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.
Morris ERA, Schroeder ME, Ferro PJ, Waller AS, McGlennon AA, Bustos CP, Gressler LT, Wu J, Lawhon SD, Boyle AG, Lingsweiler S, Paul N, Dimitrov K....Strangles is a contagious bacterial disease of horses caused by Streptococcus equi subspecies equi (SEE) that occurs globally. Rapid and accurate identification of infected horses is essential for controlling strangles. Because of limitations of existing PCR assays for SEE, we sought to identify novel primers and probes that enable simultaneous detection and differentiation of infection with SEE and S. equi subsp. zooepidemicus (SEZ). Comparative genomics of U.S. strains of SEE and SEZ (n = 50 each) identified SE00768 from SEE and comB from SEZ as target genes. Primers and probes for real-ti...
Faccin M, Wiener DJ, Rech RR, Santoro D, Rodrigues Hoffmann A.The skin covers the external surface of animals, and it is constantly exposed to and inhabited by different microorganisms, including bacteria. Alterations in the skin barrier allow commensal and/or pathogenic bacteria to proliferate and penetrate deep into the lower layers of the skin. Being the first barrier to the external environment, the skin is prone to injuries, allowing the penetration of microorganisms that may lead to severe deep infections. Companion animals, especially dogs, are prone to bacterial infections, often secondary to allergic dermatitis. When environmental conditions are...
Adam E.Emma Adam of the Gluck Equine Research Center at the University of Kentucky in the USA provides an update on rotaviruses, particularly the group B equine rotavirus identified in 2021.
Weese JS, Saab M, Moore A, Cai H, McClure JT.To compare PCR and culture results for the detection of subspecies . Respiratory tract samples (N = 158) from horses being tested for Bacterial culture was carried out on samples from which was detected by quantitative real-time PCR. was isolated from 12 (7.6%) samples: 4/9 (44%) samples when the PCR cycle threshold (C) was ≤ 30, 7/30 (23%) when the C was 30.1 to 35, and 1/119 (0.8%) when the C was 35.1 to 40. The highest C sample from a sample that yielded a positive culture was 36.9. The optimal Youden's J value was at a C of 34.2, the same value as determined by number needed to misdi...
Kinoshita Y, Yamanaka T, Kodaira K, Niwa H, Uchida-Fujii E, Ueno T.A two-dose revaccination against tetanus is recommended for horses over 2 years old in Japan with no history of vaccination in the previous year. Here, the need for two-dose revaccination was evaluated in terms of antibody titers for each vaccine type, namely monovalent or multivalent. There was no difference in antibody titers between one- and two-dose regimens for up to 1 year, except at 8 weeks with the multivalent vaccine, and all horses had sufficient antibody titers for 1 year of tetanus prophylaxis. These results suggest that one-dose revaccination, regardless of the vaccine type, is as...
Shan R, Steel CM, Sykes B.The impact of recommended withholding periods (RWPs) for omeprazole on the recurrence of Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome (EGUS) is unknown. The study was designed to compare the effect of two RWPs on EGUS recurrence post-omeprazole treatment and to determine if a nutraceutical supplement would reduce EGUS recurrence when administrated during an RWP. The study was a blinded, randomized clinical trial. Part 1: Horses were allocated to an RWP0 or RWP2 and crossed over after 4-weeks. Horses received oral omeprazole once daily, except during the RWPs at the end of the treatment periods. Part 2: Horse...
Occhiogrosso L, Capozza P, Buonavoglia A, Decaro N, Trotta A, Marin C, Corrente M.Equine periodontal disease (EPD) is a painful oral inflammatory syndrome characterized by multifactorial pathogenesis. Although it is well known that bacterial proliferation and consequent gingivitis are caused by the decomposition process of food residues, in hypsodont species, the pathogenetic role and the different bacterial species involved in the progression of EPD must be fully clarified. This study aimed to investigate the association of bacteria, including the complex red bacteria (RCB), with EPD, and to evaluate possible EPD risk factors. Bacterial species, including , , (belonging t...
Hayes AM, Kastl B, Perry E, Moore AR, Springer NL.Myeloma-related disorders, including multiple myeloma, extramedullary plasmacytoma, and solid osseous plasmacytoma, are rare in horses. Clinical complaints for myeloma-related disorders are nonspecific, and when present, M-protein location is more variable on protein electrophoresis in horses relative to dogs and cats. Here, we describe a case of a 15-year-old Thoroughbred mare who presented with recurrent blepharitis. Marked hyperglobulinemia was an incidental finding on routine hematologic and biochemical testing. Bone marrow aspiration consisted of >30% plasma cells, and serum protein el...
Ikechukwu CK, Qin K, Zhang H, Pan J, Zhang W.Papillomaviruses can be of great medical importance as they infect humans and animals such as Equus species, other livestock and pets. They are responsible for several papillomas and benign tumours in their host. Objective: To describe a novel equid papillomavirus detected in oral swab samples collected from donkeys (Equus asinus) found on the Northwest plateau of China. Methods: Cross-sectional. Methods: Swab samples collected from the oral mucosa of 32 donkeys in the Gansu Province of China, were subjected to viral metagenomic analysis to detect the presence of Papillomavirus. After de novo ...
Buono F, Veneziano V, Veronesi F, Molento MB.In June 2022, at the XXXII Conference of the Italian Society of Parasitology, the parallels of the main endoparasitic infections of horses and donkeys were discussed. Although these 2 species are genetically different, they can be challenged by a similar range of parasites (i.e. small and large strongyles, and spp.). Although equids can demonstrate some level of resilience to parasites, they have quite distinct helminth biodiversity, distribution and intensity among different geographical locations and breeds. Heavily infected donkeys may show fewer clinical signs than horses. Although parasi...
Sloan PB, White B, Santschi EM.Osteochondrosis dissecans (OCD) is common in the femoropatellar joint in Thoroughbred yearlings for sale at auction and there is no consensus on the effect on racing outcomes. Objective: Describe femoropatellar OCD in juvenile Thoroughbreds and compare the racing performance of affected Thoroughbred horses to siblings and unaffected horses from the same sale. Methods: Retrospective case-control study of juvenile horses born 2010-2016. Methods: Radiographic reports from 27 Thoroughbred auctions of weanling (5-11 months of age) and yearling (12-22 months of age) horses were reviewed to ident...
Mendes Junior AAV, Filgueira CPB, Miranda LFC, de Almeida AB, Cantanhêde LM, Fagundes A, Pereira SA, Menezes RC, Cupolillo E.Epidemiological data related to leishmaniases or Leishmania infection in horses are scarce. However, studies carried out in different regions in the world showed equids parasitised by Leishmania braziliensis, L. infantum and L. martiniquensis. Objective: Identify the Leishmania species causing cutaneous leishmaniasis in a mare, living in Rio de Janeiro State (Brazil), and search the presence of Leishmania viruses in the isolated parasite. Methods: Isoenzymes and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting ITSrDNA region followed by sequencing were conducted for typing the isolated parasite. A se...
Mouncey R, Arango-Sabogal JC, de Mestre AM, Verheyen KL.Up-to-date estimates of early-life morbidity and mortality in Thoroughbreds are lacking. Methods: A birth cohort was established on Thoroughbred stud farms across the UK and Ireland. All veterinary interventions for disease or injury between birth and 18 months of age or leaving the study were recorded. Multilevel Poisson regression models with farm and foal as random effects were fitted to estimate incidence rates. Results: Data were available for 3328 foal-months at risk for 275 foals on seven farms. The overall rates of disease and injury requiring veterinary intervention and mortality were...
Brys M, Claerebout E, Chiers K.Chronic progressive lymphedema (CPL) in draft horses is characterized by increased dermal thickness and fibrosis, with the development of skinfolds and nodules, hyperkeratosis, and ulcerations on the distal limbs of affected horses. Secondary bacterial, fungal, or parasitic infections frequently complicate and aggravate the lesions, as well as the progression of this disease. CPL has a particularly high prevalence of up to 85.86% in the Belgian draft horse breed. Due to the disease's progressive and incurable nature, affected horses are often euthanized prematurely. The treatment options are s...
Carminatti A, Chitolina MB, Ribeiro AB, Forest M, Collet SG, Prestes AM, Camillo G.To facilitate exploration of the immense range of gastrointestinal parasites in horses and the impact of parasitism on equine health, the present study aimed to evaluate the occurrence and risk factors associated with these infections in horses reared in different management systems in the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil. Samples were collected from 208 horses: 91 from extensive, 64 from semi-extensive, and 53 from intensive rearing systems. The identified helminths included those of the Strongylida order (80.29%), Parascaris equorum (3.36%), Oxyuris equi (4.33%), and Anoplocephala spp. (1.92%...
Brito G, Damián JP, Suárez G, Ruprechter G, Trigo P.RHU is the oldest endurance sport in Uruguay. However, despite 80 years of racing, there are no studies to characterize this type of competition, explore rates and causes of death, and identify the associated risk factors. The aim was to characterize the Raid Hipico Uruguayo (RHU) competencies according to the distance (short (SR, 60 km) vs. long (LR, 80-115 km)), the causes of deaths, and the associated risk factors. The study population comprised horses ( = 16,856) that participated in RHU rides from 2007 to 2018. LR were more frequent than SR ( < 0.001). The average speed of winners was ...
Marsella R, White S, Fadok VA, Wilson D, Mueller R, Outerbridge C, Rosenkrantz W.Allergic skin diseases are common in horses worldwide. The most common causes are insect bites and environmental allergens. Objective: To review the current literature and provide consensus on pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment and prevention. Methods: The authors reviewed the literature up to November 2022. Results were presented at North America Veterinary Dermatology Forum (2021) and European Veterinary Dermatology Congress (2021). The report was available to member organisations of the World Association for Veterinary Dermatology for feedback. Conclusions: Insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH...
Bannai H, Kambayashi Y, Nemoto M, Yamanaka T, Tsujimura K.Using 85 sera collected from horses that had been experimentally infected with equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) and 200 field sera collected from racehorses in Japan, we compared 4 agar gel immunodiffusion (AGID) kits for serologic detection of EIAV antibodies from Idexx, VMRD, IDvet, and the National Engineering Research Center of Veterinary Biologics, China (NECVB). The positive control lines were sufficiently clear in all kits for evaluation to be made, with slight differences in sharpness: NECVB was the sharpest, followed by VMRD, IDvet, and Idexx. The test results for all 285 samples...
van Heule M, Monteiro HF, Bazzazan A, Scoggin K, Rolston M, El-Sheikh Ali H, Weimer BC, Ball B, Daels P, Dini P.In spite of controversy, recent studies present evidence that a microbiome is present in the human placenta. However, there is limited information about a potential equine placental microbiome. In the present study, we characterized the microbial population in the equine placenta (chorioallantois) of healthy prepartum (280 days of gestation, n = 6) and postpartum (immediately after foaling, 351 days of gestation, n = 11) mares, using 16S rDNA sequencing (rDNA-seq). In both groups, the majority of bacteria belonged to the phyla Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, and Bacteroidota. T...
Arnold CE, Pilla R.The fecal microbiome of the horse is reflective of the large colon and plays an important role in the health of the horse. The microbes of the gastrointestinal tract digest fiber and produce energy for the host. Healthy horses have Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, and Verrucromicrobia as the most common phyla. During gastrointestinal disease such as colic or colitis, the microbiome shows less diversity and changes in bacterial community composition.
Martin KH, Redding LE, Boyle AG.Although equine strangles is reportable in all states, synchronous reporting of this disease does not occur across the country. States have variable regulations on reporting (actionable, notifiable, and monitored) and no mandatory comprehensive databases exist for tracking prevalence. In this study, which is a companion to our recent publication on veterinarians' opinions on this topic, we solicited equine affiliates' (including horse owners, horse business owners/trainers, breeders, and barn managers) opinions on reporting of strangles and factors influencing their opinion. A total of 518 equ...
Luethy D, Colmer S, Jodzio D, Bender S, Porter E, Hemmen Z, Fultz L, Craft W, Walker R, Johnson A, Holbrook T.Ultrasound-guided cervical centesis has gained popularity as a method for collecting cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from standing horses. There are anecdotal reports of neck stiffness, regional swelling, sensitivity to palpation, and fever after the procedure. We report 2 horses with complications that occurred within days of C1-C2 centesis and ultimately resulted in euthanasia. Both C1-C2 centesis were performed routinely, with CSF cytologic analysis providing no evidence of blood contamination. Post-mortem examination revealed equine degenerative myeloencephalopathy as the primary disorder causin...
Zimmermann E, Distl O.Before the genomics era, heritability estimates were performed using pedigree data. Data collection for pedigree analysis is time consuming and holds the risk of incorrect or incomplete data. With the availability of SNP-based arrays, heritability can now be estimated based on genotyping data. We used SNP array and 1.6 million imputed genotype data with different minor allele frequency restrictions to estimate heritabilities for osteochondrosis dissecans in the fetlock, hock and stifle joints of 446 Hanoverian warmblood horses. SNP-based heritabilities were estimated using a genomic restricted...
Kaplan RM, Denwood MJ, Nielsen MK, Thamsborg SM, Torgerson PR, Gilleard JS, Dobson RJ, Vercruysse J, Levecke B.The faecal egg count reduction test (FECRT) remains the method of choice for establishing the efficacy of anthelmintic compounds in the field, including the diagnosis of anthelmintic resistance. We present a guideline for improving the standardization and performance of the FECRT that has four sections. In the first section, we address the major issues relevant to experimental design, choice of faecal egg count (FEC) method, statistical analysis, and interpretation of the FECRT results. In the second section, we make a series of general recommendations that are applicable across all animals ad...
Anwaar F, Ijaz M, Rasheed H, Shah SFA, Haider SAR, Sabir MJ.The purpose of the current study was to investigate the nasal colonization and drug resistance profile of Staphylococcus aureus, methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), and vancomycin-resistant S. aureus (VRSA) in donkeys (n =63), mules (n = 42), and horses (n = 98). MRSA and VRSA were confirmed based on phenotypic and molecular methods, followed by phylogenetic analysis. Furthermore, the association of various animal and management-based risk factors with S. aureus colonization was also evaluated. The presence of nuc gene on polymerase chain reaction showed an overall prevalence of 42.86%...
Kumbhani TR, Raval SH, Parmar RS, Patel JG, Bechara VJ, Sindhi PI, Modh SP.A 6-year-old Marwari mare presented with recurrent vulvar growth. The growth was surgically excised, fixed and processed routinely. Microscopically, neoplasm showed proliferation of epithelial and myoepithelial cells with tubulopapillary pattern. On immunohistochemistry, myoepithelial cells showed strong immunoreactivity with smooth muscle actin alpha and p63. On basis of histopathology and immunohistochemistry, tumour was diagnosed as complex apocrine carcinoma. This case report describes first confirm vulvar complex apocrine carcinoma in equines.
Costa PWL, Oliveira CSM, Bezerra RA, Alvares FBV, Formiga VHAS, Martins MRDD, Feitosa TF, Vilela VLR.The aim of this study was to describe the prevalence of anti- and anti- antibodies in equids that carry out traction work in Northeastern Brazil, and to establish the potential risk factors associated with seropositivity for these agents. Blood samples were collected from 322 traction equids (horses, donkeys and mules) in urban areas of 16 municipalities in the State of Paraíba, Brazil. The samples were sent for serological diagnosis using the Immunofluorescence Antibody Test (IFAT). Epidemiological questionnaires were given to the owners to assess the possible risk factors associated with in...
Pedersen NC.Lentiviruses are associated with persistent infection and chronic
disease in three major species of livestock—horses, sheep, and goats.
Another lentivirus named bovine immunodeficiency virus (BIV) recently has been described (Gonda et al., 1987). It is a Visna-like virus that was originally isolated over a decade ago from cattle with
persistent lymphocytosis, lymphadenopathy, weakness, emaciation,
and central nervous system (CNS) lesions (Van der Maaten et al,
1972). There is very little information on the epidemiology, clinical
manifestations, or importance of bovine lentivirus infect...
Reinemeyer CR.Since 2002, selected populations of Parascaris equorum in several countries have been reported to survive treatment with macrocyclic lactone (M/L) anthelmintics. Clinical treatment failures are characterized by negligible fecal egg count reduction, but M/L resistance has been confirmed in ascarids by controlled efficacy testing. Resistance was selected by current parasite control practices for foals, which often include exclusive and excessively frequent use of M/L dewormers, thereby minimizing refugia within the host and in the environment. Chemical control of M/L-resistant isolates can be ac...
Racklyeft DJ, Love DN.To investigate associations between the bacteriology and aspects of history, clinical presentation, outcome and pathology of lower respiratory tract disease of 34 horses. Methods: Detailed aerobic and anaerobic bacteriological investigations were performed on clinical specimens from horses with pneumonia, lung abscessation and necrotic pneumonia with or without pleurisy in an attempt to identify those bacteria that might contribute to the initiation and progression of infection. Results: Bacteria were cultured from 33 of the 34 horses. In ten cases, only aerobic/facultatively anaerobic isolate...
Abbas G, Ghafar A, Hurley J, Bauquier J, Beasley A, Wilkes EJA, Jacobson C, El-Hage C, Cudmore L, Carrigan P, Tennent-Brown B, Gauci CG, Nielsen MK....Cyathostomins are the most important and common parasitic nematodes of horses, with > 50 species known to occur worldwide. The frequent and indiscriminate use of anthelmintics has resulted in the development of anthelmintic resistance (AR) in horse nematodes. In this study we assessed the efficacy of commonly used anthelmintics against cyathostomins in Australian thoroughbred horses. Methods: Two drug efficacy trials per farm were conducted on two thoroughbred horse farms in the state of Victoria, Australia. In the first trial, the horses on Farm A were treated with single and combinations ...
Jang SS, Hirsh DC.During the years from 1984 through 1991, 1,067 specimens from canine, equine, exotic, feline, porcine, and ruminant animal sources were found to contain members of the genus Fusobacterium: The most common sites or conditions from which members of this genus were isolated were abscesses, the respiratory tract, and pleural and peritoneal cavities. Most specimens contained a single Fusobacterium species. The most commonly isolated species was Fusobacterium necrophorum. Almost all of the specimens contained other obligate anaerobes together with facultative and obligate aerobes. The identities of ...
Quinlivan M, Nelly M, Prendergast M, Breathnach C, Horohov D, Arkins S, Chiang YW, Chu HJ, Ng T, Cullinane A.Most studies of the cytokine response to influenza virus infection have been carried out in human, porcine and murine models, however the data available on equine cytokines is limited. An experimental challenge study was undertaken in unvaccinated naïve horses and horses vaccinated with a commercial inactivated influenza vaccine. The humoral antibody response to vaccination and virus challenge was measured by single radial haemolysis (SRH) assay and clinical signs of influenza and viral shedding were monitored post-challenge. Levels of three equine pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-...
Traversa D, Otranto D, Milillo P, Latrofa MS, Giangaspero A, Di Cesare A, Paoletti B.In order to evaluate infection occurrence and the potential zoonotic role of horse isolates of Giardia duodenalis, 431 individual fecal samples were genetically characterized by PCR tests -coupled sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. Thirty-seven (8.6%) animals resulted infected by different Assemblage. The presence of sub-Assemblage was assessed by characterizing the β-giardin gene for 16 of the 37 positive horses. Ten isolates showed 99.6% to 100% homology with the sub-Assemblage described as B1-2 and B1-6, three Assemblage A showed 99.8% homology with sub-Assemblage A1, while one Assembla...
Hines MT, Schott HC, Bayly WM, Leroux AJ.Exercise has been recognized as a stress, which can significantly alter the host's immune response and, therefore, its susceptibility to disease. Whereas research in this area has previously focused primarily on human subjects and laboratory animals, it has more recently extended to domestic animals, especially the equine athlete. Despite several studies, defining the relationship among exercise, the immune response, and disease has proven difficult due to a number of factors, including the complexity of the immune system and the variable nature of exercise itself. It now appears that exercise...
Barragry TB.The avermectins were introduced in 1981 and constitute a potent new class of anthelmintic agents. They are naturally-derived products of microbial action displaying an exceptionally wide range of antiparasitic efficacy against internal and external parasites of domestic animals. This paper reviews their isolation and chemistry, mechanism of action, chemical efficacy and safety in cattle, sheep, swine, horses and dogs.
Equine sarcoids are benign fibroblastic skin tumours that are recognized throughout the world. Infection with bovine papillomavirus (BPV) types 1 and 2 has been implicated as a major factor in disease development; however, the cellular mechanisms underlying fibroblast transformation remain poorly defined. The present study further characterizes aspects of the association with BPV in 15 equine sarcoids. BPV DNA was demonstrated in 12/15 tumours collected from different areas of Italy. Nine of these 12 tumours expressed the BPV oncoproteins E5 and E7, but these oncoproteins were not expressed by...
Morton AC, Begg AP, Anderson GA, Takai S, Lämmler C, Browning GF.Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis of restriction endonuclease-digested genomic DNA from a large collection of clinical isolates of Rhodococcus equi, an important pathogen of foals, was used to compare strain distribution between farms and over time. Forty-four strains were found among 209 isolates, with 5 of these accounting for over half the isolates and the 22 strains isolated more than once accounting for 90% of the isolates. The average genotypic diversity on each farm and in each year was found to be less than the genotypic diversity of the isolates taken as a whole, with 5.2% of the total...
Dubey JP, Streitel RH, Stromberg PC, Toussant MJ.Hearts, diaphragms, esophagi, and spinal cords from 266 horses were obtained at slaughter in Creston, Ohio. Tissues were examined microscopically for Sarcocystis in sections, digested in trypsin to obtain bradyzoites, and fed to 10 dogs and 10 cats. Intramuscular cysts were found in selections of two hearts from 57 horses and four esophagi from 107 horses. The cysts were up to 900 micron long and up to 70 micron wide. The cyst wall was 1 to 2 micron thick and cross-striated. The enclosed bradyzoites were banana-shaped, 15 to 20 by 20 to 3 micron, and contained several PAS-positive granules. Br...
Jacks S, Giguère S, Crawford PC, Castleman WL.Rhodococcus equi is a facultative intracellular pathogen that causes pneumonia in young foals but does not induce disease in immunocompetent adult horses. Clearance of R. equi depends mainly on gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) production by T lymphocytes, whereas the predominance of interleukin 4 (IL-4) is detrimental. Young foals, like neonates of many other species, are generally deficient in the ability to produce IFN-gamma. The objective of this study was to compare the cytokine profiles, as well as cell-mediated and antibody responses, of young foals to those of adult horses following intrabr...
The PC/LPC ratio of blood serum is increasingly considered to represent an important clinical parameter that reflects various kinds of diseases. Here, a simple and fast method of lipid analyses of "intact" blood serum (i.e. without extraction) by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry is described. The novel procedure allows the accurate determination of the PC/LPC ratio, utilizing only a tiny amount of blood. The serum is diluted with distilled water and directly applied onto the MALDI target and, after drying, covered by a thin layer of the matrix solution (either 9-aminoacridine or 2,5-dihydroxybenzoi...
Soza-Ossandón P, Rivera D, Tardone R, Riquelme-Neira R, García P, Hamilton-West C, Adell AD, González-Rocha G, Moreno-Switt AI. is a highly infectious microorganism responsible for many outbreaks reported in equine hospitals. Outbreaks are characterized by high morbidity and mortality rates, nosocomial transmission to other patients, zoonotic transmission to hospital personnel, and even closure of facilities. In this study, 545 samples (environmental and hospitalized patients) were collected monthly during a 1-year period from human and animal contact surfaces in an equine hospital that received local and international horses. A total of 22 isolates were obtained from human contact surfaces (e.g., offices and pharmac...
Hawkins E, Kock R, McKeever D, Gakuya F, Musyoki C, Chege SM, Mutinda M, Kariuki E, Davidson Z, Low B, Skilton RA, Njahira MN, Wamalwa M, Maina E.The role of equine piroplasmosis as a factor in the population decline of the Grevy's zebra is not known. We determined the prevalence of Babesia caballi and Theileria equi in cograzing Grevy's zebras (Equus grevyi) and donkeys (Equus africanus asinus) in northern Kenya and identified the associated tick vectors. Blood samples were taken from 71 donkeys and 16 Grevy's zebras from March to May 2011. A nested PCR reaction using 18s ribosomal (r)RNA primers on 87 blood spots showed 72% (51/71; 95% confidence interval [CI] 60.4-81.0%) of donkeys and 100% (16/16; 95% CI, 77.3-100%) of Grevy's zebra...
Doubli-Bounoua N, Richard EA, Léon A, Pitel PH, Pronost S, Fortier G.The potential involvement of viruses in inflammatory airway disease (IAD) was previously investigated through either serology or PCR from nasopharyngeal swabs (NS). The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence and incidence of viral genome detection by qPCR in the equine airways, and their association with respiratory clinical signs. Both NS and tracheal washes (TW) were collected monthly on 52 Standardbred racehorses at training, over 27 consecutive months (581 samples). Equid herpesviruses (EHV)-1, -4, -2 and -5, equine rhinitis virus-A and -B (ERBV), equine adenovirus-1 and -2, e...
Ataseven VS, Bilge-Dagalp S, Oguzoglu TC, Karapinar Z, Güzel M, Tan MT.The equid herpesvirus 2 (EHV-2) and 5 (EHV-5), identified agents of respiratory infections and keratoconjunctivitis cases in some equids, comprise a high degree of antigenic heterogeneity. Prevalence and genetic characterization of EHV-2 and EHV-5 strains from Turkey were investigated in this study. A total of 73 nasal swabs and 54 blood specimens were sampled from horses with respiratory tract diseases characterized by mucopurulent nasal discharge and occasional coughing. Overall, EHV-2- and EHV-5-specific DNA amplicons were obtained from 19.2% (14/73) and 21.9% (16/73) of horses tested by mu...
van Doorn DC, Ploeger HW, Eysker M, Geurden T, Wagenaar JA, Kooyman FN.The normal time interval between treatment of horses with a macrocyclic lactone (ML) and reappearance of strongyle eggs in the feces, or 'Egg Reappearance Period (ERP)', is at its shortest 8 weeks for ivermectin (IVM) and 12 weeks for moxidectin (MOX). Nowadays, it is not uncommon to find shorter ERPs, potentially indicating the beginning of the development of drug resistance. Whether all cyathostomin species contribute equally to a shortened ERP is not known. In the present study a Reverse Line Blot (RLB) on individual infective larvae was used to compare species composition before and after ...
Sato H, Matsumori Y, Tanabe T, Saito H, Shimizu A, Kawano J.A new type of staphylococcal exfoliative toxin (sET) was isolated from the culture filtrate of a Staphylococcus aureus strain isolated from a horse with skin infection including phlegmon. The new sET was purified by precipitation with 80% saturated ammonium sulfate, column chromatography on DEAE-cellulofine A-500, gel filtration on a Sephadex G-75 column, and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (7.5% polyacrylamide). The new sET elicited general exfoliation of the epidermis with the so-called Nikolsky sign when inoculated into both 3-day-old mice and 1-day-old chicks, whereas sETA and sETB from...
Angelos J, Oppenheim Y, Rebhun W, Mohammed H, Antczak DF.The relationship between breed and the risk of developing sarcoid tumours or uveitis of unknown etiology was evaluated in a retrospective study of 16242 equine cases admitted between 1975 and 1987 to the New York State College of Veterinary Medicine Large Animal Hospital, and 3198 equine tissue samples sent to the New York State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory between 1977 and 1987. Of 120 sarcoid cases from the Large Animal Hospital, sarcoids were twice as likely to develop in Quarter Horses (odds ratio, OR = 1.8, P less than 0.05) relative to Thoroughbreds and less than half as likely to de...
Patton KM, McGuire TC, Fraser DG, Hines SA.The goal of this research was to examine the role of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) in the control of Rhodococcus equi and specifically to determine if R. equi-specific CD8+ CTL occurred in the blood of immune horses. Equine peripheral blood mononuclear cells stimulated with antigen-presenting cells either infected with R. equi or exposed to soluble R. equi antigen lysed R. equi-infected target cells. Lysis was decreased to background by depletion of either CD2+ or CD3+ cells, indicating that the effector cell had a T-lymphocyte, but not NK cell, phenotype. Stimulation induced an increased perc...
Pottier M, Castagnet S, Gravey F, Leduc G, Sévin C, Petry S, Giard JC, Le Hello S, Léon A. is one of the leading causes of healthcare-associated infections in humans. This bacterium is less represented in veterinary medicine, despite causing difficult-to-treat infections due to its capacity to acquire antimicrobial resistance, produce biofilms, and persist in the environment, along with its limited number of veterinary antibiotic therapies. Here, we explored susceptibility profiles to antibiotics and to didecyldimethylammonium chloride (DDAC), a quaternary ammonium widely used as a disinfectant, in 168 strains isolated from animals, mainly Equidae. A genomic study was performed on...
Nieto JE, Snyder JR, Vatistas NJ, Jones JH.To develop a protocol to induce and maintain gastric ulceration in horses and to determine whether gastric ulceration affects physiologic indices of performance during high-speed treadmill exercise. Methods: 20 healthy Thoroughbreds. Methods: Each horse was acclimatized to treadmill exercise during a 2-week period. Subsequently, baseline data were collected (day 0) and each horse began an incrementally increasing exercise training program (days 1 through 56). Beginning on day 14, horses were administered omeprazole (4 mg/kg, PO, q 24 h until day 56) or no drug (10 horses/group) and underwent a...
