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Topic:Disease Management
Disease management in horses encompasses the strategies and practices employed to prevent, control, and treat diseases affecting equine populations. This field involves understanding the etiology, transmission, and clinical presentation of various equine diseases, as well as implementing biosecurity measures and therapeutic interventions. Common diseases in horses include equine influenza, strangles, and equine herpesvirus. Effective disease management relies on accurate diagnosis, vaccination protocols, and the use of antimicrobials and other treatments. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the methodologies, challenges, and advancements in managing diseases in equine health.
An introductory survey of helminth control practices in south africa and anthelmintic resistance on Thoroughbred stud farms in the Western Cape Province. Fifty-one per cent of 110 questionnaires, designed for obtaining information on helminth control practices and management on Thoroughbred stud farms in South Africa, were completed by farmers during 2000. The number of horses per farm included in the questionnaire survey ranged from 15 to 410. Foals, yearlings and adult horses were treated with anthelmintics at a mean of 7.3 +/- 3.0, 6.6 +/- 2.7 and 5.3 +/- 2.3 times per year, respectively. An average of 3.4 different drugs were used annually, with ivermectin being used bymost farmers during 1997-2000. On 43% of farms the weights of horses wer...
Overview of suspected adverse reactions to veterinary medicinal products reported in South Africa (March 2001 – February 2002). An overview of reports of suspected adverse drug reactions received by the Veterinary Pharmacovigilance and Medicines Information Centre during the period March 2001 to February 2002 is given. A total of 77 reports were received. The majority of reports involved suspected adverse reactions that occurred in dogs and cats. Most products implicated in the reports were Stock Remedies. The products were predominantly administered either by veterinarians or trained paraveterinary professionals. Although the majority of reports were received from veterinary pharmaceutical companies, the proportion of...
Use of an internal standard in a closed one-tube RT-PCR for the detection of equine arteritis virus RNA with fluorescent probes. Routine detection of equine arteritis virus (EAV) can be achieved by virus isolation (VI) in cell culture, or by the amplification of viral genome by molecular methods. To simplify molecular diagnosis, a number of different Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) and RT-nested PCR (RT-nPCR) assays were compared, and a one-tube method was developed and optimised utilizing a fluorogenic probe (TaqMan). An artificial RNA template (Mimic) and associated probe were also constructed to provide in-tube validation of the RT-PCR system. To assess the utility of the RT-PCR TaqMan assay,...
A mutation in the LAMC2 gene causes the Herlitz junctional epidermolysis bullosa (H-JEB) in two French draft horse breeds. Epidermolysis bullosa (EB) is a heterogeneous group of inherited diseases characterised by skin blistering and fragility. In humans, one of the most severe forms of EB known as Herlitz-junctional EB (H-JEB), is caused by mutations in the laminin 5 genes. EB has been described in several species, like cattle, sheep, dogs, cats and horses where the mutation, a cytosine insertion in exon 10 of the LAMC2 gene, was very recently identified in Belgian horses as the mutation responsible for JEB. In this study, the same mutation was found to be totally associated with the JEB phenotype in two French d...
[Rayer’s studies on the contagion of glanders (1837-1843)]. P. Rayer (1795-1867) had never thoroughly published his experimental studies on the contagion of glanders. His recently un-earthed hand written papers allow us to depict his experimental approach and its results. He was not the first who transmitted glanders from a patient to horses or donkeys. But he did it systematically with glander secretions from acute and chronic cases. Whatever was the disease of the donors the transmitted forms were unpredictably either chronic or acute. His conclusion was that the two forms were two symptomatic aspects of a unique disease. Clinically dormant states we...
Advances in equine immunology: Havemeyer workshop reports from Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Hortobagy, Hungary. The horse has been human kind's most important partner throughout history. Similarly, in the field of immunology, many critical scientific advances have depended on the horse. Equine immunology today is an active and important field of study, with a focus on control of many common infectious diseases and immunopathologic conditions of broad comparative interest. In 2001 two major equine immunology workshops were held, in Santa Fe, USA, and in Hortobagy, Hungary, with major sponsorship from the Havemeyer Foundation. This report summarizes the scientific themes and foci of those meetings.
Relationship of the livestock trade to schistosomiasis transmission in mountainous area. To study the relationship between the livestock trade and schistosomiasis transmission and to provide an evidence for making a strategy of schistosomiasis control in mountainous areas. Methods: A retrospective survey and analysis was conducted to investigate the prevalence of schistosomiasis in both humans and livestock (cattle, horses, mules, donkeys and pigs), and the number and migration of livestock in Weishan County, Yunnan Province in 1980-1991. Results: A positive correlation was found between the infection rate of residents and the numbers of livestock migration (R = 0.9151, P < 0.0...
Case-control study of late-term abortions associated with mare reproductive loss syndrome in central Kentucky. To identify factors associated with abortions of mares during late gestation attributed to mare reproductive loss syndrome (MRLS). Methods: Case-control study. Methods: 282 broodmares from 62 farms in central Kentucky, including 137 mares that had late-term abortions (LTAs) associated with MRLS, 98 mares from the same farms that did not abort, and 48 mares that aborted from causes other than MRLS. Methods: Farm managers were interviewed to obtain data on a wide range of management practices and environmental exposures for the mares. Data for case and control horses were compared to identify ri...
Clostridial myonecrosis in horses (37 cases 1985-2000). Previous reports of clostridial myonecrosis have either focused on individual case reports or have been small retrospective studies reporting very high mortality rates. Objective: The objective of this study was to describe the outcome of cases of clostridial myonecrosis submitted to 2 referral equine hospitals in the United States over a 15 year period. Methods: A retrospective study of case material selected on the basis of positive Clostridium spp. culture or the identification of Clostridium spp. by specific fluorescent antibody testing from soft tissue wounds was performed at Cornell and ...
Field study of the efficacy of three types of nose net for the treatment of headshaking in horses. Thirty-six owners of seasonally headshaking horses took part in a trial to compare the effectiveness of three types of nose net, a traditional cylindrical net (full net) and two forms of larger mesh nets which cover only the nostrils and dorsorostral muzzle (half nets). Baseline data relating to the overall severity of the problem and 18 specific behaviours describing the nature of the problem were recorded on a check sheet by the owners. A within-subjects repeated measures design experiment, with each net used for a week before reassessment, was then used to assess the effect of the nets on t...
Occurrence of infectious upper respiratory tract disease and response to vaccination in horses on six sentinel premises in northern Colorado. Horses vaccinated against common agents of infectious upper respiratory disease (IURD) may not have detectable serum antibody and may not be protected from clinical disease. Objective: The objectives of this study were to 1) investigate the serological response of horses to vaccination against influenza virus (H3N8 and H7N7) and equine herpesviruses (EHV) in a field setting and 2) evaluate associations among vaccination status, serum antibody concentrations, and occurrences of IURD in monitored horses. Methods: In this study, horses on 6 Colorado premises were vaccinated parenterally against i...
Characterization of a cytolytic strain of equine infectious anemia virus. A novel strain of equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) called vMA-1c that rapidly and specifically killed infected equine fibroblasts (ED cells) but not other infectible cell lines was established. This strain was generated from an avirulent, noncytopathic strain of EIAV, MA-1. Studies with this new cytolytic strain of virus have permitted us to define viral parameters associated with EIAV-induced cell killing and begin to explore the mechanism. vMA-1c infection resulted in induction of rapid cell death, enhanced fusogenic activity, and increased rates of spread in equine fibroblasts compared...
Diagnostic decision rule for support in clinical assessment of the need for surgical intervention in horses with acute abdominal pain. A prospective survey of horses with colic referred to a university hospital was undertaken to elaborate on a simple clinical decision support system capable of predicting whether or not horses require surgical intervention. Cases were classified as requiring surgical intervention or not on the basis of intraoperative findings or necropsy reports. Logistic regression analysis was applied to identify predictors with the strongest association with treatment needed. The classification and regression tree (CART) methodology was used to combine the variables in a simple classification system. The pe...
Antibody levels by indirect ELISA test in Trypanosoma evansi infected horses following treatment with quinapyramine sulphate. An ELISA test was used to determine the persistence of antibody levels in horses following treatment for Trypanosoma evansi. In 17 horses with T. evansi from two farms treated and cured with quinapyramine sulphate, ELISA antibody levels fell progressively post-treatment, but remained with positive results for 22.6 months in one horse, 12.8 months in a second, 4.1 months in another four and 2.3 months in three, whilst the rest became negative at 2.3 months. In two horses that suffered a post-treatment infection relapse the decrease in ELISA levels was only temporary, and a new increase in antib...
Use of an active intra-abdominal drain in 67 horses. To describe the insertion technique, efficacy, and complications associated with the use of an active (closed-suction) abdominal drain in horses. Methods: Retrospective study. Animals-Sixty-seven horses with abdominal contamination treated by abdominal lavage and use of a closed-suction abdominal drain. Methods: Medical records of horses (1989-1996) that had a closed-suction abdominal drain were reviewed. Follow-up information was obtained by telephone interviews with owners. Results: Sixty-eight closed-suction abdominal drains were used in 67 horses that had abdominal contamination, peritonit...
Ophthalmic findings in the geriatric horse. Ophthalmic conditions of the older horse are becoming increasingly common as geriatric care advances. The close relation between the eye and other structures of the head exposes the globe to direct expansion of clinical disease and raises management issues. Integrating an ophthalmic and fundic examination into the annual evaluation should reward the investment, permit enhanced patient care, and potentially provide early identification of systemic conditions. Surgical and medical management of neoplastic conditions is most successful with early identification and therapy. It is hoped that this ...
Laminitis in the geriatric horse. There are few diseases that instill a comparable sense of doom in the mind of a treating veterinarian as laminitis. There is a feeling of cautious optimism when a horse with laminitis responds favorably to treatment. Although this optimism all too often proves false when treating laminitic patients, management of the patient afflicted with chronic laminitis can be rewarding. Through diligent and careful client communication and instruction, many geriatric patients with chronic laminitis can be maintained for years as comfortable companions, for light riding use, or as productive breeding anima...
Equine Cushing’s disease. Equine Cushing's disease (ECD) is a chronic progressive disease of the intermediate pituitary gland of older horses. Horses with Cushing's disease often have other health problems, such as laminitis, chronic infections, pseudolactation, and other issues. Diagnosis of ECD is usually based on clinical signs and endocrine tests. Medical management of affected horses is usually a long-term or lifelong commitment. The goal of this article is to review the pathophysiology of ECD, outline diagnostic tests, and present treatment options.
Nutrition and feeding of the geriatric horse. Little is known regarding nutrient requirements and feeding of geriatric horses, and more effort should be placed on this area of equine nutrition research. That which is known suggests that some geriatric horses may not have different requirements than other mature horses, whereas others affected by disease or poor dentition may have special nutritional needs. In general, rations for geriatric horses should be based on high-quality roughage supplemented with complementary minerals and vitamins. The need for additional energy aside from that provided by the forage can be supplied by adding ene...
Managing chronic arthritis. Many compounds are being investigated for the control of symptoms of osteoarthritis in people and animals. Ideally, treatment should include analgesia, inflammation control, and chondroprotection. With further progress in this area, combination therapies tailored to the needs of the individual animal should enable us to maximize efficacy and minimize side effects. Only a few of the newer therapies and pharmaceutic agents have been investigated in the horse, however. With more rigorous investigation, they may be determined to be ineffective or unsafe. Meanwhile, as much information should be ga...
Cardiac disease in the geriatric horse. Almost all equine cardiac diseases may affect the geriatric horse. This article focuses on those cardiac diseases that are most common in the older horse, including degenerative valve disease, aortocardiac fistula, and congestive heart failure. Other cardiac diseases, such as bacterial endocarditis, pericarditis, and arrhythmias, are seen in all age groups of horses and are beyond the scope of this article.
Plant poisonings and mycotoxicoses of importance in horses in southern Africa. Well-known plant poisonings such as 'dunsiekte' (seneciosis) and 'jaagsiekte' (crotalariosis) of horses in southern Africa are briefly reviewed. Relatively unfamiliar mycotoxicoses such as stachybotryotoxicosis and perennial rye grass staggers and potentially occurring exotic intoxications such as equine nigropallidal encephalomalacia and ergot alkaloid poisoning are also discussed. This article is aimed at informing the southern African equine practitioner about probable poisonings that might occur locally in horses.
