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.
Piza AS, Pereira AR, Terreran MT, Mozzer O, Tanuri A, Brandão PE, Richtzenhain LJ.We used a p26 recombinant protein (p26r) from equine infectious-anemia virus (EIAV) expressed in Escherichia coli as antigen to standardize an agar-gel immunodiffusion (AGIDp26r) test and an indirect ELISA (ELISAp26r) for the detection of antibodies against EIAV in 720 equine sera from Brazil. We evaluated the tests's relative diagnostic sensitivities (relSe) and relative diagnostic specificities (relSp) against a commercial AGID kit (Idexx, USA). We used three sera panels: panel A--196 AGID-negative sera from an AIE non-endemic controlled area; panel B--194 AGID-negative sera from an AIE ende...
Borromeo V, Berrini A, Gaggioli D, Secchi C.Heterophile antibodies (HAs) present in serum recognize animal immunoglobulins and are one of the most unpredictable causes of false results in immunoassays. However, no study has yet reported their interference on the diagnostic reliability of immunochemical analyses on horse plasma. Recently, we developed a sandwich ELISA for detection of equine growth hormone (eGH) in plasma. In a pilot study to measure basal eGH levels (blood samples were drawn from 13 horses every 10 min for 1h), we noted one horse with abnormally high eGH (>100 ng/mL). We demonstrate here that this plasma eGH level wa...
Adreani CM, Li ZB, Lehar M, Southwood LL, Habecker PL, Flint PW, Parente EJ.The myosin heavy chain (MHC) composition of a given muscle determines the contractile properties and, therefore, the fiber type distribution of the muscle. MHC isoform expression in the laryngeal muscle is modulated by neural input and function, and it represents the cellular level changes that occur with denervation and reinnervation of skeletal muscle. The objective of this study was to evaluate the pattern of MHC isoform expression in laryngeal muscle harvested from normal cadavers and cadavers with naturally occurring left laryngeal hemiplegia secondary to recurrent laryngeal neuropathy. L...
Hammond A, Bailey SR, Marr CM, Cunningham FM.Platelets contribute to the pathogenesis of human allergic airway disease. The aim of this study was to compare platelet activating factor (PAF)-induced platelet aggregation and thromboxane (Tx) production, plasma Tx and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) in ponies with recurrent airway obstruction (RAO), an hypersensitivity to inhaled antigens, and normal ponies, before and after antigen exposure. Plasma 5-HT was significantly higher in ponies with RAO but was not further increased by antigen challenge. There was no difference between PAF-induced platelet aggregation or Tx production, or in plasma Tx...
Stanley SM, Wee WK, Lim BH, Foo HC.Direct-injection LC-LC hybrid tandem MS methods have been developed for undertaking broad-based screening for acidic drugs in protein-precipitated plasma and neutral doping agents in equine urine. In both analyses, analytes present in the matrix were trapped using a HLB extraction column before being refocused and separated on a Chromolith RP-18e monolithic analytical column using a controlled differential gradient generated by proportional dilution of the first column's eluent with water. Each method has been optimised by the adoption of a mobile phase and gradient that was tailored to enhanc...
Tolleson DR, Teel PD, Stuth JW, Strey OF, Welsh TH, Carstens GE.Anti-tick treatments are often applied concurrent to routine livestock management practices with little regard to actual infestation levels. Prescription treatments against ticks on grazing cattle would be facilitated by non-invasive detection methods. One such method is fecal near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). Four studies utilizing cattle (Bos spp.) and one with horses (Equus caballus) fed varying diets and infested with either Amblyomma americanum, A. maculatum, A. cajennense or Dermacentor albipictus were conducted to determine the ability of fecal NIRS to identify samples from animals wit...
Hobo S, Niwa H, Anzai T.The reactivity of synthesised peptide sets for the M-like proteins SeM and SzPSe with sera from horses infected with Streptococcus equi or Streptococcus zooepidemicus, or control horses, was investigated by an ELISA. Seventeen horses were infected experimentally with S equi or S zooepidemicus, convalescent sera were obtained from 25 horses and control sera were obtained from 1945 horses. The serum antibody responses of individual horses to the peptide sets were highly variable. Some of the peptide sets for SeM reacted strongly with the sera from the horses infected experimentally with S equi, ...
McEwan Jenkinson D, Elder HY, Bovell DL.Sweating has a variety of functions in mammals including pheromone action, excretion of waste products and maintenance of the skin surface ecosystem. In a small number of mammalian species, which includes humans and the Equidae, it also has an important role in thermoregulation. This review is focused specifically on the thermoregulatory role of sweat in Equidae and the causes of sweating failure (anhidrosis). The first part describes the glandular appearance, sweat composition, and output rates; and considers the latest theories on the glandular control and secretory mechanisms. It is conclud...
Mealey RH, Lee JH, Leib SR, Littke MH, McGuire TC.Although CTL are critical for control of lentiviruses, including equine infectious anemia virus, relatively little is known regarding the MHC class I molecules that present important epitopes to equine infectious anemia virus-specific CTL. The equine class I molecule 7-6 is associated with the equine leukocyte Ag (ELA)-A1 haplotype and presents the Env-RW12 and Gag-GW12 CTL epitopes. Some ELA-A1 target cells present both epitopes, whereas others are not recognized by Gag-GW12-specific CTL, suggesting that the ELA-A1 haplotype comprises functionally distinct alleles. The Rev-QW11 CTL epitope is...
Magdesian KG, Fielding CL, Rhodes DM, Ruby RE.To evaluate selected hemodynamic, blood gas, and biochemical responses to mild to moderate acute blood loss in standing, awake horses. Methods: Prospective study. Methods: 7 healthy mares. Methods: Each horse was restrained in standing stocks, and its head was maintained in a neutral position; sedatives and tranquilizers were not administered. During a 1-hour period, blood was collected into collection bags by use of a suction pump. The rate of blood collection was approximately 16 mL/kg/h (7.3 mL/lb/h). Thirty minutes after blood collection, the blood was readministered at the same rate. Cent...
Wolf P, Kamphues J.Nutritional disorders in domestic or pet animals depend not seldom on special situations, for example when different influences coincide concerning keeping, housing and offering of feed or water. These lead suddenly to high-risk situations, that can cause sometimes the death of the animal. The following case report deals with two ponies, that were kept on a so-called "petting zoo" and showed repeatedly colic symptoms (always after a weekend). During surgery in the stomach light yellow balls were found, that can be explained by ingestion of 1.0 to 1.5 kg wheat. This cereals consist--depending o...
Infernuso T, Watts AE, Ducharme NG.Septic epiglottic chondritis with abscessation diagnosed in 2 Thoroughbred racehorses. Infected cartilage removed videoendoscopically followed by systemic antibiotics. The infectious process was successfully controlled, but permanent dorsal displacement of the soft palate (DDSP) with a shortened, deformed epiglottic cartilage developed. Surgery for the DDSP using bilateral partial sternothyroidectomy or laryngeal tie-forward failed. Chondrite septique abcédée de l’épiglotte chez 2 jeunes chevaux de course Thoroughbred. Une chondrite septique abcédée de l’épiglotte a été diagnostiqu...
Lischer CJ, Ringer SK, Schnewlin M, Imboden I, Fürst A, Stöckli M, Auer J.The objective of the present clinical report was to investigate the short- and long-term outcomes of chronic proximal suspensory desmitis (PSD) treated with Extracorporeal Shockwave Treatment (ESWT). Fifty-two horses with chronic PSD in the forelimb (34 cases) or hindlimb (22 cases) were included in the study. Three horses had lesions in both hindlimbs and one in both forelimbs. The origin of the suspensory ligament was treated every three weeks for a total of three treatments using 2000 impulses applied by a focused ESWT device (Equitron) at an energy flux density of 0.15 mJ/ mm2. This treatm...
Scheidegger E, Geissbühlerl U, Doherr MG, Lang J.Bone scintigraphy is a very sensitive diagnostic tool to detect elevated bone metabolism. In cases of fractures and fissure fractures, the radiopharmaceutical uptake in the bone is said to be increased within a few hours after the injury. In this retrospective study, the scintigraphic uptake characteristics at the fracture site of 36 horses with radiographically confirmed fractures or fissure fractures were evaluated. Uptake ratios between the fracture region and adjacent normal bone or soft tissue activity respectively were calculated and compared to different anamnestic and radiographic data...
Ollivier FJ, Kallberg ME, Plummer CE, Barrie KP, O'Reilly S, Taylor DP, Gelatt KN, Brooks DE.The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness and effectiveness of permanent amniotic membrane transplantation as an adjunctive treatment to superficial keratectomy alone or combined with strontium-90 irradiation for treatment of equine corneolimbal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) to decrease corneal scarring and recurrence rate. Methods: The retrospective case study included 11 horses (n = 12 eyes) diagnosed and treated for ocular SCC that involved the limbus and cornea. Nine of those horses (n = 9 eyes) were treated between 2002 and 2006, with superficial lamellar keratectomy alone ...
Blikslager AT, Yin C, Cochran AM, Wooten JG, Pettigrew A, Belknap JK.Recent reports indicate increased amounts of mRNA from inflammation-related genes in the prodromal stage of laminitis. Objective: Cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) undergo distinct patterns of expression in equine laminae in the developmental stage (DEV) and acute clinical stage (LAM) of laminitis. Methods: Horses selected from an outbred population were placed into 1 of 4 groups: DEV (n = 5), CON-3h (control group for DEV, n = 5), LAM (n = 5) and CON-10h (control group for LAM, n = 5). Methods: Laminar and skin samples were obtained from (1) animals either undergoing leuko...
Boneker C, Kuiper H, Drögemüller C, Chowdhary BP, Distl O.The mammalian collagen, type IX, alpha 2 gene (COL9A2) encodes the alpha-2 chain of type IX collagen and is located on horse chromosome 2p16-->p14 harbouring a quantitative trait locus for osteochondrosis. We isolated a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) clone containing the equine COL9A2 gene and determined the complete genomic sequence of this gene. Cloning and characterization of equine COL9A2 revealed that the equine gene consists of 32 exons spanning approximately 15 kb. The COL9A2 transcript encodes a single protein of 688 amino acids. Thirty two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs)...
Wagner ML, Valberg SJ, Ames EG, Bauer MM, Wiseman JA, Penedo MC, Kinde H, Abbitt B, Mickelson JR.Glycogen Branching Enzyme Deficiency (GBED), a fatal condition recently identified in fetuses and neonatal foals of the Quarter Horse and Paint Horse lineages, is caused by a nonsense mutation in codon 34 of the GBE1 gene, which prevents the synthesis of a functional GBE protein and severely disrupts glycogen metabolism. The aims of this project were to determine the mutant GBE1 allele frequency in random samples from the major relevant horse breeds, as well as the frequency with which GBED is associated with abortion and early neonatal death using the tissue archives from veterinary diagnosti...
Luque I, Fernández-Garayzábal JF, Blume V, Maldonado A, Astorga R, Tarradas C.The anti-microbial susceptibility and genetic diversity of 65 strains of Streptococcus equi ssp. zooepidemicus (Sez) isolated from mares presenting clinical signs of endometritis was determined by disk agar diffusion and pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) methods, respectively. Overall, Sez isolates were susceptible to beta-lactams, enrofloxacin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and gentamicin. These anti-microbials could be recommended as empiric anti-microbial therapy in cases of endometritis caused by Sez. Pulsed field gel electrophoresis typing revealed a great genetic diversity (56 diff...
Arroyo LG, Staempfli H, Weese JS.Clostridium difficile is an important cause of diarrhea in horses, causing sporadic and epidemic disease of varying severity. This study evaluated the molecular characteristics of 48 C. difficile isolates recovered from diarrheic horses admitted to a veterinary hospital by using PCR-ribotyping and toxin gene profile. Additionally, feces were tested for the presence of C. difficile toxin A/B via enzyme immunosorbant assay (EIA) in 38 horses. The toxin genes tcdA, tcdB and cdtB were present in 27 (56.25%), 35 (72.91%) and 2 (4.1%) strains, respectively. Eight isolates (16.6%) were A(-)B(+) varia...
Morgan D.Although there is no recognized transmission of human arboviral infections in the UK, concerns about the possible spread of West Nile virus (WNV) have precipitated coordinated activities around both surveillance and response. The Department of Health has chaired a UK WNV task force since the end of 2000. This is a multidisciplinary group of senior representatives from Agencies and Government Departments involved in human and animal health, entomology and academic departments. Activities include surveillance for WNV infections in humans, and in dead birds, mosquitoes and horses. All have been n...
Ibrahim ES, Kinoh M, Matsumura T, Kennedy M, Allen GP, Yamaguchi T, Fukushi H.Equine herpesvirus 1 was isolated from an onager in 1985, a zebra in 1986 and a Thomson's gazelle in 1996 in USA. The genetic relatedness and pathogenicity of these three viruses were investigated based on the nucleotide sequences of the glycoprotein G (gG) gene, experimental infection in hamsters, and comparison with horse isolates. The gG gene sequences of EHV-1 from onager and zebra were identical. The gG gene sequences of the gazelle isolate showed 99.5% identity to those of onager and zebra isolates. The gG gene sequences of EHV-1 isolated from horses were 99.9-100% identical and 98, 98 a...
Art T, Franck T, Lekeux P, de Moffarts B, Couëtil L, Becker M, Kohnen S, Deby-Dupont G, Serteyn D.The aim of this work was to measure the myeloperoxidase (MPO) concentration in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid collected from horses with recurrent airway obstruction (RAO), both in crisis and in remission, as well as from healthy horses. Seven horses with RAO were exposed to moldy hay until the maximum change in pleural pressure was greater than 1.5 kPa. At that point, BAL was performed, and the total cell counts and percentages in the fluid were immediately determined. To measure the MPO concentration in BAL-fluid supernatant, we used a specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with poly...
Acosta-González RI, González-Reyes I, Flores-Gutiérrez GH.A cross-sectional study was conducted to determinate the seroprevalence rate of equine brucellosis in the state of Tamaulipas, Mexico. Serum samples from 420 equines were analyzed with the Rose Bengal test at cell concentrations of 3% (RBT-3%) and 8% (RBT-8%), and positive results were confirmed with the Rivanol test (RT). Risk factors were determined with the prevalence ratio (PR) and the use of variables generated from a questionnaire administered to the animals' owners. Serum from 1 stallion had positive results with both the RBT-8% and the RT, for a seroprevalence rate of 0.238%. Drinking ...
Capobianco G, Cherchi PL, Ambrosini G, Cosmi E, Andrisani A, Dessole S.Alobar holoprosencephaly is a rare and severe brain malformation due to early arrest in brain cleavage and rotation. Methods: We report a congenital anomalous fetus with alobar holoprosencephaly, prenatally diagnosed by two-dimensional (2D) sonography at the 40 weeks of gestation. The mother was affected by gestational diabetes mellitus and was obese (BMI > 30 kg/m(2)). 2D Ultrasound depicted the cerebral malformation, cyclopy, proboscis, cardiac defects (atrial septal defect, hypoplastic left heart, anomalous communication between right ventricle and aorta) and extremities defects. The new...
Claerhoudt S, Bergman EH, Saunders JH.This study describes a detailed computed tomographic reference of the normal equine foot. Ten forefeet of five adult cadavers, without evidence of orthopaedic disease, were used. Computed tomography (CT) was performed on all feet. Two-millimetre thick transverse slices were obtained, and sagittal and dorsal planes were reformatted. The CT images were matched with the corresponding anatomic slices. The phalanges and the distal sesamoid bone showed excellent detail. The extensor and flexor tendons (including their attachments) could be clearly evaluated. The collateral (sesamoidean) ligaments co...
Schrock P, Lüpke M, Seifert H, Borchers L, Staszyk C.In equine dentistry, periodontal diseases are frequently found in aged horses. Excessive strains and stresses within the periodontal ligament (PDL) occurring during the masticatory cycle may be predisposing factors especially in old horses with short, worn teeth. The finite element (FE) analysis is a valuable tool to investigate such strains and stresses in biological materials but a precondition for a realistic and reliable FE analysis is accurate knowledge of material parameters. As no data exist concerning the PDL of equine incisor teeth, this study was undertaken to determine the equine sp...
Chowdhary BP, Bailey E.Analysis of the horse genome is proceeding at a rapid pace. Within a short span of 6-7 years, approximately 1,500 markers have been mapped in horse, of which at least half are genes/ESTs. Health, performance and phenotypic characteristic are of major concern/interest to horse breeders and owners. Current efforts to analyze the equine genome are primarily aimed at developing critical resources (including an advanced gene map) that could readily be used in the near future to i) identify genes and mutations responsible for inherited equine diseases/disorders and to formulate approaches for accura...
Ruppin M, Sullivan S, Condon F, Perkins N, Lee L, Jeffcott LB, Dart AJ. Review 103 cases of presumed tick envenomation in horses. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: Variables, including date of presentation, age, breed, weight, presence of ticks, gait and respiration scores, duration of recumbency, treatment, outcome and complications were recorded. A series of univariable screening tests were performed and used in a multivariable logistic regression model. Results: There were a total of 103 cases affecting 10 breeds, aged between 1 week and 18 years of age. Horses >6 months old and weighing >100 kg had a higher odds of death than those...
Nagy A, Dyson SJ, Murray RM.Increased radiopharmaceutical uptake (IRU) in the palmar processes of the distal phalanx is recognised but its clinical significance has not been established. Objective: To investigate the relationship between radiographic, scintigraphic and MRI findings in the palmar processes of the distal phalanx. Objective: Increased radiopharmaceutical uptake in the palmar processes of the distal phalanx is associated with MRI abnormalities; IRU and MRI abnormalities are over-represented in lame limbs. Methods: Clinical data, radiographic, scintigraphic and MRI findings of 258 horses with unilateral or bi...
Bumgardner MK, Dutta SK, Campbell DL, Myrup AC.Six pony foals, free of detectable serum neutralization (SN) antibody against equine herpesvirus type 1 by the standard virus-neutralization (VN) test, were inoculated with equine herpesvirus type 1. The ponies showed typical clinical signs of respiratory tract disease and developed a transient leukopenia, involving lymphocytes as well as neutrophils. The leukopenia reached its lowest point on postinoculation days (PID) 3 to 5 and then returned to base-line values by PID 8 to 10. On quantitation of lymphocyte subpopulations, T and B lymphocytes were decreased during the onset of leukopenia and...
Kondratjeva J, Julien F, Coutelier C, Humeau L, Moog F, Combarros D, Fourquaux I, Pressanti C, Delverdier M, Moore PF, Cadiergues MC.Cutaneous epitheliotropic T-cell lymphoma is a malignant tumour of the skin already reported in humans, dogs, cats, horses, and other species, but not previously in donkeys. The standard diagnosis is based on clinical, morphological and immunophenotypic data. Differentiation of malignant versus benign proliferation of lymphocytes is crucial; in ambiguous cases T-cell receptor gamma (TRG) molecular clonality should be tested. In the present paper, we report a case of mycosis fungoides diagnosed in a donkey whose diagnosis was based on clinical, histological and immunohistochemical aspects and a...
Sage AM.Almost all equine cardiac diseases may affect the geriatric horse. This article focuses on those cardiac diseases that are most common in the older horse, including degenerative valve disease, aortocardiac fistula, and congestive heart failure. Other cardiac diseases, such as bacterial endocarditis, pericarditis, and arrhythmias, are seen in all age groups of horses and are beyond the scope of this article.
Egri B, Sárközy P, Bánhidy G.From 14 to 17 April 1990 and from 12 to 21 May 1993 a total of 136 Caucasian (Donish, Karabakh, Kabardin, local halfbred) and 26 thoroughbred stud-horses were examined for ectoparasites in studs of Stawropol County, Russia. A total of 4054 botfly larvae were identified from 9700 faecal samples collected during a period of 3-4 days after oral treatment with Eqvalan (MSD), Strongid Plus (Pfizer) and Vermitan Plus (Sanofi-Chinoin). The species distribution was: Gasterophilus intestinalis 84.53%, G. nasalis 10.41%, G. haemorrhoidalis 3.62%, G. inermis 1.41%. Gasterophilus nasalis and G. inermis ha...
Stieler AL, Sanchez LC, Mallicote MF, Martabano BB, Burrow JA, MacKay RJ.The mechanism of hyperthermia, a potentially fatal adverse effect of erythromycin treatment of foals, is unknown. Objective: To determine the cause of erythromycin-associated hyperthermia. It was hypothesised that the normal sweat response of foals is impaired by treatment with erythromycin. Methods: Blinded, crossover study in 10 healthy pony foals. Methods: Foals kept in stalls were given either erythromycin (25 mg/kg bwt orally, 3 times daily) or control for 10 days then turned out for a further 10 days. Quantitative intradermal terbutaline sweat tests were performed on Days 1 (baseline)...
Gardner RB, Nydam DV, Luna JA, Bicalho ML, Matychak MB, Flaminio MJ.Phagocytic activity of neonatal foals has been reported to be similar to that of adult horses, but serum opsonization capacity develops with age and may be further altered when opsonins are consumed during infection. Objective: Phagocytosis, oxidative burst activity, and serum opsonization capacity in neonatal foals admitted to an intensive care unit are reduced in comparison with control foals. Methods: Blood samples were collected from hospitalized neonatal foals and from control foals. Hospitalized foals were characterized as sick or septic on the basis of a sepsis score and received intrav...
Di Francesco A, Donati M, Mattioli L, Naldi M, Salvatore D, Poglayen G, Cevenini R, Baldelli R.We tested 731 sera from apparently healthy light horses against Chlamydophila pneumoniae, by a microimmuno-fluorescence (MIF) test. To verify cross-reactions with other species of chlamvdiae, all sera with an antibody titre > or = 32 to C. pneumoniae were tested against both C. psittaci and C. abortus. Antibodies to C. pneumoniae were detected in 194 out of 731 (26.5%) samples tested, with antibody titres ranging from 32 to 1024. No antibody titre > or = 32 was detected in sera to C. abortus. Only few sera with a high antibody titre to C. pneumoniae reacted weakly with C. psittaci at the dilut...
Mayhew IG, Washbourne JR.The Brainstem Auditory Evoked Potential (BAEP) is a recording of the electrical activity of the brainstem following an acoustic stimulation. Up to seven peaks may be identified within 10 ms, and are labelled I to VII. The first five of these peaks are of most clinical importance, and in normal horses, peaks I, III and V are always present at stimulus intensities of 70-100 dB. Repeated sampling of clinically normal subjects at different stimulus intensities has enabled mean latency values to be determined for the ipsilateral and contralateral peaks I, III and V, and also for the interpeak laten...
Hagler WM, Behlow RF.An outbreak of salivary syndrome in horses in North Carolina was investigated. Rhizoctonia leguminicola was the predominant fungus isolated from toxic red clover hay. The fungus was less prevalent in the hay after 10 months of storage, and the hay had also decreased in biological activity after 10 months. Toxic hay caused extreme salivation, piloerection, respiratory distress, and increased frequency of defecation when fed to guinea pigs, and purified extracts of toxic hay and pure slaframine elicited these same responses when injected intraperitoneally into guinea pigs. The freshly acquired h...
Mendonça MFF, Pimentel LA, Leal PV, Oliveira Filho JC, Caymmi LG, Silva AWO, Jesus RS, Peixoto TC.This study aimed to describe the first reports of outbreaks of hepatogenous photosensitization in cattle, sheep, and horses caused by spontaneous ingestion of Chamaecrista serpens, as well as to reproduce poisoning in sheep experimentally. Eleven photodermatitis outbreaks of unknown cause occurred in cattle, sheep and horses on nine farms in the semiarid region of Bahia, northeastern Brazil, between July 2017 and July 2020. Cutaneous lesions of photosensitization initiated until one week after the animals were introduced in paddocks invaded by the plant at the beginning of the rainy season. Th...
Yazici Z, Albayrak H, Ozan E, Gumusova S.West Nile Virus (WNV) is a mosquito-borne disease that can cause fatal infection in mammals including humans, dogs, horses, birds and reptiles. Although West Nile Virus is an asymptomatic infection, especially it can cause neurologic disorders in humans and horses. The aim of this study was to the investigate virological presence of WNV in horses in the Black Sea Region of Turkey using real time RT-PCR (rRT-PCR). Methods: Totally, 120 horse sera were collected equally from 4 provinces in Middle Black Sea Region of Turkey and investigated for WNV presence by Taqman based rRT-PCR. Results: WNV n...
Langlois B, Blouin C, Chaffaux S.The files for ultrasound diagnosis of gestating mares belonging to the French equine herd recorded for 3 consecutive years were joined with the files for foal birth of these same mares, allowing the statistical analysis of factors of pregnancy loss. For 28 872 positive diagnoses of gestation, 2898 losses were recorded, that is, a global rate of gestation interruption of 9.12%. The etiology of these interruptions is mainly extrinsic: the year and month of insemination, as well as region for climatic reasons. The intrinsic causes that are implicated are breed of the father (heavy breeds except t...
Haussler KK, Behre TH, Hill AE.'Soring' is the term used to describe the application of an irritant to the distal forelimbs of gaited horses with the sole intent of inflicting pain and inducing altered gait, illegally practiced in Tennessee Walking Horses. Objective methods for the detection of limb pain due to this practice are, however, lacking. Objective: To assess whether Tennessee Walking Horses respond to manual pressures<or=10 kg/cm2 and to establish reference mechanical nociceptive thresholds (MNTs) within the pastern region. Methods: In 25 mature Tennessee Walking Horses in which no irritant had been applied, MN...
Hobo S, Niwa H, Oku K.Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) constitutes a potentially valuable diagnostic tool for rapid diagnosis of contagious diseases. In this study, we developed a novel LAMP method (seM-LAMP) to detect the seM gene of Streptococcus equi subsp. equi (S. equi), the causative agent of strangles in equids. The seM-LAMP successfully amplified the target sequence of the seM gene at 63°C within 60 min. The sensitivity of the seM-LAMP was slightly lower than the 2nd reaction of the seM semi-nested PCR. To evaluate the species specificity of the seM-LAMP, we tested 100 S. equi and 189 non-S. e...
Wong DM, Ruby RE, Eatroff A, Yaeger MJ.A newborn foal was presented because it was unresponsive and in cardiopulmonary arrest. Aggressive cardiopulmonary cerebral resuscitation was administered to the foal, which revived the foal; however, acute renal failure developed. Fluid retention and azotemia occurred although the foal was alert and able to suckle. A 6-hour renal replacement therapy session using hemodiafiltration and a continuous renal replacement therapy machine was administered to the foal at 3 days of age which lowered the foal's azotemia and facilitated removal of some of the excess body fluid. Despite therapy, the foal ...
George LW, Divers TJ, Mahaffey EA, Suarez MJ.Ponies given dried red maple (Acer rubrum L.) leaves at a dose of 3.0 gm/kg body weight became ill and died one to five days after administration of the leaves. Two clinical patterns of disease were seen. Ponies given dried leaves collected after September 15 died by 18 hours, while ponies given dried leaves collected before September 15 became ill with a hemolytic syndrome and died by three to five days. Freshly harvested leaves administered immediately after collection did not produce disease in ponies, but when dried, they became toxic and remained so for at least 30 days. Overnight freezin...
Lascola KM, Clark-Price SC, Joslyn SK, Mitchell MA, O'Brien RT, Hartman SK, Kline KH.OBJECTIVE To evaluate use of single manual alveolar recruitment maneuvers (ARMs) to eliminate atelectasis during CT of anesthetized foals. ANIMALS 6 neonatal Standardbred foals. PROCEDURES Thoracic CT was performed on spontaneously breathing anesthetized foals positioned in sternal (n = 3) or dorsal (3) recumbency when foals were 24 to 36 hours old (time 1), 4 days old (time 2), 7 days old (time 3), and 10 days old (time 4). The CT images were collected without ARMs (all times) and during ARMs with an internal airway pressure of 10, 20, and 30 cm HO (times 2 and 3). Quantitative analysis of CT...
Rossi TM, Kavsak PA, Maxie MG, Pearl DL, Pyle WG, Physick-Sheard PW.Accumulating evidence indicates intense exercise can be associated with myocardial damage. Investigating the impact of maximal effort on myocardium and exploring possible association of injury with rhythm disturbance requires a high-sensitivity cardiac troponin assay. The objectives of this study were: (1) to determine the effect of racing on serum cardiac troponin I (cTnI) in Standardbred horses using a high-sensitivity assay; (2) to determine the 99th percentile of cTnI in healthy horses and investigate the effect of demographic variables on cTnI prevailing pre-race in Standardbred horses us...
de Vries A, Taylor PM, Troughton G, Liu B, Fowden AL, Sear JW.This study examined the pharmacokinetics of propofol by infusion in ponies using an analyser for the rapid measurement of propofol concentrations. The analyser (Pelorus 1000; Sphere Medical Ltd., Cambridge, UK) has a measurement cycle of approximately five minutes. Ten Welsh-cross ponies (weighing 135-300 kg) undergoing minor procedures were studied after premedication with acepromazine 0.03 mg/kg and detomidine 0.015 mg/kg. Anaesthesia was induced with ketamine 2 mg/kg and diazepam 0.03 mg/kg, and maintained with an infusion of propofol at an initial rate of 0.16 mg/kg/min for the first thirt...
Kinoshita Y, Takechi M, Uchida-Fujii E, Miyazawa K, Nukada T, Niwa H.Bacterial placentitis in horses commonly results in abortion, premature birth or compromised neonatal foal health. Although mycobacterial infections are generally uncommon in horses, 10 equine abortion cases caused by Mycobacterium avium subsp. hominissuis (MAH) infections occurred between 2018 and 2019 in Japan. They occurred on seven Thoroughbred horse farms in the Hidaka district of Hokkaido, but direct contact among the mares on different farms was not recorded. Most cases were characterized by extensive pathological lesions of the placenta, which are not typical in cases of common pathoge...
Fürer F, Fraefel C, Lechmann J.Equid gammaherpesvirus 2 (EHV-2) and 5 (EHV-5) are widely distributed in the equines. Although their pathogenic potential is not yet fully understood, they appear to play a role in disease patterns like equine multinodular pulmonary fibrosis. In this study, a multiplex real-time PCR (rtPCR) was designed to detect DNA of the glycoprotein H (EHV-2) and E11 gene (EHV-5). Analytical specificity was determined by testing DNA of other herpesviruses by SYBR Green rtPCR and melting curve analysis, as well as Sanger sequencing of positive field samples. Analytical sensitivity was assessed by stand...
Holland RE, Grimes SD, Walker RD, Wilson RA.Hemolytic E. coli strain 807-13, O149:NM:K88(STb+, LT+), was isolated from the feces of a neonatal diarrheic foal. E. coli 807-13 was examined for adhesion to brush border membranes (BBM) from foals, adult horses and pigs, and its pathogenicity was assessed in neonatal foals and pigs. E. coli 807-13 did not adhere to equine BBM but adhered to pig BBM. It did not cause diarrhea nor did it colonize the intestinal epithelium of 3 colostrum-deprived and 3 suckled foals challenged at 24 h of age. Acute ulcerative gastritis and acute suppurative gastritis were observed in 2 colostrum-deprived challe...
Van Cauter R, Serteyn D, Lejeune JP, Rousset A, Caudron I.Osteochondrosis is a developmental orthopedic disease characterized by a defect of enchondral ossification. This pathological condition develops and evolves during growth and is influenced by various factors, in particular genetic and environmental. However, little research has been conducted on the dynamic of this condition in horses after the age of 12 months. The retrospective study presented here investigates changes in osteochondrosis lesions through two standardized radiographic examinations carried out on young Walloon sport horses after one year of age (mean age at first and second exa...
Marais HJ, Page PC.Equine sarcoid has been diagnosed in endangered Cape mountain zebra (Equus zebra zebra) in at least two game reserves in South Africa, with prevalence as high as 53% in Bontebok National Park. Seven Cape mountain zebras with sarcoids were treated with either surgical excision, 5-fluorouracil, allogenous vaccine, or a combination of 5-fluorouracil and allogenous vaccine. One of the two sarcoids on one of the 5-fluorouracil-treated zebras was left untreated. The microscopic features of the tumors evaluated showed either all or most of the typical epidermal and dermal histologic features of equin...
Azarvandi A, Khosravi AR, Shokri H, Talebkhan Garoussi M, Gharahgouzlou F, Vahedi G, Sharifzadeh A.Yeasts are commensal organisms found in the reproductive and gastrointestinal tracts, and on the skin and other mucosa in mammals. Objective: The purpose of this study was to isolate and identify yeast flora in the caudal reproductive tract in healthy female horses. Methods: Longitudinal study. Methods: A total of 453 samples were collected using double-guarded swabs from the vestibule, clitoral fossa and vagina in 151 horses. All samples were cultured on Sabouraud 4% dextrose agar and incubated at 35°C for 7-10 days. Isolates were identified according to their morphological characteristics a...
