Disease treatment in horses encompasses a range of medical interventions and management strategies aimed at addressing various health conditions affecting equine species. These treatments can include pharmacological approaches, such as the administration of antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs, and antiparasitic medications, as well as non-pharmacological methods like physical therapy, dietary adjustments, and surgical procedures. The selection of appropriate treatments depends on the specific disease, its severity, and the individual needs of the horse. This topic brings together peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the efficacy, safety, and advancements in therapeutic options for equine diseases, providing insights into best practices and emerging trends in equine veterinary medicine.
Duke T, Cruz AM, Cruz JI, Howden KJ.To compare the cardiopulmonary effects of the head-down position, with or without capnoperitoneum, in halothane-anesthetized horses. Methods: Prospective randomized study. Methods: Five ponies (four mares, one stallion; bodyweight 302 ± 38.4 kg [mean ± SD]) were used. Methods: The ponies were anesthetized with xylazine, guiafenesin, ketamine, and maintained with halothane/oxygen and lungs were ventilated to 40 ± 2 mm Hg (5.3 ± 0.3 kPa) end-tidal CO tension. After baseline cardiopulmonary measurements, ponies were kept in horizontal position for 30 minutes, then tilted head-down 30° to the...
Steffey EP, Pascoe PJ.To quantitate the dose- and time-related magnitude of the anesthetic sparing effect of, and selected physiological responses to detomidine during isoflurane anesthesia in horses. Methods: Randomized cross-over study. Methods: Three, healthy, young adult horses weighing 485 ± 14 kg. Methods: Horses were anesthetized on two occasions to determine the minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) of isoflurane in O and then to measure the anesthetic sparing effect (time-related MAC reduction) following IV detomidine (0.03 and 0.06 mg kg). Selected common measures of cardiopulmonary function, blood glucos...
Rédua MA, Valadão CA, Duque JC, Balestrero LT.To evaluate the pre-emptive analgesic effect of pre-incisional epidural ketamine. Methods: A blinded, randomized experimental study. Methods: Sixteen mixed breed mares, 7.6 ± 2.8 years old, weighing 352 ± 32 kg. Methods: In a pilot study, an incision was made on one lateral thigh using a lidocaine block and no further analgesics, and it was verified that the nociceptive threshold was lower on the incised side than nonincised side (p ≤ 0.05), and that von Frey filaments evoked a pain response. The 16 animals were divided into group A (ketamine, n = 9) and B (saline, n = 7). An epidural cath...
Wagner AE, Mama KR, Steffey EP, Brevard LF, Hellyer PW.To compare behavioral characteristics of induction and recovery in horses anesthetized with eight anesthetic drug protocols. Methods: Randomized prospective experimental study. Methods: Eight horses, 5.5 ± 2.4 years (mean ± SD) of age, and weighing 505 ± 31 kg. Methods: After xylazine pre-medication, each of eight horses was anesthetized on four occasions using one of eight different anesthetic induction protocols which incorporated various combinations of ketamine (KET), propofol (PRO), and thiopental (THIO): THIO 8 mg kg; THIO 6 mg kg + PRO 0.5 mg kg; THIO 4 mg kg + PRO 1 mg kg; THIO 2 mg...
Wright BD, Hildebrand SV.To compare arterial oxygen and carbon dioxide tensions in apneic and spontaneously ventilating horses recovering from anesthesia. Methods: Randomized clinical trial. Methods: Forty-two healthy horses averaging 466 ± 106 kg and 6 ± 5 years of age. Methods: Anesthetized horses undergoing a variety of surgical procedures and receiving positive pressure ventilation (IPPV) were divided into two equal groups. One group was allowed to return to spontaneous ventilation prior to disconnection from the anesthetic circuit (weaned). The other group remained apneic during transport to a recovery stall. A...
Heinonen E, Hedenstierna G, Meriläinen P, Högman M, Nyman G.To study the effect of the pulsed delivery of nitric oxide (NO) on pulmonary gas exchange in the anaesthetized horses. Design Prospective, controlled randomized. Methods: Five healthy Standardbred trotters, three geldings and two mares. Methods: The horses were anaesthetized with thiopentone and isoflurane and positioned in dorsal recumbency. Nitric oxide was added as a pulse to the inspired gas during the first half of each inspiration. In three horses the effect of NO on the ventilation-perfusion distribution was also investigated using the multiple inert gas elimination technique. Data w...
Daniels SP, Proudman CJ.This study reports ivermectin and moxidectin egg reappearance periods (ERP) from UK horses with persistently positive faecal egg counts (FEC), defined as positive FEC within the ERP of an anthelmintic post-treatment, or with FECs that remained positive after the normal ERP post-anthelmintic treatment. A selected population of UK pleasure horses deemed at high risk of strongyle infection was studied. The earliest ERP recorded after ivermectin or moxidectin, using first positive FEC, was 5 weeks. From 16 premises where moxidectin was used, five had ERP ≥12 weeks using two further metrics. For ...
Jahdasani R, Jamnani FR, Behdani M, Habibi-Anbouhi M, Yardehnavi N, Shahbazzadeh D, Kazemi-Lomedasht F.The venom of the Hemiscorpius lepturus scorpion contains mixtures of bioactive compounds that disturb biochemical and physiological functions of the victims. Hemiscorpius lepturus envenomation is recognized as a serious health concern in tropical regions. So far, there is no preventive procedure, and the main focus is on treatment of victims with an antiserum purified from hyper-immunized horses. Although antisera can neutralize the venom, they, in some cases, lead to anaphylactic shock and even death. Selection of peptides mimicking antigenic and immunogenic epitopes of toxins from random pep...
Scharner D, Winter K, Brehm W, Kämpfert M, Gittel C.Despite advances in surgical technique in abdominal surgery, incisional complications are frequently reported following ventral midline laparotomy in horses. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of incisional complications at our clinic and to identify possible risk factors. Furthermore, we investigated whether suturing the peritoneum leads to a reduction of incisional complications. Methods: In this retrospective study, records of patients of the Large Animal Clinic for Surgery of the University of Leipzig from January 2010 to December 2015 were analysed. Horses with ventral m...
Müntener C, Kupper J, Naegeli H, Gassner B.A total of 292 adverse reactions to veterinary medicinal products were reported during the year 2015. This represents an increase of 9% compared to the previous year (268 reports). Similar to previous years, most of the reactions reported were linked to the use of antiparasitics (55.1%), non-steroidal anti-inflammatory products (8.9%) or antiinfectives (9.3%). The affected animal species were primarily dogs (198 reports) and cats (42 reports), followed by cattle (31 reports) and horses (8 reports). Additional 42 reports were provided within the frame of consultations with Tox Info Suisse in Z...
de Amorim MD, Chenier T, Nairn D, Green J, Manning S, Card C.CASE DESCRIPTION 5 mares were evaluated because of reproductive complications following long-term (> 1 year) use of intrauterine glass marbles for estrus suppression. CLINICAL FINDINGS 3 mares had 1 intrauterine glass marble, and 2 mares had 2 intrauterine glass marbles. On examination, 2 mares had signs of chronic endometritis, and 3 had signs of pyometra. Marbles or glass shards adhered to the endometrium were identified by means of hysteroscopy in 3 of 5 mares. Five of 7 marbles had surface imperfections or were broken. TREATMENT AND OUTCOME All patients were treated with uterine lavage and...
Marth CD, Firestone SM, Glenton LY, Browning GF, Young ND, Krekeler N.Infectious endometritis is a major cause of reduced pregnancy rates in horses. The objectives of this study were to establish a timeline of the innate immune response in the uterus of healthy horses and to investigate the oestrous cycle effect on this. Endometrial biopsies were collected from five horses before and at 3, 12, 24, 48 and 72 h after inoculation of Escherichia coli, once in oestrus and once in dioestrus. They were analysed by quantitative real-time PCR, microbiology and histology. Neutrophil numbers increased from very low levels in the absence of inflammation to severe neutrophi...
Borlone C, Morales N, Henriquez C, Folch H, Olave C, Sarmiento J, Uberti B, Moran G.Neutrophils participate in innate immunity as the first line of host defense against microorganisms. However, exacerbated neutrophil activity can be harmful to surrounding tissues; this is important in a range of diseases, including allergic asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in humans, and equine asthma (also known as recurrent airway obstruction (RAO). Tamoxifen (TX) is a non-steroidal estrogen receptor modulator with effects on cell growth and survival. Previous preliminary studies showed that TX treatment in horses with induced acute pulmonary inflammation promoted early apop...
McCue PM.A wide variety of hormone therapies are used in clinical practice in the reproductive management of horses. The goal of this article is to review therapeutic options for a variety of clinical indications.
Schuster RK, Sivakumar S.Although the life cycle of the equid stomach parasite Habronema muscae was disclosed more than 100 years ago, little is known about the effect of the developing nematode larvae in its intermediate host, Musca domestica. In a series of experiments, freshly hatched M. domestica larvae were exposed to H. muscae eggs contained in a faecal sample of a naturally infected horse. In daily intervals, 50 fly larvae were removed and transferred on a parasite-free larval rearing medium where they completed their development. Hatched flies were examined for the presence of Habronema third-stage larvae. In...
Canisso IF, Stewart J, Coutinho da Silva MA.Endometritis was rated as the third most common medical problem encountered in adult horses in North America. It is the leading cause of subfertility in broodmares and is a major contributor to economic loss in the horse breeding industry, with pregnancy rates reported to be as low as 21% in mares with severe endometritis. Endometritis may be categorized as: endometrosis (chronic degenerative endometritis), acute, chronic, active, dormant, subclinical, clinical, and persistent post-breeding. These classifications are not mutually exclusive, and mares may change categories within breeding seaso...
McCarrel TM, Pownder SL, Gilbert S, Koff MF, Castiglione E, Saska RA, Bradica G, Fortier LA.Objective To evaluate a biphasic cartilage repair device (CRD) for feasibility of arthroscopic implantation, safety, biocompatibility, and efficacy for long-term repair of large osteochondral defects. Methods The CRD was press-fit into defects (10 mm diameter, 10 mm deep) created in the femoral trochlea of 12 horses. In the contralateral limb, 10 mm diameter full-thickness chondral defects were treated with microfracture (MFX). Radiographs were obtained pre- and postoperatively, and at 4, 12, and 24 months. Repeat arthroscopy was performed at 4 and 12 months. Gross assessment, histology, mecha...
Shojaee A, Parham A, Ejeian F, Nasr Esfahani MH.Equine adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (eq-ASCs) possess excellent regeneration potential especially for treatment of musculoskeletal disorders. Besides their common characteristics, MSCs harvested from different species reveal some species-specific and donor-dependent behaviors. Hence, the molecular analysis of MSCs may shed more light on their future clinical application of these cells. This study aimed to investigate some behavioral aspects of eq-ASCs in vitro which may influence the efficacy of stem cell therapy. For this purpose, MSCs of a donor horse were isolated, characterized a...
Roth SP, Burk J, Brehm W, Troillet A.Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) represent a promising treatment option for tendon disorders and joint diseases, primarily osteoarthritis. Since MSC are highly context-sensitive to their microenvironment, their therapeutic efficacy is influenced by their tissue-specific pathologically altered targets. These include not only cellular components, such as resident cells and invading immunocompetent cells, but also components of the tissue-characteristic extracellular matrix. Although numerous models have already shown potential MSC-related mechanisms of action in tendon and joint diseases, only a...
Hariharan H, Barnum DA, Mitchell WR.Prevalence of antimicrobial drug resistance among over 3000 clinical isolates of animal pathogens in Ontario during 1971-72 has been studied. A high number of multiple resistance patterns is prevalent among members of Enterobacteriaceae, especially Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium. The most common resistance pattern among bovine strains was against not less than six drugs in common use. Among different animal species the bovine population was found to be the source of a high percentage of chloramphenicol resistant E. coli and S. typhimurium organisms. All the isolates resistant to t...
Navarro D, Vargas M, Herrera M, Segura Á, Gómez A, Villalta M, Ramírez N, Williams D, Gutiérrez JM, León G.A chicken-derived antivenom (ChDAv) towards taipan snake (Oxyuranus scutellatus) venom was produced by purifying anti-taipan IgY from egg yolks of hens immunized with taipan venom. The productivity, antivenomic profile, neutralization ability, pharmacokinetic properties and immunogenicity of the ChDAv were compared with those of an antivenom produced in horses (EDAv). We found that 382 eggs are required to produce the mass of anti-taipan antibodies contained in one liter of equine hyperimmune plasma, and that 63 chickens would be needed to generate the amount of anti-taipan antibodies annually...
Santschi EM, Adams SB, Robertson JT, DeBowes RM, Mitten LA, Sojka JE.Six mares had ovariohysterectomy performed for chronic pyometra associated with cervical abnormalities, uterine neoplasia, or removal of a macerated fetus. Ovariohysterectomy was performed through a ventral midline incision with access to the ovarian and uterine vessels aided by traction on the uterus and retraction of abdominal viscera. Abdominal pain, the most common complication after surgery, occurred in four mares but resolved within 36 hours. Peritonitis occurred in two mares; one mare was subsequently euthanatized. Other complications that resolved with treatment included infection of t...
Hauser H, Richter DC, van Tonder A, Clark L, Preston A.Contagious equine metritis (CEM) is an important venereal disease of horses that is of concern to the thoroughbred industry. Taylorella equigenitalis is a causative agent of CEM but very little is known about it or its close relative Taylorella asinigenitalis. To reveal novel information about Taylorella biology, comparative genomic analyses were undertaken. Whole genome sequencing was performed for the T. equigenitalis type strain, NCTC11184. Draft genome sequences were produced for a second T. equigenitalis strain and for a strain of T. asinigenitalis. These genome sequences were analysed an...
Laverty G, McCloskey AP, Gorman SP, Gilmore BF.The threat of antimicrobial resistance has placed increasing emphasis on the development of innovative approaches to eradicate multidrug-resistant pathogens. Biofilm-forming microorganisms, for example, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus aureus, are responsible for increased incidence of biomaterial infection, extended hospital stays and patient morbidity and mortality. This paper highlights the potential of ultrashort tetra-peptide conjugated to hydrophobic cinnamic acid derivatives. These peptidomimetic molecules demonstrate selective and highly potent activity against resistant b...
Lyons ET, Tolliver SC, Drudge JH, Collins SS, Swerczek TW.Research on benzimidazole-resistant Population S small strongyles began in a Shetland pony herd in 1974 at the University of Kentucky and has continued for over 25 years. The present update, for the period 1992-1999, evaluated activity of pyrantel pamoate (PRT) in field tests in the pony herd. Additional critical tests with PRT and oxibendazole (OBZ) were done in foals born in the herd. Activity of PRT was initially excellent in field tests, based on epg/lpg count data, but declined rapidly during the second full year of pyrantel treatments. Critical test data for small strongyles indicated ef...
Rocha-Campos AC, Gonçalves LR, Higashi HG, Yamagushi IK, Fernandes I, Oliveira JE, Ribela MT, Sousa-E-Silva MC, da Silva WD.Contact with Lonomia obliqua caterpillars results in a bleeding syndrome characterized by hemorrhage and blood coagulation disturbances. Conventional therapy using antifibrinolytics or cryoprecipitates has been unable to treat pathophysiologic alterations. As antivenoms are effective therapy for treatment of victims of venomous animals, a process of manufacturing a specific antilonomic serum by immunizing horses with Lonomia caterpillar bristle extracts (LBE) was developed. Lonomia caterpillar bristle extracts exhibited several protein bands on SDS-PAGE, induced blood coagulation abnormalities...
Gilger BC.Ocular inflammatory diseases, such as dry eye and uveitis, are common, painful, difficult to treat, and may result in vision loss or blindness. Ocular side effects from the use of antiinflammatory drugs (such as corticosteroids or nonsteroidal antiinflammatories) to treat ocular inflammation have prompted development of more specific and safer medications to treat inflammatory and immune-mediated diseases of the eye. To assess the efficacy and safety of these new therapeutics, appropriate immune-relevant animal models of ocular inflammation are needed. Both induced and naturally-occurring mode...
Grewar JD.Bluetongue (BT) and African horse sickness (AHS) are considered the most important orbiviral diseases in Southern Africans countries. The general endemic status makes these diseases challenging to be quanti ed in terms of their economic impact. Using country reported data from BT and AHS outbreaks and cases, as well as international trade data, the economic impact of BT and AHS is evaluated on local, regional, and global scales. Local scale impact in the Southern African region is underestimated as shown by the underreporting of BT and AHS. Exceptions occur during epidemic cycles of the diseas...
Fischer BM, McMullen RJ, Reese S, Brehm W.Despite appropriate medical therapy, many horses with equine recurrent uveitis continue to suffer from recurrent bouts of inflammation. Surgical intervention via the pars plana vitrectomy or suprachoroidal cyclosporine implant placement may control and/or prevent recurrences, however, these procedures may be contraindicated, unavailable, or declined by an owner. Thus, an effective adjunctive treatment option may help to improve the clinical outcomes in those situations. There are several anecdotal reports on the use of intravitreal gentamicin injections, but to date, no data evaluating the com...
Tydén E, Skarin M, Andersson-Franko M, Sjöblom M, Höglund J.Anthelmintic resistance (AR) to macrocyclic lactones (ML) has been described in Parascaris of horses world-wide. In contrast, benzimidazoles (BZ) are still effective, although reduced efficacy to this drug class was recently reported. The mode of action of BZ is binding to β-tubulin, which prevents polymerisation of microtubules. In this study, β-tubulin gene expression of isotypes 1 and 2 was investigated at seven time points (0, 6, 24, 72, 96 and 120 h) during embryogenesis and in adult worms. In addition, an in ovo larval developmental test was developed to study β-tubulin gene expressio...
Harry TO, McCollum WH.The Bucyrus strain of equine arteritis virus, previously modified to avirulence and vaccinal virus by 131 serial passages in primary cell cultures of horse kidney followed by 111 passages in primary cell cultures of rabbit kidney, was further passaged in cultures of the E. Derm (NBL-6) cell line, a continuous diploid cell line. Pools of the 16th and 25th passages of the virus in this last equine dermal cell line were lyophilized and stored in lots at 37 C, 23 to 28 C, 4C, and -20 C. The viability of the vaccinal virus deteriorated rapidly during storage at 37 C and at 23 to 28 C, but was relat...
Niinistö K, Hewetson M, Kaikkonen R, Sykes BW, Raekallio M.Prospective studies documenting the efficacy and side effects of medical treatment for colonic sand accumulation in horses are limited. The purpose of the study was to compare the effect of enteral administration of magnesium sulphate (MgSO4), psyllium mucilloid (psyllium), and a combination of MgSO4 and psyllium on the evacuation of large accumulations of sand in the large colon of adult horses. Thirty-four horses with naturally acquired, large sand accumulations (>5 cm × 15 cm) identified on abdominal radiography were randomly allocated to one of three treatment groups: (1) 1 g/kg...
Martin F, Eydal M, Höglund J, Tydén E.The equine roundworm Parascaris univalens has developed resistance to the three anthelmintic substances most commonly used in horses. The mechanisms responsible for resistance are believed to be multi-genic, and transport proteins such as the P-glycoprotein (Pgp) family have been suggested to be involved in resistance in several parasites including P. univlaens. To facilitate further research into the mechanisms behind drug metabolism and resistance development in P. univalens we aimed to develop an in vitro model based on larvae. We developed a fast and easy protocol for hatching P. univalens...
Agius CT, Studdert MJ.This chapter describes the molecular and biological properties of equine herpesviruses (EHV)2 and EHV5. It highlights advances in the study of EHV2 and EHV5. The reclassification of EHV2 and EHV5 as gammaherpesviruses rather than betaherpesviruses has profound implications for future approaches to the study of the two equine herpesviruses. The chapter places emphasis on a comparison between the properties of EHV2 and EHV5 and those of other gammaherpesviruses, especially Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), which is the causative agent of infectious mononucleosis/glandular fever in humans. Studies of the...
McDonnell SM.This study is part of ongoing work toward developing pharmacological methods for enhancing and inducing ejaculation in stallions with ejaculatory dysfunction or disabilities that interfere with normal breeding behavior. The objective was to evaluate a treatment regimen involving oral imipramine followed by intravenous xylazine that, in uncontrolled field clinical trials, had shown promise for a higher rate of ejaculation and fewer side effects using a more easily obtained and administered form of imipramine. Eight stallions each underwent eight trials in which treatment consisted of imipramine...
Tsantefski M, Briggs L, Griffiths J, Tidyman A.Children exposed to problematic parental substance use (PPSU) often face a number of deleterious developmental outcomes, yet these children are less likely to become known to child protection and welfare services. Although there is a growing evidence base for equine-assisted therapy (EAT) as an effective treatment modality for atypically developing children and adolescents, scant research has explored the benefit of EAT for children exposed to PPSU. The current study is the first to explore the benefit of EAT for children exposed to PPSU in Victoria, Australia. Five 12-week EAT programmes were...
Pusterla N, Pesavento PA, Leutenegger CM, Hay J, Lowenstine LJ, Durando MM, Magdesian KG.Adiaspiromycosis is a fungal disease of the lung caused by the saprophytic soil mould Emmonsia crescens or, more rarely, E. p a rv a. The fungus affects lower order mammals, mostly rodents, and rarely man, although the organism is distributed worldwide (Sigler 1998). In veterinary medicine, the disease has been reported as an incidental histopathological finding in the lungs of one goat and 2 dogs (Al-Doory et al. 1971; Koller et al. 1976; Koller and Helfer 1978). The term adiaspiromycosis derives from the conidia of this fungus, the adiaconidia, which exhibit the unique property of progressiv...
Carossino M, Balasuriya UBR, Thieulent CJ, Barrandeguy ME, Vissani MA, Parreño V.Equine rotavirus A (ERVA) is the leading cause of diarrhea in foals, with G3P[12] and G14P[12] genotypes being the most prevalent. Recently, equine G3-like RVA was recognized as an emerging infection in children, and a group B equine rotavirus (ERVB) was identified as an emergent cause of foal diarrhea in the US. Thus, there is a need to adapt molecular diagnostic tools for improved detection and surveillance to identify emerging strains, understand their molecular epidemiology, and inform future vaccine development. We developed a quadruplex TaqMan RT-qPCR assay for differentiation of ERVA an...
Di Salvo A, Chiaradia E, Sforna M, Della Rocca G.Since the discovery of the endocannabinoid system and due to the empirical evidence of the therapeutic effects on several illnesses both in humans and animals that follow the administration of exogenous cannabinoids (i.e., phytocannabinoids), numerous studies have been conducted. These investigations aimed to identify the expression and distribution of cannabinoid receptors in healthy and pathologic organs and tissues of different animal species and to define the interactions of phytocannabinoids with these receptors. In the last decade, pharmacokinetics, efficacy and tolerability of many Cann...
Kabir A, Kelley WG, Glover C, Erol E, Helmy YA.Salmonella is a foodborne pathogen that poses a significant threat to global public health. It affects several animal species, including horses. Salmonella infections in horses can be either asymptomatic or cause severe clinical illness. Infections caused by Salmonella are presently controlled with antibiotics. Due to the formation of biofilms and the emergence of antimicrobial resistance, the treatment has become more complicated. Our study focused on investigating the prevalence of Salmonella enterica in necropsied horses, assessing the capability for biofilm formation, and motility, determi...
Thomson GR, Mumford JA, Spooner PR, Burrows R, Powell DG.Equine influenza type 2 infections occurred in the Newmarket areas in January 1976. The disease did not spread to any extent and while this may have been due to recent vaccination it was found that not all vaccinated horses were fully protected. The virus involved showed some antigenic drift from the prototype strain A/equine/Miami/1/63 (Heq 2 Neq 2).
Furr MO, Murray MJ.Of 55 horses treated with histamine type 2 (H2) receptor antagonists for gastric ulcers, 32 were examined by gastroendoscopy before and after treatment. Distribution and severity of lesions in the squamous fundus (sf), margo plicatus (mp), glandular fundus (gf), lesser curvature (lc) and cardia (car) were recorded. Severity of the lesions was scored 0-4 (0 = no lesions, 4 = most severe). On initial examination, lesions were most frequently observed at the mp (28/32) and least frequently observed in the gf (5/32). There was endoscopic confirmation of improvement in lesion scores in each region,...
Holt PE, Pearson H.The presenting signs, treatment and postoperative progress of 13 horses with vesical and urethral calculi are reviewed. Single, discrete stones were present in 10 animals in which the results of treatment were generally good. In three horses with sabulous cystic deposits, urolithiasis was associated with bladder paralysis and the response to treatment was poor.
Daly JM, Newton JR, Wood JL, Park AW.Mathematical modelling of infectious disease is increasingly regarded as an important tool in the development of disease prevention and control measures. This article brings together key findings from various modelling studies conducted over the past 10 years that are of relevance to those on the front line of the battle against equine influenza.
Fouché N, Graubner C, Lanz S, Schweighauser A, Francey T, Gerber V.Four 2-month-old foals were presented to an equine hospital with acute kidney injury caused by Leptospira interrogans infection. Clinical signs were nonspecific and included lethargy, fever, and unwillingness to nurse. The most important hematologic and clinicopathologic findings were azotemia, anemia, thrombocytopenia, hyponatremia, and hypochloremia. The diagnosis was based on urinary real-time PCR, serology using a microscopic agglutination test, or both. The most important serovars involved were L. interrogans serogroup australis serovar Bratislava and Australis. Treatment consisted of IV ...
Kirkpatrick JF, Turner JW, Liu IK, Fayrer-Hosken R.A unique application of pig zona pellucida (PZP) immunocontraception is the control of wildlife populations. A native PZP vaccine has been successfully applied to wild horse and donkey populations. A single annual booster inoculation was capable of maintaining contraception. Seven consecutive years of PZP treatment in wild mares resulted in no detectable debilitating side effects, and reversibility of contraception has been documented among mares treated for up to 4 consecutive years. Long-term treatment (5-7 years) is associated with some ovulation failure and depressed urinary oestrogen conc...
Bellaw JL, Pagan J, Cadell S, Phethean E, Donecker JM, Nielsen MK.Parasitic helminths of equids are capable of causing ill-thrift, clinical disease, and death. Although young horses are the most susceptible to parasitic disease and are the most intensively treated cohort, deworming regimens are rarely evaluated within this age group. This study objectively evaluated the impact of deworming regimen on fecal egg counts (FECs), growth rates, and body-condition scores in young Thoroughbreds. Forty-eight Thoroughbred foals from three central Kentucky farms were randomly allocated to two treatment groups: an interval dose program receiving bi-monthly rotations of ...
