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Topic:Disease
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.
Clinical anatomy of the equine sphenopalatine sinus. Disorders of the equine sphenopalatine sinus, including empyema and neoplasia, have been reported to cause damage to cranial nerves II and V. However, the clinical anatomy of these sinuses is not well described in horses. Objective: To examine the anatomy of the sphenopalatine sinuses in a range of equidae and, in particular, to examine the relationship of these sinuses to adjacent major nerves and vessels. Methods: The anatomy of the sphenoidal and palatine paranasal sinuses was examined in 16 equidae, primarily using transverse skull sections. Relevant structures were documented and photogra...
Myonecrosis and cutaneous infarction associated with Salmonella serovar Infantum infection in a horse. A 5-year-old Quarter Horse mare was referred for evaluation of oral ulcers, limb edema, weight loss, and weakness. There was marked diffuse swelling extending from the stifle region to the tarsal region of the left hind limb, and the horse had a left hind limb lameness. Firm swellings ranging from 2 to 15 cm in diameter and consisting of nodules, plaques, and discrete masses were palpated on both sides of the neck, over the right shoulder region, over the left elbow region, and over the left caudoventral aspect of the abdomen. Laboratory abnormalities included hypoproteinemia, neutrophilia, an...
Evaluation of early fetal loss induced by gavage with eastern tent caterpillars in pregnant mares. To determine whether gavage of pregnant mares (housed without access to pasture) with starved eastern tent caterpillars (ETCs) or their excreta is associated with early fetal loss (EFL), panophthalmitis, or pericarditis. Methods: Randomized clinical trial. Methods: 15 mares. Methods: 15 mares with fetuses from 40 to 80 days of gestation (dGa) were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups and received 2.5 g of ETC excreta, 50 g of starved ETCs, or 500 mL of water, respectively, once daily for 10 days. Mares were housed in box stalls, walked twice daily, and not allowed access to pasture for 12 days b...
Natural infestation of the chewing lice (Werneckiella equi) on horses and treatment with imidacloprid and phoxim. Infestation with the chewing louse (Werneckiella (Damalinia) equi) can be found on horses world-wide. Louse infestations, including clinical signs of louse-derived dermatitis, are known from Icelandic horses. A clinical field investigation was conducted in Iceland using horses with natural louse infestations to evaluate the efficacy of imidacloprid in a 10% solution in comparison with phoxim in a 0.05% solution. A total of 27 horses received a single imidacloprid treatment using 16 ml of the 10% solution along the mane and on the dorso-lateral trunk. A further 43 horses were treated twice, 14 ...
Antibodies to Aqx toxin of Actinobacillus equuli in horses and foals. Actinobacillus equuli is found in the normal oral flora of horses, but has been associated with several diseases, and particularly with the usually fatal septicaemia in neonatal foals which is thought to be associated with a failure of the passive transfer of immunoglobulins via the colostrum. The Aqx protein of A equuli, belonging to the RTX family of pore-forming toxins, is also cytotoxic to horse lymphocytes. The presence of antibodies to Aqx was investigated in sera from individual horses from different regions; the sera from adult horses and foals 24 hours after birth reacted with Aqx, an...
Development of a neutralizing monoclonal antibody-based blocking ELISA for detection of equine herpesvirus 1 antibodies. A single-dilution, sensitive and specific monoclonal antibody-based blocking enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (B-ELISA) was developed as an alternative to the cumbersome virus neutralization test (VNT) for detection of equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) antibodies. Neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (1H6 and 9C6) raised against EHV-1 (Hisar-90-7 strain) and sera from 70 horses (30 known negative and 40 known positive for EHV-1 antibodies by VNT) were used for standardization of the B-ELISA. Using a single serum dilution of 1:250 in B-ELISA, 100% specificity was obtained with both monoclonal antibod...
Rupture of the flexor tendons of a horse secondary to a non-responsive digital sheath sepsis. A 12-year-old hunter gelding became severely lame as a result of a laceration to the sheath of the digital flexor tendons of its left hindlimb, but there was no apparent damage to the tendons. The injury became chronically infected with Pseudomonas and Streptococcus species and Escherichia coli which did not respond to antibiotic treatment, and the horse remained lame. A postmortem examination revealed that the tendons had ruptured.
Glycogen branching enzyme (GBE1) mutation causing equine glycogen storage disease IV. Comparative biochemical and histopathological evidence suggests that a deficiency in the glycogen branching enzyme, encoded by the GBE1 gene, is responsible for a recently identified recessive fatal fetal and neonatal glycogen storage disease (GSD) in American Quarter Horses termed GSD IV. We have now derived the complete GBE1 cDNA sequences for control horses and affected foals, and identified a C to A substitution at base 102 that results in a tyrosine (Y) to stop (X) mutation in codon 34 of exon 1. All 11 affected foals were homozygous for the X34 allele, their 11 available dams and sires w...
Malignant mixed sex cord-stromal tumour in a stallion. A 30-year-old Standardbred stallion was examined for unilateral scrotal swelling. Physical and ultrasound examinations revealed a painless enlarged left testis with a non-homogeneous echogenicity, when compared with the controlateral testis. The stallion underwent left unilateral orchiectomy. Grossly, the excised testis was irregularly enlarged (12 x 9 x 9 cm; weight: 530 g) and firm. The sections showed that testicular parenchyma was replaced by a lobulated, greyish-white mass, which involved the epididymal head. At microscopy, a dual Leydig and Sertoli cell tumour component could be seen. Ne...
Drug resistance in nematodes of veterinary importance: a status report. Reports of drug resistance have been made in every livestock host and to every anthelmintic class. In some regions of world, the extremely high prevalence of multi-drug resistance (MDR) in nematodes of sheep and goats threatens the viability of small-ruminant industries. Resistance in nematodes of horses and cattle has not yet reached the levels seen in small ruminants, but evidence suggests that the problems of resistance, including MDR worms, are also increasing in these hosts. There is an urgent need to develop both novel non-chemical approaches for parasite control and molecular assays cap...
Prevalence of agglutinating antibodies to Sarcocystis neurona in raccoons (Procyon lotor) from an urban area of Virginia. Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis is the most important protozoan disease of horses in North America and is usually caused by Sarcocystis neurona. Natural and experimentally induced cases of encephalitis caused by S. neurona have been reported in raccoons (Procyon lotor) and raccoons are an intermediate host for this parasite. A 3-yr-long serological survey was conducted to determine the prevalence of agglutinating antibodies to S. neurona in raccoons collected from Fairfax County, Virginia, a suburban-urban area outside Washington, D.C. Samples from 469 raccoons were examined, and agglutinat...
Beta-tubulin complementary DNA sequence variations observed between cyathostomins from benzimidazole-susceptible and -resistant populations. The molecular mechanism of benzimidazole (BZ) resistance in cyathostomins of horses is still unclear. Previous studies revealed that the TTC or TAC polymorphism in codon 200 of the beta-tubulin isotype 1 gene is not as strictly correlated with BZ resistance as in trichostrongyles in sheep. To identify further sites of polymorphism within the beta-tubulin gene related to BZ resistance, complete complementary DNAs (cDNAs) encoding beta-tubulin of adult worms of Cylicocyclus nassatus, Cyathostomum pateratum, Cyathostomum coronatum, Cyathostomum catinatum, Cylicostephanus longibursatus, and Cylico...
Clinical signs and hematologic, cytokine, and plasma nitric oxide alterations in response to Strongylus vulgaris infection in helminth-naïve ponies. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of infection with Strongylus vulgaris on serum cytokines and plasma nitric oxide (NO) concentrations in helminth-naive ponies. Group 1 (n = 21) was given 500 S. vulgaris L3 larvae and group 2 (n = 7) received a saline control. Ponies were monitored daily for clinical signs, and blood was collected for complete blood cell counts and serum cytokines (TNF, IL-1, IL-6) quantification. Group 1 ponies were depressed, anorexic, and febrile for variable periods of time. Plasma NO was increased on day 21 in group 1 and on days 9 and 21 in group 2....
Leukoencephalitis associated with selective viral replication in the brain of a pony with experimental chronic equine infectious anemia virus infection. Neurologic disease occurs sporadically in horses infected with the equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV). This report describes a case of clinically severe neurologic disease in a pony experimentally infected with EIAV. This pony did not have fever or anemia, which are the characteristic clinical signs of disease. The histopathologic changes were characterized as lymphohistiocytic periventricular leukoencephalitis. Polymerase chain reaction and in situ hybridization data showed that the brain lesions were directly associated with viral replication and that high-level viral replication occurred...
[Primary liver disease in the horse]. The clinical signs of liver disease are highly variable and non-specific. Irrespective of the cause or the duration of liver disease, more specific clinical signs, e.g. hepatic encephalopathy, become apparent in the advanced stages of the disease. Due to the non-specific clinical signs, the possible diagnosis of liver disease is frequently not taken into consideration. However, measurement of the plasma or serum concentrations of total bile acids and gamma glutamyl transferase (gamma GT) may provide valuable diagnostic information. The specific diagnosis can be confirmed by ultrasound examinat...
Use of the meridian test for the detection of equine herpesvirus type 1 infection in horses with decreased performance. To evaluate use of the acupuncture meridian test for detection of recent or recently reactivated equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) infection in horses with decreased performance. Methods: Case-control study. Methods: 40 horses. Methods: Physical and neurologic examinations were performed, and acupuncture points on the bladder meridian were tested for sensitivity reactions in case and control horses. Polymerase chain reaction assays were performed to determine whether EHV-1 or equine herpesvirus type 4 (EHV-4) DNA could be detected in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Complement fixation (CF)...
Risk of postnatal exposure to Sarcocystis neurona and Neospora hughesi in horses. To estimate risk of exposure and age at first exposure to Sarcocystis neurona and Neospora hughesi and time to maternal antibody decay in foals. Methods: 484 Thoroughbred and Warmblood foals from 4 farms in California. Methods: Serum was collected before and after colostrum ingestion and at 3-month intervals thereafter. Samples were tested by use of the indirect fluorescent antibody test; cutoff titers were > or = 40 and > or = 160 for S neurona and N hughesi, respectively. Results: Risk of exposure to S neurona and N hughesi during the study were 8.2% and 3.1%, respectively. Annual rate...
Association between Key-Gaskell syndrome and infection by Clostridium botulinum type C/D. There is growing evidence that equine dysautonomia is a toxicoinfection with Clostridium botulinum type C. The possibility that feline dysautonomia has the same aetiology was investigated by attempting to detect botulinum type C neurotoxin in the food, faeces and the contents of the ileum of affected cats, and by serology. The toxin was detected directly in four of eight affected cats and after enrichment in seven of them, and in their dried food. No toxin was detected in healthy control cats or in their tinned food. Recent exposure to the organism was assessed by the detection of immunoglobul...
Epidemiology of Trichinella infection in the horse: the risk from animal product feeding practices. 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...
Phylogenetic analysis of West Nile virus, Nuevo Leon State, Mexico. West Nile virus RNA was detected in brain tissue from a horse that died in June 2003 in Nuevo Leon State, Mexico. Nucleotide sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of the premembrane and envelope genes showed that the virus was most closely related to West Nile virus isolates collected in Texas in 2002.
Idiopathic prolapse of 1 uterine horn in a yearling filly. A yearling filly was presented for protrusion of a mass at the vulvar margins. A diagnosis of prolapse of the right uterine horn was made after vaginoscopy, transrectal palpation, and ultrasonography. It was confirmed later by biopsy of the tissue. Recovery was uneventful after easy replacement of the uterine horn. Une pouliche yearling fut présentée pour la protrusion d’une masse au pourtour de la vulve. Un diagnostic de prolapsus de la corne utérine droite fut établi à la suite de la vaginoscopie, de la palpation transrectale et de l’échographie. Le diagnostic fut confirmé par la...
