Topic:Disease Diagnosis
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.
Bilateral coxofemoral dysplasia in a Mangalarga Marchador foal. Coxofemoral dysplasia is a condition characterized by the abnormal development and flattening of the femoral head and deformities in the acetabulum, leading to joint instability. Although described in various animal species, it is uncommon and rarely reported in horses. This article presents a case of incapacitating coxofemoral dysplasia diagnosed in a four-month-old foal Mangalarga Marchador, which exhibited lameness in the hind limbs, thoracolumbar kyphosis, gluteal muscle atrophy, and pronounced sensitivity during pelvic limb flexion. The clinical diagnosis indicative of bilateral coxofemor...
Leptospiral infection in domestic mares in North Queensland. Leptospira species are found worldwide, favouring tropical regions, and infect a wide range of animal species. Although renal persistence in infected individuals and excretion in urine is thought to be the primary mechanism of disease transmission, recent reports have suggested that persistence in the reproductive tract may be a feature in certain species, including the horse. The aim of this study was to investigate leptospiral infection, particularly within the reproductive tract, in healthy, non-breeding mares. Serum and endometrial swab samples were collected from 50 mares from the James C...
Reference intervals for equine fecal calprotectin and calprotectin:protein ratio and preliminary clinical evaluation in horses with colic and colitis. To establish the reference interval (RI) of fecal calprotectin (fCP) and fCP:protein ratio in the feces of healthy horses and demonstrate preliminary clinical utility for the quantification of intestinal inflammation. Methods: Feces were collected from healthy horses (n = 103) and horses with colic (n = 15) or colitis (n = 13). Feces were suspended in buffer to create fecal supernatant. Fecal calprotectin concentration was determined by ELISA, fecal total protein concentration was determined by bicinchoninic acid assay, and the fCP:protein ratio was calculated. Reference intervals for fCP and ...
Changes in blood physiological and biochemical parameters and intestinal flora in newborn horses and mares with angular limb deformities. Angular limb deformities (ALDs) are a common skeletal development disorder in newborn foals. This condition affects the growth and development of foals and severely impacts their future athletic performance and economic value, causing significant financial losses to the horse industry. Placentitis, metritis, and severe metabolic diseases during mare pregnancy are significant causes of ALDs in newborn foals. It has been established that intestinal flora disorders can easily lead to inflammatory and metabolic diseases in the host. However, the incidence of ALDs in foals in Zhaosu County, Xinjian...
Smartphone-based ECG assessment of heart rhythm at birth in healthy foals born after spontaneous or induced parturition: is there a potential difference? Background- Subclinical electrophysiological derangements occur at birth in foals. Smartphone-based ECG (spECG) is practical tools to assess heart rhythm and was recently validated in foals. Objectives-To assess the heart rate (HR) and rhythm at birth in clinically healthy foals born after spontaneous and induced parturition using a spECG. Animals- Newborn healthy foals born after at term spontaneous (SF) or induced foaling (IF). Methods- Cohort study. In SF and IF groups, a spECG was performed immediately at birth (T0) and after 5 min (T5). SpECG tracings were selected for quality. HR was ma...
Complete genome sequences of toxigenic Clostridioides difficile isolated from Australian feral horses. Recent increases in community-associated Clostridioides difficile infections have highlighted the importance of monitoring toxigenic C. difficile from animal and environmental sources. We provide the complete circularized genomes of two toxigenic C. difficile strains isolated from feral horse faeces. Genome N64 (sequence type 964) consists of a single chromosome of 4,078,791 bp, while genome H251 (sequence type 963) comprises one chromosome (4,304,722 bp) and three plasmids (150,942 bp, 11,534 bp, and 9,074 bp).
Horse Diagnosis and Triage Accuracy of GPT-4o. Animal owners may increasingly rely on large language models for gathering animal health information alongside internet sources in the future. This study therefore aims to provide initial results on the accuracy of ChatGPT-4o in triage and tentative diagnostics, using horses as a case study. Ten test vignettes were used to prompt situation assessments from the tool, which were then compared to original assessments made by a veterinary specialist for horses. The most probable diagnosis suggested by ChatGPT-4o was found to be quite accurate in most cases, with the urgency to contact a veterinari...
Evaluation of digital radiographic measurements for the diagnosis of acute laminitis. Traditional radiographic measurements of distal phalanx (Pd) displacement based on the outer hoof wall are not useful for diagnosis of acute laminitis. Objective: We hypothesised that the distance between the inner hoof wall and Pd ('lamellar lucent zone'; LLZ) measured on lateromedial digital radiographs would be increased in horses with acute and subacute laminitis compared with healthy horses. Methods: Retrospective cohort study and in vivo experimental study. Methods: Forelimb radiographs from 32 healthy and 18 laminitic mixed-breed horses were analysed retrospectively. Laminitis was defin...
Comparison of serum microRNA in healthy horses and horses with moderate to severe mitral valve regurgitation using a commercially available canine cardiac panel. MicroRNA (miRNA) has previously been used as a biomarker for cardiac disease in humans and dogs, however, studies in horses are not yet available. Objective: To determine if adult horses with moderate or severe mitral valve regurgitation have a different serum miRNA expression profile compared to healthy controls. Methods: Retrospective cross-sectional. Methods: Serum samples from 77 adult horses with moderate or severe mitral valve regurgitation and 77 healthy control horses were analysed using a commercial cardiac disease-specific miRNA panel previously used in dogs. Results: The commercial ...
Distribution and sequence analysis of the melanocortin 2 receptor in horses and ponies. The melanocortin 2 receptor (MC2R) has relevance to equine pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID), as it is the primary binding site for ACTH, which circulates at elevated concentrations in animals affected by PPID. Despite this, little is known about MC2R in equine species. The overall aim of this investigation was to determine MC2R mRNA expression in tissues relevant to PPID in healthy horses and to examine the MC2R gene sequence in a cohort of horses and ponies with and without PPID. The study found that the MC2R gene was expressed in both adrenal and pituitary gland tissues as report...
Genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationships of Theileria equi inferred from heat shock protein 70 kDa gene sequences in Brazilian horses. Equine piroplasmosis, a tick-borne disease caused by hemoparasites of the Babesia and Theileria genera, has significant clinical and economic impacts worldwide. This study aims to characterize the heat shock protein 70 kDa (hsp70) gene sequences of Theileria equi from naturally infected horses across the five geographic regions in Brazil, and to analyze the phylogenetic relationships between T. equi and other parasites within the order Piroplasmida. Primers specific to T. equi were designed through in silico analysis of hsp70 gene sequences available in GenBank. Forty samples of equine whole ...
Extracellular Vesicles: A Novel Diagnostic Tool and Potential Therapeutic Approach for Equine Osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic progressive degenerative joint disease that affects a significant portion of the equine population and humans worldwide. Current treatment options for equine OA are limited and incompletely curative. Horses provide an excellent large-animal model for studying human OA. Recent advances in the field of regenerative medicine have led to the exploration of extracellular vesicles (EVs)-cargoes of microRNA, proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids-to evaluate their diagnostic value in terms of disease progression and severity, as well as a potential cell-free therapeutic ...
Antibody isotyping and cytokine profiling in natural cases of Burkholderia mallei infection (glanders) in equines. Immunological aspects of B. mallei infection were rarely studied in natural cases of equines. The present study was conducted to determine IgG, IgM, IgA and IgG (T) titre against recombinant Hcp1, TssA and TssB proteins and PilA-Hcp1-TssN-BipD and BpaB-BpaC- BMAA0553 chimeras and cytokine responses in glanders affected equine serum. Methods: The study was conducted on serum samples collected from 151 glanders positive equines which include horses (n = 134), mules (n = 16), and donkeys (n = 01). The IgM, IgG, IgA and IgG (T) titre were determined against recombinant antigens by indirect E...
Plasma alpha-fetoprotein in neonatal foals affected by prematurity, sepsis and neonatal encephalopathy. Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) concentrations have been reported in healthy foals and proposed as a biomarker of sepsis in foals born from mares with experimentally induced placentitis. This study aimed to describe the diagnostic and prognostic value of plasma AFP in foals spontaneously affected by different diseases. The study included all foals less than 72 h old that were diagnosed with either: (1) prematurity (PRE), when born prior to 320 days of gestation with immature physical characteristics; (2) sepsis (SEP), in the presence of both positive blood culture and SIRS or (3) neonatal encephalopat...
Quantifying head and withers movement asymmetry in sound and naturally forelimb lame horses trotting on a circle on hard and soft surfaces. Reliable lameness thresholds for vertical head displacement for trotting on a circular path and on different surfaces have yet to be defined. Withers movement in lame horses could help improve the diagnostic accuracy of sensor technology. Objective: To define head movement lameness threshold ranges and describe the relationship between head and withers movement during trotting under different circumstances in sound and forelimb lame horses. Methods: Retrospective analysis of clinical data and comparison with control group. Methods: Fifty-five sound and thirty-four naturally lame horses were tr...
Validation of Vetscan Imagyst®, a diagnostic test utilizing an artificial intelligence deep learning algorithm, for detecting strongyles and Parascaris spp. in equine fecal samples. Current methods for obtaining fecal egg counts in horses are often inaccurate and variable depending on the analyst's skill and experience. Automated digital scanning of fecal sample slides integrated with analysis by an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm is a viable, emerging alternative that can mitigate operator variation compared to conventional methods in companion animal fecal parasite diagnostics. Vetscan Imagyst is a novel fecal parasite detection system that uploads the scanned image to the cloud where proprietary software analyzes captured images for diagnostic recognition by a d...
Preliminary Functional Analysis of the Gut Microbiome in Colic Horses. The gut microbiome plays a critical role in maintaining horse health, influencing digestion, immunity, and overall well-being. However, in certain conditions like colic, there is evidence of significant alterations in the microbial community. To analyze the composition of the fecal microbiome and the enriched predicted metabolic functions of horses with colic compared to a control group, 14 horses with colic and 14 control horses were recruited. From a stool sample, DNA extraction was carried out for subsequent 16S rRNA metagenomic analysis. The composition of the microbiome was analyzed from ...
Detection of fungal and bacterial organisms from clinical uterine samples of horses using Next-Generation Sequencing in comparison with culture. Fungal and bacterial culture is currently the primary method for pathogen detection and identification. Next-generation sequencing is a powerful method for detecting and identifying the presence of microbial DNA in samples. We evaluated the correlation between fungal and bacterial culture with next-generation sequencing in equine uterine samples. Fungal cultures (n=63) were evaluated based on their culture results. In culture positive (n=16) samples, next-generation sequencing identified the same organism in 10 samples (62.5%), 5 samples did not identify fungal agents, and 1 sample identified ...
Detection of equine parvovirus-hepatitis and efficacy of governmental regulation for equine biologics purity. In 2018, a new virus, named equine parvovirus-hepatitis (EqPV-H), was discovered in a biologic product that had been administered to horses that subsequently developed clinical signs of equine serum hepatitis (Theiler disease). Further correlation of the virus with the disease sparked federal requirements that all equine biologics be free of EqPV-H. The initial quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) test for EqPV-H has proved to be sensitive to co-extracted PCR inhibitors in template nucleic acids, causing false-negative results. We investigated the use of digital PCR (dPCR) as a more robust test. ...
The first report of submandibular lymph node infection with Flavobacterium ceti in a horse and its complete genome sequence. This is the first report describing the isolation and genome sequence of Flavobacterium ceti (F. ceti IJFC025) from a draining submandibular lymph node abscess in a 6-year-old mixed-breed mare in Korea. Since F. ceti is not a usual infectious pathogen that causes equine health problems, this study presents the complete genome sequence of F. ceti isolated from a submandibular lymph node abscess sample in Jeju, South Korea, in 2022. The entire genome sequence of F. ceti IJFC025 consisted of a 3,144,426-bp chromosome with 35.6 % G + C content. Gene prediction revealed that this strain possesse...
Pneumocephalus due to temporohyoid osteoarthropathy in a 16-year-old Friesian mare. A sixteen-year-old Friesian mare was admitted to the university clinic with the following clinical signs: anorexia, weight loss, fever, bilateral nasal discharge, unilateral facial paralysis and a non-healing corneal lesion. Endoscopic examination of the upper airways showed thickening of the proximal portion of the right stylohyoid bone. Computed tomography imaging showed pneumocephalus due to grade 3 unilateral temporohyoid osteoarthropathy (THO) with fracture of the petrous temporal bone. The horse did not improve following medical treatment. Surgical intervention was declined by the owner ...
Computed tomography of the equine caudal spine and pelvis. Pathological findings in 56 clinical cases (2018-2023). Computed tomography (CT) of the axial skeleton is increasing across many equine hospitals. CT of the pelvis and caudal spine in a large group of clinical cases has not been reported previously. Objective: To describe the pathological lesions identified in the caudal spine/pelvis in horses and ponies undergoing CT spine of this region. Methods: A retrospective case series. Methods: Horses with CT imaging of the caudal spine/pelvis were included. Horses aged under 6 months and those with CT examinations performed post-mortem were excluded. Results: Fifty-six horses met the inclusion criteria. ...
Development of an equine endometrial histology scoring system to complement the Kenney-Doig scale. Kenney-Doig scale is considered the international standard method for classifying uterine biopsies in mares; however, its objectivity has been questioned by various studies. In the present study, we analysed the degree of agreement between two pathologists when assessing the same set of 201 uterine biopsies, obtaining a slight to moderate level of agreement (κ = .34/κ = .57). Subsequently, we developed a numerical scale based on the evaluation of histological parameters, including inflammation, fibrosis, glandular density and lymphatic lacunae. Partial scores were summed to obtain a ...
Comparison of Citrated Whole Blood to Native Whole Blood for Coagulation Testing Using the Viscoelastic Coagulation Monitor (VCM Vet™) in Horses. Viscoelastic monitoring of horse coagulation is increasing due to its advantages over traditional coagulation testing. The use of a point-of-care viscoelastic coagulation monitor (VCM Vet™) has been validated for use in horses using native whole blood (NWB) but has not been assessed using citrated whole blood (CWB), a technique that might have advantages in practicality and precision. Blood was collected from 70 horses, tested in duplicate immediately using NWB (T0), and stored at room temperature as CWB for testing in duplicate at 1 (T1) and 4 (T4) hours after venipuncture for comparison to...
Concomitant melanoma and keratoma affecting the equine digit: clinical, pathological, and long-term follow-up findings. This case report details a long-term follow-up of a hoof melanoma with dermo-epidermal activity (resembling Spreading Superficial Melanoma (SSM)) in a bay horse with a history of a right front hoof keratoma. Melanomas involving the horse's foot are seldom reported and usually diagnosed as anaplastic melanomas based on signalment and post-mortem examination. The clinical-pathological characteristics of the foot melanoma in this bay horse are consistent with SSM-like described in humans, which is considered an intermediate malignant tumour attending their biological behaviour. However, a definit...
Gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) identified as a new intermediate host for Sarcocystis neurona. The protozoan Sarcocystis neurona can cause severe disease in horses, marine mammals, and several other animal species in North America. The Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana) is its definitive host, and the raccoon (Procyon lotor) has been considered its primary intermediate host in the USA. Although canids have not previously been identified as important intermediate hosts for this parasite, we here report several natural cases in the gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus). We identified muscular infections in 11 (23.9 %) of 46 gray foxes from Pennsylvania, USA. In hematoxylin and eosin ...
Multimodal Spatial Profiling Reveals Immune Suppression and Microenvironment Remodeling in Fallopian Tube Precursors to High-Grade Serous Ovarian Carcinoma. High-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer (HGSOC) originates from fallopian tube (FT) precursors. However, the molecular changes that occur as precancerous lesions progress to HGSOC are not well understood. To address this, we integrated high-plex imaging and spatial transcriptomics to analyze human tissue samples at different stages of HGSOC development, including p53 signatures, serous tubal intraepithelial carcinomas (STIC), and invasive HGSOC. Our findings reveal immune modulating mechanisms within precursor epithelium, characterized by chromosomal instability, persistent interferon (IFN) signaling...
Grade IV gastric ulceration, pyloric aplasia, and an ectopic duodenal papilla in a 13-year-old Quarter Horse gelding evaluated for recurrent colic. The objective of this Case Report was to describe the clinical manifestation and postmortem findings of a horse evaluated for recurrent colic diagnosed with pyloric aplasia and an ectopic duodenal papilla. Methods: 13-year-old Quarter Horse gelding. Unassigned: The horse was presented to a referral center for signs of colic that were unresponsive to management on the farm. No abnormalities were noted on rectal palpation; however, upon passage of a nasogastric tube, 31 L of net gastric reflux was obtained. Gastroscopy noted grade IV squamous ulceration and moderate glandular ulceration, severe ...
A multi-task learning model for clinically interpretable sesamoiditis grading. Sesamoiditis is a common equine disease with varying severity, leading to increased injury risks and performance degradation in horses. Accurate grading of sesamoiditis is crucial for effective treatment. Although deep learning-based approaches for grading sesamoiditis show promise, they remain underexplored and often lack clinical interpretability. To address this issue, we propose a novel, clinically interpretable multi-task learning model that integrates clinical knowledge with machine learning. The proposed model employs a dual-branch decoder to simultaneously perform sesamoiditis grading ...
Initial development of a rapid, portable, stall-side ELISA for the measurement of equine adrenocorticotropic hormone. Pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) is a neurodegenerative disease of senior horses. Loss of dopaminergic inhibition of the melanotropes of the pars intermedia leads to increased concentrations of pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC)-derived peptides. Diagnosis is challenging due to pre-analytical variables, such as sample storage, handling, and time to analysis. Our objective was to develop an ELISA for ACTH measurement, which could ultimately form the basis for a stall-side equine ACTH test. We selected 2 ACTH-specific monoclonal antibodies, CBL57 and EPR20361-248, based on the recognition o...