Disease prevalence in horses refers to the frequency and distribution of various diseases within equine populations. Understanding disease prevalence is essential for identifying health trends, assessing risk factors, and implementing effective disease management and prevention strategies. Common diseases affecting horses include equine influenza, equine herpesvirus, strangles, and equine infectious anemia. The study of disease prevalence involves collecting and analyzing data from veterinary reports, field studies, and laboratory diagnostics. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that investigate the patterns, causes, and implications of disease prevalence in horses, providing insights into equine health management and epidemiology.
Enkhtuul B, Khurtsbaatar O, Lkham B, Agiimaa T, Unenbat J, Buyanbadrakh B, Ninjbulgan S, Liushiqi B, Suzuki Y, Kimura T, Batbaatar V.Glanders, a zoonotic disease caused by , has re-emerged in Mongolia after decades of control. We conducted nationwide serosurveillance from 2021 to 2024 to assess the prevalence and geographic distribution of glanders. Using random 3-stage cluster sampling, we collected 3,001 horse serum samples from 332 herds. Those herds were in 46 soums (administrative districts equivalent to counties) in 13 provinces and in 3 districts in Ulaanbaatar. Sera were tested using the complement fixation test, and positive results were confirmed by immunoblotting and ELISA. Overall seroprevalence was 1.03% (95% C...
Gartland KL, Leśniak K, Twigg-Flesner A.Scientific interest in relation to Fragile Foal Syndrome (FFS) has proliferated in the last decade, but before this, many clinical cases were attributed to other similarly presenting equine neonatal disorders. It was thought that FFS-affected foals were mainly miscarried throughout gestation, but recent study results suggest that often, foals are born alive and die shortly after birth. FFS is proposed to have originated as long ago as the Godolphin Arabian, but the definite derivation of the mutant allele is unconfirmed. The discovery that FFS is present in 11-30% of Warmbloods and 2-3% of Tho...
Häussling MPP, Steinberg T, Büttner K, Hannig C, Hannig M, Lemke L, Zierau O, Staszyk C.Destructive lesions of the peripheral and infundibular cementum are increasingly recognized in equine dentistry. While similarities to human caries have been noted, current evidence does not conclusively support this classification. This study aims to assess the prevalence, distribution, and potential risk factors associated with these lesions in a defined horse population. Unassigned: A total of 114 horses from northern Germany underwent standardized oral examination between 2021 and 2023. Clinical data on peripheral and infundibular lesions, diastemata, and influencing factors such as age an...
Cardoso TL, Wozeak DR, Pereira IL, da Silva Ribeiro LD, Rodrigues RO, Hartwig DD.Leptospirosis is a globally distributed zoonosis that affects both humans and animals, with being the main causative agent. In horses, the disease is associated with considerable economic losses. The Microscopic Agglutination Test (MAT) is the reference test for diagnosis but has limitations, emphasizing the need for effective diagnostic alternatives. In this study, was evaluated the use of a recombinant chimera, composed of ErpY-like and LemA proteins, as an antigen for ELISA-based detection of equine leptospirosis. The chimera was successfully expressed, purified and tested on 915 horse ser...
Ivester K, Couetil L, Arora D, Wilkes R, Thimmapuram J.Fungal exposure is strongly implicated in the pathogenesis of asthma in horses, but the importance of specific fungi is unknown. Geographic variation in equine asthmatic endotypes is suspected and might be related to different fungal exposures due to different climatological and geographical conditions. This study had two objectives: evaluate the effect of the ecoregion upon BALF inflammatory cells and fungal community composition in horses with asthma and evaluate the effect of BALF fungal community composition upon the likelihood of neutrophilic, mastocytic and eosinophilic inflammation in t...
Dao TTH, Szűts T, Duong NN, Troung DTQ, Solymosi N, Takács N, Hornok S, Farkas R.Equine piroplasmosis, caused by , and , significantly impacts on the veterinary and economic aspects of the global horse industry. However, many countries, including Vietnam, have not yet conducted epidemiological surveys to determine the prevalence of these haemoparasites. This study aimed to detect and/or infections in horses and to identify their genotypes. Blood samples were collected from 154 apparently healthy horses in eight districts of Hanoi, Thai Nguyen, and Son La provinces located in the northern part of the country. Twenty-four horses (15.58%, 95%CI: 10.70–22.14%) were found ...
Junkkari R, Mykkänen A, Sulku P, Rantala M, Pohjanvirta T, Eklund M, Pelkonen S, Grönthal T. subsp. (), an opportunistic pathogen often found in the stable environment and upper respiratory tract of young horses, can cause severe pneumonias in Equidae. In this study we investigated the occurrence, genetic variation and antimicrobial susceptibility of isolates from 63 weanling horses kept in loose housing or conventional stables. The bacterial isolates were typed by using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and multi-locus sequence typing (MLST). The possible associating factors (stable type, age, breed and clinical signs) for positive finding were analysed using logistic regre...
Pettersson J, Levanov L, Tervo S, Hautala K, Aaltonen K, Utriainen M, Kareinen L, Gadd T, Sironen T, Vapalahti O, Kinnunen PM.Parapoxviruses (PPV) cause skin and mucous membrane signs to several animal species and humans worldwide. Equine parapoxvirus (EqPPV) was first detected in a sick horse in Finland in 2013. It is potentially zoonotic, and a similar virus has been detected in humans in the USA. In winter 2021–2022, EqPPV caused a large-scale pastern dermatitis epidemic in racehorses all over Finland. Field reports suggest that similar epidemics of unverified cause have also occurred in 2015 and 2019. The aim of this study was to develop a serological test and study the immune response, seroprevalence, and hist...
Zalewski M, Kołodyńska G, Piątek A, Mucha A, Misztela W, Andrzejewski W.Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is usually associated with aging and parity, but repetitive intra-abdominal pressure during physical activity can also trigger its onset in young women. Horseback riding, despite potential benefits for pelvic floor strengthening, may also contribute to pelvic floor strain and urinary symptoms. The study included 100 Polish women aged 21-54 engaged in horse riding, both recreational (85%) and professional (15%). Participants were divided into three age groups and screened for urinary incontinence symptoms. Quality of life was assessed with validated questionnai...
Ganbaatar O, Batbaatar V, Kimura T, Ganzorig S, Tseren-Ochir EO, Suzuki Y, Takai S.ELISA antibody titers against Rhodococcus equi strain ATCC 6939 were measured in serum samples collected from 644 horses aged 1-21 years at 13 provinces and the capital of Mongolia, of which 631 (98%) samples showed values of approximately zero. The mean antibody titers in the 14 areas ranged from -0.08 to -0.01. Nine samples (1.4%) exhibited titers of 0.1-0.2, and surprisingly, four horses (0.6%) each aged 2, 5, 8, and 9 years demonstrated positive values in the range of 0.3-0.8. Considering the age resistance characteristic of this disease, the positive horses were hypothesized to exhibit no...
Dorrego A, Olvera-Maneu S, Jose-Cunilleras E, Gago P, Raez A, Rivera B, Oporto A, Gonzalez S, Cruz-Lopez F.The forest fly ) is an obligate haematophagous dipteran insect (order Diptera) that primarily infests horses and may contribute to the circulation of vector-borne pathogens. This study aimed to investigate the presence of , s.l., , and , important vector-borne pathogens of equids, in forest flies collected from horses in endemic areas of Spain. A total of 170 forest flies were collected from 39 equids across four geographical regions in Spain (Segovia, Madrid, Toledo, and Menorca) and blood samples were collected from 27 of these horses. All flies were morphologically and molecularly identifi...
Klass LG, Krücken J, Mbedi S, Sparmann S, Schenk T, Andreotti S, von Samson-Himmelstjerna G.Mixed strongyle infections represent the most prevalent equine parasitosis and can result in life-threatening disease, especially in young horses. Species involvement and pathogenesis of this parasitosis are poorly understood, and data on foals and broodmares are notably lacking. Methods: In a longitudinal study undertaken in 2022 in Germany, individual faecal samples (n = 497) and metadata were collected for naturally infected foals and broodmares (n = 48) kept under conventional husbandry conditions. Nematode infections were detected coproscopically via the Mini-FLOTAC method. In a s...
Cooper CJ, Arroyo LG, Hammermueller JD, Botts MM, Pearl DL, Wootton SK, Lillie BN.Equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) is ubiquitous in the horse population, but prevalence estimates have ranged from 3 to 88% depending on the population and method of sampling. No prevalence studies have been carried out in Ontario, Canada. The objective of this study was to measure the prevalence of EHV-1 shedding in healthy broodmares in Ontario. A total of 381 mares from 42 farms in Ontario were sampled, including pregnant and barren broodmares. Samples were collected from the nose, vagina, and blood of each mare up to 6 times from December 2016 through October 2017 using a cross-sectional study ...
Cyathostomins and Anoplocephala perfoliata infect equids worldwide and both are of concern due to their potential to cause clinical disease. Although coprological techniques are commonly used for assessing helminth egg shedding these do not provide information about an individual's total parasite burden. Antibody-based tests provide information on infection levels within individuals. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate cyathostomin and Anoplocephala perfoliata occurrence in Italian horses using coprological and serum-based antibody detection methods and to analyse risk factors for infectio...
Qin S, Kulabieke T, Mizhamuhan D, Zhang M, Jin M, Abula G, Pi M, Wang H, Zhang Y, Guo Q.Equine theileriosis, caused by the protozoan parasite , represents a significant economic threat to the equine industry. In Xinjiang, China, an endemic area for this disease, systematic research on the genetic diversity of has been notably lacking. The aim of this study was to obtain molecular epidemiological data pertaining to the parasite in selected regions of Xinjiang, China, and analyze the genetic characteristics (including rRNA, , and genes) and genotype distribution patterns of isolates from these regions, providing a scientific basis for developing targeted prevention and control s...
Raftery AG, Gummery L, Garcia K, Mohite D, Capewell P, Sutton D.Equine trypanosomiasis is a neglected protozoal disease. Objective: To answer the study question: In equines what are the effects of disease management of trypanosomiasis on disease severity (individual level) and disease prevalence (population level) compared to no intervention? Methods: Systematic review. Methods: Studies were identified that described management of naturally occurring equine trypanosomiasis in any country following 'Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses' using eight international databases (1980-2022). Risk of bias was assessed using ROBINS-I. D...
Pourmahdi Borujeni M, Ghobadian Diali H, Mashhadi AG, Aliabad MJ.The recent identification of novel viruses associated with hepatitis in horses has prompted equine veterinarians to investigate the viral factors contributing to equine hepatitis. Hepacivirus equi (EqHV), a member of the Flaviviridae family within the Hepacivirus genus, has been detected in horses affected by hepatitis. Globally, EqHV is highly conserved, existing as a single genotype with three distinct subtypes (Subtypes 1-3). Numerous studies have detected the virus by PCR and identified EqHV-specific antibodies through serological tests in different regions worldwide. However, to the best ...
Kamiński S, Bejda J, Lewczuk D.The method for identifying the causative mutation for Warmblood Fragile Foal Syndrome (WFFS) involved PCR amplification of a 259-base pair fragment of the PLOD1 gene and its digestion with the restriction enzyme Aci I was developed, allowing for the clear detection of WFFS carriers. Eight WFFS carriers were detected among 308 warmblood horses kept in different farms across Poland, giving an overall frequency of 2.59%, which indicates a rather low frequency of the causative mutation for WFFS in Poland. Further research should be conducted on a larger number of horses, particularly those breeds ...
Harpke M, Brangsch H, Melzer F.In Germany, Contagious Equine Metritis (CEM) is a persistent problem in equine populations. The often subclinical nature of the disease, which is caused by the bacterium Taylorella equigenitalis, poses a problem for the breeding industry. However, there is a lack of knowledge about the genomic diversity of the pathogen in Germany, as studies on the genome level are lacking. Thus, in this study we sequenced 63 T. equigenitalis isolates from a strain collection and contemporary clinical isolates from before 2007-2024. Most of these isolates came from Icelandic horses in southern Germany. Based...
Gao W, Liu M, Nurdaly K, Caidan D, Sun Y, Duan J, Zhao J, Gong X, Zhou J, Zhang Y, Chen Q.Equine bacterial abortion presents substantial economic and One Health challenges; however, comprehensive epidemiological data from China are limited. This study sought to ascertain the overall prevalence of key pathogens-namely, spp., , , and spp.-in equine populations in northwestern China. In this study, we aimed to further elucidate the characteristics of co-infections, profile antimicrobial resistance genes, and identify associated risk factors. Conducted as a cross-sectional analysis across four provinces, we collected 508 blood samples and 24 abortion tissue samples from 15 farms. Pat...
Barua S, Tarannum A, Huber L, Easterwood LA, Velayudhan B, Da Silveira BP, Enyetornye B, Cohen ND, Dimitrov KM, Schwarz ER, Awtrey A, Groover E....Over the past decade, newly identified equine hepatotropic flavi- and parvoviruses, such as equine parvovirus-hepatitis (EqPV-H) and equine hepacivirus (EqHV), have generated considerable scientific and clinical interest. Pegiviruses, including Pegivirus (P.) caballi and P. equi, are also recognized and known to frequently cause persistent infections. However, comprehensive epidemiological data in the United States remain limited. This study analyzed 1195 equine serum samples collected from university-owned horses and diagnostic submissions across Alabama, Georgia, and Texas. Quantitative PCR ...
Silva JG, Martins KR, Rahal NM, Schuch LFD, Cunha RC, Meireles MCA.Neorickettsia risticii, an obligate intracellular bacterium, is the causative agent of Potomac Horse Fever (PHF) - a systemic, acute, and potentially fatal diarrheal disease. This pathogen is an endosymbiont of digenetic trematodes, with freshwater snails playing a role in its biological cycle. The disease exhibits endemic and seasonal patterns, primarily affecting horses in wetlands during warmer months, and has been documented in the United States, Canada, Europe, and South America. Previous studies confirmed the pathogen's presence in herds from southern Brazil via serology and PCR; however...
Gonzálvez M, Franco JJ, Cano-Terriza D, Barbero-Moyano J, Jose-Cunilleras E, García J, Alguacil E, García-Bocanegra I.Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA) is a notifiable disease caused by Equine Infectious Anemia Virus (EIAV), with major sanitary and economic importance for equids worldwide. There is limited and outdated information on the circulation of EIAV in many European countries. In the present study, we aimed to assess virus exposure in different equid species in Western Europe. Methods: Between 2011 and 2023, a cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate the seroprevalence of EIAV in 1676 equids (1444 horses, 106 donkeys and 126 mules/hinnies) from four European regions: Andalusia (Southern Spain; ...
McAdams ZL, Campbell EJ, Dorfmeyer RA, Turner G, Shaffer S, Ford T, Lawson J, Terry J, Raju M, Coghill L, Cresci L, Lascola K, Pridgen T....Horses and other equids are reliant on the gut microbiome for health, and studies have reported associations between certain clinical conditions and features of the fecal microbiome. However, research to date on the equine fecal microbiome has often relied on small sample sizes collected from single and relatively localized geographic regions. Previous work also largely employs single timepoint analyses, or horses selected based on limited health criteria. Results: To address these limitations and expand our understanding of the core microbiome in health, and the changes associated with advers...
Costa VMD, de Aguiar Filho RN, Braz GF, Paz CFR, Drumond BP, Teixeira BM, Kroon EG.Equine infectious anemia (EIA) is a chronic disease caused by the equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV), a member of the Retroviridae family and the Lentivirus genus. Most infected animals are asymptomatic carriers, which makes clinical diagnosis challenging. This study aimed to conduct a clinical and laboratory evaluation of EIA in equids used for equestrian tourism in Jericoacoara National Park, Ceará, Brazil. A total of 112 equids (104 horses and 8 mules) underwent clinical, hematological, biochemical, serological, and molecular assessments. The EIAV seropositivity rates were 11.6% by AGID...
Simó-Martínez MS, Marco-Fuertes A, Galán-Relaño Á, Astorga Márquez RJ, Marin C, Valero Díaz A, Vega S. are zoonotic pathogens, and rising antimicrobial resistance (AMR) amplifies their public health impact. Asymptomatic horses can act as reservoirs, contributing to environmental contamination and interspecies transmission. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of and characterize AMR patterns in healthy horses from eastern Spain. Faecal samples from 95 asymptomatic horses were collected once daily over five consecutive days (475 samples in total) and processed under for detection. Epidemiological information was obtained through owner questionnaires, and associations with shedding we...
de Oliveira UV, Waap H, Gomes J, da Silva AN, Lacerda LC, da Silva Oliveira Costa T, de Sousa Lima T, Schares G, Pinheiro AM, Gondim LFP, Munhoz AD.The study aimed to assess the prevalence of horses reactive to Sarcocystis neurona, Neospora caninum, and Besnoitia besnoiti in horses from the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Sera reactivity was tested by the Immunofluorescent Antibody Test (IFAT) in 354 equids sampled at slaughter, using a cut-off of 1:80 for S. neurona and 1:50 for N. caninum and B. besnoiti. Detection of N. caninum was attempted by PCR and bioassay in gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus) using brain samples collected from seropositive horses. Sera from 158 horses (44.63 %) (158/354; CI: 39.54-49.84 %) reacted to S. neuron...
Soliman AM, Elhawary NM, Helmy NM, El-Seify MA, Amer MM, Mohamed S, Memon FU, Rashid MHO, Gadelhaq SM.Equine piroplasmosis represents one of the main and serious health problems affecting the equines industry globally, caused by a tick-borne protozoa called and . This study aimed to identify and genotype within the equine population from Giza Governorate, Egypt, by comparing the obtained results using the available diagnostic methods. Unassigned: We collected 116 apparently healthy horses from the study area during the first half of 2019 to identify using real-time PCR (qPCR), targeting the gene. The results were compared with those from microscopic examination of Giemsa-stained blood sme...
Muresu Ibba GM, Poeta A, De Lorenzi G, Pupillo G, D'Annunzio G, Pezzarossi A, Bisceglia I, Mangone L.Melanomas are dermal-epidermal and subcutaneous tumors commonly found in horses, especially those with grey coats. This study aimed to characterize melanomas in slaughtered horses by analyzing their distribution according to sex, age, and nationality, and to describe the veterinary inspection interventions required at slaughterhouses based on lymph node involvement and distant metastases in a province of northern Italy. Between January and December 2024, 182 grey horses were examined, and 28 cases of melanoma were identified (15% of grey horses) with an average age of 14 years: 8 males (mean a...
Desquesnes M, Holzmuller P, Lai DH, Dargantes A, Lun ZR, Jittaplapong S.Trypanosoma evansi, the agent of "surra," is a salivarian trypanosome, originating from Africa. It is thought to derive from Trypanosoma brucei by deletion of the maxicircle kinetoplastic DNA (genetic material required for cyclical development in tsetse flies). It is mostly mechanically transmitted by tabanids and stomoxes, initially to camels, in sub-Saharan area. The disease spread from North Africa towards the Middle East, Turkey, India, up to 53° North in Russia, across all South-East Asia, down to Indonesia and the Philippines, and it was also introduced by the conquistadores into Latin ...
Woldehiwet Z.Anaplasma phagocytophilum is the recently designated name replacing three species of granulocytic bacteria, Ehrlichia phagocytophila, Ehrlichia equi and the agent of human granulocytic ehrlichiosis, after the recent reorganization of the families Rickettsiaceae and Anaplasmataceae in the order Rickettsiales. Tick-borne fever (TBF), which is caused by the prototype of A. phagocytophilum, was first described in 1932 in Scotland. A similar disease caused by a related granulocytic agent was first described in horses in the USA in 1969; this was followed by the description of two distinct granulocy...
Wise LN, Kappmeyer LS, Mealey RH, Knowles DP.Equine piroplasmosis is caused by one of 2 erythrocytic parasites Babesia caballi or Theileria equi. Although the genus of the latter remains controversial, the most recent designation, Theileria, is utilized in this review. Shared pathogenesis includes tick-borne transmission and erythrolysis leading to anemia as the primary clinical outcome. Although both parasites are able to persist indefinitely in their equid hosts, thus far, only B. caballi transmits across tick generations. Pathogenesis further diverges after transmission to equids in that B. caballi immediately infects erythrocytes, wh...
Murgue B, Murri S, Zientara S, Durand B, Durand JP, Zeller H.On September 6, 2000, two cases of equine encephalitis caused by West Nile (WN) virus were reported in southern France (Hérault Province), near Camargue National Park, where a WN outbreak occurred in 1962. Through November 30, 76 cases were laboratory confirmed among 131 equines with neurologic disorders. The last confirmed case was on November 3, 2000. All but three cases were located in a region nicknamed "la petite Camargue," which has several large marshes, numerous colonies of migratory and resident birds, and large mosquito populations. No human case has been confirmed among clinically ...
Seyedmousavi S, Guillot J, Arné P, de Hoog GS, Mouton JW, Melchers WJ, Verweij PE.The importance of aspergillosis in humans and various animal species has increased over the last decades. Aspergillus species are found worldwide in humans and in almost all domestic animals and birds as well as in many wild species, causing a wide range of diseases from localized infections to fatal disseminated diseases, as well as allergic responses to inhaled conidia. Some prevalent forms of animal aspergillosis are invasive fatal infections in sea fan corals, stonebrood mummification in honey bees, pulmonary and air sac infection in birds, mycotic abortion and mammary gland infections in ...
Habarugira G, Suen WW, Hobson-Peters J, Hall RA, Bielefeldt-Ohmann H.West Nile virus (WNV) is an important zoonotic flavivirus responsible for mild fever to severe, lethal neuroinvasive disease in humans, horses, birds, and other wildlife species. Since its discovery, WNV has caused multiple human and animal disease outbreaks in all continents, except Antarctica. Infections are associated with economic losses, mainly due to the cost of treatment of infected patients, control programmes, and loss of animals and animal products. The pathogenesis of WNV has been extensively investigated in natural hosts as well as in several animal models, including rodents, lagom...
Bryan A, Shapir N, Sadowsky MJ.Nonselected and natural populations of Escherichia coli from 12 animal sources and humans were examined for the presence and types of 14 tetracycline resistance determinants. Of 1,263 unique E. coli isolates from humans, pigs, chickens, turkeys, sheep, cows, goats, cats, dogs, horses, geese, ducks, and deer, 31% were highly resistant to tetracycline. More than 78, 47, and 41% of the E. coli isolates from pigs, chickens, and turkeys were resistant or highly resistant to tetracycline, respectively. Tetracycline MICs for 61, 29, and 29% of E. coli isolates from pig, chickens, and turkeys, respect...
Murray KO, Mertens E, Despres P.Zoonotic West Nile virus (WNV) circulates in natural transmission cycles involving certain mosquitoes and birds, horses, humans, and a range of other vertebrates are incidental hosts. Clinical infections in humans can range in severity from uncomplicated WNV fever to fatal meningoencephalitis. Since its introduction to the Western Hemisphere in 1999, WNV had spread across North America, Central and South America and the Caribbean, although the vast majority of severe human cases have occurred in the United States of America (USA) and Canada. By 2002-2003, the WNV outbreaks have involved thousa...
Komar N, Clark GG.West Nile virus (Flavivirus: Flaviviridae; WNV) has spread rapidly throughout the Caribbean Basin since its initial detection there in 2001. This report summarizes our current knowledge of WNV transmission in tropical America. Methods: We reviewed the published literature and consulted with key public health officials to obtain unpublished data. Results: West Nile virus infections first appeared in human residents of the Cayman Islands and the Florida Keys in 2001, and in apparently healthy Jamaican birds sampled early in 2002. Serologic evidence of WNV infection in 2002 was detected in horses...
Azlaf R, Dakkak A.The objectives of this epidemiological study on cystic echinococcosis (CE) in Morocco (2001-2004) were to update the prevalence of CE in different animal species living in the most important areas of the country and to collect protoscoleces and germinal layers for genetic research purposes. The post mortem inspection concerned 2948 sheep, 2337 goats, 618 cattle, 482 camels and 455 equines (325 horses, 60 mules and 70 donkeys) in five different regions: the Rif (Mediterranean coast and high mountains of the Rif), the Loukkos (Atlantic northwest plain), the center (Rabat and Casablanca regions),...
Olson JG, Ksiazek TG, Gubler DJ, Lubis SI, Simanjuntak G, Lee VH, Nalim S, Juslis K, See R.Sera were collected from humans, cattle, horses, goats, ducks, chickens, wild birds, bats and rats in Lombok, Indonesia, and were tested by haemagglutination inhibition (HI) for antibodies to JE, ZIKA, CHIK and RR. Selected sera were tested by microneutralization tests for antibodies to the following viruses: JE, ZIKA, MVE, TMU, LGT, KUN, SEP, DEN-2, CHIK, RR, GET, SIN, BUN, BAT and BAK. Human sera had JE HI antibody in 135 (30%) of 446 tested. Neutralization tests indicated that DEN-2, ZIKA, TMU, KUN and SEP may have caused flavivirus infections. Antibodies to other arboviruses tested for wer...
Journal of medical entomologyOctober 5, 2006
Volume 43, Issue 5 936-946 doi: 10.1603/0022-2585(2006)43[936:hbahba]2.0.co;2
Balenghien T, Fouque F, Sabatier P, Bicout DJ.After 35 yr of disease absence, West Nile virus (family Flaviviridae, genus Flavivirus, WNV) circulation has been regularly detected in the Camargue region (southern France) since 2000. WNV was isolated from Culex modestus Ficalbi, which was considered the main vector in southern France after horse outbreaks in the 1960s. Recent WNV transmissions outside of the Cx. modestus distribution suggested the existence of other vectors. To study potential WNV vectors, horse- and bird-baited traps and human landing collections of mosquitoes were carried out weekly from May to October 2004 at two Camargu...
Blitvich BJ.West Nile virus (WNV) is a flavivirus that is maintained in a bird-mosquito transmission cycle. Humans, horses and other non-avian vertebrates are usually incidental hosts, but evidence is accumulating that this might not always be the case. Historically, WNV has been associated with asymptomatic infections and sporadic disease outbreaks in humans and horses in Africa, Europe, Asia and Australia. However, since 1994, the virus has caused frequent outbreaks of severe neuroinvasive disease in humans and horses in Europe and the Mediterranean Basin. In 1999, WNV underwent a dramatic expansion of ...
Komar N.West Nile virus (WNV) has emerged in recent years in temperate regions of Europe and North America, presenting a threat to both public and animal health. The most serious manifestation of infection is fatal encephalitis in humans and horses, as well as mortality in certain domestic and wild birds. A recent development in the epizootiology of this mosquito-borne flavivirus was the occurrence of a severe outbreak in New York City and surrounding areas. During this outbreak, mortality was observed in humans, horses, a cat and numerous species of wild birds, particularly members of the family Corv...
Cupp EW, Zhang D, Yue X, Cupp MS, Guyer C, Sprenger TR, Unnasch TR.Uranotaenia sapphirina, Culex erraticus, and Cx. peccator were collected in an enzootic eastern equine encephalomyelitis (EEE) virus focus in central Alabama (Tuskegee National Forest) from 2001 to 2003 and analyzed for virus as well as host selection. EEE virus was detected in each species every year except 2003, when pools of Cx. peccator were negative. Most (97%) of the 130 Cx. peccator blood meals identified were from ectothermic hosts; 3% were from birds. Among blood meals from reptiles (approximately 75% of the total), 81% were from Agkistrodon piscivorus (cottonmouth); all amphibian blo...
Nedland H, Wollman J, Sreenivasan C, Quast M, Singrey A, Fawcett L, Christopher-Hennings J, Nelson E, Kaushik RS, Wang D, Li F.Influenza D virus (IDV) is a newly described influenza type of the Orthomyxoviridae virus family that was first isolated from diseased swine in 2011 and has subsequently been detected in cattle around the world in 2014. In addition, serological evidence for IDV infection in humans has been recently established. Despite all the progress, the full range of susceptible hosts for this novel virus has yet to be determined, but includes swine, bovine, small ruminants and human. This study was designed to determine if equine is a possible host to this newly emerging influenza virus. Three hundred and...
Marfin AA, Gubler DJ.In 1999, an epidemic of West Nile virus (WNV) encephalitis occurred in New York City (NYC) and 2 surrounding New York counties. Simultaneously, an epizootic among American crows and other bird species occurred in 4 states. Indigenous transmission of WNV had never been documented in the western hemisphere until this epidemic. In 2000, the epizootic expanded to 12 states and the District of Columbia, and the epidemic continued in NYC, 5 New Jersey counties, and 1 Connecticut county. In addition to these outbreaks, several large epidemics of WNV have occurred in other regions of the world where t...
Paz S, Malkinson D, Green MS, Tsioni G, Papa A, Danis K, Sirbu A, Ceianu C, Katalin K, Ferenczi E, Zeller H, Semenza JC.In the summer of 2010, Europe experienced outbreaks of West Nile Fever (WNF) in humans, which was preceded by hot spells. The objective of this study was to identify potential drivers of these outbreaks, such as spring and summer temperatures, relative humidity (RH), and precipitation. Methods: Pearson and lag correlations, binary and multinomial logistic regressions were used to assess the relationship between the climatic parameters and these outbreaks. Results: For human morbidity, significant (<0.05) positive correlations were observed between a number of WNF cases and temperature, with...
Rizzo C, Napoli C, Venturi G, Pupella S, Lombardini L, Calistri P, Monaco F, Cagarelli R, Angelini P, Bellini R, Tamba M, Piatti A, Russo F, Palù G....In Italy a national Plan for the surveillance of imported and autochthonous human vector-borne diseases (chikungunya, dengue, Zika virus disease and West Nile virus (WNV) disease) that integrates human and veterinary (animals and vectors) surveillance, is issued and revised annually according with the observed epidemiological changes. Here we describe results of the WNV integrated veterinary and human surveillance systems in Italy from 2008 to 2015. A real time data exchange protocol is in place between the surveillance systems to rapidly identify occurrence of human and animal cases and to de...
Alberti A, Zobba R, Chessa B, Addis MF, Sparagano O, Pinna Parpaglia ML, C뻝u T, Pintori G, Pittau M.The presence of Anaplasma phagocytophilum, a tick-transmitted zoonotic pathogen, was investigated in Sardinia using a molecular approach. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that Sardinian strains are genetically distinct from the two lineages previously described in Europe and are closely related to strains isolated in different areas of the United States.
Takai S.An overview of epidemiology of R. equi infection in foals is presented, emphasizing the importance of the virulence-associated antigens and plasmids as epidemiological markers. The monoclonal antibody-based colony blot test has been developed to identify rapidly and accurately virulent R. equi. Epidemiological studies conducted during the recent 5 years have revealed that: (1) avirulent R. equi are widespread in the feces of horses and their environment on every farm; (2) the feces of horses and the environment of the horse farms having endemic R. equi infections demonstrated heavy contaminati...
Ali A, Khan MA, Zahid H, Yaseen PM, Qayash Khan M, Nawab J, Ur Rehman Z, Ateeq M, Khan S, Ibrahim M.Although ticks prevalent in various agro-systems of Pakistan are associated with economic losses, information is still missing about the tick's diversity, hosts they infest, seasonal dynamics and molecular phylogeny of in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Pakistan. This study for the first time enlisted ticks infesting diverse hosts including humans in various regions of KP. A total of 8,641 ticks were collected across the northern, southern and central regions of KP and were morpho-taxonomically categorized into six genera comprising 17 species, ( = 3,584, 42%), ( = 2,253, 27%) ( = 1,342, 16%), ( =...
Kasashima Y, Takahashi T, Smith RK, Goodship AE, Kuwano A, Ueno T, Hirano S.Overstrain injuries to the superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) and suspensory ligament (SI) are among the most common musculoskeletal injuries which contribute to the considerable wastage of racing Thoroughbreds. Many epidemiological studies have demonstrated the prevalence of and risk factors for tendon injury when racing but have not included those injuries sustained during training. However, since tendon injury during training is seen commonly in clinical practice, it is appropriate to determine the overall prevalence of tendon injury sustained during both training and racing. Objectiv...
Zoonoses and public healthJuly 22, 2008
Volume 55, Issue 6 291-298 doi: 10.1111/j.1863-2378.2008.01136.x
Zhang W, Shen Q, Mou J, Gong G, Yang Z, Cui L, Zhu J, Ju G, Hua X.Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a zoonotic pathogen of which several species of animal were reported as reservoirs. Antibodies to HEV and HEV RNA have been detected in some Chinese population and swine groups but few other domestic animals. In this study, to investigate the HEV prevalence, we tested sera from 788 pigs, 100 cows, 50 goats, 49 horses, 101 pet dogs, 105 chickens, 47 duck and 45 pigeons in eastern China for anti-HEV immunoglobulin G (IgG). We also tested 50% of the swine sera, all of sera from the other domestic animals and 13 Shanghai human sera which were positive for anti-HEV immuno...
Rodriguez C, Taminiau B, Brévers B, Avesani V, Van Broeck J, Leroux A, Gallot M, Bruwier A, Amory H, Delmée M, Daube G.The equine faecal microbiota is very complex and remains largely unknown, while interspecies interactions have an important contribution to animal health. Clostridium difficile has been identified as an important cause of diarrhoea in horses. This study provides further information on the nature of the bacterial communities present in horses developing an episode of diarrhoea. The prevalence of C. difficile in hospitalised horses at the time of admission is also reported. Results: Bacterial diversity of the gut microbiota in diarrhoea is lower than that in non-diarrhoeic horses in terms of spe...
Hassan HK, Cupp EW, Hill GE, Katholi CR, Klingler K, Unnasch TR.An important variable in the amplification and escape from the enzootic cycle of the arboviral encephalitides is the degree of contact between avian hosts and mosquito vectors. To analyze this interaction in detail, blood-fed mosquitoes that were confirmed vectors of eastern equine encephalomyelitis (EEE) virus were collected in 2002 from an enzootic site in central Alabama during the time this virus was actively transmitted. Avian-derived blood meals were identified to the species level of the host, and the proportion derived from each species was compared with the overall composition of the ...
Malkinson M, Banet C.Surveys on wild birds conducted during the last two decades in Europe, notably Poland and the Czech Republic, to determine their infection rate with WN virus have revealed endemic foci of infection. Some species of seropositive birds were nonmigrators while others were hatchlings of migrating species. Persistently infected avian reservoirs are potential sources of viruses for mosquitoes that multiply in the temperate European zone in hot, wet summers. In the past, evidence for geographical circulation of WN viruses was based on antigenic analysis of strains from different countries while more ...
van der Kolk JH, Endimiani A, Graubner C, Gerber V, Perreten V.Acinetobacter spp. are aerobic, rod-shaped, Gram-negative bacteria belonging to the Moraxellaceae family of the class Gammaproteobacteria and are considered ubiquitous organisms. Among them, Acinetobacter baumannii is the most clinically significant species with an extraordinary ability to accumulate antimicrobial resistance and to survive in the hospital environment. Recent reports indicate that A. baumannii has also evolved into a veterinary nosocomial pathogen. Although Acinetobacter spp. can be identified to species level using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight mas...
