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.
Ryu SH, Koo HC, Lee YW, Park YH, Lee CW.Infectious upper respiratory disease (IURD) of Thoroughbred racehorses has been a frequent problem (29.6% of incidence) at the Seoul Race Park (Korea). Risk factors for IURD include the season with a high transfer rate (summer and fall), the stabling period (≤ 3 months), and age (2 to 3 years old), suggesting that the movement and new environment may have depressed the immune system of the horses and decreased their ability to respond properly to pathogens. The bacterial strains (n = 98) isolated from IURD horses included Pseudomonas spp., Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus spp., Streptococcus...
Aceto H, Miller SA, Smith G.To determine time to first detection of Salmonella organisms in feces of animals after experimental infection PO and times to onset of diarrhea and pyrexia to evaluate a common method for identifying nosocomial infections on the basis of time of admission and onset of clinical signs (ie, the 3-day criterion). Methods: Meta-analysis. Methods: Cattle, horses, goats, and sheep experimentally infected PO with Salmonella enterica subsp enterica. Methods: Online databases were searched for published reports describing results of experimental infection of cattle, horses, goats, and sheep PO with salm...
Ulbert S.West Nile virus (WNV) is a zoonotic virus that circulates in birds and is transmitted by mosquitoes. Incidentally, humans, horses and other mammals can also be infected. Disease symptoms caused by WNV range from fever to neurological complications, such as encephalitis or meningitis. Mortality is observed mostly in older and immunocompromised individuals. In recent years, epidemics caused by WNV in humans and horses have become more frequent in several Southern European countries, such as Italy and Greece. In 1999, WNV was introduced into the USA and spread over North America within a couple o...
Barros SC, Ramos F, Fagulha T, Duarte M, Henriques M, Luís T, Fevereiro M.The circulation of West Nile virus in Portugal was assessed by serological surveys conducted during 2004-2010 in horses and birds. The detection of WNV antibodies in both species in all the years covered by the study as well as the presence of anti-WNV IgM in symptomatic horses that had not traveled outside the country, support the notion that WNV circulates in Portugal.
Plowright RK, Foley P, Field HE, Dobson AP, Foley JE, Eby P, Daszak P.Anthropogenic environmental change is often implicated in the emergence of new zoonoses from wildlife; however, there is little mechanistic understanding of these causal links. Here, we examine the transmission dynamics of an emerging zoonotic paramyxovirus, Hendra virus (HeV), in its endemic host, Australian Pteropus bats (fruit bats or flying foxes). HeV is a biosecurity level 4 (BSL-4) pathogen, with a high case-fatality rate in humans and horses. With models parametrized from field and laboratory data, we explore a set of probable contributory mechanisms that explain the spatial and tempor...
Hinney B, Wirtherle NC, Kyule M, Miethe N, Zessin KH, Clausen PH.Control strategies for horse helminths are controversially discussed, and no ideal strategy exists. Presently, the spreading of anthelmintic resistance against all three classes of anthelmintics is of special concern. Advice on how to slow the development of anthelmintic resistance does not seem to have reached the majority of horse owners yet. In our study, we wanted to capture the current standard of helminth control and to analyse the effectiveness of these control strategies. Seven hundred horse farms in Brandenburg, Germany were sent a questionnaire in June/July 2006 asking various questi...
Oura CA, Ivens PA, Bachanek-Bankowska K, Bin-Tarif A, Jallow DB, Sailleau C, Maan S, Mertens PC, Batten CA.African horse sickness virus serotype 9 (AHSV-9) has been known for some time to be circulating amongst equids in West Africa without causing any clinical disease in indigenous horse populations. Whether this is due to local breeds of horses being resistant to disease or whether the AHSV-9 strains circulating are avirulent is currently unknown. This study shows that the majority (96%) of horses and donkeys sampled across The Gambia were seropositive for AHS, despite most being unvaccinated and having no previous history of showing clinical signs of AHS. Most young horses (<3 years) were seropo...
Ricard A, Blouin C.The longevity of sport horses is an economic and ethical issue. The aim of this study was to analyze the duration of the competitive life of jumping horses in France to assess the potential for genetic evaluation and to propose rules of management for sport horses. Data included lifetimes spent in jumping competitions for the 209,296 horses born from 1968 onward with performances between 1972 and 2008; the data set contained 22% right-censored records. Longevity was measured in years. Discrete survival analysis included fixed effects of region of birth, month of birth, year of recording, age a...
Ireland JL, McGowan CM, Clegg PD, Chandler KJ, Pinchbeck GL.This study reports on aspects of preventive health care and on the prevalence of disease in geriatric (≥30 years old) horses and ponies in North-West England and North Wales. Of 128 questionnaires mailed to horse owners, 87 useable responses were received and 69 horses were subject to veterinary examination. Of the animals examined, 16% were underweight with body condition scores (BCS)3/5). This contrasted with the owner responses that reported 23% of the animals surveyed to be underweight and only 3% to be overweight. When assessed at trot, 77% of the horses were lame on at least one limb, ...
Rota A, Calicchio E, Nardoni S, Fratini F, Ebani VV, Sgorbini M, Panzani D, Camillo F, Mancianti F.A saprophytic bacterial flora is present on the penis and the distal part of the urethra of stallions. Little is known about the fungal flora of their reproductive tract. As micro organisms play an important role in mares fertility, the aim of the study was to describe the distribution of fungi and bacteria in the normal genital apparatus of stallions. The microbic flora of the reproductive tract of 11 healthy, fertile stallions was evaluated, collecting samples from 5 different locations: urethral fossa, penis/internal lamina of the prepuce, urethra pre- and post-ejaculation, and semen. For f...
Minke JM, Siger L, Cupillard L, Powers B, Bakonyi T, Boyum S, Nowotny N, Bowen R.The emergence of lineage 2 strains of WNV in Europe as a cause of clinical disease and mortality in horses raised the question whether the existing WNV vaccines, all based on lineage 1 strains, protect against circulating lineage 2 strains of WNV. In the present paper we have determined the level of cross protection provided by the recombinant ALVAC(®)-WNV vaccine in a severe challenge model that produces clinical signs of WNV type 2 disease. Ten horses were vaccinated twice at 4 weeks interval with one dose of the ALVAC-WNV vaccine formulated at the minimum protective dose. A further 10 hors...
Trope GD, Anderson GA, Whitton RC.The effect of palmar osteochondral disease lesions on performance of Thoroughbred (TB) racehorses is unclear. There is a need to describe patterns of radiopharmaceutical uptake (IRU) in fetlock joints of TB racehorses and to evaluate post scintigraphy performance. Objective: IRU in the metacarpal (MC) and metatarsal (MT) condyles is more common than IRU in the parasagittal grooves and is associated with poorer post diagnosis performance than controls. Methods: Location of IRU within the fetlock region was identified and graded subjectively in TB racehorses. Performance variables were determine...
Estep LK, McClure CJ, Burkett-Cadena ND, Hassan HK, Hicks TL, Unnasch TR, Hill GE.Eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV) is a mosquito-borne pathogen that cycles in birds but also causes severe disease in humans and horses. We examined patterns of avian host use by vectors of EEEV in Alabama from 2001 to 2009 using blood-meal analysis of field-collected mosquitoes and avian abundance surveys. The northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) was the only preferred host (fed on significantly more than expected based on abundance) of Culiseta melanura, the enzootic vector of EEEV. Preferred hosts of Culex erraticus, a putative bridge vector of EEEV, were American robin (Turdus ...
White GS, Pickett BE, Lefkowitz EJ, Johnson AG, Ottendorfer C, Stark LM, Unnasch TR.Florida has the highest degree of endemicity for eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV) of any state in the United States and is the only state with year-round transmission of EEEV. To further understand the viral population dynamics in Florida, the genome sequence of six EEEV isolates from central Florida were determined. These data were used to identify the most polymorphic regions of the EEEV genome from viruses isolated in Florida. The sequence of these polymorphic regions was then determined for 18 additional Florida isolates collected in four geographically distinct regions over a 20-y...
Kranenburg LC, van Ree HE, Calis AN, de Pater M, Buter GJ, van Maanen C, Sloet van Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaarn MM.Equine proliferative enteropathy caused by Lawsonia intracellularis is an emerging disease of weanling foals and affects their growth and development. The prevalence of Lawsonia intracellularis in The Netherlands is not known. The aim of the study was to investigate the seroprevalence of Lawsonia intracellularis in horses in The Netherlands. Blood samples were taken from healthy foals before and after weaning and from healthy yearlings and mature horses on farms throughout The Netherlands. These samples were analysed for the presence of Lawsonia intracellularis-specific antibodies with a block...
Earle-Richardson GB, Jenkins PL, Scott EE, May JJ.Agriculture ranks as one of the most hazardous industries in the nation. Ongoing injury surveillance is key to identifying and preventing major sources of injury. Objective: The objective of this study was to compare the total number and types of injuries identified from community reporting versus two newly available medical data systems. These new systems are important because they are less time consuming and expensive to maintain. Methods: Farm injury case records from 2007 were collected for 10 NY counties from the following sources: ambulance reports, hospital data, and community surveilla...
Marlow CH.Horse breeding in South Africa started in 1652, shortly after the 1st European settlement in the Cape. African horsesickness posed a serious problem and after a devastating outbreak of the disease in 1719, horses were largely replaced by oxen for agricultural and transport purposes but remained important from a sporting and military point of view. Examples of the latter are the export of horses for military use to India in the mid-19th century and for use in the Crimean War in 1854, reaching a zenith in the Anglo-Boer war in which an estimated 450 000 horses succumbed. Research and disease con...
Johns IC, Baxter K, Booler H, Hicks C, Menzies-Gow N.To describe the bacterial and fungal flora of the normal conjunctiva of horses in the UK; to determine the effect of horse age, sex, geographic location, and housing on this flora; and to determine the most appropriate antimicrobial drug(s) for prophylactic treatment of corneal ulcers. Methods: A total of 60 adult healthy horses were studied. Methods: Swabs of the conjunctiva were obtained from 60 horses housed in two locations within the UK. Specimens were cultured for aerobic bacteria and fungi, and sensitivity against six ophthalmic antimicrobials assessed. The effect of age, sex, location ...
Ehizibolo DO, Gusi AM, Ehizibolo PO, Mbuk EU, Ocholi RA.Despite the endemicity of brucellosis in Nigeria, reports on equine brucellosis are rare. The Rose Bengal Plate Test (RBPT) was used to determine the serologic prevalence of Brucella abortus antibodies amongst 75 horses from three stables in two States of northern Nigeria. The highest prevalence (22.7%) was recorded in stable C located in Plateau State and the lowest (6.7%) was found in stable B in Kaduna State. The overall prevalence determined was 14.7%. There is need for the inclusion of horses in brucellosis surveillance and control strategies in Nigeria to safeguard people at high risk.
Rihtarič D, Hostnik P, Grom J, Toplak I.A molecular epidemiology study was performed on a selection of 30 rabies-positive brain samples collected between 1994 and 2010 in Slovenia and originating from the red fox (n=19), badger (n=3), cattle (n=3), dog (n=2), cat (n=1), marten (n=1) and horse (n=1). Based on the comparison of 1092 and 672 nucleotide sequences of nucleoprotein (N) and partial glycoprotein (G) gene regions, a low genetic diversity of the circulating strains was detected, but both phylogenetic trees were consistent with the topology where partial nucleoprotein or glycoprotein genes were used. A high sequence identity i...
Medina-Torres CE, Weese JS, Staempfli HR.Fecal samples were collected to establish the apparent prevalence of Clostridium difficile shedding in Standardbred and Thoroughbred racehorses housed at 4 racetracks and 2 breeding facilities, and in horses admitted to a referral large animal clinic. Forty-one (7.59%) of 540 racetrack horses, seven (5.83%) of 120 breeding farm horses, and four (4.88%) out of 82 horses admitted to the referral clinic were culture-positive for C. difficile. An overall fecal culture prevalence of 7.01% for C. difficile was identified in 742 fecal samples. PCR-ribotyping and toxin gene identification was performe...
Virmani N, Bera BC, Shanumugasundaram K, Singh BK, Gulati BR, Singh RK, Vaid RK.India faced an epizootic of equine influenza in 2008-2009. The isolated viruses were typed as H3N8 and grouped with the clade 2 viruses of Florida sublineage on the basis of haemagglutinin (HA) gene sequence analysis. This report describes the genetic analysis and selection pressure of matrix (M) and non-structural 1 (NS1) genes of the Indian isolates. All isolates shared 98.41% and 99.54% homology with other clade 2 viruses of Asian origin for M1 and M2 amino acid (aa) sequences, respectively. There were 3 and 4 unique aa residue changes respectively in M1 and M2 proteins in all Asian isolate...
Nemoto M, Tsunemitsu H, Imagawa H, Hata H, Higuchi T, Sato S, Orita Y, Sugita S, Bannai H, Tsujimura K, Yamanaka T, Kondo T, Matsumura T.Using a total of 2018 fecal samples collected between 2003 and 2008 from foals with diarrhea, the molecular epidemiology of group A equine rotaviruses circulating in Japan was investigated by the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) typing and sequence analysis of the VP4 (P type) and VP7 (G type) genes. A total of 1149 samples showed positive reactions with RT-PCR, of which 462 samples (40.2%) were positive for G3 type, 502 samples (43.7%) were positive for G14 type, and 185 samples (16.1%) were positive for both G3 and G14 types. To examine P types, 59 G3 and 56 G14 posit...
Dunowska M, Howe L, Hanlon D, Stevenson M.The significance of infection with Equid herpesvirus 2 (EHV-2) remains unresolved, mainly due to its widespread distribution, and frequent isolation of the virus not only from diseased animals, but also from clinically normal horses. It has been suggested that EHV-2 exerts its effects on the host indirectly, through predisposition to secondary infections. The aim of this study was to determine kinetics of EHV-2 infection among foals and to investigate the role that EHV-2 may play in development of Rhodococcus equi pneumonia on one farm. Serial blood samples were collected from 43 foals over a ...
Hansmann F, Herder V, Ernst H, Baumgärtner W.This report is the first description of a spinal epidermoid cyst (EC) in a SJL mouse and gives an overview on the occurrence of ECs in animals including dogs, horses, mice and rats. The EC was not detected grossly and the mouse did not display clinical signs or an altered rotarod performance. Microscopically, there was an oval cyst lined by stratified squamous epithelium that was attached to the dorsolateral meninges and caused moderate compression of the adjacent lumbar spinal cord. ECs in mice and rats are mainly located in the caudal part of the spinal cord with a variable, strain-dependent...
Nyberg KA, Vinnerås B, Lewerin SS, Kjellberg E, Albihn A.To investigate the inactivation of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium and the faecal indicator Enterococcus faecalis in horse manure:soil mixtures by application of hydrated lime (Ca(OH)(2)). Results: In laboratory incubations, the inhibitory effect of different concentrations of Ca(OH)(2), as well as different application techniques, was tested. Other variables were horse manure:soil ratio, incubation temperature (6 and 14°C) and soil type (sand/clay). Bacterial enumeration by the plate count method in samples taken at increasing intervals revealed that Ca(OH)(2) effectively reduced Sal...
Tozaki T, Hill EW, Hirota K, Kakoi H, Gawahara H, Miyake T, Sugita S, Hasegawa T, Ishida N, Nakano Y, Kurosawa M.Using 1710 Thoroughbred racehorses in Japan, a cohort study was performed to evaluate the influence of genotypes at four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on equine chromosome 18 (ECA18), which were associated in a previous genome-wide association study for racing performance with lifetime earnings and performance rank. In males, both g.65809482T>C and g.65868604G>T were related to performance rank (P= 0.005). In females, g.65809482T>C (P = 1.76E-6), g.65868604G>T (P=6.81E-6) and g.66493737C>T (P=4.42E-5) were strongly related to performance rank and also to lifetime ...
Diyes GCP, Rajakaruna RS.Otobius megnini infests mainly domesticated and wild animals and occasionally humans. It has been identified as an agent of human and horse otoacariasis in Sri Lanka. The number of nymphal stages in the life cycle of O. megnini varies from one to three in different geographic regions. The present study determined the life cycle of O. megnini infesting the racehorses in Nuwara Eliya. A tick colony was initiated from fully engorged nymphs collected from horses and maintained at 10°C, 22°C and 28°C. Immature stages were reared on New Zealand rabbits. Only the larvae weighing more than 0.9mg (8...
Sellon DC, Sanz M, Kopper JJ, Mattei D.Understanding factors influencing assessment of pain in horses will facilitate communication between veterinarians and horse owners. Objective: To compare estimates of pain experienced by horses as provided by veterinarians and horse owners and to determine factors associated with individuals who perceive horses to be experiencing extreme pain or minimal pain. Methods: Cross-sectional study. Methods: Internet-based questionnaires for horse owners and veterinarians included items related to recognition of pain in horses, estimated degree of pain experienced by horses, and demographic informatio...
Scantlebury CE, Aklilu N, Reed K, Knottenbelt DC, Gebreab F, Pinchbeck GL.Ocular disease is a frequent finding in working horses. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence and types of ocular pathology, and explore risk factors potentially associated with disease within a population of working horses in Ethiopia. In total, 1049 horses were selected from horses attending clinics run by the Society for Protection of Animals Abroad (SPANA). Each had an ophthalmic examination conducted under field conditions using a pen-torch. All owners completed a short questionnaire. The prevalence of ocular abnormalities was 23.5 per cent (95 per cent confidence interval (CI) 18.0...
Bernardino P, James K, Barnum S, Corbin R, Wademan C, Pusterla N.Equine rhinitis B virus (ERBV) has been given little attention by practitioners compared to other respiratory viruses, mainly because of the lack of diagnostic modalities and association with clinical disease. The objective of the study was to determine the frequency of detection of ERBV in nasal secretions from 6568 horses with acute onset of respiratory signs. ERBV-positive qPCR results from nasal secretions submitted to a molecular diagnostic laboratory from 2013 to 2019 were reviewed. A total of 333 ERBV qPCR-positive samples (5.1%) were detected with increasing yearly frequency since the ...
Wallace JC, Vogelnest LJ.A sample of fourteen horse rugs and two saddle blankets stored in south western Sydney, Australia, an area of known high dust mite prevalence in the human environment, were analysed for the presence of house dust mites. Dust samples from the rugs, blankets and 16 control sites were collected using a vacuum cleaner with a modified attachment and filter. Dust mites were extracted using an adapted floatation technique. Eight rugs and all control samples were positive for mites, which were confirmed to be house dust mites of the genus Dermatophagoides. This study confirms that exposure to house du...
Anthenill LA, Stover SM, Gardner IA, Hill AE, Lee CM, Anderson ML, Barr BC, Read DH, Johnson BJ, Woods LW, Daft BM, Kinde H, Moore JD, Farman CA....To determine the distribution for limbs and bones in horses with fractures of the proximal sesamoid bones and relationships with findings on palmarodorsal radiographic images. Methods: Proximal sesamoid bones obtained from both forelimbs of cadavers of 328 racing Thoroughbreds. Methods: Osteophytes; large vascular channels; and fracture location, orientation, configuration, and margin distinctness were categorized by use of high-detail contact palmarodorsal radiographs. Distributions of findings were determined. Relationships between radiographic findings and fracture characteristics were exam...
Divers TJ, Tomlinson JE, Tennant BC.Theiler's disease (serum hepatitis) may occur in outbreaks or as single cases of acute hepatitis and is often associated with prior administration of equine-origin biologics approximately 4-10 weeks before the onset of clinical signs. Cases have also been described without any prior administration of blood products. The clinical disease has a low morbidity but high mortality and only adult horses are affected. The course of the disease is short, with horses either dying or completely recovering in a few days. Pathology in affected horses is predominantly centrilobular hepatocyte necrosis with ...
Schurink A, van Grevenhof EM, Ducro BJ, van Arendonk JA.Insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH) is a seasonal recurrent allergic reaction of horses to the bites of certain Culicoides spp. and is found throughout the world. The aim of our study was to estimate the heritability and repeatability of IBH in the Dutch Shetland pony population. A total of 7,924 IBH scores on 6,073 mares were collected during foal inspections in 2003, 2005, and 2006. Mares were scored for clinical symptoms of IBH from June until February by 16 inspectors. Of all mares, 74.4% (n = 4,520) had a single observation, 20.7% (n = 1,255) had 2 observations, and 4.9% (n = 298) had 3 ob...
Klei TR, Chapman MR, French DD, Taylor HW.The efficacy of a high dose of ivermectin (1.0 mg per kg Eqvalan liquid drench) on encysted cyathostomes was tested in a controlled study using 12 adult ponies with naturally acquired cyathostome infections. Six treated ponies and six non-treated controls were held in separate stalls for a period of 5 weeks. Cyathostome burdens, which included lumenal larvae, adults and encysted larvae, were determined at necropsy. The viability of encysted larvae, based on morphologic integrity, was assessed by observation of mural transillumination and by the histologic appearance of 12 larvae per pony. Effi...
Miño S, Kern A, Barrandeguy M, Parreño V.Group A rotaviruses (RVA) are important infectious agents associated with diarrhea in the young of several animal species including foals. Currently, a variety of diagnosis methods are commercially available, like ELISA, latex agglutination and immunochromatographic assays. These commercial tests are mainly designed for the detection of human RVA; its applicability in veterinary diagnosis has been poorly studied. The aim of this study was to compare the sensitivity and specificity of two commercial diagnostic kits, Pathfinder™ Rotavirus and FASTest Rota® strip, with an in-house KERI ELISA, ...
Spence KL, O'Sullivan TL, Poljak Z, Greer AL.Participation in equestrian shows provides opportunities for contact between horses, increasing the risk of disease introduction and spread within the population. The magnitude of a potential outbreak, and the impact of disease prevention and control strategies, can be estimated using simulation modeling. The objectives of this study were to (1) examine the potential spread of equine influenza in a network of horses associated with a 2-day equestrian show in Ontario, Canada; and (2) determine the effectiveness of several interventions during a simulated outbreak. A discrete-event, continuous-t...
The Journal of hygieneDecember 1, 1976
Volume 77, Issue 3 401-408 doi: 10.1017/s0022172400055789
Platt H, Atherton JG, Orskov I.An account is given of K. pneumoniae capsule types occurring in horses, with particular reference to strains originating from the genital tract in the mare and the external genitalia of the stallion. A survey of the prevalence of K. pneumoniae and E. aerogenes strains in the preputial flora of healthy stallions is described. The majority of horses were found to be carriers of these organisms. The cultural characteristics of these preputial strains are described and compared with those of K. pneumoniae strains associated with epidemic metritis in mares. The epidemiological significance of certa...
Weber Polack E, King JM, Cummings JF, de Lahunta A, Divers TJ, Mohammed HO.The mean number of motor neurons was assessed in the C7 spinal cord segment of 5 EMND and 5 control horses. Mean number per section in EMND horses was reduced significantly (P<0.001). The mean neuronal loss was estimated at 31%. Each of the 5 affected horses had a mean neuronal count below the 95% confidence interval for control horses. The statistically significant difference between the 2 groups was consistent in the cranial, middle and caudal thirds of the C7 segment (P<0.001). The results of regression analysis indicated an association between neuronal reduction in EMND horses and th...
Dunsmore JD, Jue Sue LP.A survey was conducted on the prevalence of the major gastrointestinal parasites in 140 horses necropsied in Perth, Western Australia, during 1979 to 1982. Adult Strongylus vulgaris were found in 22.5 per cent of horses and verminous arteritis in 62.9 per cent. The peak worm prevalence was in November to January (summer). S edentatus had a similar prevalence and seasonality but S equinus was not found in this survey. Draschia megastoma and Habronema muscae were found in 66.2 per cent and 35.3 per cent of horses respectively. Infection is probably acquired in summer when 8 per cent of the Musca...
House JA.AHS is a noncontagious vector-borne disease of Equidae caused by Orbiviruses. Species susceptibility in decreasing order is horses, mules, donkeys, and zebras. The main vectors of AHS are culicoides. The disease is endemic in sub-Saharan Africa, but epizootics have occurred outside of this area on several occasions. The most recent outbreaks outside of the endemic area were in Spain, Morocco, and Portugal between 1987 and 1990. AHS causes mortality up to 95% and is classically divided into four clinical forms: the pulmonary, cardiac, mixed, and horse fever forms. Pathologic changes are subcuta...
Buendia A, Teng KT, Camino E, Dominguez L, Cruz-Lopez F.The hemogram is a routine analysis for equine veterinary practitioners in the assessment of patient clinical status. Reference intervals (RIs) of hematologic constituents vary according to different horse populations and are often described for a particular breed or horse type. The aims of this study were to determine RIs for hematologic constituents in a mixed-breed horse population residing in livery yards in central Spain and evaluate the associations between estimated RIs and multiple phenotypic and management characteristics. A total of 122 healthy horses from different breeds in central ...
Macon EL, Harris P, Barker VD, Adams AA.Seasonal effects on the oral sugar test (OST), used to monitor insulin dysregulation (ID) status to help reduce laminitis risk, are poorly understood in the ID horse. Resting, (basal) insulin (T0) and 60-minute (T60) OST (0.15 mL/Kg BW Karo Light Corn Syrup) insulin responses were evaluated, once per each season over 2 years, in ID (n = 11 14.9 ± 4.3 years; mean ± SD) and non-insulin dysregulated (NID: n = 11 16.4 ± 5.3 years; mean ± SD) horses housed on the same farm. Seasonal morphometric measurements were collected: bodyweight (BW), body-condition scores (BCS), and cresty neck score...
Otranto D, Colwell DD, Milillo P, Di Marco V, Paradies P, Napoli C, Giannetto S.Two species of Rhinoestrus (i.e. Rhinoestrus purpureus (Brauer) and Rhinoestrus usbekistanicus Gan) cause nasal myiasis in horses, donkeys and zebras. In the past 15 years myiasis caused by R. purpureus has been reported in Egypt and by R. usbekistanicus in Senegal and Niger, both in horses and in donkeys. With the aim to investigate the presence of this myiasis in autochthonous horses and donkeys from southern Italy and to study the seasonal trend of larval infection, 212 native horses were necropsied in two slaughterhouses in the Apulia region (site A) from January to November 2003, and 120 ...
Snyder JR, Pascoe JR, Hirsh DC.Positive cultures were obtained from 60 equine orthopedic cases during a 12 year period (1974-1985). These cases consisted of 34 long or cuboidal bone fractures, 13 arthrotomy/arthroscopy procedures for removal or internal fixation of a fracture, 7 proximal splint bone fractures, and 6 facial or mandibular fractures. Excluding the 13 arthrotomies, only 10 (21%) of the 47 were open fractures. Multiple organisms were isolated from 36 cases (20 long or cuboidal bone fractures, 7 splint bone fractures, 5 mandibular fractures, and 4 intra-articular fractures). Of the 142 isolates, 35 (24%) were mem...
Bolton T, Kuskie K, Halbert N, Chaffin K, Healy M, Lawhon S, Jackson A, Cohen N.Rhodococcus equi is an important pathogen of foals aged 1-6 months. Evidence exists that foals are exposed to a wide diversity of R. equi strains in their environment. However, limited data are available regarding the extent to which genotypic variation exists among isolates infecting individual foals. Therefore, electrophoresis of repetitive sequence-based polymerase chain reaction (rep-PCR) amplicons in an automated microfluidics chip format was used to genotype 9 virulent R. equi isolates obtained from distinct anatomic locations in a single foal. Four of the isolates were obtained from dif...
In 2017 the Abruzzo region, located in central Italy, was struck by a sequence of four moderately powerful seismic events (5.0 magnitude on Richter scale), in addition to heavy snowfall that caused a state of emergency affecting the resident population and farm animals. A total of 282 stables were reported to have collapsed or been damaged and several animals (224 cows, 4025 ewes, 40,725 chickens, 22 horses and 3092 pigs) were killed. The Istituto Zooprofilattico of Abruzzo and Molise "G. Caporale" (IZSAM)-National Reference Center for Veterinary Urban Hygiene and Non-Epidemic Emergencies (IUV...
Jørgensen HS, Proschowsky H, Falk-Rønne J, Willeberg P, Hesselholt M.A retrospective cohort study was made of the racing performance of trotters which had been subjected routinely to radiography before they started training and racing. Sixty-one per cent (148) of the 243 horses, foaled in 3 consecutive years, had one or more abnormal findings categorised into 5 relevant groups based on radiography, of which osteochondrosis (OCD) was the most specific diagnosis. Parameters used to reflect racing performance were: proportion of horses starting in races, number of starts per year, earnings per year, earnings per start and racing longevity. No significant associati...
Tapprest J, Morignat E, Dornier X, Borey M, Hendrikx P, Ferry B, Calavas D, Sala C.Quantitative information about equine mortality is relatively scarce, yet it could be of great value for epidemiological purposes. In France, data from rendering plants are centralised in the Fallen Stock Data Interchange database (FSDI), managed by the French Ministry of Agriculture, while individual equine data are centralised in the French equine census database, SIRE, managed by the French horse and riding institute (IFCE). Objective: To evaluate whether the combined use of the FSDI and SIRE databases can provide representative and accurate quantitative information on mortality for the Fre...
Martin-Gimenez T, Aguirre-Pascasio CN, de Blas I.Morphometry has proven to be a useful tool, both for the clinician and horse owners, for evaluating the body condition in equids due to its objectivity, easiness and capacity for detection of important metabolic disturbances. However, limited information is available on the use of morphometric ratios to characterize regional and overall adiposity and much less about their application in different genders, ages and horses with different levels of obesity. The objectives were to evaluate body and neck absolute measurements and ratios; factors affecting them such as the influence of gender, age, ...
Camus MS, Krimer PM, Leroy BE, Almy FS.Beta-gamma bridging (β-γ bridging) on serum protein electrophoresis is touted as being virtually pathognomonic for hepatic disease. However, the criteria for β-γ bridging are not defined, and few publications support a relationship between β-γ bridging and liver disease. The goal of this retrospective study was to evaluate the prevalence of hepatic pathology in animals with β-γ bridging. All serum protein electrophoretograms from clinical patients generated at the University of Georgia between 1994 and 2008 were evaluated for the presence of β-γ bridging, defined as (1) an albumin:gl...
Zia M, Mirhendi H, Toghyani M.The present study aimed at detection and species-level identification of the Malassezia yeasts in domestic animals and aquatic birds by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). Samples were collected using tape strips and swabs from 471 animals including 97 horses, 102 cattle, 105 sheep, 20 camels, 60 dogs, 30 cats, 1 hamster, 1 squirrel, 50 aquatic birds and 5 turkeys. Tape-strip samples were examined by direct microscopy. All samples were inoculated on modified Leeming and Notman agar medium. DNA extracted from the yeast colonies was amplified by PCR usi...
Baba SS, Olaleye OD, Ayanbadejo OA.A sero-epidemiological survey of African horse sickness (AHS) virus in 261 animals which included 96 camels, 81 horses, 80 dogs and 4 donkeys was carried out in Nigeria. The animals had no history of vaccination against AHS. Sera were tested by the haemagglutination-inhibition (HI) test for the presence of antibody against AHS virus. Of these, 77 (95.1%) horse, 4 (100%) donkey, 10 (10.4%) camel and 28 (35%) dog sera samples tested were recorded as positive. The prevalence of antibody in samples taken from horses in different regions was similar. The prevalence of antibody to AHS virus detected...
Yasunaga S, Maeda K, Matsumura T, Kondo T, Kai K.A type-specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using equine herpesvirus types 1 (EHV-1) and 4 (EHV-4) glycoprotein G was applied for sero-epizootiology of EHV infections in Japan. Recently, an inactivated EHV-1 vaccine has been administered to racehorses for prevention of upper respiratory disease. To examine the effect of the vaccination on the result of the ELISA, 6 horses were experimentally inoculated three times intramuscularly or intranasally with inactivated EHV-1 vaccine. Sera collected from these horses were used to the type-specific ELISA and complement-fixation (CF) test....
Živković S, Pavlović I, Mijatović B, Trailović I, Trailović D.This study aimed to investigate the prevalence, intensity and risk factors (age and gender) promoting the intestinal helminthic infections of the Domestic mountain ponies and Balkan donkeys in Serbia. Methods: Prevalence, intensity and risk factors influencing helminth infection in horses (n=39) and donkeys (n=18) at the site of Nature Park Stara Planina, were studied from May to Sep 2015. The presence of one or several gastrointestinal helminth species was confirmed by faecal flotation in 97.43% of horses and 88.88% of donkeys included in the monitoring. The identified helminth species were ,...
Cheetham J, Riordan AS, Mohammed HO, McIlwraith CW, Fortier LA.There is no consensus on objective outcome measures that can be used to determine if a medical or surgical treatment affects race performance. Objective: To determine the association between 2 commonly used outcome measures (total starts and total earnings) and age, sex, gait and race surface. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed using the race performance data for all Thoroughbred horses age 2, 3, 4 and 5 years racing in the United States, and Standardbred horses of the same ages racing in the United States and Canada during the year 2006. Median earnings and starts were determined ...
