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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.
Comparison of a serum indirect fluorescent antibody test with two Western blot tests for the diagnosis of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis. A serum indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) was compared with a Western blot (WB) and a modified Western blot (mWB) for diagnosis of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM). Using receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, the area under the curve of the IFAT was greater than the areaunder the curves of the WB and the mWB (P = 0.025 and P = 0.044, respectively). There was no statistically significant difference between the areas under the curves of the WBs (P > 0.05). On the basis of an arbitrarily chosen cut-off titer for a positive test result of 1:80 for the IFAT and interpret...
Molecular cloning and expression of equine calcitonin, calcitonin gene-related peptide-I, and calcitonin gene-related peptide-II. In this study, we describe the cloning and tissue expression of equine calcitonin (CT), calcitonin-gene related peptide (CGRP)-I, and CGRP-II cDNA. We also describe a novel divergent form of CGRP (CGRP-I). Equine CT has greatest homology (>85%) to human, rat and mouse subgroups of calcitonins. Equine CGRP-I has low homology (80% homology to chicken, human, rat, ovine, swine, and bovine CGRPs. The homology between equine CGRP-I and CGRP-II is low (56%). The high homology of equine CGRP-II and the low homology of equine CGRP-I to CGRP in other species were unexpected findings. Northern blot a...
Occurrence of Malassezia spp. in horses and domestic ruminants. During a study on the occurrence of Malassezia spp. in 112 animals (50 horses, 25 goats, 25 sheep and 12 cows), Malassezia spp. were isolated from 60% of horses, 28% of sheep, 44% of goats and 58% of cows. In these animals, the occurrence of lipid-dependent species (42%) was much greater than the occurrence observed for M. pachydermatis (3%). Among the results obtained, we point out the first isolation of M. sympodialis, M. globosa and M. restricta from sheep, M. pachydermatis, M. furfur, M. sympodialis, M. obtusa, M. globosa and M. restricta from goats and M. furfur, M. slooffiae, M. obtusa, ...
Use of a hydroxyapatite orbital implant in a cosmetic corneoscleral prosthesis after enucleation in a horse. A hydroxyapatite orbital implant was used after enucleation of an eye from a 5-year-old performance horse. A custom-made corneoscleral prosthesis was made and fitted over the hydroxyapatite implant. The implant and surgery were well tolerated. Placement of a cosmetic prosthesis is desired after enucleation of equine eyes to allow horses to return to competition. Synthetic spheres consisting of methylmethacrylate or silicone have been used, although reported complications have included extrusion, infection, and poor cosmetic results. Hydroxyapatite orbital implants made from marine coral allow ...
Intraosseous regional perfusion for treatment of septic physitis in a two-week-old foal. A 2-week-old Morgan filly examined because of lameness of 5 days' duration was found, on the basis of clinical and radiographic findings, to have septic physitis of the distal end of the radius. The foal was treated by means of intraosseous regional perfusion with penicillin and amikacin and systemic administration of antimicrobials. Intraosseous regional perfusion was performed 3 times. The foal was anesthetized for the first episode of intraosseous regional perfusion, but was only sedated for the subsequent 2 episodes. Antimicrobials were administered systemically for 22 days. Foals with sep...
Diagnosis of a uterine leiomyoma using hysteroscopy and a partial ovariohysterectomy in a mare. A 14-year-old quarter horse mare had a 2-year history of infertility and the presence of a mass in the right uterine horn. Prior to surgery, the mass was determined to be invasive by using ultrasonography and hysteroscopy. A partial ovariohysterectomy was performed. The mass was diagnosed histologically as a uterine leiomyoma.
Case-control study of late-term abortions associated with mare reproductive loss syndrome in central Kentucky. To identify factors associated with abortions of mares during late gestation attributed to mare reproductive loss syndrome (MRLS). Methods: Case-control study. Methods: 282 broodmares from 62 farms in central Kentucky, including 137 mares that had late-term abortions (LTAs) associated with MRLS, 98 mares from the same farms that did not abort, and 48 mares that aborted from causes other than MRLS. Methods: Farm managers were interviewed to obtain data on a wide range of management practices and environmental exposures for the mares. Data for case and control horses were compared to identify ri...
Estimates of heritability for ossification of the cartilages of the front feet in the Finnhorse. Ossification of the cartilages in the foot is common in coldblooded horses, but prevalence as well as ossification pattern varies between breeds; research on estimation of heritability for the condition has been limited. Objective: Our purpose was to calculate estimates of 1) heritability for ossification parameters of the cartilages in the front feet of the Finnhorse and 2) genetic correlations between the different ossification parameters. Methods: Estimates of heritability for different ossification parameters of the cartilages in the front feet and of genetic correlations between different...
Comparison of Salmonella enterica serovar Abortusequi isolates of equine origin by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and fluorescent amplified-fragment length polymorphism fingerprinting. Equine paratyphoid is caused by Salmonella enterica serovar Abortusequi, and manifests mainly as abortion in the mare. We compared S. Abortusequi strains isolated in Japan and other countries using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and fluorescent amplified-fragment length polymorphism (FAFLP) analysis. PFGE analysis of S. Abortusequi strains gave 21-27 fragments ranging in size from 33 to 602kb. Although two PFGE profiles were observed among the 20 S. Abortusequi isolates in Japan, the restriction fragments originating from the chromosome were common between the two profiles. The simila...
Clostridium difficile infections in animals with special reference to the horse. A review. In human medicine, Clostridium (C.) difficile is since many years a well-known cause of nosocomial diarrhea induced by antibiotic treatment. In horses, C. difficile was recently suggested as a possible enteric pathogen. The bacterium is associated with acute colitis in mature horses following treatment with antibiotics. C. difficile, and/or its cytotoxin, is also associated with acute colitis in mares when their foals are being treated with erythromycin and rifampicin for Rhodococcus equi pneumonia. The colitis can have resulted from an accidental ingestion of erythromycin by the mares. In an ...
Experimental induction of equine protozoan myeloencephalitis (EPM) in the horse: effect of Sarcocystis neurona sporocyst inoculation dose on the development of clinical neurologic disease. The effect of inoculation dose of Sarcocystis neurona sporocysts on the development of clinical neurologic disease in horses was investigated. Twenty-four seronegative weanling horses were subjected to the natural stress of transport and then randomly assigned to 6 treatment groups of 4 horses each. Horses were then immediately inoculated with either 10(2), 10(3), 10(4), 10(5), or 10(6) S. neurona sporocysts or placebo using nasogastric tube and housed indoors. Weekly neurologic examinations were performed by a blinded observer. Blood was collected weekly for antibody determination by Western ...
Absence of viral antigens on the surface of equine herpesvirus-1-infected peripheral blood mononuclear cells: a strategy to avoid complement-mediated lysis. Equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) may cause abortion in vaccination- and infection-immune horses. EHV-1-infected peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) play an important role in virus immune evasion. The mechanisms by which infected PBMCs can avoid destruction by EHV-1-specific antibody and equine complement were examined. The majority of EHV-1-infected PBMCs (68.6 %) lacked surface expression of viral antigens and these cells were not susceptible to complement-mediated lysis. In infected PBMCs with surface expression of viral antigens, 63 % showed focal surface expression, whereas 37 % showed ...
Reactivity against Sarcocystis neurona and Neospora by serum antibodies in healthy French horses from two farms with previous equine protozoal myeloencephalitis-like cases. Sarcocystis neurona is considered a leading cause of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM), a common infectious neurological disease in horses in the Americas. EPM-like cases associated with S. neurona peptide reactive antibodies in Western blots were recently described in Normandy, France. In this report, antibodies reacting with S. neurona merozoites were detected using an agglutination assay at titers ranging from 50 to 500 in sera from 18/50 healthy horses from two farms with a previous EPM-like case. Higher values were found in older animals. Four out of six horses which traveled or st...
Antibody levels by indirect ELISA test in Trypanosoma evansi infected horses following treatment with quinapyramine sulphate. An ELISA test was used to determine the persistence of antibody levels in horses following treatment for Trypanosoma evansi. In 17 horses with T. evansi from two farms treated and cured with quinapyramine sulphate, ELISA antibody levels fell progressively post-treatment, but remained with positive results for 22.6 months in one horse, 12.8 months in a second, 4.1 months in another four and 2.3 months in three, whilst the rest became negative at 2.3 months. In two horses that suffered a post-treatment infection relapse the decrease in ELISA levels was only temporary, and a new increase in antib...
New approach for quantitative assessment of articular cartilage degeneration in horses with osteoarthritis. To evaluate a modified digital imaging technique for quantitative assessment of the grade of osteoarthritis across the proximal articular surface of the first phalanx in horses. Methods: 6 metacarpophalangeal (fet-lock) joint specimens from 6 horses with various stages of osteoarthritis. Methods: First phalanx specimens, together with 4 gray scale reference calibration targets, were positioned in a bath with the proximal articular cartilage surface submerged in saline (0.9% NaCl) solution. Digital images were obtained from the articular surface before and after staining with Indian ink. Comput...
Diagnostic workup for weight loss in the geriatric horse. In the absence of debilitating medical problems, the geriatric horse can maintain a normal body condition when provided with an appropriate diet, adequate shelter, and preventive health care that includes regular dental care and deworming. Failures in management can lead to inadequate nutritional support, exposure to adverse environmental conditions, advanced dental disease, parasitism, and failure to detect developing medical problems. All these circumstances can lead to loss of condition and debilitation in the aged horse. Weight loss in the aged horse should be approached with an understand...
Demographics of health and disease in the geriatric horse. Owners of older horses have generally owned them for a long time. They have developed a bond that is similar to that seen with companion animals. Their desire to have their animal(s) age gracefully with comfort and mobility has stirred research in the field of equine geriatric medicine. Equine geriatric medicine is to the first decade of the twenty-first century as neonatal medicine was to the 1980s. Hopefully, the demographics discussed in this article highlight area where research can be most helpful.
Equine recurrent airway obstruction: pathogenesis, diagnosis, and patient management. Recurrent airway obstruction is a condition that affects some older horses maintained in confinement. Clinical signs range from exercise intolerance with occasional cough to dyspnea at rest. Bronchoalveolar lavage cytology is characterized by neutrophilic leukocytosis (15%-85%) and is recommended for making the diagnosis in horses with mild to moderate disease. Environmental management combined with periodic bronchodilator and antiinflammatory corticosteroid therapy yields the best prognosis for disease remission.
Plant poisonings and mycotoxicoses of importance in horses in southern Africa. Well-known plant poisonings such as 'dunsiekte' (seneciosis) and 'jaagsiekte' (crotalariosis) of horses in southern Africa are briefly reviewed. Relatively unfamiliar mycotoxicoses such as stachybotryotoxicosis and perennial rye grass staggers and potentially occurring exotic intoxications such as equine nigropallidal encephalomalacia and ergot alkaloid poisoning are also discussed. This article is aimed at informing the southern African equine practitioner about probable poisonings that might occur locally in horses.
Ascarid nematodes in domestic and wild terrestrial mammals. The biology of the ascarid nematodes has been discussed in the context of their important economic role in farm animals, pet animals and zoo animals with special attention to carnivores and primates. In farm animals, infection with the most common roundworm of horses (Parascaris equorum) and swine (Ascaris suum) depend on many factors such as environmental conditions (larval development in the egg and egg survival), age of the host, breed, husbandry system, hygiene and treatment schedule. The monoxenic ascarids Toxocara canis and T. cati are the most important nematodes in carnivorous animals ...
Crossiella equi sp. nov., isolated from equine placentas. Over the course of the past decade, actinomycetes have been isolated from the placentas of horses diagnosed with nocardioform placentitis. The incidence of this infection has generally been low, with typically no more than 30 animals affected in most years, but the incidence increased through 1999, with placentas from 144 mares found to be infected. Approximately half of the cases result in loss of the foal. A typical actinomycete with branching mycelium was isolated from placental lesions, and a comparison of the sequence of the 16S rDNA gene against the public databases indicated a relations...
Evaluation of urinalysis as an aid in the diagnosis of equine grass sickness. To determine whether urinalysis can aid the diagnosis of equine grass sickness, samples of urine from 15 horses with acute grass sickness, eight horses with subacute grass sickness, 17 co-grazing horses and 17 stabled control horses were analysed. The samples from all of the horses with grass sickness had a significantly higher specific gravity, higher protein and creatinine concentrations and a significantly lower pH; the samples from the horses with acute grass sickness also had significantly higher glucose concentrations. These differences may support a diagnosis of grass sickness but they ...
