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.
Blackburn NK, Swanepoel R.During the nine years from October 1972 to September 1981 African horse sickness (AHS) virus was isolated from 23 suspected cases of the disease in Zimbabwe and complement fixation antibody titres indicative of recent infection were detected in a further 49 horses. The 23 isolations belonged to seven of the nine known serotypes of AHS virus. In response to a questionnaire in 1980 the owners of 20% (1,654/8,000) of the horses in Zimbabwe indicated that they had recorded 207 cases of clinically diagnosed AHS with 107 deaths from 1975 to 1980. Fifty-six cases with 50 deaths had occurred in foals ...
Tydén E, Enemark HL, Franko MA, Höglund J, Osterman-Lind E.Strongylus vulgaris is considered the most pathogenic nematode parasite of the horse. Frequent deworming programs since the 1970s have reduced the prevalence of S. vulgaris to low levels, but to the price of widespread benzimidazole resistance in the small strongyles (cyathostominae) and ivermectin resistance especially in the equine roundworm Parascaris spp. To slow down the progression of anthelmintic resistance in Sweden, horse anthelmintics were made prescription only medicine in 2007 and selective therapy principles were introduced. This means that only individuals with high egg excretion...
Ueno Y, Uemura R, Niwa H, Higuchi T, Sekiguchi S, Sasaki Y, Sueyoshi M.Equine proliferative enteropathy (EPE) caused by Lawsonia intracellularis is characterized by hypoproteinemia. There are currently no reliable reports that provide a reference value for the total serum protein (TP) concentration to clinically diagnose EPE. The objective of this study was to statistically determine the reference value. Feces and sera of 99 foals with EPE-like clinical signs and of 35 healthy foals were obtained. The samples were used for specific-gene detection of L. intracellularis, TP measurement, and specific-antibody detection against L. intracellularis. Based on these resu...
Panchaud Y, Gerber V, Rossano A, Perreten V.Bacterial infections present a major challenge in equine medicine. Therapy should be based on bacteriological diagnosis to successfully minimize the increasing number of infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria. The present study is a retrospective analysis of bacteriological results from purulent infections in horses admitted at the University Equine Clinic of Bern from 2004 to 2008. From 378 samples analyzed, 557 isolates were identified, of which Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus and coliforms were the most common. Special attention was paid to infectio...
Kaminsky R.The purpose of this review is to illustrate where drug resistance in parasitic nematodes has become a major problem. The mechanisms underlying anthelmintic resistance, the possible reasons for the development of anthelmintic resistance, and recommendations to minimize the further development of anthelmintic resistance in humans will be addressed. Results: Resistance has developed to all drugs of the few anthelmintic classes currently available. Drug resistance has become a major threat to sheep production in Australia, New Zealand, Great Britain and South Africa. In addition, the treatment of ...
Simpson CM, Lumsden JM.A 2-year-old Thoroughbred gelding was evaluated for a grade 3 out of 5 unilateral hind limb lameness. Flexion of the right hock and stifle joints (spavin test) exacerbated the lameness. Response to intra-articular and perineural anaesthesia isolated the source of lameness to the tarsocrural area, despite an absence of tarsocrural joint effusion. Routine radiographic examination of the hock did not reveal any significant abnormalities. Skeletal nuclear scintigraphic evaluation revealed a focal region of increased bone activity in the proximal medial trochlear ridge of the talus. Flexed laterome...
Ellse L, Burden FA, Wall R.A longitudinal study was undertaken over a 21 months period to examine the seasonal abundance of lice infesting donkeys, the risk factors which predispose donkeys to infestation and the effectiveness of louse management. All the lice seen were Bovicola (Werneckiella) ocellatus. A strong seasonal pattern, which was correlated with mean monthly temperature, was observed with higher prevalence and intensity in the cooler, winter months (October-March). Overall infestation in these animals was over-dispersed, suggesting that some individuals are strongly predisposed to infestation. Donkey age and ...
Cota LO, Júnior OS, Oliveira APL, Paz CFR, Maróstica TP, Duarte PC, Leme FOP, Faleiros RR.Systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) is a common condition in horses with gastrointestinal disorders. If not prevented or controlled, SIRS promotes multiple organ dysfunctions that may culminate in serious disabilities or even death. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of Lithothamnion supplementation on systemic inflammatory response and organ function variables in horses undergoing oligofructose overload (OFO) intake. Twelve healthy horses were randomly divided into control and treated groups. The treated group received Lithothamnion (100 mg/kg bw PO BID) for 7 ...
Mulhern FJ.There is an increasing need for the veterinary profession to meet the new challenges brought about by increased and intensified livestock production. These challenges consist of control and eradication of diseases, the humane treatment of animals and the prevention of transmission of disease from animals or animal products to man. Examples are given of the contribution which regulatory medicine activities have made to the prevention/control/eradication of screw worm, foot-and-mouth disease, Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis, Newcastle disease, bovine brucellosis, hog cholera, and certain oth...
Abraham G.This review provides an overview of the early and current literature including contributions that highlight the parasympathetic cholinergic receptor systems in domestic animal tissues. Muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChRs) belong to the subfamily of G protein-coupled receptors and regulate many fundamental functions of the central and peripheral nervous systems and have been subject to research over at least 40 years. Nonetheless, there are few studies specifying mAChRs in domestic animal tissues. This review focuses on the pharmacology of muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (mAChR) system...
Müller AC, Büttner K, Röcken M.In postoperative monitoring of synovial structure infection due to limb wounds, early recognition of a recurrence of synovial infection is indispensable to prevent further damage to the affected synovial structure. This study evaluated the role of serum amyloid A (SAA) as a systemic biomarker in disease monitoring and correlated this tool with clinical variables. In this prospective cohort study, 55 horses with acute limb wounds were divided into two groups: those with (group 1, n = 26) or without (group 2, n = 29) a diagnosis of synovial structure penetration. SAA, lameness and body tempe...
Hoffman CJ, Clark CK.Cervical vertebral malformation (CVM) is seen in young, rapidly growing horses, and is commonly associated with a poor prognosis for racing. Objective: To examine the records of a population of Thoroughbreds with a presumptive diagnosis of CVM and to determine which radiographic findings and neurologic exam findings have an effect on these horses achieving athletic function when managed conservatively. Methods: One hundred and three thoroughbreds presumptively diagnosed with CVM and treated conservatively between 2002 and 2010. Methods: Racing records were reviewed in this retrospective study ...
Hornyák A, Bakonyi T, Tekes G, Szeredi L, Rusvai M.The authors determined partial nucleic sequences of the variable regions of open-reading frame (ORF5) from 151 nucleotide to 668 nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences of 518 nucleotide respectively of 20 equine arteritis virus (EAV) isolates. About 19 Hungarian and one Austrian EAV strains were subjected to sequence analysis, the further data of 20 EAV strains: six North American and 14 European were obtained from the GenBank. Comparative sequence analysis of the Hungarian EAV strains indicated that among the three variable regions the first has been affected mostly by point mutations. G...
Müntener C, Kupper J, Naegeli H, Gassner B.A total of 306 reports of adverse reactions to veterinary medicinal products were received during the year 2017 representing an increase of 21% compared to the previous year. The majority of these reports described reactions concerning companion animals (180 dogs and 59 cats) as well as cattle (38 reports) and horses (14 reports). Most of the reported reactions were linked to the use of antiparasitics (158 reports), hormone products (30 reports) and anti-inflammatory products (25 reports). 40 reports were generated from consultations with Tox Info Suisse in Zürich and mainly involved the ex...
Cummings KJ, Rodriguez-Rivera LD, Mitchell KJ, Hoelzer K, Wiedmann M, McDonough PL, Altier C, Warnick LD, Perkins GA.Nosocomial salmonellosis continues to pose an important threat to veterinary medical teaching hospitals. The objectives of this study were to describe an outbreak of salmonellosis caused by Salmonella enterica serovar Oranienburg within our hospital and to highlight its unique features, which can be used to help mitigate or prevent nosocomial outbreaks in the future. We retrospectively analyzed data from patients that were fecal culture-positive for Salmonella Oranienburg between January 1, 2006, and June 1, 2011, including historical, clinical, and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) data...
de Vos CJ, Petie R, van Klink EGM, Swanenburg M.Increasing globalization and international trade contribute to rapid expansion of animal and human diseases. Hence, preparedness is warranted to prevent outbreaks of emerging and re-emerging diseases or detect outbreaks in an early stage. We developed a rapid risk assessment tool (RRAT) to inform risk managers on the incursion risk of multiple livestock diseases, about the main sources for incursion and the change of risk over time. RRAT was built as a relational database to link data on disease outbreaks worldwide, on introduction routes and on disease-specific parameters. The tool was parame...
Croft MG, Fraser GC, Gaul WN.A Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) was used to manage the laboratory data and support planning and field activities as part of the response to the equine influenza outbreak in Australia in 2007. The database structure of the LIMS and the system configurations that were made to best handle the laboratory implications of the disease response are discussed. The operational aspects of the LIMS and the related procedures used at the laboratory to process the increased sample throughput are reviewed, as is the interaction of the LIMS with other corporate systems used in the management...
Grewar JD, Kotze JL, Parker BJ, van Helden LS, Weyer CT.South Africa is endemic for African horse sickness (AHS), an important health and trade-sensitive disease of equids. The country is zoned with movement control measures facilitating an AHS-free controlled area in the south-west. Our objective was to quantitatively establish the risk of entry of AHS virus into the AHS controlled area through the legal movement of horses. Outcomes were subcategorised to evaluate movement pathway, temporal, and spatial differences in risk. A 'no-control' scenario allowed for evaluation of the impact of control measures. Using 2019 movement and AHS case data, and ...
Mair TS, Smith LJ.Few studies have evaluated long-term survival and complication rates in horses following surgical treatment of colic, making it difficult to offer realistic advice concerning long-term prognosis. Objective: To review the complications occurring after discharge from hospital and survival to >12 months after surgery of 300 horses undergoing exploratory laparotomy for acute colic. Pre-, intra- and post operative factors that affected long-term complications and long-term survival were assessed. Methods: History, clinical findings, surgical findings and procedures and post operative treatments of ...
Pezzanite LM, Chow L, Phillips J, Griffenhagen GM, Moore AR, Schaer TP, Engiles JB, Werpy N, Gilbertie J, Schnabel LV, Antczak D, Miller D, Dow S....Rapid development of antibiotic resistance necessitates advancement of novel therapeutic strategies to treat infection. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) possess antimicrobial and immunomodulatory properties, mediated through antimicrobial peptide secretion and recruitment of innate immune cells including neutrophils and monocytes. TLR-3 activation of human, canine and equine MSC has been shown to enhance bacterial killing and clearance in vitro, in rodent Staphylococcal biofilm infection models and dogs with spontaneous multi-drug-resistant infections. The objective of this study was to determi...
Di Pol G, Crotta M, Taylor RA.Increases in temperature and extreme weather events due to global warming can create an environment that is beneficial to mosquito populations, changing and possibly increasing the suitable geographical range for many vector-borne diseases. West Nile Virus (WNV) is a flavivirus, maintained in a mosquito-avian host cycle that is usually asymptomatic but can cause primarily flu-like symptoms in human and equid accidental hosts. In rare circumstances, serious disease and death are possible outcomes for both humans and horses. The main European vector of WNV is the Culex pipiens mosquito. This stu...
Lovett A, Vokes J, Loghides N, Johnstone L, Sykes B.Formalin intoxication via the gastrointestinal route has not been previously reported in the horse. Whereas ingestion of formalin in humans, although rare, is well documented. Majority of human cases are either accidental, suicidal or homicidal and often lead to fatality, with a reported lethal formaldehyde dose equating to 0.12 - 0.16 g/kg bwt. Objective: To describe a single case report of the clinical management of an adult horse referred to a veterinary teaching hospital following accidental administration of 10% formalin via nasogastric tube. Methods: A 13-year-old Thoroughbred gelding or...
Webster WR.In August 2007 equine influenza (EI) was diagnosed in Australia's horse population following the failure to contain infection in quarantine after the importation of one or more infected horses. The response had many unique features, and addressed financial, social, economic, human and animal health, trade and recovery issues. The outbreak and the associated control measures had a vast impact on individual horse owners, the horse industry and associated sectors in both infected and uninfected states.
Ginther OJ.Equine embryo mobility and cessation of mobility (fixation) provide explanations to several enigmas in reproductive biology of the pregnant mare and provide an efficient solution to the twinning problem, the bane of brood-mare owners. Embryo mobility is maximum on Days 12 to 15 (Day 0 = ovulation) while the spherical embryo is growing from 9 to 23 mm in diameter. During mobility, the embryo can be anywhere in the uterine lumen regardless of side of ovulation. Mobility solved the enigmas of how a small embryo can block luteolysis in a relatively massive uterus and why the side of ovulation do...
Janicek JC, Dabareiner RM, Honnas CM, Crabill MA.To determine clinical history, structures involved, treatment, and outcome of lacerations of the heel bulb and proximal phalangeal region (pastern) in horses. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: 101 horses. Methods: Medical records of horses with lacerations of the heel bulb and pastern were reviewed, and follow-up information was obtained. Results: 75 horses were Quarter Horses. Most horses were not treated with antimicrobial drugs prior to referral. Mean +/- SD time from injury to referral was 24 +/- 45 hours (range, 1 to 168 hours). Lacerations were most frequently caused by contact with...
Esser AF, Tarnuzzer RW, Tomlinson S, Tatar LD, Stanley KK.Lack of hemolytic activity of horse serum is an inherent property of horse C9. To understand the molecular reasons for this deficiency we have cloned C9 cDNA from a horse liver cDNA library and have sequenced the cDNA yielding the complete coding sequence for horse C9. Purification of C9 from horse plasma and microsequencing established the N-terminus of the mature protein and verified that the correct horse C9 cDNA clone had been isolated. The deduced amino acid sequence corresponds to a mature protein of 526 amino acids that is 77% identical to human C9. It has the same domain structure as h...
Patton ME, Andrews FM, Bogers SH, Wong D, McKenzie HC, Werre SR, Byron CR.Ileus is a common life-threatening problem in horses, and currently available treatments may be ineffective. The purpose of this study was to determine whether bit chewing, a form of sham feeding, decreases the gastric emptying time (GET), small intestinal transit time (SITT), and total orocecal transit time (OCTT) in clinically normal horses in a prospective crossover study. Nine healthy horses were acclimated and fed a standardized diet. Following 24 h of fasting, self-contained video endoscopy capsules and acetaminophen were administered into the stomach via a nasogastric tube. Each horse u...
Odontsetseg N, Uuganbayar D, Tserendorj Sh, Adiyasuren Z.The prevalence of animal rabies differs in each area of Mongolia. Wolves (Canis lupus Linnaeus, 1758), foxes ( Vulpes vulpes Linnaeus, 1758), corsac foxes (Vulpes corsac Linnaeus, 1768) and manuls (Felis manul Pallas, 1778) are considered to be the infective wild animals in natural foci. Amongst livestock, cattle have had the most rabies cases, followed by camels, sheep, goats and horses. The peak prevalence of animal rabies occurred in the 1970s. Dundgovi Province had the highest incidence during that period. The number of rabies cases in animals decreased during the 1980s. This may have been...
Sellers RF, Maarouf AR.Outbreaks of vesicular stomatitis, serotype New Jersey, during epidemics in the United States and northern Mexico, 1982-5, were examined by backward trajectories of winds to investigate spread and possible sources. The outbreaks selected for analysis did not involve introduction of disease by infected animals. The findings indicate that wind could have been responsible for carrying infection from northern Mexico to Arizona and New Mexico and thence to Colorado and Utah and on to Wyoming, Idaho and Montana. The results of these analyses are consistent with the findings from T1 RNAse fingerprint...
Mehdizadeh Gohari I, Boerlin P, Prescott JF.NetF-producing type A Clostridium perfringens, a pathotype of C. perfringens, causes necrotizing enteritis in neonatal foals and necrotizing and hemorrhagic enteritis in dogs. Recent core genome multilocus sequence typing study revealed that netF+ C. perfringens strains belong to two distinct clonal populations (clonal complexes I and II). There are no reports on susceptibility to antimicrobial drugs of isolates from this pathotype. The susceptibility to 13 different antimicrobial drugs of 49 netF+ strains recovered from foals or dogs with necrotizing enteritis in Canada, the United States, an...
