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.
Viļuma A, Mikko S, Hahn D, Skow L, Andersson G, Bergström TF.The mammalian Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) region contains several gene families characterized by highly polymorphic loci with extensive nucleotide diversity, copy number variation of paralogous genes, and long repetitive sequences. This structural complexity has made it difficult to construct a reliable reference sequence of the horse MHC region. In this study, we used long-read single molecule, real-time (SMRT) sequencing technology from Pacific Biosciences (PacBio) to sequence eight Bacterial Artificial Chromosome (BAC) clones spanning the horse MHC class II region. The final asse...
Kuwano A, Niwa H, Arai K.To establish a new system to isolate keratolytic bacteria from the hoof wall cavity () of a racehorse, we invented the horn powder agar-translucency (HoPAT) test and horn zymography (HZ). Using routine bacteriological techniques and these methods, we isolated five strains of keratolytic soil bacteria, which were then identified by means of 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene sequencing analysis. The findings from the study on the horse suggested that Brevibacterium luteolum played the main role in the local fragility of the hoof, eventually forming a in coordination with four other strains of kerat...
Kimura Y, Aoki T, Chiba A, Nambo Y.Dystocia is often lethal for neonatal foals; however, its clinicopathological features remain largely unknown. We investigated the effect of dystocia on the foal blood profile. Venous blood samples were collected from 35 foals (5 Percheron and 30 crossbreds between Percheron, Belgian, and Breton heavy draft horses) at 0 hr, 1 hr, 12 hr and 1 day after birth. Dystocia was defined as prolonged labor >30 min with strong fetal traction with or without fetal displacement. The dystocia group (n=13) showed lower mean values for pH (P<0.01), bicarbonate (P<0.01), total carbon dioxide (P<0....
Adams RJ, Mathys DA, Mollenkopf DF, Whittle A, Daniels JB, Wittum TE.The emergence of bacterial resistance to carbapenem antibiotics is an urgent public health threat. Carbapenem drugs are a last resort treatment option for life-threatening infections. The frequent use of broad-spectrum antibiotics to treat hospitalized patients provides significant selection pressure favoring the emergence and dissemination of resistant organisms, including carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE). CREs have been reported in animal populations, but only rarely in horses. Our objective was to determine the prevalence of CRE in the environment of a referral equine specialty...
Apostolakos I, Franz E, van Hoek AHAM, Florijn A, Veenman C, Sloet-van Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan MM, Dierikx C, van Duijkeren E.To investigate the occurrence and characteristics of ESBL/AmpC-producing Escherichia coli in faecal samples from horses at one equine clinic in the Netherlands. A total of 91 horses, including residents and patients, were sampled. ESBL/AmpC-producing E. coli were identified by a combination disc diffusion test. Phylogenetic groups and MLST were determined. ESBL/AmpC genes were analysed using PCR and sequencing. Plasmids were characterized by transformation and PCR-based replicon typing. Subtyping of plasmids was done by plasmid MLST. At least one E. coli isolate with a confirmed ESBL/AmpC gene...
Stanley SD, Moffitt K, Wiebe V.Equine practitioners should follow these recommendations when using compounded medications: (1) the decision must be veterinary driven, based on a valid veterinarian-client-patient relationship and on evidence-based medicine; (2) compliance with the Animal Medicinal Drug Use Clarification Act of 1994; and (3) use limited to (a) horses for which no other method or route of drug delivery is practical; (b) those drugs for which safety, efficacy, and stability have been demonstrated; or (c) disease conditions for which a quantifiable response to therapy or drug concentration can be monitored.
Magdesian KG.Neonatal foals are at high risk of developing sepsis, which can be life-threatening. Early antimicrobial use is a critical component of the treatment of sepsis. Because the neonatal foal has unique pharmacologic physiology, antimicrobial choice and dosing are often different than in adult horses. Broad-spectrum, bactericidal, and intravenous antimicrobials should be considered first-line therapy for septic foals. A combination of aminoglycoside and beta-lactam antimicrobial or third-generation cephalosporin is an excellent empirical first choice for treating septic foals, until culture and sus...
Agerholm JS, Pedersen HG, McEvoy FJ, Heegaard S.Knowledge of congenital malformations and their causes in horses is generally sparse. Such conditions require more scientific attention to improve their diagnostics and inform prevention strategies. Here, a unique syndrome of bilateral oblique facial clefts (meloschisis), rudimentary eyes and hydrocephalus is reported in an equine foetus spontaneously aborted at gestation day 224. The cause of abortion was considered to be intrauterine death caused by umbilical cord torsions and subsequent compromised blood flow, but the aetiology of the malformation could not be determined. A detailed history...
Weyer CT, Grewar JD, Burger P, Joone C, Lourens C, MacLachlan NJ, Guthrie AJ.African horse sickness (AHS) is a fatal disease of equids relevant to the global equine industry. Detection of AHS virus (AHSV) during outbreaks has become more rapid and efficient with the advent of group specific reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction (GS RT-qPCR) assays to detect AHSV nucleic acid. Use of GS RT-qPCR together with recently described type specific (TS RT-qPCR) assays cannot only expedite diagnosis of AHS but also facilitate further evaluation of the dynamics of AHSV infection in the equine host. A potential limitation to the application of these assays i...
Murungi EK, Kariithi HM.The apicomplexan parasite Sarcocystis neurona causes equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM), a degenerative neurological disease of horses. Due to its host range expansion, S. neurona is an emerging threat that requires close monitoring. In apicomplexans, protein kinases (PKs) have been implicated in a myriad of critical functions, such as host cell invasion, cell cycle progression and host immune response evasion. Here, we used various bioinformatics methods to define the kinome of S. neurona and phylogenetic relatedness of its PKs to other apicomplexans. We identified 97 putative PKs clust...
Mittelman NS, Divers TJ, Engiles JB, Gerhold R, Ness S, Scrivani PV, Southard T, Johnson AL.There are reports of horses with acute onset acquired cervical scoliosis and cutaneous analgesia. The underlying dorsal gray column myelitis that produces these neurologic signs has been only presumptively attributed to migration of Parelaphostrongylus tenuis within the spinal cord. Despite previous confirmation brain by polymerase chain reaction testing, of P. tenuis within the brain of horses by polymerase chain reaction testing, genetic testing has failed to definitively identify the presence of this parasite in cases of equine myelitis. This case report provides molecular confirmation via ...
Lyons ET, Bellaw JL, Dorton AR, Tolliver SC.Field tests were performed on Thoroughbred yearlings (n=143), evaluating efficacy of moxidectin (MOX) against ascarids and strongyles and the efficacy of an ivermectin (IVM)-praziquantel (PRAZ) combination against those nematodes and tapeworms on a farm in Central Kentucky. The study was started on March 1, 2016 and completed on August 23, 2016. Fecal samples were collected from yearlings every two weeks for counts of ascarid and strongyle eggs per gram of feces (EPGs) and for determining the presence of tapeworm eggs. MOX was given to 88 yearlings on March 1; 55 yearlings were nontreated cont...
Mekuria ZH, El-Hage C, Ficorilli NP, Washington EA, Gilkerson JR, Hartley CA.Equine herpesvirus 5 (EHV5) is a commonly detected gammaherpesvirus, which, along with the closely related EHV2, constitute the only two known percaviruses that infect horses. Apart from detection in horse populations worldwide and the recent publication of the whole genome, there is little known about the biology and pathogenesis of this virus, with many assumptions made by parallels with EHV2. The long-term survival of gammaherpesviruses within infected hosts involves the establishment and maintenance of latency in selected cell and tissues types, particularly lymphocytes. A latent gammaherp...
Rampacci E, Passamonti F, Bottinelli M, Stefanetti V, Cercone M, Nannarone S, Gialletti R, Beccati F, Coletti M, Pepe M.This study aims to investigate the bacteria involved in equine omphalitis and their susceptibility to antimicrobial drugs, and consequently to provide guidelines concerning the most suitable treatment protocol in accordance with the clinical, ultrasound and laboratory findings. Forty foals aged between one and 30 days were evaluated in the course of this investigation. An ultrasound examination of all umbilical remnants was carried out carefully in all foals; umbilical swabs were collected for bacteriological examination, and blood samples were collected for blood culture from 19 foals with ...
Cappelli K, Cook RF, Stefanetti V, Passamonti F, Autorino GL, Scicluna MT, Coletti M, Verini Supplizi A, Capomaccio S.Equine infectious anaemia virus (EIAV) is a lentivirus with an almost worldwide distribution that causes persistent infections in equids. Technical limitations have restricted genetic analysis of EIAV field isolates predominantly to gag sequences resulting in very little published information concerning the extent of inter-strain variation in pol, env and the three ancillary open reading frames (ORFs). Here, we describe the use of long-range PCR in conjunction with next-generation sequencing (NGS) for rapid molecular characterization of all viral ORFs and known transcription factor binding mot...
Luethy D, Slack J, Kraus MS, Gelzer AR, Habecker P, Johnson AL.Third-degree atrioventricular block (AVB) and primary inflammatory myocarditis are uncommon findings in horses. The horse of this report presented for collapse at rest and was found to have multiple cardiac arrhythmias, most notably 3rd-degree AVB. The horse was subsequently diagnosed with eosinophilic myocarditis on necropsy, a rare form of myocarditis not previously reported in horses. Despite extensive testing, an etiologic agent could not be identified, illustrating the difficulty in identifying a specific cause of myocarditis in horses.
Deng L, Li W, Zhong Z, Gong C, Cao X, Song Y, Wang W, Huang X, Liu X, Hu Y, Fu H, He M, Wang Y, Zhang Y, Wu K, Peng G.A total of 333 fecal specimens from horses in southwestern China were genotyped based on analysis of the small subunit rRNA (SSU rRNA) gene. Cryptosporidium hominis and Cryptosporidium andersoni were identified in 2 and 4 stool specimens, respectively. The identification of C. hominis was confirmed by sequence analysis of the 70-kDa heat shock protein (HSP70) and oocyst wall protein (COWP) genes. Subtyping analysis of the 60-kDa glycoprotein (GP60) gene sequence of C. hominis revealed a new rare subtype Id, named IdA15; only three Id isolates have been reported in humans to date. Multilocus ...
Pfaender S, Walter S, Grabski E, Todt D, Bruening J, Romero-Brey I, Gather T, Brown RJ, Hahn K, Puff C, Pfankuche VM, Hansmann F, Postel A, Becher P....Hepatitis C virus (HCV) displays a restricted host species tropism and only humans and chimpanzees are susceptible to infection. A robust immunocompetent animal model is still lacking, hampering mechanistic analysis of virus pathogenesis, immune control, and prophylactic vaccine development. The closest homolog of HCV is the equine nonprimate hepacivirus (NPHV), which shares similar features with HCV and thus represents an animal model to study hepacivirus infections in their natural hosts. We aimed to dissect equine immune responses after experimental NPHV infection and conducted challenge ex...
Whelchel DD, Tennent-Brown BS, Coleman AE, Rapoport GS, Blas-Machado U, Maisenbacher HW, Credille BC, Giguère S.To describe the treatment of persistent supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) in a young horse in endurance training. Methods: A 6-year-old Arab gelding in endurance training presented for a dysrhythmia and decreased performance. SVT was diagnosed and conversion to a normal sinus rhythm was achieved following administration of a constant rate infusion of amiodarone. However, reversion to SVT occurred shortly after initiation of ridden exercise. A second attempt to convert the dysrhythmia with amiodarone failed, but normal sinus rhythm was achieved with transvenous electrical cardioversion (TVEC)....
Stewart AS, Pratt-Phillips S, Gonzalez LM.All species, including horses, suffer from alterations that increase intestinal permeability. These alterations, also known as "leaky gut," may lead to severe disease as the normal intestinal barrier becomes compromised and can no longer protect against harmful luminal contents including microbial toxins and pathogens. Leaky gut results from a variety of conditions including physical stressors, decreased blood flow to the intestine, inflammatory disease, and pathogenic infections, among others. Several testing methods exist to diagnose these alterations in both a clinical and research setting....
Mesquita LP, Arévalo AF, Zanatto DA, Miyashiro SI, Cunha EMS, de Souza MDCC, Villalobos EMC, Mori CMC, Maiorka PC, Mori E.The equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) is an important cause of myeloencephalopathy and respiratory disease in horses. Animal models for EHV-1 infection have been specially developed using mice and Syrian hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus). However, few studies have attempted to evaluate the pathogenesis of EHV-1 infection in the central nervous system (CNS) and respiratory system of hamsters. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the pathogenesis of four Brazilian EHV-1 strains within the CNS and lungs of Syrian hamsters. Hamsters intranasally infected with A4/72, A9/92, A3/97, and Iso...
Pintore MD, Cerutti F, D'Angelo A, Corona C, Gazzuola P, Masoero L, Colombo C, Bona R, Cantile C, Peletto S, Casalone C, Iulini B.A fatal case of meningoencephalitis was reported in a 13-year-old Koninklijk Warmbloed Paard Nederland stallion, suspected of West Nile virus (WNV) infection, in the Piedmont region of Italy. Clinical signs included right head tilt and circling, depression alternated with excitability, fever and lateral strabismus. Combined treatment consisting of dimethylsulfoxide, dexamethasone, sulphonamides and sedative was administered, but because of the poor conditions the horse was euthanatized and submitted for necropsy. At post-mortem examination no skin lesions were observed, all organs appeared nor...
Giancola F, Rambaldi AM, Bianco F, Iusco S, Romagnoli N, Tagliavia C, Bombardi C, Clavenzani P, De Giorgio R, Chiocchetti R.Serotonin plays a pivotal role in regulating gut motility, visceral sensitivity, and fluid secretion via specific receptors. Among these receptors, 5-HT exerts a prominent control on gut motor function. Although the prokinetic effect exerted by 5-HT agonists is well known, the cellular sites of 5-HT expression remain poorly understood in large mammals, e.g., horses. In this study, we evaluated the distribution of 5-HT in the horse intestine and in foals with enteric aganglionosis, reminiscent of human Hirschsprung's disease. Methods: The intestine and spinal ganglia were obtained from three he...
Gordon DL, Radtke CL.A 12-year-old Norwegian Fjord gelding was diagnosed with paranasal sinusitis as a post-operative complication of tooth repulsion surgery. The infection with inspissated purulent material persisted despite sinus trephination and lavage, and systemic antimicrobial therapy. Resolution occurred following infusion of a gelatin/penicillin mixture into the right rostral and caudal maxillary sinus. Une sinusite paranasale a été diagnostiquée chez un hongre Fjord âgé de 12 ans comme complication postopératoire d’une chirurgie pour la répulsion d’une dent. L’infection avec du matériel pur...
Wilkes E, McConaghy FF, Thompson RL, Dawson K, Sangster NC, Hughes KJ.This study was performed to investigate the efficacy of a morantel-abamectin combination for the treatment of macrocyclic lactone (ML)-resistant Parascaris spp. infections in foals. Methods: Foals on five properties with a Parascaris faecal egg count (FEC) > 50 eggs per gram were used to estimate the FEC reduction (FECR) and efficacy of the anthelmintic combination. Conclusions: On all properties, resistance to ivermectin and abamectin was present and the Parascaris FECR in foals administered the morantel-abamectin combination was > 99%, indicating that this combination effective...
Horak IG, Heyne H, Halajian A, Booysen S, Smit WJ.The aim of the study was to determine the species spectrum of ixodid ticks that infest horses and donkeys in South Africa and to identify those species that act as vectors of disease to domestic livestock. Ticks were collected opportunistically from 391 horses countrywide by their owners or grooms, or by veterinary students and staff at the Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria. Ticks were also collected from 76 donkeys in Limpopo Province, 2 in Gauteng Province and 1 in North West province. All the ticks were identified by means of a stereoscopic microscope. Horses were infest...
Zhao J, Poelaert KCK, Van Cleemput J, Nauwynck HJ.Equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) causes respiratory disease, abortion and neurological disorders in horses. Besides epithelial cells, CD172a monocytic cells become infected with EHV-1 in the respiratory mucosa and transport the virus from the apical side of the epithelium to the lamina propria en route to the lymph and blood circulation. Whether CD172a monocytic cells are specifically recruited to the infection sites in order to pick up virus is unknown. In our study, equine nasal mucosa explants were inoculated with EHV-1 neurological strains 03P37 and 95P105 or the non-neurological strains ...
Croser EL, Marsh GA.The Henipavirus genus represents a group of paramyxoviruses that are some of the deadliest of known human and veterinary pathogens. Hendra and Nipah viruses are zoonotic pathogens that can cause respiratory and encephalitic illness in humans with mortality rates that exceed 70%. Over the past several years, we have seen an increase in the number of cases and an altered clinical presentation of Hendra virus in naturally infected horses. Recent increase in the number of cases has also been reported with human Nipah virus infections in Bangladesh. These factors, along with the recent discovery of...
Yamanaka T, Nemoto M, Bannai H, Tsujimura K, Kondo T, Matsumura T, Gildea S, Cullinane A.We previously reported that horse antiserum against the Japanese equine influenza vaccine virus, A/equine/La Plata/1993 (LP93) exhibited reduced cross-neutralization against some Florida sublineage Clade (Fc) 2 viruses, for example, A/equine/Carlow/2011 (CL11). As a result, Japanese vaccine manufacturers will replace LP93 with A/equine/Yokohama/aq13/2010 (Y10, Fc2). To assess the benefit of updating the vaccine, five horses vaccinated with inactivated Y10 vaccine and five vaccinated with inactivated LP93 were challenged by exposure to a nebulized aerosol of CL11. The durations of pyrexia (≥3...
Schnabel CL, Fletemeyer B, Lübke S, Marti E, Wagner B, Alber G.Despite the relevance of adaptive immunity against equine pathogens antigen-specific T cell responses of horses are not well characterized and the lack of insight into T cell responses hampers the understanding of the pathogeneses of important diseases. In this study we used tetanus toxoid (TT) as a well-defined antigen to characterize antigen-reactive T cells. Six healthy adult horses received a routine booster against tetanus with an immune stimulating complex (ISCOM)-based vaccine and were followed for 28 days. TT-specific serum antibodies were quantified by ELISA and increased in all horse...
Wise LN, Kappmeyer LS, Knowles DP, White SN.The equine parasite Theilera equi continues to curtail global equine commerce due primarily to its ability to persist indefinitely in the immunocompetent horse. Details regarding the parasite life cycle, pathogenesis and mechanism of persistence remain unclear. The recently discovered T. haneyi is also capable of persistence in the horse, creating a potential reservoir for additional infections. These two divergent parasites share a unique gene family that expresses surface merozoite antigens, or equi merozoite antigens (EMAs). The EMA family was maintained in number and size in both parasites...
Karàdi I, Kostner GM, Gries A, Nimpf J, Romics L, Malle E.Earlier studies demonstrated that lipoprotein (a), a lipoprotein of high atherogenicity, possesses proteolytic activity. In this report, we provide evidence that the lipoprotein (a)-specific antigen, apoprotein (a) is immunochemically related to plasminogen. This was demonstrated by polyclonal antisera from rabbit, sheep and horse, and with three monoclonal antibodies from mouse. Using immunospecific adsorbers against lipoprotein (a), all plasminogen could be adsorbed from lipoprotein (a)-positive and apparently lipoprotein (a)-negative plasma. As an additional similarity to plasminogen, lipop...
Gomide ACP, de Sá PG, Cavalcante ALQ, de Jesus Sousa T, Gomes LGR, Ramos RTJ, Azevedo V, Silva A, Folador ARC.Transcriptome studies on Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis have recently contributed to the understanding about this microorganism's survival mechanisms in various hostile conditions. The gene expression profile of the C. pseudotuberculosis strain 1002 (Ovis biovar), has revealed genes that are possible candidates responsible for its maintenance in adverse environments, such as those found in the host. In another strain of this bacterium, 258 (Equi biovar), a high temperature condition was simulated, in order to verify which genes are responsible for promoting the persistence of the bacterium...
Diaz-Méndez A, Hewson J, Shewen P, Nagy E, Viel L.To develop a method for experimental induction of equine rhinitis A virus (ERAV) infection in equids and to determine the clinical characteristics of such infection. Methods: 8 ponies (age, 8 to 12 months) seronegative for antibodies against ERAV. PROCEDURES-Nebulization was used to administer ERAV (strain ERAV/ON/05; n = 4 ponies) or cell culture medium (control ponies; 4) into airways of ponies; 4 previously ERAV-inoculated ponies were reinoculated 1 year later. Physical examinations and pulmonary function testing were performed at various times for 21 days after ERAV or mock inoculation. Va...
Leise BS, Yin C, Pettigrew A, Belknap JK.Further knowledge of equine keratinocyte physiology and keratinocyte response to various stimuli is important in developing a better understanding of disease states involving the epidermis. Objective: To assess the inflammatory cytokine response of cultured equine keratinocytes to various pathogen-associated molecular pattern molecules (PAMPs) from both Gram-negative and positive bacteria likely to be present in equine sepsis. Methods: Keratinocytes were isolated from skin of 2 horses and primary cultures performed. Keratinocytes were harvested for RNA extraction after exposure to lipopolysacc...
Journal of proteomicsApril 25, 2019
Volume 202 103370 doi: 10.1016/j.jprot.2019.04.020
Anderson JR, Smagul A, Simpson D, Clegg PD, Rubio-Martinez LM, Peffers MJ.Articular conditions are common in horses and can result in loss of function, chronic pain and/or inability to work. Common conditions include osteoarthritis, osteochondrosis and synovial sepsis, which can be life-threatening, but despite the high clinical prevalence of these conditions, rapid and specific diagnosis, monitoring and prognostication remains a challenge for practicing veterinarians. Synovial fluid from a range of arthropathies was enriched for low abundance proteins using combinatorial peptide ligand ProteoMiner™ beads and analysed via liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrom...
Löhr CV, Juan-Sallés C, Rosas-Rosas A, Parás García A, Garner MM, Teifke JP.Sarcoids were diagnosed in two captive zebras from different facilities. Zebra 1 (Equus burchellii boehmi) was a 4.5-yr-old, captive-born male that presented with a 9- by 7-cm inguinal mass. Seven months after surgical excision of the inguinal mass, the zebra presented with a similar lesion in the right upper eyelid that has relapsed repeatedly and has not responded to treatment including local cisplatin injections and cryosurgery. Zebra 2 (of undetermined taxon) was housed at a private wild animal farm. The zebra presented with a single, raised, 2.5- by 2.0- by 2.0-cm, ulcerated mass on the n...
Chambers TM, Shortridge KF, Li PH, Powell DG, Watkins KL.The Directigen FLU-A enzyme immunoassay was tested for its ability to detect equine-2 influenza viruses in nasopharyngeal fluids from horses and ponies. A total of 125 swabs from experimental infections and from different sources of natural infection in the USA and Hong Kong were examined. The assay results were compared with the results of standard virus culture in embryonated chicken eggs or Madin-Darby canine kidney cells, and with the serology of the horses sampled. In comparison with virus culture the enzyme immunoassay exhibited 83 per cent sensitivity, 78 per cent specificity, 70 per ce...
van Duijkeren E, Sloet van Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan MM, Houwers DJ, van Leeuwen WJ, Kalsbeek HC.During 1990 and 1991, 380 faecal samples were collected from horses with diarrhoea. Sixty-nine (18 per cent) of the samples yielded a positive culture for Salmonella species, and salmonellae were cultured directly from 37 (54 per cent) of these cases. In 32 (46 per cent) of the cases the salmonellae were found after culturing the organism in an enrichment medium. Salmonella typhimurium was isolated from 43 samples, S hadar from three samples, S arizona from two, S enteritidis from two, S virchow from one, S blockley from one and S bareilly from one sample. In 1990, S typhimurium phage type 200...
Di Rubbo A, McNabb L, Klein R, White JR, Colling A, Dimitrov DS, Broder CC, Middleton D, Lunt RA.Maintenance of Hendra virus (HeV) in pteropid bat populations has been associated with spillover events in horses, humans and dogs. Experimental studies have demonstrated infections for several other species including guinea pigs, cats and ferrets. The criteria of a sensitive and specific serological test that is effective for a range of species, but which does not require use of live virus, has not been satisfactorily addressed by currently available tests. We have evaluated the use of two HeV neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) in a blocking format enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (bE...
Toribio RE, Kohn CW, Leone GW, Capen CC, Rosol TJ.In this study, we describe the cloning and tissue expression of equine calcitonin (CT), calcitonin-gene related peptide (CGRP)-I, and CGRP-II cDNA. We also describe a novel divergent form of CGRP (CGRP-I). Equine CT has greatest homology (>85%) to human, rat and mouse subgroups of calcitonins. Equine CGRP-I has low homology (80% homology to chicken, human, rat, ovine, swine, and bovine CGRPs. The homology between equine CGRP-I and CGRP-II is low (56%). The high homology of equine CGRP-II and the low homology of equine CGRP-I to CGRP in other species were unexpected findings. Northern blot a...
Khol-Parisini A, Hellweg P, Razzazi-Fazeli E, Saalmüller A, Strasser A, Tichy A, Zenteke J.The aim of the present study was to investigate the impact of deoxynivalenol (DON) on cellular and humoral immune parameters in horses. A feeding trial using naturally contaminated oats with high (20.2 mg/kg) and low (0.49 mg/kg) levels of DON was conducted. Two groups of five mares were fed 2 kg oats daily with high or low DON levels for two weeks, using a crossover design with a three-week wash-out period. No adverse effects on general health were observed. Only minor diet-related changes in differential blood counts and serum biochemistry were noted. Serum haptoglobin concentration was sign...
Mfitilodze MW, Hutchinson GW.The development of the free-living stages and yields of infective third stage strongyle larvae in faeces from a horse with a mixed natural infection deposited on pasture plots were studied over a 2-year period in a coastal area in tropical north Queensland. Two sets of faecal masses (one exposed to, and the other protected from the action of a natural population of dung beetles) were deposited monthly and after 7 days faecal samples were taken for larval recovery and counts. Hatching and development of the free-living stages occurred in faeces on pasture throughout the year. Development was ra...
Guo X, Izume S, Okada A, Ohya K, Kimura T, Fukushi H.A strain of equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) was isolated from zebra. This strain, called "zebra-borne EHV-1", was also isolated from an onager and a gazelle in zoological gardens in U.S.A. The full genome sequences of the 3 strains were determined. They shared 99% identities with each other, while they shared 98% and 95% identities with the horse derived EHV-1 and equine herpesvirus type 9, respectively. Sequence data indicated that the EHV-1 isolated from a polar bear in Germany is one of the zebra-borne EHV-1 and not a recombinant virus. These results indicated that zebra-borne EHV-1 is a ...
Temesgen T, Getachew Y, Negussie H.Equine herpesvirus (EHV) infections have major economic, health, and welfare impacts on equids. This study was performed in three selected zones of central Ethiopia with the objectives of detecting EHV-1, -2, and -5 in horses and donkeys with suggestive signs of respiratory tract disease and to assess epidemiological risk factors associated with infections. Methods: A total of 58 nasopharyngeal swab samples were collected from donkeys and horses showing clinical signs of respiratory disease. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to detect EHV-1, -2, and -5. Evaluation of the associated risk...
Thu VT, Kim HK, Han J.Numerous animal cardiac exercise models using animal subjects have been established to uncover the cardiovascular physiological mechanism of exercise or to determine the effects of exercise on cardiovascular health and disease. In most cases, animal-based cardiovascular exercise modalities include treadmill running, swimming, and voluntary wheel running with a series of intensities, times, and durations. Those used animals include small rodents (e.g., mice and rats) and large animals (e.g., rabbits, dogs, goats, sheep, pigs, and horses). Depending on the research goal, each experimental protoc...
Kamada M, Wada R, Kumanomido T, Imagawa H, Sugiura T, Fukunaga Y.A study was performed to examine the effect of viral inoculum size on the appearance of clinical signs in equine Getah virus (GV) infection by intramuscular inoculation with 10(1.3) to 10(6.3) TCID50 of the MI-110 strain in 6 experimental horses. When inoculated with more than 10(3.3) TCID50 of the virus, every horse developed pyrexia, edema in the hind legs, serous nasal discharge, lymphopenia and viremia in the relatively early stage of disease. On the other hand, enlargement of the submandibular lymph node was observed only in horses inoculated with 10(5.3) and 10(6.3) TCID50 of the virus, ...
Schlater LK, Brenner DJ, Steigerwalt AG, Moss CW, Lambert MA, Packer RA.The name Pasteurella caballi is proposed for a group of organisms represented by 29 strains isolated from respiratory and other infections in horses. P. caballi strains are gram-negative, oxidase-positive, nonmotile, fermentative rods with the key characteristics of the genus Pasteurella. These strains differed from other Pasteurella species in that all were aerogenic and catalase negative, and some strains produced acid from myo-inositol and L-rhamnose. The levels of DNA relatedness of 28 P. caballi strains with labeled DNA from the proposed type strain averaged 91 and 85% (hydroxyapatite met...
Laroucau K, Lucia de Assis Santana V, Girault G, Martin B, Miranda da Silveira PP, Brasil Machado M, Joseph M, Wernery R, Wernery U, Zientara S....We present the first molecular characterisation based on MLVA and SNP analysis of a strain of Burkholderia mallei isolated from a mule found dead in Brazil in 2016.
Macintyre AR, Dixon JB.To determine whether living hydatid tissue can, like hydatid fluid, regulate leukocyte growth, T-cell, B-cell, and macrophage lines were cocultured with protoscoleces of Echinococcus granulosus and their growth was compared with that of control cultures by thymidine uptake estimates and chemiluminescent assays of cell number. Protoscoleces supported mitosis of IL-1-deprived D10 T cells, but did not increase D10 count. The action of protoscoleces was affected by the species and organ of their origin and the length of time in culture. Unusually marked mitotic reaction, unaffected by parasite age...
Ceciliani F, Restelli L, Lecchi C.The need to provide in vivo complex environments to understand human diseases strongly relies on the use of animal models, which traditionally include small rodents and rabbits. It is becoming increasingly evident that the few species utilised to date cannot be regarded as universal. There is a great need for new animal species that are naturally endowed with specific features relevant to human diseases. Farm animals, including pigs, cows, sheep and horses, represent a valid alternative to commonly utilised rodent models. There is an ample scope for the application of proteomic techniques in f...
Escherichia coli F17 isolated from horse feces was studied in respect to the O antigen (O polysaccharide) structure and genetics. The lipopolysaccharide was isolated by phenol-water extraction of bacterial cells and cleaved by mild acid hydrolysis to yield the O polysaccharide, which was studied by sugar analysis and selective solvolysis with CFCOH along with one- and two-dimensional H and C NMR spectroscopy. The O polysaccharide was found to have a branched pentasaccharide repeat (O-unit) containing one residue each of d-galactose, d-mannose, l-rhamnose, d-glucuronic acid, and N-acetyl-d-gluc...
Rhodes JB, Schweitzer D, Ogg JE.Non-O1 Vibrio cholerae was isolated from a horse (Equus caballus), a lamb (genus Ovis), and two American buffalo (Bison bison) suffering from enteric disease in the western part of Colorado. In 1981, a foal died of apparent respiratory failure. Necropsy findings included heart failure and gastroenteritis. V. cholerae serovar 347 (Smith) was isolated from the colon of this animal. V. cholerae serovar 27 (Smith) was isolated in 1983 from the intestine of a feedlot lamb suffering from pneumonia and severe watery diarrhea. In 1984, an enteric disease occurred in a herd of American bison. The sick ...
Schlottau K, Fereidouni S, Beer M, Hoffmann B.Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a positive-sense RNA virus belonging to the genus Hepacivirus, family Flaviviridae. Its genome has a length of 9.6 kb and encodes a single polyprotein flanked by two untranslated regions. HCV can cause liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, and approximately 2% of the world's population is chronically infected. The investigation of pathogenesis is complicated due to the lack of an animal model. The origin of this virus remains unclear, but in the last few years, relatives of HCV were initially identified in dogs and later in horses, rodents, bats and Old World...
de Lagarde M, Larrieu C, Praud K, Lallier N, Trotereau A, Sallé G, Fairbrother JM, Schouler C, Doublet B.The objective of the study was to identify the genetic determinants and characteristics of expanded-spectrum cephalosporin (ESC) resistance in commensal Escherichia coli from healthy horses in France in 2015. Faecal samples from 744 adult horses were screened for ESC-resistant E. coli isolates. The extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)/AmpC resistance genes were identified using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing. ESC phenotypes were horizontally transferred by conjugation or transformation. Plasmids carrying ESBL/AmpC genes were typed by PCR-based replicon typing, restriction fr...
Waap H, Volkart de Oliveira U, Nunes T, Gomes J, Gomes T, Bärwald A, Dias Munhoz A, Schares G.Equine neosporosis is regarded to be caused either by Neospora hughesi or Neospora caninum and equine besnoitiosis is caused by Besnoitia bennetti, both of which are apicomplexan parasites. N. caninum is the only known Neospora species in Europe, where equine N. caninum infections have been reported as being associated to abortion and reproductive failure. N. hughesi is prevalent in North America and was predominantly linked to neurological disorders. B. bennetti is considered an emergent disease in donkeys in North America and evidence for B. bennetti infection was recently reported in Europe...
Carlson KL, Kuskie KR, Chaffin KM, Libal MC, Giguère S, Lawhon SD, Cohen ND.This study determined the antimicrobial activity of tulathromycin against Rhodococcus equi in vitro. Ninety-eight virulent isolates of R. equi from equine clinical cases were examined, of which 20 isolates were macrolide resistant. A custom 96-well antimicrobial susceptibility testing plate was used, allowing 14 additional antimicrobials to be tested against R. equi. Isolates were cultured with various concentrations of antimicrobials, and minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values were determined. Tulathromycin was found to have poor activity in vitro against R. equi isolates susceptible o...
