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Topic:Epidemiology
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.
Natural Heterobilharzia americana infection in horses in Texas. The schistosome Heterobilharzia americana infects dogs, raccoons, and other mammals in the southeastern United States. Migration of eggs into the liver results in parasitic granulomas with varying degrees of fibrosis and inflammation. Recently, hepatic parasitic granulomas in horses were shown to be caused by H. americana infection. In the present study, samples of liver from 11 of 12 horses with hepatic granulomas identified at necropsy (n = 11) or surgical biopsy (n = 1) were used for DNA extraction, polymerase chain reaction amplification and sequencing using primers specific for a portion ...
Prevalence of the causative agents of equine piroplasmosis in the South West of The Netherlands and the identification of two autochthonous clinical Theileria equi infections. Equine piroplasmosis (EP) has not been considered indigenous in The Netherlands. However, following the detection of an apparently indigenous subclinical Babesia caballi infection in a horse on Schouwen-Duiveland (an island in the Zeeland Province), a survey was undertaken between May and September 2010 to assess the prevalence of the causative agents of EP in the South-West of The Netherlands. Blood samples from 300 randomly selected horses were tested for specific antibodies against Theileria equi and B. caballi using an indirect fluorescence antibody test (IFAT), and for parasite DNA using ...
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) on the skin of long-term hospitalised horses. Given the significance of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections for both horses and staff in equine veterinary hospitals, protocols are required to minimise the risk of nosocomial transmission, including the screening of the skin and nasal chambers of equine patients for evidence of infection. The objective of this study was to clarify the potential existence and extent of MRSA on the skin of horses requiring long-term hospitalisation (≥ 6 months). Thirty such horses were sampled at eight different locations on their skin and from their nasal chambers. MRSA was isolat...
Owner survey of tarsocrural effusion (bog spavin) in Clydesdale horses. A postal survey of the owners of Clydesdale horses in the UK and USA was conducted to obtain information on tarsocrural effusion ('bog spavin') as an indicator of osteochondrosis from 935 horses. Additional information requested included details of how this condition was investigated and treated. The reported tarsocrural effusion incidence was 10 per cent. The majority of respondents believed the condition to be of concern to Clydesdale owners, but only a minority were aware of the implications of tarsocrural effusion, suggesting that owner education would be of benefit.
Two outbreaks of neuropathogenic equine herpesvirus type 1 with breed-dependent clinical signs. Equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) is a worldwide spread pathogen of horses. It can cause abortion, respiratory and neurological disease and consequentially significant economic losses in equine industries. During 2009, two outbreaks of EHV-1 were confirmed in two stud farms in Eastern Croatia. The first outbreak occurred in February following the import of 12 horses from USA, serologically negative to EHV-1 before transport. Four mares aborted in the late stage of pregnancy and one perinatal death was recorded. Other six mares showed clinical signs of myeloencephalopathy with fatal end in four...
Clinical and virological outcome of an infection with the Belgian equine arteritis virus strain 08P178. Equine viral arteritis (EVA) is an infectious disease with variable clinical outcome. Outbreaks, causing important economic losses, are becoming more frequent. Currently, there is a shortage of pathogenesis studies performed with European strains. In the present study, eight seronegative ponies were experimentally inoculated with the Belgian strain of equine arteritis virus (EAV) 08P178 (EU-1 clade) and monitored daily for clinical signs of EVA. Nasopharyngeal swabs, ocular swabs, bronchoalveolar cells and blood were collected for virological and serological testing. Two ponies were euthanized...
Detection, molecular characterization and phylogenetic analysis of full-length equine infectious anemia (EIAV) gag genes isolated from Shackleford Banks wild horses. The genetically distinct wild horse herds inhabiting Shackleford Banks, North Carolina are probably the direct descendents of Spanish stock abandoned after failed attempts to settle mid-Atlantic coastal regions of North America in the Sixteenth Century. In a 1996 island survey, 41% of the gathered horses were discovered seropositive for Equine Infectious Anemia Virus (EIAV) with additional cases identified in 1997 and 1998. As a result of their unique genetic heritage, EIAV seropositive individuals identified in the two latter surveys were transferred to a quarantine facility on the mainland. ...
Demographic and environmental risk factors for infection by Theileria equi in 590 horses in Israel. The prevalence of Theileria equi infection as well as the environmental and demographic risk factors for infection was studied in 590 healthy horses from 46 farms in Israel. The prevalence of T. equi DNA was assessed using a polymerase chain reaction for a segment of the Theileria 18S rRNA gene. The overall prevalence was 26.4% (156/590). There was a significant geographical variation in the prevalence of T. equi infection, ranging from 9.3% (25/270) in the central lowlands to 81.7% (49/60) in the Golan Heights. The prevalence of T. equi infection was found to be significantly associated with ...
From the horse’s mouth: perceptions of the management of the 2007 equine influenza outbreak in Australia. In August 2007, Australia experienced its first-ever outbreak of equine influenza, a highly infectious respiratory disease of horses. Although the outbreak spread over a large geographic area, it was eradicated within 5 months following a substantial disease control effort led by federal and state animal health authorities. Despite its timely control, this large-scale outbreak caused severe impacts on horse owners and industry participants. This study aimed to describe the perceptions of horse owners and managers, impacted by outbreak control measures, regarding the state government's animal h...
Seroconversion for West Nile and St. Louis encephalitis viruses among sentinel horses in Colombia. We prospectively sampled flavivirus-naïve horses in northern Colombia to detect West Nile virus (WNV) and St. Louis encephalitis virus (SLEV) seroconversion events, which would indicate the current circulation of these viruses. Overall, 331 (34.1%) of the 971 horses screened were positive for past infection with flaviviruses upon initial sampling in July 2006. During the 12-month study from July 2006-June 2007, 33 WNV seroconversions and 14 SLEV seroconversions were detected, most of which occurred in the department of Bolivar. The seroconversion rates of horses in Bolivar for the period of M...
Air sampling in the breathing zone of neonatal foals for prediction of subclinical Rhodococcus equi infection. Disease caused by Rhodococcus equi is a significant burden to the horse breeding industry worldwide. Early detection of rhodococcal pneumonia, albeit important to minimise treatment costs, is difficult because of the insidious nature of the disease and the lack of definitive diagnostic tests. Objective: To investigate air sampling from the breathing zone of neonatal foals as a predictor of subsequent rhodococcal pneumonia. Methods: Air samples were collected from the breathing zone of 53 neonatal foals (age ≤10 days) and again at the time of routine ultrasonographic screening for R. equi p...
Whole genome scan identifies several chromosomal regions linked to equine sarcoids. Despite the evidence for a genetic predisposition to develop equine sarcoids (ES), no whole genome scan for ES has been performed to date. The objective of this explorative study was to identify chromosome regions associated with ES. The studied population was comprised of two half-sibling sire families, involving a total of 222 horses. Twenty-six of these horses were affected with ES. All horses had been previously genotyped with 315 microsatellite markers. Quantitative trait locus (QTL) signals were suggested where the F statistic exceeded chromosome-wide significance at P < 0.05. The QTL...
Analysis of risk factors associated with antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli. Antimicrobial-resistant bacteria represent a major threat to human and animal health. We compared equine fecal samples (n=264) from 138 horses from hospital and nonhospital (livery stable and riding school) premises in North West England to determine the prevalence of Escherichia coli, Salmonella, and Campylobacter and rates of antimicrobial-resistant E. coli strains. Campylobacter jejuni was detected only in hospitalized horses (1.1%), and no Salmonella was identified. Data analysis of the horses' management and veterinary treatments (Tx) identified risk factors associated with shedding of an...
Influence of day of postpartum breeding on pregnancy rate, pregnancy loss rate, and foaling rate in Thoroughbred mares. Records (years 2005-2007) were analyzed from a Thoroughbred stud farm in central Kentucky. Data from all breeding cycles of foaling mares were tabulated (3184 cycles of 2003 foaling mares bred between 7 and 163 days postpartum). A multiple logistic regression model employing Bayesian statistics was used to adjust for factors that significantly affected outcome; odds ratios (ORs) for pregnancy rate, pregnancy loss rate, and foaling rate were determined to examine the influence of day of postpartum breeding on these parameters. Mares bred before Day 22 (Day 0 = day of foaling) postpartum had a d...
A diagnostic algorithm to serologically differentiate West Nile virus from Japanese encephalitis virus infections and its validation in field surveillance of poultry and horses. The detection of West Nile virus (WNV) in areas endemic for Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is complicated by the extensive serological cross-reactivity between the two viruses. A testing algorithm was developed and employed for the detection of anti-WNV antibody in areas endemic for JEV. Using this differentiation algorithm, a serological survey of poultry (2004 through 2009) and horses (2007 through 2009) was performed. Among 2681 poultry sera, 125 samples were interpreted as being positive for antibodies against JEV, and 14 were suspected to be positive for antibodies against undetermined...
Predictive risk mapping of West Nile virus (WNV) infection in Saskatchewan horses. The objective of this study was to develop a model using equine data from geographically limited surveillance locations to predict risk categories for West Nile virus (WNV) infection in horses in all geographic locations across the province of Saskatchewan. The province was divided geographically into low-, medium-, or high-risk categories for WNV, based on available serology information from 923 horses obtained through 4 studies of WNV infection in horse populations in Saskatchewan. Discriminant analysis was used to build models using the observed risk of WNV in horses and geographic division...
Detection of Anaplasma phagocytophilum in ixodid ticks from equine-inhabited sites in the Southeastern United States. Anaplasma phagocytophilum is a vector-borne, obligate intracellular bacterium that invades the neutrophils and eosinophils of infected individuals, causing granulocytic anaplasmosis. Equine cases have previously been reported in the United States from California, Florida, and Connecticut, but limited surveillance studies in the Southeast have been conducted. The objective of this study was to determine A. phagocytophilum prevalence in Ixodes scapularis ticks at southeastern U.S. horse-inhabited sites to evaluate the potential risk for equine exposure to A. phagocytophilum-infected ticks in the...
Prevalence and intensity of gastro-intestinal helminths in horses in the Sudano-Guinean climatic zone of Cameroon. It is important to understand the biology and health impact of parasites affecting horses in the Western highlands of Cameroon. Objective: to evaluate the prevalence and intensity of infection of gastrointestinal helminths in these animals. Methods: A total of 894 horses (367 males and 527 females), and aged ≤1 to ≥7 years old were examined. A parasitological investigation of faeces was carried out using two techniques: concentration method of Full Born Willis (flotation in saturated solution of sodium chloride) and Mc Master Technique. Conclusions: From the results the overall prevalence ...
Recombinant envelope protein (rgp90) ELISA for equine infectious anemia virus provides comparable results to the agar gel immunodiffusion. Equine infectious anemia (EIA) is an important viral infection affecting horses worldwide. The course of infection is accompanied generally by three characteristic stages: acute, chronic and inapparent. There is no effective EIA vaccine or treatment, and the control of the disease is based currently on identification of EIAV inapparent carriers by laboratory tests. Recombinant envelope protein (rgp90) was expressed in Escherichia coli and evaluated via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). There was an excellent agreement (95.42%) between the ELISA results using rgp90 and agar gel immunod...
Monitoring of the West Nile virus epidemic in Spain between 2010 and 2011. West Nile virus (WNV) is a mosquito-transmitted flavivirus recognized as an emerging and re-emerging pathogen in different countries. This study describes the monitoring of the first WNV epidemic in Spain between 2010 and 2011. Between September and December 2010, 36 outbreaks of WNV in horses were reported in three different provinces of Andalusia (southern Spain), with no apparent spread outside this area. The temporal distribution and the clinical signs observed during the WNV epidemic in Spain were, in general, similar to those reported in Europe and in the Mediterranean Basin. Morbidity, ...
Emergence of novel equine arteritis virus (EAV) variants during persistent infection in the stallion: origin of the 2007 French EAV outbreak was linked to an EAV strain present in the semen of a persistently infected carrier stallion. During the summer of 2007, an outbreak of equine viral arteritis (EVA) occurred in Normandy (France). After investigation, a link was suggested between an EAV carrier stallion (A) and the index premise of the outbreak. The full-length nucleotide sequence analysis of a study reference strain (F27) isolated from the lung of a foal revealed a 12,710 nucleotides EAV genome with unique molecular hallmarks in the 5'UTR leader sequence and the ORF1a sequence encoding the non-structural protein 2. The evolution of the viral population in the persistently infected Stallion A was then studied by cloning...
Development and laboratory evaluation of two lateral flow devices for the detection of vesicular stomatitis virus in clinical samples. Two lateral flow devices (LFD) for the detection of vesicular stomatitis (VS) virus (VSV), types Indiana (VSV-IND) and New Jersey (VSV-NJ) were developed using monoclonal antibodies C1 and F25VSVNJ-45 to the respective VSV serotypes. The performance of the LFDs was evaluated in the laboratory on suspensions of vesicular epithelia and cell culture passage derived supernatants of VSV. The collection of test samples included 105 positive for VSV-IND (92 vesicular epithelial suspensions and 13 cell culture antigens; encompassing 93 samples of subtype 1 [VSV-IND-1], 9 of subtype 2 [VSV-IND-2] and 3...
The danger of having all your eggs in one basket–winter crash of the re-introduced Przewalski’s horses in the Mongolian Gobi. Large mammals re-introduced into harsh and unpredictable environments are vulnerable to stochastic effects, particularly in times of global climate change. The Mongolian Gobi is home to several rare large ungulates such as re-introduced Przewalski's horses (Equus ferus przewalskii) and Asiatic wild asses (Equus hemionus), but also to a millennium-old semi-nomadic livestock herding culture.The Gobi is prone to large inter-annual environmental fluctuations, but the winter 2009/2010 was particularly severe. Millions of livestock died and the Przewalski's horse population in the Gobi crashed. We u...
Heritability estimates for racing performance in Japanese Thoroughbred racehorses using linear and non-linear model analyses. This study evaluated the differences between linear and non-linear modelled heritability estimates of racing performance based on lifetime earnings (LE) and lifetime ranking (LR) in Japanese Thoroughbred racehorses. The heritability estimate (h(2) = 0.25) obtained from a non-linear model based on formal Japan Racing Association ranking was much higher than that obtained from a linear model based on the original trait phenotype (h(2) = 0.11). The linear models showed slightly higher heritability estimates under the trait categorizations than under the original phenotypes, while the non-linear c...
A clinical case of dourine in an outbreak in Italy. In May 2011, dourine was reported in Italy following the declaration of a positive result observed in a stallion undergoing routine testing for stud purposes. Clinical signs, anatomo-histopathological findings and laboratory results that resulted in the confirmation of diagnosis of dourine in a clinically affected mare, which was the likely source of infection in the stallion, are described.
Complete molecular genome analyses of equine rotavirus A strains from different continents reveal several novel genotypes and a largely conserved genotype constellation. In this study, the complete genome sequences of seven equine group A rotavirus (RVA) strains (RVA/Horse-tc/GBR/L338/1991/G13P[18], RVA/Horse-wt/IRL/03V04954/2003/G3P[12] and RVA/Horse-wt/IRL/04V2024/2004/G14P[12] from Europe; RVA/Horse-wt/ARG/E30/1993/G3P[12], RVA/Horse-wt/ARG/E403/2006/G14P[12] and RVA/Horse-wt/ARG/E4040/2008/G14P[12] from Argentina; and RVA/Horse-wt/ZAF/EqRV-SA1/2006/G14P[12] from South Africa) were determined. Multiple novel genotypes were identified and genotype numbers were assigned by the Rotavirus Classification Working Group: R9 (VP1), C9 (VP2), N9 (NSP2), T12 (NSP3), ...
