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.
Lv K, Zhang Y, Yang Y, Liu Z, Deng L.Equine piroplasmosis (EP) is a type of blood protozoan disease caused by tick-borne parasites, (), () and . While many studies have been conducted on EP diagnosis, diagnostic methods exhibiting high sensitivity and specificity remain lacking. Therefore, nested PCR (nPCR) and duplex real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR (qPCR) that can simultaneously detect both and causing agents were established and compared. The two techniques were used to analyze 36 horse blood samples for EP. This set of samples was also detected by a multinested PCR (mnPCR) targeting the gene of and the gene of ....
Venturini C, Bowring B, Partridge SR, Ben Zakour NL, Fajardo-Lubian A, Lopez Ayala A, Qin J, Totsika M, van Galen G, Norris J, Iredell J.The global epidemiology of multidrug resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae, a serious threat to both animal and human health, is dominated by the spread of pathogenic clones, each separately evolving via acquisition of transferable antibiotic resistance or niche-specific virulence determinants. In horses, K. pneumoniae infection can lead to severe respiratory illness. Here, we characterized multiple isolates recovered from bronchial aspirates of a mare with pneumonia refractory to antibiotics. First, we used a combination of standard microbiology, bacteriophage cross-susceptibility and antibiotic re...
Xu Y, Zhang X, Peng P, Liu Y, Yu M, Xie L.Equine copivirus (EqCoPV) is a newly discovered parvovirus that infects equines. Currently, it is unclear whether this virus is prevalent in China. In the present study, serum samples were collected from equines in China and were processed for EqCoPV DNA detection by PCR. The results demonstrated that EqCoPV was circulating among the sampled equines, with a low detection rate of 0.94%. The genome sequence of one Chinese EqCoPV strain, UH26, was determined and used for genetic and phylogenetic analysis. The results demonstrated that UH26 has a close genetic relationship to EqCoPV strains from t...
Weis R, Carstensen H, Sattler SM, Buhl R, Hesselkilde EM.During acute myocardial infarction (AMI), the ischemia and necrosis of the infarcted tissue result in local electrophysiological changes, which bring about deviations of the ST segment and T wave. In this case report, the aim was to investigate whether these changes could be detected with a 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) during acute occlusion of the coronary artery in a 15-year-old Standardbred mare (scheduled for euthanasia due to non-cardiac health problems). The left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery was occluded using an angioplasty balloon catheter guided through the carotid art...
da Silva TRO, Gonçalves PNC, Marcus VB, Mucellini CI, Dos Santos IR, Kommers G, Driemeier D, Flores EF, Cargnelutti JF, Flores MM.For approximately one decade, a novel papillomavirus termed Equus caballus papillomavirus-2 (EcPV-2) has been associated with equine penile/preputial papillomas and squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs). It is currently believed that the virus has a carcinogenic activity, being able to induce such neoplastic lesions. After being first described, EcPV-2 has been detected in many countries from North America, Europe, and Asia; however, to date, it has not been reported in Brazil. The aim of this research was to investigate the presence of EcPV-2 in penile/preputial papillomas and SCCs of Brazilian hor...
Sievert M, Schuler G, Büttner K, Wehrend A.The timely diagnosis of abnormalities in the passive transfer of colostral immunoglobulins is important for the health and development of newborn foals. This study investigated three different methods for measuring immunoglobulin G concentration in neonatal foals. Comparison of a commercial SNAP assay, total protein concentration determination, and total globulin calculation by subtracting the albumin fraction from total protein as an indirect parameter was performed on a quantitative ELISA, which served as a reference method. The study included 119 samples from 148 foals between the age of 1 ...
The Lancet. Global healthMay 14, 2022
Volume 10, Issue 6 e862-e872 doi: 10.1016/S2214-109X(22)00117-6
Van Hao N, Loan HT, Yen LM, Kestelyn E, Hong DD, Thuy DB, Nguyen NT, Duong HTH, Thuy TTD, Nhat PTH, Khanh PNQ, Dung NTP, Phu NH, Phong NT, Lieu PT....Intramuscular antitoxin is recommended in tetanus treatment, but there are few data comparing human and equine preparations. Tetanus toxin acts within the CNS, where there is limited penetration of peripherally administered antitoxin; thus, intrathecal antitoxin administration might improve clinical outcomes compared with intramuscular injection. In a 2 × 2 factorial trial, all patients aged 16 years or older with a clinical diagnosis of generalised tetanus admitted to the intensive care unit of the Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, were eligible for study entr...
Lanci A, Mariella J, Ellero N, Faoro A, Peric T, Prandi A, Freccero F, Castagnetti C.Equine fetal hair starts to grow at around 270 days of pregnancy, and hair collected at birth reflects hormones of the last third of pregnancy. The study aimed to evaluate cortisol (CORT) and dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate (DHEA-S) concentrations and their ratio in the trichological matrix of foals and mares in relation to their clinical parameters; the clinical condition of the neonate (study 1); the housing place at parturition (study 2). In study 1, 107 mare-foal pairs were divided into healthy (group H; n = 56) and sick (group S; n = 51) foals, whereas in study 2, group H was divided into ...
Hu Y, Jia Q, Liu J, Sun W, Bao Z, Che C, Wu G, Fan B, Jarhen , Ran D.Equid alphaherpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) is prevalent in China, and causes notable economic damage to the equine industry. However, there is no information regarding the molecular characteristics and pathogenicity of the Chinese strains. Therefore, an EHV-1 strain, named YM2019, was isolated from the lung tissue of an aborted horse fetus in Xinjiang, China, and its genome and pathogenicity were analyzed. The full genome of the isolate was 150,267 base pairs in length, with 56.7% G + C content. Genetic and phylogenetic analysis showed that strain YM2019 (GenBank: MT063054) belonged to the ORF30 N75...
Price D, Barnum S, Mize J, Pusterla N.The purpose of this study was to explore sampling options for a reliable and logistically more feasible protocol during a large EHV-1 outbreak. Seventeen horses with clinical infection as well as nineteen healthy herdmates, all part of an EHM outbreak, were enrolled in the study. Each horse was sampled two-four times at intervals of 2-6 days during the outbreak. All samples were collected using 6'' rayon-tipped swabs. Nasal secretions were used as the diagnostic sample of choice. Additional samples, including swabs from the muzzle/nares, swabs from the front limbs, rectal swabs, swabs of the f...
Boelow H, Krücken J, Thomas E, Mirams G, von Samson-Himmelstjerna G.Due to high prevalence of anthelmintic resistance in equine helminths, selective treatment is increasingly promoted and in some countries a positive infection diagnosis is mandatory before treatment. Selective treatment is typically recommended when the number of worm eggs per gram faeces (epg) exceeds a particular threshold. In the present study we compared the semi-quantitative sedimentation/flotation method with the quantitative methods Mini-FLOTAC and FECPAK in terms of precision, sensitivity, inter-rater reliability and correlation of worm egg counts to improve the choice of optimal diagn...
Boutet BG, Gordon SG, De Solis CN, Lepiz MA, Saunders AB, Wesselowski S.Intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) is a method of obtaining echocardiographic images with a steerable ultrasound catheter placed within the heart via a venous or arterial approach. The objectives of this study were to assess the feasibility of a 5-10 MHz, 8 French, 90 cm ICE catheter to evaluate cardiac structures and function in standing, sedated horses, and describe standard views in this species. Methods: Ten apparently healthy horses weighing 458.1-618.2 kg from a university teaching herd. Methods: Each horse had a physical examination, transthoracic echocardiography, and ICE performe...
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 ...
Nielsen SS, Bicout DJ, Calistri P, Canali E, Drewe JA, Garin-Bastuji B, Gonzales Rojas JL, Gortázar C, Herskin M, Michel V, Miranda Chueca MÁ.... () was identified among the most relevant antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) bacteria in the EU for cattle and horses in previous scientific opinions. Thus, it has been assessed according to the criteria of the Animal Health Law (AHL), in particular criteria of Article 7 on disease profile and impacts, Article 5 on its eligibility to be listed, Annex IV for its categorisation according to disease prevention and control rules as in Article 9, and Article 8 for listing animal species related to the bacterium. The assessment has been performed following a methodology previously published. The outcome...
Nielsen SS, Bicout DJ, Calistri P, Canali E, Drewe JA, Garin-Bastuji B, Gonzales Rojas JL, Gortázar C, Herskin M, Michel V, Miranda Chueca MÁ.... () was identified among the most relevant antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) bacteria in the EU for dogs and cats, horses, swine, poultry, cattle, sheep and goats in previous scientific opinions. Thus, it has been assessed according to the criteria of the Animal Health Law (AHL), in particular criteria of Article 7 on disease profile and impacts, Article 5 on its eligibility to be listed, Annex IV for its categorisation according to disease prevention and control rules as in Article 9 and Article 8 for listing animal species related to the bacterium. The assessment has been performed following a m...
Rahman A, Uzal FA, Hassebroek AM, Carvallo FR.Pneumonia is a significant disease of horses. Although pneumonia has traditionally been studied in racehorses, little information is available for non-racing horses. Non-racing horses that died with pulmonary lesions ( = 156) were available from cases submitted for autopsy from January 2015 to June 2020. Bronchopneumonia (35%), interstitial pneumonia (29%), embolic pneumonia (21%), granulomatous pneumonia (13%), and pleuritis (2%) were observed in the examined horses. Seventy-four horses died or were euthanized because of pulmonary diseases, and 82 horses died or were euthanized because of...
Di Pietro R, Dubuc V, Manguin E, Giroux-Lafond R, Bédard C, Boivin R, Lavoie JP, Vesper SJ, Leclere M.To quantify dectin-1 expression in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), create polyclonal antibodies against equine dectin-1 and localize it in tissues, and quantify fungal exposure in pastured and stabled asthmatic and nonasthmatic horses. Methods: BALF samples from 6 controls and 6 horses with severe asthma. Stored lung and nasal wash samples. Methods: Dectin-1 expression was quantified by quantitative PCR (qPCR). Purified peptide from equine dectin-1 was used to generate polyclonal antibodies and was confirmed with immunological testing. Fungal exposure was quantified in BALF samples by cou...
Dybkjær E, Steffensen KF, Honoré ML, Dinesen MA, Christophersen MT, Pihl TH.Up-to-date and hospital-specific knowledge of prognoses for horses with various forms of colic is essential for helping to guide owners' decisions on costly treatments, and for assessing the continuous development of standards of care in the hospital. This study aimed to determine the short-term survival rates of horses admitted with colic to the University Hospital for Large Animals (UHLA), University of Copenhagen, Denmark, from 2010 to 2018, and to compare these to a previous local study as well as recent, comparable international studies. Short-term survival rates were calculated for horse...
Mashin VV, Sergeev AN, Martynova NN, Oganov MD, Sergeev AA, Kataeva VV, Zagidullin NV.Equine blood plasma/serum and intermediates must be monitored for the presence of live viruses pathogenic in humans during production of equine immunoglobulins. Information concerning low-cost and simple methods for the detection of live horse viruses pathogenic and non-pathogenic to humans was gained using data of modern domestic and foreign literature. These methods are based on cultivation of these viruses on sensitive biosystems. The presented information can be used to set up blood plasma/serum control of horses at different stages of immunoglobulin production, i.e., when taking blood fro...
Intemann S, Reckels B, Schubert D, Wolf P, Kamphues J, Visscher C.The hygienic quality of forage for horses is discussed as a potential health hazard, especially regarding respiratory diseases, colic, and hepatopathies. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the possible relations between microbiological counts, as well as endotoxin levels and disease symptoms. Data from microbiological examination reports were analyzed retrospectively, including the results of sensory examination, microbiological counts, and lipopolysaccharide contents. Sensory analysis gave an indication of deficiencies in microbiological analysis, but both methods did not...
Doerffel A, Reinert A, Böttcher D, Winter K, Brehm W, Gittel C.Complications associated with indwelling intravenous catheters vary from minor to severe. Changes in tissue architecture and vein structure may be detectable prior to clinical alterations. The aim of the study was to characterize and compare changes in a catheterized vein and surrounding tissue by clinical and ultrasonographic examination. Microbiological infestation of catheter specimens was assessed. Methods: In this prospective, observational, clinical study 55 horses with an indwelling intravenous catheter have been included. Subsequent to catheter placement, vein and surrounding tissue we...
Oesch S, Kaiser-Thom S, Vidondo B, Gerber V.Equine pastern dermatitis has a high prevalence in the equine population, especially in draft breeds. This skin condition is difficult to treat, and it is suspected that owners often decide on a treatment without consulting a veterinarian. The objectives of this study were to describe owner-reported clinical signs, severity, and reasons to consult a veterinarian. Moreover, we inquired about preventive measures and treatments, both instituted by owners without previous consultation or prescribed by their veterinarians. A total of 123 horses (owners recruited over social media) were included in ...
Koch DW, Ericksen KA, Easley JT, Hackett ES.To report the clinical outcomes of horses with chronic guttural pouch infection characterized by accumulation of mucopurulent material following transpharyngeal diode laser fenestration. 13 client-owned horses. Horses undergoing diode laser fenestration for chronic guttural pouch infection were identified by medical record search. Signalment, disease history, presence of mucopurulent empyema or chondroids, and pre- and postoperative therapy were recorded. Owners were contacted for follow-up information at a minimum of 6 months following surgery. 13 horses underwent laser fenestration for chron...
Wrangberg T, Kendall A. Proper identification of healthy subjects is essential in case-control studies. However, standardized definitions of healthy controls are lacking in equine orthopaedic research. Objective: The aim of this study was to define the non-invasive methods used for selecting healthy control horses in osteoarthritis (OA), desmitis and tendinitis research. Methods: Systematic review. Case-control studies with a healthy control group and longitudinal studies where horses had to be healthy at the start were included. Studies where joints were visualized by arthroscopy or post-mortem examination ...
Soza-Ossandón P, Rivera D, Allel K, González-Rocha G, Quezada-Aguiluz M, San Martin I, García P, Moreno-Switt AI.Healthcare-associated infections caused by Staphylococcus, particularly Staphylococcus aureus, represent a high risk for human and animal health. Staphylococcus can be easily transmitted through direct contact with individual carriers or fomites, such as medical and non-medical equipment. The risk increases if S. aureus strains carry antibiotic resistance genes and show a phenotypic multidrug resistance behavior. The aim of the study was to identify and characterize methicillin resistant coagulase-positive staphylococci (MRSA) and coagulase-negative staphylococci (MRCoNS) in equine patients an...
Thieulent CJ, Sutton G, Toquet MP, Fremaux S, Hue E, Fortier C, Pléau A, Deslis A, Abrioux S, Guitton E, Pronost S, Paillot R.Equid alphaherpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) is one of the main pathogens in horses, responsible for respiratory diseases, ocular diseases, abortions, neonatal foal death and neurological complications such as equine herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy (EHM). Current vaccines reduce the excretion and dissemination of the virus and, therefore, the extent of an epizooty. While their efficacy against EHV-1-induced abortion in pregnant mares and the decreased occurrence of an abortion storm in the field have been reported, their potential efficacy against the neurological form of disease remains undocumented. No ...
Da Silva-Álvarez E, Gómez-Arrones V, Martín-Cano FE, Gaitskell-Phillips G, Ortiz-Rodríguez JM, Carrasco JJ, Gil MC, Peña Vega FJ....In this study, uterine blood flow area (BFA) has been evaluated for the first time using power Doppler ultrasound (PD) as a marker of endometritis in mares and jennies. The uterine BFA in healthy mares was greater in oestrus than in diestrus (p < .001). However, differences in endometrial blood flow between oestrus and diestrus were not observed in mares with endometritis. The uterine blood flow in healthy jennies is not affected by the oestrus cycle. Both species showed an increase in endometrial BFA in pathological uterine conditions compared to controls. BFA was a good marker of endome...
Narváez SÁ, Fernández I, Patel NV, Sánchez S. is an important veterinary pathogen that takes the lives of many foals every year. With the emergence and spread of MDR to current antimicrobial treatment, new tools that can provide a fast and accurate diagnosis of the disease and antimicrobial resistance profile are needed. Here, we have developed and analytically validated a multiplex qPCR for the simultaneous detection of and related macrolide resistance genes in equine respiratory samples. The three sets of oligos designed in this study to identify housekeeping gene and macrolide resistance genes (46) and (51) showed high analytic se...
Landolt GA.For decades the horse has been viewed as an isolated or "dead-end" host for influenza A viruses, with equine influenza virus being considered as relatively stable genetically. Although equine influenza viruses are genetically more stable than those of human lineage, they are by no means in evolutionary stasis. Moreover, recent transmission of equine-lineage influenza viruses to dogs also challenges the horse's status as a dead-end host. This article reviews recent developments in the epidemiology and evolution of equine influenza virus. In addition, the clinical presentation of equine influenz...
Fitzgerald DM, Anderson ST, Sillence MN, de Laat MA.Generalized obesity, regional adiposity, hyperinsulinemia and hypertriglyceridemia are all potential indicators of equine metabolic syndrome (EMS). This study aimed to assess the relationship between morphometric measurements of body condition and metabolic hormone concentrations in ponies, with and without a neck crest or generalised obesity. Twenty-six ponies were assigned a body condition score (BCS) and cresty neck score (CNS). Height, girth, and neck measurements were taken. An oral glucose test (OGT; 0.75g dextrose/kg BW) was performed and blood samples collected prior to and 2 hours pos...
Jolly RD, Palmer DN, Dalefield RR.Analytical studies of three lipopigments show that much can be achieved. Lipopigment from ovine ceroid-lipofuscinosis is composed of discrete protein and lipid molecules in orderly arrays and lipid peroxidation is not involved in its formation. Subunit c of mitochondrial ATP synthase accounts for approximately 50% of accumulated material and is specific to the disease process in this and other forms of the disease. Lipofuscin from bovine heart was mostly soluble and also contained discrete proteins, lipids and metals. Equine thyroid lipofuscin was less soluble but also had a relatively high pr...
Tenter AM, Friedhoff KT.The sensitivity and specificity of the complement fixation (CF) test for the diagnosis of Babesia infections in equines was assessed, using the indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA) test as a reference. Antibodies were first detected between 11 and 20 days post infection (dpi) in the CF test and between 7 and 14 dpi in the IFA test in ponies infected experimentally with B. equi (USDA strain). The CF test became negative in four of five ponies 63-174 dpi although B. equi was demonstrated microscopically in two of these four ponies up to 364 and 455 dpi. The IFA test remained positive up to 476 dp...
MacNamara B, Bauer S, Iafe J.Endoscopic examinations were performed on 965 Standardbred racehorses competing at Yonkers Raceway between June 16 and Aug 3, 1988, to demonstrate an association between exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and poor racing performance. Findings suggested that both exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease adversely affect performance, whereas a combination of the 2 conditions more severely affects racing performance than do either of the conditions individually.
Kasel JA, Couch RB.The recognition of an antigenic relationship between the haemagglutinins of A/Equi-2 and A2/Hong Kong/68 viruses led to experimental studies in man and horses with these virus types.Human volunteers were inoculated with A/Equi-2/Miami/63 virus and virus shedding ensued in all subjects. The most common clinical response was a febrile illness indistinguishable from naturally occurring human influenza. After administration of A2/Hong Kong/68 virus to 10 ponies there was virus shedding from 9 and a febrile response in 6.When the human subjects previously inoculated with equine virus were challenge...
Kulbrock M, Lehner S, Metzger J, Ohnesorge B, Distl O.Equine recurrent uveitis (ERU) is a common eye disease affecting up to 3-15% of the horse population. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) using the Illumina equine SNP50 bead chip was performed to identify loci conferring risk to ERU. The sample included a total of 144 German warmblood horses. A GWAS showed a significant single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) on horse chromosome (ECA) 20 at 49.3 Mb, with IL-17A and IL-17F being the closest genes. This locus explained a fraction of 23% of the phenotypic variance for ERU. A GWAS taking into account the severity of ERU, revealed a SNP on ECA18 n...
Mc Gowan TW, Pinchbeck GP, Mc Gowan CM.The sensitivity and specificity of basal plasma α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH) and adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) for the diagnosis of pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) has not been evaluated in a population-based study. Objective: To evaluate basal plasma α-MSH and ACTH concentrations for the diagnosis of PPID in a population of horses aged ≥ 15 years. Methods: Owner-reported data were obtained using a postal questionnaire distributed to an equestrian group. A subgroup of surveyed owners was visited and veterinary examination performed on horses aged ≥ 15 year...
Proudman CJ, Edwards GB.A centrifugation/flotation technique for the identification of equine tapeworm eggs is described. It was validated by using faeces samples from 80 horses of known tapeworm status, and had a sensitivity of 61 per cent and a specificity of 98 per cent. The exclusion of false negative results in animals with less than 20 tapeworms increased the sensitivity to 92 per cent. No significant correlation was found between the number of eggs observed and the number of tapeworms present in the horses.
Zhang J.Prion diseases (e.g. Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), variant CJD (vCJD), Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker syndrome (GSS), Fatal Familial Insomnia (FFI) and Kuru in humans, scrapie in sheep, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE or 'mad-cow' disease) and chronic wasting disease (CWD) in cattles) are invariably fatal and highly infectious neurodegenerative diseases affecting humans and animals. However, by now there have not been some effective therapeutic approaches or medications to treat all these prion diseases. Rabbits, dogs, and horses are the only mammalian species reported to be resistant...
Attoui H, Sailleau C, Mohd Jaafar F, Belhouchet M, Biagini P, Cantaloube JF, de Micco P, Mertens P, Zientara S.The complete nucleotide sequence of Middelburg virus (MIDV) was determined for strain MIDV-857 from Zimbabwe. The isolation of this virus in 1993 from a horse that died showing severe clinical signs represents the first indication that MIDV can cause severe disease in equids. Full-length cDNA copies of the viral genome were successfully synthesized by an innovative RT-PCR amplification approach using an 'anchor primer' combined with the SMART methodology described previously for the synthesis of full-length cDNA copies from genome segments of dsRNA viruses. The MIDV-857 genome is 11,674 nt, ex...
Rousseau K, Kirkham S, McKane S, Newton R, Clegg P, Thornton DJ.Horses frequently suffer from respiratory diseases, which, irrespective of etiology, are often associated with airway mucus accumulation. Studies on human airways have shown that the key structural components of the mucus layer are oligomeric mucins, which can undergo changes of expression and properties in disease. However, there is little information on these gel-forming glycoproteins in horse airways mucus. Therefore, the aims of this study were to isolate equine airways oligomeric mucins, characterize their macromolecular properties, and identify their gene products. To this end, pooled tr...
Sallé G, Guillot J, Tapprest J, Foucher N, Sevin C, Laugier C.Horses are infected by a wide range of parasite species that form complex communities. Parasite control imposes significant constraints on parasite communities whose monitoring remains, however, difficult to track through time. Postmortem examination is a reliable method to quantify parasite communities. Here, we compiled 1,673 necropsy reports accumulated over 29 years, in the reference necropsy centre from Normandy (France). The burden of non-strongylid species was quantified and the presence of strongylid species was noted. Details of horse deworming history and the cause of death were reg...
Grooters AM, Whittington A, Lopez MK, Boroughs MN, Roy AF.The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of sample handling, storage, and culture techniques on the isolation of Pythium insidiosum from infected equine tissues. Tissue and kunker samples obtained immediately posteuthanasia from a horse with subcutaneous pythiosis were used to assess the effects of sample type (kunkers vs. tissues), media type (selective vs. nonselective), storage technique, and storage time on P. insidiosum isolation rate. Overall, isolation rates were higher from fresh kunkers (94.6%) and stored kunkers (76.4%) than from fresh tissues (8.3%) or stored tissues (4...
Couëtil LL, Ward MP.To identify risk factors for recurrent airway obstruction (RAO) among horses examined at veterinary teaching hospitals in North America. Methods: Retrospective case-control study. Methods: 1,444 horses with RAO and 1,444 control horses examined for other reasons. Methods: The Veterinary Medical Database was searched for records of horses in which RAO was diagnosed. A control group was identified by randomly selecting a horse with a diagnosis other than RAO that matched the institution and year of admission for each of the horses with RAO. Information obtained included hospital, admission year ...
Toribio RE.Calcium and phosphate have structural and nonstructural functions, and their concentrations in the extracellular compartment are affected by the physiologic status of the animal as well as diseases. Important progress in understanding calcium and phosphorus metabolism in healthy and diseased horses and foals has been made in recent years. For example, several studies have confirmed that hypocalcemia is frequent in horses with gastrointestinal disease and that calcium endocrine dysregulation is associated with survival in foals. One critical point in the homeostasis of these minerals is their i...
Knight CG, Dunowska M, Munday JS, Peters-Kennedy J, Rosa BV.Equus caballus papillomavirus type 2 (EcPV-2) infection has been associated with equine genital squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs). However, quantitative PCR (qPCR) has not been performed to determine viral copy numbers within these lesions. Additionally, the frequency with which EcPV-2 can be detected in other common sites of equine SCC development remains uncertain. The aim of this study was to develop a qPCR assay to estimate the viral load in a variety of equine tissue samples. These included 40 SCC lesions, 19 penile non-SCC or precursor disease lesions, and 222 tissues without observable le...
Matsuu A, Hobo S, Ando K, Sanekata T, Sato F, Endo Y, Amaya T, Osaki T, Horie M, Masatani T, Ozawa M, Tsukiyama-Kohara K.Non-primate hepacivirus (NPHV) is a recently discovered homolog of the hepatitis C virus in horses. The frequency and distribution of NPHV infections among horses in Japan is unknown. In this study, serum samples from 453 horses across Japan were screened for NPHV RNA using real-time RT-PCR and anti-nonstructural 3 protein (NS3) antibodies using the Gaussia luciferase immunoprecipitation system assay. In order to monitor the course of NPHV infection in horses, we examined 31 stored samples (9 adult horses and 22 young horses) obtained one year ago and compared the results to the recent data. S...
Richard EA, Fortier GD, Lekeux PM, Van Erck E.Any disorder impairing a performance horse's ability to ventilate its lungs and exchange oxygen compromises exercise performance in any discipline. Since bronchoalveolar lavage was described in horses in the early 1980s, laboratory evaluation of respiratory fluids, along with clinical and functional assessment of the respiratory system, has become a relevant step in the diagnosis of respiratory disease affecting performance. The aim of this review is to provide objective information to assist clinicians in interpreting laboratory findings by (1) summarising published cytological references val...
McGowan C.Clinical pathology is frequently used in racehorses to screen for "fitness" to race and to screen for disease that may affect performance. The role of clinical pathology in exercise testing of racehorses is important, especially in the area of blood lactate responses to exercise. This article discusses the use of resting and dynamic clinical pathology in the racehorse, especially in respect to investigation of the state of training (or fitness) and detection of subclinical performance-limiting disease.
May SA, Wyn-Jones G.The use of markers placed over the tuber coxae on each side of a horse to aid identification of the relative movement of these structures at the trot, for teaching and research purposes, is described. In each case of hindleg lameness studied, the tuber coxae on the lame side showed a consistent increase in vertical displacement relative to that of the contralateral limb, and a characteristic pattern of movement throughout the stride irrespective of the site or cause of pain.
Finno CJ, Estell KE, Katzman S, Winfield L, Rendahl A, Textor J, Bannasch DL, Puschner B.Equine neuroaxonal dystrophy/equine degenerative myeloencephalopathy (NAD/EDM) is a neurodegenerative disorder affecting genetically predisposed foals maintained on α-tocopherol (α-TP)-deficient diet. Objective: Intramuscular α-TP and selenium (Se) administration at 4 days of age would have no significant effect on serum or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) α-TP in healthy foals. Serum and CSF α-TP, but not Se, would be significantly decreased in NAD/EDM-affected foals during first year of life. Methods: Fourteen Quarter horse foals; 10 healthy foals supplemented with 0.02 mL/kg injectable α-TP ...
Naureen A, Saqib M, Muhammad G, Hussain MH, Asi MN.The Rose Bengal plate agglutination test (RBT) was evaluated for the diagnosis of equine glanders, and its diagnostic efficiency was compared with that of mallein and other serological tests, including indirect hemagglutination test (IHAT), complement fixation test (CFT), and modified counter immunoelectrophoresis test (mCIET). Sera from 70 naturally infected culture-positive, 96 potentially exposed cohorts, and 110 healthy equines were tested. All tests but mCIET showed 100% specificity when testing the sera from glanders-negative equines. The calculated sensitivities of RBT, IHAT, CFT, mCIET...
Smith KC, Mumford JA, Lakhani K.Four Welsh Mountain pony mares at 3 months of gestation and one mare at 5 months were inoculated intranasally with equid herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1: Ab4 isolate) at doses of 10(5) to 10(6.6) TCID50. All five mares became infected, but no cases of paresis or abortion occurred. On days 8, 9, 11, 12 (3-month-pregnant mares) and 13 (5-month-pregnant mare) after infection, a detailed examination of the pregnant uterus was made. Small numbers of vascular lesions with EHV-1 antigen expression in endothelial cells were present in the uteri of the early gestational mares; thrombi were rare and foci of thromb...
Schumacher J, Edwards JF, Cohen ND.A review of reported cases of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) of horses for which no etiology was identified included cases of granulomatous enteritis (GE), multisystemic eosinophilic epitheliotropic disease (MEED), lymphocytic-plasmacytic enterocolitis (LPE), and idiopathic eosinophilic enterocolitis (EC). The terms EC and MEED were both used to describe a disease in horses characterized by infiltration of intestine and extraintestinal tissues with eosinophils. We use EC to describe IBD characterized by only intestinal infiltration by eosinophils. Horses with GE, MEED, or LPE are usually e...
Nieri-Bastos FA, Lopes MG, Cançado PH, Rossa GA, Faccini JL, Gennari SM, Labruna MB.Adult ticks of the species Amblyomma parvum were collected from the vegetation in the Pantanal biome (state of Mato Grosso do Sul) and from horses in the Cerrado biome (state of Piauí) in Brazil. The ticks were individually tested for rickettsial infection via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting three rickettsial genes, gltA, ompA and ompB. Overall, 63.5% (40/63) and 66.7% (2/3) of A. parvum ticks from Pantanal and Cerrado, respectively, contained rickettsial DNA, which were all confirmed by DNA sequencing to be 100% identical to the corresponding fragments of the gltA, ompA and ompB ge...
Nadler SA, Carreno RA, Adams BJ, Kinde H, Baldwin JG, Mundo-Ocampo M.Phylogenetic relationships among six isolates of Halicephalobus gingivalis (Stefanski, 1954), a species with pathogenic potential in horses and humans, were evaluated using DNA sequences from the nuclear large-subunit ribosomal RNA (LSU rDNA) gene. Sequences from nematodes obtained from in vitro cultures (soil or clinical sources), or isolated from infected horse tissues, were compared. Gene sequences from a fatal equine clinical case from southern California and a free-living isolate recovered from southern California soil showed no fixed differences. Sequences from isolates representing two ...
Craigo JK, Leroux C, Howe L, Steckbeck JD, Cook SJ, Issel CJ, Montelaro RC.The genetic variation of equine infectious anaemia virus (EIAV) clearly affects the antigenic properties of the viral envelope; however, effects on immunogenicity remain undefined, although widely assumed. Here, the immunogenicity is reported of a novel, neutralization-resistant, pony-isolate envelope EIAV(PV564DeltaPND) that contains a 14-residue deletion in the designated principal neutralizing domain (PND) of the gp90 protein. Two ponies inoculated with a chimeric virus, EIAV(DeltaPND), containing the EIAV(PV564DeltaPND) envelope in a reference provirus strain, remained asymptomatic through...
Abraham G, Zizzadoro C, Kacza J, Ellenberger C, Abs V, Franke J, Schoon HA, Seeger J, Tesfaigzi Y, Ungemach FR.Horses develop recurrent airway obstruction (RAO) that resembles human bronchial asthma. Differentiated primary equine bronchial epithelial cells (EBEC) in culture that closely mimic the airway cells in vivo would be useful to investigate the contribution of bronchial epithelium in inflammation of airway diseases. However, because isolation and characterization of EBEC cultures has been limited, we modified and optimized techniques of generating and culturing EBECs from healthy horses to mimic in vivo conditions. Results: Large numbers of EBEC were obtained by trypsin digestion and successfull...
