Epidemiology in horses involves the study of the distribution and determinants of health-related states and events in equine populations. It encompasses the investigation of patterns, causes, and effects of diseases and health conditions within horse populations. This field of study aims to identify risk factors for disease and targets for preventive healthcare. Key components of equine epidemiology include disease surveillance, outbreak investigation, and the study of disease dynamics within herds or regions. Research in this area often focuses on infectious diseases, zoonotic diseases, and the impact of environmental factors on equine health. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore various aspects of epidemiology in horses, including disease prevalence, transmission pathways, and strategies for disease prevention and control.
Gennari SM, Esmerini Pde O, Lopes MG, Soares HS, Vitaliano SN, Cabral AD, Pena HF, Horta MC, Cavalcante PH, Fortes KP, Villalobos EM.The occurrence of antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii was determined in donkeys, mules, and horses from different regions of Brazil. Serum samples from 304 donkeys (67.11%), 118 horses (26.05%), and 31 mules (6.84%) were analyzed by means of the indirect fluorescent antibody test (cutoff=64). Antibodies against T. gondii were detected in 129 equids (28.47%) (82 donkeys, 32 horses, and 15 mules). Tissue samples from 19 seropositive and 50 seronegative animals were obtained in order to isolate the parasite by means of mouse bioassay, and T. gondii was isolated from a donkey. Through genotypic c...
Giannitti F, Diab S, Mete A, Stanton JB, Fielding L, Crossley B, Sverlow K, Fish S, Mapes S, Scott L, Pusterla N.Equine coronavirus (ECoV) is a Betacoronavirus recently associated clinically and epidemiologically with emerging outbreaks of pyrogenic, enteric, and/or neurologic disease in horses in the United States, Japan, and Europe. We describe the pathologic, immunohistochemical, ultrastructural, and molecular findings in 2 horses and 1 donkey that succumbed to natural infection with ECoV. One horse and the donkey (case Nos. 1, 3) had severe diffuse necrotizing enteritis with marked villous attenuation, epithelial cell necrosis at the tips of the villi, neutrophilic and fibrinous extravasation into th...
Pauvolid-Corrêa A, Juliano RS, Campos Z, Velez J, Nogueira RM, Komar N.The Pantanal hosts diverse wildlife species and therefore is a hotspot for arbovirus studies in South America. A serosurvey for Mayaro virus (MAYV), eastern (EEEV), western (WEEV) and Venezuelan (VEEV) equine encephalitis viruses was conducted with 237 sheep, 87 free-ranging caimans and 748 equids, including 37 collected from a ranch where a neurologic disorder outbreak had been recently reported. Sera were tested for specific viral antibodies using plaque-reduction neutralisation test. From a total of 748 equids, of which 264 were immunised with vaccine composed of EEEV and WEEV and 484 had n...
Hitchens PL, Hill AE, Stover SM.If equine conditions with high likelihood of jockey injury can be determined and subsequently prevented, jockey safety can be enhanced. Objective: To identify racehorse injuries or conditions with greatest risk for jockey falls and injuries. Methods: Retrospective correlation of race-day jockey fall and injury data with racehorse fatality data. Methods: Thoroughbred (TB) and Quarter Horse (QH) racehorse cause of death and jockey fall and injury data for California flat races were reviewed for a 6-year period. Race and jockey race ride population data were used to determine jockey fall and inju...
Scheel TK, Kapoor A, Nishiuchi E, Brock KV, Yu Y, Andrus L, Gu M, Renshaw RW, Dubovi EJ, McDonough SP, Van de Walle GR, Lipkin WI, Divers TJ....Nonprimate hepacivirus (NPHV) is the closest known relative of hepatitis C virus (HCV) and its study could enrich our understanding of HCV evolution, immunity, and pathogenesis. High seropositivity is found in horses worldwide with ∼ 3% viremic. NPHV natural history and molecular virology remain largely unexplored, however. Here, we show that NPHV, like HCV, can cause persistent infection for over a decade, with high titers and negative strand RNA in the liver. NPHV is a near-universal contaminant of commercial horse sera for cell culture. The complete NPHV 3'-UTR was determined and consists...
Miszczak F, Pronost S, Vabret A.Equine arteritis virus (EAV) is the causative agent of equine viral arteritis, a disease observed only in equids. EAV is the prototype of the family Arteriviridæ within the order Nidovirales. EAV is an enveloped, positive-sense, single-stranded RNA virus with a considerable variation in the genome as observed in other RNA viruses. During natural infections, EAV may cause abortion and persistent subclinical infections in stallions which can shed the virus in the semen for years, or even lifetime. Chronically infected stallions represent the natural reservoir of the virus. They ensure the persi...
Giles SL, Nicol CJ, Rands SA, Harris PA.Nuchal crest adiposity in horses and ponies has been associated with an enhanced risk of metabolic health problems. However, there is no current information on the prevalence of, and risk factors specific to, nuchal crest adiposity in horses and ponies. In addition, the cresty neck score has not previously been utilised across different seasons within a UK leisure population, it is not know whether nuchal crest adiposity shows the same seasonal trends as general obesity. Results: A Cresty Neck Score (CNS, 0-5) was given to 96 horses with access to pasture (>6 h per day) at the end of winter a...
Gilkerson JR, Bailey KE, Diaz-Méndez A, Hartley CA.Many viral agents have been associated with respiratory disease of the horse. The most important viral causes of respiratory disease in horses are equine influenza and the equine alphaherpesviruses. Agents such as equine viral arteritis virus, African horse sickness virus, and Hendra virus establish systemic infections. Clinical signs of disease resulting from infection with these agents can manifest as respiratory disease, but the respiratory tract is not the major body system affected by these viruses. Treatment of viral respiratory disease is generally limited to supportive therapies, where...
O'Nion VL, Montilla HJ, Qurollo BA, Maggi RG, Hegarty BC, Tornquist SJ, Breitschwerdt EB.Ehrlichia sp. DNA was amplified from 4 Ehrlichia-seroreactive horses from Mérida, Nicaragua. Sequencing of 16S rDNA, sodB, and groEL genes indicated that the bacterium is most likely a novel Ehrlichia species. The tick vector and the potential for canine and human infection remain unknown.
Ching PK, de los Reyes VC, Sucaldito MN, Tayag E, Columna-Vingno AB, Malbas FF, Bolo GC, Sejvar JJ, Eagles D, Playford G, Dueger E, Kaku Y....During 2014, henipavirus infection caused severe illness among humans and horses in southern Philippines; fatality rates among humans were high. Horse-to-human and human-to-human transmission occurred. The most likely source of horse infection was fruit bats. Ongoing surveillance is needed for rapid diagnosis, risk factor investigation, control measure implementation, and further virus characterization.
Johns IC, Adams EL.This study aimed to identify changing antimicrobial resistance patterns in isolates commonly obtained from equine clinical submissions. Laboratory records from 1999 to 2012 were searched for equine samples from which Escherichia coli or Streptococcus species was isolated. Susceptibility to enrofloxacin, ceftiofur, gentamicin, penicillin G, trimethoprim sulfamethoxazole (TMPS) and tetracyclines was noted. Isolates were divided into those identified between 1999 and 2004 (Early) and between 2007 and 2012 (Late). The proportion of isolates resistant to each antimicrobial and multiple drug-resista...
Dunowska M, Gopakumar G, Perrott MR, Kendall AT, Waropastrakul S, Hartley CA, Carslake HB.Infection with equid herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) may be asymptomatic, or may result in respiratory disease, abortion, neonatal death, or neurological disease. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of EHV-1 infection, including differentiation between genotypes with aspartic acid (D) and asparagine (N) at position 752 of the DNA polymerase sequence, within a selected population of New Zealand horses. The second aim was to determine the predictive value of serology for detection of latently infected horses. Retropharyngeal lymph nodes (RLN) and trigeminal ganglia (TG) were dissected fro...
Morel MC, Newcombe JR, Reynolds N.The mare's reproductive system is rarely capable of sustaining multiple pregnancies to term. Multiple pregnancies largely derive from multiple ovulations, most commonly double ovulations, hence, double ovulations are of significant concern to breeders/veterinarians. Double ovulations may be synchronous or asynchronous. Asynchrony of up to 96 hours may result in two embryonic vesicles of very different sizes, which are challenging to detect at early ultrasonic pregnancy detection. This study aims to (1) document the incidence of synchronous and asynchronous double ovulation and (2) determine ...
Silveira I, Martins TF, Olegário MM, Peterka C, Guedes E, Ferreira F, Labruna MB.A previous study in Paulicéia Municipality, south-eastern Brazil, reported 9.7% of the Amblyomma triste ticks to be infected by Rickettsia parkeri, a bacterial pathogen that causes spotted fever in humans. These A. triste ticks were shown to be associated with marsh areas, where the marsh deer Blastocerus dichotomus is a primary host for this tick species. During 2008-2009, blood serum samples were collected from 140 horses, 41 dogs, 5 opossums (Didelphis albiventris) and 26 humans in farms from Pauliceia Municipality. Ticks were collected from these animals, from vegetation and from addition...
Stewart AJ, Cuming RS.Fungal respiratory disease is a rare occurrence in horses. Fungal organisms are ubiquitous in the equine environment; however, there is a geographic predisposition for disease development, with fungal respiratory infections seen more commonly by practitioners working in tropical or subtropical environments. Diagnosis and treatment of fungal respiratory infections pose a challenge for the equine practitioner, and the prognosis for complete resolution of infection is often guarded; however, new antifungal medications are likely to improve treatment success. This article summarizes the available ...
Laatamna AE, Wagnerová P, Sak B, Květoňová D, Xiao L, Rost M, McEvoy J, Saadi AR, Aissi M, Kváč M.A total of 219 and 124 individual fecal samples of horses and donkeys, respectively, were screened for the presence of Cryptosporidium spp., Encephalitozoon spp., and Enterocytozoon bieneusi DNA by genus-specific nested PCR. Isolates were genotyped by sequence analysis of SSU rRNA, GP60, TRAP-C1, COWP, and HSP70 loci in Cryptosporidium, and the ITS region in microsporidia. Cryptosporidium spp. was detected on 3/18 horse farms and 1/15 farms where donkeys were kept. Overall, five (2.3%) horse and two (1.6%) donkey specimens were PCR positive for Cryptosporidium. Genotyping at SSU and GP60 loci ...
Symons JE, Fyhrie DP, Hawkins DA, Upadhyaya SK, Stover SM.Race surfaces have been associated with the incidence of racehorse musculoskeletal injury, the leading cause of racehorse attrition. Optimal race surface mechanical behaviors that minimize injury risk are unknown. Computational models are an economical method to determine optimal mechanical behaviors. Previously developed equine musculoskeletal models utilized ground reaction floor models designed to simulate a stiff, smooth floor appropriate for a human gait laboratory. Our objective was to develop a computational race surface model (two force-displacement functions, one linear and one nonlin...
Mallicote M.There are few diseases that ignite as much fervor among horse owners as strangles. Streptococcus equi subsp equi (strangles) infections frequently require the treating veterinarian to manage not only the clinical cases but also the biosecurity and provision of information to all involved parties. Although the disease is typically characterized by low mortality and high morbidity, restrictions of horse movement that result from appropriate quarantine procedures often frustrate the involved parties. The aims of this article are to provide clinically relevant information for diagnosis, treatment,...
Holbrook TC, Gilliam LL, Stein FP, Morgan SE, Avery AL, Confer AW, Panciera RJ.Caley Pea (Lathyrus hirsutus) is potentially toxic to horses, but large case series are not reported. Objective: To describe the clinical signs of horses intoxicated with Lathyrus hirsutus and speculate on the neuroanatomical lesion localization and pathogenesis based upon the observed clinical signs. Methods: Twenty-two of 25 horses ranging in age from 6 to 34 months were affected. Five affected horses were presented to the OSUCHVS for evaluation and treatment after having been attended at the ranch by a local veterinarian (ALA). An additional horse that had been euthanized was also presented...
Matthijnssens J, Ons E, De Coster S, Conceição-Neto N, Gryspeerdt A, Van Ranst M, Raue R.Equine group A rotavirus (RVAs) mainly cause disease in foals under the age of 3 months. Only sporadic data are available on the circulation of RVAs in equine populations in Europe. In this study, 65 diarrheic samples from foals under 4 months of age were collected in Belgium (n=32), Germany (n=17), Slovenia (n=5), Sweden (n=4), Hungary (n=3), Italy (n=2), France (n=1) and The Netherlands (n=1). Forty percent of these samples (n=26) were found to be RVA positive by a quantitative RT-PCR assay. The viral load in 11 of these samples was sufficiently high to be (partially) genotyped. G3, G14 and ...
Hollingsworth SR, Pusterla N, Kass PH, Good KL, Brault SA, Maggs DJ.To determine the role of equine herpesvirus (EHV) in idiopathic keratoconjunctivitis in horses and to determine whether sample collection method affects detection of EHV DNA by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Methods: Twelve horses with idiopathic keratoconjunctivitis and six horses without signs of ophthalmic disease. Methods: Conjunctival swabs, corneal scrapings, and conjunctival biopsies were collected from 18 horses: 12 clinical cases with idiopathic keratoconjunctivitis and six euthanized controls. In horses with both eyes involved, the samples were taken from the eye judg...
Ma Y, Wen X, Hoshino Y, Yuan L.Group A equine rotavirus (ERV) is the main cause of diarrhea in foals and causes severe economic loss due to morbidity and mortality on stud farming worldwide. Molecular evolution of equine rotaviruses remains understudies. In this study, whole-genomic analysis of 2 group A ERV, FI-14 (G3P[12]), H-2 (G3P[12]) isolated from American, and FI23 (G14P[12]) from British was carried out and genotype constellations were determined as G3-P[12]-I6-R2-C2-M3-A10-N2-T3-E2-H7 for FI-14; G14-P[12]-I2-R2-C2-M3-A10-N2-T3-E2-H7 for FI23; and G3-P[12]-I6-R2-C2-M3-A10-N2-T3-E2-H7 for H-2, respectively. With the ...
Kilgenstein HJ, Schöniger S, Schoon D, Schoon HA.After their retirement from sports, performance mares often show a poor breeding success. The objective of this study was the microscopic evaluation of endometrial biopsies of retired sports mares (n = 189) to search for alterations that may explain subfertility. Mares of this study aged 3-23 years showed endometritis (30%) and endometrosis (77%); mild forms predominated. In regard to those mares biopsied during the breeding season (n = 99), 50% had glandular differentiation disorders, i.e. glandular inactivity (8%) or irregular glandular differentiation (42%). Compared to literature d...
Gutiérrez S, Thébaud G, Smith DR, Kenney JL, Weaver SC.The within-host diversity of virus populations can be drastically limited during between-host transmission, with primary infection of hosts representing a major constraint to diversity maintenance. However, there is an extreme paucity of quantitative data on the demographic changes experienced by virus populations during primary infection. Here, the multiplicity of cellular infection (MOI) and population bottlenecks were quantified during primary mosquito infection by Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus, an arbovirus causing neurological disease in humans and equids.
Pusterla N, Kass PH, Mapes S, Wademan C, Akana N, Barnett C, MacKenzie C, Vaala W.Recent surveillance studies for equine respiratory viruses have shown that equine influenza virus (EIV) continues to be a prevalent respiratory virus of equids throughout the United States and Europe. Objective: To gain a better understanding of the prevalence and epidemiology of EIV shed by horses, mules and donkeys in the United States from March 2010 to November 2013. Methods: 2,605 equids. Methods: Nasal secretions from index cases with acute onset of respiratory disease were tested by qPCR for EIV. Multilevel logistic regression was used to model the association between EIV status and pre...
Kornaś S, Sallé G, Skalska M, David I, Ricard A, Cabaret J.Equine internal parasites, mostly cyathostomins, affect both horse welfare and performance. The appearance of anthelmintic-resistant parasites creates a pressing need for optimising drenching schemes. This optimization may be achieved by identifying genetic markers associated with host susceptibility to infection and then to drench carriers of these markers. The aim of our study was to characterise the genetics of horse resistance to strongyle infection by estimating heritability of this trait in an Arabian pure blood population. A population of 789 Arabian pure blood horses from the Michałó...
Huber L, Giguère S, Cohen ND, Slovis NM, Berghaus L, Greiter M, Hart KA.Rhodococcus equi causes severe pneumonia in foals and is most often recognized in people as an opportunistic pathogen. Longitudinal studies examining antimicrobial-resistant R. equi from environmental samples are lacking. We hypothesized that antimicrobial-resistant R. equi would be detectable in the ground (pasture soil or stall bedding) and air at breeding farms with previous documentation of foals infected with resistant isolates, and that concentrations of resistant isolates would increase over time during the foaling season. In this prospective cohort study, ground and air samples were co...
Demircan K, Onder Z, Duzlu O, Yildirim A, Okur M, Ciloglu A, Yetismis G, Inci A.The goal of our study was to investigate the molecular prevalence of Giardia intestinalis in naturally infected horses in Kayseri, Central Anatolia Region in Turkey, to determine the molecular characterization of the obtained isolates and to exhibit the potential role of horses in zoonotic transmission of G. intestinalis. Fecal samples were randomly collected from totally 150 horses with clinically healthy between March and June of 2018. After the genomic DNA extractions, 25 (16.6%) of the 150 fecal samples, were found positive for G. intestinalis by nested PCR analyses of β-giardin gene. P...
Nemanichvili N, Berends AJ, Wubbolts RW, Gröne A, Rijks JM, de Vries RP, Verheije MH.The trimeric hemagglutinin-esterase fusion protein (HEF) of influenza D virus (IDV) binds 9-O-acetylated sialic acid receptors, which are expressed in various host species. While cattle are the main reservoir for IDV, the viral genome has also been detected in domestic pigs. In addition, antibodies against IDV have been detected in other farm animals such as sheep, goats, and horses, and even in farmers working with IDV positive animals. Viruses belonging to various IDV clades circulate, but little is known about their differences in host and tissue tropism. Here we used recombinantly produced...
Borgsteede FH, Boersma JH, Gaasenbeek CP, van der Burg WP.The reappearance of nematode eggs in faeces after ivermectin treatment was studied in 104 horses on 10 farms during the stabling period. Faecal samples were taken at weekly intervals. Sampling was discontinued when the mean egg output per farm was > 10% of the pre-treatment egg output. This point was reached after 63 days, when the mean output of eggs had decreased to 70.3%. Before treatment, 95.9% of the cultured larvae were of the cyathostome type, the others belonged to Gyalocephalus capitatus, Strongylus vulgaris, S. edentatus, Oesophagodontus/Poteriostomum spp., Triodontophorus spp. an...
Dong JB, Zhu W, Cook FR, Goto Y, Horii Y, Haga T.Equine infectious anemia (EIA) has posed a major challenge and caused significant losses to the equine industry worldwide. PCR detection methods have considerable potential as an adjunct to conventional serological diagnostic techniques. However, most published PCR methods, including that recommended by the OIE, were designed using laboratory-adapted virus strains and do not function with field isolates of EIA virus (EIAV). In the present study, a nested PCR assay for detection of EIAV proviral DNA in peripheral blood cells of naturally infected horses was developed. Primer sets were designed ...
Sullivan SL, Anderson GA, Morley PS, Hinchcliff KW.Exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage (EIPH) is associated with impaired short-term race performance but consequences to long-term race performance of Thoroughbred racehorses are unknown. Knowledge of effects of EIPH on performance over a prolonged time would inform the need for management and treatment of this disorder. Objective: To determine the relationship between EIPH detected on a single occasion and long-term athletic performance in Thoroughbred racehorses. Methods: Prospective, longitudinal, observational epidemiological study conducted from 2003 to 2012. Methods: Seven hundred and f...
van Duijkeren E, Flemming C, Sloet van Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan M, Kalsbeek HC, van der Giessen JW.Three rectal faecal samples were taken at 24-hour intervals from 136 horses in order to investigate whether multiple faecal cultures yield a greater number of Salmonella-positive horses compared to single faecal cultures. Of these 136 horses, 89 were suspected of salmonellosis on clinical grounds and 47 belonged to a control group. From the 'Salmonella suspected' group, 22 horses (25%) were Salmonella positive on one or more occasions. Only twelve of these 22 positive horses (55%) were positive at first sampling. Of the control group, only three horses (6%) were positive for Salmonella. Thirty...
Salem SE, Townsend NB, Refaai W, Gomaa M, Archer DC.Oro-dental disease can have a significant impact on equine welfare. Objective: To determine the prevalence of oro-dental disease and to identify risk factors for oro-dental disorders and poor body condition scores (BCS) in a working horse population in Egypt. Methods: Cross-sectional survey. Methods: Oro-dental examination was performed on 450 working horses in 2 Egyptian provinces. Horse and management historical data were collected and horses were assigned to no/mild, moderate and severe dental disease categories based on findings on examination. Multivariable logistic regression and general...
Reshadi P, Heydari F, Ghanbarpour R, Bagheri M, Jajarmi M, Amiri M, Alizade H, Badouei MA, Sahraei S, Adib N.Transmission of antimicrobial resistant and virulent Escherichia coli (E. coli) from animal to human has been considered as a public health concern. This study aimed to determine the phylogenetic background and prevalence of diarrheagenic E. coli and antimicrobial resistance in healthy riding-horses in Iran. In this research, the genes related to six main pathotypes of E. coli were screened. Also, genotypic and phenotypic antimicrobial resistance against commonly used antibiotics were studied, then phylo-grouping was performed on all the isolates. Results: Out of 65 analyzed isolates, 29.23...
Salz RO, Ahern BJ, Boston R, Begg LM.To determine the variation of tracheal mucus scores, tracheal blood scores and transendoscopic tracheal wash (TW) cytology in a population of Thoroughbred (TB) racehorses and assess their association with racing performance. Methods: A total of 220 endoscopic examinations were performed and TWs obtained from 155 TB racehorses. Samples were collected 60-120 min following gallop work. Tracheal mucus score, tracheal blood score and TW cytology were analysed and their association with racing performance assessed. Results: Of the total examinations and samples, 194 from 135 horses fitted the criter...
Buckley T, Creighton A, Fogarty U.Respiratory infections, recurrent airway obstruction (RAO) and exercise induced pulmonary haemorrhage (EIPH) are major causes of poor performance in horses. Fungi and mycotoxins are now recognised as a major cause of these conditions. The most notable fungi are Aspergillus and Fusarium. Fungal spores can originate from forage, bedding and feed and, in turn, these fungal spores can produce a series of mycotoxins as secondary metabolites.This study set out to ascertain the degree of fungal and mycotoxin contamination in feed and fodder used in Irish racing yards over a one-year period. Weather c...
Sarrafian TL, Case JT, Kinde H, Daft BM, Read DH, Moore JD, Uzal FA, Stover SM.To determine major causes of death and the anatomic location of musculoskeletal injuries in Quarter Horse racehorses in California. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: 314 Quarter Horse racehorses with musculoskeletal injuries that were necropsied through the California Horse Racing Board Postmortem Program from 1990 to 2007. Methods: Postmortem pathology reports were retrospectively reviewed. Musculoskeletal injuries were categorized by anatomic region and described. The number of Quarter Horse starts and starters for the same period of time were obtained from a commercial database f...
Gil LHVG, Magalhaes T, Santos BSAS, Oliveira LV, Oliveira-Filho EF, Cunha JLR, Fraiha ALS, Rocha BMM, Longo BC, Ecco R, Faria GC, Furtini R....Madariaga virus (MADV) is a member of the eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV) complex that circulates in Central and South America. It is a zoonotic, mosquito-borne pathogen, belonging to the family . Disturbances in the natural transmission cycle of this virus result in outbreaks in equines and humans, leading to high case fatality in the former and acute febrile illness or neurological disease in the latter. Although a considerable amount of knowledge exists on the eco-epidemiology of North American EEEV strains, little is known about MADV. In Brazil, the most recent isolations of MADV ...
Müller-Unterberg M, Wallmann S, Distl O.The Black Forest Draught horse (BFDH) is an endangered German coldblood breed with its origin in the area of the Black Forest in South Germany. In this retrospective study, the influence of the inbreeding coefficient on foaling rates was investigated using records from ten breeding seasons. Due to the small population size of BFDH, the level of inbreeding is increasing and may have an effect on foaling rates.The data of the present study included all coverings reported for 1024 BFDH mares in the years 2001-2009. These mares were covered by 32 BFDH stallions from the State Stud Marbach. Data fr...
Hilla D, Distl O.The main objective of this study is to estimate genetic parameters for osteochondrosis (OC) and osteochondrosis dissecans (OCD) in fetlock, hock and stifle joints as well as for palmar or plantar osteochondral fragments (POFs) and dorsodistal osteochondral fragments (DOFs) in fetlock joints. For this purpose, the results of a standardized radiographic examination of 7396 Hanoverian Warmblood horses were used. Heritabilities and genetic correlations were estimated using residual maximum likelihood (REML) under a linear animal model. Heritability estimates for OC at the different joints were at ...
Bailey GD, Love DN.Two hundred and seventy bacterial isolates were obtained from the pharyngeal tonsillar surface of 12 normal horses and 98 obligatory anaerobic bacteria were characterised. Of these, 57 isolates belonging to 7 genera (Peptostreptococcus (1); Eubacterium (9); Clostridium (6); Veillonella (6); Megasphera (1); Bacteroides (28); Fusobacterium (6)) were identified, and 16 of these were identified to species level (P. anaerobius (1); E. fossor (9); C. villosum (1); B. fragilis (1); B. tectum (2); B. heparinolyticus (2)). Three hundred and twenty isolates were obtained from 23 samples from horses with...
Mencke N, Larsen KS, Eydal M, Sigurethsson H.Lice infestations in horses caused by the chewing louse Werneckiella (Damalinia) equi are observed worldwide. In the present study, the efficacy of 10% imidacloprid was tested on horses naturally infested with lice. Two groups of animals received a double application of 4 ml and 8 ml Advantage 10% spot-on on day 0 and 28 either. Horses, presenting dermatological signs with negative lice counts, were also included in this investigation. 40.86% of the horses presented positive lice counts and 84.21% of these animals showed clinical dermatologic signs. 65.45% of the lice-negative horses also show...
Freitas MS, Pereira AHB, Pereira GO, Menezes IS, Lucena AR, Almeida CRF, Pereira EG, Santos LA, Tozin LRS, Alves FM, Macedo AL, Silva DB, Ubiali DG.Poisoning by avocado (Persea americana) has been confirmed in sheep, goats, dogs, rabbits and ostriches. The clinical signs and lesions are attributed to the acetogenin, persin. Little is known regarding the epidemiology, clinical signs, lesions and therapy caused by acetogenin-induced heart damage. During the two-year study, we investigated a horse farm with six horses that often fed themselves with P. americana leaves or mature fruit pulp and skin on the ground. Two horses died, and one underwent necropsy, histopathology, and immunohistochemistry using the anti-cardiac troponin C (cTnC). Gro...
Fischer NM, Favrot C, Birkmann K, Jackson M, Schwarzwald CC, Müller M, Tobler K, Geisseler M, Lange CE.The DNA of equine papillomavirus type 2 (EcPV2) is consistently found in equine papillomas and squamous cell carcinomas, indicating a causal association of EcPV2 in the pathogenesis of these tumours; however, little is known about the prevalence of this virus. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the geno- and seroprevalence of EcPV2 in clinically healthy horses in Switzerland. Methods: Fifty horses presented to the equine department of the university clinic, displaying no skin or mucous membrane lesions or severe signs of other diseases, were sampled. Methods: Cytobrush samples ...
Fougerolle S, Legrand L, Garrett D, Birand I, Foursin M, D'Ablon X, Bayssat P, Newton RJ, Pronost S, Paillot R.Numerous equine influenza (EI) epizooties are reported worldwide. EI vaccination is the most efficient methods of prevention. However, not all horses develop protective immunity after immunisation, increasing the risk of infection and transmission. This field study aimed to understand the poor response to primary EI vaccination. The EI antibody response was measured in 174 Thoroughbred foals set in 3 stud farms (SF#1 to SF#3) over a 2years period. All foals were immunised with a commercial recombinant canarypox-based EI vaccine. Sera were tested by single radial haemolysis against the A/equine...
Morse EV, Duncan MA, Page EA, Fessler JF.Salmonellosis in Equidae is a serious global problem. The prevalence may range from 0.36% to 27%. Probably 5% to 10% of the equine population in the U.S. is or has been infected. Over 40 serotypes of Salmonella have been cultured from Equidae. S. typhimurium (66.31%), S. enteritidis (9.6%), S. newport (5.16%) and S. heidelberg (4.89%) have been the most common equine isolates. The clinical and bacteriological studies of 23 naturally occurring infections in a large veterinary hospital were studied. Nine patients were infected with S. typhimurium, 8 with S. anatum, 1 with S. newport, 4 with dual...
Franco C, Paris JJ, Wulfert E, Frye CA.Prevalence rates of gambling are influenced by gender. Among normative populations, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis response to stress is affected by gender. However, pathological, compared to recreational, gamblers demonstrate perturbations in HPA activation in response to gambling stimuli. We examined whether there were gender differences in HPA response to gambling in a naturalistic setting among horse-race bettors and scratch-off lottery bettors. Salivary cortisol was collected from horse-race gamblers (n=32) and scratch-off lottery ticket players (n=39) before and after (0, 10, ...
Valente JDM, Mongruel ACB, Machado CAL, Chiyo L, Leandro AS, Britto AS, Martins TF, Barros-Filho IR, Biondo AW, Perotta JH, Campos ANS, Vidotto O....Tick-borne diseases (TBD) constitute an important group of illness affecting animals and humans worldwide. In Brazil, carthorses are frequently exposed to ticks and tick-borne pathogens, leading to impairment of horse performance and imposing restrictions by the international veterinary authorities for the importation of horses. Accordingly, this study has aimed to i) determine the prevalence of the TBD agents Theileria equi, Babesia caballi, Ehrlichia spp., and hemotropic mycoplasmas in carthorses, ii) identify the tick species parasitizing the animals, and iii) determine factors associated w...
Kawaoka Y, Webster RG.A severe influenza outbreak occurred in horses in South Africa in 1986. The causative agent was identified as an influenza virus [A/Equine/Johannesburg/86 (H3N8)]. Antigenic analyses of the hemagglutinin (HA) with ferret antisera and monoclonal antibodies showed that the Eq/Johannesburg/86 virus is similar to recent equine H3 viruses. The nucleotide sequence analysis on the HA genes of Eq/Johannesburg/86 and other equine H3 influenza viruses, together with the epidemiological data, clearly demonstrated that the Eq/Johannesburg/86 virus was derived from a virus that had been circulating in hors...
Blythe LL, Craig AM, Lassen ED, Rowe KE, Appell LH.Plasma alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E) values were monitored serially in 9 foals sired by a stallion with equine degenerative myeloencephalopathy (EDM) and in 5 age-matched control foals (sired by a clinically normal stallion) raised in the same environment for the first year of life. Clinical evaluation determined that 8 of the 9 foals sired by the stallion with EDM had neurologic deficits consistent with the disease on one or more occasions during the study period, whereas control foals had normal gait. From 6 weeks to 10 months of age, plasma alpha-tocopherol values in foals with signs of EDM ...
Sabattini MS, Monath TP, Mitchell CJ, Daffner JF, Bowen GS, Pauli R, Contigiani MS.This is the introductory paper to a series on the ecology of arboviruses in Argentina. Epizootics of equine encephalitis have occurred since at least 1908, principally in the Pampa and Espinal biogeographic zones, with significant economic losses; human cases of encephalitis have been rare or absent. Both western equine and eastern equine encephalitis viruses have been isolated from horses during these epizootics, but the mosquitoes responsible for transmission have not been identified. A number of isolations of Venezuelan equine encephalitis (VEE) virus were reported between 1936 and 1958 in ...
Khan RZU, Rosanowski SM, Parkes RSV.Hoof morphometry, conformation and shoeing practices have all been associated with lameness in horses. Hoof morphometry in working donkeys in Pakistan has not been objectively measured. Objective: To quantitatively assess hoof morphology in donkeys, to identify factors underlying hoof morphology, and interrelationships between conformation, lameness, and shoeing status. Methods: Cross-sectional study. Methods: Donkeys were assessed in-harness using a modified five-point lameness scale by two veterinarians and digital photographs of front hooves taken alongside a grid. Factor analysis was used ...
Braverman Y, Ungar-Waron H, Frith K, Adler H, Danieli Y, Baker KP, Quinn PJ.A survey of sweet itch in horses in Israel based on a questionnaire to owners reported that 158 of 723 horses (21.8 per cent) had sweet itch lesions. The results indicated that the likelihood of a horse acquiring sweet itch decreased with increasing altitude but no definite association with rainfall zones was evident. Variation in the density of the horse population, however, obscured these observations. In the population surveyed, stallions were more sensitive than mares and pale horses appeared to be less sensitive than dark ones, but the sample size of this latter group was much smaller. In...
Ratzlaff FR, Osmari V, da Silva D, de Paula Vasconcellos JS, Pötter L, Fernandes FD, de Mello Filho JA, de Avila Botton S, Vogel FSF, Sangioni LA.Leishmaniasis is a zoonosis caused by protozoan species of the genus Leishmania. It generates different clinical manifestations in humans and animals, and it infects multiple hosts. Leishmania parasites are transmitted by sandfly vectors. The main objective of this systematic review was to identify the host, or reservoir animal species, of Leishmania spp., with the exception of domestic dogs, that were recorded in Brazil. This review included identification of diagnostic methods, and the species of protozoan circulating in the country. For this purpose, a literature search was conducted across...
van den Enden MS, Dixon PM.Examination of 110 cheek teeth (CT) that were clinically extracted (between 2004 and 2008) because of apical infection (n=79; mean dental age 3.5 years) or idiopathic CT fractures (n=31; median dental age 8.5 years), including examinations of transverse and longitudinal sections, showed the apical infections to be mainly (68%) due to anachoresis, with the residual cases caused by periodontal spread, infundibular caries spread, fissure fractures and dysplasia. The idiopathic fracture patterns were similar to previously described patterns. Occlusal pulpar exposure was found in 32% of apically in...
