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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.
Disseminated Halicephalobus deletrix infection in a horse. A 13-year-old Quarter Horse gelding was referred for evaluation of a draining tract and fracture of the right hemimandible of 4 weeks' duration. Two days prior to admission, the horse had developed pigmenturia. Radiography of the mandible revealed a fracture of the vertical ramus of the right hemimandible, loss of the right lower second premolar, and osteomyelitis involving an extensive portion of the hemimandible. Ultrasonography of the left kidney revealed loss of normal renal architecture. Histologic examination of tissue obtained from the right hemimandible revealed granulomatous osteomyel...
Lyme disease (Lyme borreliosis) in horses. This article reviews epizootiology, public health considerations, antibody testing, and molecular biology of Lyme borreliosis. Correlation of clinical signs with titer response is discussed.
Clostridia-associated enterocolitis in adult horses and foals. A review of the literature describing clostridia-associated enterocolitis is presented. The bacteria, their toxins, and possible factors that interact to contribute to the pathogenesis of enterocolitis are described. Clinical signs associated with clostridia-associated enterocolitis, methods of diagnosis, treatments, and preventive strategies are discussed.
Possible normokalemic variant of hyperkalemic periodic paralysis in two horses. Hyperkalemic periodic paralysis (HPP), characterized by intermittent episodes of muscle fasciculations, profound muscle weakness, and hyperkalemia, has been described in Quarter Horses, Appaloosas, and Paints. In previous reports, the hallmark of this syndrome has been the development of hyperkalemia during each episode. Two affected horses had episodes of paralysis without associated hyperkalemia, demonstrating that normokalemia during an episode otherwise consistent with HPP does not eliminate HPP as a diagnosis. This clinical presentation appeared to be a variant of HPP.
[Pilot study of the occurrence of Prototheca in fecal samples of horses]. Fecal samples of 146 horses were culturally investigated for occurrence of Prototheca spp. using a selective medium, developed by PORE (1973). Prototheca zopfii could be isolated in monoculture from 9 fecal samples (6.2%). The results of this pilot study show that horses too can harbour and shed Prototheca spp. in variable frequency.
Equine rabies. With the continued increase in the number of wildlife rabies cases reported across the United States and Canada, this disease will remain a threat to the horse as the potential for exposure to infected wildlife and other domestic animals is likely to also increase. Because there are no rapid, definitive antemortem diagnostic tests, the tentative diagnosis is based upon the variable and sometimes nonspecific clinical signs. Although the CSF analysis may be helpful in some cases, it may not be abnormal. Nor is collection of the specimen always practical in the field situation. The FAT on neural ...
Strangles. The etiology, epizootiology, pathogenesis, and clinical presentation of strangles are described. Streptococcus equi, the causative organism, is highly host-adapted to Equidae and shows no antigenic variation. Protective immunity apparently is mediated by a combination of serum opsonic and nasopharyngeal mucosal humoral responses. Vaccines based on M protein or inactivated bacterial suspensions may reduce the clinical attack rate by 50%, a level of protection much lower than that produced during recovery from strangles.
Equine influenza. Influenza continues to be one of the most important diseases of horses despite the availability and widespread use of equine influenza vaccines for almost 30 years. In recent years, infection with the influenza A/equine/2 subtype has become endemic in the equine populations of North America, Europe, and Scandinavia. Continued antigenic drift of field virus has compromised the efficacy of vaccines, most of which contain antigens prepared from influenza viruses isolated more than 10 years ago. This article reviews the history, virology, epidemiology, pathogenesis, immunology, clinical presentati...
[Reproduction data in breeding mares, diseases and losses among suckling foals and preventive husbandry in German stud farms]. By means of a survey, the reproductive rate of mares and the foal losses in ten Thoroughbred, Saddlebred and Pony studs in Germany, mainly from North-Rhine-Westfalia, were collected and evaluated. Data for the survey were recorded for 1985-1990. The study also examined the hygienic management in the surveyed studs, and the morbidity rate of suckling foals was obtained for 1990. In addition to the survey questionnaire each stud was visited once. Two studs of each horse group were visited several times every week from March to August in order to evaluate as exactly as possible the husbandry and ...
Equine pituitary adenoma: a functional and morphological study. Clinico-pathological correlations in horses with pituitary adenomas are poorly understood. This paper describes the functional and morphological features of five cases of equine pituitary adenoma and of a case of multinodular pituitary hyperplasia. New findings reported include immunoreactivity for beta-lipotropin (beta-LPH), beta-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (beta-MSH), gamma 3-MSH, prolactin (PRL), and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) in neoplastic cells of the pituitary adenoma; and, in the multinodular hyperplasia, beta-LPH, beta-endorphin (beta-END), alpha-MSH, beta-MSH, gamma 3-MSH a...
Rhodococcus equi-associated osteomyelitis in foals. Two cases of Rhodococcus equi infection in foals are described, in which osteomyelitis was a feature. Because rhodococcal infection is usually low grade and chronic, and because the signs of early metaphysitis can be subtle, any articular or periarticular swelling in a foal from a farm with a history of rhodococcosis should be strongly suspected to be associated with R equi until proven otherwise.
Rotaviral diarrhea. Rotavirus poses a challenge each foaling season to farm managers and veterinarians in intensive horse breeding areas throughout the world. By understanding the epidemiology of the disease as well as characteristics of the virus, veterinarians can make sound recommendations on prevention and control of outbreaks. Even when effective prophylactic products are developed, farm management practices, including quarantine, disinfection, and hygiene, will always need to be in force to prevent any contagious disease outbreak.
African horse sickness. AHS is a noncontagious vector-borne disease of Equidae caused by Orbiviruses. Species susceptibility in decreasing order is horses, mules, donkeys, and zebras. The main vectors of AHS are culicoides. The disease is endemic in sub-Saharan Africa, but epizootics have occurred outside of this area on several occasions. The most recent outbreaks outside of the endemic area were in Spain, Morocco, and Portugal between 1987 and 1990. AHS causes mortality up to 95% and is classically divided into four clinical forms: the pulmonary, cardiac, mixed, and horse fever forms. Pathologic changes are subcuta...
Morphogenesis of compound melanosomes in melanoma cells of a gray horse. A thoroughbred horse, gelding, gray color, aged 19 years old had cutaneous melanomas from the root to the middle of the tail, and throughout the connective tissues of the whole body. Histologically, the tumors were diagnosed as mature melanotic melanomas characteristically deposited with abundant melanin pigment. Examined with an electron microscope, melanosomes were electron opaque without internal structure (stage IV), or as mature granular and lamellar types. Most of them were fused with each other, and formed compound melanosomes, which was similar to internal melanin aggregates in shape. ...
Characterization of virulence variants of African horsesickness virus. There are three clinicopathologic syndromes associated with African horsesickness (AHS) virus infection in horses. These different forms of AHS (pulmonary, cardiac, and fever forms) vary in the organs affected, the severity of lesions, time of onset of clinical signs and mortality rates. We have studied the effects of infection with three cell culture passaged variants of AHS virus in naive North American horses. One of these viruses, AHS/4SP, consistently caused the pulmonary form of AHS with rapid onset of severe pulmonary edema and 100% mortality. A second variant, AHS/9PI, resulted in sign...
Diversity within natural populations of eastern equine encephalomyelitis virus. We evaluated genetic and phenotypic diversity within natural populations of the alphavirus, Eastern equine encephalomyelitis (EEE) virus. RNA fingerprinting revealed that most populations within infected hosts (unpassaged isolates) contained a consensus genotype along with minority genotypes differing in one to three T1-resistant oligonucleotides. Mutation frequencies appeared to be similar to those reported for other RNA viruses, suggesting that the slow rate of EEE virus evolution is not limited by fidelity of genome replication. Within a given year, genetic diversity was generally greater a...
Left dorsal displacement of the colon with splenic adhesions in three horses. Three horses underwent exploratory celiotomy because of signs of acute abdominal pain. At surgery, all horses were diagnosed as having left dorsal displacement of the large colon. Each surgery was complicated by fibrous adhesions of the spleen to the body wall. All horses had previously undergone abdominal surgery for colic. In these cases, it appeared that the left large colon displaced cranially and then entered the renosplenic space from a cranial to caudal direction. Adhesions of the spleen to the body wall would prevent correction of left dorsal displacement of the large colon by the roll...
Diagnosis of grass sickness by ileal biopsy. Ileal biopsies were obtained from 18 horses with grass sickness, 15 horses with other alimentary disease and three horses without gastrointestinal disease. Samples of small intestine were also obtained from nine cases of obstruction due to small intestinal strangulation. Histological examination revealed that severe enteric neuropathy in the absence of other significant morphological changes was confined to the horses with grass sickness.
Hemodialysis for treatment of oxytetracycline-induced acute renal failure in a neonatal foal. Acute renal failure in a 4-day-old foal secondary to oxytetracycline toxicosis was treated by hemodialysis. Oxytetracycline had been administrered as treatment for forelimb flexor tendon contracture. Conservtive treatment with fluids, furosemide, and dopamine partially alleviated serum electrolyte concentration imbalances, but was ineffective in promoting diuresis or decreasing azotemia. Three hemodialysis treatments over 4 days were administered, after which the clinical appearance of the foal improved, and biochemical and electrolyte values returned to within reference ranges. The nephrotoxi...
Botryoid rhabdomyosarcoma of the urinary bladder in a filly. No abstract available
Correction of patellar luxation by recession sulcoplasty in three foals. Lateral luxation of the patella in four femoropatellar joints of three foals was repaired by recession sulcoplasty and medial imbrication of the joint. One foal was euthanatized because of septic arthritis caused by incisional dehiscence, and the other two foals were normal 2 years after surgery. Recession sulcoplasty combined with medial imbrication of the joint capsule resulted in a functional femoropatellar joint and should be considered in foals affected with lateral patellar luxation.
Histoplasmosis in horses. Histoplasmosis was diagnosed in nine horses during 1986-1990. The infection with Histoplasma capsulatum caused granulomatous placentitis and abortion in one mare in the 7th month of gestation and three mares in the 10th month. Four newborn foals died from severe granulomatous pneumonia within a few days of birth; and a weanling thoroughbred developed granulomatous pneumonia and lymphadenitis at 5 months of age.
