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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.
Oxidative Stress and Immunomarkers in Equine Dermal Melanomatosis: Single-Case Comparison with Healthy Individual. Dermal melanomatosis is a common tumor in grey horses, characterized by cutaneous/subcutaneous lesions with metastatic potential. While clinically well-described, oxidative stress involvement remains poorly understood. This case report compared oxidative stress markers and antioxidant enzymes' activities in total protein extracts from melanomatosis lesions (grey horse) versus healthy control skin (black horse), alongside histopathology and immunohistochemistry, to correlate oxidative imbalance and tumor behavior. Melanomatosis tissue exhibited decreased antioxidant defenses confirmed by catala...
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug administration alters crypt distribution of the peroxisomal marker acyl-coenzyme A oxidase 1 in the equine right dorsal colon. To characterize and compare the distribution of peroxisomal markers in the right dorsal colon (RDC) and left ventral colon (LVC) of healthy horses and horses treated with NSAIDs. Unassigned: Archived colonic tissues were evaluated from 10 horses (n = 5/group) administered phenylbutazone (4.4 mg/kg, PO, twice daily for 10 days) or placebo prior to euthanasia. Samples from the RDC and LVC were analyzed using immunofluorescence to assess peroxisomal biogenesis factor 14 (PEX14) and acyl-coenzyme A oxidase 1 (ACOX1) distribution. Marker abundance was quantified within colonic crypts and compared b...
SURVIVAL ON THE MARGINS: NICHE PARTITIONING AND DENSITY-DEPENDENT SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION OF EQUINE CYATHOSTOMINS. Habitat preferences of gastrointestinal nematodes are well-documented in small hosts, but equine cyathostomin diversity has largely been characterized only at farm or regional levels. While organ-level site preferences are known, within-organ spatial distributions remain unexplored. We investigated the longitudinal and radial distribution of adult cyathostomins within the large-intestinal lumen. Intact large intestines from 5 Shetland ponies were frozen post-necropsy and transected into 4-cm sections. Three micro-habitat samples (2.5 cm diameter) were collected per section. We recovered 2,444 ...
Vasopressin stimulation testing in hospitalized foals. Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal gland axis (HPAA) dysfunction impairs survival and can be diagnosed with an arginine vasopressin (AVP) stimulation test. Objective: Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol response to an AVP stimulation test will be attenuated in hospitalized foals compared to healthy foals and associated with severity of disease. Methods: Fifteen healthy and 45 hospitalized foals: 19 septic, 26 sick non-septic (SNS). Methods: A prospective, observational case-control design was utilized to assess HPAA function and compare corticotropin-releasing hormone, ACTH, and cortis...
Tick-borne pathogens in a nature reserve area in the Netherlands: serological and molecular assessments in large herbivores and Ixodes ricinus ticks. Ticks are vectors of a wide range of pathogens, relevant to both veterinary and public health. Although tick surveillance is frequently conducted in the Netherlands, data on tick-borne pathogens in free-living herbivores remains limited, leaving the impact of these pathogens on animal health poorly understood. This study aimed to characterise tick species and determine seroprevalence and infection prevalence of selected tick-borne pathogens in large herbivores at the Oostvaardersplassen nature reserve and questing ticks collected in the area. Between September 2023 and December 2024, blood was...
Penile and preputial pythiosis in Saudi Arabian horses: clinicopathological features and surgical outcomes. Pythiosis, caused by , is a chronic granulomatous disease of horses characterized by invasive, ulcerative, and pyogranulomatous cutaneous lesions. Involvement of the external genitalia is uncommon and remains poorly characterized, particularly regarding environmental exposure and treatment outcomes. This study aimed to describe the epidemiological pattern, clinicopathological features, diagnostic findings, and surgical outcomes of penile and preputial genital pythiosis in a hospital-presented horse cohort. Unassigned: A retrospective study was conducted on 123 horses presented with cutaneous u...
Clinical and pathologic findings of splenic tumours in four horses: a case series. Splenic tumours are rare in horses, with limited published literature consisting primarily of individual case reports and one hepato-splenic lymphoma case series. This case series analyses the clinical presentation, diagnostic findings and clinical outcomes of four cases of splenic neoplasia that presented to a university referral hospital over a three year period (2022-2025). Methods: Presented are two cases of primary splenic lymphoma, and two cases of metastatic melanoma. Three cases (75%) presented with chronic, non-specific clinical signs including weight loss, colic and ventral oedema. O...
Morphological investigation of myocardial sleeves with potential relevance to atrial fibrillation in Norwegian-Swedish Coldblooded Trotters. Myocardial sleeves (MSs) are thin layers of cardiac muscle that extend from the atria into the caval and pulmonary veins. They are recognised as important structures in both initiating and maintaining atrial tachycardia, and especially atrial fibrillation (AF), which is the most clinically important cardiac arrhythmia in horses with a reported prevalence of 1.3-2% in Standardbred racehorses. In contrast, the Norwegian-Swedish Coldblooded Trotter (NSCT) has a much lower prevalence of AF despite experiencing similar physical demands. The purpose of this study was to describe the macro-, and micr...
Global distribution of cattle, horses, goats, sheep and buffaloes at 1 km resolution for 2000-2022 based on subnational census data and spatiotemporal machine learning. The article describes the production and evaluation of annual livestock densities and headcounts of cattle, horses, sheep, goats and buffaloes (including 95% probability prediction intervals) at 1 km spatial resolution for the 2000-2022 period using spatiotemporal machine learning. A compilation of subnational livestock census data has been imported, harmonized and used as reference data (55,336 census polygons and 939,257 individual data entries; covering 147 countries) to build predictive models. A large stack of multi-source harmonized raster data sets (128 individual layers) were used as f...
Prevalence of equine lungworm (Dictyocaulus arnfieldi) infection and associated risk factors in Egypt. infection is a common parasitic respiratory disease of equines that can adversely affect animal health, welfare, and productivity. However, epidemiological information on this infection remains limited in many regions of Egypt. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of and identify associated risk factors among equines in three Egyptian governorates. Unassigned: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 415 equines, including 150 donkeys, 55 mules, and 210 horses. Animals were examined for , and data on species, age, body condition, and deworming history were collected. Associations bet...
Limited Effects of High-Intensity Laser Therapy on Clinical and Radiographic Outcomes in Three-Year-Old Arabian Racehorses with Dorsal Metacarpal Disease. Dorsal metacarpal disease (DMD) is a common musculoskeletal injury in young racehorses, and effective non-invasive treatments remain of clinical interest. This study aimed to evaluate whether high-intensity laser therapy (HILT), which was applied as the sole intervention in horses retired from training, reduces the clinical signs of DMD compared with untreated controls. During the 2023-2024 racing seasons, 15 Arabian racehorses diagnosed with DMD were enrolled; 9 received HILT and 6 served as controls without laser therapy. The treatment protocol consisted of five daily HILT sessions followed ...
Mares with severe equine asthma exhibit a narrower trachea than geldings in a retrospective radiographic study of 189 horses. To evaluate potential relationships between sex, asthma severity, and tracheal diameter in adult horses through the use of thoracic radiography. Unassigned: This was a retrospective case-control study of horses that underwent thoracic radiography at the Université de Montréal from 2018 through 2024. Horses were classified as control, mild/moderate asthma, or severe asthma (SEA) according to the latest consensus statement on equine asthma. To account for radiographic magnification and body size, standardized ratios of tracheal diameter relative to the fifth thoracic vertebral body length and ...
Preliminary Assessment on Pathogenicity of an African Horse Sickness Virus Serotype 1 Strain in Guinea Pigs and Horses. African horse sickness (AHS), a noncontagious insect-borne disease affecting equids, is caused by the African horse sickness virus (AHSV) and is associated with extremely high morbidity and mortality. AHSV has nine distinct serotypes (AHSV-1 to AHSV-9). In a previous study, we characterized the genome and in vitro growth properties of AHSV/C, a cell-adapted derivative of an AHSV-1 strain imported into China 60 years ago, and verified its safety in mice. This study preliminarily explored the pathogenicity of AHSV/C in guinea pigs and horses (its natural host). Six groups of guinea pigs were ino...
Primary photosensitization caused by Chamaecristas serpens var. serpens in horses, donkeys, cattle, and goats. This paper reports an outbreak of Chamaecrista serpens var. serpens poisoning in Mangalarga Marchador horses, Pega donkeys, Nelore cattle, and Mambrina goats. The disease occurred in the municipality of Iaçu, in the semi-arid region of the state of Bahia, 15-30 days after the start of the rainy season, coinciding with the regrowth of the plant. The prevalence of the poisoning was 100% in donkeys and horses, 11.9% in cattle, and 38.8% in goats. Clinical signs were characterized by itching, edema, and crust formation, predominantly in areas of non-pigmented skin or with less hair coverage and i...
Combined treatment with valacyclovir and heparin reduced the incidence of equine herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy and improved survival in naturally occurring equine herpesvirus-1 outbreaks. Describe the effects and outcomes of valacyclovir and heparin administration in equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1)-exposed horses. Unassigned: A multicenter retrospective study identified 111 horses naturally exposed to EHV-1 from August 2017 to March 2018. Equine herpesvirus-1 infection was confirmed via blood or nasal secretion PCR. Horses that developed neurologic signs were diagnosed with equine herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy (EHM). Clinical signs, treatment, and survival were reported. A subset of horses was treated with valacyclovir and heparin. Prophylactic medication administration was perf...
Development of lateral flow assays for the rapid diagnosis of glanders in equids. Glanders is a contagious zoonotic disease caused by that primarily affects horses, donkeys, and mules. It remains endemic in parts of Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and South America, where increasing case reports highlight the need for accessible diagnostic tools. Conventional diagnostic methods are limited by high costs and specialized laboratory requirements, whereas lateral flow assays (LFAs) offer practical, user-friendly, and rapid alternatives. In this study, we developed three LFAs targeting antibodies against the antigens Hcp1, GroEL, and whole-cell lysate (WCL), previously identifi...
A new single-antigen serological test accurately detects horses infected with Streptococcus equi subsp equi. To develop an accurate serological test for detecting horses infected with Streptococcus equi subsp equi (SEE). Unassigned: The study was designed as a prospective experiment. First, 89 proteins either expressed on the surface or secreted by SEE were cloned, expressed in a cell-free culture system, and printed onto a microarray. Microarrays were probed with serum from 30 horses with strangles, 30 horses with no history of infection or immunization against SEE, and 18 horses infected with Streptococcus equi subsp zooepidemicus (SEZ); serum samples were collected between 2020 and 2021 from Texas...
Influence of collection site on cerebrospinal fluid test results in horses with equine protozoal myeloencephalitis. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis is a critical component in the diagnosis of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM). Test results obtained may differ based on different collection sites. Objective: Compare results of EPM-specific diagnostic tests obtained from different collections sites in EPM-affected and non-EPM affected horses. Methods: Twenty control and 7 EPM-affected horses. Methods: Prospective observational study. CSF was collected from the lumbosacral (LS) and cranial sites (atlantooccipital or C1-2) in 27 horses and EPM-specific diagnostic tests were performed. Data were summari...
Validation of an improved insect bite hypersensitivity severity score for allergic equine insect bite hypersensitivity in horses. Insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH) is the most common allergic skin disease in horses, but existing clinical scoring systems lack extensive validation, limiting standardized disease monitoring and therapeutic evaluation. Objective: Develop and validate a standardized, sensitive, and reproducible clinical scoring system for IBH in horses. Methods: Forty-four privately-owned horses with clinically diagnosed IBH examined under field conditions in Switzerland. Methods: In this prospective field validation study, the equine IBH severity score (EqIS) integrates a lesion severity score and an area sc...
A Comprehensive Review of the Equine Gut Microbiome in Health and Disease. Molecular microbiology has revolutionized our understanding of the complex host-associated microbiomes required for normative development and physiology. Horses and other members of the family are particularly reliant on the early maturation and lifelong maintenance of an unusually rich hindgut microbiome for optimal digestion and overall health and performance. Research on the equine gut microbiome has accelerated in the past several years, necessitating a renewed appraisal of the field. The present work is a comprehensive and critical review of the literature regarding the bacterial gastroi...
Antibiofilm action of ozonated sunflower oil against bacteria isolated from the uterus of mares susceptible to endometritis. This study aimed to characterize the antibiofilm action of ozone-enriched sunflower oil (O) against pathogens associated with endometritis in mares. Initially, samples from 41 mares with a history of subfertility were stored in BHI broth and 0.9% NaCl solution. The samples underwent microbial culture, identification, and sensitivity testing at LABRAPE-UFRPE, Brazil. Biofilm production was evaluated by the crystal violet method. Subsequently, biofilm-forming bacteria were subjected to the action of different concentrations of ozonated sunflower oil. Of the 21 isolates tested for biofilm produc...
Circulating microRNAs as potential predictive biomarkers of equine metabolic syndrome. Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS) is a complex endocrine disorder characterized by insulin dysregulation (ID), and an increased risk of developing laminitis, often accompanied by generalized or regional adiposity. Despite growing awareness of EMS, early and accurate diagnosis remains challenging. In this pilot study, we investigated changes in the levels of circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) in plasma samples from horses diagnosed with EMS (n=13), compared to overweight/obese (OW/OB) non-ID horses (n=16) and healthy controls (n=16). Using a targeted OpenArray, followed by a Kruskal-Wallis and Dunn's...
Tick-borne bacterial and protozoal pathogens in horses in Austria – A cross-sectional study on current and past infections and potential risk factors. Tick-borne bacterial and protozoal pathogens are a major threat to equine health worldwide. In Austria, studies on pathogens such as piroplasms, Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Borrelia spp. in horses are scarce and do not cover the countrywide horse population. To address this, blood samples from horses without prior record of infection with tick-borne pathogens (n = 588) were tested for the presence of Theileria equi, Babesia caballi or A. phagocytophilum DNA by PCR and for specific antibodies against these pathogens and Borrelia burgdorferi with commercially available assays. While no DNA of ...
Thoroughbred horses susceptible to Recurrent Exertional Rhabdomyolysis have elevated skeletal muscle mitochondrial capacities. Recurrent Exertional Rhabdomyolysis (RER) is a skeletal muscle disease that can intermittently impede careers of equine athletes. Manifesting as episodes of muscular stiffness and degeneration, RER causes lost training and competition days. RER is associated with abnormal intracellular calcium (Ca) regulation. Calcium released from the sarcoplasmic reticulum to initiate contraction may also be transported into mitochondria, which impacts energy production. RER-susceptible horses exhibit down-regulated mitochondrial proteins but upregulated mitochondrial genes. Thus, mitochondrial function may ...
Prevalence of Clostridioides difficile in hospitalized neonatal mare-foal pairs from Alberta and direct comparison of fecal culture with toxin gene detection. is an important pathogen in the feces of adult horses and foals. It can be clinically diagnosed using several testing methods, including culture isolation and, more commonly, direct toxin gene detection from feces using molecular methods. The importance of monitoring shedding in foals or dams during hospitalization remains unclear. The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of fecal shedding in mare-foal pairs and to compare detection using isolation and a commercial real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) for toxin A and B genes in feces. Foals and their mares admitte...
Diagnosis of bacteraemia in neonatal foals using 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing. Sepsis is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in foals. Early diagnosis can improve outcome but is complicated by non-specific clinical signs and delayed confirmation of infection via blood culture. Molecular assays represent a rapid and more sensitive alternative. Objective: To evaluate and compare bacterial load and composition in blood and blood culture media (BCM) of sick and healthy foals using molecular assays and to compare results with traditional bacterial culture. Methods: Cross-sectional observational clinical study. Methods: Thirteen septic foals, 10 sick non-septic and 8...
Vietnam’s Horse Sector: A Comprehensive Review of History, Production Systems, Health Challenges, and Research Priorities. Horses in Vietnam have a long historical presence and continue to hold economic, socio-cultural, and medicinal importance across diverse regions. Despite these roles, comprehensive scientific information on equine development, including health and disease patterns, reproductive performance, genetic resources, and biomedical applications, remains limited and fragmented. In this review, we summarize existing knowledge on equine populations, production systems, and their development in Vietnam, as well as their roles in cultural practices, livelihoods, and traditional medicine. We then identify m...
Straight sesamoidean ligament desmopathy commonly occurs with proximal interphalangeal joint osteoarthritis. Proximal interphalangeal joint osteoarthritis (PIPJ OA) is a common cause of poor performance in the equine athlete; however, the supporting soft tissue structures surrounding the joint are seldom evaluated. Straight sesamoidean ligament injuries have been previously hypothesised to be concomitant with PIPJ OA; however, the frequency of these lesions coinciding with PIPJ OA has not been fully investigated. Objective: To investigate the prevalence of straight sesamoidean ligament desmopathy (SSLD) in horses presenting with PIPJ OA. Methods: Retrospective clinical study. Methods: Horses presenti...
Dental disorders are associated with minimal synovial changes in the temporomandibular joint in horses. Dental disorders have been proposed as factors contributing to temporomandibular joint (TMJ) discomfort in horses, but objective evidence linking these conditions to synovial fluid alterations remains limited. This study evaluated whether the severity of dental abnormalities influences the physicochemical and cytological characteristics of TMJ synovial fluid and whether occlusal adjustment induces measurable synovial changes over time. Unassigned: Thirty-three horses were assigned to mild, moderate, or severe dental abnormality groups. Synovial fluid was collected bilaterally from the discotem...
Equine cyathostomins-Hidden histories. Cyathostomins (also known as small strongyles or small redworms) are ubiquitous parasites of equids. They are found in a wide range of climatic regions, and inhabit the large intestine of their hosts. While infections are often sub-clinical, clinical consequences ranging from chronic to acute, and most notably, acute larval cyathostominosis, can occur in specific circumstances. Control of cyathostomin infection is complicated by widespread drug resistance. This Chapter provides a broad review of cyathostomin biology and host-parasite relationships, and also highlights significant knowledge gap...
