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.
Jelocnik M, Hall C, Dennis S, Mitchell K, Blishen A, Mashkour N, Anstey SI, Jenkins C, Jeffers K, El-Hage C, McMillan D, Gilkerson J.Infectious diseases significantly impact equine health and welfare, causing illness and death, and loss of productivity globally. One such disease is 'strangles', a highly contagious upper respiratory condition in horses caused by Streptococcus equi subspecies equi (SEE). Diagnostic methods for this pathogen include sensitive molecular assays and less reliable bacterial isolation and biochemical testing. However, the presence of closely related streptococci, such as Streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus (SZOO), may confound diagnosis. Rapid assays for SEE are crucial for outbreak control...
Allen TS, Johnson S.The physical stresses on equine athletes are unique and differ across various disciplines. Recognizing these differences is essential for early detection of injuries and effective management of the competition horse's health. Equine sports medicine involves specific challenges and risks that can be reduced through proper care, careful attention to technique, and a deep understanding of the demands of each sport. Proper training, regular monitoring, and sport-specific expertise are crucial in preventing injuries and ensuring optimal performance. By focusing on these aspects, veterinarians and t...
Mazur SE, Toribio RE.Complications in critically ill equine patients are often related to the underlying disease process but can also be a consequence of diagnostic and therapeutic interventions. Complications can be specific to the affected organ or body system; however, in critically ill patients, they frequently affect the vasculature, acid-base, electrolyte, and fluid balance, energy homeostasis, and coagulation, with systemic consequences. Infrequent monitoring, late detection, failure to adapt therapies, hematologic and biochemical abnormalities, coagulopathies, and systemic inflammation can all contribute t...
Wilson KE, Davis JL.Adverse drug events (ADEs) are any harms caused by medical interventions used for treatment, prevention, or diagnosis. These events can happen due to human error or as unintended, harmful reactions to drugs when given at normal therapeutic doses. This review focuses on common ADEs associated with drugs frequently used in equine practice. Recognizing and understanding the manifestations of ADEs can help with early detection and more effective management, ultimately leading to better outcomes for equine patients. Additionally, knowledge of the potential harmful effects of drugs also aids in appr...
van Rijn PA, Wernery U, Feddema AJ, Maris-Veldhuis MA, Joseph S, van Gennip RGP.African Horse Sickness (AHS) is a devastating vector-borne viral disease of equids with a mortality up to 95 % in naïve domestic horses. The causative African horse sickness virus (AHSV) is a distinct species of the genus Orbivirus of the family Sedoreoviridae, consisting of nine serotypes showing limited cross protection. AHSV is transmitted by Culicoides biting midges. Outbreaks cause huge economic losses in developing African countries. AHS has become a serious threat for countries outside Africa, since endemic Culicoides species in moderate climates appear competent vectors of the closel...
Kozłowska N, Borowska M, Jasiński T, Wierzbicka M, Domino M.In human medicine, computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) is increasingly employed for screening, identifying, and monitoring early endoscopic signs of various diseases. However, its potential-despite proven benefits in human healthcare-remains largely underexplored in equine veterinary medicine. This study aimed to quantify endoscopic signs of pharyngeal lymphoid hyperplasia (PLH) as digital data and to assess their effectiveness in CAD of PLH in comparison and in combination with clinical data reflecting respiratory tract disease. Endoscopic images of the pharynx were collected from 70 horses clinic...
Samol MA, Barrett MF, Frisbie DD.Significant distal interphalangeal joint (DIPJ) pathology, particularly affecting soft tissue and articular cartilage, is often not identifiable on radiographs but can be accompanied by joint capsule enthesopathy on the middle phalanx (P2), which can be readily identified. Objective: To explore frequency and correlations between DIPJ capsule enthesopathy identified on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and radiographs and DIPJ articular cartilage abnormalities and other concurrent soft tissue or osseous pathology within the foot found on MRI. Methods: Retrospective descriptive case series. Metho...
Merle R, Feuer L, Frenzer K, Plenio JL, Bethe A, Sarnino N, Lübke-Becker A, Bäumer W.: A mandatory monitoring of the use of antibiotics in horses in the European Union will come into force from 2027 on. The aim of the study was to explore the potential implementation of a monitoring system and to provide an overview of antibiotic use in horses in Germany. : Data on all consultations from 57 German practices between 2018 and 2023 were obtained. The dataset included basic data about the horse, free-text diagnoses (allocated to one of 20 categories), and treatments. Information on the administered or dispensed pharmaceutical product was recorded for antibiotic treatment consultat...
Yano R, Moriyama T, Arai H, Scheftgen AJ, Suen G, Nishida T, Handa M, Fukuma N.Colic, a major gastrointestinal disease in horses, has a high recurrence rate and can lead to surgery or fatal outcomes, highlighting the need for effective prevention measures. Disruption of the microbiome is a multifaceted problem and can occur from a variety of factors, such as high-concentrate diets, which can then potentially cause colic. However, individual variation in the incidence of colic can occur when under identical management practices. The aim of this study was to characterize the fecal bacterial composition of Japanese draft horses with and without a history of colic in the pas...
Smith R, Perkins L, Pinchbeck G, Ireland J.The decisions made by horse owners on behalf of their animal, including decisions to involve a veterinarian, play an important role in the management of pain. This study explored horse owners' experiences to understand how they conceptualised chronic pain within the context of their horse-human relationship, what led them to seek veterinary involvement, and how veterinary interactions shaped their perceptions of pain and its management. An ethnographic approach using constructivist grounded theory methods was adopted. This paper draws upon field notes generated through 200 h of observation und...
Pilati N, Pressanto MC, Palumbo Piccionello A, De Angelis Corvi F, Beccati F.The term overriding spinous processes (ORSPs), commonly known as "kissing spine syndrome," refers to a skeletal abnormality in horses that is characterized by the narrowing (<4 mm) of the interspinous space and touching or overlapping of the spinous processes (SPs). This condition primarily affects the mid- and caudal thoracic vertebrae; however, ORSP can also affect the lumbar SPs. In the veterinary community, kissing spine is widely recognized as a common condition in sport horses, as it is often associated with chronic back pain and contributes to poor performance. Despite its significant c...
Raïsky C, Vives BM, Leduc L, Symoens A, Tavanaeimanesh H, Richard H, Juette T, Bédard C, Leclère M.Steaming hay reduces respirable particles and is commonly used to feed horses with asthma. However, it showed inconsistent benefits in clinical studies. Objective: (1) To assess the effects of steamed hay on lung function and airway inflammation in horses with severe equine asthma (SEA) in remission; (2) To compare these effects with a dry hay diet. Methods: Cross-over in vivo experiment. Methods: Horses were fed steamed and dry hay for 4 weeks in a prospective, cross-over study, with a 4-week washout period. Lung function, bronchoalveolar lavage (BALF) cytology, and a 23-point weighted clin...
Andrews KM, Berghaus LJ, Hart KA.Equine Asthma Syndrome (EAS) is a chronic inflammatory respiratory disease of adult horses. While dietary polyphenols have shown anti-inflammatory effects in human asthma, their use in equine asthma has not been studied. Objective: To evaluate the effects of a mixed polyphenol supplement on systemic and pulmonary inflammation, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cytology, and clinical respiratory signs in healthy and asthmatic horses. We hypothesized that polyphenol supplementation would decrease systemic and pulmonary inflammation in both healthy and asthmatic horses and would improve BAL cytology a...
Cullen JN, Cieslak J, Petersen JL, Bellone RR, Finno CJ, Kalbfleisch TS, Calloe K, Capomaccio S, Cappelli K, Coleman SJ, Distl O, Durward-Akhurst SA....MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are essential regulators of gene expression, yet few comprehensive databases exist for miRNA expression in non-model species, limiting our ability to characterize their roles in gene regulation, development, and disease. Similarly, isomiRs - length and sequence isoforms of canonical miRNAs with potentially altered regulatory targets and functions - have received even less attention in non-model species, including the horse, leaving a critical gap in our understanding of their biological significance. To address these challenges, we developed an open-source, containerized pip...
Cabaret J.Resistance to anthelmintics in gastrointestinal nematodes (GINs) is highly prevalent, as these parasites have been treated with anthelmintics for decades in ruminants and horses. Anthelmintics belong to different classes, each with a different mode of action. The most used are benzimidazoles and macrocyclic lactones and, to a lesser extent, levamisole and pyrantel in herbivores, as estimated from the literature. Combining these classes should be effective in controlling GIN. However, several farmers' practices tend to promote GIN resistance. Therefore, it is unclear whether the use of anthelmi...
Hunyadi LM, Sundman EA.Equine nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism (NSHP, Bighead Disease) is a consequence of diets with abnormal calcium: phosphorus ratios. With the widespread availability of fortified feeds and legume forage, the disease has largely disappeared. The Hawaiian Islands are unique in that legume forage is largely unavailable and pastures have high oxalate concentrations. This was a cohort study that included seventeen adult horses imported from the continental US to the Waiki'i region, Hawai'i that grazed on kikuyu grass pastures. Plasma ionized calcium and parathyroid hormone concentrations at...
Wang T, Chen X, Yan X, Su Y, Gao W, Liu C, Wang W.Internal parasitic infections are a persistent challenge for horse owners, in the absence of effective vaccines and the growing challenge of drug resistance, leading many researchers to view current control strategies as unsustainable. Despite slow progress over the past two decades, effective parasitic diagnosis remains crucial for controlling infections and preventing the growing issue of drug resistance. This review examines the research progress in serological and molecular biological diagnostic methods for major equine parasites. Currently, most diagnostic techniques are based on genes su...
Massardi E, Gaudenzi G, Carra S, Oldani M, Rybinska I, Persani L, Vitale G.Cushing's disease (CD) is a rare neuroendocrine disorder caused by ACTH-secreting pituitary adenomas, presenting significant diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. Given the evolutionary conservation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, this review explores the translational value of spontaneous CD forms in dogs, horses, cats, small mammals, and rats, as well as of experimental models in mice, rats, and zebrafish. Dogs are the most studied, showing strong molecular and clinical similarities with human CD, making them valuable for preclinical drug and diagnostic research. While equine an...
Harder J, Fürst AE, Montavon PM, Montavon S, Bakony M, Lanyi K.Calcium dobesilate has recently been used for treating lameness in horses because it enhances microvascular processes and reduces intraosseous pressure. Lameness caused by disorders in bone metabolism and increased intraosseous pressure, such as navicular disease, osseous cyst-like lesions and pedal bone oedema, are commonly treated with rest, anti-inflammatory agents and surgery. Calcium dobesilate has the potential to influence the pathophysiology of these diseases, thereby improving healing. To determine whether calcium dobesilate and its acting agent calcium 2,5-dihydroxybenzene sulfonate ...
Hardefeldt L, Thomas K, Page S, Norris J, Browning G, El Hage C, Stewart A, Gilkerson J, Muscatello G, Verwilghen D, van Galen G, Bauquier J....The growing problem of antimicrobial resistance also affects equine veterinarians with increasing frequency. Antimicrobial stewardship and responsible prescribing are essential for a future in which effective antimicrobials are available, as it is unlikely that new antimicrobials will become available for use in horses. While antimicrobials are commonly used to treat equine infections, complications with therapy are also relatively common. Antimicrobial-associated diarrhoea, immune-mediated diseases, and nephrotoxicity have been reported as sequelae of antimicrobial therapy in equine practice....
Samuels AN, Collins NM, Hanlon K, Bartish C, Kelly P, Kamr AM, Toribio RE.Early and accurate identification of septicemia in neonatal foals improves survival. In human medicine, the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), neutrophil-to-monocyte ratio (NMR), monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR), and plasma cell-free DNA (cfDNA) aid in early bacteremia detection. This study evaluated the diagnostic utility of these markers in conjunction with other clinical and hematological parameters in hospitalized foals < 5 days old to predict positive blood culture at admission and to distinguish between Gram-positive, Gram-negative, or polymicrobial bacteremia. A total of 391 foal...
Koçali B, Ocak M, Şekerel BE.Animal allergens, particularly those from cats, dogs, and horses, are significant risk factors for the development of allergic diseases in childhood. Managing animal allergies requires allergen avoidance and, when this is not feasible, specific immunotherapy. Patient history remains the cornerstone of diagnosis, providing the foundation for diagnostic algorithms. Extract-based tests, such as skin prick tests and specific IgE measurements, are essential for confirmation and screening. However, traditional extract-based diagnostic methods have notable limitations, as they are unable to distingui...
Alfatlawy HJ. in Arabian mares poses a significant reproductive challenge, necessitating proper pathogen identification and antimicrobial susceptibility determination. Unassigned: To investigate the prevalence of intrauterine pathogens and their antimicrobial susceptibility patterns in Arabian mares with postbreeding endometritis. Unassigned: Seventeen Arabian mares were examined clinically and ultrasonographically. Uterine swabs were collected for bacterial isolation and antimicrobial susceptibility testing. Unassigned: Clinical endometritis was detected in 29.4% of the mares. Ultrasonographic examination...
Valderrama-Martinez C, Packham A, Smith W, Mendoza-Flores JE, Zheng S, Chigerwe M, Plancarte M, Aleman M.Long-term freezing storage can alter the stability of proteins, thereby compromising accurate determination of indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) titers that support the diagnosis of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis. Objective: Assess the effect of long-term storage at -80°C on IFAT against S. neurona and N. hughesi in equine serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Methods: Paired serum and CSF (n = 46), and serum only (n = 25) samples. Methods: Prospective study of samples stored 6-12, 13-18, and 19-24 months. Comparing antibody titers across time points, McNemar and Wilcoxon...
Merari A, Fielding L.To describe patient characteristics, laboratory data, fetal orientation, methods of correction, survival, and treatment in miniature equids with dystocia. Methods: Retrospective study conducted from January 2002 to June 2023. Methods: Equine referral hospital and field service. Methods: Seventy animals with a total of 78 instances of dystocia. Methods: None. Results: Recorded variables included signalment, clinicopathologic data, fetal presentation, correction method, survival to discharge, and complications. The survival of miniature equid mares was 94% (73/78), while survival of foals was 17...
Menzies-Gow NJ.Pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) is a common, slowly progressive, neurodegenerative disorder of the older horse. Oxidative damage to the hypothalamic periventricular neurons results in loss of dopaminergic inhibition of the pars intermedia region of the pituitary gland. Consequently, there is increased production of the pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC)-derived hormones normally produced by this region, as well as initial melanocyte hypertrophy and hyperplasia, followed by adenomatous change. Clinical signs that are highly suggestive of the disease are generalised and regional hypertrich...
Davoudi N, Behbahani M, Mohabatkar H, Dini G, Bakhshesh M.Equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) is a globally prevalent equine pathogen responsible for severe respiratory, neurological, and reproductive disorders. Accurate and ultrasensitive detection of EHV-1 is critical for timely disease management. In this study, we report the development of the first G-quadruplex-forming aptamer specifically designed for EHV-1 detection. The aptamer was generated using an in silico approach, and its G-quadruplex conformation was confirmed using circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy and crystal violet fluorescence assays. Binding affinity and specificity were assessed...
Ferreira I, Pinto JG, Oliveira EGL, Azevedo MCBS, Marcolino LMC, Ferreira-Strixino J.Habronema muscae is a parasitic nematode that causes habronemiasis in horses, leading to chronic skin lesions. The parasite is transmitted via flies, and larvae deposited in wounds result in difficult-to-heal "summer sores". This case study involved treating a 9-year-old gelding male horse with recurrent habronemiasis using photodynamic therapy (PDT) concurrent with conventional treatments. The horse presented with ulcerated, exudative wounds on its limbs and face, unresponsive to traditional treatments. PDT was applied over six months, using methylene blue (MB) as a photosensitizer, combined ...
Graham AE, Colgate VA, Floyd EF.Geographical specific data is required to guide empirical antimicrobial selection in equine neonates. Objective: Evaluate antibiograms and survival in foals from a United Kingdom (UK)-based hospital to guide antimicrobial selection. Methods: Blood and synovial fluid samples from 208 foals ≤ 30 days old admitted to Rossdales Equine Hospital from 2018 to 2023. Methods: Retrospective cohort study. Antimicrobial susceptibility was assessed by disc diffusion method. Bacterial culture and susceptibility and foal survival were recorded. The effects of the presence of positive culture or multi...
Newton JR, Daly JM, Spencer L, Mumford JA.Between March and May 2003, equine influenza virus infection was confirmed as the cause of clinical respiratory disease among both vaccinated and unvaccinated horses of different breeds and types in at least 12 locations in the UK. In the largest outbreak, 21 thoroughbred training yards in Newmarket, with more than 1300 racehorses, were affected, with the horses showing signs of coughing and nasal discharge during a period of nine weeks. Many of the infected horses had been vaccinated during the previous three months with a vaccine that contained representatives from both the European (A/eq/Ne...
Bruno L, Nappo MA, Ferrari L, Di Lecce R, Guarnieri C, Cantoni AM, Corradi A.Nipah virus (NiV) infection is a viral disease caused by a Henipavirus, belonging to the Paramyxoviridae family, responsible for a zoonosis. The course of the disease can be very serious and lead to death. NiV natural hosts are fruit bats (also known as megabats) belonging to the Pteropodidae family, especially those of the genus. Natural infection in domestic animals has been described in farming pigs, horses, domestic and feral dogs and cats. Natural NiV transmission is possible intra-species (pig-to-pig, human-to-human) and inter-species (flying bat-to-human, pig-to-human, horse-to-human)....
Kulkarni MA, Berrang-Ford L, Buck PA, Drebot MA, Lindsay LR, Ogden NH.In Canada, the emergence of vector-borne diseases may occur via international movement and subsequent establishment of vectors and pathogens, or via northward spread from endemic areas in the USA. Re-emergence of endemic vector-borne diseases may occur due to climate-driven changes to their geographic range and ecology. Lyme disease, West Nile virus (WNV), and other vector-borne diseases were identified as priority emerging non-enteric zoonoses in Canada in a prioritization exercise conducted by public health stakeholders in 2013. We review and present the state of knowledge on the public heal...
Marsh GA, Haining J, Hancock TJ, Robinson R, Foord AJ, Barr JA, Riddell S, Heine HG, White JR, Crameri G, Field HE, Wang LF, Middleton D.Hendra virus (HeV) is a highly pathogenic zoonotic paramyxovirus harbored by Australian flying foxes with sporadic spillovers directly to horses. Although the mode and critical control points of HeV spillover to horses from flying foxes, and the risk for transmission from infected horses to other horses and humans, are poorly understood, we successfully established systemic HeV disease in 3 horses exposed to Hendra virus/Australia/Horse/2008/Redlands by the oronasal route, a plausible route for natural infection. In 2 of the 3 animals, HeV RNA was detected continually in nasal swabs from as ea...
Ostlund EN, Crom RL, Pedersen DD, Johnson DJ, Williams WO, Schmitt BJ.After the 1999 outbreak of West Nile (WN) encephalitis in New York horses, a case definition was developed that specified the clinical signs, coupled with laboratory test results, required to classify cases of WN encephalitis in equines as either probable or confirmed. In 2000, 60 horses from seven states met the criteria for a confirmed case. The cumulative experience from clinical observations and diagnostic testing during the 1999 and 2000 outbreaks of WN encephalitis in horses will contribute to further refinement of diagnostic criteria.
Ueti MW, Palmer GH, Scoles GA, Kappmeyer LS, Knowles DP.Tick-borne pathogens may be transmitted intrastadially and transstadially within a single vector generation as well as vertically between generations. Understanding the mode and relative efficiency of this transmission is required for infection control. In this study, we established that adult male Rhipicephalus microplus ticks efficiently acquire the protozoal pathogen Babesia equi during acute and persistent infections and transmit it intrastadially to naïve horses. Although the level of parasitemia during acquisition feeding affected the efficiency of the initial tick infection, infected t...
Ireland JL, Clegg PD, McGowan CM, McKane SA, Chandler KJ, Pinchbeck GL.Geriatric horses (aged ≥ 15 years) represent a substantial proportion of the equine population, yet few studies have investigated the prevalence of diseases within this population in the UK. Objective: To describe the findings of veterinary clinical examination of 200 geriatric horses and ponies in north west England and north Wales, and to assess the effect of animal age and type (horse or pony) on the presence or absence of clinical signs and veterinary diagnosed health problems. Methods: From responses to a cross-sectional postal questionnaire survey of owners of geriatric horses (n = 918...
Cohen ND.A prospective study was conducted to describe the causes of and farm management factors associated with disease and death in a population of foals in Texas. Data from 2,468 foals at 167 farms were provided by veterinarians for all 12 months during 1991. Among 2,468 foals, 116 deaths were reported (4.7%). Pneumonia was the most commonly reported cause of death, followed by septicemia. When considered as a group, musculoskeletal disorders (traumatic, infectious, or deforming problems) represented the most common cause of all reported deaths. Daily risk of death was greatest during the first 7 da...
Scheinberg P, Marte M, Nunez O, Young NS.Clones of glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchor protein-deficient cells are characteristic in paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria and are present in about 40-50% of patients with severe aplastic anemia. Flow cytometry has allowed for sensitive and precise measurement of glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchor protein-deficient red blood cells and neutrophils in severe aplastic anemia. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria clones measured by flow cytometry in 207 consecutive severe aplastic anemia patients who received immunosuppressive therapy with a h...
Rodriguez M, Hooghuis H, Castaño M.The aetiology, pathogenesis and epizootiology of African horse sickness (AHS) are reviewed with special reference to recent outbreaks in the Iberian peninsula. AHS is a highly fatal insect-borne viral disease of Equidae. It is caused by an Orbivirus (family Reoviridae) and nine serotypes are recognised. Outbreaks occurred in central Spain in 1987 and in southern regions of the Iberian peninsula in 1988, 1989 and 1990. All were associated with serotype 4 of the virus, whereas other occurrences of AHS outside Africa have all been caused by serotype 9. The clinical picture in the outbreaks was ma...
Wise LN, Pelzel-McCluskey AM, Mealey RH, Knowles DP.Equine piroplasmosis, caused by the parasites Theileria equi and Babesia caballi, is a globally important disease, affecting a large percentage of the world's horses. This article serves as a review of these divergent parasites. Discussed are the clinical presentation of disease, diagnosis, and treatment. Special attention is given to the current disease status specifically in North America.
Kandeil A, Gomaa M, Shehata M, El-Taweel A, Kayed AE, Abiadh A, Jrijer J, Moatasim Y, Kutkat O, Bagato O, Mahmoud S, Mostafa A, El-Shesheny R....Dromedary camels are natural host of the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). However, there are limited studies of MERS-CoV infection of other domestic mammals exposed to infected dromedaries. We expanded our surveillance among camels in Egypt, Tunisia, and Senegal to include other domestic mammalian species in contact with infected camels. A total of 820 sera and 823 nasal swabs from cattle, sheep, goats, donkeys, buffaloes, mules, and horses were collected. Swabs were tested using RT-PCR and virus RNA-positive samples were genetically sequenced and phylogenetically analy...
Harder A, Schmitt-Wrede HP, Krücken J, Marinovski P, Wunderlich F, Willson J, Amliwala K, Holden-Dye L, Walker R.There are three major classes of anthelmintics for veterinary use: the benzimidazoles/prebenzimidazoles, the tetrahydropyrimidines/imidazothiazoles, and the macrocyclic lactones. In nematodes, there are five targets for the existing anthelmintics: the nicotinergic acetylcholine receptor which is the target of tetrahydropyrimidines/imidazothiazoles and indirectly that of the acetylcholineesterase inhibitors; the GABA receptor which is the target of piperazine, the glutamate-gated chloride channel as the target of the macrocyclic lactones, and beta-tubulin as the target of prebenzimidazoles/benz...
Keegan KG, Wilson DA, Kramer J, Reed SK, Yonezawa Y, Maki H, Pai PF, Lopes MA.To compare data obtained with an inertial sensor system with results of subjective lameness examinations performed by 3 experienced equine veterinarians for evaluation of lameness in horses. Methods: 106 horses. Methods: Horses were evaluated for lameness with a body-mounted inertial sensor system during trotting in a straight line and via subjective evaluation by 3 experienced equine practitioners who performed complete lameness examinations including lunging in a circle and limb flexion tests. Agreement among evaluators regarding results of subjective evaluations and correlations and agreeme...
Patterson-Kane JC, Karikoski NP, McGowan CM.Laminitis, one of the most debilitating conditions of all equids, is now known to be the result of several systemic disease entities. This finding, together with other recent developments in the field of laminitis research, have provoked a rethink of our clinical and research strategies for this condition. First, laminitis is now considered to be a clinical syndrome associated with systemic disease (endocrine disease, sepsis or systemic inflammatory response syndrome, SIRS) or altered weight bearing rather than being a discrete disease entity. Next, laminitis associated with endocrine disease ...
Paillot R.Equine influenza (EI) is a major respiratory disease of horses, which is still causing substantial outbreaks worldwide despite several decades of surveillance and prevention. Alongside quarantine procedures, vaccination is widely used to prevent or limit spread of the disease. The panel of EI vaccines commercially available is probably one of the most varied, including whole inactivated virus vaccines, Immuno-Stimulating Complex adjuvanted vaccines (ISCOM and ISCOM-Matrix), a live attenuated equine influenza virus (EIV) vaccine and a recombinant poxvirus-vectored vaccine. Several other strateg...
van Maanen C, Cullinane A.Equine influenza is one of the most economically important contagious respiratory diseases of horses. In this paper the current state of knowledge of equine influenza virus and the most important aspects of these virus infections, e.g. epidemiology, clinical aspects, pathogenesis and pathology, immunity, diagnosis, treatment, management and vaccination, are reviewed with an emphasis on epidemiology, diagnosis and vaccinology. Many questions have remained and with the advent of improved technology new questions have arisen. Consequently, research priorities should be set in an attempt to answer...
Bortolami A, Zendri F, Maciuca EI, Wattret A, Ellis C, Schmidt V, Pinchbeck G, Timofte D. are opportunistic pathogens with the potential to cause a variety of infections in both humans and animals and in many cases have developed antimicrobial resistance. In this study, we characterized extended-spectrum cephalosporin resistant (ESCR) isolates from diseased companion animals (dogs, cats, and horses) and related the results to clinical findings. ESCR clinical isolates obtained over a 6-year period were screened for extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) and/or plasmid mediated AmpC (pAmpC) and virulence markers likely to be associated with extraintestinal pathogenic (ExPEC). ESBL...
Leathwick DM, Besier RB.In many countries the presence of anthelmintic resistance in nematodes of small ruminants, and in some cases also in those infecting cattle and horses, has become the status quo rather than the exception. It is clear that consideration of anthelmintic resistance, and its management, should be an integral component of anthelmintic use regardless of country or host species. Many years of research into understanding the development and management of anthelmintic resistance in nematodes of small ruminants has resulted in an array of strategies for minimising selection for resistance and for dealin...
Labruna MB, Kerber CE, Ferreira F, Faccini JL, De Waal DT, Gennari SM.From December 1998 to March 1999, 40 stud farms were studied in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. During visits to farms, horses reared under grazing conditions were examined for the presence of ticks. On each farm visit, horse pastures were closely inspected and a questionnaire was given to the farm supervisor with the purpose of gaining information about ecological and management variables (independent variables) that could be associated with the presence and infestation levels of ticks on the farm (dependent variables). Three tick species were found during the study. Anocentor nitens, Amblyo...
Goehring LS, Wagner B, Bigbie R, Hussey SB, Rao S, Morley PS, Lunn DP.Equine herpesvirus-1 is a cause of outbreaks of abortion and neurological disease. The pathogenesis of both these diseases depends on establishment of viremia. An experiment was performed to determine the protective efficacy of two commercially available vaccines used with an optimized 3-dose vaccination regime: a modified-live viral (MLV) and a high antigen load killed vaccine licensed for abortion control. The study design was a blinded, randomized challenge trial. Three groups of 8 yearling ponies received one of three treatments: MLV vaccine (Rhinomune, Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc....
Ravichandran K, Anbazhagan S, Karthik K, Angappan M, Dhayananth B.Avian chlamydiosis is one of the important neglected diseases with critical zoonotic potential. Chlamydia psittaci, the causative agent, affects most categories of birds, livestock, companion animals, and humans. It has many obscured characters and epidemiological dimensions, which makes it unique among other bacterial agents. Recent reports on transmission from equine to humans alarmed the public health authorities, and it necessitates the importance of routine screening of this infectious disease. High prevalence of spill-over infection in equines was associated with reproductive losses. New...
Luchs A, da Costa AC, Cilli A, Komninakis SCV, Carmona RCC, Boen L, Morillo SG, Sabino EC, Timenetsky MDCST.In 2013, the equine-like G3P[8] DS-1-like rotavirus (RVA) strain emerged worldwide. In 2016, this strain was reported in northern Brazil. The aims of the study were to conduct a retrospective genetic investigation to identify the possible entry of these atypical strains in Brazil and to describe their distribution across a representative area of the country. From 2013 to 2017, a total of 4226 faecal samples were screened for RVA by ELISA, PAGE, RT-PCR and sequencing. G3P[8] represented 20.9 % (167/800) of all RVA-positive samples, further subdivided as equine-like G3P[8], DS-1-like (11.0 %...
Guardabassi L, Apley M, Olsen JE, Toutain PL, Weese S.Optimization of antimicrobial treatment is a cornerstone in the fight against antimicrobial resistance. Various national and international authorities and professional veterinary and farming associations have released generic guidelines on prudent antimicrobial use in animals. However, these generic guidelines need to be translated into a set of animal species- and disease-specific practice recommendations. This article focuses on prevention of antimicrobial resistance and its complex relationship with treatment efficacy, highlighting key situations where the current antimicrobial drug product...
Ireland JL, Clegg PD, McGowan CM, McKane SA, Chandler KJ, Pinchbeck GL.Previous studies suggest that owners underestimate or incorrectly recognise or report health problems in geriatric horses. However, few studies have directly compared owner-reported and veterinary assessed disease. Objective: To compare the findings of veterinary clinical examination of geriatric horses with owner-reported clinical signs and disease. Methods: A total of 200 horses aged ≥ 15 years were randomly selected to receive a veterinary examination, from responses to a cross-sectional postal questionnaire survey. Veterinary examinations were performed within 2 months of questionnaire r...
Morgan R, Keen J, McGowan C.Laminitis is one of the most common and frustrating clinical presentations in equine practice. While the principles of treatment for laminitis have not changed for several decades, there have been some important paradigm shifts in our understanding of laminitis. Most importantly, it is essential to consider laminitis as a clinical sign of disease and not as a disease in its own right. Once this shift in thinking has occurred, it is logical to then question what disease caused the laminitis. More than 90 per cent of horses presented with laminitis as their primary clinical sign will have develo...
Wang LF, Michalski WP, Yu M, Pritchard LI, Crameri G, Shiell B, Eaton BT.In 1994, a new member of the family Paramyxoviridae isolated from fatal cases of respiratory disease in horses and humans was shown to be distantly related to morbilliviruses and provisionally called equine morbillivirus (K. Murray et al., Science 268:94-97, 1995). To facilitate characterization and classification, the virus was purified, viral proteins were identified, and the P/V/C gene was cloned and sequenced. The coding strategy of the gene is similar to that of Sendai and measles viruses, members of the Paramyxovirus and Morbillivirus genera, respectively, in the subfamily Paramyxovirina...
