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.
Azuolas JK, Wishart E, Bibby S, Ainsworth C.To report clinical and clinicopathological findings in horses naturally infected with Ross River virus (RRV) and identify likely mosquito arbovirus vector species. Methods: Veterinarians submitted serum samples from 750 horses because they suspected Ross River virus (RRV) infection. The samples were tested for the presence of IgM and IgG antibody to RRV and for the presence of virus. Mosquitoes were trapped, differentiated to species level and tested for the presence of RRV by virus isolation. Results: RRV was isolated from six species of mosquitoes (Ochlerotatus camptorhyncus, Culex globocoxi...
Forrester MB, Stanley SK.A portion of calls handled by poison centers involve poisonings of animals; however, information on such calls is limited. This study used data from poison centers in Texas collected during 1998-2002 to document the epidemiology of animal poisoning calls. There were a total of 24,467 animal poisoning calls, representing 2.0% of all calls. Dogs were affected in 87% of the calls and cats in 11%. The exposures were unintentional in 99% of the cases, occurred via ingestion in 95% and involved dermal exposure in 5% of the cases. Exposures occurred at the owner's own residence 91% of the time and we...
Terio KA, Stalis IH, Allen JL, Stott JL, Worley MB.Coccidioidomycosis is a rare, often subclinical infection in domestic animals caused by the fungus Coccidioides immitis. Because of an apparent high incidence of coccidioidomycosis in Przewalski's horses (Equus przewalskii) housed at a single facility, necropsy records and biomaterials from animals that died between 1984 and 2000 were reviewed (n = 30, 15 males, 15 females). Coccidioidomycosis was the leading cause of death (33%) in this population with lesions in the lungs and tracheobronchial lymph nodes of all animals and variable involvement of the skeletal muscle, heart, kidney, liver, sk...
Albihn A, Båverud V, Magnusson U.Uterine microbiology and antimicrobial susceptibility was investigated in 239 mares with fertility problems in a prospective study in Sweden. Uterine swab samples were collected with double guarded swabs and transported overnight before being cultured. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations (MIC) was determined for a panel of antimicrobials. From 152 of the 239 mares at least one bacterial species was isolated, most frequently E. coli (104 isolates), beta-haemolytic streptococci (31) and fungi (16). beta-haemolytic streptococci were more frequently (p < 0.01) associated with clinical endomet...
Björnsdóttir S, Arnason T, Lord P.A survival analysis was used to compare the culling rate of Icelandic horses due to the presence of radiographic and clinical signs of bone spavin. A follow-up study of 508 horses from a survey five years earlier was performed. In the original survey 46% of the horses had radiographic signs of bone spavin (RS) and/or lameness after flexion test of the tarsus. The horse owners were interviewed by telephone. The owners were asked if the horses were still used for riding and if not, they were regarded as culled. The owners were then asked when and why the horses were culled. During the 5 years, 9...
Barrett EJ, Farlam J, Proudman CJ.Two hundred and thirty-three horses were screened for the presence of roundworms by faecal egg counts (FECs) and for tapeworms by an ELISA specific for antibodies to the immunodominant 12 kDa and 13 kDa tapeworms antigen. The 62 horses were found to be infected with both parasites were treated with a combination of 0.2 mg/kg ivermectin and 1.5 mg/kg praziquantel. The treatment suppressed the median FEC of the horses to zero for 10 weeks and significantly reduced their anti-12/13 kDa antibody levels. The estimated risk of tapeworm-associated colic in these horses was halved by 12 weeks after th...
Hemberg E, Lundeheim N, Einarsson S.During 1997-2001, a total of 430 Thoroughbred mares were mated by one of the two Thoroughbred stallions on a well-managed stud farm in the central part of Sweden. On arrival, a thorough gynaecological examination of all mares was performed. An early pregnancy examination was performed on days 14 and 15 after ovulation. The overall conception rates for the two stallions were 92.2 and 88.8%, and the corresponding live foal rates were 82.6 and 75.2%, respectively. The mean number of served oestrous cycles was 1.60 per mare per conception and 1.86 per live foal. The first and second cycle concepti...
Bryan A, Shapir N, Sadowsky MJ.Nonselected and natural populations of Escherichia coli from 12 animal sources and humans were examined for the presence and types of 14 tetracycline resistance determinants. Of 1,263 unique E. coli isolates from humans, pigs, chickens, turkeys, sheep, cows, goats, cats, dogs, horses, geese, ducks, and deer, 31% were highly resistant to tetracycline. More than 78, 47, and 41% of the E. coli isolates from pigs, chickens, and turkeys were resistant or highly resistant to tetracycline, respectively. Tetracycline MICs for 61, 29, and 29% of E. coli isolates from pig, chickens, and turkeys, respect...
Wallraf A, Hamann H, Deegen E, Ohnesorge B, Distl O.The prevalence of pastern dermatitis was investigated in 917 German Coldblood horses aged 2.5 to 26 years. Pastern dermatitis was prevalent in Black Forest Draught horses with 47.5% and in South German Draught horses with 58.5%. High prevalences were found in Mecklenburg (76.4%), Saxon-Thuringa (84.3%), Schleswig (86.0%), and Rhenisch German Coldblood (96.1%) horses. All four legs or both hind legs were affected most frequently. The most prevalent forms of pastern dermatitis were crusted and hyperkeratotic-hyperplastic. The occurrence of pastern dermatitis was dependent of age. The statistical...
Rocha T, Ellis WA, Montgomery J, Gilmore C, Regalla J, Brem S.A bacteriological survey of kidneys from 145 abattoir horses was performed, which resulted in the isolation of two Leptospira strains. The isolates were serologically typed as belonging to serogroups Australis and Pomona, and REA identified them as L. interrogans serovar Bratislava and L. kirschneri serovar Tsaratsovo, respectively. These are the first Leptospira isolates obtained from horses in Portugal and the Bratislava strain is the first serogroup Australis strain to be isolated in this country. The 145 horses were also serologically tested for leptospiral antibodies, and 37% had MAT titr...
Proudman C, Pinchbeck G, Clegg P, French N.As in other competitive sports, the famous Grand National steeplechase, which is held at Aintree in the United Kingdom and is watched by 600 million people worldwide, sometimes results in injury. By analysing data from the past 15 Grand National races (consisting of 560 starts by horses), we are able to identify several factors that are significantly associated with failure to complete the race: no previous experience of the course and its unique obstacles, unfavourable ground conditions (too soft or too hard), a large number of runners, and the length of the odds ('starting price'). We also f...
Barakzai SZ, Johnson VS, Baird DH, Bladon B, Lane JG.There has been no objectively assessed case-control study of the efficacy of surgery to correct dorsal displacement of the soft palate (DDSP) previously reported. Objective: Composite surgery has a beneficial result on racing performance in horses affected with DDSP as compared to a matched control population. Methods: Race records were obtained for 53 racing Thoroughbreds which underwent composite staphylectomy, sternothyrohyoideus myectomy and ventriculectomy for correction of idiopathic DDSP at the University of Bristol between 1990 and 1996. Each surgical case was matched for age, sex and ...
McCarthy HE, French NP, Edwards GB, Miller K, Proudman CJ.Equine grass sickness (EGS) occurs repeatedly on certain premises over time. Few studies have sought, or identified, the determinants of this phenomenon in order to inform advice on disease prevention strategies. Objective: Premises-level risk factors are important determinants of whether EGS occurs. Methods: A matched case-control study was undertaken. Sixty premises giving rise to one or more histologically confirmed case of EGS and 120 time-matched control premises were sampled. Data were collected on pasture management, soil nutrient content, pasture nutrient content and local weather cond...
McCarthy HE, French NP, Edwards GB, Poxton IR, Kelly DF, Payne-Johnson CE, Miller K, Proudman CJ.Equine grass sickness is a high mortality disease which, despite many years of investigation, is of unknown aetiology. Recent findings indicating that the disease is associated with Clostridium botulinum require support from an epidemiological study that recognises and controls for potential confounders, e.g. age, time of year and premises. Objective: EGS is associated with low antibody levels to C. botulinum antigens. Methods: A matched case-control study was conducted. Data were collected from 66 histologically confirmed cases of EGS and 132 premises-matched control horses. The probability o...
Weideman H, Schoeman SJ, Jordaan GF, Kidd M.This study investigated if environmental factors had an effect on the incidence of epistaxis related to exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage (EIPH) among racehorses in southern Africa. Data covering the period 1986-2001 and involving 778 532 race runs were analysed. This included the following information: date of race, age, sex, name of breeder, trainer, distance, jockey, state of going, weight carried, racing centre and altitude. Veterinarians employed by the Jockey Club suspended officially entered horses that presented with epistaxis (frank bleeding from the nostrils) after racing. On-co...
Verheyen KL, Wood JL.Musculoskeletal injury is the major cause of days lost from training and wastage in Thoroughbred racehorses. Little scientific information is available on the majority of injuries occurring in training. Objective: To estimate the incidence of fractures in British racehorses in training and describe the occurrence of different fracture types and bones involved. Methods: Thirteen UK racehorse trainers participated in a prospective study, providing data on horses in their care for 2 years. Details on horses, their daily exercise and fracture occurrence were recorded. Results: A total of 1178 hors...
Newton JR, Hedderson EJ, Adams VJ, McGorum BC, Proudman CJ, Wood JL.The reasons why equine grass sickness (EGS) recurs on premises are unknown and, consequently, practical methods for reducing the risk of recurrence are not available. Objective: To identify risk factors associated with recurrence of EGS on premises and to gain possible insights into the pathogenesis of the disease. Methods: Data on disease history and risk factors were collected by postal questionnaire from premises with EGS cases between 1st January 1997 and 31st December 2001. Data on variation in rates of recurrence of EGS for different risk factors were analysed using Poisson regression an...
Gasser RB, Hung GC, Chilton NB, Beveridge I.Infections of equids with parasitic nematodes of the order Strongylida (subfamilies Strongylinae and Cyathostominae) are of major veterinary importance. In last decades, the widespread use of drugs against these parasites has led to problems of resistance within the Cyathostominae, and to an increase in their prevalence and intensity of infection. Novel control strategies, based on improved knowledge of parasite biology and epidemiology, have thus become important. However, there are substantial limitations in the understanding of fundamental biological and systematic aspects of these parasite...
Oldfield C, Bonella H, Renwick L, Dodson HI, Alderson G, Goodfellow M.Rhodococcus equi is a facultative pathogen of foals. Infection causes an often fatal pulmonary pneumonia. The organism has also been isolated from pigs, cattle, humans and the environment. Equine virulence has a high positive correlation with the expression of a 17.4 kD polypeptide of unknown function, VapA, the product of the plasmid-encoded vapA gene. More recently an isogene of vapA, referred to as vapB and encoding an 18.2 kDa polypeptide, has been identified among pig and human isolates. The two genes share > 80% sequence identity, yet their host strains apparently exhibit different patho...
Lai AC, Rogers KM, Glaser A, Tudor L, Chambers T.Phylogenetic and antigenic analyses indicate that recent circulating equine-2 influenza viruses in the United States have been alternating between two genetic and antigenic distinct lineages since 1996. The evolution rates for these two lineages, the Kentucky and the Florida lineage, are very similar. For the earlier isolates in the Kentucky lineage, there are multiple and sequential nonsynonymous substitutions at antigenic sites B and D. However, there are no changes at any of these antigenic sites for KY98 and OK00. In the Florida lineage, except for NY99 with one amino acid substitution at ...
Webb BA, Barney WE, Dahlman DL, DeBorde SN, Weer C, Williams NM, Donahue JM, McDowell KJ.A new equine abortigenic disease, mare reproductive loss syndrome (MRLS), was recognized and significantly impacted the Ohio Valley in the springs of 2001 and 2002. MRLS caused approximately 330 million US dollars in losses in 2001. An epidemiological investigation of MRLS associated occurrence of the disease with exposure to eastern tent caterpillars (M. americanum). This work investigates the epidemiological association between M. americanum and MRLS to determine if this association was correlative or causative. A pilot study and simulated exposure to M. americanum and their excreta on pastu...
Volland-Francqueville M, Sabbah A.When medical history and clinical examination for a recurrent or chronic cough reveal the presence of perennial allergy, the practitioner would be advised to look for mites present in the horse's environment. He can propose this service to his clients.
Romi R, Pontuale G, CIufolini MG, Fiorentini G, Marchi A, Nicoletti L, Cocchi M, Tamburro A.In the late summer of 1998, an outbreak of equine encephalomyelitis due to West Nile virus (WNV) occurred in the Tuscany region of central Italy. The disease was detected in 14 race horses from nine localities in four Provinces: Firenze, Lucca, Pisa and Pistoia. The outbreak area included Fucecchio wetlands (1800 ha), the largest inland marsh in Italy, and the adjacent hilly Cerbaie woodlands with farms breeding horses. To detect potential vectors of WNV, entomological surveys of Fucecchio and Cerbaie were undertaken during 1999-2002 by collecting mosquito larvae from breeding sites and adult ...
Echeverría MG, Pecoraro MR, Galosi CM, Etcheverrigaray ME, Nosetto EO.This paper describes the first isolation of equine arteritis virus (EAV) in Argentina. The virus was isolated from the semen of an imported seropositive stallion held in isolation at a breeding farm in Tandil in the Buenos Aires Province. In addition, viral nucleic acid was detected in seminal plasma using the reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. The isolated virus was propagated in cell cultures and confirmed as EAV by indirect immunofluorescence and virus neutralisation, using a serum specific for the reference Bucyrus strain of EAV. As far as the authors are aware, this is the f...
Kouba V.This analysis of global veterinary personnel was based on the available quantitative data reported by individual countries to international organisations. The analysis begins with a time series of globally reported numbers of veterinarians, starting in the year 1959 (140,391). In 2000 this number reached 691,379. Of this total, 27.77% of veterinarians were working as government officials, 15.38% were working in laboratories, universities and training institutions and 46.33% were working as private practitioners. The ratio of veterinarians to technicians was 1:0.63. The global average of resour...
Konishi E, Shoda M, Kondo T.Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) causes fatal diseases in equines as well as humans. In Japan, racehorses are vaccinated with inactivated JE vaccine every year and no equine JE cases have been reported since 1986. However, the current reduction in JEV activity in nature has raised an argument against the requirement of continuous vaccination. Here, we studied natural infection rates in racehorses to address the issue. To identify naturally-infected individuals from vaccinated populations, we used an immunostaining method for detecting antibodies to JEV nonstructural 1 (NS1) protein. A total o...
Nelson DM, Gardner IA, Chiles RF, Balasuriya UB, Eldridge BF, Scott TW, Reisen WK, Maclachlan NJ.Jamestown Canyon (JC) and Saint Louis encephalitis (SLE) viruses are mosquito-transmitted viruses that have long been present in California. The objective of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of these two viruses in horses prior to the introduction of West Nile (WN) virus. Approximately 15% of serum samples collected in 1998 from 425 horses on 44 equine operations horses throughout California had serum antibodies to JC virus, whereas antibodies were not detected to SLE virus. The results indicate that horses in California were commonly infected prior to 1998 with mosquito-transmit...
Archer DC, Freeman DE, Doyle AJ, Proudman CJ, Edwards GB.To determine whether there was an association between a history of cribbing and epiploic foramen entrapment (EFE) of the small intestine in horses. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: 68 horses examined at the University of Illinois or the University of Liverpool veterinary teaching hospitals. Methods: For horses examined at the University of Illinois that underwent surgery because of strangulating small intestine lesions, information about cribbing was obtained through telephone calls with owners. For horses examined at the University of Liverpool that underwent surgery for colic for any r...
Miranda-de la Lama GC, González-Castro CA, Gutiérrez-Piña FJ, Villarroel M, Maria GA, Estévez-Moreno LX.The study presents a novel veterinary forensic approach to analyse the bruising of horse carcasses, based on the nature of the bruises and how they are grouped in certain anatomical areas. Data on pre-slaughter logistics was obtained for 113 journeys with horses that travelled from Mexico and the USA to a Mexican abattoir. We found that carcass bruising was a highly prevalent problem (79% of carcasses had bruising) and was especially problematic in journeys lasting longer than 12 h, independently of the animal's country of origin, sex, age, lairage time or vehicle type. Multivariable logistic...
Durando MM, Slack J, Birks E, Belcher C, Kohn C.Injuries and sudden death during the cross-country (XC) phase of eventing have raised interest in the frequency and types of cardiac arrhythmias occurring in these equine athletes. Objective: To characterise the frequency and types of rhythm disturbances and examine possible risk factors for premature depolarisations (PDs) occurring during the XC phase of United States Eventing Association (USEA) and Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI)-sanctioned events. Methods: Prospective, cross-sectional study. Methods: Continuous electrocardiographic (ECG) recordings were obtained from horses prior...
Harris PA.The paper provides some basic epidemiological and clinical descriptive information for the equine rhabdomyolysis syndrome (ERS) in the United Kingdom. Information was obtained retrospectively from laboratory submission data as well as cases investigated by the author via their veterinary surgeon. Sex appeared to be a significant variable, with females being more likely than males to suffer from ERS compared to other conditions (P less than 0.01). More samples were submitted in the period November-February than at other times of the year (P less than 0.01). The condition appeared to be found in...
Cardo MV, Carbajo AE, Mozzoni C, Kliger M, Vezzani D.Blood feeding patterns of mosquitoes are a key component in the dynamics of arboviral encephalitides transmission. In temperate Argentina, the members of the Culex pipiens complex include Cx. pipiens molestus, Cx. quinquefasciatus and their hybrids. To characterize their blood feeding patterns, adult resting mosquitoes were collected monthly during the warm season in urban and rural equestrian fields. The availability of birds and domestic mammals per site was characterized. The blood source and the complex member were successfully identified for 89 specimens using PCR. Blood of 19 vertebrate ...
De Lange L, Vera L, Decloedt A, Van Steenkiste G, Vernemmen I, van Loon G.Ventricular septal defects (VSDs) are the most common congenital cardiac defect in horses. Objective: To identify prevalence, age, breed, and sex distribution of VSD and to describe associated clinical and ultrasonographic findings. Methods: Hospital-based population of 21 136 horses presented to the equine internal medicine department. Methods: Medical records over a 12-year period were reviewed for VSD confirmed by ultrasonography. Age, breed, sex, sport discipline, murmur, clinical signs, outcome, VSD type, VSD size, shunt velocity, cardiac dimensions, concomitant cardiac anomalies, and v...
Hemmann K, Ahonen S, Raekallio M, Vainio O, Lohi H.Crib-biting in horses is a stereotypic oral behaviour. Genetic susceptibility has been suggested on a causal basis, together with environmental factors such as stress, gastric discomfort and frustration caused by stall restrictions. This study aimed to test the associations of known or suspected stereotypic genes with equine crib-biting, including Ghrelin, Ghrelin receptor, Leptin, Dopamine receptor, μ-opioid receptor, N-cadherin, Serotonin receptor and Semaphorin. We conducted a candidate gene study with a case-control design, including 98 crib-biting and 135 control horses of two breeds, Fi...
Rahmani SS, Malekifard F, Tavassoli M.Neospora caninum is an Apicomplexan parasite that can cause enormous economic losses due to abortions in cattle. The present study investigated the role of Neospora spp. infection in equine abortion in Iranian donkeys using molecular and phylogenetic analyses. Twenty-nine-aborted fetuses and 29 blood samples from their dams were collected from six different regions in the West and Northwest of Iran. They were tested for N. caninum by PCR at the Nc5 locus, followed by sequencing of five of the PCR products. The overall molecular prevalence was 34.5% in blood samples and the prevalence by DNA de...
Gibbons DF.Salmonellosis in Equidae occurs sporadically throughout the world; the incidence recorded ranges from less than 1 per cent to as much as 27 per cent. In 1976 there was a significant increase in disease and mortality caused by salmonellosis in horses in Britain and treatment was less successful than with other species. Data revealed a general progressive shift away from species specific salmonella serotypes towards the ubiquitous but less discerning strains of Salmonella typhimurium. The role of predisposing causes is assessed and treatment, prevention and zoonitic importance commented upon.
Vitale V, Nocera I, Sgorbini M, Aliboni B, Laus F, Mannini A, Bazzano M.The umbilicus is a potential access-point for pathogens in equine foal, causing umbilical infections and potentially life-threating illness. Early diagnosis based on ultrasonographic appearance and measurement is crucial to avoid severe complications and promptly implement appropriate therapy. This study ultrasonographically evaluates the umbilical remnants of donkey foals, in the first week of life. Fifteen healthy donkey foals were included in the study. The umbilical vein, arteries and urachus ultrasounds were performed at 24 h, 3 and 7 days of life, using a portable ultrasound machine and ...
Barton AJ, Prow NA, Hall RA, Kidd L, Bielefeldt-Ohmann H.This report summarises the findings from a case of naturally-occurring Murray Valley encephalitis in a 2-year-old filly presenting with acute onset of depression and weakness. Serum samples tested at the onset of clinical signs were negative for Hendra and Kunjin virus antibodies, but positive for Murray Valley encephalitis virus (MVEV) using IgM-capture ELISA (1 : 300 dilution). A virus neutralisation assay performed 4 weeks later confirmed a titre of 1 : 160. Sera collected in the weeks preceding neurological signs returned a negative titre for MVEV 2 weeks prior followed by a titre ...
Chinkangsadarn T, Wilson GJ, Greer RM, Pollitt CC, Bird PS.A cadaver study to estimate the prevalence of dental disorders in horses presented at an abattoir in Queensland, Australia. Methods: Cadaver heads at a Queensland abattoir were examined for the presence of dental abnormalities and categorised into age groups. The prevalence of abnormalities was analysed by binomial observation of observed proportion, Pearson's Chi-square test or Fisher's exact correlation test. Strength of association was evaluated using Cramer's V test. Results: Heads from horses (n=400) estimated to be between 1 and 30 years of age were placed into four age groups. The most ...
Benhajali H, Richard-Yris MA, Ezzaouia M, Charfi F, Hausberger M.In order to investigate the factors affecting the reproduction efficiency of Arab breeding mares in Tunisia, breeding data corresponding to 2340 mated cycles, over 5 years (from 2000 to 2004), from 555 mares offspring of 50 sires and bred with 17 stallions were analysed using a multivariate logistic regression. We chose logit link function and binomial distribution and we used log-likelihood-ratio (LL) and Wald tests (X(2)Wald) to test the mean values. The factors of variation included in the model were the year, the stallion, the age of the mare at mating, the sire and the category of the mar...
van Doorn DC, Kooyman FN, Eysker M, Hodgkinson JE, Wagenaar JA, Ploeger HW.Cyathostomins are considered to be the primary helminth pathogen of horses and macrocyclic lactones (ML) are the most frequently used anthelmintics. Therefore, ML resistance is a serious threat for the control of these parasites. In the present study ivermectin resistant cyathostomin L3 were in vitro selected, using a reiterative larval migration inhibition assay (rLMIA) and differentiated by reverse line blot (RLB). Larvae were obtained from two populations, one from a never treated, free-roaming horse population in the nature reserve Oostvaardersplassen (OVP) and the other from regularly ive...
Thompson KR, Clarkson L, Riley CB, van den Berg M.Little is known about the horse health management practices of Australian horse caregivers (owners). This article presents findings from a convenience sample of 505 horse owners who participated in an online survey. No large-scale welfare issues were identified, but there were some areas of potential concern, including owners who did not regularly deworm their horses (4%), a lack of strategic parasite control (3.1%), and a lack of regular dental care (11%). Several participants did not have their horse's hooves regularly shod or trimmed (2%), and 14% had an unqualified person maintain their ho...
Couroucé-Malblanc A, Leleu C, Bouchilloux M, Geffroy O.Developmental orthopaedic lesions are commonly found in French Standardbred horses. One of the main questions asked by trainers, owners and veterinarians is what impact these lesions have on the racing career and racing performances of horses. Objective: To study the prevalence and distribution of developmental orthopaedic lesions in young French Standardbred trotters and to relate them to racing performance. Methods: Feet, fetlock, tarsus and stifle regions were radiographed in 865 two-year-old French Standardbred trotters. Abnormal radiographic findings (ARF) were evaluated for 12 anatomical...
Aradaib IE.A nested reverse transcriptase (RT) polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), for rapid detection of African horse sickness virus (AHSV) double-stranded ribonucleic acid (dsRNA) in cell culture and tissue samples, was developed and evaluated. Using an outer pair of primers (P1 and P2), selected from genome segment three of AHSV serotype 6 (AHSV-6), the RT-PCR-based assay resulted in amplification of a 890 base pair (bp) primary PCR product. RNAs from the nine vaccine strains of AHSV, and a number of AHSV field isolates including the Central African isolates of AHSV-9 and AHSV-6, propagated in cell c...
Ricard RM, St-Jean G, Duizer G, Atwal H, Wobeser BK.The purpose of this study was to identify the most common causes of equine abortion in Canada, and to compare findings to similar reports from other countries. Equine. Necropsy reports from 901 equine abortion cases were acquired from provincial veterinary diagnostic laboratories across Canada. The final diagnosis was classified into basic abortion causes (infectious, non-infectious, unknown) and into primary and secondary categories for analysis. Non-infectious causes of abortion were the most frequently identified in Canada, with fetoplacental causes, including umbilical cord torsion or plac...
Miller R, Pott B.A case of subcutaneous phycomycosis of a horse from which Basidiobolus haptosporu was isolated is described. Although some clinical signs were similar to the disease caused by Hyphomyces destruens, the gross and microscopic pathology were different in several respects. Main characteristics of the histopathology were the narrow eosinophilic sleeve around wide, frequently septate hyphae scattered throughout the affected tissue and found commonly at the advancing border of the lesion. A retrospective study of 63 cases of phycomycosis diagnosed at this laboratory since 1970 indicated a further 11 ...
Taesuji M, Rattanamas K, Kulthonggate U, Mamom T, Ruenphet S.The immune responses of animals infected with African horse sickness (AHS) virus are determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), complement fixation, and virus neutralization test. During the outbreaks of AHS in Thailand, the immune response after vaccination has been monitored using commercial test kits such as blocking ELISA, which are expensive imported products unavailable commercially in Thailand. This study aimed to assess the sensitivity and specificity of anti-AHS virus antibodies using dot blotting based on monovalent and polyvalent strains of live attenuated AHS vaccine....
Tantaoui-Elaraki A, Mekouar SL, el Hamidi M, Senhaji M.From 10 moldy straw samples collected in a Moroccan area with an apparent equine stachybotryotoxicosis outbreak in November 1991, 8 isolates of Stachybotrys atra were obtained. They all showed toxigenesis, however they were variable in nature and intensity. While 1 isolate had only mild toxicity when fed to mice as moldy barley, another revealed very high toxicity to Artemia saline larvae, or rat skin, and to mice. The toxicity of the other 6 isolates were between these 2 limits. This study indicates that the November 1991 outbreak was due to toxigenic strains of Stachybotrys atra.
Raidal SL, Hughes KJ, Eastwell B, Noble N, Lievaart J.There is little information on foal mortality and the epidemiology of diseases in the neonatal period in Australian equine breeding enterprises. Methods: This was a prospective cohort study of 1219 foals on 15 breeding farms in south-eastern Australia to identify the proportion of foals recognised on farm as abnormal at birth or within the first 48 h postpartum, determine the prevalence and risk factors for neonatal disease and assess the subsequent performance of foals in the study population. Results: Overall, 27 foals died within 6 weeks of birth in the study population (2.2%), 142 foal...
Getachew AM, Innocent G, Proudman CJ, Trawford A, Feseha G, Reid SW, Faith B, Love S.A 12/13 kDa antigen, tapeworm ELISA test, developed for use in horses, was used to detect parasite-specific serum antibody, IgG(T), in the serum of donkeys. In a pilot study the 12/13 kDa antigen was tested and proved to detect the antibody, IgG(T), in donkey sera. Blood samples from 797 donkeys, naturally exposed to cestode infection, from four geographical localities were collected and sera were prepared and analysed. There was substantial serological evidence that donkeys were potentially infected with A. perfoliata. A range of ELISA OD values were obtained from the serological assay. Over ...
Palmer SE, McDonough SP, Mohammed HO.Between January 1, 2013 and December 31, 2015, findings of a New York State Gaming Commission-Cornell University postmortem examination program were utilized in a multi-disciplinary mortality review process to review 129 racing fatalities at Thoroughbred racetracks operated by the New York Racing Association (NYRA). Musculoskeletal fractures comprised 79% of the fatalities; cardiopulmonary conditions accounted for 12% of the fatalities. Other causes of death included gastrointestinal (3%), respiratory (5%), and central nervous system (2%) conditions. Fetlock failure represented 50% of the musc...
Fjordbakk CT, Chalmers HJ, Holcombe SJ, Strand E.The pathogenesis of dynamic bilateral laryngeal collapse (DLC) associated with poll flexion is unknown. Diagnosis is dependent upon exercise endoscopy while replicating the flexed head position harness racehorses experience during racing. Objective: To describe the effects of poll flexion on rostrocaudal laryngeal positioning and laryngeal lumen width in resting horses diagnosed with DLC compared to controls, and to establish diagnostic criteria for DLC by use of diagnostic imaging. Methods: Case-control study. Methods: Fifty harness racehorses were prospectively included in the study: 25 case...
Weese JS, Yu AA.Bacterial, dermatophilosis, and superficial ringworm infections are common skin diseases noted in equine dermatology. The ability to recognize and accurately diagnose the skin condition is key to selecting an appropriate and successful treatment regimen. Addressing underlying etiology, environmental management, and infection control play a crucial role in preventing relapse of clinical signs.
Galon EM, Macalanda AM, Garcia MM, Ibasco CJ, Garvida A, Ji S, Zafar I, Hasegawa Y, Liu M, Ybañez RH, Umemiya-Shirafuji R, Ybañez A, Claveria F....Tick-borne diseases (TBDs) considerably impair equine health and productivity. Moreover, TBDs, particularly equine piroplasmosis, impede international movement and trade of equids, which is a vital component of the global horse racing industry. In the Philippines, horse racing is a lucrative industry generating millions of USD annually. However, information on equine TBDs is scarce. This study intended to describe molecularly the equine tick-borne infections in a racehorse park in Cavite, Philippines and identify the risk factors associated with the infections. One hundred twenty-four (n = 124...
Newton JR, Wood JL, Castillo-Olivares FJ, Mumford JA.Serological analysis of blood samples submitted to the Animal Health Trust showed that during 1995, 185 of 9203 unvaccinated horses (2.0 per cent) tested positive for antibodies to equine arteritis virus (EAV), and that during 1996, 46 of 8851 unvaccinated horses (0.52 per cent) tested positive. During both years thoroughbreds were the predominant breed tested and only a small proportion of these (<0.3 per cent), consisting predominantly of imported mares, were seropositive. In contrast, among standardbred horses, from which samples were actively solicited in 1995, 84 of 454 (18.5 per cent) we...
Draper AC, Bender JB, Firshman AM, Baird JD, Reed S, Mayhew IG, Valberg SJ.Investigating the epidemiology of shivering in horses. Objective: The purpose of this study was to characterise the signalment, clinical signs and management factors associated with shivering (also known as shivers), a relatively rare, poorly defined movement disorder in horses. Methods: Web-based case series survey and case-control study. Methods: A Web-based survey was used to obtain information from owners, worldwide, who suspected that their horse had shivering. Survey respondents were asked to answer standardised questions and to provide a video of the horse. Authors reviewed the surveys ...
Drudge JH, Tolliver SC, Lyons ET.From 1977 to 1981, critical tests were conducted on 10 horses naturally infected with population B strongyles. Drugs tested were: oxibendazole (OBZ), 10 mg/kg of body weight (n = 1); albendazole, 10 mg/kg (n = 1); a mixture of thiabendazole (TBZ), 44 mg/kg and trichlorfon, 40 mg/kg (n = 1); a mixture of TBZ at 44 mg/kg with piperazine (PPZ) at 55 mg of base/kg (n = 1); febantel (FBT), 6 mg/kg (n = 3), 12 mg/kg (n = 1), or 24 mg/kg (n = 1); and pyrantel (PRT) pamoate, 6.6 mg of base/kg (n = 1). Large strongyles, Strongylus vulgaris (9 horses) and S edentatus (5 horses), were effectively removed...
Mukhopadhyay A, Cook SR, SanMiguel P, Ekenstedt KJ, Taylor SD.Gram-negative bacterial septicemia is mediated through binding of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to mammalian toll-like receptor protein 4 (TLR4). TLR4 and its cognate protein, myeloid differentiation factor 2 (MD2) form a heterodimeric complex after binding LPS. This complex induces a cascade of reactions that results in increased proinflammatory cytokine gene expression, including TNFα, which leads to activation of innate immunity. In horses, the immune response to LPS varies widely. To determine if this variation is due to differences in TLR4 or MD2, DNA from 15 healthy adult horses with differe...
