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.
de Siqueira SM, da Costa Maia R, do Nascimento Ramos V, da Silva Rodrigues V, Szabó MPJ.We herein describe zebuine cattle tick infestation in a farm in southeast Brazil with an examination accurate enough to detect tick immatures and species other than R. microplus. Cattle were inspected monthly for ticks from May 2015 to May 2017 and 7604 ticks were collected along 276 bovine inspections. Rhipicephalus microplus was the dominant species (7197 specimens, 94.5% from the total), but Amblyomma sculptum was also collected (407/5.5%). Horse tick infestations were evaluated for comparison purposes of A. sculptum infestations of a primary host sharing pastures with bovines. Ticks were c...
Paz GSD, Camargo GG, Cury JE, Apolonio EVP, Garces HG, Prado ACD, Chechi JL, Oliveira AL, Watanabe MJ, Bagagli E, Bosco SMG.Pythiosis is a disease caused by the oomycete Pythium insidiosum, mainly reported in equines, dogs and humans and directly transmitted through contaminant zoospores in aquatic environments. We report the first outbreak of equine pythiosis in five equines. Wound samples were submitted for diagnostic testing including mycological culture and nested PCR. Treatment approaches consisted of conventional and alternative therapies. Microbiological analyses were performed using water samples from the riverbanks close to where the animals had grazed. All animals were positive for P. insidiosum cultures...
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 ...
Rivera D, Allel K, Dueñas F, Tardone R, Soza P, Hamilton-West C, Moreno-Switt AI.Salmonella is a major bacterial foodborne pathogen that causes the majority of worldwide food-related outbreaks and hospitalizations. Salmonellosis outbreaks can be caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains, emphasizing the importance of maintaining public health and safer food production. Nevertheless, the drivers of MDR Salmonella serovars have remained poorly understood. In this study, we compare the resistance profiles of Salmonella strains isolated from 4047 samples from domestic and wild animals in Chile. A total of 106 Salmonella strains (2.61%) are isolated, and their serogroups are ...
Tong P, Ren M, Xu X, Song X, Zhang L, Kuang L, Xie J.Multiple novel circular replication-associated protein (Rep)-encoding single stranded (CRESS) DNA viruses have been extensively identified in the feces of humans and animals. Here, we first detected CRESS DNA virus (named Horse-CRESS DNA-like virus, HCLV) in two fecal samples from 10 imported thoroughbred (TB) horses in the customs quarantine station in North Xinjiang province, China. Additionally, we found that this virus was not detected in local breeds (LBs) (0/41) and was found only in imported TB horses (2/73). We obtained the whole-genome sequences of four viruses (HCLV ALSK-3-4, ALSK-13...
Singha H, Elschner MC, Malik P, Saini S, Tripathi BN, Mertens-Scholz K, Brangsch H, Melzer F, Singh RK, Neubauer H.We collected 10 Burkholderia mallei isolates from equids in 9 districts in India during glanders outbreaks in 2013-2016. Multilocus variable-number tandem-repeat analysis showed 7 outbreak area-related genotypes. The study highlights the utility of this analysis for epidemiologically tracing of specific B. mallei isolates during outbreaks.
Alzuheir I, Fayyad A, Jalboush N, Abdallah R, Abutarbush S, Gharaibeh M, Bdarneh M, Khraim N, Helal MA, Helal BA.West Nile fever (WNF) is a neurotropic, mosquito-borne disease affecting humans and domesticated animals, caused by a member of the genus . Over the last decades, this virus has been responsible for several cases of illness in humans and animals. The current epidemiological status of WNF in horses is insufficient, and in veterinarians, as an occupational hazard is unknown. This study aimed to investigate and determine the seroprevalence and risk factors for WNF in veterinarians and horses in Palestine. Methods: In this study, serum samples from 100 veterinarians and 87 horses were collected be...
Kambayashi Y, Bannai H, Tsujimura K, Hirama A, Ohta M, Nemoto M.In 2020, an outbreak of equine coronavirus (ECoV) infection occurred among 41 horses at a riding stable in Tokyo, Japan. This stable had 16 Thoroughbreds and 25 horses of other breeds, including Andalusians, ponies and miniature horses. Fifteen horses (37 %) showed mild clinical signs such as fever, lethargy, anorexia and diarrhoea, and they recovered within 3 days of onset. A virus neutralization test showed that all 41 horses were infected with ECoV, signifying that 26 horses (63 %) were subclinical. The results suggest that subclinical horses played an important role as spreaders. A genome ...
Uiterwijk M, Ibáñez-Justicia A, van de Vossenberg B, Jacobs F, Overgaauw P, Nijsse R, Dabekaussen C, Stroo A, Sprong H.Ticks of the genus Hyalomma, which are vectors for several tick-borne diseases, are occasionally found in areas outside their endemic range including northern parts of Europe. The objective of this study was to analyse adult Hyalomma ticks that were recently found in the Netherlands. Methods: Hyalomma ticks were morphologically identified. Cluster analysis, based upon sequence data (cox1 barcoding) for molecular identification, and pathogen detection were performed. Additionally, a cross-sectional survey of horses was conducted to actively search for Hyalomma ticks in summer 2019. Analysis of...
Onder Z, Yildirim A, Pekmezci D, Duzlu O, Pekmezci GZ, Ciloglu A, Simsek E, Kokcu ND, Yetismis G, Ercan N, Inci A.A total of 1340 fresh fecal samples from farm and pet animals in Central Anatolia and the Middle Black Sea Region of Turkey were investigated using a PCR assay targeting the SSU rRNA of Blastocystis sp. An overall Blastocystis sp. prevalence of 19.4% (183/940) was found in farm animals, including cattle, sheep, water buffaloes, and chickens. Fecal samples of dogs, cats, and horses were negative. The highest prevalence of Blastocystis sp. was found in sheep (38.2%) among the farm animals. The SSU rRNA sequence analysis revealed two animal-specific subtypes, including ST10 in cattle and sheep an...
Butler D, Upton L, Mullan S.In March 2020, the World Health Organisation called for countries to take urgent and aggressive action against a global pandemic caused by COVID-19. Restrictions were introduced in many countries to reduce transmission of COVID-19 and ultimately deaths. Such restrictions have been colloquially referred to as "lockdown". Anecdotal evidence of the beneficial practices that facilitated safe veterinary treatment and equine care had been reported together with an increase in the use of electronic communication and information technologies during the first "lockdown". Thus, the aim of this qualitati...
Kauter A, Epping L, Ghazisaeedi F, Lübke-Becker A, Wolf SA, Kannapin D, Stoeckle SD, Semmler T, Günther S, Gehlen H, Walther B.Previous research identified veterinary clinics as hotspots with respect to accumulation and spread of multidrug resistant extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing (EC). Therefore, promoting the prudent use of antibiotics to decrease selective pressure in that particular clinical environment is preferable to enhance biosecurity for animal patients and hospital staff. Accordingly, this study comparatively investigated the impact of two distinct perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis (PAP) regimens (short-term versus prolonged) on ESBL-EC carriage of horses subjected to colic surgery. Whil...
Cho HC, Hwang S, Kim EM, Park YJ, Shin SU, Jang DH, Chae JS, Choi KS. is an obligate intracellular zoonotic bacterium with a global distribution. This study was conducted to investigate the prevalence of in different animals and to assess the potential role of these species as reservoirs of infection and transmission to humans. A total of 592 blood samples (105 beef cattle, 61 dairy cattle, 110 Korean native goats, 83 Boer goats, and 233 horses) were collected in the Republic of Korea (ROK). The DNA was detected from blood samples using the transposon-like repetitive region () by PCR method. The results showed that 22.7% of the Korean-native goats, 16.4% of t...
Dayaram A, Seeber PA, Greenwood AD.Equine herpesviruses (EHV) are a major health concern for domestic and wild equids and represent one of the most economically important disease agents of horses. Most known EHVs are transmitted directly between individuals as a result of direct exposure to exudates and aerosols. However, accumulating evidence suggests that environmental transmission may play a role including air, water, and fomites. Here, we reviewed studies on environmental stability and transmission of EHVs, which may influence viral dynamics and the use of environmental samples for monitoring EHV shedding.
Tirosh-Levy S, Baum M, Schvartz G, Kalir B, Pe'er O, Shnaiderman-Torban A, Bernstein M, Blum SE, Steinman A.Leptospirosis has been reported in both humans and animals in Israel but has not been reported in horses. In 2018, an outbreak of Leptospira spp. serogroup Pomona was reported in humans and cattle in Israel. In horses, leptospirosis may cause equine recurrent uveitis (ERU). This report describes the first identification of Leptospira serogroup Pomona as the probable cause of ERU in horses in Israel, followed by an epidemiological investigation of equine exposure in the area. Serologic exposure to Leptospira was determined by microscopic agglutination test (MAT) using eight serovars. In 2017, s...
Reshadi P, Heydari F, Ghanbarpour R, Bagheri M, Jajarmi M, Amiri M, Alizade H, Badouei MA, Sahraei S, Adib N.Transmission of antimicrobial resistant and virulent Escherichia coli (E. coli) from animal to human has been considered as a public health concern. This study aimed to determine the phylogenetic background and prevalence of diarrheagenic E. coli and antimicrobial resistance in healthy riding-horses in Iran. In this research, the genes related to six main pathotypes of E. coli were screened. Also, genotypic and phenotypic antimicrobial resistance against commonly used antibiotics were studied, then phylo-grouping was performed on all the isolates. Results: Out of 65 analyzed isolates, 29.23â€...
Adams RJ, Mollenkopf DF, Mathys DA, Whittle A, Ballash GA, Mudge M, Daniels JB, Barr B, Wittum TE.To estimate the prevalence of extended-spectrum cephalosporin-, carbapenem-, and fluoroquinolone-resistant bacteria of the family Enterobacteriaceae in the feces of hospitalized horses and on hospital surfaces. Methods: Fecal and environmental samples were collected from The Ohio State University Galbreath Equine Center (OSUGEC) and a private referral equine hospital in Kentucky (KYEH). Feces were sampled within 24 hours after hospital admission and after 48 hours and 3 to 7 days of hospitalization. Methods: Fecal and environmental samples were enriched, and then selective media were inoculate...
Mitchell C, Steward KF, Charbonneau ARL, Walsh S, Wilson H, Timoney JF, Wernery U, Joseph M, Craig D, van Maanen K, Hoogkamer-van Gennep A, Leon A....The equine disease strangles, which is characterized by the formation of abscesses in the lymph nodes of the head and neck, is one of the most frequently diagnosed infectious diseases of horses around the world. The causal agent, subspecies , establishes a persistent infection in approximately 10 % of animals that recover from the acute disease. Such 'carrier' animals appear healthy and are rarely identified during routine veterinary examinations pre-purchase or transit, but can transmit to naïve animals initiating new episodes of disease. Here, we report the analysis and visualization of...
Dirks E, de Heus P, Joachim A, Cavalleri JV, Schwendenwein I, Melchert M, Fuehrer HP.A 23-year-old pregnant warmblood mare from Güssing, Eastern Austria, presented with apathy, anemia, fever, tachycardia and tachypnoea, and a severely elevated serum amyloid A concentration. The horse had a poor body condition and showed thoracic and pericardial effusions, and later dependent edema and icteric mucous membranes. Blood smear and molecular analyses revealed an infection with . Upon treatment with imidocarb diproprionate, the mare improved clinically, parasites were undetectable in blood smears, and 19 days after hospitalization the horse was discharged from hospital. However, 89 ...
Weese JS, Slovis N, Rousseau J.Understanding the epidemiology of Clostridium difficile is important for the development and assessment of infection prevention and control practices, as well as surveillance methods and interpretation of diagnostic testing results. Objective: Our objective was to longitudinally evaluate C. difficile shedding in neonatal foals and mares admitted to a referral hospital neonatal intensive care unit. Methods: Foals admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit, along with their dams. Methods: Rectal swabs were collected from mares and foals at admission, and then approximately every 3 days, when p...
Machado G, Corbellini LG, Frias-De-Diego A, Dieh GN, Dos Santos DV, Jara M, de Freitas Costa E.Equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) is a transboundary disease affecting a large number of equines worldwide. In this study, we assessed the transmission risk of EIAV in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Serum samples from 1010 animals from 341 farms were initially analyzed using agar gel immunodiffusion to detect viral antibodies, and no antibody-positive animals were found. A risk assessment stochastic model was applied to generate the expected number of potential infections per month and to estimate the time to new infections. Our results estimated 6.5 months as the interval for new infections i...
Zhang K, Huang H, Zhou R, Zhang B, Wang C, Ente M, Li B, Zhang D, Li K.The departure of the mature larvae of the horse stomach bot fly from the host indicates the beginning of a new infection period. Gasterophilus pecorum is the dominant bot fly species in the desert steppe of the Kalamaili Nature Reserve (KNR) of northwest China as a result of its particular biological characteristics. The population dynamics of G. pecorum were studied to elucidate the population development of this species in the arid desert steppe. Methods: Larvae in the freshly excreted feces of tracked Przewalski's horses (Equus przewalskii) were collected and recorded. The larval pupation e...
Verkola M, Järvelä T, Järvinen A, Jokelainen P, Virtala AM, Kinnunen PM, Heikinheimo A.Veterinarians face the risk of contracting zoonotic pathogens. Infection prevention and control (IPC) guidelines stress the importance of proper hand hygiene and personal protective equipment (PPE) to prevent transmission of these pathogens. We aimed to assess how ambulatory livestock and equine veterinarians follow IPC guidelines, when working on farms and in stables. We studied hygiene practices of livestock and equine ambulatory veterinarians (n = 129) in Finland. A web-based questionnaire was used to obtain demographic information and information regarding hand-hygiene facilities and pra...
Bustos CP, Muñoz AJ, Guida N, Waller A, Mesplet M.Strangles is a worldwide infectious disease caused by Streptococcus equi subsp. equi that affects the upper respiratory tract of horses. Streptococcus equi subsp. equi characterisation by seM-typing is internationally used for epidemiological studies and comparison of isolates. Objective: To identify and to compare the seM-types of Argentinian isolates of Streptococcus equi subsp. equi. Methods: Investigation of bacterial isolates using molecular and phylogenetic approaches. Methods: A total of 59 Argentinian isolates of Streptococcus equi subsp. equi obtained between 2007 and 2019 were studie...
Malbon AJ, Dürrwald R, Kolodziejek J, Nowotny N, Kobera R, Pöhle D, Muluneh A, Dervas E, Cebra C, Steffen F, Paternoster G, Gerspach C, Hilbe M.Borna disease (BD), a frequently fatal neurologic disorder caused by Borna disease virus 1 (BoDV-1), has been observed for decades in horses, sheep, and other mammals in certain regions of Europe. The bicoloured white-toothed shrew (Crocidura leucodon) was identified as a persistently infected species involved in virus transmission. Recently, BoDV-1 attracted attention as a cause of fatal encephalitis in humans. Here, we report investigations on BoDV-1-infected llamas from a farm in a BD endemic area of Switzerland, and alpacas from holdings in a region of Germany where BD was last seen in the...
Rynhoud H, Meler E, Gibson JS, Price R, Maguire T, Farry T, Bennett E, Hartono J, Soares Magalhães RJ.To detect methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and S. pseudintermedius (MRSP) swab samples were collected from dogs, cats and horses from South East Queensland (SE QLD). MRSP carriage in dogs was 8.7% and no MRSP was isolated from cats and horses; no MRSA was isolated. Risk factors for carriage included previous hospitalisation, previous bacterial infection, consultation type, average precipitation, and human population density. The probability of MRSP carriage was highest in Brisbane city, Sunshine Coast and Gympie. This suggests that MRSP carriage in dog populations from SE QLD...
Bustos CP, Dominguez JE, Garda D, Moroni M, Pallarols Molinari N, Herrera M, Chacana PA, Mesplet M.Salmonella spp. causes digestive clinical signs in horses. Foals and hospitalized animals are more susceptible to the disease. Nowadays, the report of multidrug-resistant Salmonella spp. producer of extended-spectrum β-lactamases, is more frequent. The aim of this work was to study the clonal relationship and antimicrobial susceptibility profiles among Salmonella ser. Typhimurium isolates, obtained during a salmonellosis outbreak in an Argentinian equine hospital. Thus, in 2017, we studied the genotypic profiles and the susceptibility to antimicrobials of the strains isolated from three anima...
Yoon J, Park T, Kim A, Song H, Park BJ, Ahn HS, Go HJ, Kim DH, Lee JB, Park SY, Song CS, Lee SW, Choi IS.Equine parvovirus-hepatitis (EqPV-H) and equine hepacivirus (EqHV) are etiologically associated with Theiler's disease (TD), causing fulminant equine hepatitis, but the transmission route and co-infection effect remain unclear. We determined EqPV-H and EqHV prevalence and coinfection rate in 160 serum and 114 faecal samples using nested polymerase chain reaction. Amino acid and nucleotide analyses were performed and phylogenetic trees were constructed. By measuring liver-specific parameters (AST, GGT, TBIL and A/G ratio), hepatopathological changes in viremia status were compared. We found a h...
Song R, Ma Y, Hu Z, Li Y, Li M, Wu L, Li C, Dao E, Fan X, Hao Y, Bayin C.Dermacentor marginatus Sulkzer is a common tick species found in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR) of China, and is a vector for a variety of pathogens. To determine the potential distribution of this tick species in Xinjiang, a metadata containing 84 D. marginatus presence records combined with four localities from field collection were used for MaxEnt modeling to predict potential distribution of this tick species. Identification of tick samples showed 756 of 988 (76%) were D. marginatus. MaxEnt modeling results indicated that the potential distribution of this tick species was mai...
Roug A, Byrne BA, Conrad PA, Miller WA.Livestock fairs present a unique opportunity for the public to experience close contact with animals, but may also expose people to zoonotic pathogens through contact with animal feces. The goal of this study was to screen cattle, sheep, goat, chicken, rabbit and horse feces from a livestock fair in California for the potentially zoonotic pathogens Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella, Campylobacter, Vibrio, Cryptosporidium and Giardia spp., as well as determining the level of antimicrobial resistance in E. coli and Salmonella. Notably, E. coli O157:H7 was reported for the first time in a pig ...
Hudson AR, McGregor BL, Shults P, England M, Silbernagel C, Mayo C, Carpenter M, Sherman TJ, Cohnstaedt LW.Orbiviruses are of significant importance to the health of wildlife and domestic animals worldwide; the major orbiviruses transmitted by multiple biting midge (Culicoides) species include bluetongue virus, epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus, and African horse sickness virus. The viruses, insect vectors, and hosts are anticipated to be impacted by global climate change, altering established Orbivirus epidemiology. Changes in global climate have the potential to alter the vector competence and extrinsic incubation period of certain biting midge species, affect local and long-distance dispersal ...
Palmer JE.E. risticii, the cause of classic Potomac horse fever, is now known to produce two disease syndromes: EEC and EEA. The pathogen appears to commonly infect horses based on seroepidemiologic studies; however, the method of transmission remains unknown. The most common clinical disease is EEC, commonly called Potomac horse fever, which presents a wide spectrum of clinical signs. Diagnosis is currently dependent on serology, which frequently does not lead to a definitive diagnosis and at best results in a retrospective diagnosis. A new diagnostic approach, polymerase chain reaction, may offer a ra...
Stiller D, Coan ME.This brief review focuses first on several epidemiologically relevant aspects of anaplasmosis, including: (1) the role of male ticks as intrastadial, biological vectors of Anaplasma through interhost transfer; (2) the application of molecular diagnostic assays in assessing tick vector competence and evaluating the role of chronically infected carrier cattle as sources of Anaplasma marginale infection in vector ticks; (3) opportunities provided by a recently developed in vitro tick feeding system in quantitating studies of tick-hemoparasite-host interactions. Lastly, current knowledge of the st...
Bartolome Del Pino LE, Meana A, Zini M, Cersini A.Equine piroplasmosis (EP) is a vector borne disease caused by apicomplexans protists Babesia caballi (Nuttal et Strickland, 1910) and Theileria equi (Laveran, 1901). Carrier mares may transmit the infection transplacental resulting in neonatal piroplasmosis or abortions. This event has been described for T. equi by several authors over the world, but no evidence for B. caballi has been reported in Europe. In this study, vertical transmission for both parasites in an Italian breed mare has been confirmed using molecular and microscopic tools. Transplacental transmission is an underestimated pro...
Baghi HB, Nauwynck HJ.The mucosal surfaces are important sites of entry for a majority of pathogens, and viruses in particular. The migration of antigen presenting cells (APCs) from the apical side of the mucosal epithelium to the lymph node is a key event in the development of mucosal immunity during viral infections. However, the mechanism by which viruses utilize the transmigration of these cells to invade the mucosa is largely unexplored. Here, we establish an ex vivo explant model of monocytic cell transmigration across the nasal mucosal epithelium and lamina propria. Equine nasal mucosal CD172a(+) cells (nmCD...
Ekiri AB, MacKay RJ, Gaskin JM, Freeman DE, House AM, Giguère S, Troedsson MR, Schuman CD, von Chamier MM, Henry KM, Hernandez JA.To examine the relationship between abdominal surgery and nosocomial Salmonella infections and the relationship between high caseload in combination with abdominal surgery and nosocomial Salmonella infections in hospitalized horses with signs of gastrointestinal tract disease. Methods: 140 horses. Methods: Case-control study. Methods: To accomplish the first objective, 1 to 4 control horses were matched with each nosocomial case horse on the basis of admission date of a primary case horse. The frequency of abdominal surgery and other investigated exposure factors were compared between nosocomi...
Pitzer JB, Kaufman PE, Tenbroeck SH.Insecticide resistance in the stable fly, Stomoxys calcitrans (L.) (Diptera: Muscidae),has been demonstrated previously, but mostly with insecticides that are no longer used, such as the organochlorines. Resistance to commonly used pyrethroids has been evaluated twice, but only in the midwestern United States. Stable fly susceptibility to a commonly used pyrethroid, permethrin, was determined in Florida to assess the possibility of resistance development. Diagnostic concentration evaluations of three stable fly field strains demonstrated a maximum of 57 and 21% survival to permethrin residues ...
Smith BP, Reina-Guerra M, Hardy AJ.Feces from 1,451 horses entering a veterinary hospital over a 13-month period were cultured for salmonella. A total of 46 horses (3.2%) yielded 1 or more salmonella-positive fecal cultures. Twenty horses were found to be excreting salmonella in the feces on admission, and 5 of these later had severe diarrhea associated with enteric salmonellosis. Abdominal surgery and other severe stresses were associated with all cases of severe enteric salmonellosis. Serotypes of salmonella isolated included Salmonella agona (15), S anatum (14), S typhimurium (7), S typhimurium var copenhagen (4), S infantis...
Murrell KD, Djordjevic M, Cuperlovic K, Sofronic Lj, Savic M, Djordjevic M, Damjanovic S.A discovery in 2002 of a Trichinella spiralis-infected horse in Serbia offered an opportunity to conduct needed epidemiological studies on how horses, considered herbivores, acquire a meat-borne parasite. This enigma has persisted since the first human outbreaks from infected horse meat occurred in then 1970s. The trace back of the infected horse to a farm owner was carried out. Interviews and investigations on the farm led to the conclusion that the owner had fed the horse food waste in order to condition the horse prior to sale. Further investigations were then carried out to determine the f...
Downar J, Willey BM, Sutherland JW, Mathew K, Low DE.We report a case of group C streptococcal meningitis in a woman with a history of close animal contact as well as head trauma as a result of a kick by a horse. Blood and cerebrospinal fluid cultures grew Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus, as did a throat culture taken from the colt that had kicked her 2 weeks prior to admission.
Käsbohrer A, Schönberg A.The prevalence of B. burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme Borreliosis in humans, was determined in domestic animals living in Berlin. 189 dogs, 29 cats, 224 horses and 194 cows were investigated. Using the indirect immunofluorescence test (IFT) 5.8% of the dogs and 24.5% of the cows investigated showed a positive reaction at titres of 1:128 or higher. Horses and cats gave negative results. ELISA was more sensitive than IFT. 10.1% of the dogs, 16.1% of the horses and 66% of the local cows showed positive reaction. Domestic animals seem to be in contact with B. burgdorferi and can be a reser...
Hagiwara K, Kamitani W, Takamura S, Taniyama H, Nakaya T, Tanaka H, Kirisawa R, Iwai H, Ikuta K.A pregnant mare showing pyrexia, reduced appetite, ataxia and paresis was euthanized and examined for the presence of Borna disease virus (BDV). Her brain, showing multiple neuronal degeneration and necrosis with hemorrhage, and the histologically normal brain of the fetus were both positive for BDV RNA. The BDV nucleotide sequences were identical in the mare and fetus in the second open reading frame (ORF). This is the first report of the possible vertical transmission of BDV in a horse.
Martin GA, Yanez-Arenas C, Roberts BJ, Chen C, Plowright RK, Webb RJ, Skerratt LF.Hendra virus is a paramyxovirus of Australian flying fox bats. It was first detected in August 1994, after the death of 20 horses and one human. Since then it has occurred regularly within a portion of the geographical distribution of all Australian flying fox (fruit bat) species. There is, however, little understanding about which species are most likely responsible for spillover, or why spillover does not occur in other areas occupied by reservoir and spillover hosts. Using ecological niche models of the four flying fox species we were able to identify which species are most likely linked to...
Paterson DL, Murray PK, McCormack JG.Twenty-three horses and three humans in Queensland, Australia, were infected with a novel member of the Paramyxoviridae family of viruses in two geographically distinct outbreaks. Two of the humans died-one died of rapid-onset respiratory illness, and the other died of encephalitis. The third infected human developed an influenza-like illness and made a complete recovery. All infected humans had close contact with sick horses. Since the two outbreaks occurred at sites 1,000 km apart and no known contact between the two groups of humans and horses occurred, extensive testing of animals and bird...
Paweska JT, Venter GJ.Field-collected Culicoides species (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) were fed on horse blood-virus mixtures containing one of the six serotypes of equine encephalosis virus (EEV1 to EEV6). The virus mean titres in the bloodmeals varied between 6.1 and 7.0 log10TCID50/mL. Of 19 Culicoides species assayed after 10 days extrinsic incubation at 23.5 degrees C, five yielded the challenge virus, namely Culicoides (Avaritia) imicola Kieffer (EEV1-6), C. (A.) bolitinos Meiswinkel (EEV1, 2, 4, 6), C. (Meijerehelea) leucostictus Kiefer (EEV1, 2), C. (Culicoides) magnus Colaço (EEV1) and C. (Hoffmania) zuluens...
Sevá ADP, Pena HFJ, Nava A, Sousa AO, Holsback L, Soares RM.Morro do Diabo State Park (MDSP) is a significant remnant of the Atlantic Rain Forest in Brazil and is surrounded by rural properties. In that area, wild and domestic animals and humans are in close contact, which facilitates the two-way flow of infectious diseases among them. We assessed endoparasites in domestic livestock from all rural properties surrounding MDSP. There were sampled 197 cattle, 37 horses, 11 sheep, 25 swine, 21 dogs, one cat and 62 groups of chickens from 10 large private properties and 75 rural settlements. Eimeria spp. was present in almost all hosts, excepted in horses, ...
Issel CJ, Cook RF, Mealey RH, Horohov DW.In the absence of an effective vaccine, the success of the test and removal approach for the control of equine infectious anemia (EIA) cannot be overstated, at least in those areas where testing has been traditionally routine. This article addresses 4 main aspects: what has been learned about EIA virus, host control of its replication, and inapparent carriers; international status regarding the control of EIA; diagnostic and laboratory investigation; and reducing the spread of blood-borne infections by veterinarians. An attempt is made to put these issues into practical contemporary perspectiv...
Hardy JL, Apperson G, Asman SM, Reeves WC.After prolonged selection, two hybrid strains of Culex tarsalis were evolved that were highly resistant to infection following ingestion of western equine encephalomyelitis virus. These strains were greater than 25,000-fold more resistant than the most susceptible parental strain when fed on viremic chicks. Resistance was associated with a mesenteronal barrier since both refractory and parental strains were equally susceptible to infection by intrathoracic inoculation. Susceptibility was dominant, possibly incompletely dominant, over resistance. Inheritance was probably polyfactorial but this ...
Spence KL, O'Sullivan TL, Poljak Z, Greer AL.Identifying the contact structure within a population of horses attending a competition is an important element towards understanding the potential for the spread of equine pathogens as the horses subsequently travel from location to location. However, there is limited information in Ontario, Canada to quantify contact patterns of horses. The objective of this study was to describe the network of potential contacts associated with an equestrian show to determine how this network structure may influence potential disease transmission. Results: This was a descriptive study of horses attending an...
Mallardo K, Nizza S, Fiorito F, Pagnini U, De Martino L.To investigate the prevalence of methicillin-resistant staphylococci (MRS) which is a potencial risk factor of transmission between animals and humans in different types of horses (harness racing-horses, breeding mares and riding-horses) and to compare the antimicrobial resistance of the isolates. Methods: A total of 191 healthy horses, housed at different locations of the Campania Region (Italy), were included in the study. Nasal swab samples were collected from each nostril of the horses. The mecA gene was detected by a nested PCR technique. Antibiotic susceptibility was tested for each isol...
Löwen Levy Chalhoub F, Maia de Queiroz-Júnior E, Holanda Duarte B, Eielson Pinheiro de Sá M, Cerqueira Lima P, Carneiro de Oliveira A....In June 2019, a horse with neurological disorder was diagnosed with West Nile virus (WNV) in Boa Viagem, a municipality in the state of Ceará, northeast Brazil. A multi-institutional task force coordinated by the Brazilian Ministry of Health was deployed to the area for case investigation. A total of 513 biological samples from 78 humans, 157 domestic animals and 278 free-ranging wild birds, as well as 853 adult mosquitoes of 22 species were tested for WNV by highly specific serological and/or molecular tests. No active circulation of WNV was detected in vertebrates or mosquitoes by molecular...
