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.
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...
Defilippo F, Dottori M, Lelli D, Chiari M, Cereda D, Farioli M, Chianese R, Cerioli MP, Faccin F, Canziani S, Trogu T, Sozzi E, Moreno A, Lavazza A....In Italy, the West Nile Virus surveillance plan considers a multidisciplinary approach to identify the presence of the virus in the environment (entomological, ornithological, and equine surveillance) and to determine the risk of infections through potentially infected donors (blood and organ donors). The costs associated with the surveillance program for the Lombardy Region between 2014 and 2018 were estimated. The costs of the program were compared with a scenario in which the program was not implemented, requiring individual blood donation nucleic acid amplification tests (NAT) to detect th...
Muñoz-Prieto A, Contreras-Aguilar MD, Cerón JJ, Ayala I, Martin-Cuervo M, Gonzalez-Sanchez JC, Jacobsen S, Kuleš J, Beletić A, Rubić I, Mrljak V....Changes in the salivary proteome in 12 horses with the two diseases included in equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS), equine glandular gastric disease (EGGD) (n = 6) and equine squamous gastric disease (ESGD) (n = 6), were evaluated using a high-resolution LC-MS/MS analysis of TMT-labelled peptides and compared to 10 healthy control horses. Serum was also analysed for comparative purposes. The comparison between the horses with EGGD and controls showed significant changes in 10 salivary proteins, whereas 36 salivary proteins were differently abundant between ESGD and control groups. The most u...
Peckle M, Santos H, Pires M, Silva C, Costa R, Vitari G, Camilo T, Meireles N, Paulino P, Massard C.Experimental studies have demonstrated that () transmits to horses. However, the degree and dynamics of this protozoan infection in the vector's organism have not been fully elucidated. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the infection rate and parasitic load of in , the infection dynamics in this arthropod during experimental infestation in a horse chronically infected with , and to evaluate the trans-stadial and intrastadial transmission competence of by . The experimental infestation period of on the horse was 33 days, but males were found on the animal up to 60 days post-infestat...
Burns SJ, Westerman AG, Harrison LR.Mare Reproductive Loss Syndrome (MRLS) is the term given to abortions in mares associated with Eastern Tent caterpillars (ETC; Malacosoma americanum). This paper aims to examine if the hypothesis for a toxin as the cause of MRLS holds up to testing using Westerman's Correlates of Causal Strength of Evidence (WCCSE) and fits with known environmental factors that influence the occurrence of MRLS. Using WCCSE all correlates fit with a toxin as a potential causative agent. Environmental factors also fitted with this hypothesis. MRLS events were associated with higher than normal ambient temperatur...
Hamza E, Cosandey J, Gerber V, Koch C, Unger L.MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been proposed as biomarkers for equine sarcoid (ES) disease. In this study, the suitability of three whole blood miRNAs to diagnose ES and to predict and monitor the outcome of therapy was explored. Using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), expression levels of eca-miR-127, eca-miR-379, and eca-miR-432 in whole blood of ES-affected equids before and at least one year after therapy were compared to those of unaffected control equids. Associations of age, sex, species, diagnosis, and therapy outcome with miRNA expression levels were exa...
Deng L, Li Z, Tang C, Han Y, Zhang L, Liao Q.Equine pregnancy is currently diagnosed by rectal palpation, ultrasonographic examination, or by measuring changes in hormones in the blood. In the present study, we identified proteins that are differentially expressed in the sera of early pregnant and non-pregnant mares in order to develop a novel method for diagnosing equine pregnancy. Serum samples were obtained from 18 adult mares, pregnancy at day 32 after ovulation (n = 9) and in diestrus (n = 9). Proteomic analysis of the samples was conducted using liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry. We iden...
Hoey S, O'Sullivan J, Byrne J, Devine S, Toomey W, McAllister H, Skelly C.Osteochondrosis is a common condition of young horses where there is a failure of endochondral ossification, usually at predisposed sites. The estimated prevalence of osteochondrosis is 33-44%, with radiographic screening of yearlings being used to identify lesions. Radiography has two major limitations: poor sensitivity in detecting cartilaginous lesions and secondly, the exposure of the horse and personnel to ionising radiation. Ultrasonography allows imaging of the articular cartilage and subchondral bone margins and has been shown to be more sensitive in identifying osteochondrosis lesions...
Journée SL, Journée HL, Berends HI, Reed SM, Bergmann W, de Bruijn CM, Delesalle CJG.So far, only transcranial motor evoked potentials (MEP) of the extensor carpi radialis and tibialis cranialis have been documented for diagnostic evaluation in horses. These allow for differentiating whether lesions are located in either the thoraco-lumbar region or in the cervical myelum and/or brain. Transcranial trapezius MEPs further enable to distinguish between spinal and supraspinal located lesions. No normative data are available. It is unclear whether transcranial electrical stimulation (TES) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) are interchangeable modalities. Unassigned: To pr...
Cohen ND, Flores-Ahlschewde P, Gonzales GM, Kahn SK, da Silveira BP, Bray JM, King EE, Blair CC, Bordin AI.Diagnostic accuracy of real-time, quantitative PCR (qPCR) assays to quantify virulent Rhodococcus equi using rectal swab samples has not been systematically evaluated. Objective: To evaluate the accuracy of qPCR of rectal swab samples to differentiate foals with pneumonia from healthy foals of similar age from the same environment. Methods: One hundred privately owned foals born in 2021 from 2 farms in New York. Methods: An incident case-control study design was used. Rectal swabs were collected from all foals diagnosed with R. equi pneumonia at 2 horse-breeding farms (n = 47). Eligible pneu...
Kenchaiwong W, Sangpo P, Kusol A, Pontaema T, Lerdweeraphon W.Improper attachment of the grounding lead is one of the artifacts and causes difficulty in interpretation of ECG. This study aimed to examine the effects of the position of a ground electrode on electrocardiographic (ECG) parameters in horses. Unassigned: Sixteen Arabian horses without any cardiac problems were included in this study. The animals were divided into two groups, the base-apex lead method 1 (BA1 method) and the base-apex lead method 2 (BA2 method) with the reposition of the ground limb electrode to the xiphoid. ECG recordings (paper speed=25 mm/s and calibration=10 mm/mV) were per...
Young KAS, Hepworth-Warren KL, Dembek KA.Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is routinely collected from three sites in the horse, the atlanto-occipital (AO), atlantoaxial (AA), and lumbosacral (LS) space. A comparison between fluid analysis parameters [total protein, total nucleated cell count (TNCC), red blood cell (RBC) count, and morphologic analysis] from samples obtained at each of the three sites has not previously been performed. A retrospective analysis was performed to evaluate the differences in fluid analysis of CSF between the AO, AA, and LS sites in equids presented to a referral service for evaluation of suspected neurological d...
Carmalt JL, Pimentel KL.Definitive diagnosis of equine temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis (TMJ-OA) may require advanced diagnostic imaging. Arthroscopy is a modern, minimally invasive, diagnostic, and treatment modality. Standing arthroscopic treatment of joint disease is a relatively recent advance in equine surgery, despite which there are few published comparisons between the available arthroscopic systems. Unassigned: To compare and contrast two arthroscopic systems for assessing the equine temporomandibular joint compartments in cadavers and standing horses. Unassigned: Experimental study. Unassigned: Phase ...
Polani S, Dean M, Lichter-Peled A, Hendrickson S, Tsang S, Fang X, Feng Y, Qiao W, Avni G, Kahila Bar-Gal G.Juvenile idiopathic epilepsy (JIE) is a self-limiting neurological disorder with a suspected genetic predisposition affecting young Arabian foals of the Egyptian lineage. The condition is characterized by tonic-clonic seizures with intermittent post-ictal blindness, in which most incidents are sporadic and unrecognized. This study aimed to identify genetic components shared across a local cohort of Arabian foals diagnosed with JIE via a combined whole genome and targeted resequencing approach: Initial whole genome comparisons between a small cohort of nine diagnosed foals (cases) and 27 contro...
Carvalho GM, Ramos CP, Lobato FCF, Guedes RMC, Giaretta PR, Silva ROS.Despite the known importance of Clostridioides (Clostridium) difficile infection (CDI) in animals, there are no published guidelines for the diagnosis of CDI. The performance of the available commercial methods, all standardized for human stool samples, can vary according to the animal species. Thus, the aim of the present study was to review the literature on the detection of C. difficile in pigs, horses, and dogs. The detection of toxins A and B using enzyme immunoassays seems to have low performance in piglet and dog samples, while it shows high sensitivity for the diagnosis of CDI in foal...
Maniego J, Pesko B, Habershon-Butcher J, Hincks P, Taylor P, Tozaki T, Ohnuma A, Stewart G, Proudman C, Ryder E.Gene editing and subsequent cloning techniques offer great potential not only in genetic disease correction in domestic animals but also in livestock production by enhancement of desirable traits. The existence of the technology, however, leaves it open to potential misuse in performance-led sports such as horseracing and other equestrian events. Recent advances in equine gene editing, regarding the generation of gene-edited embryos using CRISPR/Cas9 technology and somatic cell nuclear transfer, have highlighted the need to develop tools to detect potential prohibited use of the technology. On...
Durham AE.Thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH) stimulation testing is often used to support a diagnosis of pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) in horses although it is unclear whether or not repeat TRH stimulation testing post-treatment is a valid means of assessing response to medical therapy. Laboratory submissions from 64 suspected equine PPID cases were examined including the initial pre-treatment TRH stimulation test and a follow up test within 100 days of starting medical therapy with pergolide. In a subset of cases, further follow-up tests were examined beyond 100 days of starting treatme...
Hedberg-Alm Y, Tydén E, Tamminen LM, Lindström L, Anlén K, Svensson M, Riihimäki M.Peritonitis in horses secondary to non-strangulating infarction (NSII) has a guarded prognosis, even after intestinal resection. In contrast, horses with idiopathic peritonitis respond well to medical treatment. Affected horses in both cases often show signs of both colic and systemic inflammation, but early diagnosis is crucial for optimal treatment and an accurate prognosis. One cause of NSII is thrombus formation secondary to Strongylus vulgaris larval migration. There has been a documented increase in S. vulgaris prevalence in Sweden since the implementation of selective anthelmintic treat...
Hack Y, Henriksen ML, Pihl TH, Nielsen RK, Dwyer AE, Bellone RR.Equine recurrent uveitis (ERU) is an autoimmune disease defined by inflammation of the uveal tract of the eye. The cause of ERU is thought to be complex, involving both genetic and environmental factors. The purpose of this study was to investigate potential genetic risk factors for ERU in the Icelandic horse. Fifty-six Icelandic horses (11 affected with ERU and 45 controls) living in Denmark and the USA, eight years or older, were included in the study. A case-control GWAS was performed using the GGP Equine 80K array on the Illumina Infinium HD Beadchip using 40 horses. A mixed linear model a...
Valberg SJ, Baird JD.Pelvic limb movement disorders unrelated to lameness or proprioceptive ataxia have been described in horses for centuries. The two best described are Shivering and Stringhalt. Shivering is unique in that it is primarily apparent when horses are asked to walk backward, without affecting forward gaits until quite advanced. Horses exhibit abduction and either hyperflexion or marked hyperextension of one or both pelvic limbs when walking backward, resulting in a pause at the peak of the stride cycle and reluctance to move backward. Generally, Stringhalt differs from Shivering in that it produces c...
Basano I, Romolo A, Iamone G, Memoli G, Riccio B, Lavoie JP, Miniscalco B, Bullone M.Equine asthma is currently diagnosed by the presence of increased neutrophil (>5%), mast cell (>2%), and/or eosinophil (>1%) differential cell count. Macrophages are normal resident cells within the alveoli. Their presence in BALF is considered normal, but the clinical implication of the presence of activated or fused macrophages (giant multinucleated cells, GMC) is currently overlooked. We aimed to assess the prevalence, cytological determinants, and clinical significance of increased GMC counts in BALF of 34 asthmatic horses compared to 10 controls. Counts were performed on 15 rando...
Ohmura H, Hiraga A.This study aimed to investigate the effect of transportation and restraint in a van on heart rate (HR) and HR variability in Thoroughbreds. Eight healthy Thoroughbreds were exposed to four conditions, each for a duration of 30 min: stall rest (REST), restraint inside a van (VAN), restraint inside a van with the engine running (V + E), and road transportation (TRANS). Electrocardiograms were recorded to determine HR, low-frequency (LF) power, high-frequency (HF) power, and LF/HF ratio. During TRANS, HR was significantly greater than during REST and V + E. There was a significant increase during...
Harada K, Kanemitsu S, Akioka K, Fujita K, Nishi Y, Taura Y, Sasaki N.Fifty-four slaughtered horses were classified into groups having adipose tissue in the crest of the neck with or without hemorrhage (AH and NH groups, respectively). Blood biochemical tests (Alb, TP, T-bil, GOT, GPT, LDH, T-cho, and BUN) and an epidemiological survey (age, gender, weight, origin, breed, BCS, CNS, and hoof disease) were performed. T-bil tended to be high, while the other parameters were normal. Weight, BCS, and CNS were higher in the AH group (P<0.05). GOT was lower in the AH group (P<0.05). It was suspected that the horses in the AH group had lipomatosis. It was assumed ...
Xu M, Hu Y, Qiu H, Wang J, Jiang J. species, which mainly feed on protists and algae, are free-living close relatives of apicomplexans. Recent reports have identified sp. infections in an immunocompromised individual and a suspected case of tick-transmitted infection resulting in neurological symptoms. Our molecular examination of piroplasmosis-infected horses in China identified nearly whole 18S rRNA gene sequences that are closely related to sp. ATCC 50594 isolated from brown woodland soil at Gambrill State Park, located in Frederick, MD, shedding light on an underreported emerging zoonotic pathogen.
Hough VA, Wycislo KL, Hofmeister EH, Piech TL, Maki LC, Shaver SL.Veterinary students' accuracy, confidence, and time required to diagnose bacterial sepsis in fluid cytology samples was evaluated using two different slide preparation methods: direct smears and cytocentrifuged concentrated preparations. We hypothesized veterinary students would diagnose fluids as septic on concentrated preparations more accurately and quickly than on direct smears. Thirty third- and fourth-year students who had previously participated in a clinical pathology course completed a survey regarding general cytology experience and reviewed 40 randomized Romanowsky-stained slides vi...
Lovett AL, Gilliam LL, Sykes BW, McFarlane D.Both obesity and metabolic syndrome are associated with hypercoagulability in people, increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease and thromboembolic events. Whether hypercoagulability exists in obese, insulin-dysregulated horses is unknown. Objective: To determine if coagulation profiles differ between healthy horses and those with obesity and insulin dysregulation. Methods: Fifteen healthy horses (CON) and 15 obese, insulin-dysregulated horses (OBID). Individuals were university or client owned. Methods: Case-control study. Obesity was defined as a body condition score (BCS) ≥7.5/9 (modif...
Gibson MJ, Bolwell CF, Gee EK, Legg KA, Rogers CW.The objective of this study was to describe the incident and non-incident reports of Thoroughbred flat racing in New Zealand. Retrospective stipendiary stewards' reports of race day events during the 2015/2016 and 2016/2017 racing season were examined. The primary injury and reporting outcomes were analysed to assess the horse- and race-level risk factors associated with the occurrence of incident and non-incident reports. The number of incident and non-incident events and binomial exact 95% confidence intervals were calculated per 1000 horse starts. Most reports were for non-incidents and exa...
Nielsen MK.Clinically important equine parasites are ubiquitous in managed horse populations. The traditional approach to parasite control is frequent administration of anthelmintics to all horses on a farm. However, increasing levels of anthelmintic resistance is forcing horse owners and veterinarians to shift this control paradigm. Treatment regimens involving routine deworming of all horses throughout the year are now being replaced by more sustainable approaches, which take in to account the importance of maintaining adequate parasite refugia. The selective therapy principle has been recommended for ...
Robin M, Page P, Archer D, Baylis M.African horse sickness (AHS) is an arboviral disease of equids transmitted by Culicoides biting midges. The virus is endemic in parts of sub-Saharan Africa and official AHS disease-free status can be obtained from the World Organization for Animal Health on fulfilment of a number of criteria. AHS is associated with case fatality rates of up to 95%, making an outbreak among naïve horses both a welfare and economic disaster. The worldwide distributions of similar vector-borne diseases (particularly bluetongue disease of ruminants) are changing rapidly, probably due to a combination of globalisa...
Henninger W, Frame EM, Willmann M, Simhofer H, Malleczek D, Kneissl SM, Mayrhofer E.Sinusitis is a common disorder in horses and may result from trauma, dental diseases, or space-occupying lesions. Radiography can only provide a limited amount of information. Computed tomography (CT) has been documented as an alternative imaging method. Eighteen horses (mostly Warmblood) with signs of chronic sinusitis were examined preoperatively with CT to assist in diagnosis of the underlying cause. There was a group of common CT features in horses with dental disease and sinusitis. The first molar was the most frequently affected maxillary cheek tooth. Hypoattenuation of the cementum, des...
Shin EK, Rijkers T, Pastink A, Meek K.We reported previously that the genetic SCID disease observed in Arabian foals is explained by a defect in V(D)J recombination that profoundly affects both coding and signal end joining. As in C.B-17 SCID mice, the molecular defect in SCID foals is in the catalytic subunit of the DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PKCS); however, in SCID mice, signal end resolution remains relatively intact. Moreover, recent reports indicate that mice that completely lack DNA-PKCS also generate signal joints at levels that are indistinguishable from those observed in C.B-17 SCID mice, eliminating the possibilit...
Browning GF, Chalmers RM, Fitzgerald TA, Corley KT, Campbell I, Snodgrass DR.Foal fecal group A rotavirus strains were characterized by electropherotype, serotype, and subgroup and shown to be distinctly different from rotaviruses of other mammals. Of 86 strains that were electropherotyped, 98% had similar profiles, with gene segments 3 and 4 close together and segments 7, 8, and 9 widely spaced. Of 70 strains that had sufficient detectable VP7 antigen to be serotyped by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs), 63% were serotype G3 (39% were subtype G3A and 24% were subtype G3B), 4% were serotype G13, and 33% were untypeable. Serotypes G1, G2, G4, G5, G6, G9, G10, ...
Asgarali Z, Coombs DK, Mohammed F, Campbell MD, Caesar E.Ninety-three (93) horses were investigated for serum antibodies to Theileria equi (T. equi) and Babesia caballi (B. caballi) using the immunofluorescent antibody test (IFAT). Seventy-seven (82.8%) horses were seropositive; 31 (33.3%) were positive to T. equi compared to 64 (68.8%) to B. caballi while 18 (19.4%) horses were seropositive to both parasites. No significant differences in antibody frequencies among females and males for either T. equi or B. caballi were noted. Differences in seropositivity to B. caballi among age groups were not significant. Antibodies to T. equi were more frequent...
Weese JS, Staempfli HR, Prescott JF.Although Clostridium difficile is recognized as a cause of enterocolitis in horses and humans, there has been little work published regarding the lability of C. difficile and its toxins in feces. A significant decrease in recovery of C. difficile from inoculated equine fecal samples occurred during storage. Recovery after storage in air at 4 degrees C decreased from 76% (37/49) after 24 hours to 67% (33/49) at 48 hours and 29% (14/ 49) after 72 hours. In contrast to aerobic storage, 25 of 26 samples stored anaerobically at 4 degrees C yielded growth of C. difficile for 30 days, whereas the org...
Dunowska M, Wilks CR, Studdert MJ, Meers J.To identify the respiratory viruses that are present among foals in New Zealand and to establish the age at which foals first become infected with these viruses. Methods: Foals were recruited to the study in October/ November 1995 at the age of 1 month (Group A) or in March/ April 1996 at the age of 4-6 months (Groups B and C). Nasal swabs and blood samples were collected at monthly intervals. Nasal swabs and peripheral blood leucocytes (PBL) harvested from heparinised blood samples were used for virus isolation; serum harvested from whole-blood samples was used for serological testing for the...
Sweeney CR, Holcombe SJ, Barningham SC, Beech J.Frequency of aerobic and anaerobic isolates in 327 aspirates and in 123 pleural fluid samples from 327 horses with pneumonia or pleuropneumonia and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of the aerobes were reported. Of the 327 horses, 75% survived, 20% were euthanatized, and 5% died. Tracheobronchial aspirates or pleural fluid specimens from 25 of the horses did not yield growth. Of the remaining 302 horses, 221 had only aerobic organisms isolated, whereas only anaerobes were isolated from 6 of the 302 horses. The remaining 75 horses had mixed aerobic and anaerobic bacterial infections. The su...
von Samson-Himmelstjerna G.Conventional and real time polymerase chain reaction-based tests have been developed for the diagnosis of anthelmintic resistance (AR) in populations of several small and large ruminant as well as horse gastro-intestinal nematode species. To date, molecular markers that correlate well with AR are available only for the detection of benzimidazole resistance. Recently, however, a single nucleotide polymorphism was found in vitro to be of functional relevance for reduced drug efficacy to macrocylic lactones. The focus of the present review, therefore, is the molecular mechanism of action of these...
Holyoak GR, Premathilake HU, Lyman CC, Sones JL, Gunn A, Wieneke X, DeSilva U.The goal of this study was to understand the composition and existence of the resident uterine microbiome in healthy mares and to establish the presence of a core microbiome for the healthy equine uterus. We analyzed the microbiomes of 35 healthy mares that are long-time residents of three farms in Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Australia as well as that of 19 mares purchased from scattered owners in the Southern Mid-Western states of the United States. Over 6 million paired-end reads of the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene were obtained resulting in 19,542 unique Amplicon Sequence Variants (ASVs). AS...
Staszyk C, Bienert A, Kreutzer R, Wohlsein P, Simhofer H.A poorly described, painful disorder of incisor and canine teeth, variably causing periodontitis, with resorptive or proliferative changes of the calcified dental tissues, has recently been documented in aged horses. No plausible aetiopathogenesis for this syndrome has been recorded. Eighteen diseased teeth from eight horses were examined grossly and microscopically and showed the presence of odontoclastic cells by tartrate resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) staining. A chronological sequence of odontoclastic resorption followed by hypercementosis was demonstrated and, consequently, the term eq...
Lichtenstein DL, Issel CJ, Montelaro RC.Equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) provides a uniquely dynamic system in which to study the mechanism and role of genomic variation in lentiviral persistence and pathogenesis. We have used a Shetland pony model of infection to investigate the association of specific long terminal repeat (LTR) and env gene genomic sequences with the initiation of infection and the onset of disease. We analyzed viral RNA isolated from a pathogenic stock of virus (EIAV PV) and from plasma taken during the first disease episode from two ponies infected with EIAV PV. Overall sequence variation within gp90 was lo...
Hoffman AM, Staempfli HR, Willan A.The costly nature of intensive care for neonatal foals prompted a study of predictive variables for survival in a referral hospital. Applying stepforward logistic regression to parameters that differed significantly (P less than 0.10) between survivors (S) and nonsurvivors (NS) in a retrospective study (n = 56), two variables retained statistical significance [anion gap (AG, P = 0.0047) and venous PO2 (PvO2, P = 0.0342)], thus forming the basis for a predictive equation for survival: the Pn (probability of NS) = eA/(1 + eA) where A = -1.46 - 0.107 (PvO2) + 0.213 (AG). The predictive equation w...
Schein E, Rehbein G, Voigt WP, Zweygarth E.The vertebrate development of Babesia equi from infected Hyalomma marginatum in Morocco was investigated in vitro and in vivo. It was demonstrated that the sporozoites of B. equi initiate a phase of exo-erythrocytic schizogony in lymphocytes both in vitro and in vivo. On the other hand, sporozoites did not invade erythrocytes in vitro. The complete vertebrate life cycle of B. equi was simulated in vitro, from the invasion of lymphocytes by sporozoites, to the development of macro- and microschizonts, the invasion of erythrocytes by merozoites, and the subsequent intra-erythrocytic schizogony. ...
Greve L, Dyson S.No previous studies have investigated interrelationships between saddle fit/management, equine thoracolumbar asymmetries, rider and horse health. Objective: To assess associations between data obtained by clinical assessment and those provided by riders via a questionnaire. Methods: Clinical assessment of a convenience sample of horses and riders compared with a Web-based questionnaire survey (n = 205). Methods: Horse thoracolumbar asymmetries at predetermined sites, the presence of lameness (in hand and/or ridden), saddle slip, saddle fit/management and rider straightness were assessed. Kappa...
Norton EM, Avila F, Schultz NE, Mickelson JR, Geor RJ, McCue ME.Ponies are highly susceptible to metabolic derangements including hyperinsulinemia, insulin resistance, and adiposity. Objective: Genetic loci affecting height in ponies have pleiotropic effects on metabolic pathways and increase the susceptibility to equine metabolic syndrome (EMS). Methods: Two hundred ninety-four Welsh ponies and 529 horses. Methods: Retrospective study of horses phenotyped for metabolic traits. Correlations between height and metabolic traits were assessed by Pearson's correlation coefficients. Complementary genome-wide analysis methods were used to identify a region of in...
Lesimple C, Fureix C, Biquand V, Hausberger M.Questionnaires are a common tool to assess people's opinion on a large scale or to sound them out about their subjective views. The caretakers' opinion about animals' "personality" has been used in many studies. The aim of the present study was to assess whether the owners' subjective evaluation was effective to detect back disorders. Back disorders have been shown to have a high prevalence in working horses. Caretakers from 17 riding schools (1 caretaker/school, 161 horses) were given a questionnaire about their horses' health status, including back disorders. Out of these 161 horses, 59 were...
Bogaert L, Van Poucke M, De Baere C, Dewulf J, Peelman L, Ducatelle R, Gasthuys F, Martens A.Equine sarcoids, the most common skin tumours in horses, are induced by bovine papillomavirus (BPV). Their clinical appearance varies from small stable patches to aggressively growing masses. Differences in BPV load and mRNA expression and Ki67 and p53 immunostaining among four clinical types (fibroblastic, occult, nodular and verrucous sarcoids) were evaluated to test the hypothesis that the clinical behaviour of equine sarcoids correlates with BPV activity. Viral load and expression of the BPV E2, E5, E6 and E7 genes were determined using quantitative real-time PCR. The proliferative fractio...
Slack J, Boston RC, Soma LR, Reef VB.Cardiac arrhythmias are a recognised but poorly characterised problem in the Standardbred racehorse. Frequency data could aid the development of cardiac arrhythmia screening programmes. Objective: To characterise the occurrence of cardiac arrhythmias in Standardbreds prior to racing and in the late post race period using a handheld, noncontinuous recording device. Methods: Prospective, observational study, convenience sampling. Methods: Noncontinuous electrocardiographic recordings were obtained over a 12 week period from Standardbred horses competing at a single racetrack. Electrocardiograms ...
Agüero M, Gómez-Tejedor C, Angeles Cubillo M, Rubio C, Romero E, Jiménez-Clavero A.African horse sickness is an arthropod-borne disease of the equine included in the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) list with important economic consequences for horse trade. The disease is caused by African horse sickness virus (AHSV; family Reoviridae, genus Orbivirus), which is transmitted by Culicoides midges. It is endemic in sub-Saharan Africa, spreading occasionally outside this area where the occurrence of Culicoides vectors allows virus transmission. Currently, only conventional (gel-based) reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) protocols are available for ...
Weese JS.Infectious diseases are an important cause of morbidity and mortality in horses, along with economic costs and broader impacts associated with the loss of members of a species that generates income, acts as a working animal and is a companion. Endemic diseases continue to challenge, emerging diseases are an ever-present threat and outbreaks can be both destructive and disruptive. While infectious diseases can never be completely prevented, measures can be introduced to restrict the entry of pathogens into a population or limit the implications of the presence of a pathogen. Objective research ...
Brault LS, Cooper CA, Famula TR, Murray JD, Penedo MC.Equine Cerebellar Abiotrophy (CA) is a neurological disease found in Arabian horses. CA is characterized by post-natal degeneration of the Purkinje cells of the cerebellum. Signs of CA include ataxia, head tremors, and a lack of balance equilibrium. We have discovered a linkage of the CA phenotype to a microsatellite marker on ECA2 and identified a region of conserved homozygosity spanning approximately 142 kb. Complete sequencing of the four genes in this region identified one SNP found only in Arabian horses, located in exon 4 of TOE1 and approximately 1200 base pairs upstream of MUTYH, adja...
Franzén P, Aspan A, Egenvall A, Gunnarsson A, Aberg L, Pringle J.Six horses were experimentally infected by administration of horse blood containing a Swedish strain of Anaplasma phagocytophilum. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) signal was consistently detected 2-3 days before appearance of clinical signs and persisted 4-9 days beyond abatement of clinical signs, whereas diagnostic inclusion bodies were 1st noted on average 2.6 +/- 1.5 (SD) days after onset of fever. Clinical signs and hematologic changes were largely indistinguishable from those previously reported for diseases caused by A phagocytophilum (formerly Ehrlichia equi--"Californian agent") a...
Hue ES, Fortier GD, Fortier CI, Leon AM, Richard EA, Legrand LJ, Pronost SL.Equid gammaherpesviruses-2 and -5 are involved in respiratory problems, with potential clinical manifestations such as nasal discharge, pharyngitis and swollen lymph nodes. These viruses are sometimes associated with a poor-performance syndrome, which may result in a significant and negative economic impact for the horse industry. The aim of the present study was to develop and validate quantitative PCR methods for the detection and quantitation of EHV-2 and EHV-5 in equine respiratory fluids. Two distinct tests were characterised: (a) for the qPCR alone and (b) for the whole method (extractio...
van den Hurk AF, Hall-Mendelin S, Webb CE, Tan CS, Frentiu FD, Prow NA, Hall RA.In 2011, a variant of West Nile virus Kunjin strain (WNVKUN) caused an unprecedented epidemic of neurological disease in horses in southeast Australia, resulting in almost 1,000 cases and a 9% fatality rate. We investigated whether increased fitness of the virus in the primary vector, Culex annulirostris, and another potential vector, Culex australicus, contributed to the widespread nature of the outbreak. Methods: Mosquitoes were exposed to infectious blood meals containing either the virus strain responsible for the outbreak, designated WNVKUN2011, or WNVKUN2009, a strain of low virulence th...
Lu G, Wu L, Ou J, Li S.Equine parvovirus-hepatitis (EqPV-H) was first reported in a horse that died of equine serum hepatitis in the USA in 2018, and was determined having a strong association with equine serum hepatitis in the following studies. As a newly discovered virus, the genomic sequences of only seven EqPV-H strains have been reported. Considering this, an epidemiological study was performed to investigate the prevalence of EqPV-H in equines in Guangdong Province in China, and obtain genomic sequences of the field prevalent EqPV-H strains. The detection rate of EqPV-H was finally determined to be 8.33% (95%...
Maśko M, Domino M, Jasiński T, Witkowska-Piłaszewicz O.Blood testing is one of the most important ways to improve performance, facilitate recovery and monitor the training of endurance and race horses. However, little is known about the physical activity-dependent changes of blood parameters in horses used for pleasure and in riding schools. This study aimed to perform routine blood tests for training monitoring of sport horses in three different horse types of use. Then the values of blood indicators were compared between school, endurance and race horses to find similarities in the physical activity-dependent profile. The study was carried out o...
Pronost S, Léon A, Legrand L, Fortier C, Miszczak F, Freymuth F, Fortier G.Equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) is a common pathogen of the horse which may induce mild respiratory distress, abortion, neonatal death and neurological disease. A single nucleotide polymorphism in the EHV-1 DNA polymerase (ORF30 A(2254) to G(2254)) has been associated with clinical signs of Equine herpes myeloencephalopathy (EHM). The aim of this work was to analyze the ORF30 genomic region among a panel of EHV-1 DNA extract in order to estimate the prevalence of the EHV-1 neuropathogenic genotype in France. Samples coming from cases associated with EHM, horses with respiratory symptoms and abort...
Persson-Sjodin E, Hernlund E, Pfau T, Haubro Andersen P, Rhodin M.Detailed knowledge of how a rider's seating style and riding on a circle influences the movement symmetry of the horse's head and pelvis may aid rider and trainer in an early recognition of low grade lameness. Such knowledge is also important during both subjective and objective lameness evaluations in the ridden horse in a clinical setting. In this study, inertial sensors were used to assess how different rider seating styles may influence head and pelvic movement symmetry in horses trotting in a straight line and on the circle in both directions. A total of 26 horses were subjected to 15 dif...
