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Topic:Disease Prevention
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.
West Nile virus recombinant DNA vaccine protects mouse and horse from virus challenge and expresses in vitro a noninfectious recombinant antigen that can be used in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Introduction of West Nile (WN) virus into the United States in 1999 created major human and animal health concerns. Currently, no human or veterinary vaccine is available to prevent WN viral infection, and mosquito control is the only practical strategy to combat the spread of disease. Starting with a previously designed eukaryotic expression vector, we constructed a recombinant plasmid (pCBWN) that expressed the WN virus prM and E proteins. A single intramuscular injection of pCBWN DNA induced protective immunity, preventing WN virus infection in mice and horses. Recombinant plasmid-transform...
Postexposure rabies prophylaxis protocol for domestic animals and epidemiologic characteristics of rabies vaccination failures in Texas: 1995-1999. To determine whether postexposure rabies prophylaxis (PEP) in domestic animals, as mandated by the state of Texas, has continued to be effective and to evaluate PEP and preexposure rabies vaccination failures from 1995 through 1999. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: 830 unvaccinated domestic animals (621 dogs, 78 horses, 71 cats, and 60 cattle) that received PEP and 4 animals (3 dogs and 1 horse) that had preexposure rabies vaccination failure. Methods: Zoonotic incident case reports from 1995 through 1999 were reviewed for information regarding unvaccinated domestic animals that received...
Incidence of the endothelin receptor B mutation that causes lethal white foal syndrome in white-patterned horses. To determine incidence of the Ile118Lys endothelin receptor B (EDNRB) mutation responsible for overo lethal white syndrome (OLWS) and its association with specific types of white patterning. Methods: 945 horses of white-patterned bloodlines and 55 solid-colored horses of other breeds. Methods: Horses were genotyped by use of allele-specific polymerase chain reaction to determine incidence of the Ile118Lys EDNRB mutation. Results: Genotypes detected were homozygous Ile118, homozygous Lys118, and heterozygous. All foals with OLWS were homozygous for the Ile118Lys EDNRB mutation, and adults that ...
Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis. Recent advances in the understanding of the parasite life cycle, epidemiology, clinical signs, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of EPM are reviewed. The NAHMS Equine '98 study and a controlled retrospective study from The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine identified a number of risk factors associated with development of the disease. The national annual incidence of EPM was 1% or less depending on the primary use of the animals. Increased disease risk was associated with age (1-5 and > 13 years of age), season (lowest in winter months and increasing with ambient tempe...
Improving the predictability of performance by prerace detection of dorsal metacarpal disease in thoroughbred racehorses. Objective: To determine the prevalence of dorsal metacarpal disease in 2-year-old Thoroughbred horses by prerace inspection and to evaluate the effectiveness of a dorsal metacarpal disease detection program on the predictability of race performance (finishing in the order predicted by punters) and the distance between the first- and last-placed horse in a field.Design: A retrospective study using client-owned horses.Methods: A program of prerace detection of dorsal metacarpal disease using digital palpation of the dorsal aspect of the third metacarpal bone of both forelimbs of 2-year-old Thoro...
Emergent causes of placentitis and abortion. The clinical signs, laboratory findings, diagnosis, epidemiology, treatment, and prevention and control of two emerging causes of placentitis and abortion in horses are described in this article. Leptospirosis has been reported as a significant cause of fetal loss in horses in Kentucky, Northern Ireland, and England. Most abortions result from infection by serovars kennewicki or bratislava. Nocardioform placentitis has become the most common cause of placentitis in central Kentucky horses. Nocardioform placentitis is associated with infection by unnamed, gram-positive, filamentous, branching b...
Vesicular stomatitis and other vesicular, erosive, and ulcerative diseases of horses. Physical trauma, dietary factors, certain toxins, immune mediated disorders, and vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) infection are known causes of stomatitis in horses. There is evidence that some outbreaks of equine stomatitis are caused by as yet unidentified infectious agents. It remains to be determined whether stomatitis is an emerging equine infectious disease, or if the increase in reported cases is simply the result of greater public awareness as a consequence of widespread outbreaks of VSV in the southwestern United States in recent years. Focused laboratory and epidemiological studies a...
The increasing significance of international trade in equids and its influence on the spread of infectious diseases. Expansion in international trade in equids and equine semen has been especially notable over the past 10-15 years among those countries historically identified as having significant breeding and performance horse industries. The continuing trend towards globalization of the horse industry received additional impetus in January, 1995, following establishment of the World Trade Organization (WTO), whose primary goal is to promote freer economic exchange between member countries through the reduction or elimination of protectionist barriers to trade. Continued growth in international trade, close...
Animal trypanosomiasis in South America. Current status, partnership, and information technology. Animal trypanosome species of economical importance in South America include T. vivax and T. evansi. Both species are described in Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, French Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela. In Argentina and Guyana, only T. evansi and T. vivax are found, respectively. Our studies on T. vivax indicated that the parasite was spreading around 1.3 km per day in Bolivia. We found severe leukopenia in bovines from Pantanal (Brazil) and the Department of Santa Cruz (Bolivia). Because it can cause immunosuppression, the importance of trypanosomiasis control in ensuring success of vaccinat...
Antimicrobic and anthelmintic resistance. Antimicrobial and anthelmintic resistance are growing issues for the equine practitioner. The development of antimicrobial or anthelmintic resistance is a source of significant concern because of increased frequency of treatment failures and increased treatment costs. In addition, antimicrobial resistance may have important consequences for public health. Only through judicious use can the efficacy of antimicrobials and anthelmintics be prolonged. This article discusses the development of resistance and suggestions for control.
Ehrlichial diseases. Equine granulocytic and monocytic ehrlichiosis caused by Ehrlichia equi and E. risticii, respectively, are seasonal diseases in horses that occur throughout the United States E. equi is transmitted by lxodes ticks and causes high fever, depression, anorexia, limb edema, petechiation, icterus, ataxia, and stiffness in gait. E. risticii, also known as the agent of Potomac horse fever, causes a febrile illness with a colitis of variable severity. Its occurrence is associated with aquatic habitats. The natural route of transmission is oral, through the ingestion of E. risticii infected trematode s...
The significance of surveillance and reporting on the prevention and control of equine diseases. Examples of equine disease surveillance at the local, regional, national and international level are discussed in this article. Reporting systems at each level are also considered, and the increasing importance of laboratory confirmed diagnoses is emphasized. The need to develop national disease reporting systems is addressed, particularly with respect to conforming to international trading standards.
Keratinopathogenic mould fungi and dermatophytes in healthy and diseased hooves of horses. Specimens of hoof horn from 187 horses were examined for a possible relationship between clinically affected hooves and the occurrence of pathogenic fungi. Specimens were taken from the coronary band and from the stratum externum and medium of the coronary horn and transferred on to Sabouraud dextrose agar, with and without cycloheximide, and incubated at 28 degrees C. Dermatophytes and mould fungi were identified by their macroscopic and microscopic characteristics. The 732 isolates could be assigned to 26 species of moulds, two different species of the dermatophyte Microsporum and three diff...
Effects of dexamethasone on development of immunoglobulin G subclass responses following vaccination of horses. To determine the effects of dexamethasone on development of IgG subclass responses following vaccination of healthy horses. Methods: 11 mature Thoroughbreds. Methods: Horses received 2 IM injections at 2-week intervals of a vaccine containing inactivated infectious bovine rhinotracheitis, bovine viral diarrhea, and parainfluenza-3 viral antigens and were then randomly assigned to 2 groups. Six horses received dexamethasone (0.2 mg/kg of body weight, IM) twice weekly for 8 weeks starting the day of the first vaccination. Five control horses received an equivalent volume of saline (0.9% NaCl) so...
[Gastric ulceration in horses: etiology, diagnosis, and therapy: a review]. Since it has become possible to make an ante-mortem diagnosis of gastric ulceration in horses by means of endoscopy, interest in the presence and treatment of this syndrome has increased. Several endoscopic surveys have indicated that the frequency of gastric ulceration in Thoroughbreds in training is fairly high. Less is known about other breeds and horses that are kept under different (training) conditions. The equine stomach is covered by two different kinds of mucous membranes: squamous and glandular. These two areas differ from one another in the incidence and aetiology of ulceration and,...
Stabling and the protection of horses from Culicoides bolitinos (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae), a recently identified vector of African horse sickness. The stabling of horses at night reportedly offers protection from African horse sickness and the most significant vector of the disease, Culicoides imicola Kieffer, has been shown to be exophilic. In certain high-lying regions of South Africa, however, C. bolitinos Meiswinkel, may be the major vector of the disease but its entry behaviour into stables is unknown. Accordingly, in the eastern Free State province of South Africa, light trap catches of C. bolitinos inside stables and outside, were compared. Two horse-baited stables, one traditional, and one modern, were used and combinations of st...
Operation-management factors associated with early-postnatal mortality of US foals. Of 7320 equine foals reported born alive during 1997 on 1043 operations that had equids on 1 January 1997, and that participated in the United States National Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS) Equine 1998 Study, 120 foals were reported to have died (by either euthanasia or natural causes) within the first 2 days of a live birth. The weighted estimate was 1.7% mortality (standard error=0.5) within the first 2 days of live birth for all foals born on operations in the 28 states included in the study.A multivariable logistic-regression model revealed that foals born in the southern region w...
Ancillary equipment to increase quality and reduce radiation exposure in the equine nuclear medicine laboratory. The construction of ancillary equipment used to improve image quality and reduce personnel radiation exposure in the equine nuclear medicine laboratory is illustrated. The devices include a self supporting lead sheet for shielding the distal limb or limb pair, a hanging lead sheet for shielding the proximal limb, a lead square for shielding the urinary bladder or jugular catheter, a restraining board for acquiring a palmar view of the foot, a head support to stabilize the head for imaging and a head support for stabilizing the neck for imaging. The restraining board and head supports decrease ...
Distribution of immunoglobulin isotypes and subisotypes in equine guttural pouch (auditory tube diverticulum). To clarify the functions of the equine guttural pouch, the distribution of various immunoglobulin isotypes and subisotypes in the guttural pouch mucosa were examined in healthy horses. IgGa was present in the mucosa of guttural pouch, mucosal lymph nodules and submucosal lymph nodules. IgM was scattered in the mucosal lymph nodules and in the germinal centers of the submucosal lymph nodules. IgGc was recognized only in the submucosal lymph nodules. These immunoglobulin isotypes and subisotypes were found in lymphocytes and plasma cells. On the other hand, IgA was detected in glandular epitheli...
Modelling the spread of a viral infection in equine populations managed in Thoroughbred racehorse training yards. A Monte Carlo model that simulates the management life cycle of a horse population in training on a Thoroughbred flat racing yard (i.e. stable) was developed for computer implementation. Each horse was characterised by several state variables. Discrete events at the horse level were triggered stochastically to reflect uncertainty about some input assumptions and heterogeneity of the horse population in a particular yard. This mathematical model was subsequently used to mimic the spread of equine influenza (EI) within a typical yard following the introduction of one or several infectious horses...
Transarterial coil embolization of the internal and external carotid and maxillary arteries for prevention of hemorrhage from guttural pouch mycosis in horses. To develop a transarterial coil embolization technique for occlusion of the internal carotid artery (ICA), external carotid artery (ECA), and maxillary arteries (MA) in normal horses and to evaluate this technique for prevention of hemorrhage in horses affected with guttural pouch mycosis. Methods: Ten adult, normal horses and 4 horses with guttural pouch mycosis. Methods: All horses had transarterial coil embolization of the rostral and caudal ICA, caudal MA, and rostral ECA. In 1 affected horse, an aberrant actively bleeding branch of the ECA was also occluded. Normal horses had a premortem ...
Effect of daily floor treatment with sodium bisulfate on the fly population of horse stalls. To determine application rate and effectiveness of sodium bisulfate to decrease the fly population in a horse barn environment. Methods: 12 privately owned farms in southeastern Pennsylvania. Methods: Application rates of sodium bisulfate were approximately 2.3 kg/stall, 1.1 kg/stall, and 0.5 kg/stall. Two or 3 stalls were treated, and 1 or 2 stalls were not treated (control stalls) at each farm. Farm personnel applied sodium bisulfate in treated stalls daily for 7 days. Fly tapes were hung from the same site in treated and control stalls. After 24 hours, the fly tape was removed, flies adheri...
