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.
Gräfner G, Zimmermann H, Karge E, Münch J, Ribbeck R, Hiepe T.Systematic faunal studies in the district Schwerin showed at the present time there are 3 more or less damage-biotopes existing in the districts of Perleberg, Ludwigslust and Parchim; 5 river sources can be considered as potential sources, 5 are temporary and 2 are ephemeral whilst in 3 further areas environmental influences such as effluent impairs the flow of the river and the developmental stages of Simuliidae were not observed.--The following species were found: Boophthora erythrocephala, Wilhelmia salopiensis, Wilhelmia equina, Odagmia ornata, Eusimulium aureum and Eusimulium lundstroemi....
Jeffcott LB, Rossdale PD.The current knowledge of the clinical signs, epidemiology and pathogenesis of abortion due to the equid herpesvirus (EHV 1) is reviewed. The relationship between the respiratory and abortigenic forms of the disease is discussed as well as the low incidence of virus abortion in the UK compared to some other parts of the world. Some practical aspects of the disease as they affect stud management are considered including methods of diagnosis, prophylaxis and the necessary action to be taken to prevent spread of infection.
Ordonez JV, Scherer WF, Dickerman RW.During the wet seasons of 1972 and possibly 1971, sentinel horses became infected by Venezuelan encephalitis (VE) virus in a temporally and geographically progressive manner inland from an enzootic marsh focus of virus on the Pacific couast of southeastern Guatemala. During the wet seasons of 1972 and 1973, VE virus was detected by sentinel horses (and a sentinel hamster in 1972) in a small woods 10 km north of the marsh, but virus was undetectable there during the dry seasons of 1973 and 1974 and the wet season of 1974. Culex (Melanoconion) mosquitoes were found in this woods and at the marsh...
Smith RE, Williams IA, Kingsbury ET.Serologic testing for leptospiral antibody was conducted with the macroscopic agglutination test on 1,346 equine serum samples. These were collected from clinically normal horses in 123 purebred herds in the Northeast. Sixty-eight samples (5%) from the population tested reacted at significant levels (1:40 or higher) to one or more of the 5 serotype antigens used. These reactors were from 38 (31%) of the herds tested. Reactions to serotype pomona predominated in 25 (72%) of these 38 herds. Smaller numbers of herds had reactors to canicola, icterohemorrhagiae and grippotyphosa. No significant re...
Strafuss AC.In a review of neoplasm registry records at Kansas State University (1961 through 1971), 58 squamous cell carcinomas were reported in 10 breeds of horses. Mean age of the affected horses was 12.4 years. The head, eye and ocular adnexa accounted for 43.1%, the external male genitalia, 44.8%, and female perineal region, 12.0% of the squamous cell carcinomas, altogether representing 20.2% of 287 neoplasms recorded.
Charlton KM, Mitchell D, Girard A, Corner AH.During an outbreak of abortion caused by equine herpesvirus 1, a neurologic disease characterized clinically by dullness and ataxia occurred in several mares. Equine herpesvirus 1 was isolated from brain and lung of two severely affected mares. Histologically, both mares had disseminated meningoencephalomyelitis characterized by necrotizing arteritis, focal malacia in grey and white matter of brain and spinal cord, and accumulation of lymphocytes and neutrophils in paravertebral ganglia. Eosinophilic intranuclear inclusion bodies occurred in foci of necrosis in thyroid adenomas of both mares.
Hawkins JA, Adams WV, Wilson BH, Issel CJ, Roth EE.The mechanical transmission of equine infectious anemia (EIA) virus by Tabanus fuscicostatus was investigated. In 1 of 7 transmission trials, a single horsefly transmitted EIA virus from an acutely infected pony to a susceptible pony. Groups of horseflies isolated for 3, 10, or 30 minutes before refeeding transmitted EIA virus, whereas those isolated for 4 or 24 hours did not. Data from field studies indicate that the home range or flight distance of horseflies may exceed 4 miles. That information together with our observations suggest that segregation of infected horses (usually defined as at...
Damron GW.A survey of horses for gastrointestinal trichomonads was conducted to determine the organism's role in equine diarrhea and to establish its proper identity and morphology. Trichomonads were found by cultural examination of feces of 101 (35%) of 289 apparently healthy horses. At necropsy, trichomonads were cultured from 11 (37%) of another 30 horses which showed no signs of diarrhea at the time of death. In 4 of the 11 horses, colonies of trichomonads numbered 30,000 to 150,000/ml of cecal fluid. Diarrhea was induced in 1 of 6 horses, with the fecal fluid containing 10,000 to 110,000 trichomona...
Little PB, Thorsen J.Equine viral rhinopneumonitis type I virus was isolated from spinal cord and brain of a paraparetic horse with disseminated necrotizing myeloencephalitis. Necrotic arteriolitis,nonsuppurative necrotizing myeloencephalitis and Gasserian ganglioneuritis were present. On record were 12 more cases of horses with similar lesions. The horses had been ataxic or paretic for up to several weeks. A field survey indicated that 14 of 24 horses with acute myelitic signs developed them after recent exposure to respiratory disease.
Genchi C, Malnati G.Strongyloides westeri larvae transmission by mare milk in foals has been studied; the results show the importance of this route for parasite penetration.
Greenway JA, Puls R.Clinical sickness was observed in domestic ducks, geese, horses and swine during October 1973. All species showed upper alimentary distress with mortalities occurring in the geese. Barley derived from a common source had been fed. Examination of the barley revealed invasion by Fusarium spp and detection of a high level of dermatitic fusariotoxins.
Sutoh M, Saheki Y, Ishitani R, Inui S, Narita M, Hamazaki H, Yokota T.This is the first report on Eimeria leuckarti infection in foals in Japan. Seven Thoroughbred or Angloarabian foals 2 to 7 months of age raised in the Hidaka district, Hokkaido, were infected with E. leuckarti. They died of severe alterations caused by the larval migration of Strongylus vulgaris, and were examined over a period from 1970 to 1973. Protozoa of this species were observed in the small intestine in all the foals. They were found mostly in vacuoles of the cytoplasm of monoclear cells in the lamina propria at or near the tip of villi. Various stages of gametocytes, oocysts, and micro...
Menassé I.After a brief reference to the importance of the non-parenteral route of vaccination of domestic animals in general, the author deals, for each animal species separately, with the most important vaccines utilised by this method of administration. On the basis of bibliographical data, he describes the history of this use, discusses the results of the application in the field and draws the relative conclusions.
Sebek Z, Wallner H, Sixl W, Kaaserer G, Valová M.Results are presented of a serological examination of 1,547 domestic animals (cattle, pig, sheep, horse, goat, dog, cat) from 9 Tyrolian districts (Austria), performed in order to disclose the incidence of leptospirosis. Completely significant titres were domonstrated by means of the MAL test in the serotypes icterohaemorrhagiae or copenhageni, sorex-jalna, bratislava, sejroe and saxkoebing. In addition, antibodies were confirmed against L. bataviae, L. pomona, L. tarassovi and L. bulgarica, but the titres were insignificant. Of the animals examined, 7.2% gave positive reactions in titres of 1...
Correia L, Martins G, Lilenbaum W.Leptospirosis is a relevant zoonosis that affects the reproductive performance of livestock, impairing the economy. Few studies have demonstrated the effects of vaccination against leptospirosis on naturally exposed horses. This study aimed to detect anti-Leptospira inhibitory antibodies in horses after vaccination. A total of 54 mares were studied using Growth Inhibition Test (GIT) in three moments. The present results demonstrate the usefulness of GIT for confirming inhibitory effects of specific antibody production. Results have also demonstrated that vaccination positively influenced on th...
Makrai L, Dénes B, Hajtós I, Fodor L, Varga J.Two hundred and twelve Rhodococcus equi strains were isolated from soil, nasal and rectal swabs of horses and immunocompromised human patients in Hungary and serotyped using Prescott's serotyping system. One hundred and forty-seven strains (69.3%) belonged to serotype 1, 22 strains (10.4%) to serotype 2, 6 strains (2.8%) to serotype 3 and 1 strain (0.5%) to serotype 4. Serotypes 5, 6 and 7 were not found and 36 strains (17%) could not be typed. Serotype 1 (72%) was the type most commonly isolated from clinical samples of foals or from the soil of horse facilities. Six out of 8 R. equi strains ...
Wood JL, Kelly L, Cardwell JM, Park AW.The transmission of contagious equine metritis (CEM) on stud farms in Britain, Ireland and other European countries is prevented by following the recommendations in the Horserace Betting Levy Board's Code of Practice on CEM. A quantitative risk assessment was undertaken to estimate the likely impact of removing the recommendation, from the 2002 code, to culture endometrial or cervical swabs microaerophilically for the presence of Taylorella equigenitalis, the causative organism. The scientific literature was reviewed for evidence about the anatomical distribution of T. equigenitalis at differe...
Austin RJ, Dies KH.The protozoan, Klossiella equi was found in the kidneys of an aged Shetland mare raised in the Fredericton area of New Brunswick. This is the first published report of K. equi in a horse in Canada. The microscopic appearance of the parasite in the kidney is described. A brief discussion of other conditions seen in the horse is also presented.
Gerdes GH, Pieterse LM.Virus was isolated from the blood of horses (n = 5) showing fever and jaundice and was identified as equine encephalosis virus. In cross neutralisation tests, the isolates were shown to belong to a new serotype related to Gamil, one of the 6 known serotypes of equine encephalosis virus. The name Potchefstroom has been proposed for this new serotype.
Nguyen HN, Smith ME, Hayoun MA.Glanders is an infectious disease caused by Burkholderia mallei, a gram-negative aerobic nonmotile bacterium. Melioidosis is an infectious disease caused by Burkholderia pseudomallei, a gram-negative aerobic, motile bacterium. The two bacteria are closely related, and both can cause disease in animals and humans. Historically, glanders was a common disease of horses, donkeys, and mules. Melioidosis was first described as a case series of 38 patients in Rangoon, Burma, by pathologist Alfred Whitmore in 1912.
Schicho A, Einwag D, Eickhoff A, Richter PH, Riepl C.Injuries to the spinal cord are not only dreaded because of the high risks existing during the acute phase, but also because of their potential long-term sequelae. Horseback riding also poses a high risk of spinal injuries. We therefore evaluated the most frequent characteristics of accidents leading to long-term sequelae, the primary long-term discomfort resulting from such injuries caused by horseback riding accidents and the way injured persons changed their behaviour after the accidents. Methods: Our study included all cases of horseback riding injuries registered in the Department of Trau...
Shah W.Medical Usage Rate (MUR) of Galway Races: The Galway Races is the most popular horse-racing festival in Ireland. It takes place for a week starting from the last Monday in July. The races are held at Ballybrit race course in Galway. During the 7 days of racing, about 180,000 people attend. The average temperature in Galway around that time of the year is around 15-200C. The aim of this study is to calculate the MUR of Galway Races and to develop a model to predict the MUR for Galway Races in future. The MUR of Galway Races is calculated by looking retrospectively at the medical records of the ...
Kita J.Epidemiological observations on the course and spread of equine influenza in Poland during the 1969 epizootic were carried out. The dynamics of the spread of the disease in the country are shown graphically by voivodship. The disease incidence and mortality rates for the entire country are also shown. The highest incidence of disease and mortality rates were found to be in November 1969. A/equi-2/Warsaw/69 was identified as the causal virus. It caused the largest epizootic in the country since 1954.
Jaeschke G, Lange W.In this paper three outbreaks of equine influenza in Berlin (Germany) in the years of 1988, 1989 and 1991 are discussed, reporting mainly clinical, hematological, virological and some epizootiological aspects. We have detected variations from the traditional pattern of equine influenza, whereby the main clinical symptoms like cough or fever were absent in several cases. If cough was found, it was moist. Furthermore a mucous nasal discharge was present in a number of cases for a period of 4-5 days. Extreme neutropenia, lymphocytosis and predominantly an unchanged level of monocytes were observe...
Spieler N, Schnyder M.Intestinal helminth management in horses has both clinical and epidemiologic relevance, in additional association with anthelmintic resistance. The Swiss Army employs military owned riding horses and privately owned pack horses, which are brought together for service periods up to 12 weeks. We compared husbandry conditions and intestinal helminth management of both groups via questionnaire and analysed faecal samples of 53 riding horses and 130 pack horses using combined sedimentation/flotation, the McMaster method and larval cultures. Riding horses only had cyathostomin infections (prevalence...