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.
Kozak S, Merda D, Chesnais V, Breuil MF, Harrison M, Zdovc I, Golob M, Petry S, Duquesne F.Taylorella equigenitalis is the causative agent of contagious equine metritis, an internationally regulated sexually-transmitted infection in horses, which is of great concern as it usually results in temporary infertility. Taylorella asinigenitalis, the second member of the genus, is mainly found in donkeys and is considered non-pathogenic, although a first natural outbreak was reported in 2019 in the United Arab Emirates. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) is currently used to study the epidemiology of Taylorella spp. but, while highly transposable and reproducible, it only focuses on < 0.5...
Helbig H, Berghaus LJ, Venner M, Berghaus R, Hart KA.Adequate vitamin availability is vital for cellular and immune function and for normal growth. Available data on age-related changes in serum concentrations of vitamins in foals are limited. In addition, associations between circulating vitamin concentrations and the development of bronchopneumonia in foals are not described. Objective: (1) To quantify circulating concentrations of vitamins C, D and E from birth to weaning in foals; (2) to determine associations between vitamin concentrations and the development of bronchopneumonia during this period. Methods: Prospective cohort study. Methods...
McKenzie E.The equine muscle system is complex and prone to a large range of hereditary and acquired diseases that often have overlapping clinical signs with orthopedic, neurologic, and other disorders. Obtaining a clinical history that fully outlines the client concerns and any known information about the disorder and following with a comprehensive physical examination and screening clinical pathology tests are fundamental to achieve definitive diagnosis. A methodical and comprehensive approach aids accurate diagnosis and development of an optimal treatment and management plan. This article describes th...
Yu YT, Olarte Castillo X, Reboul G, Zehr J, Sun Y, Anderson R, Wang M, Sun Q, Tallmadge R, Sams K, Brown J, Marra N, Stanhope B, Grenier J.... is a parvovirus that was identified in the blood of four horses in the United States. Here, we report one genome from a horse in New York State. This genome may represent a new species within the genus .
Finno CJ.In the field of equine muscle disorders, many conditions have a genetic basis. Therefore, genetic testing is an important part of the diagnostic evaluation. Validated genetic tests are currently available for 5 equine muscle disorders: hyperkalemic periodic paralysis, malignant hyperthermia, glycogen branching enzyme disease, type 1 polysaccharide storage myopathy, and myosin heavy chain myopathy. These diseases should be tested for in the appropriate breeds with clinical signs of disease or as part of breeding management. Genetic testing in veterinary medicine is not regulated, and therefore,...
Jurisic L, Auerswald H, Marcacci M, Di Giallonardo F, Coetzee LM, Curini V, Averaimo D, Ortiz-Baez AS, Cammà C, Di Teodoro G, Richt JA, Holmes EC....Members of the RNA virus order infect hosts ranging from marine invertebrates to terrestrial mammals. As such, understanding the determinants of host range in this group of viruses, as well as their patterns of emergence and disease potential, is of clear importance. The are a recently documented family within the . To date, mesoniviruses have only been associated with the infection of arthropod species, particularly mosquitoes, and hence are regarded as insect-specific viruses (ISVs). Herein, we report the first detection of a mesonivirus-Alphamesonivirus-1 -in mammals. Specifically, we uti...
Shi Y, Maga EA, Mienaltowski MJ.Diarrhea is a common disease that could threaten the welfare of newborn foals. While there are several forms of foal diarrhea, the etiologies can be considered known pathogenic or non-pathogenic in nature. Moreover, there are likely differences in the composition of microbial populations in the gastrointestinal tracts of foals depending upon the etiology of diarrhea. Our study aims to examine the microbial population in the feces of foals with both pathogenic and non-pathogenic diarrheas to discern differences in their microbial compositions. Results: Foal diarrhea samples tested positive or n...
Hinrichs K, Gleason K, Dobbie T, Felix MR.Transvaginal ultrasound-guided follicle aspiration (TVA) is being performed frequently in equine practice, to recover oocytes for in vitro embryo production via intracytoplasmic sperm injection. While complications from TVA are rare, one of the most prevalent major complications is formation of an ovarian abscess, which can result in the necessity for euthanasia. The acute-phase serum proteins, fibrinogen and serum amyloid A (SAA), are markers of inflammation that might be of use in diagnosis of ovarian abscess. However, no information is available on the effect of standard TVA on these acute ...
Nugent Z, Jensen A, Owen N, Peffers AJ, Moothanchery M, Peffers MJ.Equine odontoclastic tooth resorption and hypercementosis (EOTRH) is a painful disorder primarily affecting the incisor teeth of horses over 15 years of age. Clinical signs of the disease include prehension problems, halitosis and in severe cases weight loss. The disease predominately affects the reserve crown and presents as a loss of dental tissue and excessive build-up of cementum. Objective: To determine the radiographic scores of horses with EOTRH and age-matched controls and to increase understanding of EOTRH using microCT to compare teeth from horses with EOTRH and age-matched control...
Nemoto M, Kawanishi N, Kambayashi Y, Bannai H, Yamanaka T, Tsujimura K.Equine influenza virus (EIV) can be transmitted by inhalation of aerosolized droplets, direct contact, and contaminated fomites. However, to our knowledge, there are no reports of the recovery of EIV from the air surrounding infected horses. Here, we evaluated whether EIV can be recovered from the air in the stalls of experimentally infected horses by using an air sampler. Furthermore, we examined whether rapid molecular test kits with reaction times of less than 30 min can detect EIV from air samples for potential field application. Two horses kept in individual stalls were experimentally i...
Jensen A, Clarke EJ, Nugent Z, Paice E, Gringel I, Yamamoto K, Rocchigiani G, Peffers AJ, Cooper L, Peffers MJ.Equine dental diseases significantly impact a horse's overall health, performance and quality of life. They can result in secondary infections and digestive disturbances, potentially leading to colic. A recently described disease affecting the incisors of horses is equine odontoclastic tooth resorption and hypercementosis (EOTRH). Understanding EOTRH is crucial for early diagnosis, effective management and prevention of its severe consequences. Objective: To determine proteomic differences in incisor cementum in horses with and without clinical EOTRH. Methods: Comparative and observational cli...
Albert E, Biksi I, Laczkó L, Miló L, Cseri K, Bőkényné Tóth R, Papp D, Halmay D, Bódai E, Bakos Z.Here we report the isolation of Streptococcus hillyeri from a thoracic sample from a horse. A 17-y-old Hungarian Sport Horse mare was referred to the equine clinic of the University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest, Hungary, with suspected pleuritis. Upon arrival, the horse was febrile and had tachycardia, severe inspiratory dyspnea, and tachypnea. Thoracic ultrasonography revealed severe bilateral pleural effusion, and a large area of lung consolidation. After sampling of both hemithoraces, 66 L of turbid exudate were drained. Based on these findings, a tentative diagnosis of septic pleuritis ...
Carvalho Serena G, Marchezan Piva M, Viezzer Bianchi M, Fernandes da Fonseca HC, Chitolina Pupin R, Martins Basso R, Secorun Borges A....In horses, systemic calcinosis is a rare syndrome characterised by muscle lesion associated with the mineralisation of large muscle groups or other organs, in the absence of an alternative cause for the calcification, such as toxic, enzootic or metabolic. Molecular and histopathological aspects of the disease are still poorly elucidated. Objective: To describe the epidemiological, pathological and molecular aspects of systemic calcinosis in a convenience sample of six horses submitted to necropsy in the Southern and Midwestern regions of Brazil. Methods: Retrospective exploratory study. Method...
Torcivia C, McDonnell SM.Gastric ulcer disease and other potentially painful gastric conditions are among the most common afflictions adversely affecting the welfare of domestic equids. A large percentage of affected animals may not display the classic signs of gastric disease, such as unexplained weight loss, poor hair coat, and inappetence until the disease becomes severe. As a clinical service within our equine referral hospital, we routinely evaluate 24-h video recorded samples of horses to assist clinicians in identifying subtle discomfort and potential sources or to scan for infrequent neurologic or cardiac-rela...
Daradics Z, Bungărdean D, Lupșan AF, Popescu M, Bulmez O, Ciulu-Angelescu V, Chelaru VF, Morar I, Mircean M, Cătoi C, Tripon MA, Crecan CM.Ethylene glycol toxicosis is a common occurrence in dogs and cats but has been reported in other species as well. Up to date, only one case of ethylene glycol toxicosis has been described in horses, and specific guidelines for treating ethylene glycol intoxication in this species are not available. Here we describe the case of 39 sport horses that ingested water contaminated with ethylene glycol. The main clinical sign was apathy, but more severely affected individuals also developed abdominal pain and laminitis. Treatment was initiated around 24 h after the exposure, using ethanol as an antid...
Fernandes T, Robin M, Freeman KP.Biological variation in laboratory results refers to physiological fluctuations that occur around a homeostatic setpoint (HSP) for various laboratory measurands. Assessment of biological variation includes determining individual variation (CV), group variation (CV), and analytical variation (CV). Reference change value (RCV) is an objective tool for an evidence-based approach to interpret data by assessing the significance of consecutive results in an individual for the diagnosis, prognosis, and monitoring of disease. The individualised reference intervals (iRI) are derived from the determinat...
Castro D, Clark-Price S.Pre-existing muscle disorders in horses can often be subtle and may only become evident during or after anesthesia. Advancements in veterinary medicine, along with increased knowledge and research in this field, help minimize anesthesia-related problems. Adequate preanesthesia assessment, early disease diagnosis, and proper management are crucial in minimizing risks to the neuromuscular system during general anesthesia.
Ekinci G, Deniz O, Tüfekci E, Timur MC, Onmaz AC, Günes V, Citil M, Keles I, Hoven RVD.Rhodococcus equi (R. equi) is a primary cause of pyogranulomatous pneumonia of foals between three weeks and five months of age. Early diagnosis of rhodococcal pneumonia has always been considered a preferable approach as it can lead to more successful treatment and better outcomes. Horse stud farms where the disease is common, neonatal foals are subjected to tests such as complete blood count and fibrinogen analysis at certain intervals. However, new biomarkers are needed in addition to blood count and fibrinogen measurement in this field for early diagnosis of diseases. Based on this need, i...
Vinijkumthorn R, Kingkaw A, Yanyongsirikarn P, Phaonakrop N, Roytrakul S, Vongsangnak W, Tesena P.Equine melanocytic neoplasm (EMN) represents a form of skin tumor observed predominantly in grey horses aged over 15 years. Despite its prevalence, current therapeutic and preventive strategies for EMN have been subject to limited investigation. This study endeavors to shed light on potential phosphoproteins present in equine serum and fecal samples, potentially linked to EMN, with a specific focus on functional interactions in EMN pathogenesis. We examined 50 samples (25 serum, 25 feces), divided into three groups based on EMN severity: normal (n = 16), mild (n = 18), and severe EMN (...
Baghdadi HBA, Abdelsalam M, Attia MM.Strongylus vulgaris, a devastating parasitic nematode in equids, causes life-threatening verminous aneurysms that are challenging to diagnose early. This study pioneered integrating nanotechnology into an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (i-ELISA) system to enhance the sensitivity and specificity for detecting S. vulgaris larval antigens in equine serum samples, with PCR confirmation of the species. A conventional i-ELISA and an innovative nano-based ELISA were developed using excretory-secretory antigens from adult S. vulgaris worms. The nano-ELISA incorporated gold nanoparticles (1...
Benitez-Ibalo AP, Debárbora VN, Mangold AJ, Nava S, Sebastian PS.After the previous description and characterization of Theileria equi sensu stricto (Genotype A) in Argentina, the aim of the present study was to investigate the possible heterogeneity of 18 S rDNA genotypes circulating in this country. Therefore, blood samples from 18 horses from two different neighborhoods of Corrientes City, Corrientes Province, were analyzed for infection with Theileria species. Theileria DNA was detected in five samples (27.8%). Four nearly complete 18 S rDNA gene sequences were obtained and phylogenetic analyses were carried out. The maximum likelihood tree constructe...
Valderrama-Martinez C, Packham A, Zheng S, Smith W, Plancarte M, Aleman M.Evaluating antibody titers for Sarcocystis neurona for the diagnosis of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis from serum samples is a common practice. However, ensuring timely and proper refrigeration is not always possible. Objective: To evaluate immunofluorescent antibody (IFA) titers for S. neurona from serum samples stored at room temperature and 4°C. Methods: Twenty-two serum samples. Methods: Prospective longitudinal study. Two serum aliquots of 1 mL each were stored at room temperature (20-23.3°C) and 4°C. The unrefrigerated aliquot was immediately tested for IFA titers. Both aliquots...
Broeckl CV, Hiereth S, Straubinger RK.Diagnosis of equine Lyme borreliosis (LB), an infection caused by members of the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex (Bbsl), is challenging due to the nonspecific clinical signs of the disease and due to the variety of non-standardized serological tests. Specific vaccine-induced antibodies against LB, providing an effective protection against the infection, complicate the issue further. The standard for the detection of specific antibodies against Bbsl is a two-tier test system based on an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) or indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFA) for antibody sc...
Chen JW, Stefanovski D, Haughan J, Jiang Z, Soma LR, Robinson MA.Interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β) and IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RA) are both upregulated following traumatic injury. As IL-1RA blocks inflammatory signaling by IL-1β, overexpression of IL-1β relative to IL-1RA may drive inflammatory diseases. As such, determination of the relationship between IL-1β to IL-1RA expression levels in horses may provide insight into disease states or serve as a therapeutic readout of response to medical interventions. As techniques to detect plasma concentrations of IL-1β and IL-1RA in horses lack sensitivity, we developed and validated novel enzyme-linked immunos...
Castelain DL, Dufourni A, Pas ML, Bokma J, de Bruijn E, Paulussen E, Lefère L, van Loon G, Pardon B.The care of sick neonatal foals is labor-intensive and costly. Prediction of risk of death upon admission is often difficult but might support decision-making. Objective: To determine diseases and risk factors associated with death in neonatal hospitalized foals. Methods: Two hundred twenty-two hospitalized foals, ≤7 days old. Methods: Retrospective cohort study. Clinical and laboratory variables were evaluated for their association with death by means of Cox survival analysis and by classification and regression tree (CART) analysis. Results: Most prevalent diseases were sepsis (43.9%), e...
Bishop RC, Nobrega AD, Mersich I, Wilkins PA.To describe indications for and demonstrate the technique to perform a transtracheal aspirate in horses. Transtracheal aspirate is indicated to collect samples for cytology and bacteriologic culture in cases of suspected pneumonia or other lower respiratory tract disease. Methods: 1 healthy university-owned horse was used for demonstration purposes. Images of clinical case samples from the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital are shown. Methods: The horse is restrained and sedated with detomidine or xylazine to facilitate restraint and butorphanol to minimize coughing. The ventr...
Koziy RV, Katselis GS, Yoshimura S, Simko E, Bracamonte JL.Prompt diagnosis of equine septic arthritis is crucial for successful treatment. Serum amyloid A (SAA) has been suggested as a reliable biomarker. However, we previously found that synovial fluid SAA increases in nonaffected joints of horses with septic arthritis. We hypothesized that systemic SAA may leak into the nonaffected joints. If this is the case, we also hypothesized that locally produced joint SAA isoforms may be better candidates for septic arthritis biomarkers. Thus, our objectives were 1) to evaluate the temporal kinetics of systemic and synovial fluid SAA in horses with septic ar...
Buyck C, Zani DD, Robert M, Gustafsson K.Computed tomography (CT) is increasingly recognized as superior to conventional imaging methods for diagnosing osteomyelitis in foals. However, comprehensive studies in this area are limited. This study aims to report on clinical cases of osteomyelitis in foals, establishing a relationship between CT findings and survival outcomes. Additionally, it compares CT imaging with conventional methods such as radiography and ultrasound. We hypothesized that CT variables would more accurately predict survival than other clinical factors and provide more detailed information about osteomyelitis lesions....
Nassar AFC, Chiebao DP, Fava CD, Miyashiro S, Castro V, Ogata RA, Yamamora JM, Monteiro CAS, Monteiro EJB.Glanders is a zoonotic disease of equids caused by the bacterium Burkholderia mallei, responsible for considerable economic loss. This study aimed to describe the clinical manifestations, pathological findings, and also bacteriological and molecular methods for agent detection in naturally infected animals (16 adult horses and one fetus) detected by serological survey from three glanders outbreaks. Of the 16 horses, 6 (37.5%) did not show clinical signs. After necropsy,samples of organs, lymph nodes, lesions and secretions were collectedfor histopathology, bacterial isolation, and PCR. The cli...
Jung C, Gentil M, Müller E.The objective of the study was to investigate the age dependent occurrence of different infectious agents in foals with diarrhea. Methods: Fecal samples, which were submitted to a commercial laboratory for a PCR-profile "Foal Diarrhea Pathogens" from 01.01.2021 up to 31.12.2022 (n=144), were examined for Equine Coronavirus (ECoV), , (), toxin-encoding genes , , , and , toxin-encoding genes and , as well as Rotavirus A via PCR. Results: Pathogens could be detected in a high proportion (42.9%) of the samples. Rotavirus A was the most prevalent pathogen in the current study, followed by clos...
Rossdale PD, Hopes R, Digby NJ, offord K.An epidemiological study of wastage among racehorses was conducted in 1982 and 1983 among six stables, five of which were in Newmarket. The basis of the survey was the inability of horses to take part in cantering exercise as a result of injury or disease. The greatest number of days lost to training was caused by lameness (67.6 per cent) and respiratory problems (20.5 per cent). Conditions of the foot (19 pe cent), muscle (18 per cent), carpus (14 per cent), fetlock joints (14 per cent), tendons (10 per cent) and sore shins (9 per cent) were the major reasons for training days being lost in 1...
Pirie RS.Recurrent airway obstruction is a widely recognised airway disorder, characterised by hypersensitivity-mediated neutrophilic airway inflammation and lower airway obstruction in a subpopulation of horses when exposed to suboptimal environments high in airborne organic dust. Over the past decade, numerous studies have further advanced our understanding of different aspects of the disease. These include clarification of the important inhaled airborne agents responsible for disease induction, improving our understanding of the underlying genetic basis of disease susceptibility and unveiling the fu...
Cheevers WP, McGuire TC.Equine infectious anemia (EIA) is a chronic, relapsing infectious disease of horses caused by a nononcogenic retrovirus. Virus persists in infected animals for life and can be reliably detected by serologic tests that measure levels of antibody to the major structural protein of the virus. Periodic virus replication in macrophages leads to an immunologically mediated acute disease characterized primarily by severe anemia. Recrudescence of acute EIA is the result of antigenic variation of the surface glycoprotein of EIA virus. The frequency and severity of clinical episodes of EIA decrease in m...
Lyons S, Kapoor A, Sharp C, Schneider BS, Wolfe ND, Culshaw G, Corcoran B, McGorum BC, Simmonds P.Although the origin of hepatitis C virus infections in humans remains undetermined, a close homolog of this virus, termed canine hepacivirus (CHV) and found in respiratory secretions of dogs, provides evidence for a wider distribution of hepaciviruses in mammals. We determined frequencies of active infection among dogs and other mammals in the United Kingdom. Samples from dogs (46 respiratory, 99 plasma, 45 autopsy samples) were CHV negative by PCR. Screening of 362 samples from cats, horses, donkeys, rodents, and pigs identified 3 (2%) positive samples from 142 horses. These samples were gene...
Bond S, Léguillette R, Richard EA, Couetil L, Lavoie JP, Martin JG, Pirie RS.The term "equine asthma" has been proposed as a unifying descriptor of inflammatory airway disease (IAD), recurrent airway obstruction (RAO), and summer pasture-associated obstructive airway disease. Whilst the term will increase comprehensibility for both the lay and scientific communities, its biologic relevance must be compared and contrasted to asthma in human medicine, recognizing the limited availability of peer-reviewed equine-derived data, which are largely restricted to clinical signs, measures of airway obstruction and inflammation and response to therapy. Such limitations constrain ...
Lab on a chipApril 26, 2020
Volume 20, Issue 9 1621-1627 doi: 10.1039/d0lc00304b
Sun F, Ganguli A, Nguyen J, Brisbin R, Shanmugam K, Hirschberg DL, Wheeler MB, Bashir R, Nash DM, Cunningham BT.Rapid, sensitive and specific detection and reporting of infectious pathogens is important for patient management and epidemic surveillance. We demonstrated a point-of-care system integrated with a smartphone for detecting live virus from nasal swab media, using a panel of equine respiratory infectious diseases as a model system for corresponding human diseases such as COVID-19. Specific nucleic acid sequences of five pathogens were amplified by loop-mediated isothermal amplification on a microfluidic chip and detected at the end of reactions by the smartphone. Pathogen-spiked horse nasal swab...
Bryant NA, Rash AS, Russell CA, Ross J, Cooke A, Bowman S, MacRae S, Lewis NS, Paillot R, Zanoni R, Meier H, Griffiths LA, Daly JM, Tiwari A....Equine influenza virus (EIV) surveillance is important in the management of equine influenza. It provides data on circulating and newly emerging strains for vaccine strain selection. To this end, antigenic characterisation by haemaggluttination inhibition (HI) assay and phylogenetic analysis was carried out on 28 EIV strains isolated in North America and Europe during 2006 and 2007. In the UK, 20 viruses were isolated from 28 nasopharyngeal swabs that tested positive by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. All except two of the UK viruses were characterised as members of the Florida sublineage w...
Harr KE, Flatland B, Nabity M, Freeman KP.As all laboratory equipment ages and contains components that may degrade with time, initial and periodically scheduled performance assessment is required to verify accurate and precise results over the life of the instrument. As veterinary patients may present to general practitioners and then to referral hospitals (both of which may each perform in-clinic laboratory analyses using different instruments), and given that general practitioners may send samples to reference laboratories, there is a need for comparability of results across instruments and methods. Allowable total error (TEa ) is ...
Shin EK, Perryman LE, Meek K.The equine SCID defect is more severe than its murine counterpart in that SCID foals are incapable of forming either coding or signal joints, whereas SCID mice manifest normal signal joint formation. To determine the basis of this difference and whether DNA-dependent kinase, catalytic subunit (DNA-PK(CS)), is involved in signal joint formation, equine DNA-PK(CS) transcripts were cloned and sequenced from normal and SCID cell lines. In the mutant allele, a frame-shift mutation truncates the protein N terminal of the domain with homology to the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase family resulting in c...
Couëtil LL, Hoffman AM, Hodgson J, Buechner-Maxwell V, Viel L, Wood JL, Lavoie JP.The purpose of this consensus statement is to provide a review of current knowledge and opinions concerning inflammatory airway disease (IAD) and to help practitioners differentiate IAD from heaves (or recurrent airway obstruction; RAO) and other inflammatory respiratory diseases of horses.
Cantile C, Di Guardo G, Eleni C, Arispici M.West Nile (WN) virus infection is a mosquito-borne flavivirosis endemic in Africa and Asia. Clinical disease is usually rare and mild and only in a few cases the infection causes encephalomyelitis in horses, fever and meningoencephalitis in man. We report here the clinical and pathological findings in an epidemic of the disease involving 14 horses from Tuscany, Italy. All cases were observed from August to October 1998. Affected horses showed ataxia, weakness paresis of the hindlimbs and, in 6 cases, there was paraparesis progressing to tetraplegia and recumbency within 2 to 9 days. Eight anim...
Bhoora R, Franssen L, Oosthuizen MC, Guthrie AJ, Zweygarth E, Penzhorn BL, Jongejan F, Collins NE.A molecular epidemiological survey of the protozoal parasites that cause equine piroplasmosis was conducted using samples collected from horses and zebra from different geographical locations in South Africa. A total of 488 samples were tested for the presence of Theileria equi and/or Babesia caballi using the reverse line blot hybridization assay. Ten percent of the samples hybridized to the Theileria/Babesia genus-specific probe and not to the B. caballi or T. equi species-specific probes, suggesting the presence of a novel species or genotype. The small subunit of rRNA gene (18S; approximat...
Rodriguez C, Taminiau B, Brévers B, Avesani V, Van Broeck J, Leroux A, Gallot M, Bruwier A, Amory H, Delmée M, Daube G.The equine faecal microbiota is very complex and remains largely unknown, while interspecies interactions have an important contribution to animal health. Clostridium difficile has been identified as an important cause of diarrhoea in horses. This study provides further information on the nature of the bacterial communities present in horses developing an episode of diarrhoea. The prevalence of C. difficile in hospitalised horses at the time of admission is also reported. Results: Bacterial diversity of the gut microbiota in diarrhoea is lower than that in non-diarrhoeic horses in terms of spe...
Brosnahan MM, Paradis MR.To describe the demographic and clinical characteristics of a population of geriatric horses. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: 467 horses that were > or = 20 years of age. Methods: Medical records of 539 geriatric horses that were evaluated at a university large animal hospital between 1989 and 1999 were reviewed. Data collected included signalment, reason for evaluation, specific diagnoses, surgical procedures, inpatient or outpatient care, duration of hospitalization, and outcome. Results: 467 horses met the criteria for inclusion in the study. Horses that were > or = 20 years of age c...
Oladunni FS, Horohov DW, Chambers TM.Equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) is one of the most important and prevalent viral pathogens of horses and a major threat to the equine industry throughout most of the world. EHV-1 primarily causes respiratory disease but viral spread to distant organs enables the development of more severe sequelae; abortion and neurologic disease. The virus can also undergo latency during which viral genes are minimally expressed, and reactivate to produce lytic infection at any time. Recently, there has been a trend of increasing numbers of outbreaks of a devastating form of EHV-1, equine herpesviral myeloenceph...
Richter PJ, Kimsey RB, Madigan JE, Barlough JE, Dumler JS, Brooks DL.Ehrlichia equi, a rickettsia described from horses in California 30 yr ago, causes equine granulocytic ehrlichiosis throughout the Americas and possibly Europe. Here, we report experimental transmission of E. equi from infected to susceptible horses through bites of western blacklegged ticks, Ixodes pacificus (Cooley & Kohls). In preliminary field studies, only I. pacificus consistently infested horses and vegetation at 3 locations with contemporary cases of equine ehrlichosis, and in particular, I. pacificus was the only species found attached to all of the infected horses. Exposure to bites ...
Stewart AS, Pratt-Phillips S, Gonzalez LM.All species, including horses, suffer from alterations that increase intestinal permeability. These alterations, also known as "leaky gut," may lead to severe disease as the normal intestinal barrier becomes compromised and can no longer protect against harmful luminal contents including microbial toxins and pathogens. Leaky gut results from a variety of conditions including physical stressors, decreased blood flow to the intestine, inflammatory disease, and pathogenic infections, among others. Several testing methods exist to diagnose these alterations in both a clinical and research setting....
Rizzo C, Napoli C, Venturi G, Pupella S, Lombardini L, Calistri P, Monaco F, Cagarelli R, Angelini P, Bellini R, Tamba M, Piatti A, Russo F, Palù G....In Italy a national Plan for the surveillance of imported and autochthonous human vector-borne diseases (chikungunya, dengue, Zika virus disease and West Nile virus (WNV) disease) that integrates human and veterinary (animals and vectors) surveillance, is issued and revised annually according with the observed epidemiological changes. Here we describe results of the WNV integrated veterinary and human surveillance systems in Italy from 2008 to 2015. A real time data exchange protocol is in place between the surveillance systems to rapidly identify occurrence of human and animal cases and to de...
Cullinane A, Newton JR.To date, equine influenza outbreaks have been reported all over the world with the exception of a small number of island nations including New Zealand and Iceland. Influenza is endemic in Europe and North America and is considered to be of potentially major economic significance to the equine industry worldwide. The importation of subclinically infected vaccinated horses, and inadequate quarantine procedures have resulted in several major outbreaks in susceptible populations for example, in Australia (2007) when more than 76,000 horses on over 10,000 properties were reported as infected. This ...
Kapoor A, Simmonds P, Cullen JM, Scheel TK, Medina JL, Giannitti F, Nishiuchi E, Brock KV, Burbelo PD, Rice CM, Lipkin WI.The recent identification of nonprimate hepaciviruses in dogs and then in horses prompted us to look for pegiviruses (GB virus-like viruses) in these species. Although none were detected in canines, we found widespread natural infection of horses by a novel pegivirus. Unique genomic features and phylogenetic analyses confirmed that the tentatively named equine pegivirus (EPgV) represents a novel species within the Pegivirus genus. We also determined that EPgV causes persistent viremia whereas its clinical significance is undetermined.
Alhassan A, Pumidonming W, Okamura M, Hirata H, Battsetseg B, Fujisaki K, Yokoyama N, Igarashi I.With the aim of developing more simple diagnostic alternatives, a differential single-round and multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method was designed for the simultaneous detection of Babesia caballi and Babesia equi, by targeting 18S ribosomal RNA genes. The multiplex PCR amplified DNA fragments of 540 and 392 bp from B. caballi and B. equi, respectively, in one reaction. The PCR method evaluated on 39 blood samples collected from domestic horses in Mongolia yielded similar results to those obtained from confirmative PCR methods that had been established earlier. Thus, the single-roun...
Taylor SE, Vaughan-Thomas A, Clements DN, Pinchbeck G, Macrory LC, Smith RK, Clegg PD.There is a paucity of data regarding molecular markers that identify the phenotype of the tendon cell. This study aims to quantify gene expression markers that distinguish between tendon fibroblasts and other mesenchymal cells which may be used to investigate tenogenesis. Methods: Expression levels for 12 genes representative of musculoskeletal tissues, including the proposed tendon progenitor marker scleraxis, relative to validated reference genes, were evaluated in matched samples of equine tendon (harvested from the superficial digital flexor tendon), cartilage and bone using quantitative P...
Takai S, Koike K, Ohbushi S, Izumi C, Tsubaki S.Antigens of Rhodococcus equi were analyzed by immunoblotting with naturally infected foal sera. Immunoblots of whole-cell antigen preparations of clinical isolates of R. equi revealed that major protein bands with molecular masses of 15 to 17 kDa were present in all clinical isolates tested and all isolates virulent for mice. In contrast, the 15- to 17-kDa antigens were not identified by immunoblotting in ATCC 6939, a type strain of R. equi that was avirulent for mice. Whole-cell antigens of 102 environmental isolates were investigated by immunoblotting and the mouse pathogenicity test. Twenty...
Rushlow K, Olsen K, Stiegler G, Payne SL, Montelaro RC, Issel CJ.The nucleotide sequence of the envelope (env) gene region of equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV), a member of the lentivirus subfamily of retroviruses, has been determined from a clone of integrated proviral DNA for which the gag and pol sequences have been reported previously. The env gene is 859 codons in length and the sequence reported here is consistent with the published biochemical properties of EIAV glycoproteins. The env gene region of EIAV shares considerable structural similarities but negligible sequence homologies with the env genes of other members of the lentivirus subfamily, ...
Keel MK, Songer JG.Clostridium difficile is a confirmed pathogen in a wide variety of mammals, but the incidence of disease varies greatly in relation to host species, age, environmental density of spores, administration of antibiotics, and possibly, other factors. Lesions vary as well, in severity and distribution within individuals, and in some instances, age groups, of a given species. The cecum and colon are principally affected in most species, but foals and rabbits develop severe jejunal lesions. Explanations for variable susceptibility of species, and age groups within a species, are largely speculative. ...
Nara PL, Garrity RR, Goudsmit J.The production of immunoglobulin capable of neutralizing the infectivity of a virus represents one of the most remarkable molecular accomplishments of the host's available immune defenses. It should be no surprise that a virus that has existed in the parenchyma of the immune system has evolved as an equally dynamic molecule (i.e., viral envelope) for survival. Neutralizing immunoglobulin (Ig) can best serve the host under conditions where the invading pathogen requires a well-defined cell-free state for establishing an infection or transmission. Evidence for a controlling and therefore protect...
Browning GF, Fitzgerald TA, Chalmers RM, Snodgrass DR.Equine rotavirus FI23 was shown to be prototypic of a novel G serotype, provisionally G14, by cross-neutralization and VP7 sequence determination. Although distinct, there are as few as six differing amino acid residues (92, 94, 96, 146, 147, and 221) in the VP7 antigenic regions of FI23 and G3 rotaviruses.
Tell LA.Aspergillosis is relatively uncommon in mammals, but dogs, horses, cows and dolphins are susceptible. On the other hand, aspergillosis is a major cause of mortality in birds. This paper provides an overview of the manifestations of this disease in these animals. Treatment options are still lacking, but the increased incidence of the disease in humans has led to increased study, which may benefit both human and veterinary medicine.
