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.
Wobeser BK, Godson DL, Rejmanek D, Dowling P.A protozoal parasite identified as Neospora hughesi was found in inflammatory lesions in the central nervous system of a Canadian-born adult horse presented with neurological signs. This is believed to be the first case of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) caused by Neospora hughesi in a horse outside of the United States. Un parasite protozoaire identifié comme a été trouvé dans les lésions inflammatoires du système nerveux central d’un cheval adulte né au Canada présentant des signes neurologiques. On croit qu’il s’agit du premier cas d’encéphalomyélite protozoai...
Riggs LM, Krunkosky TM, Noschka E, Boozer LA, Moore JN, Robertson TP, Peroni JF.To compare characteristics and enzymatic products of leukocytes detected in the skin and laminar tissues of horses administered black walnut heartwood extract (BWHE) and horses administered purified lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Methods: 25 healthy 5- to 15-year-old horses. Methods: Horses were randomly assigned to receive LPS (20 ng of O55:B5 Escherichia coli endotoxin/kg; n = 5) IV or 6 L of BWHE (10) or water (control group; 10) via nasogastric intubation. Horses were euthanatized 12 hours after treatment or at onset of Obel grade 1 lameness. Laminar tissue samples and skin samples from the mid...
Oliveira Filho JP, Badial PR, Cunha PHJ, Cruz TF, Araújo JP, Divers TJ, Winand NJ, Borges AS.Equine serum or plasma iron concentration drops quickly during inflammation. Accumulation of iron inside macrophages and reduction of the intestinal absorption of this element cause hypoferremia during systemic inflammatory processes. These mechanisms are mediated by hepcidin, a 25 amino acids peptide synthesized mainly in the liver in response to iron stores and inflammation. Hepcidin is an important peptide for systemic iron homeostasis and also has antibacterial and antifungal activities. Hepcidin up-regulation is particularly useful during acute inflammation, especially before adaptive imm...
Stephen J, Harty M, Hollis A, Yeomans J, Corley K.An 11-year-old mare presented 36 hours after foaling with a ruptured bladder. Uroperitoneum was diagnosed on ultrasound and from the creatinine concentration of the peritoneal fluid. Bladder endoscopy demonstrated tissue necrosis and a rent in the dorsocranial aspect of the bladder. Following stabilisation, including abdominal drainage and lavage, the mare was taken to standing surgery. Under continuous sedation and epidural anaesthesia, and after surgical preparation, a Balfour retractor was placed in the vagina. Using sterile lubricant and moderate force, it was possible to insert a hand int...
de la Rebière de Pouyade G, Franck T, Salciccia A, Deby-Dupont G, Grulke S, Heyden LV, Sandersen C, Serteyn D.Equine neutrophil elastase (NE) is a protease released in inflammatory diseases and participating in tissue destruction. To measure NE in horse plasma to assess its role in pathological conditions, we purified elastase from equine neutrophils by a double step chromatography and obtained a pure protein of 27 kDa, 4 kDa smaller than the NE 2A previously purified (Scudamore et al., 1993; Dagleish et al., 1999), which was likely to be NE 2B. We developed an ELISA by using two specific polyclonal antibodies obtained from rabbit and guinea pig. The sandwich complex was detected using a secondary ant...
Carmona JU, Argüelles D, Deulofeu R, Martínez-Puig D, Prades M.The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical and biochemical effects of the administration of oral hyaluronan (Hyal-Joint [HJ]) on young horses with osteochondrosis (OC). Our hypotheses were that HJ administration is safe, would decrease the degree of synovial effusion and the concentration of nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in synovial fluid, and would increase the concentration of hyaluronic acid (HA) in plasma and synovial fluid. Eleven young horses with tarsocrural OC were included in a randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled pilot clinical trial. Six horses rece...
Wennerstrand J, Gómez Alvarez CB, Meulenbelt R, Johnston C, van Weeren PR, Roethlisberger-Holm K, Drevemo S.Back problems are important contributors to poor performance in sport horses. It has been shown that kinematic analysis can differentiate horses with back problems from asymptomatic horses. The underlying mechanism can, however, only be identified in a uniform, experimental setting. Our aim was to determine if induction of back pain in a well-defined site would result in a consistent change in back movement. Back kinematics were recorded at a walk and trot on a treadmill. Unilateral back pain was then induced by injecting lactic acid into the left longissimus dorsi muscle. Additional measureme...
Ramery E, Fievez L, Fraipont A, Bureau F, Lekeux P.The long pentraxin 3 (PTX3) plays an important role in host defence and its over-expression may contribute to airway injury. The aim of the present study was therefore to characterize in more detail PTX3 and its expression in the horses' airway. Six healthy horses and six horses affected by recurrent airway obstruction (R.A.O.) were submitted to a dusty environment challenge. PTX3 DNA and cDNA were cloned and sequenced. PTX3 expression was evaluated by RT-qPCR, Western blotting and immunohistochemistry in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) cells, BALF supernatant and bronchial epithelial cell...
de la Rebière de Pouyade G, Riggs LM, Moore JN, Franck T, Deby-Dupont G, Hurley DJ, Serteyn D.Laminitis is a local manifestation of a systemic inflammatory response that is characterized by neutrophil activation and movement of neutrophils into the laminar tissues. Given the evidence for the involvement of neutrophils in the development of laminitis, we measured concentrations of neutrophil elastase, a serine protease released from the azurophilic granules of neutrophils, in plasma, skin and laminar tissues obtained from control horses and horses given black walnut heartwood extract (BWHE) to induce laminitis. Healthy horses (5-15 years old) were randomly assigned to 4 groups: 3 experi...
Jalim SL, McKinnon AO, Russell TM.A Monteggia fracture is a humero-radial luxation combined with a fracture of the ulna. It is a rare injury, infrequently reported in the horse. This case report describes the surgical repair of such a fracture in a 4-month-old filly.
Gryspeerdt AC, Vandekerckhove AP, Garré B, Barbé F, Van de Walle GR, Nauwynck HJ.Equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV1) replicates in the respiratory tract of horses, after which infected leukocytes transport virus throughout the body, resulting in abortion or nervous system disorders. Two EHV1 strains circulate in the field: neurovirulent and non-neurovirulent. To investigate differences in replication in the upper respiratory tract (URT), an experimental inoculation study in ponies was performed with both strains. Two groups of six ponies, were inoculated intranasally with 10(6.5) TCID(50) of either strain. Clinical signs, nasal shedding and viremia were evaluated. At early time po...
Kelmer G, Catasus CT, Saxton AM, Elliot SB.The feasibility of maintaining indwelling intravenous catheters in the saphenous, cephalic or palmar digital vein of horses for seven days to infuse antimicrobial drugs was investigated in 18 horses. The horses were randomly assigned to six groups according to the vein catheterised and whether they received amikacin or erythromycin. None of the catheters was replaced more than once, and 11 of the 18 catheters remained patent for all seven days. Neither the drug administered nor the vein catheterised significantly affected the survival of the catheter. In all but three cases, complications, inc...
Gaede W, Reckling KF, Schliephake A, Missal D, Hotzel H, Sachse K.At a stud farm of Trakehner horses, all 33 foals of a birth cohort developed conjunctivitis and serous to muco-purulent rhinitis, and 7 older horses showed recurrent signs of conjunctivitis. Examination of nasal and conjunctival swabs by bacterial and cell culture, as well as real-time PCR, ArrayTube microarray analysis and DNA sequencing led to the identification of Chlamydophila (C.) caviae (first description in horses) and Streptococcus (S.) equi subsp. zooepidemicus. We presume a synergistic effect associated with these two agents by hypothesising that primary lesions were set by C. caviae...
Giesecke K, Hamann H, Sieme H, Distl O.Stallion fertility has increasing importance as the artificial insemination is employed in horses more intensely. Molecular genetic markers may be useful tools to evaluate the stallion fertility before breeding. The prolactin receptor gene (PRLR) was chosen as a candidate for stallion fertility because of its influence on testicular and accessory sex gland function. Screening the equine PRLR gene for polymorphisms in Hanoverian stallions revealed two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Association and haplotype analyses were performed in 162 Hanoverian warmblood stallions for these intrage...
Pagger H, Schmidburg I, Peham C, Licka T.This aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that the stiffness of the equine cervical spine depends on the direction of force applied and on spinal position. Muscles and nuchal ligament were removed from the cervical spines of 17 horses that were without a history of cervical or neurological disease. The cervical spines were then flexed/extended dorsoventrally (with the spine straight and with the occiput rotated 30° against T1) and laterolaterally. Mean dorsoventral stiffness was 297 N/m (± 135) in flexion, 1347 N/m (± 2083) in extension, 421 N/m (± 164) in lateral flexion, 279 N/m ...
Lu Z, Chambers TM, Boliar S, Branscum AJ, Sturgill TL, Timoney PJ, Reedy SE, Tudor LR, Dubovi EJ, Vickers ML, Sells S, Balasuriya UB.The objective of this study was to develop and evaluate new TaqMan real-time reverse transcription-PCR (rRT-PCR) assays by the use of the minor groove binding probe to detect a wide range of equine influenza virus (EIV) strains comprising both subtypes of the virus (H3N8 and H7N7). A total of eight rRT-PCR assays were developed, targeting the nucleoprotein (NP), matrix (M), and hemagglutinin (HA) genes of the two EIV subtypes. None of the eight assays cross-reacted with any of the other known equine respiratory viruses. Three rRT-PCR assays (EqFlu NP, M, and HA3) which can detect strains of th...
Craigo JK, Barnes S, Zhang B, Cook SJ, Howe L, Issel CJ, Montelaro RC.Equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV), a lentivirus that infects horses, has been utilized as an animal model for the study of HIV. Furthermore, the disease associated with the equine lentivirus poses a significant challenge to veterinary medicine around the world. As with all lentiviruses, EIAV has been shown to have a high propensity for genomic sequence and antigenic variation, especially in its envelope (Env) proteins. Recent studies have demonstrated Env variation to be a major determinant of vaccine efficacy, emphasizing the importance of defining natural variation among field isolates o...
Voigt A, Saulez MN, Donnellan CM.The medical records of 2 Thoroughbred horses that developed headshaking after blunt trauma to the occipital region are reviewed. The history, signalment, clinical signs, diagnostic methods, diagnosis and treatment were recorded in each case. Both horses displayed headshaking, while one horse repeatedly lifted its upper lip and pawed excessively at the ground. In both horses, diagnostic imaging of the occipital region revealed avulsion fragments of the nuchal crest and a nuchal desmitis in association with hyperfibrinogenaemia. The presence of an avulsion fragment of the nuchal crest with assoc...
Boyle AG, Sweeney CR, Kristula M, Boston R, Smith G.To identify factors associated with an increased likelihood that horses would have a serum Streptococcus equi SeM-specific antibody titer > or = 1:1,600. Methods: Cross-sectional study. Methods: 188 healthy client-owned horses. Methods: A single serum sample from each horse was tested for SeM-specific antibody titer with an ELISA. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with having a titer > or = 1:1,600. Results: Age, breed, and vaccination status were significantly associated with the likelihood of having a titer > or = 1:1,600. The odds of having a ...
Floeck M.Ultrasonography is a helpful diagnostic tool in cattle with urinary tract disorders. It can be used to diagnose pyelonephritis, urolithiasis, hydronephrosis, renal cysts, renal tumors, amyloidosis, cystitis, bladder paralysis, bladder rupture, bladder neoplasms, and, occasionally, nephrosis, glomerulonephritis, and embolic nephritis. This article describes the anatomy, scanning technique, indications, limitations, normal and pathologic sonographic appearance of the bovine urinary tract. References from horses and humans are included, especially when the sonographic findings in these species ma...
Retteg Pauls S, Jottini S, Takai S, Venner M, Wohlsein P.A 3-month-old female trotter foal was euthanized due to severe dyspnoea. Pathomorphologically a chronic granulomatous to necrotizing pneumonia was found and Rhodoccocus (R.) equi was isolated microbiologically. An immunohistological method using a murine monoclonal antibody against a 15-17 kDa antigen of virulent R. equi was established in formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissue sections using various antigen retrieval techniques to optimize the staining results. Microwave treatment was most suitable for the demonstration of bacterial antigen localized predominantly in intralesional macrop...
Ryu SH, Koo HC, Park YK, Kim JM, Jung WK, Davis WC, Park YH, Lee CW.Equine respiratory disease is a common cause of poor performance and training interruptions. The higher incidence rate of infectious upper respiratory disease (IURD) in thoroughbred racehorses at the Seoul Race Park coincided with the frequent stabling season, shorter stabling periods, and younger ages in this study. Incidence rates were also correlated with significantly lower proportions of cells expressing MHC class II-, CD2 antigen-, CD4+- or CD8+-T lymphocyte-, and B lymphocyte in IURD patients compared with healthy control groups in the summer and fall and in 2-and-3-year-old groups. The...
Derksen FJ, Williams KJ, Pannirselvam RR, de Feijter-Rupp H, Steel CM, Robinson NE.Regional veno-occlusive remodelling of pulmonary veins in EIPH-affected horses, suggests that pulmonary veins may be central to pathogenesis. The current study quantified site-specific changes in vein walls, collagen and haemosiderin accumulation, and pleural vascular profiles in the lungs of horses suffering EIPH. Objective: In the caudodorsal lung regions of EIPH-affected horses, there is veno-occlusive remodelling with haemosiderosis, angiogenesis and fibrosis of the interstitium, interlobular septa and pleura. Methods: Morphometric methods were used to analyse the distribution and accumula...
Tamarit A, Gutierrez C, Arroyo R, Jimenez V, Zagalá G, Bosch I, Sirvent J, Alberola J, Alonso I, Caballero C.An outbreak of Trypanosoma evansi infection that occurred in mainland Spain is described. The outbreak occurred on an equine and camel farm to which dromedary camels from an infected area of the Canary Islands had recently been introduced. One of these camels developed clinical signs and T. evansi was discovered in a blood smear examination. The herd was evaluated in order to determine the extent of the disease. The results showed that 76% of the camels, 35% of the donkeys and 2% of the horses were affected. The animals were isolated and treated using Cymelarsan((R)) (0.5mg/kg). After treatmen...
Ramzan PH.Fractures involving the fetlock region are encountered commonly in Thoroughbred racehorses. Condylar fractures of the distal metacarpus/metatarsus and mid-sagittal fractures of the proximal phalanx account for the majority of fetlock injuries during both racing and training and clinical features, management and outcome of these injuries have been well described. Transverse fractures of the distal diaphysis of the third metacarpus, however, are seldom observed and have received little attention in the literature. This paper describes clinical and radiological findings associated with 6 cases en...
Vanderperren K, Martens A, Haers H, Duchateau L, Saunders JH.Arthroscopy of the fetlock joints is a routine surgical procedure in the horse. It is unclear how much of the articular surface of the condyles of the metacarpal (MCIII)/metatarsal (MTIII) bone can be visualised using either the dorsal or palmar/plantar arthroscopic approach. Objective: To investigate which part of the articular surface of the MCIII/MTIII condyles of the fetlock joints can be evaluated arthroscopically using: 1) dorsal approach in combination with flexion; 2) standard palmar/plantar approach; or 3) additional portal at the base of the sesamoid bone with joint extension. Method...
Gilger BC, Brooks DE.This first IEOC symposium met its goals of gathering a group of leading equine ophthalmology clinicians and researchers to identify the challenges of the field. To facilitate collaboration, notes from round-table discussions, including the ideas and plans that were discussed are being complied and will be distributed to the attendees. Development of an IEOC membership organisation and website was discussed and supported by the group in an effort further to advance the science of equine ophthalmology. To present results from the collaborations made at this first IEOC meeting, an IEOC mini-sympo...
Guimarães-Ladeira CV, Palhares MS, Oliveira JS, Ramirez MA, Guedes RM.Proliferative enteropathy, caused by the intracellular bacterium Lawsonia intracellularis, has been described in horses in Australia, the USA, Canada and European countries but has not been reported in Latin America. The prevalence of the disease in horses worldwide is unknown. Objective: To evaluate the presence of subclinical L. intracellularis infection in horses in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Methods: A longitudinal study using serology and PCR for detecting antibodies (IgG) and shedding of L. intracellularis in faecal samples, respectively, was conducted using a total of 223 horses...
Stanley RL, McCue ME, Valberg SJ, Mickelson JR, Mayhew IG, McGowan C, Hahn CN, Patterson-Kane JC, Piercy RJ.A glycogen synthase (GYS1) mutation has been described in horses with histopathological evidence of polysaccharide storage myopathy (PSSM) in the USA. It is unknown whether the same mutation is present in horses from the UK. Objective: To determine whether the GYS1 mutation occurs in UK horses with histopathological evidence of PSSM and exertional rhabdomyolysis. Objective: The R309H GYS1 mutation is present in a variety of UK horse breeds and that the mutation is commonly associated with exertional rhabdomyolysis. Methods: DNA was extracted from 47 muscle or blood samples from UK horses with ...
Murase H, Sakai S, Kusano K, Hobo S, Nambo Y.Zinc is one of the essential microelements involved in the regulation of enzyme activity, as well as metabolism of nucleic acid and proteins. There have been few reports on equine serum zinc concentrations during the training period, and little is known about the relationship between zinc levels and diseases in horses. In this study, we measured serum zinc levels in healthy Thoroughbred racehorses, as well as in other horses, under general disease or training conditions. The reference value for serum zinc levels in Thoroughbred horses was 41-79 μg/dl. There were no differences in serum zinc l...
Johnson CB, Young SS, Taylor PM.The electroencephalogram (EEG) has been used in human clinical anaesthesia as an indicator of cortical activity and as an indicator of the depth of anaesthesia. It would be useful if it provided a reliable indication of the depth of anaesthesia of horses. In this study anaesthesia was induced with thiopentone and maintained with halothane in nine ponies. The end tidal halothane concentration (PE-Hal) was monitored and 20 seconds of EEG were recorded at 0.8 per cent, 1.0 per cent and 1.2 per cent halothane, equivalent to the minimum alveolar concentration (MAC), 1.25 MAC and 1.5 MAC. Each 20 se...
Kendall A, Nyström S, Ekman S, Hultén LM, Lindahl A, Hansson E, Skiöldebrand E.Nerve growth factor (NGF) is a neurotrophin with many functions. In humans, it is involved in inflammation, nerve growth, apoptosis and pain signalling. Increased concentrations of NGF in synovial fluid has been shown in humans and dogs with osteoarthritis. Despite osteoarthritis being a common problem in horses, no studies have previously been published on NGF in the equine joint. The aim of this study was to quantify NGF in equine synovial fluid from healthy joints, acutely inflamed septic joints and joints with structural changes associated with osteoarthritis. A secondary aim was to identi...
Geburek F, Rötting AK, Stadler PM.To assess agreement between ultrasonography (transcutaneous and transrectal) and standing radiography in horses with fractures in the pelvic region and disorders of the coxofemoral joint. Methods: Case series. Methods: Warmblood horses (n=23) and 2 ponies. Methods: Medical records (1999-2008) of equids with pelvic or coxofemoral disorders that had pelvic radiography and ultrasonography were retrieved and results of both techniques compared. Results: Radiography and ultrasonography each identified equal numbers of fractures of the tuber coxa (n=4), ilial shaft (2), ischium (3), femoral neck (2)...
McGorum BC, Scholes S, Milne EM, Eaton SL, Wishart TM, Poxton IR, Moss S, Wernery U, Davey T, Harris JB, Pirie RS.Equine grass sickness (EGS) is of unknown aetiology. Despite some evidence suggesting that it represents a toxico-infection with Clostridium botulinum types C and/or D, the effect of EGS on the functional targets of botulinum neurotoxins, namely the soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment receptor (SNARE) proteins, is unknown. Further, while it is commonly stated that, unlike EGS, equine botulism is not associated with autonomic and enteric neurodegeneration, this has not been definitively assessed. Objective: To determine: 1) whether botulism causes autonomic and enteric neurodeg...
Decloedt A, de Clercq D, Ven S, van der Vekens N, Chiers K, van Loon G.Endomyocardial biopsies could be a valuable tool in equine cardiology for diagnosing myocardial disease, which is probably underdiagnosed in horses because of lack of specific diagnostic measures and limitations of currently available diagnostic methods. Objective: To describe a technique for serial right atrial and right ventricular endomyocardial biopsy in standing horses using a percutaneous approach through the jugular vein. Methods: Prospective study. Methods: Biopsy was performed in 10 healthy standing horses sedated with detomidine, under continuous electrocardiography monitoring. A 10 ...
Fischer B, Clark-Price S.Anesthetizing the neonatal foal presents significant challenges as a result of physiologic differences from the adult equine. This article gives the reader an overview of these differences and the impact they have on anesthetic drug selection, monitoring, and support of the equine neonate. Special emphasis is directed to the sick neonate and appropriate preparation and maintenance of anesthesia in the face of commonly presented disease conditions.
McKelvie J, Foster AP, Cunningham FM, Hamblin AS.Circulating lymphocyte numbers are elevated in horses with the allergic skin disease sweet itch and skin lesions are typified by an infiltrate of eosinophils and mononuclear cells, the latter of which have not been fully characterised. The aim of the present study was to characterise the lymphocyte subpopulations in the circulation and skin of ponies with sweet itch by flow cytometry and a newly developed modified alkaline phosphatase immunohistochemical technique. Sweet itch ponies were found to have significantly greater numbers of circulating CD5+ and CD4+ T-lymphocytes than normal animals....
Salter MM, Seeto WJ, DeWitt BB, Hashimi SA, Schwartz DD, Lipke EA, Wooldridge AA.To isolate and characterize endothelial colony-forming cells (ECFCs; a subtype of endothelial progenitor cells) from peripheral blood samples of horses. Methods: Jugular venous blood samples from 24 adult horses. Methods: Blood samples were cultured in endothelial cell growth medium. Isolated ECFCs were characterized by use of functional assays of fluorescence-labeled acetylated low-density lipoprotein (DiI-Ac-LDL) uptake and vascular tubule formation in vitro. Expression of endothelial (CD34, CD105, vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2, and von Willebrand factor) and hematopoietic (C...
Broux B, De Clercq D, Decloedt A, Van Der Vekens N, Verheyen T, Ven S, Pardon B, van Loon G.The electrocardiographic differentiation between atrial (APDs) and ventricular (VPDs) premature depolarizations is important. P wave prematurity and normal QRS and T wave morphology generally are used as discriminating criteria for APDs. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine whether P, Q, R, S, and T wave amplitude, PQ interval, QRS and P wave duration and P and T wave morphology differ between APDs and sinus beats. To determine the relationship between the RR coupling interval and the change in S wave amplitude between sinus beats and APDs. Methods: Case-control study. From a modi...
Allen KJ, Christley RM, Birchall MA, Franklin SH.There are numerous treatments for correction of dorsal displacement of the soft palate (DDSP). However, the efficacy of these treatments is controversial and there is little consensus on how best to treat this condition. The aims of this study were to systematically review the literature and to assess the evidence on the clinical effects of interventions for dynamic intermittent DDSP. A secondary objective was to assess whether factors relating to study quality affected reported success rates. Twenty-three studies were included, covering a wide number of interventions but also differing widely...
Ahdy AM, Ahmed BM, Elgamal MA, Shaalan M, Farag IM, Mahfouz ER, Darwish HR, Sayed-Ahmed MZ, Shalaby MA, El-Sanousi AA.Equid alphaherpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) is an important virus causing pathological disorders in horses. This highly contagious pathogen causes persistent outbreaks of upper respiratory tract infection, ocular affections, abortion, and neurological disorders with high mortality in Arabian horses in Egypt. The quick and accurate diagnosis is important to broaden our understanding about EHV-1 in the field, and to implicate stronger preventive, and control measures. Sixty-six Arabian horses from Cairo and Giza governorates were sampled from respiratory, abortigenic and neurological outbreaks over a perio...
Afonso AC, Sousa M, Pinto AR, Cotovio M, Simões M, Saavedra MJ.As in human medicine, in veterinary medicine, chronic wounds are often related to polymicrobial infections and the presence of a biofilm, which compromises the effectiveness of therapeutic approaches. In this study, a Lusitano mare presented a 21-day-old chronic wound that was only being treated with an antiseptic. A swab sample was collected, and three isolates of Staphylococcus aureus and one of Pseudomonas aeruginosa were isolated. S. aureus did not show resistance to a panel of antibiotics. However, the P. aeruginosa isolate showed a resistance profile to carbapenems and fluoroquinolones, ...
Deaton CM, Marlin DJ, Smith NC, Harris PA, Roberts CA, Schroter RC, Kelly FJ.To determine the pulmonary epithelial lining fluid (ELF) concentrations and degree of oxidation of ascorbic acid in horses affected by recurrent airway obstruction (RAO) in the presence and absence of neutrophilic airway inflammation. Methods: 6 RAO-affected horses and 8 healthy control horses. Methods: Nonenzymatic antioxidant concentrations were determined in RBC, plasma, and ELF samples of control horses and RAO-affected horses in the presence and absence of airway inflammation. Results: ELF ascorbic acid concentration was decreased in RAO-affected horses with airway inflammation (median, 0...
Clark RK, Galantino-Homer HL.Equine laminitis is a common, painful, debilitating condition of the hoof that is a leading cause of disability in horses, often necessitating euthanasia. The equine hoof represents an extreme evolutionary adaptation of an epidermal structure homologous to the human or murine nail units. Immunohistochemistry is frequently utilized in the study of the pathophysiology of laminitis. The complex, multilayered, extensively interdigitated epidermal-dermal lamellar interface renders precise interpretation of immunofluorescence localization difficult, especially when effective technique and reagents r...
Fjordbakk CT, Arroyo LG, Hewson J.A retrospective study of 63 horses diagnosed with limb cellulitis between 1994 and 2005 was conducted. They all had an acute onset of painful, generalised limb swelling, and a clinical diagnosis of limb cellulitis was made by the attending clinician. None of the horses had more than one limb affected. Hindlimbs were significantly more often affected than the forelimbs (P<0.05). Thoroughbreds were significantly over-represented compared with the general distribution of breeds examined at the hospital. Blunt limb trauma, limb surgery and limb injections were associated with the cellulitis in mos...
Kirisawa R, Toishi Y, Hashimoto H, Tsunoda N.An equine foamy virus (EFV) was isolated for the first time in Japan from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of a broodmare that showed wobbler syndrome after surgery for intestinal volvulus and the isolate was designated as EFVeca_LM. Complete nucleotide sequences of EFVeca_LM were determined. Nucleotide sequence analysis of the long terminal repeat (LTR) region, and genes revealed that EFVeca_LM and the EFV reference strain had 97.2% to 99.1% identities. For a sero-epidemiological survey, indirect immunofluorescent antibody tests were carried out using EFVeca_LM-infected cells as an antige...
Venner M, Schmidbauer S, Drommer W, Deegen E.The aim of the study reported here was to compare complications of lung biopsy in horses and the quality of the lung specimens after biopsy using the manual Tru-Cut biopsy needle (TC) and an automated biopsy needle (ABN). For experiment 1, lung biopsy was performed in 50 horses with one instrument on one side of the thorax, and then with the other instrument on the other side. Postmortem examination was performed in 20 of the 50 horses. Coughing was detected in 10 of 50 horses and epistaxis was observed in 6 of the 50 horses. Endoscopy revealed bleeding into the airways in 16 of 49 horses and ...
Gardner AK, Kelly CS, van Eps AW, Burns TA, Watts MR, Belknap JK.In sepsis models, mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) are reported to incite inflammatory injury to tissues and are purported to be a therapeutic target. Objective: To assess MAPK signalling in lamellae in sepsis-related laminitis (SRL) at different time points after induction of laminitis via carbohydrate overload, and to determine the effect of regional deep hypothermia (RDH) on MAPK signalling. Methods: In vitro study using archived tissue samples. Methods: Lamellar concentrations of MAPKs were assessed in archived lamellar samples from 2 studies: 1) the starch gruel model of SRL with...
Rhoads WS, Barton MH, Parks AH.To characterize clinical findings and compare effects of treatment and outcome for horses treated medically or surgically for impaction of the small colon. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: 84 horses with impaction of the small colon. Methods: Medical records were reviewed for history, physical examination findings, laboratory values, treatment, response to treatment, complications, out-come, and necropsy findings. Results: 47 horses were treated medically and 37 horses were treated surgically. Significant differences between groups were not identified for duration of clinical signs, phys...
Taylor SE, Barakzai SZ, Dixon P.To evaluate the effect ventriculocordectomy (VC) for treatment of recurrent laryngeal neuropathy (RLN) on exercise performance and owner satisfaction in a mixed-breed population of horses. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: Adult horses (n=92) with a history of abnormal respiratory noise and RLN. Methods: Retrospective analysis of horse that had unilateral VC (and contralateral ventriculectomy in 63 horses) for treatment of idiopathic RLN. Owners/trainers completed a questionnaire about complications and outcome at least 1 year after surgery. Performance index was determined using race rec...
Shields E, Seiden-Long I, Massie S, Passante S, Leguillette R.Cardiac troponin-I assays have been validated in horses.'High-sensitivity' cardiac troponin assays are now the standard in human cardiology. Objective: Appropriately validate the'high-sensitivity' cardiac Troponin-T (hscTnT) assay for clinical use in horses, establish reference intervals, determine the biological variation, and demonstrate assay utility in selected clinical cases. Methods: Analytical validation of the Roche hscTnT assay included within- and between-run precision, linear dose response, limit of quantitation (LoQ), stability, and comparison with cTn-I (iSTAT). Reference interval...
Rodríguez-Bertos A, Corchero J, Castaño M, Peña L, Luzón M, Gómez-Bautista M, Meana A.The pathological alterations caused by Anoplocephala perfoliata in the ileocaecal junction of 28 equids slaughtered in an abattoir in Madrid (Central Spain) are described. The lesions were scored in grades based on the intensity of the damage and were related to the tapeworm number observed. The first grade (grade I) of alterations consisted of a slight enteritis associated with focal erosions observed in 43% of parasitized animals with low parasitic burden (1-26 tapeworms). The second grade (grade II) was a focal pseudomembranous enteritis, present in the ileocaecal junctions of 36% infected ...
Durket E, Gillen A, Kottwitz J, Munsterman A.To determine the efficacy of lidocaine at reducing incidence of postoperative reflux (POR) in horses by using quantitative statistical analysis. Methods: Systematic meta-analytical review. Methods: Studies on horses undergoing gastrointestinal surgery for small intestinal lesions, identified by systematic search between 2001 and 2017. Methods: A search with PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, and Google Scholar was performed, followed by secondary searches of veterinary trade journals and bibliographies of relevant articles. The primary outcome measure for this study was the effect of lidocaine th...
Vatistas NJ, Snyder JR, Hildebrand SV, Harmon FA, Woliner MJ, Barry SJ, Nieto J, Henry P, Enos LR, Magliano D, Brown SA, Drake C.To determine the effects of the 21-aminosteroid, U-74389G, on reperfusion of the equine jejunum, using total (TVO) and partial (PVO) vascular occlusion during the ischemic period. Methods: TVO: 16 healthy horses were randomly allotted to 3 groups-4 horses received the vehicle alone, 6 horses received a low dosage (3 mg/kg o body weight), and 6 horses a high dosage (10 mg/kg) of U-7438G. PVO: 10 healthy horses were randomly allotted to 2 groups--5 horses received the vehicle alone, and 5 horses received the low dosage (3 mg/kg) of U-74389G. Methods: TVO was induced for 1 hour followed by 2 hour...
Kumar S, Kumar Y, Malhotra DV, Dhar S, Nichani AK.Serial dilution and single dilution enzyme linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) were standardised and their sensitivity and specificity were compared for serodiagnosis of Babesia equi infection. The antibody titres of 24 donkey sera of known identity were determined separately by serial dilution ELISA using three different B. equi antigens namely whole merozoite (WM), cell membrane (CM) and high speed supernatant (HSS). The ratios of the optical density (OD) of known positive and known negative sera at different serum dilutions were calculated and termed as the positive/negative (P/N) ratio. Th...
White KS, Fuji RN, Valentine BA, Bildfell RJ.Abstract Congenital cutaneous papillomas were identified in five foals. Age at diagnosis ranged from 305 days' gestation to 2 days of age. Breeds were thoroughbred (2), standard-bred (1), warmblood (1) and paint (1). Two were female, one was male and the gender of two cases was not specified. Masses were pedunculated with a roughened, wart-like (verrucous) or a smoother, cauliflower-like surface. Masses occurred as single lesions on the forelimb, lip and face, or as multiple lesions on the trunk. Histological features included relatively uniform epidermal papillary hyperplasia with variable me...
Reed SM, Hegreberg GA, Bayly WM, Brown CM, Paradis MR, Clemmons RM.A severe and progressive neuromuscular disorder accompanied by clinical, electrophysiological, and pathological features resembling human dystrophia myotonica was observed in three foals. This disorder was apparent as early as 1 month of age and involved progressive skeletal muscle dysfunction, initially characterized by proximal muscle hypertrophy and hypertonicity with subsequent muscle stiffness, weakness, and atrophy. Multisystem involvement was manifested in one case by testicular hypoplasia, early cataract formation, and borderline glucose intolerance. Prolonged dimpling of these large r...
Reich P, Falker-Gieske C, Pook T, Tetens J.Genotype imputation is a cost-effective method to generate sequence-level genotypes for a large number of animals. Its application can improve the power of genomic studies, provided that the accuracy of imputation is sufficiently high. The purpose of this study was to develop an optimal strategy for genotype imputation from genotyping array data to sequence level in German warmblood horses, and to investigate the effect of different factors on the accuracy of imputation. Publicly available whole-genome sequence data from 317 horses of 46 breeds was used to conduct the analyses. Results: Depend...
Beltran E, Grundon R, Stewart J, Biggi M, Holloway A, Freeman C.A 16-year old Warmblood gelding presented with a nonhealing corneal ulcer and absent corneal sensation in the left eye. A lesion affecting the maxillary and ophthalmic branches of the left trigeminal nerve was suspected. Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging identified marked thickening of the ophthalmic and maxillary branches of the left trigeminal nerve. The nerve was iso- to hypointense on T1-weighted and T2-weighted images with heterogeneous enhancement. A peripheral nerve sheath tumor was suspected, however granulomatous neuritis was histopathologically confirmed. These inflammatory changes can...
