Disease prevention in horses encompasses strategies and practices aimed at minimizing the occurrence and spread of infectious and non-infectious diseases within equine populations. These practices include vaccination programs, biosecurity measures, and regular health monitoring. Vaccination helps to stimulate the horse's immune system to protect against specific pathogens, while biosecurity measures, such as quarantine and sanitation, reduce the risk of disease transmission. Regular health monitoring, including physical examinations and diagnostic testing, aids in early detection and management of potential health issues. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore various methods and their effectiveness in preventing diseases in horses, as well as the development and implementation of prevention programs in different equine settings.
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)....
Ryden A, Fernström LL, Svonni E, Riihimäki M.Streptococcus equi subsp. equi (S. equi) is transmitted via contact with infected horses or fomites such as equipment or surfaces of the stable environment. Effective cleaning and sanitation is essential to minimize risk of fomite-associated infections. This study assessed the effectiveness of cleaning and sanitation of experimentally S. equi contaminated materials and equipment found in stables. Wood, concrete, plastic, leather halters, leather gloves and polyester webbing halters were inoculated with a 24-hour culture S. equi laboratory strain. In addition, selected materials were inoculated...
Manfredi JM, Jacob SI, Boger BL, Norton EM.Endocrinopathies affect multiple species in ever-increasing percentages of their populations, creating an opportunity to apply one-health approaches to determining creative preventative measures and therapies in athletes. Obesity and alterations in insulin and glucose dynamics are medical concerns that play a role in whole-body health and homeostasis in both horses and humans. The role and impact of endocrine disorders on the musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, and reproductive systems are of particular interest to the athlete. Elucidation of both physiologic and pathophysiologic mechanisms invol...
Hadian SA, Rezayatmand R.The economic impact of acute respiratory disease pandemics has yet to be specifically systematically reviewed. The aim of this scoping review is to identify and classify the economic impacts and its values and ranges. Unassigned: We conducted a literature search across three key databases using an extensive list of keywords. Then, we included studies which explored direct and indirect costs as well as broader economic impact associated with different nine acute respiratory diseases, i.e., pandemic and seasonal influenza, avian influenza, equine influenza, swine influenza, severe acute respirat...
Anderson K, Morrice-West AV, Walmsley EA, Fisher AD, Whitton RC, Hitchens PL.Musculoskeletal injuries are observed in Thoroughbred racehorses and may become catastrophic. Currently, there are limited methods for early detection of such injuries. Most injuries develop gradually due to accumulated damage, providing the opportunity for early detection. Horses experiencing pain or lameness may exhibit changes in behaviour so the development of an objective, real-time system monitoring horse behaviour may enable detection of bone injuries before catastrophic failure. Objective: To determine whether intensive observational methods of assessing horse behaviour can be replaced...
Thompson K, Taylor J, Mendez D, Chicken C, Carrick J, Durrheim DN.There are almost 9,500 full-time employees in Australia's thoroughbred horse breeding industry. During foaling, they can be exposed to bodily fluids and mucous membranes which may present risks for zoonotic disease. These risks can be mitigated through personal biosecurity strategies. The aim of this study was to identify which personal biosecurity strategies were more or less likely to be adopted by workers. Seventeen participants representing 14 thoroughbred breeding farms and three equine veterinary practices in Australia's largest thoroughbred breeding region trialed up to 16 stakeholder-n...
Bampidis V, Azimonti G, Bastos ML, Christensen H, Fašmon Durjava M, Kouba M, López-Alonso M, López Puente S, Marcon F, Mayo B, Pechová A....Following a request from the European Commission, EFSA was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on the safety and efficacy of a tincture from the fruit (pericarps and seeds) of Hook f. (star anise tincture) when used as a sensory feed additive for all animal species. The product is a ■■■■■ solution, with a dry matter content of approximately 1.86%. The product contained on average 0.2588% polyphenols (of which 0.0229% were flavonoids, including 0.0036% rutin), anethole (0.018%) and estragole (0.00039%). The Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (FEEDAP)...
Carnet F, Paillot R, Fortier C, Hue ES, Briot L, de Geoffroy F, Vidalain PO, Pronost S.Equine influenza virus (EIV) is responsible for recurring outbreaks that are detrimental to the equine industry. Vaccination is key for prevention, but the effectiveness and duration of protection provided by existing vaccines is often insufficient. In order to improve vaccine efficacy, we evaluated the benefit of immune stimulation with inactivated Parapoxvirus ovis (iPPVO) on the antibody response induced by a vaccine boost against EIV. A whole inactivated ISCOMatrix-adjuvanted equine influenza vaccine was administered alone ( = 10) or combined with iPPVO injections at D0, D2 and D4 post vac...
Macdonald SL, Abbas G, Ghafar A, Gauci CG, Bauquier J, El-Hage C, Tennent-Brown B, Wilkes EJA, Beasley A, Jacobson C, Cudmore L, Carrigan P, Hurley J....Cyathostomins are the most common and highly prevalent parasites of horses worldwide. Historically, the control of cyathostomins has mainly relied on the routine use of anthelmintic products. Increasing reports on anthelmintic resistance (AR) in cyathostomins are concerning. A potential method proposed for detecting emerging AR in cyathostomins has been estimating the egg reappearance period (ERP). This paper reviews the data available for the ERP of cyathostomins against the three major classes of anthelmintics, macrocyclic lactones, tetrahydropyrimidines, and benzimidazoles. Published peer-r...
Fukushi N, Fukushi H.Equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) is a devastating pathogen of horses, their natural hosts, and causes fatal encephalitis in non-natural hosts. We previously demonstrated that acylation of the tegument protein UL11 is required for viral replication in cultured cells. We created a mutant virus (EHV-1 UL12 trunc UL11 G2AC7AC9A), in which glycyl and cysteinyl residues at positions 2, 7 and 9 of UL11 that are normally acylated were replaced with alanyl residues. This virus, designated the 2/7/9 mutant, has a limited-replication cycle (LRC), in which replication stops after just a few cycles. Here,...
Paulino PG, Peckle M, Mendonça LP, Massard CL, Antunes S, Couto J, Domingos A, Guedes Junior DDS, Cabezas-Cruz A, Santos HA. is the only tick species known to serve as a biological vector of for horses and other equids in Brazil. The protozoan is one of the causal agents of equine piroplasmosis, a major threat in horse breeding systems. Vector competence is closely linked to the pathogens' ability to evade tick defense mechanisms. However, knowledge of tick immune response against infections by hemoparasites of the genus is scarce. In the present study, the expression of genes involved in immune signaling pathways of adults' guts when challenged with a high or low parasitic load of was evaluated. This research...
Wallace J.With concerns growing globally about anthelmintic resistance in equine endoparasites, James Wallace's practice undertook some research among its horse-owning clients and introduced a fixed-fee parasite management programme to help ensure the most effective use of these valuable medicines.
Dürrwald R, Kolodziejek J, Oh DY, Herzog S, Liebermann H, Osterrieder N, Nowotny N.(1) Background: Vaccination of horses and sheep against Borna disease (BD) was common in endemic areas of Germany in the 20th century but was abandoned in the early 1990s. The recent occurrence of fatal cases of human encephalitis due to Borna disease virus 1 (BoDV-1) has rekindled the interest in vaccination. (2) Methods: The full genomes of the BD live vaccine viruses "Dessau" and "Giessen" were sequenced and analyzed for the first time. All vaccination experiments followed a proof-of-concept approach. Dose-titration infection experiments were performed in rabbits, based on both cell culture...
Brito LFC, Loomis PR, Klohonatz KM, Althouse GC.Neat stallion semen can contain a variety of microorganisms, some of which may impair sperm quality and/or cause infection of the mares' reproductive tract. For this reason, antibiotics are commonly added to semen extenders. A combination of gentamicin, tylosin, lincomycin and spectinomycin (GTLS) has been recommended for use, but there are no reports on the use of this mixture in equine semen extender. Penicillin and amikacin (PA) are safe for preserving sperm quality while effectively controlling bacterial growth in equine cooled stored semen, but data on frozen semen are scarce. Therefore, ...
Klouth E, Zablotski Y, Petersen JL, de Bruijn M, Gröndahl G, Müller S, Goehring LS.Equid Herpesvirus Myeloencephalopathy (EHM) is a multifactorial disease following an EHV-1 infection in Equidae. We investigated a total of 589 horses on 13 premises in Europe in search of risk factors for the development of EHM. We found that fever ( < 0.001), increasing age ( = 0.032), and female sex ( = 0.042) were risk factors for EHM in a logistic mixed model. Some breeds had a decreased risk to develop EHM compared to others (Shetland and Welsh ponies; = 0.017; = 0.031), and fewer EHV-1-vaccinated horses were affected by EHM compared to unvaccinated horses ( = 0.02). Data evaluation...
Rotavirus species A (RVA) is a pathogen mainly affecting children under five years old and young animals. The infection produces acute diarrhea in its hosts and, in intensively reared livestock animals, can cause severe economic losses. In this study, we analyzed all RVA genomic constellations described in animal hosts. This review included animal RVA strains in humans. We compiled detection methods, hosts, genotypes and complete genomes. RVA was described in 86 animal species, with 52% (45/86) described by serology, microscopy or the hybridization method; however, strain sequences were not de...
Osterman-Lind E, Hedberg Alm Y, Hassler H, Wilderoth H, Thorolfson H, Tydén E.Horses, as grazing animals, are inadvertently exposed to intestinal parasites that, if not controlled, may cause disease. However, the indiscriminate use of anthelmintic drugs has led to drug resistance, highlighting the need for pasture-management practices to reduce the level of parasitic exposure and lessen reliance on drugs. The efficacy of such methods depends both on the epidemiology of the parasites and the prevailing weather conditions. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of faecal removal and harrowing on reducing the number of parasite larvae in herbage. Moreover, the ...
Furtado T, Perkins E, Pinchbeck G, McGowan C, Watkins F, Christley R.While equine obesity is understood by equine professionals to be a serious and widespread welfare problem, thus far approaches to reducing the prevalence of obesity in the UK's leisure horses have mainly been limited to educating owners about the dangers of obesity in their horses. In human health, approaches to behavior change encourage holistic thinking around human behavior, recognizing the importance of the connection between the individuals' knowledge, attitudes, habits, and the social and physical environments. This study used qualitative data from interviews with horse owners and profes...
Yan J, Sun D, Jiang Z, Zhou L, Gao X.Infundibular caries (IC) affects donkeys of all ages and causes pain, difficulty in mastication and weight loss. The study aimed to determine the epidemiology of IC in donkeys and examine the potential risk factors associated with the disease development. A total of 2118 donkeys in Inner Mongolia were sampled. The first section of the survey was performed by veterinarians and included the oral health of the donkeys. A survey on the donkey's signalment, diet, and husbandry was also conducted. The risk factors associated with IC were assessed using multivariable logistic regression analysis. Uni...
Allen SE, Verheyen KLP, O'Neill DG, Brodbelt DC.Judicious antimicrobial use (AMU) is important for preserving therapeutic effectiveness. Large-scale studies of antimicrobial prescribing can provide clinical benchmarks and help identify opportunities for improved stewardship. Objective: To describe systemic AMU in UK equine practice and identify factors associated with systemic and Category B (third and fourth generation cephalosporins, quinolones and polymixins) AMU. Methods: Retrospective cohort. Methods: Anonymised electronic patient records (EPRs) for all equids attended by 39 UK veterinary practices between 1 January and 31 December 201...
Pagan JD, Hauss AA, Pagan EC, Simons JL, Waldridge BM.To assess the relationship between plasma and RBC fatty acid composition and incidence and severity of squamous gastric ulcers when altered by short-chain (SC) or long-chain (LC) polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) supplementation. 13 fit Thoroughbred horses in training. Horses were evaluated by gastroscopy for squamous ulcer score, gastric pH, and blood fatty acid composition prior to supplementation (UNSUPP) and after 3 months of supplementation with a corn-flax oil blend of alpha-linolenic acid and linoleic acid (SC-PUFA) or a gamma-linolenic acid (GLA)-fish oil blend of GLA, eicosapentaenoic...
Elcombe ME, Bellone RR, Magdesian KG, Finno CJ.Equine familial isolated hypoparathyroidism (EFIH) and fragile foal syndrome (FFS) are both fatal recessive conditions reported in Thoroughbred foals. The causal variants for EFIH (RAPGEF5 c.2624C>A; EquCab3.0. chr4: g.54108297G>T) and FFS (PLOD1 c.2032G>A; EquCab3.0, chr2: g.39927817) were recently reported. Prevalence assessment for these variants in a large cohort of samples is needed to provide evidence-based recommendations for genetic testing. Objective: To estimate the frequency of the EFIH and FFS variant alleles in the United States Thoroughbred population between 1988 and 20...
Stefansdottir SB, Jonsdottir S, Kristjansdottir H, Svansson V, Marti E, Torsteinsdottir S.Insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH) is a seasonal dermatitis of horses caused by IgE-mediated reactions to bites of Culicoides midges characterized by an imbalance of T-cell subsets. Iceland is free of the causative species but the prevalence of IBH in exported Icelandic horses is especially high. We have shown that intralymphatic (i.l.) vaccination with r-Culicoides allergens in Aluminum hydroxide (alum) and monophosphoryl lipid A (MPLA) adjuvants induces a desired Th1/regulatory T-cell response. The aim of this study was to compare i.l. to subcutaneous (s.c.) injection. Twelve healthy Iceland...
Costa MHDS, Medeiros PR, Melo UP, de Souza RF, da Silva GEL, Ferreira C, de Assis DB, da Silva LP, de Brito EL.Horse owners are crucial in recognizing colic because they are responsible for identifying the signs of colic and deciding whether to seek veterinary intervention. Common reasons for delayed response to clinical issues include lack of understanding or knowledge of the subject and difficulty in recognizing subtle clinical signs of abdominal pain. Examining horse owners' basic knowledge of colic, their motivations, obstacles in seeking veterinary care, and their responses to the various clinical symptoms manifested during colic will identify current knowledge gaps and decision-making barriers. T...
Gonzalez-Obando J, Forero JE, Zuluaga-Cabrera AM, Ruiz-Saenz J.Equine influenza is a highly contagious disease caused by the H3N8 equine influenza virus (EIV), which is endemically distributed throughout the world. It infects equids, and interspecies transmission to dogs has been reported. The H3N8 Florida lineage, which is divided into clades 1 and 2, is the most representative lineage in the Americas. The EIV infects the respiratory system, affecting the ciliated epithelial cells and preventing the elimination of foreign bodies and substances. Certain factors related to the disease, such as an outdated vaccination plan, age, training, and close contact ...
Haussler KK.Integrative medicine is based on a model of being proactive and promoting health and wellness, rather than being reactive and solely focusing on episodic disease processes. Integrative medicine incorporates a holistic approach to clinical practice that encourages owner involvement with a focus on individualized care, maintained wellness, optimized performance, and disease prevention. Health promotion and preventative care require a different set of clinical skills and perspectives than is typically provided by a traditional veterinary education. Productive interprofessional collaborations are ...
Pollard D, Wylie CE, Verheyen KLP, Newton JR.Equine laminitis is a complex disease that manifests as pain and lameness in the feet, often with debilitating consequences. There is a paucity of data that accounts for the multifactorial nature of laminitis and considers time-varying covariates that may be associated with disease development; particularly those that are modifiable and present potential interventions. A previous case-control study identified a number of novel, modifiable factors associated with laminitis which warranted further investigation and corroboration. The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with equi...
van der Kolk JH, Pacholewska A, Gerber V.The search for new markers of diseases in human as well as veterinary medicine is ongoing. Recently, microRNAs (miRNAs or miRs) have emerged as potential new biomarkers. MiRNAs are short sequences of RNA (∼22 nucleotides) that regulate gene expression via their target messenger RNA (mRNA). Circulating miRNAs in blood can be used as novel diagnostic markers for diseases due to their evolutionary conservation and stability. As a consequence of their systemic and manifold effects on the gene expression in various target organs, the concept that miRNAs could function as hormones has been suggest...
Cummings KJ, Perkins GA, Khatibzadeh SM, Warnick LD, Aprea VA, Altier C.OBJECTIVE To describe the antimicrobial resistance patterns of Salmonella isolates obtained from horses in the northeastern United States and to identify trends in resistance to select antimicrobials over time. SAMPLE 462 Salmonella isolates from horses. PROCEDURES Retrospective data were collected for all Salmonella isolates obtained from equine specimens that were submitted to the Cornell University Animal Health Diagnostic Center between January 1, 2001, and December 31, 2013. Temporal trends in the prevalence of resistant Salmonella isolates were investigated for each of 13 antimicrobials ...
Båverud V.C difficile has emerged as an important cause of diarrheic disease in horses. C difficile diarrhea is usually diagnosed in mature horses, mostly when they are treated with antimicrobials and hospitalized. It is important for clinicians at veterinary hospitals to have knowledge about the organism and the infection. To prevent C difficile diarrhea, judicious use of antimicrobials is important, as is minimizing different stress factors at the animal hospital or clinic. Infected horses must be isolated. Routine examination for C difficile and toxin A or B is recommended in horses with antibiotic-a...
Pan X, Wu Y, Wang W, Zhang L, Xiao G.Argentine haemorrhagic fever (AHF) is a rodent-borne disease with a lethality as high as ~30%, which is caused by the New World arenavirus, Junín virus (JUNV). It was once a major epidemic in South America and puts millions of people in Argentina at risk. Here, we aimed to develop horse antibodies or antibody fragments against JUNV. Before preparing the horse antibodies, a strategy to efficiently generate horse antisera was established based on comparisons among immunogens and immunization methods in both mice and horses. Antisera against JUNV were finally obtained by vaccinating horses with ...
Sofizadeh A, Telmadarraiy Z, Rahnama A, Gorganli-Davaji A, Hosseini-Chegeni A.A survey on tick species composition was carried out in Golestan Province Iran during year 2010-2011.The aim was to determine tick species parasitizing domestic ruminants and their seasonal population dynamics. Methods: A total of 124 sheep, 92 goats, 84 cattle, 74 camels and 12 horses in several villages were inspected for tick infestation. The collected ticks preserved in 70% alcohol and then were identified. Results: The overall 1059 ticks (453 female, 606 male) were collected. The ticks occur on sheep, goats, cattle, camels and horses as 72.1%, 77.3%, 75.8%, 69.3%, and 50% respectively. Th...
Boden LA, Anderson GA, Charles JA, Morgan KL, Morton JM, Parkin TD, Clarke AF, Slocombe RF.The risk of fatality is greater in jump than in flat racing in Victoria, Australia. This is the first study to identify risk factors specific to jump starts in Victoria. Objective: To identify risk factors for fatality of Thoroughbred racehorses in jump starts on all racecourses in Victoria, Australia between 1989 and 2004. Methods: Fatalities comprised all horses that died during or immediately after a jump (hurdle or steeplechase) race or official jump trial and all horses that were subjected to euthanasia within 24 h of an event in which an injury was sustained. The retrospective study invo...
Ghim SJ, Rector A, Delius H, Sundberg JP, Jenson AB, Van Ranst M.Equus caballus papillomavirus type 1 (EcPV-1) was isolated from a cutaneous papilloma, the most common neoplasm in horses. The complete EcPV-1 nucleotide sequence and genomic organization were determined. Phylogenetic analysis showed that EcPV-1 is a close-to-root papillomavirus, with only distant relationships to the fibropapillomaviruses and the benign cutaneous papillomaviruses. To produce EcPV-1 virus-like particles (VLPs), the EcPV-1 L1 major capsid protein was expressed in insect cells using a recombinant baculovirus vector. The self-assembled EcPV-1 VLPs were morphologically indistingui...
French NP, McCarthy HE, Diggle PJ, Proudman CJ.Equine grass sickness (EGS) is a largely fatal, pasture-associated dysautonomia. Although the aetiology of this disease is unknown, there is increasing evidence that Clostridium botulinum type C plays an important role in this condition. The disease is widespread in the United Kingdom, with the highest incidence believed to occur in Scotland. EGS also shows strong seasonal variation (most cases are reported between April and July). Data from histologically confirmed cases of EGS from England and Wales in 1999 and 2000 were collected from UK veterinary diagnostic centres. The data did not repre...
Fritz CL, Kjemtrup AM.Despite more than 25 years' experience with Lyme borreliosis, much remains to be learned about this complex zoonosis. Practicing veterinarians, particularly those in the northeastern and upper midwestern states, where Lyme borreliosis is highly endemic, should be familiar with the ecologic features and typical clinical signs of Lyme borreliosis. Interpretation of signs and serologic test results should be made with consideration of the regional prevalence of Lyme borreliosis and the animal's opportunity for exposure to infected Ixodes spp. The availability of recently marketed topical acaracid...
Zhao K, Chi Y, Shen X.As a consequence of contracted and fenced grassland, the incidence of edema pathema in the Hequ horse is rising. The main pathological symptoms are edema, emaciation, anemia, heterophilia, inappetence, and dyskinesia. To study the cause of edema disease in Hequ horse, the Hequ horse farm with a high incidence was chosen as the experimental pasture, and the Azi husbandry experimental station without edema disorder was the control pasture. The research methods in this paper are included: (1) The mineral contents in soil, forage, blood, and liver were analyzed. (2) Routine parameters and biochemi...
Barros AT, Foil LD.Two studies evaluated the potential use of spatial barriers to reduce the mechanical transmission of disease agents by tabanids in the Pantanal region of Brazil. Tabanids at stations separated by four different distances (5, 10, 25, and 50m) were marked. In the first study, tabanids were marked and allowed to feed until engorgement or natural interruption occurred and captured if they transferred to the other horse. A total of 2847 tabanids belonging to nine different species were marked. The percentage of tabanids that moved between horses was 10.5 at 5m, 6.8 at 10m, and 4.6 at 25m. In the se...
Sheoran AS, Sponseller BT, Holmes MA, Timoney JF.Equine strangles, caused by the clonal pathogen Streptococcus equi, is a source of serious economic loss despite the widespread use of commercial vaccines. The anti-phagocytic 58 kDa M-like protein (SeM) is an important protective antigen. The objective of this study was to define differences, if any, between SeM-specific convalescent serum and mucosal IgA and IgG subisotypes and those induced by vaccination with commercial strangles vaccine. SeM-specific opsonophagocytic IgGb was the predominant serum antibody in horses intramuscularly vaccinated or recently recovered from infection. Infectio...
Hinney B, Wirtherle NC, Kyule M, Miethe N, Zessin KH, Clausen PH.Control strategies for horse helminths are controversially discussed, and no ideal strategy exists. Presently, the spreading of anthelmintic resistance against all three classes of anthelmintics is of special concern. Advice on how to slow the development of anthelmintic resistance does not seem to have reached the majority of horse owners yet. In our study, we wanted to capture the current standard of helminth control and to analyse the effectiveness of these control strategies. Seven hundred horse farms in Brandenburg, Germany were sent a questionnaire in June/July 2006 asking various questi...
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...
Sanz MG, Loynachan A, Horohov DW.Since a vaccine is not available against Rhodococcus equi, R equi-specific hyperimmune plasma (HIP) is commonly used, although its efficacy remains controversial. The objective of this study was to evaluate the ability of a commercially available HIP to prevent clinical rhodococcal pneumonia in neonatal foals after experimental challenge.
Olguin Perglione C, Golemba MD, Torres C, Barrandeguy M.Equine influenza virus (EIV) is considered the most important respiratory pathogen of horses as outbreaks of the disease lead to substantial economic losses. The H3N8 EIV has caused respiratory disease in horses across the world, including South American countries. Nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences for the complete haemagglutinin gene of the H3N8 EIV detected in South America since 1963 were analyzed. Phylogenetic and Bayesian coalescent analyses were carried out to study the origin, the time of the most recent common ancestors (tMRCA), the demographic and the phylogeographic pattern...
Hawkins JA, Adams WV, Wilson BH, Issel CJ, Roth EE.The mechanical transmission of equine infectious anemia (EIA) virus by Tabanus fuscicostatus was investigated. In 1 of 7 transmission trials, a single horsefly transmitted EIA virus from an acutely infected pony to a susceptible pony. Groups of horseflies isolated for 3, 10, or 30 minutes before refeeding transmitted EIA virus, whereas those isolated for 4 or 24 hours did not. Data from field studies indicate that the home range or flight distance of horseflies may exceed 4 miles. That information together with our observations suggest that segregation of infected horses (usually defined as at...
Crouch CF, Daly J, Hannant D, Wilkins J, Francis MJ.Protective responses generated by vaccination with an immuno-stimulating complex (ISCOM)-based vaccine for equine influenza (EQUIP F), containing a new 'American lineage' H3N8 virus, were studied. Seven ponies in the vaccine group received two intramuscular injections of EQUIP F given 6 weeks apart. Aerosol challenge with an A/eq/Newmarket/1/93 reference strain 4 weeks after booster vaccination resulted in clinical signs of infection and viral shedding in 7 influenza-naive control animals whereas the vaccinated ponies were significantly protected from both clinical signs and virus excretion. I...
Döpfer D, Kerssens CM, Meijer YG, Boersema JH, Eysker M.Faeces of 484 horses were sampled twice with an interval of 6 weeks while anthelmintic therapy was halted. Faecal eggs counts revealed that 267 (55.2%) horses had consistently low numbers of eggs per gram faeces (EPG) (EPG 100). Horses with consistently high EPGs were more often mares with access to pasture, aged less than 6 or more than 23 years, that were dewormed at intervals longer than 6 months, and were treated for the last time more than 3 months before the start of the study. Horses with consistently low EPGs were more often male horses with no or limited access to pasture, that were ...
Guillaume-Vasselin V, Lemaitre L, Dhondt KP, Tedeschi L, Poulard A, Charreyre C, Horvat B.Hendra virus (HeV) is an emerging zoonotic pathogen, which causes severe respiratory illness and encephalitis in humans and horses. Since its first appearance in 1994, spillovers of HeV from its natural reservoir fruit bats occur on almost an annual basis. The high mortality rate in both humans and horses and the wide-ranging reservoir distribution are making HeV a serious public health problem, especially for people exposed to sick horses. This study has aimed to develop an efficient low-cost HeV vaccine for horses based on Canarypox recombinant vector expressing HeV glycoproteins, attachment...
Giles C, Vanniasinkam T, Ndi S, Barton MD.For decades researchers have been targeting prevention of Rhodococcus equi (Rhodococcus hoagui/Prescottella equi) by vaccination and the horse breeding industry has supported the ongoing efforts by researchers to develop a safe and cost effective vaccine to prevent disease in foals. Traditional vaccines including live, killed and attenuated (physical and chemical) vaccines have proved to be ineffective and more modern molecular-based vaccines including the DNA plasmid, genetically attenuated and subunit vaccines have provided inadequate protection of foals. Newer, bacterial vector vaccines hav...
Powell K.A promising new horse vaccine may reignite enthusiasm for DNA vaccine technology in designing prophylactics against infectious disease. Kendall Powell reports.
Halpin K, Graham K, Durr PA.Hendra virus (HeV) is a high consequence zoonotic pathogen found in Australia. The HeV vaccine was developed for use in horses and provides a One Health solution to the prevention of human disease. By protecting horses from infection, the vaccine indirectly protects humans as well, as horses are the only known source of infection for humans. The sub-unit-based vaccine, containing recombinant HeV soluble G (sG) glycoprotein, was released by Pfizer Animal Health (now Zoetis) for use in Australia at the end of 2012. The purpose of this study was to collate post-vaccination serum neutralising anti...
Crouch CF, Daly J, Henley W, Hannant D, Wilkins J, Francis MJ.In horses, natural infection confers long lasting protective immunity characterised by mucosal IgA and humoral IgGa and IgGb responses. In order to investigate the potential of locally administered vaccine to induce a protective IgA response, responses generated by vaccination with an immunostimulating complex (ISCOM)-based vaccine for equine influenza (EQUIP F) containing A/eq/Newmarket/77 (H7N7), A/eq/Borlänge/91 (H3N8) and A/eq/Kentucky/98 (H3N8) using a systemic prime/mucosal boost strategy were studied. Seven ponies in the vaccine group received EQUIP F vaccine intranasally 6 weeks after...
van Eps AW, Burns TA.Laminitis is a consequence of primary disease processes elsewhere in the body. The key pathophysiologic events are insulin dysregulation in endocrinopathic laminitis, ischemia in supporting limb laminitis, and inflammation in sepsis-related laminitis. These apparently disparate mechanisms converge to cause lamellar attachment failure through epithelial cell adhesion loss and stretch, possibly mediated by common growth factor signaling pathways. Tissue damage through mechanical distraction, inflammation, pain, and a proliferative epithelial healing response are features of acute laminitis regar...
Votion DM, Linden A, Delguste C, Amory H, Thiry E, Engels P, van Galen G, Navet R, Sluse F, Serteyn D, Saegerman C.Over the last decade, atypical myopathy (AM) in grazing horses has emerged in several European countries. An exploratory analysis was conducted to determine horse- and pasture-level indicators or factors associated with AM in Belgium. Belgian cases of AM confirmed by histology (n=57) were compared to their healthy co-grazing horses (n=77) and to pastured horses not involved with AM as controls (n=386). The pastures where confirmed cases were grazing (42 pastures; 38 sites; 44 incidences of AM) were compared with those of the controls (216 pastures; 96 sites; no incidence of AM). Statistically ...
Marín-López A, Barreiro-Piñeiro N, Utrilla-Trigo S, Barriales D, Benavente J, Nogales A, Martínez-Costas J, Ortego J, Calvo-Pinilla E.African horse sickness virus (AHSV) is an insect-borne pathogen that causes acute disease in horses and other equids. In an effort to improve the safety of currently available vaccines and to acquire new knowledge about the determinants of AHSV immunogenicity, new generation vaccines are being developed. In this work we have generated and tested a novel immunization approach comprised of nonstructural protein 1 (NS1) of AHSV serotype 4 (AHSV-4) incorporated into avian reovirus muNS protein microspheres (MS-NS1) and/or expressed using recombinant modified vaccinia virus Ankara vector (MVA-NS1)....
