The study of diseases in horses encompasses a wide range of conditions affecting equine health, including infectious diseases, metabolic disorders, and genetic abnormalities. These diseases can impact various systems within the horse, such as respiratory, gastrointestinal, and musculoskeletal systems, and can lead to significant health challenges. Research in this area focuses on understanding the pathophysiology, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of equine diseases. Common diseases studied include equine influenza, equine herpesvirus, and laminitis. This page provides access to peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the etiology, clinical presentation, and management strategies of diseases in horses, contributing to the advancement of equine veterinary medicine.
Båverud V, Gunnarsson A, Engvall EO, Franzén P, Egenvall A.A cross-sectional study was carried out to determine the seroprevalence of different serovars of Leptospira spp. and their association with clinical disease and host factors in Swedish horses. Methods: Sera from 2017 horses brought to equine clinics during 1997-98 were investigated. The sera were examined by microscopic agglutination test for the presence of antibodies against the following L. interrogans serovars: Bratislava strain Jez, Icterohaemorrhagiae strain Kantorowicz and Pomona strain Pomona and also L. kirschneri sv Grippotyphosa strain Duyster and L. borgpetersenii sv Sejroe strain ...
George LA, Staniar WB, Treiber KH, Harris PA, Geor RJ.Nutritional management of animals during pregnancy can affect glucose and insulin dynamics in the resulting offspring through influences on fetal development. Additionally, high starch feeding in mature horses is associated with reduced insulin sensitivity and an increased risk for diseases such as obesity and laminitis. However, no study has yet evaluated the effect of feeding a high starch diet to pregnant mares on glucose and insulin dynamics in their offspring. Twenty late-gestation mares maintained on pasture were provided two-thirds of digestible energy requirements from isocaloric, ison...
Gargala G, Le Goff L, Ballet JJ, Favennec L, Stachulski AV, Rossignol JF.Sarcocystis neurona is an obligate intracellular parasite that causes equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM). The aim of this work was to document inhibitory activities of nitazoxanide (NTZ, [2-acetolyloxy-N-(5-nitro 2-thiazolyl) benzamide]) and new thiazolides/thiadiazolides on S. neurona in vitro development, and investigate their structure-activity relationships. S. neurona was grown in bovine turbinate cell cultures. At concentrations varying from 1.0 to 5.0mg/L, nitazoxanide and 21 of 32 second generation thiazolide/thiadiazolide agents exerted a > or =95% maximum inhibition on S. neuro...
Strand E, Fjordbakk CT, Holcombe SJ, Risberg A, Chalmers HJ.Dynamic laryngeal collapse (DLC) associated with poll flexion is a newly diagnosed upper respiratory tract obstructive disorder that causes poor racing performance. Objective: To determine if Norwegian Coldblooded Trotters (NCTs) affected with DLC associated with poll flexion differ from normal, elite NCTs based on simple airway mechanics measurements. Methods: Five normal elite NCTs and 6 NCTs diagnosed previously with DLC underwent treadmill videoendoscopy while tracheal pressures were measured continuously. Alternating head positions were used such that horses were exercised with free head ...
Carr EA, Holcombe SJ.Nutritional supplementation is becoming the standard of practice in equine medicine, although there are minimal data on nutritional support in critically ill horses and its association or effect on morbidity and mortality or length of hospital stay. Horses can be fed orally and when that is not possible, intravenously or parenterally. Enteral feeding is less expensive, more physiologic, improves immunity, and is easier and safer. This article reviews available information on the development of a nutritional plan for critically ill horses, and describes methods for and complications of enteral ...
Berndt A, Derksen FJ, Venta PJ, Karmaus W, Ewart S, Yuzbasiyan-Gurkan V, Robinson NE.Airway inflammation in recurrent airway obstruction (RAO) is triggered by housing affected horses in stables.It has been suggested that RAO is an allergic condition, but innate immune mechanisms are also involved. Fungal products activate innate immune mechanisms through toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2). In human airway epithelium, TLR2 activation leads to interleukin (IL)-8 production. This pathway is negatively regulated by the zinc finger protein A20. This study was performed to enhance understanding of innate immune mechanisms in RAO. Objective: TLR2 and IL-8 mRNA are elevated in RAO during sta...
McKenzie HC, Geor RJ.Nutritional support of the foal can be challenging because of the constant changes in nutritional requirements and dietary composition during the transition from neonate to weanling. Additional complexity arises because of dilemmas regarding the means and route of delivery of nutrition to the foal, and the possibility that metabolic dysfunction may impair the ability of the foal to use nutrients appropriately. This article provides practical information on enteral and parenteral nutritional support of sick neonatal foals. The potential benefits of a conservative, hypocaloric feeding strategy, ...
Geor RJ, Harris P.Insulin resistance (IR) and hyperinsulinemia increase risk for development of laminitis in horses and ponies. Obesity also has been associated with heightened risk for laminitis, likely by means of development of IR. Dietary factors, particularly the nonstructural carbohydrate (NSC) load, modulate risk for laminitis in these animals by means of exacerbation of IR or gastrointestinal disturbances that trigger the condition. Specific dietary management strategies to lessen risk for laminitis include caloric restriction to promote weight loss and improve insulin sensitivity in obese animals and s...
The Journal of heredityMarch 20, 2009
Volume 100, Issue 4 481-486 doi: 10.1093/jhered/esp006
Wittwer C, Hamann H, Distl O.A whole-genome scan for radiological signs of osteochondrosis (OC) and osteochondrosis dissecans (OCD) in South German Coldblood (SGC) horses using 250 microsatellite markers identified a genome-wide significant quantitative trait locus (QTL) for fetlock OCD and a chromosome-wide QTL for hock OC on Equus caballus chromosome (ECA) 18 at a relative position of 45.9-78.2 cM. The aim of this study was to analyze associations of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in candidate genes for OC in this QTL region using 96 SGC horses. The OC-QTL on ECA18 could be confirmed and narrowed down to an inte...
Wotman K, Wilkins PA, Palmer JE, Boston RC.Lactate concentration in blood or plasma ([LAC]) and change in [LAC] are associated with survival in sick foals. Objective: [LAC] and change in [LAC] over time are associated with survival at 96 hours and discharge in neonatal foals. Furthermore [LAC] and change in [LAC] over time correlate with blood culture results and blood pressure at admission. Methods: Two hundred and twenty-five foals consecutively admitted to a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Methods: Retrospective case review. Foals <or=30 days of age with [LAC] from arterial (190) or umbilical (35) blood gas analysis ([LAC](BG)) at ...
Marañón G, Manley W, Cayado P, García C, de la Muela MS, Vara E.Colic could be accompanied by changes in the morphology and physiology of organs and tissues, such as the intestine. This process might be, at least in part, due to the accumulation of oxidative damage induced by reactive oxygen (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS), secondary to intestinal ischemia. Glutathione (GSH), being the major intracellular thiol, provides protection against oxidative injury. The aim of this study was to investigate whether ischemia-induced intestinal injury could be related with alterations in GSH metabolism. Results: Ischemia induced a significant increase in lip...
Wilson WC, Letchworth GJ, Jiménez C, Herrero MV, Navarro R, Paz P, Cornish TE, Smoliga G, Pauszek SJ, Dornak C, George M, Rodriguez LL.Sporadic outbreaks of vesicular stomatitis (VS) in the United States result in significant economic losses for the U.S. livestock industries because VS is a reportable disease that clinically mimics foot-and-mouth disease. Rapid and accurate differentiation of these 2 diseases is critical because their consequences and control strategies differ radically. The objective of the current study was to field validate a 1-tube multiplexed real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (real-time RT-PCR) assay for the rapid detection of Vesicular stomatitis New Jersey virus and Vesicular st...
Kornaś S, Gawor J, Cabaret J, Molenda K, Skalska M, Nowosad B.The prevalence of infection with cyathosthomes of horses is high worldwide. Identification of species on infective larvae based on available morphological keys is not fully accurate and the aim of the present study was to provide a reliable identification key of cyathostomes infective larvae. At the abattoir, horse large intestines were examined and the cyathostomes females extracted and identified. The eggs from uteruses of identified cyathostomes females were used for breeding the infective larvae. Morphological parameters of Cyathostominae infective larvae, i.e. the length of the larvae wit...
Cano A, Galosi CM, Martin Ocampos GP, Ramirez GC, Vera VJ, Villamil LC, Chaparro JG.This paper describes the isolation and characterisation of equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) in Colombia. The virus was isolated from a nasal swab and an aborted foetus of a pregnant mare imported from Argentina, with clinical signs of rhinopneumonitis. The new strain was characterised through culture and morphological, serological and immunocytochemical studies. Polymerase chain reaction and DNA restriction maps revealed an EHV-1 1P genome. This is the first report on the isolation and characterisation of EHV-1 in Colombia.
Mérant C, Breathnach CC, Kohler K, Rashid C, Van Meter P, Horohov DW.Newborn foals are very susceptible to infections by opportunistic pathogens such as Rhodococcus equi. This susceptibility is thought to be due to the immaturity of their immune system, in particular their inability to produce interferon-gamma. This deficiency may result from an insufficiency in accessory signals. We therefore compared monocyte-derived dendritic cells (MoDC) from foals and from adult horses. CD172, MHC-I and MHC-II were generally expressed on more than 90% MoDC from foals and adults. CD1w2(+)CD86(+) cells tended to be less represented in 2-3-week-old foals than in adults. This ...
Lee HS, Heo EJ, Jeoung HY, Ko HR, Kweon CH, Youn HJ, Ko YJ.In this study, an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using glycoprotein and a monoclonal antibody (MAb) was developed for the detection of antibodies to vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) serotype New Jersey (NJ). The glycoprotein to be used as a diagnostic antigen was extracted from partially purified VSV-NJ, and a neutralizing MAb specific to VSV-NJ was incorporated to compete with antibodies in a blocking ELISA using glycoprotein (GP ELISA). The cutoff of the GP ELISA was set at 40% inhibition, which corresponded to a virus neutralization test (VNT) titer of 32. With this threshold, th...
Zeman P, Jahn P.Anaplasma phagocytophilum is a tick-borne rickettsial pathogen that has measurable genetic heterogeneity across its geographical range and reservoir spectrum. In the present study, publicly available sequences of the genes that have prevailingly been used for typing A. phagocytophilum were analysed to identify the segments giving the highest resolution with respect to the predictability of host and geographical provenances of the strains. Selected partial sequences of 16S rRNA, groL, msp4 and ank genes were then employed in a tentative multilocus typing scheme used to characterize the strains ...
Omer MM, Abusalab S, Gumaa MM, Mulla SA, Osman HM, Sabiel YA, Ahmed AM.In this study, Staphylococcus aureus was isolated from a draught horse presented to Kassala Veterinary Research Laboratory (KVRL) for investigation and diagnosis. The affected animal was previously treated with Gentamycin and Tetracycline before submitted to this laboratory, but the animal was not cure. Thereafter, the animal was attended to the laboratory; it was suffering from inguinal abscess and some clinical signs. Clinical and laboratory examinations were carried out however, the animal was suddenly fallen and died immediately. Then post-mortem, bacteriological and histopathological exam...
Johnson R, Ramos-Vara J, Vemulapalli R.This report describes the characterization of a Bartonella henselae abortion in an equine fetus by gross, histologic, immunohistochemical, ultrastructural, and molecular methods. Bartonella henselae can cause cat scratch disease, bacillary angiomatosis, bacillary peliosis, and endocarditis in humans and other animals. The bacterium has been isolated from several mammalian species but only recently from equids; however, it has not been linked to abortion in equids. An aborted equine fetus exhibited necrosis and vasculitis in multiple tissues, with intralesional Gram-negative short-to-spirillar ...
Headley SA, Kummala E, Saarinen H, Tupamäki A, Tulamo RM.An 11-yr-old Dressage mare had abnormal gait, and an abscess of the left hoof was suspected but not observed. Radiographic and computerized tomographic evaluations showed a large cystic lesion near the apex of the pedal bone, and a smaller, similar lesion at the lateral wing. Sagittal sections through the affected member revealed two intraosseous cysts at the third phalanx. Histologic and histochemical results characterized the lesions as intraosseous epidermoid cysts of the third phalanx.
Baumgartner WA, Storey ES, Paulsen DB.Intraocular choristomas are rare anomalies in domestic animals and are often associated with multiple ocular malformations. A Thoroughbred foal presented for ocular abnormalities and was diagnosed with microphthalmia, corneal dermoids, severe anterior segment dysgenesis (including glandular choristomas), aphakia, retinal dysplasia, and optic nerve hypoplasia. Morphological, histochemical, and immunohistochemical comparisons were made between ocular choristomatous tissues from this foal and lacrimal gland, third eyelid gland, nasopharynx, trachea, and lacrimal sac/nasolacrimal duct from normal ...
Grange S, Duncan P, Gaillard JM.We investigated density dependence on the demographic parameters of a population of Camargue horses (Equus caballus), individually monitored and unmanaged for eight years. We also analysed the contributions of individual demographic parameters to changes in the population growth rates. The decrease in resources caused a loss of body condition. Adult male survival was not affected, but the survival of foals and adult females decreased with increasing density. Prime-aged females maintained high reproductive performance at high density, and their survival decreased. The higher survival of adult m...
Kamalov AA, Gukhikh GT, Kirpatovskiĭ VI, Zaraĭskiĭ EI, Poltavtseva RA, Plotnikov EIu, Kudriavtsev IuV, Efremov EA, Obokhotov DA.The study of cell cultures enriched with stem and progenitor cells in the treatment of experimental hypergonadotropic hypogonadism was made on 30 white non-inbred rats with experimental cryptorchism who have undergone xenotransplantation of human fetal enriched cell cultures. Spermatogenic epithelium on histological sections was studied on day 14 and 28 after xenotransplantation with calculation of the spermatogenesis index. The fertility index was estimated for each of the groups. Transplantation of enriched cell cultures enhances efficacy of restoration of adequate germinogenic and spermatog...
Harland S, Smith C, Mogg T, Horadagoda N, Dart A.A mare was referred for further evaluation of a mass found in the left caudal abdomen during a routine postpartum reproductive palpation. The mare was clinically normal with no history of health problems. Ultrasonographic examination of the mass confirmed its presence, but the origin of the mass could not be accurately determined. Routine haematology and serum biochemistry results were within normal limits. The mare was initially treated conservatively with antibiotics, but the mass continued to increase in size, so it was surgically excised. The mass involved the left ovary. The mare showed t...
Dzikiti TB, Bester L, Cilliers I, Carstens A, Stegmann GF, Hubert J.A 10-year-old Thoroughbred mare was presented for lameness of the left hindlimb as a result of an apical fracture of the lateral proximal sesamoid bone. The mare was ultimately euthanased after suffering catastrophic fractures of the 3rd and 4th metatarsal bones of the contra-lateral hindlimb during an uncoordinated attempt to rise during recovery from general anaesthesia after undergoing arthroscopic surgery. The case report focuses mostly on horse anaesthesia-related mortality, anaesthetic procedure in the horse, possible causes of fractures in horses during recovery and ways in which rate o...
Arble JB, Mattoon JS, Drost WT, Weisbrode SE, Wassenaar PA, Pan X, Hunt RJ, Belknap JK.Equine laminitis is a severely debilitating disease. There is a poor understanding of the underlying pathophysiology, and traditional imaging modalities have limited diagnostic capacity. High field strength magnetic resonance (MR) imaging allows direct visualization of the laminae, which other modalities do not. This would prove useful both in assessment of clinical patients and in further investigation into the pathophysiology of the disease. The objective of this study was to characterize the anatomic changes within the equine foot associated with the initial active stage of laminitis. Image...
Klumplerova M, Splichalova P, Oppelt J, Futas J, Kohutova A, Musilova P, Kubickova S, Vodicka R, Orlando L, Horin P.The mammalian Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) is a genetic region containing highly polymorphic genes with immunological functions. MHC class I and class II genes encode antigen-presenting molecules expressed on the cell surface. The MHC class II sub-region contains genes expressed in antigen presenting cells. The antigen binding site is encoded by the second exon of genes encoding antigen presenting molecules. The exon 2 sequences of these MHC genes have evolved under the selective pressure of pathogens. Interspecific differences can be observed in the class II sub-region. The family E...
Quigley A, Sekiya M, Garcia-Campos A, Paz-Silva A, Howell A, Williams DJL, Mulcahy G.Fasciola hepatica is a common parasite of livestock in Ireland, causing significant economic losses and affecting animal welfare. A previous abattoir study of 200 horses led to an estimated 9.5 % prevalence of infection in horses slaughtered in Ireland. However, the epidemiology and pathogenic significance of this infection in this species is not well-described. The objectives of this study were to determine the susceptibility of horses to oral challenge infection with F. hepatica metacercariae, and to document the course of the infection along with serological and biochemical response. We att...
Zientara S, Sailleau C, Moulay S, Wade-Evans A, Cruciere C.The development of a coupled reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction assay (RT-PCR) is described for the detection of African horse sickness virus (AHSV) double-stranded RNA. Genome segments 7 and 10 were chosen as target templates for primers selected for use in the RT-PCR. Using these AHSV-specific primers all 9 serotypes were detectable. The sensitivity and specificity of the RT-PCR results were compared to those obtained by competition ELISA.
To determine risk factors for Clostridium piliforme infection in neonatal foals on a Thoroughbred breeding farm in California. Methods: Case-control and retrospective cohort studies. Methods: 322 neonatal Thoroughbred foals either born on the study farm or born elsewhere but traveled to the farm with their dam during the 1998, 1999, and 2000 breeding seasons. Methods: Mare and foal records from 1998, 1999, and 2000 were examined, using case-control design methods to determine variables associated with increased risk of C. piliforme infection in foals. Important risk factors identified in the c...
Ciupe SM, Schwartz EJ.We develop a mathematical model for the interaction between two competing equine infectious anemia virus strains and neutralizing antibodies. We predict that elimination of one or both virus strains depends on the initial antibody levels, the strength of antibody mediated neutralization, and the persistence of antibody over time. We further show that the ability of a subdominant, neutralization resistant virus to dominate the infection transiently or permanently is dependent on the antibody-mediated neutralization effect. Finally, we determine conditions for persistence of both virus strains. ...
Moorman VJ, Reiser RF, Mahaffey CA, Peterson ML, McIlwraith CW, Kawcak CE.To determine intralimb orientation changes with an inertial measurement unit (IMU) in hooves of horses at a walk and trot after induction of weight-bearing single forelimb lameness and to determine whether hoof orientations are similar to baseline values following perineural anesthesia. Methods: 6 clinically normal horses. Methods: 3-D hoof orientations were determined with an IMU mounted on the right forelimb hoof during baseline conditions, during 3 grades of lameness (induced by application of pressure to the sole), and after perineural anesthesia. Linear acceleration profiles were used to ...
Sauermann CW, Nielsen MK, Luo D, Leathwick DM.Previously described models for the free-living and parasitic phases of the cyathostomin life-cycle were combined into a single model for the complete life-cycle. The model simulates a single free-living population on pasture utilising parasite egg output from the horses and localised temperature and rainfall data to estimate infective larval density on herbage. Multiple horses of different ages are possible, each with an individualised anthelmintic treatment programme. Genotypes for anthelmintic resistance are included allowing for up to three resistance genes with 2 alleles each. Because lit...
Edwards DF, Parker JW, Wilkinson JE, Helman RG.Plasma cell myelomas in horses have been reported infrequently. Data from 10 cases, 9 from the literature and 1 new case, are used to characterize the disease in the horse. Hot-blooded horses (7/10), specifically Quarter Horses (4/10), were most often affected. Median age at diagnosis was 11 years (range, 3 mo-22 yr) and both male (5) and female horses (5) were represented equally. Clinical findings included weight loss (6/8), anorexia (4/8), fever (4/8), limb edema (4/8), pneumonia (3/8), rear leg paresis/ataxia (3/8), epistaxis (3/8), palpable lymphadenopathy (2/8), and bone pain (2/8). Anem...
Wynn MAA, Ball BA, May J, Esteller-Vico A, Canisso I, Squires E, Troedsson M.The objectives of this study were to compare via liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) progesterone (P4), 5α-dihydroprogesterone (DHP), allopregnanolone, 3β-hydroxy-5α-pregnan-20-one (3β5P), 20α-hydroxy-5α-pregnan-3-one (20α5P), 5α-pregnan-3β,20α-diol (βα-diol), and 5α-pregnan-3β,20β-diol (ββ-diol) concentrations in plasma of mares with experimentally-induced, ascending placentitis compared to gestationally age-matched control mares. Placentitis was induced via intracervical inoculation of Streptococcus equi spp. zooepidemicus between 260 and 280 days of ge...
Sarradell JE, Alvarez J, Biscia M, Zumarraga M, Wunschmann A, Armien AG, Perez AM.A 2-year-old dappled Percheron horse had a wasting condition that did not respond to antibiotic treatments and ultimately resulted in death. Thickening of the wall of the large colon and enlargement of the mesenteric lymph nodes were observed at postmortem examination, along with the presence of pinpoint whitish foci in the liver. Microscopic examination of affected tissues revealed diffuse chronic granulomatous enterocolitis, granulomatous mesenteric lymphadenitis, and multifocal granulomatous hepatitis. The DNA extracted from paraffin-embedded intestinal and lymph node samples was analyzed u...
Sorrell MS, Fish RE, Taylor KH.Horses and ponies are used infrequently in research but may be valuable animal models for studying both equine-specific diseases and biomedical applications. We report here 2 cases of pediculosis in random-source ponies. Infestation and clinical signs were not present during a 4-wk quarantine period or for 3 to 9 mo thereafter but became apparent coincident with the ponies' movement from pasture to indoor housing. These 2 geldings presented with pruritus associated with excoriating lesions on the neck, and infestation with Bovicola (Werneckiella) equi Denny, 1842 was diagnosed. Ponies were tre...
Cole FL, Mellor DJ, Hodgson DR, Reid SW.The proportion of the horses, of both sexes and of different ages, breeds and levels of activity, owned by a stratified random sample of Australian owners, which had suffered one or more episodes of exertional rhabdomyolysis during the previous 12 months was determined. The proportion in the general population was 1.9 per cent, and horses which exercised were significantly more likely to have experienced the condition than horses which did not. There were significant differences between the sexes and between certain breeds and activity groups in the proportions of horses affected.
Salas-Romero J, Gómez-Cabrera KA, Salas JE, Vázquez R, Arenal A, Nielsen MK.Anthelmintic resistance in equine cyathostomins has been described worldwide, with resistance to the benzimidazole class being particularly widespread. The status of anthelmintic efficacy in Cuba has been virtually unknown due to the lack of equine labelled products. One recent report documented suboptimal efficacy levels of extra-label albendazole products against cyathostomins, but it remains unknown to which extent benzimidazole resistance exists in the population. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the anthelmintic efficacy of two benzimidazole products labelled for equines, fenb...
Focková V, Styková E, Simonová MP, Maďar M, Kačírová J, Lauková A.Bacteriocin-producing bacteria with probiotic character are known as nutritional supplements mainly for livestock. Among those beneficial bacteria we also found enterococci. Because the species strains Enterococcus mundtii also can produce bacteriocins, this study was focused on fecal strains E. mundtii from horses and their bioactivity with a view to their possible future use in breeding. Rectal removal from 47 horses (40 mares and 7 stallions), the Norik breed from Muráň were sampled in eastern Slovakia during November 2019 year. Horses age ranged from five months up to 23 years. Using MAL...
Cursino AE, Lima MT, Nogueira MF, de Aguiar DM, Franco Luiz APM, Alves PA, Araujo Junior JP, Kroon EG.The aetiological agent of equine infectious anaemia (EIA) is the retrovirus equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) that infects all members of the Equidae family. The EIA is widely disseminated in the Brazilian territory with a high seroprevalence in the Brazilian Pantanal and is mainly diagnosed using agar gel immunodiffusion (AGID). There are few complete EIAV genome sequences available in GenBank, which had an impact on molecular detection studies. In this study, we conducted molecular detection and sequencing of EIAV proviral DNA from Brazilian horses. We analysed the genomic region from ex...
Okada A, Suganuma S, Badr Y, Omatsu T, Mizutani T, Ohya K, Fukushi H.VP22 is a major tegument protein of equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1). In the present study, we examined functions of VP22 in EHV-1 replication by viral protein expression analyses in cells infected with the VP22-deficient virus. The expressions of several viral proteins in the cells infected with the VP22-deficient virus were lower than those in the cells infected with the parent virus. One of the weakly expressed proteins was identified as ICP4, which is a major regulatory protein encoded by an immediate early gene of EHV-1. A real-time PCR analysis showed that the mRNA expression of ICP4 wa...
Perryman LE, McGuire TC, Torbeck RL.The capacity of cells from thymus, liver, spleen, mesenteric lymph nodes, peripheral blood, and bone marrow to respond to in vitro phytolectin and allogeneic lymphocyte-stimulation was determined in 16 pony fetuses 61 to 200 days old (gestational age). Phytolectin-responsive cells were detected in the thymus at the 80th gestational day, peripheral blood at 120 days, lymph node at 160 days, and spleen at 200 days. Mixed lymphocyte culture-responsive cells were detected in thymus at 100 days and in the spleen at 200 days (gestational age). Immunoglobulins (Ig) M and IgG were quantitated by radio...
Pavlásek I, Hess L, Stehlík I, Stika V.The first occurrence of Giardia spp. in horses in the Czech Republic is reported. During preventive examination of 360 five-month up to 14-year horses from various parts of the region of Central Bohemia carried out from January 1993 to June 1994 in the parasitological laboratory of the State Veterinary Institute in Prague, the Giardia cysts were detected in the excrements of 18 (5%) horses, mostly 2-4 years of age, and in two foals 3 and 6 weeks old. During the period between March 1993 and June 1994, systematic and repeated observation was aimed at a group of 38 racing horses two up to four y...
Perkins SL, Magdesian KG, Thomas WP, Spier SJ.A 13-year-old Oldenburg mare was evaluated for lethargy and signs of mild colic. Pericardial tamponade caused by fibrinoeffusive pericarditis was diagnosed. Cytologic and biochemical evaluation of pericardial fluid was consistent with a septic effusion. Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis, the cause of pigeon fever, was identified by bacteriologic culture of pericardial fluid. Drainage and lavage of the pericardial sac, local (intrapericardial) and systemic antimicrobial treatment, and subsequent corticosteroid treatment resulted in a successful outcome in this horse. To the authors' knowledge,...
Preston SA, Riggs CM, Singleton MD, Troedsson MH.Exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage (EIPH) is reported as a performance limiting condition in racehorses, yet few longitudinal studies characterising EIPH have been reported. Objective: To characterise EIPH during training and racing in the absence of prophylactic medication with furosemide among horses imported to Hong Kong during 2007-2012. Methods: Retrospective descriptive study of clinical endoscopy, EIPH status, and racing records. Methods: Thoroughbred geldings (n = 822) imported from New Zealand between 2007 and 2012 were retrospectively assigned to 4 groups: diagnosed with EIPH via...
Schulman M, Becker A, Ganswindt S, Guthrie A, Stout T, Ganswindt A.Validation of a method for the minimally-invasive measurement of physiological stress will help understanding of risk factors that may contribute to stress-associated events including recrudescence of Equid herpesvirus (EHV), which is anecdotally associated with sales consignment of pregnant Thoroughbred mares. In this study we compared two similar groups of late-gestation Thoroughbred broodmares on the same farm: a consigned Sales group (N = 8) and a non-consigned Control group (N = 6). The Sales mares were separated from their paddock companions and grouped prior to their preparation...
Sofronic-Milosavljevic L, Pozio E, Patrascu IV, Skerovic N, Gomez Morales MA, Gamble HR.From 1998 to 2000, 5,267 horse sera were collected from several Trichinella regions in Romania. Sera were initially screened in laboratories in Romania, Serbia and Italy with an ELISA and a Western blot (Wb) using an excretory/secretory (ES) antigen and several conjugates (protein A, protein G, and sheep or goat anti-horse). Differences in serology results were obtained among the different conjugates and also between ELISA and Wb. Depending on the test used, specific antibodies were found at a prevalence rate of 3-6% of horses. Serum samples classified as positive were tested again by ELISA us...
Gregory CR, Latimer KS, Niagro FD, Campagnoli RP, Steffens WL, Ritchie BW.Eastern equine encephalomyelitis (F.EE) virus was detected in infected formalin-fixed horse and emu tissues and in infected chicken embryo fibroblasts. Results of in situ hybridization using a digoxigenin-labeled 40-base DNA probe complementary to a conserved region of the EEE virus RNA compared favorably with results of both virus isolation and serum neutralization tests. This technique may be useful for diagnosis of EEE virus infection in various animal species, especially when fresh tissues are not available for analysis, and also will provide a means for studying the involvement of alphavi...
Kingsley NB, Sandmeyer L, Bellone RR.Equine recurrent uveitis (ERU) is an ocular inflammatory disease that can be difficult to manage clinically. As such, it is the leading cause of bilateral blindness for horses. ERU is suspected to have a complex autoimmune etiology with both environmental and genetic risk factors contributing to onset and disease progression in some or all cases. Work in recent years has aimed at unraveling the primary triggers, such as infectious agents and inherited breed-specific risk factors, for disease onset, persistence, and progression. This review has aimed at encompassing those factors that have been...
Lacerda MDSC, Wilson TM, Argenta VLS, de Araújo Pinto ÉG, E Macêdo JTSA, Soto-Blanco B, Keller KM, Ocampos Pedroso PM, Câmara ACL.The present report describes the clinical and pathological changes induced by the consumption of oats contaminated with Crotalaria spectabilis seeds by horses. Eighty horses were exposed to oats containing 10 g/kg of C. spectabilis seeds with 0.46% pyrrolizidine alkaloids, and 21 horses died within a 6-month period. Clinical signs included jaundice, apathy, a hypotonic tongue, ataxia, hyporexia, weight loss, aimless wandering, violent behavior, and proprioceptive deficits. Pathological findings were predominant in the liver and included periportal bridging fibrosis, megalocytosis, centrilobul...
de Oliveira Lima AN, da Silva Santos S, Herrera HM, Gama C, Cupolillo E, Jansen AM, Fernandes O.The protozoan Trypanosoma evansi is described as presenting high morphological and genetic similarities among the isolates despite its biological heterogeneity and wide geographical distribution. PCR amplification of the internal transcribed spacers of the ribosomal gene in combination with the coding region of the 5.8S ribosomal subunit further submitted to restriction enzymes digestion were carried out in DNAs extracted from 41 T. evansi strains isolated from horses, dogs, coatis and capybaras from two distinct regions of the Brazilian Pantanal. We also used one T. evansi isolate from Africa...
Todhunter KH, Muscatello G, Blishen AJ, Chicken C, Perkins NR, Gilkerson JR, Begg AP.A series of unusual abortions occurred in Thoroughbred and Quarterhorse mares in the Hunter Valley region of New South Wales from mid-March to November 2004. The initial link between early cases was the microbiological culture of atypical environmental coryneforms from the stomach contents and/or lungs of fetuses aborted on different properties. Methods: The unique pathologic lesions were described with a case definition and the term 'equine amnionitis and fetal loss' (EAFL) was established. Results: The causal factor was the ingestion of the processionary caterpillar (Ochrogaster lunifer). Ba...
Pin D.Dermatophytoses in animals are fungal diseases of the skin caused by dermatophyte fungi of the genus Microsporum or Trichophyton. Because the infection is generally follicular, the most common clinical sign is one or many circular areas of alopecia with variable erythema, scaling and crusting, and the primary differential diagnoses are follicular infections, such as bacterial folliculitis and demodicosis. Although dermatophyte folliculitis or ringworm is the most commonly observed lesion of dermatophytoses in animals, other presentations may be observed according to the host species and the de...
Cappelli K, Brachelente C, Passamonti F, Flati A, Silvestrelli M, Capomaccio S.Epitheliogenesis imperfecta in horses was first recognized at the beginning of the 20th century when it was proposed that the disease could have a genetic cause and an autosomal recessive inheritance pattern. Electron microscopy studies confirmed that the lesions were characterized by a defect in the lamina propria and the disease was therefore reclassified as epidermolysis bullosa. Molecular studies targeted two mutations affecting genes involved in dermal-epidermal junction: an insertion in LAMC2 in Belgians and other draft breeds and one large deletion in LAMA3 in American Saddlebred. Metho...
Nugraheni AD, Nagao S, Yanagisawa S, Ogura T, Hirota S.We have previously shown that methionine-heme iron coordination is perturbed in domain-swapped dimeric horse cytochrome c. To gain insight into the effect of methionine dissociation in dimeric cytochrome c, we investigated its interaction with cyanide ion. We found that the Soret and Q bands of oxidized dimeric cytochrome c at 406.5 and 529 nm redshift to 413 and 536 nm, respectively, on addition of 1 mM cyanide ion. The binding constant of dimeric cytochrome c and cyanide ion was obtained as 2.5 × 10(4) M(-1). The Fe-CN and C-N stretching (ν (Fe-CN) and ν (CN)) resonance Raman ba...
