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.
Martínez-Sáez L, Dulac Q, Montaner-Angoiti E, Marín-García PJ, Llobat L.Leishmaniosis is a zoonosis caused by spp., an intracellular protozoan parasite. This parasite is transmitted by sandflies, and the disease is endemic in the Mediterranean basin. In recent years, the number of species which could be a reservoir of the parasite is increased. One of the most relevant species is the horse, due to their contact with humans and ability to control the disease, thus being a possible silent reservoir. In this study, we have analyzed the prevalence and factors related to infection in healthy horses in the Mediterranean region. Epidemiological data and serum samples w...
Peters-Kennedy J, Löhr CV, Cossic B, Glaser AL, Duhamel GE.Equine herpesvirus-5 (EHV-5) is commonly found in healthy asymptomatic horses worldwide. Although a cause-and-effect relationship has not been thoroughly determined, this virus has been associated with several disease conditions including equine multinodular pulmonary fibrosis (EMPF) and 1 case of interface dermatitis. The authors searched the New York State Animal Health Diagnostic Center database for cases of equine interface dermatitis between 2007 and 2022. Ten cases were identified and scrutinized for viral inclusion bodies which were present in 5 of 10 cases. Two similar cases with inter...
Zhao Y, Ren X, Wu H, Hu H, Cheng C, Du M, Huang Y, Zhao X, Wang L, Yi L, Tao J, Li Y, Lin Y, Su S, Dugarjaviin M.Anaerobic fungi are effective fibre-degrading microorganisms in the digestive tract of horses. However, our understanding of their diversity and community structure is limited, especially in different parts of the gastrointestinal tract. For the first time, high-throughput sequencing technology was used to analyse and predict fungal microbial diversity in different parts of the gastrointestinal tract of Mongolian horses. The results revealed that the richness and diversity of fungi in the hindgut of Mongolian horses were much higher than those in the foregut. The foregut was dominated by Basid...
Fritz SA, Hall JO.Ionophores are a class of polyether antibiotics that are commonly used as anticoccidial agents and growth promotants in ruminant diets. Ionophores transport ions across lipid membranes and down concentration gradients, which results in mitochondrial destruction, reduced cellular energy production, and ultimately cell death. Cardiomyocytes are the primary target in equine patients when exposed to toxic concentrations and the clinical disease syndrome is related to myocardial damage. Animals can survive acute exposures but can have permanent heart damage that may result in acute death at future ...
Delling C, Helm C, Heinze P, Friedman M, Böttcher D.While the principle definitive host of the zoonotic cestode in Europe is the red fox, several rodent species act as main intermediate hosts. Among others, e.g., humans, dogs, and pigs, also horses have been described to act as aberrant hosts in highly endemic regions. Here, a case of an infection in a kulan () is described. The five years old kulan from a zoo in Slovakia was transported to an animal park in Germany. The animal had to be euthanized within a few weeks after the import due to its poor general state of health. The pathological examination revealed a nodular mass in the liver as ...
Julien ME, Shih JB, Correa Lopes B, Vallone LV, Suchodolski JS, Pilla R, Scott EM.Next generation sequencing (NGS) studies in healthy equine eyes have shown a more diverse ocular surface microbiota compared to culture-based techniques. This study aimed to compare the bacterial ocular surface microbiota in both eyes of horses with unilateral ulcerative keratitis (UK) with controls free of ocular disease. Conjunctival swabs were obtained from both ulcerated eyes and unaffected eyes of 15 client-owned horses with unilateral UK following informed consent, as well as from one eye of 15 healthy horses. Genomic DNA was extracted from the swabs and sequenced on an Illumina platform...
Aida H, Foreman JH, Ochi A, Takizawa Y, Yamanaka T.Equine piroplasmosis is an infectious disease caused by Babesia caballi and Theileria equi. A competition horse that had been imported to the Equestrian Park for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and had a fever over 40°C and severe anemia was diagnosed with equine piroplasmosis by blood smear and direct polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests for Theileria equi. Treatment with protozoan anthelmintics and whole blood transfusion diminished the fever, improved the anemia, and allowed the horse to return home safely. Preparation for routine cases of this infection should include the development of a s...
subsp. is a rare etiologic agent of bacterial meningitis in humans. The disease is a zoonotic infection and is transmitted through close contact with domestic animals, mainly horses. Only 37 cases of meningitis have been reported in the literature until July 2023. The aim of this study is to present a rare clinical case of -related meningitis in a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive patient and analyze the literature. We present a 23-year-old horse breeder patient with advanced immunosuppression due to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and meningitis, admitted at the Clinic...
Rivolta AA, Bujold AR, Wilmarth PA, Phinney BS, Navelski JP, Horohov DW, Sanz MG.Neonates have different cellular composition in their bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) when compared to foals and adult horses; however, little is known about the non-cellular components of BALF. The objective of this study was to determine the proteomic composition of BALF in neonatal horses and to compare it to that of foals and adult horses. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid samples of seven neonates (< 1 week age), four 5 to 7-week-old foals, and six adult horses were collected. Quantitative proteomics of the fluid was performed using tandem mass tag labeling followed by high resolution l...
Trápaga MR, Poester VR, Mousquer MA, de Souza RP, Rafael LA, Bonel J, Melo AM, Reis AG, de Faria RO, Stevens DA, Nogueira CEW, Xavier MO.Aspergillosis is an uncommon disease in horses, but it can be fatal. We report two cases of systemic aspergillosis in foals that occurred in a short period in the same region of southern Brazil. In addition, a literature review of similar cases was also performed. Risk factors were attributed to an immunodepression by primary enterocolitis and corticosteroid treatment, the damage in the epithelium, and multiple antibacterial treatments, which allowed local fungal proliferation, tissue invasion and spread of infection, leading to death. Since the antemortem diagnosis of aspergillosis in foals i...
Bustos CP, Retamar G, Leiva R, Frosth S, Ivanissevich A, Demarchi ME, Walsh S, Frykberg L, Guss B, Mesplet M, Waller A.Streptococcus dysgalactiae subsp. equisimilis (Sde) is a commensal bacterium of horses that causes opportunistic infections. The aim of the work was to study genotypic and phenotypic properties of the Sde strain related to equine neonatal mastitis. Sde was isolated from an 8 day-old filly and sequenced for genome analysis, antibiotic susceptibility tests and virulence factor (VF) assays. The Sde strain presented the novel emm-subtype stC839.12 and the novel multilocus-sequence type ST-670, which belonged to a specific equine genotype group. Although no specific genotypic mechanisms related to ...
Jammes M, Contentin R, Audigié F, Cassé F, Galéra P. Osteoarthritis (OA) is an invalidating articular disease characterized by cartilage degradation and inflammatory events. In horses, OA is associated with up to 60% of lameness and leads to reduced animal welfare along with extensive economic losses; currently, there are no curative therapies to treat OA. The mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) secretome exhibits anti-inflammatory properties, making it an attractive candidate for improving the management of OA. In this study, we determined the best storage conditions for conditioned media (CMs) and tested whether priming MSCs with cytokines can enh...
Abnaroodheleh F, Mosavari N, Pourbakhsh SA, Tadayon K, Jamshidian M.Burkholderia mallei is the main cause of glanders as a dangerous contagious zoonosis disease that is mostly observed in single-hoofed animals, especially horses. Modern molecular techniques have been recently employed to improve epidemiology for identifying and searching for strains of this bacterium at different times and locations. Due to the unknown number of circulating strains and lack of preventive methods, glanders is still observed in the form of epidemics. The present study aimed to evaluate six field isolates plus two laboratory strains of Borkolderia mallei and Burkholderia pseudoma...
Benedetti B, Felici M, Thiébaud G, Freccero F, Padalino B.This study aimed to describe equine transportation practices and transport-related behavioural and health problems in Switzerland and to identify possible associations between them. An online survey was disseminated to Swiss equine industry members and questioned respondents' details, transport practices (before, during, and after journeys), horse transport-related behavioural (TRPBs) and health problems (TRHPs) experienced in the previous 2 years. The survey generated 441 valid responses, analysed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression models (outcomes: TRPBs, TRHPs, injuries, d...
Alshammari A, Gattan HS, Marzok M, Salem M, Al-Jabr OA, Selim A.Fasciola hepatica is a trematode parasite that affects wide range of mammalian hosts including horses. There are no epidemiological data on fasciolosis in Egyptian horses. Hence, the present study aimed to evaluate the seroprevalence of F. hepatica in horses using ELISA as well as assess the associated risk factors for fasciolosis infection. A total of 400 sera samples of horses from three Egyptian governorates were examined. The overall seroprevalence rate in horses was 13% and the disease was more prevalent in Qalubia (14.17%) and Gharbia (16.67%) which are located at Nile Delta. The likelih...
Salbaş E, Karahan AY.Newly created systems called hippotherapy simulators (HS) mimic the primitive movements of a live horse. As they are new systems, research examining their usefulness has been well received. The aim of this study is to research the effects of HS on disease activity, quality of life and muscle strength in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Unassigned: In a prospective, assessor-blinded, block-randomized trial, 48 AS patients were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive either HS or conventional home (CH) exercise therapy. All Participants received 48 sessions, that is 4 sessions a we...
Thomas BA, Saylor RK, Taylor ZP, Rhodes DVL.Strangles is a highly contagious upper respiratory infection of equids that is globally distributed. The causative agent of strangles, subspecies , can be spread through indirect contact with infected fomites, and studies have shown this microbe to live well in varying environmental conditions. The purpose of this study was to analyze strangles case numbers across the United States of America from 2018 to 2022 to investigate potential temporal or weather patterns associated with outbreaks. Diagnosed case records were obtained from the Equine Disease Communication Center, university databases,...
Bardell D, Rocchigiani G, Ressel L, Milner P.Strangulating small intestinal disease (SSID) in horses carries a poor prognosis for survival, especially following resection of ischaemic tissue. The margins of a resection are principally based on visual appraisal of the intestine during surgery. We hypothesized that histological evaluation of resected tissue may identify occult changes indicative of prognosis. Small intestinal samples from 18 horses undergoing resection for SSID and 9 horses euthanised for reasons unrelated to gastrointestinal pathology were utilised. Histological appearance was used to generate a 'total damage score' (TDS)...
Rockx B, Mire CE.Henipaviruses are emerging zoonotic viruses that can cause outbreaks of severe respiratory and neurological disease in humans and animals such as horses. The mechanism by which these viruses can cause disease remain largely unknown and to date there are no therapeutics or vaccines approved for use in humans. Nipah virus is listed on the World Health Organization R & D Blueprint list of epidemic threats. In order to advance the availability of effective therapeutics and vaccines and medicines that can be used to save lives and avert large scale crises, animal models are required which recap...
Kloock T, Pickles KJ, Roberts V, Uhlendorf F, Twele L, Wilkens HL, Stehle E, Feige K, Niebuhr T.In horses with trigeminal-mediated headshaking (TMHS), clinical signs are likely to be expression of neuropathic facial pain. Currently, subjective assessment of disease severity is used as measure of compromise of animal's welfare. Objective: To develop and validate a precise scoring system for TMHS: History, Rest and Exercise Score (HRE-S). The HRE-S consists of three subscores: history score (H-S), resting score (R-S) and exercise score (E-S). Methods: Retrospective observational study. Methods: Seven masked observers with different experience used HRE-S to score 40 video recordings taken d...
Pelkola K, Heinikainen S, Pohjanvirta T.In Finland, Taylorella equigenitalis, the causative agent of contagious equine metritis (CEM), was first detected in 1992. The aim of this study was to genotype Finnish T. equigenitalis isolates to investigate the epidemiology of the infection in the Finnish horse population. A total of 34 T. equigenitalis isolates from 24 horses obtained during 1992-2021 were subjected to whole genome sequencing (WGS) and subsequent local ad hoc core genome multi-locus sequence typing (cgMLST) targeting 1259 loci. Classical MLST profiles were extracted from the whole-genome sequence data. Three novel MLST ty...
Kunanusont N, Taesuji M, Kulthonggate U, Rattanamas K, Mamom T, Thongsri K, Phannithi T, Ruenphet S.African horse sickness (AHS) has become a newly emerging disease after an outbreak in northeastern Thailand in March 2020. Mass vaccination in horses with live-attenuated AHS virus (AHSV) vaccine is essential for AHS control and prevention. This study aimed to monitor the longitudinal humoral immune response before and after a single vaccination using a live-attenuated vaccine against AHS in stallions, mares, and pregnant mares, including maternal immunity in foals born from pregnant mares during the outbreak in Thailand. Unassigned: A total of 13 stallions and 23 non-pregnant and 21 pregnant ...
Sandybayev N, Strochkov V, Beloussov V, Orkara S, Kydyrmanov A, Khan Y, Batanova Z, Kassenov M.Equine influenza (EI) is a highly contagious disease that causes fever and upper respiratory tract inflammation. It is caused by influenza virus A, belonging to the family, with subtypes H3N8 and H7N7. This study presents data on the development of a real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay using TaqMan probes to detect the H3 subtype of EI virus (EIV). Unassigned: The evaluation of the developed RT-PCR assay involved five strains of EIV as positive controls and ten nasopharyngeal swab samples collected from horses. RNA was isolated using the GeneJet Viral DNA and RNA Purification K...
Maggi R, De Paolis L, De Santis D, Vellone VG, De Ciucis CG, Fruscione F, Mazzocco K, Ghelardi A, Marruchella G, Razzuoli E.Papillomas are benign epithelial lesions protruding on the epithelial surfaces as finger-like or warty projections. These lesions are often caused by papillomavirus (PV) infection. Congenital papillomas have been reported in foals. However, to date, no evidence of PV infection has been provided. In the present paper, we describe the main clinical-pathological features of a congenital papilloma observed in a foal. In addition, biomolecular tests demonstrated BPV1 infection in the case under study. Such data stimulate further investigations, even on archived samples, aiming to clarifying the eti...
Tallon RE, Whitt B, Bladon BM.Monitoring antibiotic usage is an important part of tackling antimicrobial resistance. The use of computerised records for monitoring has been previously described in the equine sector but there is currently no consensus on metrics used to report usage. Objective: To document antibiotic use in equine practices in the United Kingdom over a 10-year period using commercially available practice management software. Methods: Retrospective survey. Methods: A custom antibiotic usage report was created using Eclipse® practice management software. Participating practices were given instructions on how...
Torres LEC, Florez CO, Oliveira JG, Vieira GD, Ribeiro IS, Keller KM, Leme FOP, Fantini P, Maranhão RPA.In equine ophthalmology, ulcerative keratitis is among the most common conditions and, in general, arises as a consequence of some trauma suffered. Secondarily, subsequent contamination by pathogenic or resident bacteria of the horse's ocular microbiota may have undesirable consequences. Under physiological conditions, the normal microbiota coexists with the immune status of the host, serving as a barrier, ensuring the health of the ocular surface, and inhibiting the proliferation of pathogens. However, in the imbalance of immune barriers, the normal microbiota can become pathogenic and lead t...
Cui C, Li L, Wu L, Wang X, Zheng Y, Wang F, Wei H, Peng J.A healthy intestine plays an important role in the growth and development of farm animals. In small intestine, Paneth cells are well known for their regulation of intestinal microbiota and intestinal stem cells (ISCs). Although there has been a lot of studies and reviews on human and murine Paneth cells under intestinal homeostasis or disorders, little is known about Paneth cells in farm animals. Most farm animals possess Paneth cells in their small intestine, as identified by various staining methods, and Paneth cells of various livestock species exhibit noticeable differences in cell shape, ...
Nguyen HN, Smith ME, Hayoun MA.Glanders is an infectious disease caused by Burkholderia mallei, a gram-negative aerobic nonmotile bacterium. Melioidosis is an infectious disease caused by Burkholderia pseudomallei, a gram-negative aerobic, motile bacterium. The two bacteria are closely related, and both can cause disease in animals and humans. Historically, glanders was a common disease of horses, donkeys, and mules. Melioidosis was first described as a case series of 38 patients in Rangoon, Burma, by pathologist Alfred Whitmore in 1912.
Bhardwaj A, Tandon G, Pal Y, Sharma NK, Nayan V, Soni S, Iquebal MA, Jaiswal S, Legha RA, Talluri TR, Bhattacharya TK, Kumar D, Rai A, Tripathi BN.The horse, one of the most domesticated animals, has been used for several purposes, like transportation, hunting, in sport, or for agriculture-related works. Kathiawari, Marwari, Manipuri, Zanskari, Bhutia, Spiti, and Thoroughbred are the main breeds of horses, particularly due to their agroclimatic adaptation and role in any kind of strong physical activity, and these characteristics are majorly governed by genetic factors. The genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationship of these Indian equine breeds using microsatellite markers have been reported, but further studies exploring the SNP d...
Alm YH, Osterman-Lind E, Martin F, Lindfors R, Roepstorff N, Hedenström U, Fredriksson I, Halvarsson P, Tydén E.Cyathostominae are ubiquitous to grazing horses and regarded the most prevalent internal parasite in the horse. Unfortunately, decades of indiscriminate use of anthelmintic drugs have resulted in the development of resistance in cyathostomins to all currently available drug groups, the most recent being a documented lack of efficacy to the macrocyclic lactones (ML). In vivo determination of anthelmintic resistance in horses most often utilises the faecal egg count reduction test (FECRT). Further, a shortened egg reappearance period (ERP) can indicate a change in response to the applied treatme...
Marenzoni ML, Stefanetti V, Danzetta ML, Timoney PJ.Although the first equine gammaherpesvirus was identified over 50 years ago, the isolation and characterization of other members of this virus group has been relatively recent. Even so, numerous clinical syndromes have been identified in equid species in association with these viruses. Equid gammaherpesviruses are a genetically heterogeneous viral subfamily, the function of which in host immune modulation and disease pathogenesis has not yet been elucidated. While they share similarities with gammaherpesviruses in humans, the role they play in their relationship with the host is the subject of...
Carbone KM, Rubin SA, Nishino Y, Pletnikov MV.Studies of the pathogenesis of neurobehavioral diseases following Borna disease virus infections have been increasing rapidly over the past ten years. Recent major advances have included a report of vertical transmission of the virus in its natural host, the horse, and a report of isolation of a novel variant, No/98, in that same species. In rats infected neonatally with the Borna disease virus that lack blood-borne inflammation in the brain, evidence of an "endogenous" brain inflammatory response is abundant, with elevated expression of cytokine and chemokine mRNA. Infection in these rats is ...
Silva RA, Arosemena NA, Herrera HM, Sahib CA, Ferreira MS.This paper reports an outbreak of trypanosomosis due to Trypanosoma evansi in horses of the Pantanal Mato-grossense region of Brazil. Forty-eight horses died (51% mortality) and abortion in one mare was recorded. The clinical signs observed were fever, anemia, conjunctivitis, edema of the legs and lower parts of the body, progressive weakness, loss of condition, and loss of appetite. The diagnosis was confirmed by morphological and biometrical studies.
Båverud V.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 ...
Hedrick PW, Parker KM, Miller EL, Miller PS.The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) is a fundamental part of the vertebrate immune system, and the high variability in many MHC genes is thought to play an essential role in recognition of parasites. The Przewalski's horse is extinct in the wild and all the living individuals descend from 13 founders, most of whom were captured around the turn of the century. One of the primary genetic concerns in endangered species is whether they have ample adaptive variation to respond to novel selective factors. In examining 14 Przewalski's horses that are broadly representative of the living animal...
Allen SE, Rosanowski SM, Stirk AJ, Verheyen KLP.No large-scale studies have described veterinary events occurring in National Hunt (NH) flat racing or investigated risk factors for fatality in this race type. Objective: To describe injuries and conditions requiring veterinary attendance on race day and to determine risk factors for racehorse fatality in NH flat racing in Great Britain. Methods: Retrospective cohort study (2000-2013). Methods: Information from all NH flat races held over the study period, including horse, race and veterinary event report details, was combined. Veterinary events were described by type and anatomical structure...
Nielsen MK.The first parasite fecal egg counting techniques were described over 100 years ago, and fecal egg counting remains essential in parasitology research as well as in clinical practice today. Several novel techniques have been introduced and validated in recent years, but this work has also highlighted several current issues in this research field. There is a lack of consensus on which diagnostic parameters to evaluate and how to properly design studies doing so. Furthermore, there is a confusing and sometimes incorrect use of terminology describing performance of fecal egg counting techniques, a...
Lyons ET, Swerczek TW, Tolliver SC, Bair HD, Drudge JH, Ennis LE.A survey to determine current prevalence of several species of endoparasites in equids (n=350) at necropsy was conducted at the Livestock Disease Diagnostic Center in central Kentucky (1995-1999). Thelazia lacrymalis were found in 42% of the 1- to 4-year olds (n=132), which was the only age group examined for these parasites. Five- to 30-year olds (n=157), examined for Onchocerca spp. worms/lesions, had a prevalence of 24%. In > or =1-year olds (n=324), the infection rate for Gasterophilus intestinalis was 12% for second instars and 14% for third instars and for Gasterophilus nasalis was 2%...
Sauer P, Andrew SE, Lassaline M, Gelatt KN, Denis HM.To document changes in antibiotic resistance of organisms in cases of equine bacterial ulcerative keratitis over a 10-year time period. Methods: A retrospective study. Methods: Medical records of equine patients with bacterial ulcerative keratitis seen at the University of Florida's VMTH for the years 1991-2000 were reviewed. Methods: All cases of equine bacterial ulcerative keratitis for the above mentioned years were examined. Bacterial isolates were identified and subjected to Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method sensitivity tests. Antibiotics used in the sensitivity tests included bacitracin,...
Simões J, Batista M, Tilley P.Severe equine asthma is a chronic respiratory disease of adult horses, occurring when genetically susceptible individuals are exposed to environmental aeroallergens. This results in airway inflammation, mucus accumulation and bronchial constriction. Although several studies aimed at evaluating the genetic and immune pathways associated with the disease, the results reported are inconsistent. Furthermore, the complexity and heterogeneity of this disease bears great similarity to what is described for human asthma. Currently available studies identified two chromosome regions (ECA13 and ECA15) a...
Dubey JP, Mitchell SM, Morrow JK, Rhyan JC, Stewart LM, Granstrom DE, Romand S, Thulliez P, Saville WJ, Lindsay DS.Sarcocystis neurona, Neospora caninum, N. hughesi, and Toxoplasma gondii are 4 related coccidians considered to be associated with encephalomyelitis in horses. The source of infection for N. hughesi is unknown, whereas opossums, dogs, and cats are the definitive hosts for S. neurona, N. caninum, and T. gondii, respectively. Seroprevalence of these coccidians in 276 wild horses from central Wyoming outside the known range of the opossum (Didelphis virginiana) was determined. Antibodies to T. gondii were found only in 1 of 276 horses tested with the modified agglutination test using 1:25, 1:50, ...
Janes JG, Garrett KS, McQuerry KJ, Pease AP, Williams NM, Reed SM, MacLeod JN.The sensitivity and specificity of lateral cervical radiographs to evaluate horses suspected of cervical stenotic myelopathy (CSM) are limited by the assessment being restricted to the sagittal plane. Objective: To determine whether magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) allows for a more accurate identification of stenosis than lateral cervical radiographs in horses with CSM. Methods: Case control study. Methods: Nineteen Thoroughbred horses with CSM (17 males, 2 females, age 6-50 months) were compared to 9 control Thoroughbreds (6 males, 3 females, age 9-67 months). Ante mortem, the subjects had n...
Dias Fde O, Lorosa ES, Rebêlo JM.A precipitin test was employed to study the alimentary tract content of Lutzomyia longipalpis in the intra- and peridomiciliary environments in the municipality of Raposa, Maranh o State, a transmission area for visceral leishmaniasis or kala azar. Out of 2,240 female sandflies captured, 547 (24.4%) had fed on vertebrate blood, with the following proportions: avian (87.9%); rodent (47.2%); human (42.4%); canine (27.6%); opossum (26.6%); and equine (22.5%). Based on a survey of 120 human dwellings, chickens were found to be the most common domestic animals in the peridomicile (28.3%), followed ...
Arnold CE, Pilla R, Chaffin MK, Leatherwood JL, Wickersham TA, Callaway TR, Lawhon SD, Lidbury JA, Steiner JM, Suchodolski JS.The fecal microbiome of healthy horses may be influenced by signalment, diet, environmental factors, and disease. Objective: To assess the effects of age, breed, sex, geographic location, season, diet, and colitis caused by antibiotic use (antimicrobial-associated diarrhea [AAD]) and Salmonella infection on fecal microbiota. Methods: Healthy horses (n = 80) were sampled from nonhospital environments across multiple geographical locations in the United States. Horses with AAD (n = 14) were defined as those that developed diarrhea secondary to antimicrobial use. Horses with Salmonella infect...
Perryman LE.Severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) is an inherited disorder of humans, mice, horses, and dogs, in which affected individuals are incapable of generating antigen-specific immune responses. It occurs when lymphocyte precursors fail to differentiate into mature lymphocytes because of mutations within recombinase-activating genes 1 and 2 or within the genes encoding deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK). It also occurs when differentiated lymphocytes are incapable of completing signal transduction pathways because of defects in cell surface receptors for interleukins (...
Robinson C, Steward KF, Potts N, Barker C, Hammond TA, Pierce K, Gunnarsson E, Svansson V, Slater J, Newton JR, Waller AS.The detection of anti-Streptococcus equi antibodies in the blood serum of horses can assist with the identification of apparently healthy persistently infected carriers and the prevention of strangles outbreaks. The aim of the current study was to use genome sequencing data to develop an indirect enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (iELISA) that targets two S. equi-specific protein fragments. The sensitivity and specificity of the antigen A and antigen C iELISAs were compared to an SeM-based iELISA marketed by IDvet - diagnostic Vétérinaire (IDvet). Individually, each assay compromised specifi...
Pilo C, Altea A, Pirino S, Nicolussi P, Varcasia A, Genchi M, Scala A.A post-mortem survey was carried out on 46 Sardinian horses to evaluate the presence of Strongylus vulgaris and associated pathology. Horses were from local farms and had been treated with broad-spectrum anthelmintics at least 3 times a year. Examination of the cranial mesenteric arterial system (CMAS) showed parasite-induced lesions in all horses. S. vulgaris larvae were found in 39% of examined arteries, while their detection rate in coprocultures was 4%. Histology, carried out on 26 horses, showed mainly chronic and chronic-active lesions. Histometry showed a significant increase in thickne...
Shimizu A, Kawano J, Yamamoto C, Kakutani O, Anzai T, Kamada M.Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) was used to determine genetic relationships among 15 methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates from mares with metritis and from a stallion with dermatitis in Hokkaido. All the 15 isolates showed phage pattern 6/47/54/75, coagulase type IV, and enterotoxin type A. The restriction endonuclease SmaI cut their genomic DNAs into 15 or 16 fragments ranging in size from 8 to 630 kb. Fourteen of the 15 isolates showed the same PFGE pattern, whereas the remaining one appeared to be closely related. The 9 human MRSA isolates showing the same phe...
Silva RO, Rupnik M, Diniz AN, Vilela EG, Lobato FC.Clostridium difficile is an emerging enteropathogen responsible for pseudomembranous colitis in humans and diarrhoea in several domestic and wild animal species. Despite its known importance, there are few studies about C. difficile polymerase chain reaction (PCR) ribotypes in Brazil and the actual knowledge is restricted to studies on human isolates. The aim of the study was therefore to compare C. difficile ribotypes isolated from humans and animals in Brazil. Seventy-six C. difficile strains isolated from humans (n = 25), dogs (n = 23), piglets (n = 12), foals (n = 7), calves (n = 7), one c...
Kim SK, Bowles DE, O'callaghan DJ.The equine herpesvirus 1 immediate-early (IE) phosphoprotein is essential for the activation of transcription from viral early and late promoters and trans-represses its own promoter. Transient-transfection assays showed that the IE protein trans-represses the gamma2 late gK promoter. Gel shift and DNase I footprinting assays demonstrated that the IE protein binds to the gK promoter sequences from -42 to -26 and from -13 to +12 that overlap the transcription initiation site (+1). These results indicated that the IE protein binds to the transcription initiation site of the gK promoter sequences...
Westermann CM, van Leeuwen R, van Raamsdonk LW, Mol HG.Atypical myopathy (AM) in horses is caused by the plant toxin hypoglycin A, which in Europe typically is found in the sycamore maple tree (Acer pseudoplatanus). Owners are concerned about whether their horses are in danger if they graze near maple trees. Objective: To measure hypoglycin A in the most common maple tree species in the Netherlands, and to determine whether concentration of toxin is a predictor of AM in horses. Methods: A total of 278 samples of maple tree leaves, sprouts, and seeds were classified by species. Mean concentrations of hypoglycin A were compared for the type of sampl...
Belshan M, Park GS, Bilodeau P, Stoltzfus CM, Carpenter S.In addition to facilitating the nuclear export of incompletely spliced viral mRNAs, equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) Rev regulates alternative splicing of the third exon of the tat/rev mRNA. In the presence of Rev, this exon of the bicistronic RNA is skipped in a fraction of the spliced mRNAs. In this report, the cis-acting requirements for exon 3 usage were correlated with sequences necessary for Rev binding and transport of incompletely spliced RNA. The presence of a purine-rich exon splicing enhancer (ESE) was required for exon 3 recognition, and the addition of Rev inhibited exon 3 sp...
Prescott JF, Nicholson VM.The minimal inhibitory concentrations of penicillin G, ampicillin, gentamicin, erythromycin and rifampicin were determined for nine strains of Corynebacterium equi. The effect of combinations of any two of these antibiotics on the killing of these strains was determined at antibiotic concentrations achievable in horses using recommended drug dosages (ampicillin 4.0 microgram/ml, gentamicin 1.0 microgram/ml using recommended drug dosages (ampicillin 4.0 microgram/ml, gentamicin 1.0 microgram/ml and erythromycin 0.25 microgram/ml). Penicillin G was used at 4.0 microgram/ml and rifampicin at 0.06...
Beckers KF, Schulz CJ, Childers GW.Advances have been made to standardize 16S rRNA gene amplicon based studies for inter-study comparisons, yet there are many opportunities for systematic error that may render these comparisons improper and misleading. The fecal microbiome of horses has been examined previously, however, no universal horse fecal collection method and sample processing procedure has been established. This study was initialized in large part to ensure that samples collected by different individuals from different geographical areas (i.e., crowdsourced) were not contaminated due to less than optimal sampling or ho...
Gasser RB, Williamson RM, Beveridge I.Anoplocephala perfoliata is the commonest tapeworm parasite of horses and is incriminated as a significant cause of clinical disease (e.g., ileocaecal intussusception, caeco-caecal intussusception and/or caecal perforation), particularly in horses chronically infected with large numbers of worms. The high prevalence (approximately 20-80%) of the parasite in some countries suggests an increased risk of clinical cases. In spite of research, there is still a paucity of information regarding the pathogenesis of the disease, the epidemiology of the parasite in different geographical regions and the...
Upjohn MM, Attwood GA, Lerotholi T, Pfeiffer DU, Verheyen KL.The relative merits and potential complementarity of participatory methods and classical epidemiological techniques in veterinary-related research is a current topic of discussion. Few reported studies have applied both methodologies within the same research framework to enable direct comparison. The aim of this study was to compare issues identified by a classical epidemiological study of horses and their owners with those identified by owner communities using participatory approaches. In 2009, a cross-sectional survey was undertaken as part of an impact assessment study of farrier and saddle...
