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.
Ramos S, Pinto A, Crespo J, Marques JP, Bettencourt E, Gama LT, Monteiro S.Osteochondrosis (osteochondritis dissecans), OC(D), is an important joint disorder that has been studied through the years in different breeds but, to our knowledge, there are no reports of its prevalence in Lusitano horses. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of OC(D) in Lusitanos, define the characteristics of the disorder in this breed and compare with Spanish Purebred horses. This is a retrospective study that analysed the radiographs from the metacarpometatarsophalangeal, tarsocrural and femoropatellar joints that were taken in 302 Lusitano horses (1-12 years; obtained from...
Xu C, Wei Z, Tan F, Liu A, Yu F, Zhao A, Zhang L, Qi M, Zhao W.Cryptosporidium is a protozoan parasite causing diarrhoea in humans and animals. Although Cryptosporidium has been found in domestic horses (farmed or kept at pasture), there has been only one published study of Cryptosporidium infections in Chinese racehorses, which was restricted to a very small geographical area. Objective: To investigate the presence of Cryptosporidium spp. in the faeces of racehorses in China and to perform molecular characterisation of the parasite. Methods: Cross-sectional. Methods: A total of 621 fresh faecal samples were collected for DNA extraction from racehorses at...
Ali HHM, Al-Bayati LH. is one of the most important pathogens, which causes a marked economic loss in small ruminants, in particular sheep, worldwide. This study aimed to detect the prevalence of in the sera of aborted ewes in Wasit province, Iraq, using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), followed by the investigation of the main histopathological alterations that occurred in some organs of the dead newborns. Out of 180 tested samples by ELISA, 32.22% of the evaluated animals showed positive reactions to IgG antibodies toward . Concerning the titers of the infection of seropositive ewes, there were sig...
Cardenas NC, Sanchez F, Lopes FPN, Machado G.Most animal disease surveillance systems concentrate efforts in blocking transmission pathways and tracing back infected contacts while not considering the risk of transporting animals into areas with elevated disease risk. Here, we use a suite of spatial statistics and social network analysis to characterize animal movement among areas with an estimated distinct risk of disease circulation to ultimately enhance surveillance activities. Our model utilized equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) outbreaks, between-farm horse movements, and spatial landscape data from 2015 through 2017. We related...
Yoon J, Park T, Sohn Y, Lee SK, Park BJ, Ahn HS, Go HJ, Kim DH, Lee JB, Park SY, Song CS, Lee SW, Choi IS.Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is an emerging zoonotic pathogen causing hepatitis worldwide. Despite the prevalent evidence of interspecies HEV infection in various animal species, the role of horses in HEV epidemiology remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the prevalence of HEV infection in 283 blood and 114 fecal samples from 397 horses using sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and nested reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Among the 283 serum samples, 35 were positive for anti-HEV antibodies (12.4%; 95% confidence interval: 8.8-16.8), and four of the five sampling reg...
Jürgenschellert L, Krücken J, Bousquet E, Bartz J, Heyer N, Nielsen MK, von Samson-Himmelstjerna G.The infection of horses with strongylid nematodes is highly prevalent, with multi-species infections being the rule. spp. and in particular are amongst the most pathogenic strongyle equine parasites. Presumably due to regular strategic anthelmintic treatments in combination with long prepatencies, prevalence of these worms was severely reduced in past decades. In this study, 484 horses from 48 farms in Berlin/Brandenburg, Germany were sampled between May 2017 and January 2018. Mini-FLOTAC and combined sedimentation/flotation were used to analyse faecal samples and larval cultures were carrie...
Equine piroplasmosis (EP) is an endemic tick-borne disease found in most countries around the world. It affects all species of Equidae, and it is caused by Theileria equi, Babesia caballi and T. haneyi. The research herein is the second study on the prevalence of piroplasms in Romania conducted in the past two decades. The aim of this study was to assess the seroprevalence of anti-Theileria equi antibodies and the geographical distribution of this disease in the southwest, west, and northwest regions of Romania in order to obtain a more thorough understanding of the parasitological status of h...
Mathewos M, Teshome D, Fesseha H.Parasitic infections can cause a variety of respiratory, intestinal, and other problems in horses, as well as contribute to some performance issues. A cross-sectional study was undertaken in and around Bekoji, South Eastern Ethiopia, from November 2020 to June 2021 to identify species and evaluate the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in donkeys and horses, using direct fecal smear, floatation methods, and larval cultures. In this study, the overall prevalence of gastrointestinal nematode parasites was 94.5% (363 out of 384), with donkeys accounting for 95.8% and horses accounting for 9...
Ganzenberg S, Sieg M, Ziegler U, Pfeffer M, Vahlenkamp TW, Hörügel U, Groschup MH, Lohmann KL.West Nile virus (WNV) infections were first detected in Germany in 2018, but information about WNV seroprevalence in horses is limited. The study's overall goal was to gather information that would help veterinarians, horse owners, and veterinary-, and public health- authorities understand the spread of WNV in Germany and direct protective measures. For this purpose, WNV seroprevalence was determined in counties with and without previously registered WNV infections in horses, and risk factors for seropositivity were estimated. The cohort consisted of privately owned horses from nine counties i...
Yamazaki A, Suganuma K, Kayano M, Acosta TJ, Saitoh T, Valinotti MFR, Sanchez AR, Inoue N.Animal trypanosomosis, caused by Trypanozoon trypanosomes (Trypanosoma evansi and T. equiperdum), and Trypanosoma vivax, is endemic to South American countries and has a negative impact on the livestock industry. However, the risk factors for trypanosomosis in Paraguay remain unknown. This study aimed to determine the risk factors for equine trypanosomosis in Paraguay based on a PCR-based molecular survey and individual horse sampling data. In this study, 739 blood samples were collected from horses in 16 departments of Paraguay between August 2019 and November 2020. To elucidate the risk fact...
Vasić A, Răileanu C, Körsten C, Vojinović D, Manić M, Urošević A, Nikolić N, Dulović O, Tews BA, Petrović T, Silaghi C, Valčić M....West Nile virus (WNV) is a zoonotic mosquito-borne virus classified as family Flaviviridae and genus Flavivirus. The first WNV outbreak in humans in the Republic of Serbia was recorded in 2012. Equids and dogs can show clinical symptoms after WNV infection and are often used as sentinels. This study aimed to (i) give insight into seropositivity for WNV in clinically healthy dog and horse sera in different regions of Serbia and (ii) compare diagnostic value of 'in-house' and commercially available indirect immunofluorescence (IFA) and enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) tests to 'gold standard' v...
Xu Y, Zhang X, Peng P, Liu Y, Yu M, Xie L.Equine copivirus (EqCoPV) is a newly discovered parvovirus that infects equines. Currently, it is unclear whether this virus is prevalent in China. In the present study, serum samples were collected from equines in China and were processed for EqCoPV DNA detection by PCR. The results demonstrated that EqCoPV was circulating among the sampled equines, with a low detection rate of 0.94%. The genome sequence of one Chinese EqCoPV strain, UH26, was determined and used for genetic and phylogenetic analysis. The results demonstrated that UH26 has a close genetic relationship to EqCoPV strains from t...
Ndebé MMF, Mouiche MMM, Moffo F, Poueme RNS, Awah-Ndukum J.African horse sickness (AHS), a highly fatal arbovirosis of equines is endemic in sub-Saharan Africa. However, its epidemiology is poorly known in Cameroon. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence profile and risk factors of African horse sickness in Cameroon. Horse sera were subjected to the ELISA blocking test for the determination of antibodies against African horse sickness virus, and positive samples were submitted to capture ELISA to determine the presence of antigens. Potential risk factors associated with AHS were assessed based on the information collected in the field. The chi...
Nielsen SS, Bicout DJ, Calistri P, Canali E, Drewe JA, Garin-Bastuji B, Gonzales Rojas JL, Gortázar C, Herskin M, Michel V, Miranda Chueca MÁ.... () was identified among the most relevant antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) bacteria in the EU for dogs and cats, horses, swine, poultry, cattle, sheep and goats in previous scientific opinions. Thus, it has been assessed according to the criteria of the Animal Health Law (AHL), in particular criteria of Article 7 on disease profile and impacts, Article 5 on its eligibility to be listed, Annex IV for its categorisation according to disease prevention and control rules as in Article 9 and Article 8 for listing animal species related to the bacterium. The assessment has been performed following a m...
Valberg SJ, Schultz AE, Finno CJ, Bellone RR, Hughes SS.The prevalence of clinical signs and factors triggering muscle atrophy and rhabdomyolysis associated with an MYH1 mutation in Quarter Horses and related breeds (QH) remain poorly understood. Objective: Determine the prevalence and potential triggers of atrophy and stiffness in horses homozygous reference (N/N), heterozygous (My/N), and homozygous (My/My) for the MYH1 mutation. Methods: Two-hundred seventy-five N/N, 100 My/N, and 10 My/My QH. Methods: A retrospective case-control study using a closed-ended questionnaire completed by clients of the Veterinary Genetics Laboratory at the Universit...
Lee SK, Choi J, Yoon J, Jung J, Park JY, Park J, Kim Y, Park JY, Park D.Equine adenovirus 1 (EAdV-1) can cause upper respiratory disease in horses and has been reported worldwide. In this study, and for the first time in Korea, the prevalence of EAdV-1 in equine nasal swabs was investigated using a PCR to identify potential risk factors and examine the genetic diversity of its DNA sequences by a comparison with foreign strains. Nasal swabs collected from 359 horses reared at Korea Racing Authority facilities were tested using an EAdV-1 hexon-specific PCR and the associations between EAdV-1 infection and sex, age, region, breed, and activity were analyzed. Five sam...
Martin KH, Redding LE, Boyle AG.Although equine strangles is reportable in all states, synchronous reporting of this disease does not occur across the country. States have variable regulations on reporting (actionable, notifiable, and monitored) and no mandatory comprehensive databases exist for tracking prevalence. In this study, we solicited veterinarians' opinions on reporting of strangles and factors influencing their opinion. Two hundred and fifty veterinarians practicing within the United States A structured survey was administered online. A total of 250 veterinarians participated: 84 participants (34%) believed that s...
Samir A, Abdel-Moein KA, Zaher HM. has been associated with both nosocomial and community-acquired infections with mounting public health concern throughout the world. The purpose of this study was to investigate the burden of virulent extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing among diarrheic horses or those with respiratory illness to underscore the public health implication of such strains. Rectal and nasal swabs were gathered from 100 diseased horses (50 diarrheic and 50 with respiratory illness). The collected swabs were processed for isolation of ESBL-producing using a selective medium followed by phenotypic and ...
Tuemmers C, Fellenberg C, Pérez EJ, Paillaqueo J.There are no studies of potential zoonotic diseases in Mapuche communities' horses. Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of Cryptosporidium in horses of the Mapuche communities. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. Methods: Faecal samples from 100 randomly selected horses (n = 100) were taken from rural Mapuche communities from four municipalities from the Araucanía Region. These samples were processed with the modified Ziehl-Neelsen staining technique and grouped by sex, age and municipality. Results: The general prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp. wa...
Ortega-Sánchez R, Bárcenas-Reyes I, Cantó-Alarcón GJ, Luna-Cozar J, E RA, Contreras-Magallanes YG, González-Ruiz S, Cortez-García B....The spatio-temporal epidemiology of rabies has related the influence of environmental factors and anthropogenic changes on the movements of the hematophagous bat Desmodus rotundus. In Mexico, D. rotundus is the main transmitter of the rabies virus for different livestock species, modifying annually the fluctuation of the number of cases of rabies and its dissemination in subtropical areas and regions considered free of the disease. The purpose of this study was to perform a descriptive analysis of the distribution of cases of rabies in Mexico, and to perform a time-series analysis to evaluate ...
Bonura F, Mangiaracina L, Filizzolo C, Bonura C, Martella V, Ciarlet M, Giammanco GM, De Grazia S.Sicily was the first Italian region to introduce rotavirus (RV) vaccination with the monovalent G1P[8] vaccine Rotarix® in May 2012. In this study, the seasonal distribution and molecular characterization of RV strains detected over 19 years were compared to understand the effect of Rotarix® on the evolutionary dynamics of human RVs. A total of 7846 stool samples collected from children < 5 years of age, hospitalized with acute gastroenteritis, were tested for RV detection and genotyping. Since 2013, vaccine coverage has progressively increased, while the RV prevalence decreased from 36.1...
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...
Resende CF, Santos AMD, Filho PMS, de Souza PG, Issa MA, Filho MBC, Victor RM, Câmara RJF, Gonçalves GP, Lima JG, Maciel E Silva AG, Leite RC....Glanders and brucellosis are zoonotic infectious diseases that affect equids in several countries worldwide. On Marajó Island (Amazon region of Brazil), Marajoara and Puruca horses, which are well adapted to the climatic and territorial adversities of the region, play a fundamental role in the local economy and in the sociocultural lives of the population. However, these animals have undergone a drastic reduction in number, markedly due to precarious veterinary care, unknown causes of morbidity and mortality, and disordered crossing with other breeds introduced to the island. Thus, this study...
Hierweger MM, Remy-Wohlfender F, Franzen J, Koch MC, Blau D, Schoster A, Nicholson P, Gerber V, Gurtner C, Fouché N, Unger L, Seuberlich T.Coronaviruses are causing severe respiratory and enteric diseases in humans and animals. Here, we report an outbreak of equine coronavirus disease in adult horses, detected by a voluntary syndromic surveillance scheme for equine diseases in Switzerland. This scheme allowed a rapid concerted action to diagnose and contain the disease.
Atuman YJ, Kudi CA, Abdu PA, Okubanjo OO, Wungak Y, Ularamu HG, Abubakar A.Rift Valley fever (RVF) is an arthropod-borne zoonotic disease responsible for severe outbreaks in livestock and humans with concomitant economic losses in many countries in sub-Saharan Africa. The study, therefore, investigated the seroprevalence of the Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) among wild and domestic animals. Blood samples were collected between 2013 and 2015 from 106 wild animals, 300 cattle (), and 200 horses (), respectively, in Yankari Game Reserve (YGR) and Sumu Wildlife Park (SWP) in Bauchi state, Nigeria. Harvested sera from blood were evaluated for the presence of anti-RVFV IgM...
Gao S, Zeng Z, Wang H, Chen F, Huang L, Wang X.African horse sickness (AHS) is a devastating equine infectious disease. On 17 March 2020, it first appeared in Thailand and threatened all the South-East Asia equine industry security. Therefore, it is imperative to carry out risk warnings of the AHS in China. The maximum entropy algorithm was used to model AHS and Culicoides separately by using climate and non-climate variables. The least cost path (LCP) method was used to analyze the habitat connectivity of Culicoides with the reclassified land cover and altitude as cost factors. The models showed the mean area under the curve as 0.918 and ...
Bermúdez SE, Eremeeva ME, Karpathy SE, Samudio F, Zambrano ML, Zaldivar Y, Motta JA, Dasch GA.Several outbreaks of Rocky Mountain spotted fever have occurred in recent years in Colombian communities close to the border with Panama. However, little is known about rickettsiae and rickettsial diseases in eastern Panamanian provinces, the Darien Province and the Kuna Yala, located north of the endemic area in Colombia. In 2007, 289 ticks were collected in several towns from dogs, horses, mules, cows, and pigs. DNA was extracted from 124 Dermacentor nitens, 64 Rhipicephalus sanguineus, 43 Amblyomma ovale, 35 A. cajennense, 10 Boophilus microplus, 4 A. oblongoguttatum, and 9 A. cajennense ny...
Medina-Torres CE, Weese JS, Staempfli HR.Fecal samples were collected to establish the apparent prevalence of Clostridium difficile shedding in Standardbred and Thoroughbred racehorses housed at 4 racetracks and 2 breeding facilities, and in horses admitted to a referral large animal clinic. Forty-one (7.59%) of 540 racetrack horses, seven (5.83%) of 120 breeding farm horses, and four (4.88%) out of 82 horses admitted to the referral clinic were culture-positive for C. difficile. An overall fecal culture prevalence of 7.01% for C. difficile was identified in 742 fecal samples. PCR-ribotyping and toxin gene identification was performe...
Allen GP, Bolin DC, Bryant U, Carter CN, Giles RC, Harrison LR, Hong CB, Jackson CB, Poonacha K, Wharton R, Williams NM.An emerging problem of equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) infection in horses in the USA is a high-mortality myeloencephalopathy that commonly occurs where large numbers of horses are stabled. EHV-1 isolates recovered from recent neurological outbreaks represent a mutant virus strain that possesses enhanced neuropathogenicity. A central question of EHV-1 myeloencephalopathy is the latency carriage rate for these mutants of EHV-1 in USA horse populations. Objective: To estimate the prevalence of neuropathogenic strains of EHV-1 as latent infections in the Thoroughbred broodmare population of central ...
Soares IR, Silva SO, Moreira FM, Prado LG, Fantini P, Maranhão Rde P, da Silva Filho JM, Melo MN, Palhares MS.This study reports the first evidence of infection by Leishmania infantum in Equus caballus in Americas and the first mixed infection of L. infantum/Leishmania braziliensis on this mammalian species in the world. The diagnoses was based on presence of parasites in lesions and bone marrow aspirates, their identification by using specific primers for L. infantum and L. braziliensis complexes and also serological methods IFAT and ELISA. The analysis of the PCR products suggested mixed infection in three animals. Further studies involving equine leishmaniasis are carrying out in order to clarify t...
Chinikar S, Shah-Hosseini N, Mostafavi E, Moradi M, Khakifirouz S, Jalali T, Goya MM, Shirzadi MR, Zainali M, Fooks AR.This study was undertaken to determine the seroprevalence of West Nile virus (WNV) in human and equine sera in Iran. Blood samples were tested from 300 human samples and 315 equine samples in five geographic zones of north and central parts of Iran between 2010 and 2012. All samples were tested for the immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody to WNV by using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Of all samples, 4 (1.3%) human and 9 (2.8%) equines were considered to be seropositive for WNV. These results suggest circulation and exposure of the human and equine populations to WNV in Iran.
Forrester NL, Kenney JL, Deardorff E, Wang E, Weaver SC.The incidence of Western Equine Encephalitis (WEE) in humans and equids peaked during the mid-20th century and has declined to fewer than 1-2 human cases annually during the past 20 years. Using the mouse model, changes in WEE virus (WEEV) virulence were investigated as a potential explanation for the decline in the number of cases. Evaluation of 10 WEEV strains representing a variety of isolation locations, hosts, and all decades from the 1940's to the 1990's yielded no evidence of a decline in virulence. These results suggest that ecological factors affecting human and equine exposure should...
Penell JC, Egenvall A, Bonnett BN, Olson P, Pringle J.The principal aim of this study was to analyse the incidence of disease due to general and more specific causes among over 100,000 horses covered by complete insurance for veterinary care by a Swedish insurance company during 1997 to 2000. The database was used to calculate the rate of cause-specific morbidity in horses of different ages, sexes and breed groups kept in different regions with different human population densities. The joints were the most commonly affected part of the body, followed by unspecified/whole body, the skin and the digestive system. The most common specific diagnosis ...
Hatam-Nahavandi K, Ahmadpour E, Carmena D, Spotin A, Bangoura B, Xiao L.Cryptosporidium spp. are causative agents of gastrointestinal diseases in a wide variety of vertebrate hosts. Mortality resulting from the disease is low in livestock, although severe cryptosporidiosis has been associated with fatality in young animals. Methods: The goal of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to review the prevalence and molecular data on Cryptosporidium infections in selected terrestrial domestic and wild ungulates of the families Bovidae (bison, buffalo, cattle, goat, impala, mouflon sheep, sheep, yak), Cervidae (red deer, roe deer, white-tailed deer), Camelidae (al...
Montaner-Angoiti E, Llobat L.Leishmania is a genus of parasitic protozoa that causes a disease called leishmaniasis. Leishmaniasis is transmitted to humans through the bites of infected female sandflies. There are several different species of Leishmania that can cause various forms of the disease, and the symptoms can range from mild to severe, depending on species of Leishmania involved and the immune response of the host. Leishmania parasites have a variety of reservoirs, including humans, domestic animals, horses, rodents, wild animals, birds, and reptiles. Leishmaniasis is endemic of 90 countries, mainly in South Amer...
Magnarelli LA.Blood-engorged Coquillettidia perturbans, Psorophora ferox, Culex, Culiseta, and Aedes mosquitoes were collected principally by sweep net from salt marsh and woodland habitats in Connecticut. Of the 570 mosquitoes tested, precipitin tests identified the origins of 517 blood meals and revealed distinct host feeding patterns. Aedes mosquitoes fed chiefly on mammals; A. abserratus, A. cantator, and A. vexans showed selectivity for cattle and (or) horses. A. cantator also obtained blood from avian hosts and, in some instances, showed mixed passerine-mammal blood meals. These findings increase the ...
Kao M, Hamir AN, Rupprecht CE, Fu ZF, Shankar V, Koprowski H, Dietzschold B.Sera from 295 horses in the USA were examined by an indirect immunofluorescence assay and Western blot assays to determine the prevalence of Borna disease virus infection. Eight (2.7 per cent) of the samples were positive in both assays, and 18 (6.1 per cent) were positive only in the Western blot assay. The indirect fluorescence titres ranged from 1:20 to 1:80 of antibodies recognising the virus-specific antigen from Borna disease virus-infected cells. The purified virus-specific proteins isolated from infected rat brains were recognised by positive equine serum samples after immunostaining b...
Li F, Wang R, Guo Y, Li N, Feng Y, Xiao L.Limited data are available on infection rates and genetic identity of Enterocytozoon bieneusi and Giardia duodenalis in horses and donkeys. In this study, 865 fecal specimens were collected from donkeys (n = 540) and horses (n = 325) in three provinces and autonomous regions in northern China during 2015-2019. Enterocytozoon bieneusi was detected and genotyped by PCR and sequence analyses of the ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and G. duodenalis was detected and genotyped by PCR and sequence analyses of the β-giardin, glutamate dehydrogenase, and triosephosphate isomerase g...
Li X, Ni HB, Ren WX, Jiang J, Gong QL, Zhang XX.Toxoplasmosis, one of the most common zoonoses worldwide, is caused by Toxoplasma gondii. T. gondii can infect almost all warm-blooded animals, including humans. Horses are an intermediate host of T. gondii, representing a potential risk for humans. To determine the T. gondii seroprevalence in horses worldwide, a global meta-analysis was conducted. A total of 35 publications were obtained by searching the PubMed, ScienceDirect, Chinese Web of knowledge (CNKI) and Wanfang databases. A total of 12,354 horses were assessed, of which 1580 were positive for T. gondii. The pooled overall seroprevale...
Scoles GA, Hutcheson HJ, Schlater JL, Hennager SG, Pelzel AM, Knowles DP.We report an outbreak of equine piroplasmosis in southern Texas, USA, in 2009. Infection prevalence reached 100% in some areas (292 infected horses). Amblyomma cajennense was the predominant tick and experimentally transmitted Theileria equi to an uninfected horse. We suggest that transmission by this tick species played a role in this outbreak.
Espinoza JR, Terashima A, Herrera-Velit P, Marcos LA.Fasciola hepatica is the causative agent of fasciolosis in Peru; the disease is an important public health problem by the high prevalence of the human infection affecting mainly children and a major veterinary problem by the high rates of infected livestock. The human disease is endemic in the Sierra and the Coast but sporadic in the Amazonia, and reported in 18 Departments, while the animal infection in 21 of 24 Departments of Peru. Transmission occurs in Andean rural populations engaged in agriculture, but recently an increasing number of people became infected in the cities. The epidemiolog...
Sudia WD, Newhouse VF, Beadle ID, Miller DL, Johnston JG, Young R, Calisher CH, Maness K.A major epidemic of Venezuelan equine encephalitis occurred in south Texas in the summer of 1971. More than 1500 equines died of VEE in Texas, and 110 human cases with no deaths were reported. Vector studies in south Texas and northern Tamaulipas revealed that the overall mosquito infection rates during the peak of the epidemic were about 1:100, one of the highest rates observed for a major epidemic. Mosquito infection rates of this magnitude could easily explain the intensity of VEE outbreaks in both equines and man. A total of 943 VEE virus isolations were made from mosquitoes. Eight of the ...
Alba A, Allepuz A, Napp S, Soler M, Selga I, Aranda C, Casal J, Pages N, Hayes EB, Busquets N.To enhance early detection of West Nile virus (WNV) transmission, an integrated ecological surveillance system was implemented in Catalonia (north-eastern Spain) from 2007 to 2011. This system incorporated passive and active equine surveillance, periodical testing of chicken sentinels in wetland areas, serosurveillance wild birds and testing of adult mosquitoes. Samples from 298 equines, 100 sentinel chickens, 1086 wild birds and 39 599 mosquitoes were analysed. During these 5 years, no acute WNV infection was detected in humans or domestic animal populations in Catalonia. WNV was not detect...
Hansen MG, Christoffersen M, Thuesen LR, Petersen MR, Bojesen AM.Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato and Anaplasma phagocytophilum are able to infect horses. However, the extend to which Danish horses are infected and seroconvert due to these two bacteria is unknown. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the seroprevalence of B. burgdorferi sensu lato and A. phagocytophilum in Danish horses. Methods: A total of 390 blood samples collected from all major regions of Denmark and with a geographical distribution corresponding to the density of the Danish horse population were analyzed. All samples were examined for the presence of antibodies against B. burgd...
Omer MK, Skjerve E, Holstad G, Woldehiwet Z, Macmillan AP.Samples from 2427 cattle, 661 goats, 104 sheep, 98 camels and 82 horses were screened for brucella infections by the Rose Bengal Test and positive reactors confirmed by the complement fixation test. In cattle, the highest individual seroprevalence was in dairy herds kept under the intensive husbandry system, with an individual prevalence of 8.2% and unit (herd) seroprevalence of 35.9%. This was followed by the pastoral husbandry system in the Western Lowlands with 5.0% individual but a higher unit (vaccination site) prevalence of 46.1%. The lowest was in the mixed crop-livestock system in the ...
Munkhjargal T, Sivakumar T, Battsetseg B, Nyamjargal T, Aboulaila M, Purevtseren B, Bayarsaikhan D, Byambaa B, Terkawi MA, Yokoyama N, Igarashi I.Equine piroplasmosis represents a serious problem in horse industry. Although, researchers suggested the possible use of sub-unit vaccines to control equine piroplasmosis, the genetic diversity of vaccine candidate antigens was not properly investigated. In the present study, we screened 250 horses reared in three different districts of Tov province, Mongolia, for Babesia caballi and Theileria equi using ELISA and nested PCR (nPCR) assays. Among these animals, piroplasms were detected in 128 (51.2%) horses by nPCR assays (B. caballi, 42.4%; T. equi, 6.4%; and mixed infections, 2.4%), while 204...
Pauvolid-Corrêa A, Juliano RS, Campos Z, Velez J, Nogueira RM, Komar N.The Pantanal hosts diverse wildlife species and therefore is a hotspot for arbovirus studies in South America. A serosurvey for Mayaro virus (MAYV), eastern (EEEV), western (WEEV) and Venezuelan (VEEV) equine encephalitis viruses was conducted with 237 sheep, 87 free-ranging caimans and 748 equids, including 37 collected from a ranch where a neurologic disorder outbreak had been recently reported. Sera were tested for specific viral antibodies using plaque-reduction neutralisation test. From a total of 748 equids, of which 264 were immunised with vaccine composed of EEEV and WEEV and 484 had n...
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 %...
Conte A, Candeloro L, Ippoliti C, Monaco F, De Massis F, Bruno R, Di Sabatino D, Danzetta ML, Benjelloun A, Belkadi B, El Harrak M, Declich S....West Nile virus (WNV) is a mosquito-transmitted Flavivirus belonging to the Japanese encephalitis antigenic complex of the Flaviviridae family. Its spread in the Mediterranean basin and the Balkans poses a significant risk to human health and forces public health officials to constantly monitor the virus transmission to ensure prompt application of preventive measures. In this context, predictive tools indicating the areas and periods at major risk of WNV transmission are of paramount importance. Spatial analysis approaches, which use environmental and climatic variables to find suitable habit...
Kampen H, Holicki CM, Ziegler U, Groschup MH, Tews BA, Werner D.In 2018, West Nile virus (WNV) broke out for the first time in Germany, with continuation of the epidemic in 2019, involving birds, horses and humans. To identify vectors and characterize the virus, mosquitoes were collected in both years in zoological gardens and on a horse meadow immediately following the diagnosis of disease cases in birds and horses. Mosquitoes were identified and screened for WNV by qRT-PCR, with virus-positive samples being sequenced for the viral envelope protein gene. While no positive mosquitoes were found in 2018, seven mosquito pools tested positive for WNV in 2019 ...
Duffy CW, Morrison LJ, Black A, Pinchbeck GL, Christley RM, Schoenefeld A, Tait A, Turner CM, MacLeod A.African animal trypanosomiasis, or Nagana, is a debilitating and economically costly disease with a major impact on animal health in sub-Saharan Africa. Trypanosoma vivax, one of the principal trypanosome species responsible for the disease, infects a wide host range including cattle, goats, horses and donkeys and is transmitted both cyclically by tsetse flies and mechanically by other biting flies, resulting in a distribution covering large swathes of South America and much of sub-Saharan Africa. While there is evidence for mating in some of the related trypanosome species, Trypanosoma brucei...
Björnsdóttir S, Sigvaldadóttir J, Broström H, Langvad B, Sigurdsson A.A cross sectional study was designed to estimate the prevalence of summer eczema (a chronic, recurrent seasonal dermatitis) in exported Icelandic horses and the influence of environmental and genetic factors on the development of the disease. Among 330 horses, which had been exported to Germany, Denmark and Sweden, 114 (34.5%) were found to have clinical signs of summer eczema. The prevalence was highest 2 years after export and the exposure to the biting midges Culicoides spp., was found to be the main risk factor for developing the disease. Genetic influence on the sensitivity for the diseas...
Gilkerson JR, Whalley JM, Drummer HE, Studdert MJ, Love DN.The prevalence of EHV-1 and EHV-4 antibody-positive horses was determined using a type specific ELISA on serum samples collected from 229 mares and their foals resident on a large Thoroughbred stud farm in the Hunter Valley of New South Wales in February 1995. More than 99% of all mares and foals tested were EHV-4 antibody positive, while the prevalence of EHV-1 antibody positive mares and foals were 26.2 and 11.4%, respectively. Examination of the ELISA absorbance data for the individual mares and foals suggested that the EHV-1 antibody positive foals had been infected recently with EHV-1 and...
Melandri V, Guimarães AÉ, Komar N, Nogueira ML, Mondini A, Fernandez-Sesma A, Alencar J, Bosch I.In an effort to detect West Nile virus (WNV) in Brazil, we sampled serum from horses and chickens from the Pantanal region of the state of Mato Grosso and tested for flavivirus-reactive antibodies by blocking ELISA. The positive samples were further confirmed for serological evidence of WNV infection in three (8%) of the 38 horses and one (3.2%) of the 31 chickens using an 80% plaque-reduction neutralisation test (PRNT80). These results provide evidence of the circulation of WNV in chickens and horses in Pantanal.
Landman MA, de Blaauw JA, van Weeren PR, Hofland LJ.A population of 805 horses (70 per cent dressage, 20 per cent show jumpers and 10 per cent trotters) with orthopaedic problems was examined for signs of lameness and back problems, irrespective of their original complaints. In the horses with a back problem the prevalence of lameness was 74 per cent, and back problems were diagnosed in 32 per cent of the lame horses. These percentages were significantly higher than those recorded in a control population of 399 horses, of which 20 per cent were lame and 12 per cent had back problems. In the group of horses with orthopaedic problems there was a ...
