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.
Ibrahim S, Hedia M, Taqi MO, Derbala MK, Mahmoud KGM, Ahmed Y, Sosa AS, Saber YHA, Hasanain MH, Nawito MF, Seidel GE.Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are a promising biomarker and play a vital role in cell-cell communication. This study aimed (I) to identify and characterize EVs from low volume uterine lavage (LVL) and serum in mares with endometritis, compared to healthy controls and (II) to measure serum levels of interleukin 6 (IL-6), and prostaglandins (PGF and PGE). Mares were divided into 30 sub-fertile (endometritis) and 20 fertile (controls). Serum and LVL was collected for EV isolation, and determination of serum levels of inflammatory mediators. Characterization and visualization of EVs were done by el...
Minamijima Y, Tozaki T, Kuroda T, Urayama S, Nomura M, Yamamoto K.Equine colitis is a diarrhoeal disease caused by inflammation of the large bowel and can potentially be life-threatening due to its rapid progression. Pathogenesis is multifactorial and pathophysiology is highly complicated, therefore, reliable diagnostic biomarkers are needed in the veterinary field. Objective: Serum is one of the most commonly used diagnostic tools in equine clinical investigation. To discover diagnostic or prognostic protein markers for colitis in horse serum, comprehensive and comparative proteomic analysis was conducted using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry...
Olstad K, Aasmundstad T, Kongsro J, Grindflek E.Computed tomography (CT) is used to evaluate body composition and limb osteochondrosis in selection of breeding boars. Pigs also develop heritably predisposed abnormal curvature of the spine including juvenile kyphosis. It has been suggested that osteochondrosis-like changes cause vertebral wedging and kyphosis, both of which are identifiable by CT. The aim of the current study was to examine the spine from occiput to sacrum to map changes and evaluate relationships, especially whether osteochondrosis caused juvenile kyphosis, in which case CT could be used in selection against it. Whole-body ...
Fitzgerald AH, Magnin G, Pace E, Bischoff K, Pinn-Woodcock T, Vin R, Myhre M, Comstock E, Ensley S, Coetzee JF.Marijuana toxicosis is typically seen by companion animal veterinarians. However, with increased marijuana availability, there is a greater potential for toxicosis in other species. Herein we describe a case of suspected marijuana toxicosis in a female and a male American Mammoth donkey, aged 8 y and 20 y, respectively, fed cannabis buds. Both cases were presented because of depression and lethargy. However, the jenny had ataxia, mild colic, tachycardia, tachypnea, and decreased tongue tone. Plasma samples from the jenny on presentation and 3 d following hospitalization were submitted to...
Schreeg ME, Radkin M, Haugland J, Murphy BG, Rushton S, Linder KE.Ameloblastic carcinoma is a malignant odontogenic neoplasm that has been reported only rarely in veterinary species. A 16-y-old Arabian crossbred mare was presented for evaluation of a hard mass on the body of the mandible, with evidence of osteolysis on radiographs. Incisional biopsies revealed an invasive neoplasm comprised of spindloid epithelial cells with a high mitotic count and partial dual cytokeratin-vimentin immunoreactivity. The horse was euthanized because of rapid tumor progression 3 mo after presentation. Postmortem evaluation revealed partial obliteration of the mandible by a ...
Górski K, Stefanik E, Bereznowski A, Polkowska I, Turek B.Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) is a stress-free, relatively safe method supporting the treatment of many different diseases. Although it is widely used in human medicine (including dentistry), in veterinary medicine, especially in the treatment of horses, there are not many scientifically described and documented cases of its use. Equine Odontoclastic Tooth Resorption and Hypercementosis syndrome is a disease that affects older horses and significantly reduces their quality of life. The only effective treatment for this condition is extraction of the incisors. The described case compares the...
Sahu A, Dhanze H, Singh V, Mehta D, Gupta M, Singh M, Vinod VK, Gulati BR.Japanese encephalitis (JE) is a re-emerging mosquito borne disease, for which equines are most susceptible amongst all animals. Detection of specific immunoglobulin 'M' (IgM) is considered as an ideal way to diagnose recent JE virus infection in equines due to low virus load and short-term viremia. The present study was undertaken to develop a sensitive and specific recombinant NS1 protein based indirect IgM-ELISA and IgM capture (MAC) ELISA to diagnose recent infection of JEV in equines. Indirect IgM ELISA was standardized with relative diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of 100% and 88.5%...
Câmara ACL, de Sousa Argenta VL, de Moraes DDA, Fonseca EF, Fino TCM, Paludo GR, Soto-Blanco B.Determining the prognosis of poisoning by plants containing pyrrolizidine alkaloids is usually challenging. This study aimed to identify important prognostic parameters that can determine the severity of spontaneous poisoning by in horses. Blood samples from 42 horses spontaneously poisoned by oats contaminated with seeds were evaluated. Complete blood counts (CBC) and serum biochemical tests [urea, creatinine, total protein, albumin, total and direct bilirubin concentrations, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), γ-glutamyl transferase (GGT), and creatine kinase (CK) activities] were performed...
Pearce CJ, Brooks N.Caries of the infundibula of equine cheek teeth can lead to significant dental disease including increased attritional wear, pulpar and apical disease, secondary sinusitis, and dental fracture. Restorations of cavities of equine cheek teeth infundibula have been performed since 1889. Recent advances in dental materials, instrumentation, and techniques have facilitated the use of dental restoration techniques by equine veterinary practitioners. No studies to date have demonstrated the safety or efficacy of restorations of equine cheek teeth infundibula. Objective: To assess the long-term result...
Kinsella HM, Hostnik LD, Snyder HA, Mazur SE, Kamr AM, Burns TA, Mossbarger JC, Toribio RE.The equine neonate is considered to have impaired glucose tolerance due to delayed maturation of the pancreatic endocrine system. Few studies have investigated insulin sensitivity in newborn foals using dynamic testing methods. The objective of this study was to assess insulin sensitivity by comparing the insulin-modified frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance test (I-FSIGTT) between neonatal foals and adult horses. This study was performed on healthy neonatal foals (n = 12), 24 to 60 hours of age, and horses (n = 8), 3 to 14 years of age using dextrose (300 mg/kg IV) and insulin (0....
Buhl R, Hesselkilde EM, Carstensen H, Hopster-Iversen C, van Loon G, Decloedt A, Van Steenkiste G, Marr CM, Reef VB, Schwarzwald CC, Mitchell KJ....The recurrence rate of atrial fibrillation (AF) in horses after cardioversion to sinus rhythm (SR) is relatively high. Atrial fibrillatory rate (AFR) derived from surface ECG is considered a biomarker for electrical remodelling and could potentially be used for the prediction of successful AF cardioversion and AF recurrence. Objective: Evaluate if AFR was associated with successful treatment and could predict AF recurrence in horses. Methods: Retrospective multicentre study. Methods: Electrocardiograms (ECG) from horses with persistent AF admitted for cardioversion with either medical treatmen...
Gonzlez CR, Elgueta M, Krolow TK, Henriques AL.A catalog of the Tabanidae from Chile is provided. All valid names and synonyms for the 116 species and 25 genera known for the country including information about name, author, year of publication, page number, type species, type locality and references are listed. The species Dasybasis albohirta (Walker) is cited for the first time for Chile. The type locality of Dasybasis nigrifrons (Philippi) is corrected to Chile (Todos Los Santos Lake). The dates of the description of Tabanus nigrifrons Philippi (now Dasybasis), and Pangonia australis Philippi (now Pseudoscione) are corrected from their ...
Malik CE, Wong DM, Dembek KA, Wilson KE.To determine the accuracy of 2 interstitial glucose-monitoring systems (GMSs) for use in horses compared with a point-of-care (POC) glucometer and standard laboratory enzymatic chemistry method (CHEM). Methods: 8 clinically normal adult horses. Methods: One of each GMS device (Dexcom G6 and Freestyle Libre 14-day) was placed on each horse, and blood glucose concentration was measured via POC and CHEM at 33 time points and compared with simultaneous GMS readings. An oral glucose absorption test (OGAT) was performed on day 2, and glucose concentrations were measured and compared. Results: Glucos...
Fairbanks EL, Brennan ML, Mertens PPC, Tildesley MJ, Daly JM.African horse sickness (AHS) is a vector-borne disease transmitted by Culicoides spp., endemic to sub-Saharan Africa. There have been many examples of historic and recent outbreaks in the Middle East, Asia and Europe. However, not much is known about infection dynamics and outbreak potential in these naive populations. In order to better inform a previously published ordinary differential equation model, we performed a systematic literature search to identify studies documenting experimental infection of naive (control) equids in vaccination trials. Data on the time until the onset of viraemia...
Engiles JB, Uzal FA, Navarro MA, Reef VB, Bender SJ.Phlegmonous gastritis was diagnosed in 2 yearling fillies that were presented with a 1-wk history of fever, lethargy, and hypoproteinemia, associated with a previous diagnosis of equine proliferative enteropathy based on clinical signs and PCR assay detection of Lawsonia intracellularis in fecal samples. Abdominal ultrasound revealed enlargement of the stomach and expansion of its submucosal layer with hypoechoic fluid, as well as thickened hypomotile small intestinal segments. Given the poor prognosis and poor response to treatment, both horses were euthanized, one on the day of presentation ...
Hardeman AM, Egenvall A, Serra Bragança FM, Swagemakers JH, Koene MHW, Roepstorff L, van Weeren R, Byström A.Quantitative gait analysis offers objective information to support clinical decision-making during lameness workups including advantages in terms of documentation, communication, education, and avoidance of expectation bias. Nevertheless, hardly any data exist comparing outcome of subjective scoring with the output of objective gait analysis systems. Objective: To investigate between- and within-veterinarian agreement on primary lame limb and lameness grade, and to determine relationships between subjective lameness grade and quantitative data, focusing on differences between (1) veterinarians...
Raisi A, Davoodi F.The purpose of this review is to provide a comprehensive comparison of spermatic cord torsion in domestic animals. Spermatic cord torsion leads to occlusion of testicular blood flow resulting in ischemia and tissue hypoxia. Spermatic cord torsion has been reported in all domestic mammals but dogs and horses are overrepresented. Abdominal pain (colic), anorexia, vomiting, lameness, and stiff gait are the most common clinical signs reported. The condition may be asymptomatic in cases of a low degree of spermatic cord torsion. In dogs, spermatic cord torsion is most commonly reported in undescend...
Hwang H, Dong HJ, Han J, Cho S, Kim Y, Lee I.Gastric ulcer is one of the prevalent diseases in racehorses. However, it has not been recognized as important in Korea, and drugs used to treat gastric ulcers are included in the doping test list, so they are not allowed to be administered to racehorses in training. Objective: This study was performed 1) to investigate the prevalence and the severity of gastric ulcers in Thoroughbred racehorses in Korea, 2) to confirm the therapeutic effect of ranitidine and omeprazole, and 3) to compare the efficacy between ranitidine and omeprazole. Methods: Forty-nine horses were randomly recruited, and ga...
Mohammed R, Nader SM, Hamza DA, Sabry MA.Cryptococcosis is an opportunistic mycozoonosis of global significance in a wide variety of host species. In equines, cryptococcosis is uncommon, and sporadic cases have been reported with rhinitis, sinusitis, pneumonia, and meningitis. Cryptococcus spp. represents a potential risk for immunosuppressed and healthy persons. In Egypt, epidemiological data on cryptococcal infection in horses are limited. The current study was carried out to investigate the occurrence of Cryptococcus spp. in horses and its possible role in the epidemiology of such disease in Egypt. A total of 223 samples was colle...
Oliveira FAS, Castro RJS, de Oliveira JF, Barreto FM, Farias MPO, Marinho GLOC, Soares MJDS, Silva-Júnior A, Schwarz DGG.In Brazil, the horse is frequently used in cultural activities, sports, and in rural and urban work, implementing the economy in different social classes. Among the diseases in horses with zoonotic potential, rabies has been neglected in the country, increasing the risk of spreading the disease across borders. The present study evaluated the spatiotemporal distribution and temporal trend of rabies in horses in Brazil between 2010 and 2019. During this period, 1290 cases of rabies were detected in horses in Brazil, mainly in the states of São Paulo (21.7%) and Mato Grosso (13.3%). However, Esp...
Sterkenburgh T, Schulz-Kornas E, Nowak M, Staszyk C.Equine mastication, as well as dental wear patterns, is highly important for the development of treatments in equine dentistry. During the last decades, the stress and strain distributions of equine teeth have been successfully simulated using finite element analysis. Yet, to date, there is no simulation available for dental tooth wear in equines. In this study, we developed a simplified two-dimensional computer simulation of dental wear. It provides a first tentative explanation for the development of the marked physiological inclination of the occlusal surface and for pathological conditions...
Hewetson M, Tallon R.This narrative review explores the etiopathogenesis, clinical signs, diagnosis and treatment of ESGD (equine squamous gastric disease) and discusses the impact of this commonly encountered condition on the equine industry. ESGD refers specifically to peptic injury of the squamous mucosa of the stomach. Prevalence is highest in performance horses, but the disease has been documented across many breeds and ages, including in feral horses and foals. The pathogenesis of ESGD is well understood. Intensive management and exercise are important factors that contribute to a disruption of the normal st...
Gomaa N, Elemiri M, Hegazy Y, Zeineldin M, Nassif M, Alcala-Canto Y, Barbabosa-Pliego A, Rivas-Caceres RR, Abdelmegeid M.A retrospective cohort study was conducted on two Egyptian horse farms with most of horses were suffered from abdominal pain to describe the associations between the occurrence of mycotoxicosis and equine colic. The farms owner complain was an unexpected increase in number of colic cases and deaths among horses. The association between colic and risk factors (sex, type of food either dry or mixed with roughages and hematobiochemical parameters) was compared using independent sample T-test. The associations between possible prognostic indicators for colic caused by mycotoxicosis was estimated u...
Fuentes-Romero B, Muñoz-Prieto A, Cerón JJ, MartÃn-Cuervo M, Iglesias-GarcÃa M, Aguilera-Tejero E, DÃez-Castro E.Obesity and its associated complications, such as metabolic syndrome, are an increasing problem in both humans and horses in the developed world. The expression patterns of resistin differ considerably between species. In rodents, resistin is expressed by adipocytes and is related to obesity and ID. In humans, resistin is predominantly produced by inflammatory cells, and resistin concentrations do not reflect the degree of obesity, although they may predict cardiovascular outcomes. The aim of this study was to investigate the usefulness of resistin and its relationship with ID and selected ind...
Yoon J, Park T, Kim A, Song H, Park BJ, Ahn HS, Go HJ, Kim DH, Lee JB, Park SY, Song CS, Lee SW, Choi IS.Equine parvovirus-hepatitis (EqPV-H) and equine hepacivirus (EqHV) are etiologically associated with Theiler's disease (TD), causing fulminant equine hepatitis, but the transmission route and co-infection effect remain unclear. We determined EqPV-H and EqHV prevalence and coinfection rate in 160 serum and 114 faecal samples using nested polymerase chain reaction. Amino acid and nucleotide analyses were performed and phylogenetic trees were constructed. By measuring liver-specific parameters (AST, GGT, TBIL and A/G ratio), hepatopathological changes in viremia status were compared. We found a h...
Westendorf J, Wobeser B, Epp T.Inter- and intra-rater variability negatively affects the reliability of various histopathology grading scales used as prognostic aids in human and veterinary medicine. The Kenney-Doig categorization (grading) scale, which is used to associate equine endometrial histologic lesions with prognostic estimation of a broodmare's reproductive potential, has not been evaluated for inter- or intra-rater variability, to our knowledge. To assess whether the Kenney-Doig system produces reliable results among observers, 8 pathologists, all with American College of Veterinary Pathologists certification, we...
Goto A, Tagami M, Kato F, Suzuki T, Yamaga T, Murase H, Sato F, Tsogtgerel M, Niikura T, Moriyama T, Chiba A, Watanabe KI, Tsuzuki N, Nambo Y.We performed a standing hand-assisted laparoscopic ovariectomy in a draft mare that presented with high serum anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) level and had an enlarged single cystic ovary. Histopathological examination revealed no tumor cell proliferation in the ovary, but the presence of a large ovarian cyst was confirmed. In the diagnosis of abnormal ovaries in mares, a comprehensive assessment should be performed, including the monitoring of ovarian morphology and biomarkers over time, to determine the disease prognosis and treatment plan. The case of this mare with a nonneoplastic abnormal o...
Mbu'u CM, Mbacham WF, Gontao P, Sado Kamdem SL, Nlôga AMN, Groschup MH, Wade A, Fischer K, Balkema-Buschmann A.Nipah virus (NiV) and Hendra virus (HeV) are closely related members within the genus Henipavirus, family Paramyxoviridae, for which fruit bats serve as the reservoir. The initial emergence of NiV infections in pigs and humans in Malaysia, and HeV infections in horses and humans in Australia, posed severe impacts on human and animal health, and continues threatening lives of humans and livestock within Southeast Asia and Australia. Recently, henipavirus-specific antibodies have also been detected in fruit bats in a number of sub-Saharan African countries and in Brazil, thereby considerably inc...
Ochoa M, Bárcena J, de la Luna S, Melero JA, Douglas AR, Nieto A, OrtÃn J, Skehel JJ, Portela A.Characterization of the epitopes recognized by 21 monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) specific for the influenza A virus PA (13 MAbs) and PB2 (8 MAbs) polypeptides (Bárcena et al. (1994) J. Virol. 68, 6900-6909) raised against denatured polypeptides produced in E. coli is described. MAbs were characterized by: (1) competitive binding ELISAs; (2) mapping of the protein regions that specify their binding sites; and (3) analyses of their ability to recognize the corresponding viral protein in a number of viral isolates. Five and three non-overlapping antigenic areas were defined by the anti-PA and anti...
Staiger EA, Tseng CT, Miller D, Cassano JM, Nasir L, Garrick D, Brooks SA, Antczak DF.The common equine skin tumors known as sarcoids have been causally associated with infection by bovine papillomavirus (BPV). Additionally, there is evidence for host genetic susceptibility to sarcoids. We investigated the genetic basis of susceptibility to sarcoid tumors on a cohort of 82 affected horses and 270 controls genotyped on a genome-wide platform and two custom panels. A Genome Wide Association Study (GWAS) identified candidate regions on six chromosomes. Bayesian probability analysis of the same dataset verified only the regions on equine chromosomes (ECA) 20 and 22. Fine mapping us...
Sprague LD, Zachariah R, Neubauer H, Wernery R, Joseph M, Scholz HC, Wernery U.The internationally mandatory complement fixation test (CFT) for testing of equine sera for the absence of glanders has repeatedly led to discrepant results. Not only do "false positive" sera pose a problem for the diagnostician and the animal health authorities but they can also result in significant financial losses for the animal owners.Due to the very low prevalence of glanders in the horse population it is of major importance to use tests with a high specificity to overcome unreliable predictive values. We have compared formalin-fixed B. mallei whole cell antigen and a well characterised ...
Gibney KB, Robinson S, Mutebi JP, Hoenig DE, Bernier BJ, Webber L, Lubelczyk C, Nett RJ, Fischer M.Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) is one of the most severe arboviral encephalitides in North America. Before 2009, limited nonhuman EEE virus activity had been reported in Maine, all from the southernmost area of the state. No human case has been reported in a Maine resident. Methods: We review all EEE virus activity reported to Maine Centers for Disease Control in 2009 and describe current testing practices for possible human EEE cases. Results: In 2009, fatal cases of EEE were identified in 15 horses, 1 llama, and 3 flocks of pheasants in Maine, with activity extending into the central part...
Angulo-Valadez CE, Scholl PJ, Cepeda-Palacios R, Jacquiet P, Dorchies P.Larvae causing obligatory myiasis are numerous and they may affect cutaneous and subcutaneous tissues, wounds, nasopharyngeal cavities (nasal bots), internal organs and the digestive tract (bots) of domestic and wild animals and humans as well. Nasal bots belong to the Family Oestridae, Subfamily Oestrinae, which includes several important genera: Oestrus, Kirkioestrus, and Gedoelstia infecting Artiodactyla (except Cervidae) in Africa and Eurasia, Cephenemyia and Pharyngomyia infecting Cervidae, Rhinoestrus infecting horses, Cephalopina infecting camels, Pharyngobolus infecting African elephan...
Kurowski PB, Traub-Dargatz JL, Morley PS, Gentry-Weeks CR.To use real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology to develop a highly sensitive and specific diagnostic assay for the detection of Salmonella spp in fecal specimens. Methods: 299 fecal specimens from cattle, horses, and dogs. Methods: Enrichment of fecal specimens was followed by genomic DNA extraction by use of commercially available isolation kits. Real-time PCR assay was performed to target a Salmonella spp-specific DNA segment. Results of real-time PCR assay were compared with bacterial culture results to determine relative sensitivity and specificity. Results: Use of the spaQ pr...
Ikadai H, Xuan X, Igarashi I, Tanaka S, Kanemaru T, Nagasawa H, Fujisaki K, Suzuki N, Mikami T.A cDNA expression library prepared from Babesia caballi merozoite mRNA was screened with a monoclonal antibody BC11D against the rhoptry protein of B. caballi merozoite. A cDNA encoding a 48-kDa protein of B. caballi was cloned and designated BC48. The complete nucleotide sequence of the BC48 gene had 1,828 bp and was shown to contain no intron. Southern blotting analysis indicated that the BC48 gene contained more than two copies in the B. caballi genome. Computer analysis suggested that this sequence contained an open reading frame of 1,374 bp with a coding capacity of approximately 52 kDa. ...
Silva JR, Medeiros LC, Reis VP, Chavez JH, Munhoz TD, Borges GP, Soares OA, Campos CH, Machado RZ, Baldani CD, Silva ML, Faria JL, Silva EE....Since the emergence of West Nile virus (WNV) in North America in 1999, there have been several reports of WNV activity in Central and South American countries. To detect WNV in Brazil, we performed a serological survey of horses from different regions of Brazil using recombinant peptides from domain III of WNV. Positive samples were validated with the neutralisation test. Our results showed that of 79 ELISA-positive horses, nine expressed WNV-specific neutralising antibodies. Eight of the infected horses were from the state of Mato Grosso do Sul and one was from the state of ParaÃba. Our resu...
Padalino B, Davis GL, Raidal SL.Transportation has been suggested as a risk factor for gastric ulceration in horses, but limited evidence supports this assumption. Methods: Twenty-six Standardbred, Thoroughbred, and Warmblood mares from a university teaching herd. Methods: Twelve mares were confined for 12 hours, overnight, in reproductive stocks with indwelling nasogastric tubes (NGTs) to assess pH of gastric fluid (GF). Gastric ulceration was assessed endoscopically before and after confinement. Subsequently, 26 horses were transported for 12 hours, overnight, in 2 consignments. During transportation, GF was aspirated ...
Madewell BR, Tang YJ, Jang S, Madigan JE, Hirsh DC, Gumerlock PH, Silva J.Intestinal colonization with toxigenic strains of Clostridium difficile was documented in 9 of 10 horses with acute onset diarrhea in a veterinary medical teaching hospital, whereas a similar isolate was detected in only 1 of 23 other horses without diarrhea in the hospital. One horse with diarrhea was infected simultaneously with both C. difficile and Salmonella krefeld. Clostridium difficile was detected by fecal culture on selective medium, confirmed with a latex particle agglutination test, and identified as toxigenic by polymerase chain reaction amplification of toxin A and toxin B gene s...
Richard EA, Fortier GD, Pitel PH, Dupuis MC, Valette JP, Art T, Denoix JM, Lekeux PM, Erck EV.The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of sub-clinical diseases in poorly-performing Standardbred horses, compare their physiological response to exercise with control horses, and identify predictive parameters of poor-performance. Fifty horses underwent thorough clinical and ancillary examinations, including haematological and biochemical evaluation, Doppler echocardiography, standardised exercise tests (SETs) on both treadmill and racetrack, treadmill video-endoscopy and collection of respiratory fluids. Most of the poorly-performing horses exhibited many concomitant d...
Crabb BS, Nagesha HS, Studdert MJ.Equine herpesvirus 4 (EHV4) glycoproteins of M(r) 63K and 250K were identified in the supernatant of infected cell cultures. The 63K glycoprotein was type-specific; that is, it reacted with monospecific sera from horses that had been immunized or infected with EHV4, but not with monospecific sera from horses immunized or infected with EHV1, a closely related alphaherpesvirus. It was postulated that the secreted protein may be the homologue of similarly secreted glycoproteins of herpes simplex virus 2 glycoprotein G (HSV2 gG) and pseudorabies virus (PRV) gX, which is the homologue of HSV2 gG. T...
Sponseller BA, Sparks WO, Wannemuehler Y, Li Y, Antons AK, Oaks JL, Carpenter S.The principal neutralizing domain (PND) of equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) is located in the V3 region of SU. Genetic variation in the PND is considered to play an important role in immune escape and EIAV persistence; however, few studies have characterized genetic variation in SU during the inapparent stage of disease. To better understand the mechanisms of virus persistence, we undertook a longitudinal study of SU variation in a pony experimentally inoculated with the virulent EIAV(Wyo). Viral RNA isolated from the inoculum and from sequential sera samples was amplified by RT-PCR, clon...
Ojo KK, Dangoudoubiyam S, Verma SK, Scheele S, DeRocher AE, Yeargan M, Choi R, Smith TR, Rivas KL, Hulverson MA, Barrett LK, Fan E, Maly DJ....Sarcocystis neurona is the most frequent cause of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis, a debilitating neurological disease of horses that can be difficult to treat. We identified SnCDPK1, the S. neurona homologue of calcium-dependent protein kinase 1 (CDPK1), a validated drug target in Toxoplasma gondii. SnCDPK1 shares the glycine "gatekeeper" residue of the well-characterized T. gondii enzyme, which allows the latter to be targeted by bumped kinase inhibitors. This study presents detailed molecular and phenotypic evidence that SnCDPK1 can be targeted for rational drug development. Recombinant ...
Aleman M, Magdesian KG, Peterson TS, Galey FD.A 4-month-old American Paint filly was evaluated because of sudden onset of ataxia that progressed to recumbency. Five additional horses from the same and neighboring premises developed signs of poor performance, generalized weakness, ataxia, and recumbency; 2 of those horses were also evaluated. A new batch of a commercial feed supplement had been introduced to the horses' diet on each farm within the preceding 3 days. Results: Other than recumbency, findings of physical and neurologic examinations of the foal were unremarkable. The other 2 horses had generalized weakness and mild ataxia, and...
Li J, Li Y, Moumouni PFA, Lee SH, Galon EM, Tumwebaze MA, Yang H, Huercha , Liu M, Guo H, Gao Y, Benedicto B, Zhang W, Fan X, Chahan B, Xuan X.Q fever, spotted fever rickettsioses and equine piroplasmosis, are some of the most serious equine tick-borne diseases caused by Coxiella burnetii, Rickettsia spp., Babesia caballi and/or Theileria equi. This study surveyed and molecularly characterized these pathogens infecting horses in ten ranches from XUAR, China using molecular technology. Among 200 horse blood samples, 163 (81.5%) were infected with at least one of the pathogens. Rickettsia spp. was the most prevalent pathogen (n = 114, 57.0%), followed by C. burnetii (n = 79, 39.5%), T. equi (n = 79, 39.5%) and B. caballi (n = 4...
Nemoto M, Imagawa H, Tsujimura K, Yamanaka T, Kondo T, Matsumura T.Reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) was applied to detection of equine rotavirus. Because equine rotavirus of the single P genotype, P[12], is predominant in the equine population worldwide, an RT-LAMP primer set was designed to target the genotype P[12] sequence and thus detect equine rotavirus. The detection limit of the RT-LAMP assay was 10(3) copies of viral RNA, whereas that of semi-nested RT-PCR for genotype P[12] was 10(5) copies. The RT-LAMP assay specifically amplified genotype P[12] but did not amplify the other P genotype strains. The RT-LAMP assay...
Yang DK, Kim BH, Kweon CH, Nah JJ, Kim HJ, Lee KW, Yang YJ, Mun KW.Recent global warming trends may have a significant impact on vector-borne viral diseases, possibly affecting vector population dynamics and disease transmission. This study measured levels of hemagglutination-inhibition (HI) antibodies against Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) and neutralizing antibodies against Akabane virus (AKAV) and Aino virus (AINV) for Thoroughbred horses in Korea. Blood samples were collected from 989 racehorses in several provinces, between October 2005 and March 2007. Sera were tested using either an HI assay or a virus neutralization test. Approximately half (49.7%;...
Reed SM, Howe DK, Morrow JK, Graves A, Yeargan MR, Johnson AL, MacKay RJ, Furr M, Saville WJ, Williams NM.Recent work demonstrated the value of antigen-specific antibody indices (AI and C-value) to detect intrathecal antibody production against Sarcocystis neurona for antemortem diagnosis of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM). Objective: The study was conducted to assess whether the antigen-specific antibody indices can be reduced to a simple serum : cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) titer ratio to achieve accurate EPM diagnosis. Methods: Paired serum and CSF samples from 128 horses diagnosed by postmortem examination. The sample set included 44 EPM cases, 35 cervical-vertebral malformation (CVM) ca...
Carstensen H, Kjær L, Haugaard MM, Flethøj M, Hesselkilde EZ, Kanters JK, Pehrson S, Buhl R, Jespersen T.Antiarrhythmic compounds against atrial fibrillation (AF) often have reduced efficacy and may display cardiac and/or noncardiac toxicity. Efficacy can be improved by combining 2 compounds with distinct mechanisms, and it may be possible to use lower doses of each compound, thereby reducing the likelihood of adverse side effects. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the effective doses of dofetilide and ranolazine can be reduced if the drugs are combined. Dofetilide, ranolazine, and a combination of these were administered in 4 incremental dosing regimens to horses with acutely ...
Chesters PM, Allsop R, Purewal A, Edington N.Results from Southern hybridization and PCR amplification experiments using a randomly synthesized reverse transcription-PCR product showed that peripheral blood leukocytes from horses showing no clinical signs of disease expressed a putative latency-associated transcript antisense to and overlapping the 3' end of the equid herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) immediate-early gene (gene 64). A PCR product derived from this transcript has > or =96% identity with the published EHV-1 sequence. In situ hybridization studies of equine bronchial lymph nodes corroborated these findings and are consistent with re...
Jones RL, Adney WS, Shideler RK.Clostridium difficile was isolated from the feces of 27 of 43 diarrheic foals (63%), and cytotoxin was detected in feces from 28 diarrheic foals (65%). The foals had not received any antimicrobial treatment before the onset of diarrhea. C. difficile was not isolated from feces of 18 normal foals without diarrhea and 62 adult horses (P less than 0.005). This finding of C. difficile and its toxins in association with diarrhea in foals adds another possible cause to the list of infectious agents which may cause diarrhea in foals.
