical and electrical stimuli, with observ...
Tozaki T, Swinburne J, Hirota K, Hasegawa T, Ishida N, Tobe T.Genetic maps are extremely important tools for tracing the genes that govern economically significant traits, and microsatellites are a significant component of these. In this study, we isolated 2346 novel horse microsatellites as resources for the construction of high-density horse genetic maps. Of these 2346 markers, 339 (14.5%) horse sequences showed sequence homology to DNA sequences in the human genome, demonstrating that microsatellites as type II markers are valuable resources for developing linkage maps and that they have a potential equal to that of type I markers for developing compa...
Garrett KS.MRI and CT have enhanced our diagnostic abilities for equine lameness beyond what is available using radiography and ultrasonography. This has allowed veterinarians to better prognosticate and treat lameness conditions, improving patient outcomes. This article discusses the basic principles behind MRI and CT, their advantages and disadvantages, the different types of equipment available for clinical use in horses, the typical diagnostic workup prior to pursuing advanced imaging, and common regions where MRI and CT are used clinically. The companion Currents in One Health by Spriet, AJVR, July ...
DeNotta SL, Brooks MB.Horses with clinical signs of unprovoked or excessive hemorrhage should be evaluated for underlying platelet defects or coagulopathies. This article provides an overview of preliminary screening and definitive tests to assess coagulation and identify hemostatic defects in horses, as well as a review of the hemostatic disorders most frequently encountered in clinical practice.
Yeargan MR, Howe DK.Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) is a common neurologic disease of horses that is caused by the apicomplexan pathogen Sarcocystis neurona. To help improve serologic diagnosis of S. neurona infection, we have modified existing enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) based on the immunogenic parasite surface antigens SnSAG2, SnSAG3, and SnSAG4 to make the assays polyvalent, thereby circumventing difficulties associated with parasite antigenic variants and diversity in equine immune responses. Two approaches were utilized to achieve polyvalence: (1) mixtures of the individual recombin...
Anis E, Ilha MRS, Engiles JB, Wilkes RP.Equine infectious disease outbreaks may have profound economic impact, resulting in losses of millions of dollars of revenue as a result of horse loss, quarantine, and cancelled events. Early and accurate diagnosis is essential to limit the spread of infectious diseases. However, laboratory detection of infectious agents, especially the simultaneous detection of multiple agents, can be challenging to the clinician and diagnostic laboratory. Next-generation sequencing (NGS), which allows millions of DNA templates to be sequenced simultaneously in a single reaction, is an ideal technology for co...
