Disease transmission in horses refers to the spread of infectious agents such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites among equine populations. These pathogens can be transmitted through various routes, including direct contact, vector-borne transmission, or environmental exposure. Factors influencing disease transmission include horse density, management practices, and biosecurity measures. Understanding the mechanisms and conditions that facilitate the spread of diseases is essential for developing effective prevention and control strategies. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that investigate the modes of transmission, risk factors, and management practices related to infectious diseases in horses.
Tirosh-Levy S, Gottlieb Y, Fry LM, Knowles DP, Steinman A.Equine piroplasmosis (EP), caused by the hemoparasites , , and , is an important tick-borne disease of equines that is prevalent in most parts of the world. Infection may affect animal welfare and has economic impacts related to limitations in horse transport between endemic and non-endemic regions, reduced performance of sport horses and treatment costs. Here, we analyzed the epidemiological, serological, and molecular diagnostic data published in the last 20 years, and all DNA sequences submitted to GenBank database, to describe the current global prevalence of these parasites. We demonstrat...
Simonato G, Danesi P, Frangipane di Regalbono A, Dotto G, Tessarin C, Pietrobelli M, Pasotto D.Animal-assisted interventions (AAIs) are based on the establishment of a therapeutic relationship between animals and beneficiaries that is certain to provide positive effects, while currently, it reads as if AAIs aim at exposing stakeholders to potential risk of infection. The surveillance of zoonotic pathogens is necessary for guaranteeing common health. This study investigated the presence of potentially zoonotic parasites, including dermatophytes, in animals involved in AAIs. Between 2015 and 2017, 190 animals (equids, dogs, cats, birds, rabbits, rodents, and goats) were investigated. Anam...
Bermúdez C S, Zaldívar Y, Domínguez A L, Hernández M, de Antinori MEB, Krawczak FS.Rickettsia amblyommatis is widely distributed in the Americas, and has been reported to infect different species of ticks within its distribution. In Panama, R. amblyommatis is the most common Rickettsia and its presence was molecularly detected in nine species of ticks and one flea species. This work described the isolation of R. amblyommatis in Vero cells by shell vial technique, from Amblyomma mixtum ticks collected from a captive tapir from Gamboa (Colon province), and a horse from El Valle de Antón (Cocle province). These represent the first isolations of R. amblyommatis in Panama.
Cohen ND, Cywes-Bentley C, Kahn SM, Bordin AI, Bray JM, Wehmeyer SG, Pier GB.Strangles is a common disease of horses with worldwide distribution caused by the bacterium Streptococcus equi subspecies equi (SEE). Although vaccines against strangles are available commercially, these products have limitations in safety and efficacy. The microbial surface antigen β 1→6 poly-N-acetylglucosamine (PNAG) is expressed by SEE. Here we show that intramuscular (IM) injection alone or a combination of IM plus intranasal (IN) immunization generated antibodies to PNAG that functioned to deposit complement and mediate opsonophagocytic killing of SEE ex vivo. However, immunization st...
Nielsen MK, Banahan M, Kaplan RM.Anthelmintic resistance in equine cyathostomins is both widespread and highly prevalent in the benzimidazole and tetrahydropyrimidine classes; however, reports of resistance to macrocyclic lactone (ML) drugs are sparse and sporadic. This study reports a case of clear ML resistance in a group of Thoroughbred yearlings imported from Ireland to the US in 2019. Fecal egg count reduction (FECR) following ivermectin administered in February 2020 demonstrated 100% reduction in the US bred yearlings, but 93.5%, 70.5%, and 74.5% reduction in three groups of the imported yearlings. The two former groups...
Daddy KK, Mwanza M, Oguttu JW, Ngoma L.Leptospirosis is one of the major emerging global economic and health problems affecting donkeys, thereby reducing their work output. Furthermore, the disease has public health importance because of its zoonotic nature. Despite the significant contribution donkeys make to the national economy, less attention is given to diseases that afflict donkeys and reduce their productivity and performance. A cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate the seroprevalence of Leptospira and identify risk factors associated with the occurrence of the disease among donkeys in the study area. Methods: A...
Mera Y Sierra R, Neira G, Bargues MD, Cuervo PF, Artigas P, Logarzo L, Cortiñas G, Ibaceta DEJ, Lopez Garrido A, Bisutti E, Mas-Coma S.Fascioliasis is a zoonotic disease caused by liver flukes transmitted by freshwater lymnaeid snails. Donkey and horse reservoir roles have been highlighted in human endemic areas. Liver fluke infection in mules has received very limited research. Their role in disease transmission, epidemiological importance and Fasciola hepatica pathogenicity are studied for the first time. Prevalence was 39.5% in 81 mules from Aconcagua, and 24.4% in 127 from Uspallata, in high-altitude areas of Mendoza province, Argentina. A mean amount of 101,242 eggs/mule/day is estimated. Lymnaeids from Uspallata proved ...
Gharekhani J, Yakhchali M, Berahmat R.Knowledge on neosporosis and associated risk factors in different species of animals are so important for designing the control programs and reduce the economic losses globally. This literature review targeted for evaluating the infection rate of in animals in Iran. Until April 2020, all of published documents in the main English and Persian-language databases were searched. A total number of 110 documents (English = 85 and Persian = 25) were extracted. Most of reports were sero-epidemiological studies using ELISA in Iranian cattle population. The range of infection was 3.8-76.2% in ...
Coultous RM, Leadon DP, Shiels BR, Sutton D, Weir W.Equine piroplasmosis (EP) is a notifiable disease in Ireland and a significant concern to domestic and international equine industries. Information regarding EP presence in Ireland is currently limited. This retrospective surveillance study describes a serological and molecular analysis of blood samples submitted to the Irish Equine Centre for EP testing between January 2013 and April 2016. Methods: Following serological testing, seropositive samples were screened using a PCR targeting the 18S ribosomal RNA gene. Amplicon sequences were bioinformatically analysed to identify the parasite speci...
Pusterla N, Rice M, Henry T, Barnum S, James K.The main objective of the study was to determine the frequency of detection of selected infectious respiratory viruses and bacteria in healthy horses presented over a 12-month period for routine dental care at 2 veterinary hospitals. Nasal secretions were collected from 579 horses and tested for equine herpesviruses (EHV-1, EHV-2, EHV-4, EHV-5), equine influenza virus (EIV), equine rhinitis A and B viruses (ERAV, ERBV), Streptococcus equi subspecies equi (S equi), S equi subspecies zooepidemicus (S zooepidemicus), and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) using routine diagnostic ...
Greenwood S, Chow-Lockerbie B, Ramsauer S, Wachoski-Dark G, Knight C, Wobeser B. papillomavirus type 2 (EcPV-2) has been recognized as a potential cause of a subset of genital squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) in horses. In the current study, we measured EcPV-2 seropositivity in 50 healthy horses from Western Canada, and these were compared to a herd of horses with known EcPV-2 exposure. Second, the presence of EcPV-2 DNA was measured using EcPV-2-specific PCR (polymerase chain reaction), performed on a variety of tissues collected at necropsy from 70 horses that lacked any history, gross, or histologic evidence of neoplasia or papillomavirus-associated disease. EcPV-2-spec...
Myers R, Cembran A, Fernandez-Funez P.Prion diseases are a group of neurodegenerative diseases endemic in humans and several ruminants caused by the misfolding of native prion protein (PrP) into pathological conformations. Experimental work and the mad-cow epidemic of the 1980s exposed a wide spectrum of animal susceptibility to prion diseases, including a few highly resistant animals: horses, rabbits, pigs, and dogs/canids. The variable susceptibility to disease offers a unique opportunity to uncover the mechanisms governing PrP misfolding, neurotoxicity, and transmission. Previous work indicates that PrP-intrinsic differences (s...
Diallo AA, Souley MM, Issa Ibrahim A, Alassane A, Issa R, Gagara H, Yaou B, Issiakou A, Diop M, Ba Diouf RO, Lo FT, Lo MM, Bakhoum T, Sylla M....Since November 2018, several countries in West and Central Africa have reported mortalities in donkeys and horses. Specifically, more than 66,000 horses and donkeys have succumbed to disease in Burkina Faso, Chad, Cameroon, The Gambia, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, and Senegal. Strangles caused by Streptococcus equi subsp equi, African Horse Sickness (AHS) virus, and Equine influenza virus (EIV) were all suspected as potential causative agents. This study reports the identification of EIV in field samples collected in Niger and Senegal. Phylogenetic analysis of the hemagglutinin and neuraminida...
Chapman GE, Sherlock K, Hesson JC, Blagrove MSC, Lycett GJ, Archer D, Solomon T, Baylis M.There has been no evidence of transmission of mosquito-borne arboviruses of equine or human health concern to date in the UK. However, in recent years there have been a number of outbreaks of viral diseases spread by vectors in Europe. These events, in conjunction with increasing rates of globalisation and climate change, have led to concern over the future risk of mosquito-borne viral disease outbreaks in northern Europe and have highlighted the importance of being prepared for potential disease outbreaks. Here we assess several UK mosquito species for their potential to transmit arboviruses ...
Rossi TM, Milwid RM, Moore A, O'Sullivan TL, Greer AL.Infectious respiratory disease is a common cause of morbidity among racehorses. Quantification of contact patterns in training facilities could help inform disease prevention strategies. The study objectives were to: i) describe the contact network among horses, locations, and humans at a Standardbred horse training facility in Ontario; ii) describe the characteristics of highly influential individuals; and iii) investigate how management changes alter the network metrics and discuss the potential implications for disease transmission. Proximity loggers detected contacts among horses, staff, a...
Verney M, Grey F, Lemans C, Géraud T, Berthier D, Thévenon S, Rincé A, Hans A, Morrison L, Hébert L.Equine trypanosomosis comprises different parasitic diseases caused by protozoa of the subgenus Trypanozoon: Trypanosoma equiperdum (causative agent of dourine), Trypanosoma brucei (nagana) and Trypanosoma evansi (surra). Due to the absence of a vaccine and the lack of efficacy of the few available drugs, these diseases represent a major health and economic problem for international equine trade. Development of affordable, sensitive and specific diagnostic tests is therefore crucial to ensure the control of these diseases. Recently, it has been shown that a small RNA derived from the 7SL gene ...
Neely M, Arroyo LG, Jardine C, Moore A, Hazlett M, Clow K, Archer H, Weese JS.Recently, the blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis), which is the vector of Borrelia burgdorferi, has undergone a range expansion from the northeastern and mid-west United States to areas of southeastern Canada, including parts of Ontario. Understanding the seroprevalence of antibodies against B. burgdorferi in horses and risk factors for exposure is important for monitoring and preventing this emerging disease. Methods: Cross-sectional study of 551 horses in southern, central, and eastern Ontario, Canada. Objective: To assess the seroprevalence of B. burgdorferi in horses in Ontario, Canada; ...
Dogan F, Bilge Dagalp S, Dik B, Farzani TA, Alkan F.Bovine leukemia virus (BLV) is known as the etiological agent of Enzootic bovine leukosis (EBL), which is the most common neoplastic disease of cattle. While the major route of virus transmission is believed to be iatrogenic, BLV proviral DNA has been identified in biological materials, including nasal secretions, saliva, milk, colostrum, and semen, and in several insect species, including horses flies. However, insects' role in the natural transmission of BLV has not been clearly demonstrated. This study assessed the possible role of midges - Culicoides spp. - in BLV transmission. BLVs were g...
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...
Soza-Ossandón P, Rivera D, Tardone R, Riquelme-Neira R, García P, Hamilton-West C, Adell AD, González-Rocha G, Moreno-Switt AI. is a highly infectious microorganism responsible for many outbreaks reported in equine hospitals. Outbreaks are characterized by high morbidity and mortality rates, nosocomial transmission to other patients, zoonotic transmission to hospital personnel, and even closure of facilities. In this study, 545 samples (environmental and hospitalized patients) were collected monthly during a 1-year period from human and animal contact surfaces in an equine hospital that received local and international horses. A total of 22 isolates were obtained from human contact surfaces (e.g., offices and pharmac...
Saklou NT, Burgess BA, Ashton LV, Morley PS, Goehring LS.Equid herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) is ubiquitous in equine populations causing respiratory disease, and complications including late-term abortion and neurological disease. Eradication of EHV-1 from housing environments that typically contain unsealed wood and porous bedding materials can be challenging. However, consideration should be given to take advantage of the viral envelope's susceptibility to environmental conditions. Objective: To determine environmental persistence of EHV-1 on materials and in environmental conditions commonly found in equine facilities. We hypothesised that environme...
Özçelik R, Graubner C, Remy-Wohlfender F, Dürr S, Faverjon C.Equine health is important in regard to trade, economy, society, and the veterinary, as well as public health. To reduce the burden of equine infectious diseases internationally, it is important to collect, review, and distribute equine health surveillance data as accurate and timely as possible. Within this study, we aimed at providing a comprehensive descriptive analysis of data submitted to Equinella, a voluntary veterinary-based surveillance system of non-notifiable equine infectious diseases and clinical signs, in Switzerland. This was achieved by reviewing the reports submitted since its...
Greene EA, Hein W, Wickens CL, Smarsh DN.The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting stay-at-home directives, adopted out of necessity to protect human health, introduced significant challenges for horse owners and small equine businesses. Restricted access, and in many cases closure of barns, resulted in a multitude of questions and concerns within the equine community which needed to be addressed rapidly. Extension Horses, Inc. (EH) coordinated the development and delivery of a variety of educational resources utilizing a combination of online formats and dissemination through social media and EH member contact lists. A series of infograph...
Ma H, Lundy JD, Cottle EL, O'Malley KJ, Trichel AM, Klimstra WB, Hartman AL, Reed DS, Teichert T.Alphaviruses such as Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV) and Eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV) are arboviruses that can cause severe zoonotic disease in humans. Both VEEV and EEEV are highly infectious when aerosolized and can be used as biological weapons. Vaccines and therapeutics are urgently needed, but efficacy determination requires animal models. The cynomolgus macaque (Macaca fascicularis) provides a relevant model of human disease, but questions remain whether vaccines or therapeutics can mitigate CNS infection or disease in this model. The documentation of alphavirus e...
Jerele S, Davis E, Mapes S, Pusterla N, Navas González FJ, Iglesias Pastrana C, Abdelfattah EM, McLean A.Feral donkey removal from state land has raised concerns in terms of disease transmission between equine species. Disease outbreaks may occur as a result of the relocation of animals to new environments. Virus and bacteria DNA load and serum amyloid A derived from the pathogenic processes that they involve were measured in recently captured donkeys. Blood and nasal swabs were collected from 85 donkeys (Death Valley National Park, Shoshone, California); 24 were retested after 30/60 days in the Scenic (Arizona) long-term holding facility co-mingled with feral donkeys from Arizona and Utah. Quant...
Vourchakbé J, Tiofack AAZ, Mbida M, Simo G.Equine trypanosomiases are complex infectious diseases with overlapping clinical signs defined by their mode of transmission. Despite their economic impacts, these diseases have been neglected by the scientific community, the veterinary authorities and regulatory organizations. To fill the observed knowledge gap, we undertook the identification of different trypanosome species and subspecies naturally infecting horses and donkeys within the Chadian sleeping sickness focus. The objective of the study was to investigate the potential role of these domestic animals as reservoirs of the human-infe...
Salat J, Ruzek D.Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE), a disease caused by tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), represents a serious neural infection of humans in Europe and Asia. The main reservoir hosts of TBEV are ticks, rodents and insectivores, but domestic animals may also be infected with the virus. This review summarizes what is known about TBE in domestic species (e.g., dogs, horses), in which infection may manifest with clinical signs similar to those seen in severe human cases. We also focus on TBE in ruminants where TBE infections are typically asymptomatic and do not cause health problems in the infecte...
Yasuda R, Kawano J, Matsuo E, Masuda T, Shimizu A, Anzai T, Hashikura S.The prevalence of staphylococci that harbor the mecA gene responsible for methicillin resistance was examined in healthy breeding mares. Staphylococci often cause diseases of horses such as metritis, keratitis, and abscess. Methicillin-resistant staphylococci would make antibiotic treatments ineffective, so it may be significant to know the distribution of mecA-harboring staphylococci in mares. Isolation of mecA-harboring staphylococci was achieved from nares and pasterns of 100 mares in Hokkaido, Japan. From 13% of the mares, mecA-harboring staphylococci, including 15 isolates of Staphylococc...
Hordijk J, Farmakioti E, Smit LAM, Duim B, Graveland H, Theelen MJP, Wagenaar JA.A nationwide study on the occurrence of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)/AmpC in nonhospitalized horses in the Netherlands was performed. Molecular characterization was done, and questionnaires were analyzed to identify factors associated with carriage. In total, 796 horse owners were approached; 281 of these submitted a fecal sample from their horse(s), resulting in 362 samples. All samples were cultured qualitatively in Luria-Bertani (LB) broth and subsequently on MacConkey agar, both supplemented with 1 mg/liter cefotaxime (LB+ and MC+). Positive samples were subsequently cultured qu...
Pringle J, Venner M, Tscheschlok L, Bächi L, Riihimäki M.After strangles outbreaks, Streptococcus equi ssp. equi (S. equi) can persist in clinically normal silent carriers for months to years. Two naturally occurring outbreaks of strangles with 53 and 100% morbidity, respectively, were followed longitudinally to assess occurrence of carrier state and optimal detection methods Outbreak A involved 98 yearling warmbloods, and outbreak B 38 mature Icelandic horses. Fully recovered horses were sampled at least 6 months after index cases using nasal swabs (one sampling occasion only) nasopharyngeal lavage and guttural pouch visualisation and lavages for c...
Cowled C, Foo CH, Deffrasnes C, Rootes CL, Williams DT, Middleton D, Wang LF, Bean AGD, Stewart CR.Hendra virus (HeV) is an emerging zoonotic pathogen harbored by Australian mainland flying foxes. HeV infection can cause lethal disease in humans and horses, and to date all cases of human HeV disease have resulted from contact with infected horses. Currently, diagnosis of acute HeV infections in horses relies on the productive phase of infection when virus shedding may occur. An assay that identifies infected horses during the preclinical phase of infection would reduce the risk of zoonotic viral transmission during management of HeV outbreaks. Having previously shown that the host microRNA ...
Van den Eede A, Hermans K, Van den Abeele A, Floré K, Dewulf J, Vanderhaeghen W, Crombé F, Butaye P, Gasthuys F, Haesebrouck F, Martens A.Given the significance of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections for both horses and staff in equine veterinary hospitals, protocols are required to minimise the risk of nosocomial transmission, including the screening of the skin and nasal chambers of equine patients for evidence of infection. The objective of this study was to clarify the potential existence and extent of MRSA on the skin of horses requiring long-term hospitalisation (≥ 6 months). Thirty such horses were sampled at eight different locations on their skin and from their nasal chambers. MRSA was isolat...
Zoonoses and public healthJune 10, 2010
Volume 58, Issue 3 192-199 doi: 10.1111/j.1863-2378.2010.01338.x
McNamara SE, Abdujamilova N, Somsel P, Gordoncillo MJ, DeDecker JM, Bartlett PC.Clostridium difficile (CD), Salmonella, Campylobacter and enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) are major causes of morbidity in a variety of enteric diseases in humans and animals, but subclinical carriage in both is probably more common than are clinical cases. Little is known regarding the prevalence of these pathogens in animals raised for exhibit at Michigan county fairs or the frequency with which Michigan citizens raising these animals may have been subclinically colonized. To address these issues, 361 fecal specimens from 158 humans and 203 of their farm animals were cultured for C...
Seeber PA, Quintard B, Sicks F, Dehnhard M, Greenwood AD, Franz M.Equine Herpesviruses (EHV) are common and often latent pathogens of equids which can cause fatalities when transmitted to non-equids. Stress and elevated glucocorticoids have been associated with EHV reactivation in domestic horses, but little is known about the correlation between stress and viral reactivation in wild equids. We investigated the effect of an environmental stressor (social group restructuring following a translocation event) on EHV reactivation in captive Grévy's zebras (). A mare was translocated by road transport from Zoo Mulhouse, France, to join a resident group of three ...
Mera Y Sierra R, Neira G, Bargues MD, Cuervo PF, Artigas P, Logarzo L, Cortiñas G, Ibaceta DEJ, Lopez Garrido A, Bisutti E, Mas-Coma S.Fascioliasis is a zoonotic disease caused by liver flukes transmitted by freshwater lymnaeid snails. Donkey and horse reservoir roles have been highlighted in human endemic areas. Liver fluke infection in mules has received very limited research. Their role in disease transmission, epidemiological importance and Fasciola hepatica pathogenicity are studied for the first time. Prevalence was 39.5% in 81 mules from Aconcagua, and 24.4% in 127 from Uspallata, in high-altitude areas of Mendoza province, Argentina. A mean amount of 101,242 eggs/mule/day is estimated. Lymnaeids from Uspallata proved ...
Murphy RJT, Ramsay JP, Lee YT, Pang S, O'Dea MA, Pearson JC, Axon JE, Raby E, Abdulgader SM, Whitelaw A, Coombs GW.Staphylococcus aureus is a serious human and animal pathogen. Multilocus sequence type 612 (ST612) is the dominant methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) clone in certain South African hospitals and is sporadically isolated from horses and horse-associated veterinarians in Australia. Colonisation and infection by ST612-MRSA is increasing in Western Australia. Whole-genome sequencing was performed for 51 isolates of ST612-MRSA from Western Australian patients and healthcare workers, South African hospital patients, Australian veterinarians and New South Wales horses. Core genome phylogenies sug...
De Waal DT.Babesia caballi, isolated from a horse that originated from South West Africa/Namibia, was transmitted transovarially by adult Hyalomma truncatum. B. caballi proved to be highly infective for adult H. truncatum. Forty-five per cent of ticks feeding on a reacting animal with an extremely low parasitaemia became infected. In spite of a low parasitaemia, the ticks were severely affected by the parasite. Seventy per cent of the infected ticks either died during oviposition or after laying only a few eggs. The features of the infection in horses were: a prepatent period of 10 days, very low parasit...
Scheffer EG, Venter GJ, Labuschagne K, Page PC, Mullens BA, MacLachlan NJ, Osterrieder N, Guthrie AJ.Culicoides biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) are vectors of a variety of pathogens including African horse sickness virus (AHSV), a member of the family Reoviridae, genus Orbivirus. AHSV causes African horse sickness (AHS), an endemic disease of equids with an extremely high mortality rate in horses in sub-Saharan Africa. Culicoides (Avaritia) imicola Kieffer is considered to be the principal vector of AHSV and is the dominant Culicoides species in South Africa. Due to the global distribution of Culicoides vectors, there is a potential risk of AHS spreading from endemic areas to areas t...
Barros AT.Once a month, from June 1992 to May 1993, collections of tabanids on horse were conducted in the Nhecolândia, Pantanal State of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. Tabanid catches using hand nets were conducted from sunrise to sunset at grassland and cerradão (dense savanna) habitats. A total of 3,442 tabanids from 21 species,12 genera, and 3 subfamilies were collected. Although species abundance varied seasonally depending on habitat, no habitat specificity was observed for the most abundant species. In the grassland, 1,625 (47.2%) tabanids belonging to 19 species were collected, while 1,817 (52.8%...
Christley RM, French NP.The topology of the network of contacts between individuals has important effects on infectious disease dynamics within a population. Here we examine for the first time a network of contacts between training yards that occurred through racing. Objective: To explore the topology of this network and to consider the effects of the network on the potential for disease transmission. Methods: Race data from one week was analysed. Contacts were defined as occurring between trainers that raced horses in the same race and hence one trainer could contact another trainer several times. A connection was s...
Pitzer JB, Kaufman PE, Tenbroeck SH, Maruniak JE.A species-specific multiplex polymerase chain reaction targeting the cytochrome b gene of cattle, horses, humans, and dogs was developed to determine the blood meal sources of stable flies, Stomoxys calcitrans (L.), collected from Florida equine facilities. Of 595 presumptive blood-fed stable flies analyzed, successful host amplification was obtained in 350, for a field host-detection efficiency of 58.8%. The majority of analyzed stable flies had fed on cattle (64.6%), followed by horses (24.3%), humans (9.5%), and dogs (1.6%). A survey of animal-enclosed pastures occurring within 3 km of stab...
Madigan JE, Pusterla N.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...
Zhang J, Timoney PJ, Shuck KM, Seoul G, Go YY, Lu Z, Powell DG, Meade BJ, Balasuriya UB.In 2006-2007, equine viral arteritis (EVA) was confirmed for the first time in Quarter Horses in multiple states in the USA. The entire genome of an equine arteritis virus (EAV) isolate from the index premises in New Mexico was 12 731 nt in length and possessed a previously unrecorded unique 15 nt insertion in the nsp2-coding region in ORF1a and a 12 nt insertion in ORF3. Sequence analysis of additional isolates made during this disease occurrence revealed that all isolates from New Mexico, Utah, Kansas, Oklahoma and Idaho had 98.6-100.0 % (nsp2) and 97.8-100 % (ORF3) nucleotide identity and c...
Firestone SM, Schemann KA, Toribio JA, Ward MP, Dhand NK.The 2007 epidemic of equine influenza in Australia provided an opportunity to investigate the effectiveness of on-farm biosecurity measures in preventing the spread of a novel pathogen in a largely naive population. We conducted a case-control study of 200 horse premises from highly affected regions of the state of New South Wales (NSW), to investigate risk factors for the spread of equine influenza onto horse premises, specifically, non-compliance with biosecurity measures recommended to horse owners by the relevant animal health authority, the NSW Department of Primary Industries. The study ...
Lengacher B, Kline TR, Harpster L, Williams ML, Lejeune JT.Manure from draft animals deposited in fields during vegetable and fruit production may serve as a potential source of preharvest pathogen contamination of foods. To better quantify this risk, we determined the prevalence of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in horses. Between June and September 2009, freshly voided fecal samples were collected from horses stabled on 242 separate premises in Ohio, USA. Overall, the prevalence of E. coli O157:H7 was 1 of 242 (0.4% prevalence, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.01 to 2.28). E. coli O157:H7 was recovered from none of the 107 equine fecal samples (0% prevale...
Saklou NT, Burgess BA, Ashton LV, Morley PS, Goehring LS.Equid herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) is ubiquitous in equine populations causing respiratory disease, and complications including late-term abortion and neurological disease. Eradication of EHV-1 from housing environments that typically contain unsealed wood and porous bedding materials can be challenging. However, consideration should be given to take advantage of the viral envelope's susceptibility to environmental conditions. Objective: To determine environmental persistence of EHV-1 on materials and in environmental conditions commonly found in equine facilities. We hypothesised that environme...
The Journal of traumaAugust 1, 1988
Volume 28, Issue 8 1255-1259 doi: 10.1097/00005373-198808000-00020
Landercasper J, Cogbill TH, Strutt PJ, Landercasper BO.A survey of all American Veterinary Medical Association members in Minnesota and Wisconsin was conducted by questionnaire to document injuries resulting from animal treatment. Of 995 respondents, 64.6% had sustained a major animal-related injury. Seventeen per cent were hospitalized within the last year. Of those hospitalized, 25.3% required a surgical procedure. Hand injuries were most common in a veterinarian's career (52.6% of respondents), followed by trauma to the arms (27.6%), and the head (20.8%). The thorax (8.3%), genitalia (3.9%), and intra-abdominal viscera (2.8%) were injured less ...
Vourchakbé J, Tiofack AAZ, Mbida M, Simo G.Equine trypanosomiases are complex infectious diseases with overlapping clinical signs defined by their mode of transmission. Despite their economic impacts, these diseases have been neglected by the scientific community, the veterinary authorities and regulatory organizations. To fill the observed knowledge gap, we undertook the identification of different trypanosome species and subspecies naturally infecting horses and donkeys within the Chadian sleeping sickness focus. The objective of the study was to investigate the potential role of these domestic animals as reservoirs of the human-infe...
McLean RG, Frier G, Parham GL, Francy DB, Monath TP, Campos EG, Therrien A, Kerschner J, Calisher CH.A study was undertaken to investigate an increase in reported cases of clinical encephalitis due to eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) virus in horses and to determine the natural vertebrate hosts of that virus. Horses, birds, and small mammals were sampled at sites in a contiguous area in St. Joseph and Kalamazoo counties, Michigan, from 25 August to 5 September 1980. Serum samples from four horses acutely ill with encephalitis and 16 of 39 pasture mates of ill horses had neutralizing (N) antibody against EEE virus (46.5%); no viruses were isolated from these 43 sera. None of 24 draft horses f...
Pusterla N, Johnson EM, Chae JS, Madigan JE.Neorickettsia (formerly Ehrlichia) risticii, the agent of Potomac horse fever (PHF), has been recently detected in trematode stages found in the secretions of freshwater snails and in aquatic insects. Insectivores, such as bats and birds, may serve as the definitive host of the trematode vector. To determine the definitive helminth vector, five bats (Myotis yumanensis) and three swallows (Hirundo rustica, Tachycineta bicolor) were collected from a PHF endemic location in northern California. Bats and swallows were dissected and their major organs examined for trematodes and for N. risticii DNA...
Scicluna MT, Issel CJ, Cook FR, Manna G, Cersini A, Rosone F, Frontoso R, Caprioli A, Antognetti V, Autorino GL.To improve the efficiency of the National equine infectious anaemia (EIA) surveillance program in Italy, a three-tiered diagnostic system has been adopted. This procedure involves initial screening by ELISA (Tier 1) with test-positive samples confirmed by the agar gel immunodiffusion test (AGIDT) (Tier 2) and, in the case of ELISA positive/AGIDT negative results, final determination by immunoblot (IB) (Tier 3). During this evaluation, 74,880 samples, principally collected from two Regions of Central Italy (Latium and Abruzzo) were examined, with 44 identified as negative in AGIDT but positive ...
Grewar JD, Kotze JL, Parker BJ, van Helden LS, Weyer CT.South Africa is endemic for African horse sickness (AHS), an important health and trade-sensitive disease of equids. The country is zoned with movement control measures facilitating an AHS-free controlled area in the south-west. Our objective was to quantitatively establish the risk of entry of AHS virus into the AHS controlled area through the legal movement of horses. Outcomes were subcategorised to evaluate movement pathway, temporal, and spatial differences in risk. A 'no-control' scenario allowed for evaluation of the impact of control measures. Using 2019 movement and AHS case data, and ...
Huber L, Giguère S, Slovis NM, Álvarez-Narváez S, Hart KA, Greiter M, Morris ERA, Cohen ND.The use of mass antimicrobial treatment has been linked to the emergence of antimicrobial resistance in human and animal pathogens. Using whole-genome single-molecule real-time (SMRT) sequencing, we characterized genomic variability of multidrug-resistant Rhodococcus equi isolated from soil samples from 100 farms endemic for R. equi infections in Kentucky. We discovered the novel erm(51)-encoding resistance to MLS in R. equi isolates from soil of horse-breeding farms. Erm(51) is inserted in a transposon (TnErm51) that is associated with a putative conjugative plasmid (pRErm51), a mobilizable p...
Rui P, Zhao F, Yan S, Wang C, Fu Q, Hao J, Zhou X, Zhong H, Tang M, Hui W, Li W, Shi D, Ma Z, Song T.Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is the causative agent of acute self-limiting hepatitis in humans in developing countries. Hepatitis E virus RNA was first detected in donkeys in Spain, but little is known about the possible presence of HEV in donkeys in China. Objective: To investigate the prevalence of HEV in donkeys in northern China. Methods: Investigation of the prevalence of HEV in donkeys using serological, molecular and phylogenetic approaches. Methods: A total of 401 donkey serum specimens were tested for serological and molecular detection of HEV via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and quan...
Miszczak F, Legrand L, Balasuriya UB, Ferry-Abitbol B, Zhang J, Hans A, Fortier G, Pronost S, Vabret A.During the summer of 2007, an outbreak of equine viral arteritis (EVA) occurred in Normandy (France). After investigation, a link was suggested between an EAV carrier stallion (A) and the index premise of the outbreak. The full-length nucleotide sequence analysis of a study reference strain (F27) isolated from the lung of a foal revealed a 12,710 nucleotides EAV genome with unique molecular hallmarks in the 5'UTR leader sequence and the ORF1a sequence encoding the non-structural protein 2. The evolution of the viral population in the persistently infected Stallion A was then studied by cloning...
Jenkins E, Backwell AL, Bellaw J, Colpitts J, Liboiron A, McRuer D, Medill S, Parker S, Shury T, Smith M, Tschritter C, Wagner B, Poissant J....Sable Island, Nova Scotia, Canada hosts one of few natural populations of feral horses (Equus caballus) never exposed to anthelmintics. Coproculture revealed cyathostomes, Strongylus equinus, S. edentatus, and S. vulgaris, with S. equinus (unusually) dominating in adult horses and cyathostomes dominating in young horses (<3 years of age). We examined 35 horses found dead in the springs of 2017 and 2018, as well as fecal samples from live horses in spring (n = 45) and summer 2018 (n = 236) using McMaster fecal flotation and Baermann larval sedimentation on fresh samples, and modified Wiscon...
Weese JS, Staempfli HR, Prescott JF.An environmental survey of a veterinary teaching hospital for the presence of Clostridium difficile was performed using contact plates and cycloserine-cefoxitin-fructose with 0.1% sodium taurocholate agar. Clostridium difficile was isolated from 24 of 381 sites (6.3%). Growth was obtained from 4.5% (9/202) of sites sampled in the Large Animal Clinic, from 8.1% (13/160) of sites within the Small Animal Clinic, and from 20% (2/10) of sites sampled elsewhere. Fourteen of 21 strains tested produced toxins in vitro. A geographic association was found with areas in the large animal clinic where noso...
