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.
Anderson GA, Mount ME, Vrins AA, Ziemer EL.Acorn poisoning was diagnosed in an 11-year-old Quarter Horse with signs of severe colic, tachycardia, hyperpnea, abdominal borborygmus, rectal tenesmus, and hemorrhagic diarrhea. The diagnosis was based on history and predisposing factors, clinical signs, laboratory data, acorn husks in the feces, the urinary gallic acid equivalent concentration, and necropsy findings. The most striking pathologic changes were gastrointestinal and mesenteric edema, ulcerative enterocolitis, and nephrosis.
DiPietro JA, Paul A, Todd KS.Forty horses from a herd known to have benzimidazole-resistant small strongyles were treated with mebendazole (8.8 mg/kg) or combinations of mebendazole and piperazine monohydrochloride (25, 40, or 55 mg of piperazine base/kg). Pretreatment and 7-day posttreatment fecal examinations were done. Fecal cultures and strongyle egg per gram (epg) counts, and in vitro testing for benzimidazole resistance were performed. Results of fecal examinations prior to treatment were similar in all horses, and results of testing were positive for benzimidazole resistance. Horses treated with mebendazole and pip...
Klei TR, Chapman MR, Torbert BJ, McClure JR.An indirect fluorescent antibody assay (IFA) was developed using Strongylus vulgaris third stage larvae (L3) as antigens. Observations using the IFA indicate that a species-specific antibody response to S. vulgaris L3 develops in S. vulgaris-infected ponies and that some surface L3 antigens are shared by adult worms. Sequential antibody levels against S. vulgaris were measured in strongyle-naive and in immune ponies following initial and challenge infections using the IFA and an indirect hemagglutination assay (IHA). Antibody levels measured by IFA increased faster following initial infections...
Zamansky GB, Arundel C, Nagasawa H, Little JB.The growth of two human diploid skin fibroblast cell lines, originally grown in medium supplemented with foetal bovine serum and later adapted to medium supplemented with newborn bovine, bovine calf or horse serum, has been studied. Prolonged generation times increased cell volumes and decreased plating efficiencies were observed in cultures grown in newborn bovine, bovine calf or horse serum. In general, the deleterious effects were most severe as a result of growth in bovine calf or horse serum. In the light of the present findings, we believe investigators should exert great caution in swit...
Oprescu SV.The paper presents the results of some genetic studies accomplished in Romania in the field of pathology of reproduction in domestic animals (pseudohermaphroditism in horses, testicular hypoplasia in he-goats, intersexuality in pigs, freemartinism and genital infantilism in cattle). Also, the use of the cytogenetic test in genetic prophylaxis in pigs and cattle was shown. In addition, the methods for detecting genitors with undesirable genes were devised and perspectives for the development of hereditary hygiene discussed.
Perryman LE, McGuire TC, Banks KL.This research explores X-linked agammaglobulinemia in horses, a severe immune deficiency found in various horse breeds, leading to clinical signs like pneumonia and arthritis. Lymphoid tissues show an absence of […]
Allen GP, Yeargan MR, Bryans JT.The effect of in vitro and in vivo serial virus passage on the genetic stability of equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) was investigated by restriction endonuclease analysis of the viral DNA. DNAs of EHV-1 isolates at different passage levels in cultured cells or in Syrian hamsters were compared by electrophoresis of the DNA cleavage fragments produced by restriction endonuclease digestion. No changes were observed in the restriction profile of the DNAs of EHV-1 strains after 100 sequential passages in cultured equine cells. However, serial passage of the virus in hamsters or in cells of non-equine o...
Platt H.The pathology of 4 cases of caecal rupture in foaling mares is described. One of these animals died suddenly, probably when rupture occurred, and 3 survived for 5 to 8 h and died from acute peritonitis.
The pathogenesis of this type of injury is discussed and it is suggested that rupture may arise from the pressure of a foetal hind foot against the caecum when distended by local tympany.
Nara PL, Krakowka S, Powers TE, Garg RC.Fourteen young outbred horses, divided into 2 groups on the basis of 18- or 24-hour skin-test reactions to Streptococcus equi, were inoculated nasopharyngeally with virulent S equi. Animals (n = 6, group I) with evidence of previous exposure to S equi (positive dermal response and existing serum antibodies), with one exception, developed minimal or no signs of disease after inoculation. In contrast, S equi skin-test negative and seronegative horses (n = 8, group II) developed predictable and severe clinical signs of infection after their inoculation, including shedding of the organism from nas...
Cho SN, Collins MT, Reif JS, McChesney AE.Attempts to infect horses with Legionella pneumophila were undertaken to determine pathogenicity and to evaluate the possibility that horses serve as a reservoir for the organism. A previous study showed that the prevalence of antibodies to L pneumophila in the equine population exceeded 30% of over 600 sera examined. Horses were infected experimentally with the Philadelphia 1 or Bloomington 2 strain of L pneumophila IV or by aerosolization. Signs of clinical illness were restricted to a transient febrile response. A transient decrease in circulating lymphocytes occurred 2 days after inoculati...
Leach DH, Crawford WH.This paper describes the major areas that require investigation in equine locomotion and outlines a plan for such research in both the Thoroughbred and Standardbred. Fifteen topics for future investigation have been selected and given an order of priority. These topics deal with characteristics of normal locomotion, factors which influence locomotion, the epidemiology and economics of lameness and the clinical identification of lameness.
Moorthy AR, Spradbrow PB.
Summary:
During a survey in Queensland in 1974—77 four strains of rickettsia-like organisms were isolated from the respiratory tract of horses, of which two, NS7 and NS68 were isolated from nasal swabs of clinically normal horses and two, KSDH 91 and NSDH 100, from lung samples of slaughtered horses showing gross pathological lesions in the form of acute bronchiolitis and subacute interstitial pneumonia, respectively. The isolates are characterised as rickettsia-like organisms on the basis of their morphology, tinctorial property, growth in chicken embryos, inability to grow on bacteria...
Balasuriya UB.The primary goals of this chapter are to discuss common viral RNA isolation and purification methods that are routinely used by various diagnostic laboratories, to highlight the advantages and drawbacks of each method, and to identify the most suitable and reliable method to increase the sensitivity and specificity of RT-PCR assays for the detection of equine influenza virus (EIV) in clinical specimens. Our experiences and review of literature show that magnetic bead-based nucleic extraction methods (manual and automatic) work well for isolation and purification of EIV RNA from nasal swab spec...
Smith LH, Adams L, Derré M, Townsend WM.To describe the successful use of endoscopy to visualize and place a soft canine ureteral stent to relieve a chronic nasolacrimal duct (NLD) obstruction in a horse. Methods: A 7-year-old, Quarter horse gelding. Methods: Under general anesthesia, retrograde nasolacrimal endoscopy was performed using an 8.5 Fr Storz Flex XC ureteroscope through the nasal punctum (NP). An obstructive web of fibrous tissue was visualized approximately 20 cm proximal to the NP. A 0.035″/150 cm hydrophilic guidewire was passed normograde from the ventral lacrimal punctum and used to puncture the stenotic tissu...
Nyack B, Padmore CL, Dunn D, Kufuor-Mensan E, Mobini S.A 10-year-old Tennessee Walker gelding, with a history of progressive weight loss, intermittent colic and lethargy, had a slight fever, tachycardia, tachypnea, pallor, ascites and marked ventral edema. Blood analyses revealed anemia, leukocytosis, neutrophilia with a left shift, lymphopenia, monocytosis, hypoproteinemia and a slightly increased SDH level. Abdominocentesis produced red-orange fluid with many RBC and an increased fibrinogen content. Rectal palpation revealed a large mass in the left caudal abdominal quadrant. The animal died shortly after resection of the mass. The histopatholog...
Losinger WC, Traub-Dargatz JL, Sampath RK, Morley PS.Of 7320 equine foals reported born alive during 1997 on 1043 operations that had equids on 1 January 1997, and that participated in the United States National Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS) Equine 1998 Study, 120 foals were reported to have died (by either euthanasia or natural causes) within the first 2 days of a live birth. The weighted estimate was 1.7% mortality (standard error=0.5) within the first 2 days of live birth for all foals born on operations in the 28 states included in the study.A multivariable logistic-regression model revealed that foals born in the southern region w...
Czernomysy-Furowicz D, Silecka A, Nawrotek P, Jankowiak D, Karakulska J, Furowicz A.The research was conducted on clinically healthy mares (n = 40) and foals (n = 78) during Y. pseudotuberculosis associated enzootics. The animals were divided into groups: I to IV--mares, IA to IVA--their offsprings, IB to IVB--foals which mothers were not treated with any medicaments. The animals in group I, IA and IB were injected with PBS; in group II, IIA and IIB--with Y. pseudotuberculosis strain-based vaccine, in group III, IIIA and IIIB--with P. acnes strain-based immunostimulator; in group IV, IVA and IVB--with P. acnes strain-based immunostimulator and (5 days after the immunostimulat...
van de Velde LF.The present author's practice was offered the opportunity of testing a so-called buffy-coat analyser of the firm of Becton & Dickinson for its use in the field. He does not deny readers the report of his preliminary experience. In addition, the interpretation of the results and the limitations of the apparatus are briefly discussed.