The economics of horses encompasses the financial and economic aspects related to the breeding, care, training, and utilization of horses. This field examines the economic impact of the equine industry, including the costs associated with horse ownership, the economic contributions of equine-related activities, and the market dynamics of horse sales and services. Topics within this area include the analysis of supply and demand in the horse market, the economic value of horse breeds, and the financial implications of equine health and welfare management. This page assembles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that investigate the economic factors influencing the equine industry, including cost-benefit analyses, market trends, and the socio-economic contributions of horses to local and global economies.
Uprety T, Sreenivasan CC, Hause BM, Li G, Odemuyiwa SO, Locke S, Morgan J, Zeng L, Gilsenan WF, Slovis N, Metcalfe L, Carter CN, Timoney P, Horohov D....Equine rotavirus group A (ERVA) is one of the most common causes of foal diarrhea. Starting in February 2021, there was an increase in the frequency of severe watery to hemorrhagic diarrhea cases in neonatal foals in Central Kentucky. Diagnostic investigation of fecal samples failed to detect evidence of diarrhea-causing pathogens including ERVA. Based on Illumina-based metagenomic sequencing, we identified a novel equine rotavirus group B (ERVB) in fecal specimens from the affected foals in the absence of any other known enteric pathogens. Interestingly, the protein sequence of all 11 segment...
Gomes LB, Paiva MT, Lisboa LO, Oliveira CSF, Garcia RCM, Soares DFM.Due to their intimate relationship with human beings, animals can experience abuse, especially in the family environment. Research on the variables involved in this topic is scarce in Latin America. The objective of this study was to identify the main types of animal abuse in Brazilian municipalities and to characterize animals and perpetrators in addition to identifying the socioeconomic factors associated with the incidents. The occurrences of animal abuse were analyzed from the records of the Police Station Specialized in Fauna Crimes Investigation Department of the Civil Police of Minas Ge...
Molla AM, Fentahun T, Jemberu WT.Epizootic lymphangitis (EL) is a chronic, contagious, fungal disease of equids. The disease is highly prevalent in cart pulling equines of Ethiopia affecting the livelihood of the cart owning households and welfare of the cart animals. This study estimated the economic impacts of EL and assessed cart owners' knowledge and practices related to the disease in northwest Ethiopia. A multistage cluster sampling approach was implemented to select cart animal owners for the study. A total of 274 cart animal owners were interviewed to collect data for the study. The average annual economic loss per ca...
Chen X, Zhao Y, Su L, Wang L, Ma X, Zhang B, Su Y.Strangles, which is caused by Streptococcus equi subspecies equi, is one of the most prevalent equine infectious diseases and poses heavy economic losses worldwide. Although various vaccines have been used for decades, they seemed to be sub-optimal to demonstrate effective protection, and the antigen component of vaccines against S. equi remains to be optimized. In the present study, three target antigens (M-like protein, α2-macroglobulin and IgG-binding protein, and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase) were selected and expressed. Mice were immunized and challenged, and their immune res...
Dionísio L, Medeiros F, Pequito M, Faustino-Rocha AI.Influenza is an extremely contagious respiratory disease, which predominantly affects the upper respiratory tract. There are four types of influenza virus, and pigs and chickens are considered two key reservoirs of this virus. Equine influenza (EI) virus was first identified in horses in 1956, in Prague. The influenza A viruses responsible for EI are H7N7 and H3N8. Outbreaks of EI are characterized by their visible and rapid spread, and it has been possible to isolate and characterize H3N8 outbreaks in several countries. The clinical diagnosis of this disease is based on the clinical signs pre...
Olguin-Perglione C, Barrandeguy ME.Equine influenza virus (EIV) is one of the most important respiratory pathogens of horses as outbreaks of the disease lead to significant economic losses worldwide. In this review, we summarize the information available on equine influenza (EI) in South America. In the region, the major events of EI occurred almost in the same period in the different countries, and the EIV isolated showed high genetic identity at the hemagglutinin gene level. It is highly likely that the continuous movement of horses, some of them subclinically infected, among South American countries, facilitated the spread o...
Wild I, Gedge A, Burridge J, Burford J.The COVID-19 pandemic was declared on 11 March 2020. The working equid community includes some of the world's most marginalised people, who rely on animals for their daily lives and livelihoods. A cross-sectional study investigated the effects of COVID-19 on working equid communities, with the intention of developing methods for replication in future unprecedented events. A multi-language survey was developed, involving 38 predominantly closed questions, and carried out face-to-face, over telephone, or online. There were 1530 respondents from a population of individuals who received support fr...
Seyiti S, Kelimu A.Donkey domestication has been essential to human culture and development and has played an important role in economic and social life in human history. China is one of the largest donkey breeders worldwide; donkey farming for meat, milk and hide production is becoming an important industry in rural China as it provides income to the rural livelihoods of many people. Currently, the donkey industry in China is small and relatively young, but it is growing fast. The industry is not adequately exploited economically, which means that it requires the diminution of its role in the traditional activi...
Equine piroplasmosis (EP) is a disease of equids caused by Theileria equi and Babesia caballi, members of the order Piroplasmida, transmitted by several species of ticks. As the disease is endemic in many countries, a clinical examination or a serological test are required prior to movement of horses to prove freedom from infection and to avoid the introduction of EP with its sanitary and economic impact, especially in areas where it is absent. Currently, numerous diagnostic PCR protocols are available, some of which are recommended by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE). In order t...
Redmond EF, Jones D, Rushton J.African horse sickness (AHS) is endemic in sub-Saharan Africa posing a threat to equine populations in non-endemic regions. Available vaccine technologies have limitations, creating barriers to horse movement, AHS control and, in non-endemic areas or countries, rapid elimination of virus after incursion. The literature lacks an economic assessment of the benefits of bringing a new, more effective AHS vaccine to market. Objective: The study assesses the economic impact of AHS and tests the hypothesis that investment in a safer, more effective AHS vaccine would give an economic return. Methods: ...
Laval K, Poelaert KCK, Van Cleemput J, Zhao J, Vandekerckhove AP, Gryspeerdt AC, Garré B, van der Meulen K, Baghi HB, Dubale HN, Zarak I....Equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) is an alphaherpesvirus related to pseudorabies virus (PRV) and varicella-zoster virus (VZV). This virus is one of the major pathogens affecting horses worldwide. EHV-1 is responsible for respiratory disorders, abortion, neonatal foal death and equine herpes myeloencephalopathy (EHM). Over the last decade, EHV-1 has received growing attention due to the frequent outbreaks of abortions and/or EHM causing serious economical losses to the horse industry worldwide. To date, there are no effective antiviral drugs and current vaccines do not provide full protection a...
King L, Cullen SJ, O'Connor S, McGoldrick A, Pugh J, Warrington G, Losty C.Racehorse trainers play an important role within the horseracing industry. Despite this, scarce empirical information exists regarding the mental health of this population. Thus, the purpose of the present study was to explore the prevalence of symptoms related to common mental disorders (CMDs) and their associations with specific risk factors for CMD. Participants completed an anonymous online questionnaire. CMDs were assessed including distress, depression, generalized anxiety and adverse alcohol use. The risk factors examined included career dissatisfaction, social support and financial dif...
Fedorka CE, Ball BA, Wynn MAA, McCormick ME, Scoggin KE, Esteller-Vico A, Curry TE, Kennedy LA, Squires EL, Troedsson MHT.Preterm labor and/or abortion causes considerable economic impact on the equine industry. Unfortunately, few experimental models exist for the induction of various pregnancy-related complications, and therefore extrapolations are made from the experimental model for ascending placentits, although inferences may be minimal. Certain steroid hormones (progestogens, estrogens) and fetal proteins (alpha-fetoprotein; AFP) might improve the diagnostics for abnormal pregnancy, but the utility of these markers in the field is unknown. To assess this, thoroughbred mares (n = 702) were bled weekly begi...
Anis E, Ilha MRS, Engiles JB, Wilkes RP.Equine infectious disease outbreaks may have profound economic impact, resulting in losses of millions of dollars of revenue as a result of horse loss, quarantine, and cancelled events. Early and accurate diagnosis is essential to limit the spread of infectious diseases. However, laboratory detection of infectious agents, especially the simultaneous detection of multiple agents, can be challenging to the clinician and diagnostic laboratory. Next-generation sequencing (NGS), which allows millions of DNA templates to be sequenced simultaneously in a single reaction, is an ideal technology for co...
Câmara RJF, Bueno BL, Resende CF, Balasuriya UBR, Sakamoto SM, Reis JKPD.Donkeys () and mules represent approximately 50% of the entire domestic equine herd in the world and play an essential role in the lives of thousands of people, primarily in developing countries. Despite their importance, donkeys are currently a neglected and threatened species due to abandonment, indiscriminate slaughter, and a lack of proper sanitary management. Specific knowledge about infectious viral diseases that affect this group of is still limited. In many cases, donkeys and mules are treated like horses, with the physiological differences between these species usually not taken into...
Daly JM, Megid J, Langoni H, de Nardi Júnior G, Ribeiro MG.Equine influenza (EI) virus is one of the most economically important pathogens of respiratory diseases of horses worldwide. Despite availability of vaccines for control of EI, the highly contagious nature and variability properties of the virus mean global outbreaks occur. Thus, continuous surveillance programs, including seroprevalence studies of disease in different countries, may contribute to better control of the disease. In this study, the seroprevalence of equine influenza in 850 horses from Brazil was investigated. The serodiagnosis was based on the single radial hemolysis (SRH) assay...
Neospora infections due to Neospora caninum and N. hughesi are prevalent among equids of the world. The disease may affect reproductive and neurological consequences. The present systematic review and meta-analysis was performed to evaluate the global Neospora seroprevalence among horses and donkeys. A number of 57 out of 1575 total retrieved studies were included by searching the PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, Web of Science and ProQuest. A total of 25,783 horses and 4377 donkeys were examined serologically, yielding a weighted seroprevalence of 13.46 % (95 % CI: 10.26 %-17.42 %) globally. S...
Williams JM, Randle H, Marlin D.COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic on 11 March 2020; the United Kingdom (UK) implemented quarantine measures shortly afterward, resulting in rapid changes in how owners managed and interacted with their horses. This study provides a rapid analysis of the initial impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on the management of UK leisure and competition horses. A 17 question online survey was distributed via equestrian social media sites to ascertain the impact of COVID-19 on horse and yard management and on human-horse interactions. Frequency analysis combined with Chi-squared and thematic analyses i...
Askarov A, Kuznetsova A, Gusmanov R, Askarova A, Kovshov V.There is a lack of reliable data in agribusiness regarding the economic efficiency of horse breeding, and this limits its further development. The purpose of this study was to create rational parameters for the development of productive horse breeding as an effective agricultural business, in particular, in relation to farms. Methods: The methods of investigation used were induction and deduction, as well as analytical, statistical, and economic-mathematical analysis. We also used the dynamics of time series, CVP analysis, direct costing, and microeconomic analysis. Data were taken from the Ru...
Ali AA, Refat NA, Algabri NA, Sobh MS.EHV-1 infection is responsible for huge economic losses in equines due to abortion and neonatal mortality. In this study, we describe 4 cases of abortion and neonatal deaths from pregnant mares and a she-donkey from different localities in Egypt during the period from May 2015 to October 2017. Attempts were made to isolate and identify EHV-1, in addition to compare the different pathological lesions in various tissues of the necropsied cases. EHV-1 was successfully isolated from two aborted fetuses and one dead neonatal foal from mares, beside one aborted fetus from a she-donkey. The positive ...
Zhao S, Wang H, Zhang S, Xie S, Li H, Zhang X, Jia L.Equine piroplasmosis (EP) is a tick-borne hemoprotozoan disease of equids, caused by Theileria equi and Babesia caballi. Equine piroplasmosis represents a serious challenge to the equine industry due to important economic losses worldwide. The present study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of Theileria equi and Babesia caballi infections in equids from Jilin Province, China. Methods: A total of 220 blood samples (192 horses and 28 donkeys/mules) were collected from March 2018 to October 2019 in five districts of Jilin Province and analyzed by PCR. Potential risk factors, including the region, ...
Rodríguez M, Joseph S, Pfeffer M, Raghavan R, Wernery U.African horse sickness (AHS) is a serious viral disease of equids resulting in the deaths of many equids in sub-Saharan Africa that has been recognized for centuries. This has significant economic impact on the horse industry, despite the good husbandry practices. Currently, prevention and control of the disease is based on administration of live attenuated vaccines and control of the arthropod vectors. Results: A total of 29 horses in 2 groups, were vaccinated. Eighteen horses in Group 1 were further divided into 9 subgroups of 2 horses each, were individually immunised with one of 1 to 9 AHS...
Gummery L, Jallow S, Raftery AG, Bennet E, Rodgers J, Sutton DGM.Infection of equids with Trypanosoma brucei (T. brucei) ssp. is of socioeconomic importance across sub-Saharan Africa as the disease often progresses to cause fatal meningoencephalitis. Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) has been developed as a cost-effective molecular diagnostic test and is potentially applicable for use in field-based laboratories. Threshold levels for T. brucei ssp. detection by LAMP were determined using whole equine blood specimens spiked with known concentrations of parasites. Results were compared to OIE antemortem gold standard of T. brucei-PCR (TBR-PCR). Th...
Flunker JC, Clouser JM, Swanberg JE.Thoroughbred horse farm workers self-report a high frequency of work-related injuries and pain. However, an analysis of Thoroughbred horse farm workers' compensation injury claims is absent from the literature, yet may benefit worker safety. We analyzed workers' compensation insurance firm data containing 2276 claims filed between 2008 and 2015. Injury frequency, cost, and lost time per cause, nature, and body part injured were examined qualitatively and via univariate tests. Factors associated with high cost and high duration lost time claims were modeled via multivariable logistic regression...
Büttgen L, Geibel J, Simianer H, Pook T.Osteochondrosis dissecans (OCD) is a degenerative disease of the cartilage leading to osseous fragments in the joints. It is important in horse breeding both from an animal welfare and an economic perspective. To study adequate breeding strategies to reduce OCD prevalence, a lifelike simulation of the breeding program of German Warmblood horses was performed with the R package MoBPS. We simulated complex breeding schemes of riding horses with different selection steps and realistic age structure, mimicking the German situation. As an example, osseous fragments in fetlock and hock joints were c...
Barlaam A, Traversa D, Papini R, Giangaspero A.Over the past few decades, among equine parasitoses caused by gastrointestinal nematodes, habronematidosis has been discontinuously studied worldwide. Habronematidosis is a parasitic disease distributed all over the world. It is caused by Habronema microstoma, Habronema muscae, and Draschia megastoma (Spirurida, Habronematidae), and it is maintained in the environment by muscid flies which act as intermediate hosts. At larval and adult stages these species live in the stomach of domestic and wild equids. However, the larvae can also be found on the skin, causing lesions known as "summer sores"...
Malekinejad H, Fink-Gremmels J.Molds and mycotoxins are contaminants of animal feed causing spoilage and clinical intoxication. Animal exposure to mycotoxins reflects diet composition with major differences occurring between animals kept predominantly of pastures, i.e. ruminants and horses, and those consuming formulated feed like pigs and poultry. Mixed feeds are composed of several ingredients, often sourced from different continents. Subsequently, practitioners may confront endemic diseases and signs of toxin exposure related to toxins imported accidentally with contaminated feed materials from other countries and contin...
Babesia caballi and Theileria equi are widely recognized as causative agents of equine pirolasmosis (EP), an acute, sub-acute, and chronic disease of equines, with relevant economic impact on horse trade worldwide. Although several studies on EP prevalence from central Italy have been published, data on ticks responsible for its transmission are still lacking. In this study, we identified a potential competent vector, investigating main features of its ecology together with EP infection rates. A two-year sampling of questing ticks was carried out for the first time in Italy in an area known fo...
Solís-Hernández D, Saucedo-Gutiérrez KL, Meza-Lucas A, Gómez-de-Anda FR, Medina-Lerena MS, García-Rodea R, Corona-Souza MT, Pérez-Ramírez MÁ....This work aimed to investigate the prevalence of Trichinella infection in horses (Equus ferus caballus) handled by rural slaughterhouses across five distinctive socioeconomic regions in Mexico. Serum samples were obtained by non-probabilistic convenience sampling in the Eastern, Southern Central and Western regions (100 samples of each). Additionally, muscle tissue samples were collected from the East (n=45), Southeastern (n=88), Southern Central (n=39) and Southwestern (n=11) regions. Antibodies were determined by Western blot and the muscle tissue was examined by artificial digestion. A glob...
O'Connor S, Warrington G, O'Brien S, McDermott E, McGoldrick A, Pugh J, Cullen S.: Falls and injuries are frequent in professional horseracing. However, professional jockeys spend a large part of their week in horse-related activities outside of racing such as schooling, exercise riding, and yard-related activities. The injury risk related to these activities remains largely unknown internationally. This study aimed to identify the injury prevalence and injury profile of flat and jump jockeys during non-racing activities. : In total 45.6% and 38.5% of all licensed Irish professional flat and jump jockeys completed a cross-sectional self-recall questionnaire examining injur...
Smyth GB, Dagley K, Tainsh J.We estimate and describe the financial costs of the equine influenza (EI) outbreak in Australia, including the costs of emergency response measures and lost income/assets to businesses, associations and private horse owners. Costs to associations, governments and industry are discussed. We identify a lack of reliable data about the financial costs of the EI outbreak to the non-racing sectors of the horse industry.
Suresh KP, Patil SS, Nayak A, Dhanze H, Rajamani S, Shivamallu C, Cull CA, Amachawadi RG.Brucellosis is a highly contagious bacterial disease that mainly affects ruminants, but it may affect equines, canines, and felines. The disease is of utmost significance from an economic standpoint in countries where there is no national brucellosis prevention and eradication policy in operation. A systematic review was done to estimate disease burden, incidences, prevalence, and geographical distribution critical in planning appropriate intervention strategies for the control and prevention of Brucellosis. Research articles that were published during the period 2000-2020 were considered for ...
Ndiva Mongoh M, Hearne R, Dyer NW, Khaitsa ML.This study estimated economic impacts associated with the West Nile virus (WNV) outbreak in horses for North Dakota in 2002. The 2002 epidemic in the United States was the largest meningoencephalitis epidemic reported in the Western Hemisphere. Over 15,257 horse cases were reported in 43 states with most cases occurring in central United States. North Dakota reported over 569 horse cases, with a mortality rate of 22%. The total costs incurred by the state were approximately US$1.9 million. The costs incurred by horse owners were about US$1.5 million. Of the US$1.5 million, about US$781,203 and...
Lun ZR, Fang Y, Wang CJ, Brun R.Trypanosomiasis caused by Trypanosoma evansi (surra) is a problem of great economic importance in livestock in China because it affects important working animals: buffaloes in the south and east, and horses and cattle in the north and west. In addition, buffaloes are an important source of meat and leather for the Chinese population. In the north and west, T. evansi is found mainly in camels, whereas in the east, the south and the southwest, it is primarily buffaloes, cattle and horses that are affected by this parasitic flagellate. Although trypanosomiasis is one of the most important parasit...
Wilde H, Thipkong P, Sitprija V, Chaiyabutr N.Active immunization against infectious disease is important. However, much of our world faces poverty, social injustice, and warfare, all of which cause universal immunization to remain a distant dream. Agents that provide passive immunity thus remain essential biologicals. The most important of these are human or equine antisera against rabies, tetanus, diphtheria, and snake antivenins. Homologous products are either unavailable or unaffordable in places where they are needed the most. Less expensive heterologous (equine) antisera can be purified and are safe to use, but these antisera are al...
Azab W, Bedair S, Abdelgawad A, Eschke K, Farag GK, Abdel-Raheim A, Greenwood AD, Osterrieder N, Ali AAH.Equid herpesviruses (EHVs) threaten equine health and can cause significant economic losses to the equine industry worldwide. Different equid herpesviruses, EHV-1, EHV-2, EHV-4 and EHV5 are regularly detected among horse populations. In Egypt, monitoring is sporadic but EHV-1 or EHV-4 have been reported to circulate in the horse population. However, there is a lack of reports related to infection and health status of horses, likely due to the absence of regular diagnostic procedures. In the current study, the circulation of four infectious equid herpesviruses (EHV-1, EHV-2, EHV-4 and EHV-5) am...
Williams JM, Randle H, Marlin D.COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic on 11 March 2020; the United Kingdom (UK) implemented quarantine measures shortly afterward, resulting in rapid changes in how owners managed and interacted with their horses. This study provides a rapid analysis of the initial impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on the management of UK leisure and competition horses. A 17 question online survey was distributed via equestrian social media sites to ascertain the impact of COVID-19 on horse and yard management and on human-horse interactions. Frequency analysis combined with Chi-squared and thematic analyses i...
Câmara RJF, Bueno BL, Resende CF, Balasuriya UBR, Sakamoto SM, Reis JKPD.Donkeys () and mules represent approximately 50% of the entire domestic equine herd in the world and play an essential role in the lives of thousands of people, primarily in developing countries. Despite their importance, donkeys are currently a neglected and threatened species due to abandonment, indiscriminate slaughter, and a lack of proper sanitary management. Specific knowledge about infectious viral diseases that affect this group of is still limited. In many cases, donkeys and mules are treated like horses, with the physiological differences between these species usually not taken into...
Heldens JG, Pouwels HG, Derks CG, Van de Zande SM, Hoeijmakers MJ.Equine influenza is a contagious disease caused by equine influenza virus which belongs to the orthomyxovirus family. Outbreaks of equine influenza cause severe economic loses to the horse industry and consequently horses in competition are required to be regularly vaccinated against equine influenza. Unlike the existing inactivated vaccines, Equilis Prequenza Te is the only one able to induce protection against clinical disease and virus excretion after a primary vaccination course consisting of two vaccine applications 4-6 weeks apart until the recommended time of the third vaccination. In t...
Baragli P, Padalino B, Telatin A.Horses were domesticated 6000 years ago and since then different types of approaches have been developed to enhance the horse's wellbeing and the human-horse relationship. Even though horse training is an increasingly important research area and many articles have been published on the subject, equitation is still the sport with the highest rate of human injuries, and a significant percentage of horses are sold or slaughtered due to behavioral problems. One explanation for this data is that the human-horse relationship is complex and the communication between humans and horses has not yet been...
Neospora infections due to Neospora caninum and N. hughesi are prevalent among equids of the world. The disease may affect reproductive and neurological consequences. The present systematic review and meta-analysis was performed to evaluate the global Neospora seroprevalence among horses and donkeys. A number of 57 out of 1575 total retrieved studies were included by searching the PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, Web of Science and ProQuest. A total of 25,783 horses and 4377 donkeys were examined serologically, yielding a weighted seroprevalence of 13.46 % (95 % CI: 10.26 %-17.42 %) globally. S...
Meny P, Menéndez C, Ashfield N, Quintero J, Rios C, Iglesias T, Schelotto F, Varela G.Leptospirosis is important in Uruguay due to the economic loss caused by the diseases of production animals, mainly bovines, and also due to frequent human infection. We decided to study anti-Leptospira antibodies in the sera of dairy workers, rice laborers, veterinarians, suburban slum dwellers and garbage recyclers. Our aims were to estimate the seroprevalence of infection by Leptospira spp. in these people at risk, the relative importance of the known risk factors associated with infection, and the impact of human infections in each setting. Groups at risk were identified and 35 visits to t...
Reproductive traits have a major influence on the economic effectiveness of horse breeding. However, there is little information available. We evaluated the use of reproductive traits as selection criteria in official breeding programs to increase the reproductive efficiency of breeding studs, analysing 696 690 records from the pedigree data of eight Spanish horse populations, with different breeding purposes. The reproductive parameters studied in both sexes were age at first foaling (AFF), age at last foaling, average reproductive life and generational interval. In the females, the average ...
Schwink KL.Uveitis (inflammation of the iris, ciliary body, or choroid) is a potentially blinding condition with a significant economic impact on the horse industry. Variable symptoms are described, as well as a considerable range of structural and functional sequelae. Known causes of initial episodes include bacterial, viral, traumatic, and parasitic insults, with recurrence by immunologic mechanisms. Treatment strategies and management recommendations that may reduce the incidence or severity of episodes are discussed.
Bourebaba L, Röcken M, Marycz K.Osteochondrosis (osteochondrosis dissecans; OCD) is a disease syndrome of growing cartilage related to different clinical entities such as epiphysitis, subchondral cysts and angular carpal deformities, which occurs in growing animals of all species, including horses. Nowadays, these disorders are affecting increasing numbers of young horses worldwide. As a complex multifactorial disease, OCD is initiated when failure in cartilage canals because of existing ischemia, chondrocyte biogenesis impairment as well as biochemical and genetic disruptions occur. Recently, particular attention have been ...
Camino E, Dorrego A, Carvajal KA, Buendia-Andres A, de Juan L, Dominguez L, Cruz-Lopez F.Equine piroplasmosis (EP) is a tick-borne protozoan disease caused by Theileria equi and/or Babesia caballi. Clinical signs (fever, pale mucosal membranes, jaundice), anemia and hyperbilirubinemia have been associated with the disease. EP is widespread, has a significant economic impact on the equine industry and remains endemic in Spain. This study was carried out with samples belonging to 140 horses residing in Spain and showing common clinical signs of EP. A blood smear microscopic examination and a comparison between the different results obtained by competitive Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent...
Balasuriya UB.Equine arteritis virus (EAV), the causative agent of equine viral arteritis (EVA), is a respiratory and reproductive disease that occurs throughout the world. EAV infection is highly species-specific and exclusively limited to members of the family Equidae, which includes horses, donkeys, mules, and zebras. EVA is an economically important disease and outbreaks could cause significant losses to the equine industry. The primary objective of this article is to summarize current understanding of EVA, specifically the disease, pathogenesis, epidemiology, host immune response, vaccination and treat...
Timoney PJ.Contagious equine metritis (CEM) has given rise to international concern since it was first recognized as a novel venereal disease of equids in 1977 and the etiologic agent was identified as a previously undescribed bacterium, Taylorella equigenitalis. Horse industry concerns over CEM centered on the ease with which this bacterium could be disseminated, the significance of T. equigenitalis as a cause of short-term infertility in the mare, and the existence of the carrier state in the stallion and the mare. The first known outbreak of CEM in the United States was in Kentucky in 1978. The econom...
Balasuriya UB.Equine arteritis virus (EAV), the causative agent of equine viral arteritis (EVA), is a respiratory and reproductive disease that occurs throughout the world. EAV infection is highly species-specific and exclusively limited to members of the family Equidae, which includes horses, donkeys, mules, and zebras. EVA is an economically important disease and outbreaks could cause significant losses to the equine industry. The primary objective of this article is to summarize current understanding of EVA, specifically the disease, pathogenesis, epidemiology, host immune response, vaccination and treat...
Reix CE, Dikshit AK, Hockenhull J, Parker RM, Banerjee A, Burn CC, Pritchard JC, Whay HR.Participatory methods are increasingly used in international human development, but scientific evaluation of their efficacy versus a control group is rare. Working horses support families in impoverished communities. Lameness and limb abnormalities are highly prevalent in these animals and a cause for welfare concern. We aimed to stimulate and evaluate improvements in lameness and limb abnormalities in horses whose owners took part in a 2-year participatory intervention project to reduce lameness (PI) versus a control group (C) in Jaipur, India. Results: In total, 439 owners of 862 horses part...
Haghi MM, Etemadifar F, Fakhar M, Teshnizi SH, Soosaraei M, Shokri A, Hajihasani A, Mashhadi H.Babesiosis is a protozoal disease caused by Babesia spp. in mammals and humans worldwide. It is one of the most important tick-borne diseases, which affects livestock productions, reproductions, and accordingly failing economy. In this, systematic review and meta-analysis, study, the prevalence of babesiosis among domestic herbivores in Iran, between 1998 and 2015, was methodically reviewed. Nine databases including five English and four Persian databases were explored. A total of 49 articles, as regards the examination of 13,547 sheep, 1920 goats, 7167 cattle, and 940 horses, corresponding to...
Kuhn C, Lucius R, Matthes HF, Meusel G, Reich B, Kalinna BH.Sarcoptic mange (or scabies) is an important skin disease which can affect a variety of species including humans, cattle, goats, sheep, horses, pigs, rabbits, and dogs. Approximately 300 million people are affected worldwide and in lifestock animals the infestation may lead to substantial economic losses caused by depression in growth and feed conversion rates. Diagnosis of Sarcoptes infestation is difficult and only a few serological tests have been developed using whole mite antigen for diagnosis of mange in animals. Here we describe the isolation and characterisation of cDNAs of several imm...
Clegg PD.Orthopaedic injury is common in the racing Thoroughbred and is a cause of both economic loss to the industry, as well as being an obvious welfare issue. Fatal injuries sustained during racing are an obvious major concern and it is important that all is done to reduce their frequency. As a consequence of the importance of these causes of horse morbidity and mortality, the Horserace Betting Levy Board in the UK has invested considerable resources into research in recent years in this area in an attempt to decrease the frequency of such injuries. This review summarises current knowledge relating ...
Uprety T, Sreenivasan CC, Hause BM, Li G, Odemuyiwa SO, Locke S, Morgan J, Zeng L, Gilsenan WF, Slovis N, Metcalfe L, Carter CN, Timoney P, Horohov D....Equine rotavirus group A (ERVA) is one of the most common causes of foal diarrhea. Starting in February 2021, there was an increase in the frequency of severe watery to hemorrhagic diarrhea cases in neonatal foals in Central Kentucky. Diagnostic investigation of fecal samples failed to detect evidence of diarrhea-causing pathogens including ERVA. Based on Illumina-based metagenomic sequencing, we identified a novel equine rotavirus group B (ERVB) in fecal specimens from the affected foals in the absence of any other known enteric pathogens. Interestingly, the protein sequence of all 11 segment...
Olguin Perglione C, Golemba MD, Torres C, Barrandeguy M.Equine influenza virus (EIV) is considered the most important respiratory pathogen of horses as outbreaks of the disease lead to substantial economic losses. The H3N8 EIV has caused respiratory disease in horses across the world, including South American countries. Nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences for the complete haemagglutinin gene of the H3N8 EIV detected in South America since 1963 were analyzed. Phylogenetic and Bayesian coalescent analyses were carried out to study the origin, the time of the most recent common ancestors (tMRCA), the demographic and the phylogeographic pattern...
Davis E.Donkeys and mules have been critical to the development of human civilization, since being domesticated some 6000 years ago. However, they suffer from being undervalued or ignored by development agencies and animal protection nongovernmental organizations. Where they are recognized as affecting agriculture and the economy it is often because they are seen as being either invasive pests or an anachronism in the developing countries of the twenty-first century. Even in the wealthier societies of the world, donkeys suffer from ignorance about their proper management or a booming industry in heal...
Assefa A, Tibebu A, Bihon A, Dagnachew A, Muktar Y.African horse sickness is a vector-borne, non-contagious and highly infectious disease of equines caused by African horse sickness viruses (AHSv) that mainly affect horses. The occurrence of the disease causes huge economic impacts because of its high fatality rate, trade ban and disease control costs. In the planning of vectors and vector-borne diseases like AHS, the application of Ecological niche models (ENM) used an enormous contribution in precisely delineating the suitable habitats of the vector. We developed an ENM to delineate the global suitability of AHSv based on retrospective out...
Ibrayev B, Lider L, Bauer C.A cross-sectional survey was performed to obtain current data on the gastrointestinal myiasis of horses in the provinces of Kostanay, Akmola and Karagandy, northern and central Kazakhstan. The stomach, small intestine and rectum of 148 slaughter horses were examined for Gasterophilus spp. larvae during a 26-month study period. All horses were infected with 2nd and 3rd stage larvae (mean intensity: 803±350), and 22% of them harboured >1000 Gasterophilus spp. larvae each. Four species were identified: G. intestinalis (prevalence: 100%; mean intensity: 361±240 larvae), G. haemorrhoidalis (100%;...
Humblet MF, Vandeputte S, Fecher-Bourgeois F, Léonard P, Gosset C, Balenghien T, Durand B, Saegerman C.This study aimed at estimating, in a prospective scenario, the potential economic impact of a possible epidemic of WNV infection in Belgium, based on 2012 values for the equine and human health sectors, in order to increase preparedness and help decision-makers. Modelling of risk areas, based on the habitat suitable for Culex pipiens, the main vector of the virus, allowed us to determine equine and human populations at risk. Characteristics of the different clinical forms of the disease based on past epidemics in Europe allowed morbidity among horses and humans to be estimated. The main costs ...
Scheffer EG, Venter GJ, Labuschagne K, Page PC, Mullens BA, MacLachlan NJ, Osterrieder N, Guthrie AJ.Culicoides biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) are vectors of a variety of pathogens including African horse sickness virus (AHSV), a member of the family Reoviridae, genus Orbivirus. AHSV causes African horse sickness (AHS), an endemic disease of equids with an extremely high mortality rate in horses in sub-Saharan Africa. Culicoides (Avaritia) imicola Kieffer is considered to be the principal vector of AHSV and is the dominant Culicoides species in South Africa. Due to the global distribution of Culicoides vectors, there is a potential risk of AHS spreading from endemic areas to areas t...
