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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.
Spatial and temporal distribution of incidence of acquired equine polyneuropathy in Norway and Sweden, 1995-2012. Acquired equine polyneuropathy (AEP) is an emerging disease in horses in Sweden, Norway and Finland since 1995. Affected horses show bilateral pelvic limb knuckling and weakness, sometimes progressing to recumbency and euthanasia. The aetiology is unknown but is thought to be non-infectious and non-genetic, though possibly toxic or toxico-infectious. The objectives of this study were to describe the spatial, temporal and spatio-temporal features of AEP in Norway and Sweden for the period of 1995 to 2012. Data from all documented case farms (n = 136) were used. Space-time interaction cluste...
A Systematic Review of Recent Advances in Equine Influenza Vaccination. 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...
Strongyle infections and parasitic control strategies in German horses – a risk assessment. As a consequence of the increasing levels of anthelmintic resistance in cyathostomes, new strategies for equine parasite control are being implemented. To assess the potential risks of these, the occurrence of strongyles was evaluated in a group of 1887 horses. The distribution of fecal egg counts (FECs), the frequency of anthelmintic drug use, and the deworming intervals were also analyzed. Between June 2012 and May 2013, 1887 fecal samples from either selectively or strategically dewormed horses were collected at 195 horse farms all over Germany and analyzed quantitatively with a modified Mc...
Equine viral arteritis. Equine arteritis virus (EAV), the causative agent of equine viral arteritis (EVA), is a respiratory and reproductive disease that occurs throughout the world. EAV infection is highly species-specific and exclusively limited to members of the family Equidae, which includes horses, donkeys, mules, and zebras. EVA is an economically important disease and outbreaks could cause significant losses to the equine industry. The primary objective of this article is to summarize current understanding of EVA, specifically the disease, pathogenesis, epidemiology, host immune response, vaccination and treat...
Infectious diseases of working equids. Most working equids reside in low-income countries where they have an essential role in the livelihoods of their owners. Numerous infectious diseases negatively impact the health and productivity of these animals. There are considerable technical, social-behavioral, and institutional impediments globally to reducing the burden of infectious diseases on working equids. One the greatest remaining challenges is the lack of funding for research, resulting from the low priority assigned to working equids by funding bodies. Changing the attitudes of decision makers will require data-driven advocacy,...
Equine infectious anemia in 2014: live with it or eradicate it? In the absence of an effective vaccine, the success of the test and removal approach for the control of equine infectious anemia (EIA) cannot be overstated, at least in those areas where testing has been traditionally routine. This article addresses 4 main aspects: what has been learned about EIA virus, host control of its replication, and inapparent carriers; international status regarding the control of EIA; diagnostic and laboratory investigation; and reducing the spread of blood-borne infections by veterinarians. An attempt is made to put these issues into practical contemporary perspectiv...
Using Bayes’ rule to define the value of evidence from syndromic surveillance. In this work we propose the adoption of a statistical framework used in the evaluation of forensic evidence as a tool for evaluating and presenting circumstantial "evidence" of a disease outbreak from syndromic surveillance. The basic idea is to exploit the predicted distributions of reported cases to calculate the ratio of the likelihood of observing n cases given an ongoing outbreak over the likelihood of observing n cases given no outbreak. The likelihood ratio defines the Value of Evidence (V). Using Bayes' rule, the prior odds for an ongoing outbreak are multiplied by V to obtain the post...
Development and Oviposition Preference of House Flies and Stable Flies (Diptera: Muscidae) in Six Substrates From Florida Equine Facilities. House flies, Musca domestica L., and stable flies, Stomoxys calcitrans (L.), (Diptera: Muscidae), common pests on equine facilities, were studied in the laboratory to determine the success and duration of larval development and oviposition preferences on six substrates commonly found on equine facilities. Substrates tested were hay soiled with urine and manure, fresh horse manure, pine shaving bedding soiled with urine and manure (72 h in a manure pile), builders sand bedding soiled with urine and manure aged 3 d, and soil from an overgrazed pasture mixed with urine and manure of variable age....
Serum Strongylus vulgaris-specific antibody responses to anthelmintic treatment in naturally infected horses. Strongylus vulgaris is the most pathogenic helminth parasite of horses, causing verminous endarteritis with thromboembolism and infarction. A serum enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) has been validated for detection of antibodies to an antigen produced by migrating larvae of this parasite. The aim was to evaluate ELISA responses to anthelmintic treatment in cohorts of naturally infected horses. Fifteen healthy horses harboring patent S. vulgaris infections were turned out for communal grazing in May 2013 (day 0). On day 55, horses were ranked according to ELISA titers and randomly alloc...
Incidence of gastro-intestinal parasites in horses of Shimoga region, Karnataka state. A study was conducted to ascertain the incidence of gastrointestinal parasites in horses of Shimoga region, to generate the data regarding status of parasitic infections of equines in Karnataka state due to paucity of information. A total of 100 fresh fecal samples of equines were collected and examined by direct and sedimentation method for the detection of parasitic egg/ova. Among 100 samples examined, 84 (84.0 %) were found positive for various gastrointestinal helminths. Out of 84 positive cases, 44 (52.38 %) were found positive for Strongylus spp. eggs, 09 (10.71 %) showed Parascaris e...
Anthelmintic resistance in equine nematodes. Anthelmintics have been applied indiscriminately to control horse nematodes for over 40 years. Three broad-spectrum anthelmintic classes are currently registered for nematode control in horses: benzimidazoles (fenbendazole, oxibendazole), tetrahydropyrimidines (pyrantel) and macrocyclic lactones (ivermectin, moxidectin). Generally, control strategies have focused on nematode egg suppression regimens that involve the frequent application of anthelmintics to all horses at intervals based on strongyle egg reappearance periods after treatment. The widespread use of such programmes has substantial...
Investigation of single and paired measurements of adrenocorticotropic hormone for the diagnosis of pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction in horses. Paired measurement of ACTH concentration may be more reliable than a single measurement. Objective: To determine whether the mean of 2 measurements of ACTH concentration is more reliable in assessing pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) than a single measurement. Methods: Paired ACTH measurements were performed on (1) 148 occasions from 124 horses being investigated for PPID, (2) 90 occasions from 76 horses with PPID that were receiving treatment with pergolide, and (3) 63 occasions from 50 horses in which there was no clinical suspicion of PPID. Histologic examination of the pars inte...
Antiviral activity of a Bacillus sp. P34 peptide against pathogenic viruses of domestic animals. P34 is an antimicrobial peptide produced by a Bacillus sp. strain isolated from the intestinal contents of a fish in the Brazilian Amazon basin with reported antibacterial activity. The aim of this work was to evaluate the peptide P34 for its in vitro antiviral properties against canine adenovirus type 2 (CAV-2), canine coronavirus (CCoV), canine distemper virus (CDV), canine parvovirus type 2 (CPV-2), equine arteritis virus (EAV), equine influenza virus (EIV), feline calicivirus (FCV) and feline herpesvirus type 1 (FHV-1). The results showed that the peptide P34 exhibited antiviral activity a...
Congenital hepatic fibrosis in the Franches-Montagnes horse is associated with the polycystic kidney and hepatic disease 1 (PKHD1) gene. Congenital hepatic fibrosis has been described as a lethal disease with monogenic autosomal recessive inheritance in the Swiss Franches-Montagnes horse breed. We performed a genome-wide association study with 5 cases and 12 controls and detected an association on chromosome 20. Subsequent homozygosity mapping defined a critical interval of 952 kb harboring 10 annotated genes and loci including the polycystic kidney and hepatic disease 1 (autosomal recessive) gene (PKHD1). PKHD1 represents an excellent functional candidate as variants in this gene were identified in human patients with autosoma...
Equine herpesvirus 1 myeloencephalopathy. Equine myeloencephalopathy (EHM), an uncommon manifestation of equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) infection, can cause devastating losses on individual farms, boarding stables, veterinary hospitals, and show and racing venues. An improved understanding of EHM has emerged from experimental studies and from data collected during field outbreaks at riding schools, racetracks, horse shows, and veterinary hospitals throughout North America and Europe. These outbreaks have highlighted the contagious nature of EHV-1 and have prompted a reevaluation of diagnostic procedures, treatment modalities, preventati...
Quantitative PCR detection of Theileria equi using laboratory workflows to detect asymptomatic persistently infected horses. Equine piroplasmosis is the most important tick-borne disease of horses. Regulations on movement of horses into disease-free countries are in place to preserve international trade. Introduction of infectious disease, such as equine piroplasmosis, into non-endemic countries remains a substantial risk owing to the wide-spread distribution of vectors. Identification and restriction of movement of Theileria equi persistently infected horses is an integral part of control strategies, because persistently infected horses with low parasitaemia are an important reservoir. We used real-time PCR for dia...
Evaluating the Effectiveness of Strategies for the Control of Equine Influenza Virus in the New Zealand Equine Population. New Zealand has never experienced an equine influenza (EI) outbreak. The 2007 outbreak of EI in Australia showed that in a naïve population EI spreads rapidly and substantial efforts (in terms of movement restrictions, mass vaccination and post-vaccination surveillance) were required to achieve eradication. To control EI, it is essential that animal health authorities have well-defined strategies for containment, control and eradication in place before an incursion occurs. A spatially explicit stochastic simulation model, InterSpread Plus, was used to evaluate EI control strategies for the Ne...
Equine piroplasmosis. 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.
Managing Salmonella in equine populations. Infection control is achieved through all efforts used to prevent the introduction and limit the spread of contagious pathogens within a facility or population, with the goal of eliminating sources of potentially pathogenic microorganisms and to disrupt infectious disease transmission. Congregating animals from multiple sources, as occurs at veterinary hospitals, racetracks, equestrian events, and boarding and training facilities, increases the risk for transmission of infectious diseases such as salmonella. There is a recognizable standard of practice for infection control and due effort must...
Hendra virus. Hendra virus infection of horses occurred sporadically between 1994 and 2010 as a result of spill-over from the viral reservoir in Australian mainland flying-foxes, and occasional onward transmission to people also followed from exposure to affected horses. An unprecedented number of outbreaks were recorded in 2011 leading to heightened community concern. Release of an inactivated subunit vaccine for horses against Hendra virus represents the first commercially available product that is focused on mitigating the impact of a Biosafety Level 4 pathogen. Through preventing the development of acut...
Science in brief: Report on the first Havemeyer workshop on infectious diseases in working equids, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, November 2013. The working equid is of vital importance in many low-income countries
where horses, mules and donkeys are the primary means of transport and
traction. Notwithstanding basic husbandry and welfare needs, infectious
diseases compromise the health and welfare of these working animals,
which in turn threatens the livelihoods of the most vulnerable members
of society. A workshop on Infectious Diseases of Working Equids was held in
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in November 2013, attended by 35 participants
representing academia, nongovernmental organisations (NGOs),
governmental institutions and the ...
