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.
Ross SE, Murray JK, Roberts VLH.Headshaking in horses has been reported to be most commonly due to idiopathic neuropathic facial pain (trigeminal-mediated headshaking). The prevalence of headshaking in horses in the UK is unknown. Objective: To estimate owner-reported prevalence of headshaking in horses in the UK and to report their case background and disease characteristics, as reported by owners. Methods: Cross-sectional web based owner questionnaire. Methods: The questionnaire was advertised online via social media, horse forums, veterinary websites and equestrian magazines from 17th June 2016, until >1000 responses had ...
Gondim LSQ, Jesus RF, Ribeiro-Andrade M, Silva JCR, Siqueira DB, Marvulo MFV, Aléssio FM, Mauffrey JF, Julião FS, Savani ESMM, Soares RM, Gondim LFP.Sarcocystis neurona and Neospora spp. are protozoan parasites that induce neurological diseases in horses and other animal species. Opossums (Didelphis albiventris and Didelphis virginiana) are definitive hosts of S. neurona, which is the major cause of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM). Neospora caninum causes abortion in cattle and infects a wide range of animal species, while N. hughesi is known to induce neurologic disease in equids. The aims of this study were to investigate S. neurona and N. caninum in tissues from opossums in the northeastern Brazil, and to isolate Brazilian stra...
Elia G, Lanave G, Lorusso E, Parisi A, Cavaliere N, Patruno G, Terregino C, Decaro N, Martella V, Buonavoglia C.Viruses similar to human hepatitis C virus, hepaciviruses, have been identified in various animal species. Equine hepacivirus (EqHV) is the closest relative of human hepaciviruses. Although detected worldwide, information on EqHV epidemiology, genetic diversity and pathogenicity is still limited. In this study we investigated the prevalence and genetic diversity of EqHV in Italian equids. The RNA of EqHV was detected in 91/1932 sera (4.7%) whilst it was not detectable in 134 donkey sera screened by a TaqMan-based quantitative assay. Upon sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of genomic portions...
Cardinale E, Bernard C, Lecollinet S, Rakotoharinome VM, Ravaomanana J, Roger M, Olive MM, Meenowa D, Jaumally MR, Melanie J, Héraud JM, Zientara S....The circulation of West Nile virus (WNV) in horses was investigated in the Southwest Indian ocean. In 2010, blood samples were collected from a total of 303 horses originating from Madagascar, Mauritius, Reunion and the Seychelles and tested for WNV-specific antibodies. An overall seroprevalence of 27.39% was detected in the Indian Ocean with the highest WNV antibody prevalence of 46.22% (95% CI: [37.4-55.2%]) in Madagascar. The age and origin of the horses were found to be associated with the WNV infection risk. This paper presents the first seroprevalence study investigating WN fever in hors...
Pollard D, Wylie CE, Verheyen KLP, Newton JR.Use of owner-reported data could further epidemiological knowledge of equine laminitis. However, owner recognition of laminitis has not previously been assessed. Objective: The primary objective was to establish whether cases of owner-suspected laminitis would be confirmed as laminitis by the attending veterinary surgeon. Secondary objectives were to compare owner- and veterinary-reported information from veterinary-confirmed cases of equine laminitis. Methods: Cross-sectional study. Methods: Twenty-five British veterinary practices were invited to submit laminitis reporting forms (LRFs) for a...
Zak A, Siwinska N, Slowikowska M, Borowicz H, Kubiak K, Hildebrand J, Popiolek M, Niedzwiedz A.There are no available studies describing the possible resistance of strongyles to ivermectin in horses in Poland. One hundred seventy three horses from nine stud farms from South-Western Poland were studied. The effectiveness of ivermectin was studied on the 14th day after ivermectin administration using the fecal egg count reduction test, and a long-term observation of the egg reappearance period was carried out. The fecal study was carried out using a modified McMaster method, which typically detects 20 eggs per gram of stool. The results were subjected to statistical analysis that enabled ...
Wylie CE, McManus P, McDonald C, Jorgensen S, McGreevy P.Monitoring racehorse fatality and associated jockey falls provides benchmarks for intervention strategies. The aims of this study were to describe the incidence of and reasons for fatalities in Thoroughbred horses during flat races in the Australian Capital Territory and New South Wales (NSW), Australia, and to describe reported jockey falls and injuries associated with racehorse fatalities. A cohort study identified all racehorse fatalities reported through Racing NSW for the 2009-2010 to 2013-2014 racing seasons. Risks of racehorse fatality, fatal musculoskeletal injury, spontaneous death (a...
Secombe CJ, Tan RHH, Perara DI, Byrne DP, Watts SP, Wearn JG.Longitudinal evaluation of plasma endogenous ACTH concentration in clinically normal horses has not been investigated in the Southern Hemisphere. Objective: To longitudinally determine monthly upper reference limits for plasma ACTH in 2 disparate Australian geographic locations and to examine whether location affected the circannual rhythm of endogenous ACTH in the 2 groups of horses over a 12-month period. Methods: Clinically normal horses <20 years of age from 4 properties (institutional herd and client owned animals) in Perth (n = 40) and Townsville (n = 41) were included in the study. M...
Lulla V, Losada A, Lecollinet S, Kerviel A, Lilin T, Sailleau C, Beck C, Zientara S, Roy P.African horse sickness virus (AHSV) is an orbivirus, a member of the Reoviridae family. Nine different serotypes have been described so far. AHSV is vectored by Culicoides spp. to equids, causing high mortality, particularly in horses, with considerable economic impacts. For development of a safe attenuated vaccine, we previously established an efficient reverse genetics (RG) system to generate Entry Competent Replication-Abortive (ECRA) virus strains, for all nine serotypes and demonstrated the vaccine potential of these strains in type I interferon receptor (IFNAR)-knockout mice. Here, we ev...
Duz M, Marshall JF, Parkin T.The use of electronic medical records (EMRs) offers opportunity for clinical epidemiological research. With large EMR databases, automated analysis processes are necessary but require thorough validation before they can be routinely used. Objective: The aim of this study was to validate a computer-assisted technique using commercially available content analysis software (SimStat-WordStat v.6 (SS/WS), Provalis Research) for mining free-text EMRs. Methods: The dataset used for the validation process included life-long EMRs from 335 patients (17,563 rows of data), selected at random from a larger...
Boyle AG, Rankin SC, D￮ LA, Morris D.Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is recognized as a cause of nosocomial infections in both human and veterinary medicine. Studies that examine the nasopharynx and guttural pouches of the horse as carriage sites for MRSA have not been reported. Objective: MRSA colonizes the nasopharynx and guttural pouch of horses. To determine the prevalence of MRSA in equine nasopharyngeal wash (NPW) and guttural pouch lavage (GPL) samples in a field population of horses. Methods: One hundred seventy-eight samples (123 NPW and 55 GPL) from 108 horses. Methods: Prospective study. Samples were...
Bredtmann CM, Krücken J, Murugaiyan J, Kuzmina T, von Samson-Himmelstjerna G.Human and animal health is globally affected by a variety of parasitic helminths. The impact of co-infections and development of anthelmintic resistance requires improved diagnostic tools, especially for parasitic nematodes e.g., to identify resistant species or attribute pathological effects to individual species or particular species combinations. In horses, co-infection with cyathostomins is rather a rule than an exception with typically 5 to 15 species (out of more than 40 described) per individual host. In cyathostomins, reliable morphological species differentiation is currently limited ...
Laabassi F, Hue E, Fortier C, Morilland E, Legrand L, Hans A, Pronost S.An episode of acute equine respiratory infection was reported in western Algeria (Tiaret province) between February and March 2011, affecting a large population of horses. Nasal swabs (n=100) were taken from horses aged between 1 and 27 years, presenting with cough and mucopurulent nasal discharge. The prevalence of equine respiratory virus infections was examined using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). One, or more, of four equine respiratory viruses were detected in the nasal swabs of 90 of 100 horses (90%) and the detection rate of equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1), equine herp...
Carmalt JL, Johansson BC, Zetterström SM, McOnie RC.OBJECTIVE To determine factors affecting race speed in Swedish Standardbred horses undergoing surgery of the carpal flexor sheath (CFS), to investigate whether preoperative racing speed was associated with specific intraoperative findings and whether horses returned to racing, and to compare the performance of horses undergoing surgery of the CFS with that of age- and sex-matched control horses. ANIMALS 149 Swedish Standardbred trotters undergoing surgery of the CFS and 274 age- and sex-matched control horses. PROCEDURES Medical records of CFS horses were examined. Racing data for CFS and cont...
Tirosh-Levy S, Gürbilek SE, Tel OY, Keskin O, Steinman A.Rhodococcus equi is a common cause of pneumonia in foals and has extensive clinical, economic and possibly zoonotic consequences. This bacterium survives well in the environment and may be considered as normal flora of adult horses. Certain strains of this bacterium are extremely virulent in foals, and early identification and intervention is crucial for prognosis. Rhodococcus equi is endemic in many parts of the world and occasionally isolated in Israel. This study was designed to evaluate R. equi seroprevalence in adult horses in Israel to indirectly indicate the potential level of exposure ...
McGlinchey L, Hurley MJ, Riggs CM, Rosanowski SM.Few studies have described incidences of proximal limb and pelvic fracture (PLPF) in Thoroughbred racehorses occurring on race day and during training. Information regarding clinical presentations and future racing careers in cases of PLPF is limited. Objective: To describe the incidence, clinical presentation and outcome of PLPF sustained by horses in racing and training at the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) between 2003 and 2014. Methods: Retrospective cohort study. Methods: Horses with PLPF confirmed by nuclear scintigraphy, ultrasonography, radiography or post-mortem examination were identif...
Bertin FR, de Laat MA.Insulin dysregulation is the hallmark of equine metabolic syndrome and has received attention because of its direct association with laminitis. In the absence of an adequate treatment for laminitis, a focus on prophylaxis is needed, making early detection of individuals at risk of developing laminitis one of the main challenges in equine endocrinology. Recent studies have shown that insulin dysregulation goes beyond tissue insulin resistance and it is now demonstrated that the equine enteroinsular axis plays a major role in insulin secretion and equine hyperinsulinaemia. In this review, we dis...
Bolfa P, Jeon I, Loftis A, Leslie T, Marchi S, Sithole F, Beck C, Lecollinet S, Zientara S, Hans A, Issel CJ.Equines in the West Indies are used for recreational purposes, tourism industry, racing and agriculture or can be found in feral populations. Little is known in the Caribbean basin about the prevalence of some major equine infectious diseases, some with zoonotic potential, listed as reportable by the OIE. Our objective was to study the prevalence of antibodies for West Nile Virus (WNV), Equine Herpes Virus-1 and 4 (EHV-1 and EHV-4), Equine Influenza (EI), Equine Viral Arteritis (EVA) and Equine Infectious Anemia Virus (EIAV) using a retrospective serological convenience study. We used 180 equi...
Goyen KA, Wright JD, Cunneen A, Henning J.Hendra virus is a zoonotic paramyxovirus, which causes severe respiratory and neurological disease in horses and humans. Since 2012, the Hendra virus sub-unit G vaccine has been available for horse vaccination in Australia. Uptake of the vaccine has been limited and spill-over events of Hendra virus infection in horses continue to occur. We conducted an online, questionnaire-based cross-sectional study of 376 horse owners belonging to a variety of different equestrian clubs in Queensland, Australia, to identify risk factors for non-vaccination against Hendra virus. A total of 43.1% (N = 162) o...
Spence KL, O'Sullivan TL, Poljak Z, Greer AL.Identifying the contact structure within a population of horses attending a competition is an important element towards understanding the potential for the spread of equine pathogens as the horses subsequently travel from location to location. However, there is limited information in Ontario, Canada to quantify contact patterns of horses. The objective of this study was to describe the network of potential contacts associated with an equestrian show to determine how this network structure may influence potential disease transmission. Results: This was a descriptive study of horses attending an...
Weissenböck H, Bagó Z, Kolodziejek J, Hager B, Palmetzhofer G, Dürrwald R, Nowotny N.Borna disease, a lethal infection with Borna disease virus-1 (BoDV-1), was diagnosed in four horses from Upper Austria in 2015 and 2016. All cases occurred in winter (two cases in February 2015 and two cases in December 2016), and the maximal distance of the affected stables was 17 km. To demonstrate whether the causative agent was also harbored by its reservoir host, the bicolored white-toothed shrew (Crocidura leucodon), 28 shrews from this geographic area were collected in 2015 and investigated for the presence of BoDV-1. The shrew species were identified according to taxonomic clues and ...
Vergnano D, Bergero D, Valle E.Nutrition plays a very important role in the healthy and in the ill horse. Although research in this field clearly shows that incorrect nutritional practices may lead to severe pathologies, inappropriate feeding plans often continue to be used. A clinical nutrition counselling (CNC) service could thus be of great use to both horse owners and veterinarians. The aim of this study was to provide information on equine patients referred to the CNC service of the University of Turin and to provide standard dietary protocols as used in our Veterinary Teaching Hospital for the most common nutrition-re...
Azmi K, Tirosh-Levy S, Manasrah M, Mizrahi R, Nasereddin A, Al-Jawabreh A, Ereqat S, Abdeen Z, Lustig Y, Gelman B, Schvartz G, Steinman A.West Nile virus (WNV) epidemiological situation in Israel and Palestine, due to their unique location, draws attention following to the global spread of West Nile fever (WNF). Although much information is available from Israel on clinical cases and prevalence of WNV, clinical cases are rarely reported in Palestine, and prevalence is not known. The objectives of this study were to determine WNV seroprevalence in various domestic animals in Palestine and to reevaluate current seroprevalence, force of infection, and risk factors for WNV exposure in horses in Israel. Sera samples were collected fr...
Salas-Romero J, Gómez-Cabrera KA, Aguilera-Valle LA, Bertot JA, Salas JE, Arenal A, Nielsen MK.Increasing levels of anthelmintic resistance observed in equine cyathostomin parasites have led to recommendations of selective anthelmintic treatment strategies to lower the selection pressure favoring resistant populations. This principle is based on determining strongyle fecal egg counts from all herd members, and treating those exceeding a predetermined treatment cutoff. However, epidemiological information is lacking from horses kept under tropical conditions, where parasite burdens may be of a different composition and magnitude compared to those of horses kept under temperate climate co...
González-Medina S, Ireland JL, Piercy RJ, Newton JR, Votion DM.Equine atypical myopathy (AM) is a toxic rhabdomyolysis associated with ingestion of hypoglycin A, derived typically in Europe, from Acer pseudoplatanus tree. Despite the wide distribution of this tree species in the UK, the number of cases reported annually varies, and there has been an apparent increase in prevalence in recent years. Although AM was first recognised in the UK, epidemiological studies have never been conducted focused solely on this country. Objective: To describe the spatiotemporal distribution, presentation, treatment and outcome of AM cases reported in the UK. Methods: Ret...
Bannai H, Nemoto M, Niwa H, Murakami S, Tsujimura K, Yamanaka T, Kondo T.We studied a recent epizootic of Getah virus infection among pigs in the southern part of Ibaraki Prefecture and the northern part of Chiba Prefecture, Japan, focusing on its possible association with outbreaks in racehorses in 2014 and 2015. The genomic sequence of a Getah virus strain from an infected pig was analyzed to evaluate the degree of identity with the strains from horses. Results: Sera were collected from pigs from September to December 2012 to 2015 in south Ibaraki (380 pigs in 29 batches), and from September to December 2010 to 2015 in north Chiba (538 pigs in 104 batches). They ...
Hanche-Olsen S, Matiasek K, Molín J, Rosati M, Hahn C, Hultin Jäderlund K, Gröndahl G.Acquired equine polyneuropathy (AEP), formerly also known as Scandinavian knuckling syndrome, is one of the most prevalent polyneuropathies in equids in Norway and Sweden, with more than 400 cases registered since first observations in 1995. Despite geographical clustering and an association to forage feeding, its aetiology remains unknown. Clinically AEP is characterized by knuckling due to dysfunction of metatarsophalangeal extensor muscles. This neuropathological study aimed to gain further insights in the pathobiology of AEP and its underlying aetiopathogenesis. We thereby confirmed that a...
Davitkov D, Davitkov D, Vucicevic M, Stanisic L, Radakovic M, Glavinic U, Stanimirovic Z.Equine piroplasmosis in donkeys has been recognised as a serious problem of major economic importance. The present molecular study is the first investigation of the presence of Theileria equi and Babesia caballi in Balkan donkeys and of the possible haematological alterations related to it. A total of 70 apparently healthy donkeys from Serbia were included in this study. The overall prevalence of T. equi infection in donkeys tested with multiplex PCR was 50%. There was no B. caballi-positive sample. Infections in donkeys included in this study seem to be associated with decreased red blood cel...
Tijjani AO, Junaidu AU, Salihu MD, Farouq AA, Faleke OO, Adamu SG, Musa HI, Hambali IU.A cross-sectional epidemiological study was conducted to determine seroprevalence and risk factors influencing the presence of Brucella antibodies in donkeys of Borno State, north-eastern Nigeria. The study aimed at providing baseline information that may be used in planning a control policy against equine brucellosis. Blood samples were collected from 601 donkeys, comprised of 374 males and 227 females from the six agricultural zones of the state between March 2013 and September 2014. The sera obtained were tested for Brucella antibodies using Rose Bengal plate test (RBPT) and competitive enz...
Rudman R, Keiper RR.The summer body condition of 47 adult feral ponies on Assateague Island (off the coast of Maryland, USA) was assessed in June 1988 using a visual body condition scoring system. Winter body condition for 36 of the ponies was assessed in February and March, 1989. The ponies were categorised by gender, reproductive status and location on the island, and body condition scores of the ponies in each category were then compared by statistical analyses. No significant seasonal differences were found in the body conditions of the ponies. However, body condition of stallions was better than that of mare...
Hamond C, Pinna A, Martins G, Lilenbaum W.Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease of global importance and has a worldwide distribution. This infection displays clear seasonal nature in some regions of the tropics, where the rainy season is marked by high temperatures. Household and wild animals carry leptospires and contribute to their dissemination in nature. Transmission mainly occurs by contact with water contaminated with the urine of infected animals, and consequently, it is quite widespread especially in times of rain, since many areas are subject to flooding and have poor sanitation. Serological tests demonstrate that Leptospira s...
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...
BMC public healthFebruary 20, 2014
Volume 14 182 doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-14-182
Sawford K, Dhand NK, Toribio JA, Taylor MR.After the 2011 cluster of Hendra virus cases in horses in Australia, public health targeted education initiatives at people in the equine industry to reduce human exposure to potentially infected horses. 'Horse owners and Hendra Virus: A Longitudinal cohort study To Evaluate Risk' aims to enhance public health measures through improved understanding of Hendra virus risk perception and risk mitigation strategies among horse owners and horse care providers. This paper describes the stakeholder consultation that was undertaken to ensure the cohort study outcomes were relevant to diverse groups wh...
Pusterla N, Barnum S, Lawton K, Wademan C, Corbin R, Hodzic E.Contemporary data on equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) genotype (non-neuropathogenic or N, neuropathogenic or D and new variant or H) in clinically diseased equids is important in order to determine the frequency of these genotypes and their association with disease expression. A total of 297 EHV-1 qPCR-positive swabs collected from 2019 to 2022 from horses with respiratory disease (EHV-1), neurological disease (equine herpesvirus-1 myeloencephalopathy [EHM]) and abortion were tested for the three different EHV-1 genotypes (N, D and H) using qPCR allelic discrimination assays. All submissions origi...
Kooijman LJ, Mapes SM, Pusterla N.Equine coronavirus (EqCoV) infection has been documented in most reports through quantitative qPCR analysis of feces and viral genome sequencing. Although qPCR is used to detect antigen during the acute disease phase, there is no equine-specific antibody test available to study EqCoV seroprevalence in various horse populations. We developed an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) targeting antibodies to the spike (S) protein of EqCoV and validated its use, using acute and convalescent sera from 83 adult horses involved in 6 outbreaks. The EqCoV S protein-based ELISA was able to reliably d...
Hitchens PL, Hill AE, Stover SM. The rate of catastrophic musculoskeletal injuries (CMI) in racehorses is high in the United States compared to other countries. Few modifiable risk factors related to lameness, medication, and surgery history have been identified. To detect management factors that increase risk of CMI by comparing medical histories between horses that sustained, and horses that did not sustain, a CMI. Case-control. Racehorse necropsy data (May 2012-June 2013) were obtained through the California Horse Racing Board Postmortem Program. Attending veterinarians of Thoroughbreds (TB) and Quarter Horses (QH) tha...
Knowles EJ, Elliott J, Harris PA, Chang YM, Menzies-Gow NJ.Quantifying risk factors for laminitis development requires improvement. Objective: To identify the most useful physical examination, metabolic and management factors to predict laminitis development in client-owned, nonlaminitic ponies. Methods: Prospective cohort study. Methods: Physical examination, metabolic and management data were collected from a pony cohort 6 monthly for up to 4 years. Ponies were monitored for the development of laminitis. Metabolic data included basal plasma concentrations of ACTH ([ACTH]), adiponectin ([adiponectin]), triglycerides and glucose. Serum insulin concen...
Badenhorst M, Page P, Ganswindt A, Laver P, Guthrie A, Schulman M.The prevalence of equine herpesvirus types-1 and -4 (EHV-1 and -4) in South African Thoroughbreds at auction sales is currently undefined. Commingling of young Thoroughbreds from various populations together with physiological stress related to their transport and confinement at a sales complex, may be associated with shedding and transmission of EHV-1 and -4. This prospective cohort study sampled 90 young Thoroughbreds consigned from eight farms, originating from three provinces representative of the South African Thoroughbred breeding demographic to a sales complex. Nasal swabs for quantitat...
Equine infectious anemia (EIA) is a viral disease, caused by the Equine Infectious Anemia virus (EIAV) belonging to the Retroviridae family, genus Lentivirus. Horses (or equids) infected with EIAV are lifelong carriers and they remain contagious for other horses even in the absence of clinical signs. So far, EIAV infection has been reported among horses in North and South America, France, Germany, Italy, Hungary and Romania, with no publication regarding the presence of EIAV in horses in Serbia. To determine the circulation of EIAV among, approximately, the 5000 horses of the Vojvodina region,...
Elfman L, Brannstrom J, Smedje G.Integrating horse stables with built-up areas may lead to conflicts. Dispersion of horse allergen may become a health risk for allergic people. The aim was to measure the dispersion of horse allergen around a stable, considering wind speed and direction and vegetation. The disturbance of staff at a workplace nearby a stable was investigated. Methods: Air sampling was performed around a stable (32 horses) at distances of 50-500 m in all directions. Sampling was done with a pump and an IOM sampler. Samples were collected at 50 points during all seasons. Horse allergen levels were determined usin...
Kumar K, Arshad SS, Selvarajah GT, Abu J, Toung OP, Abba Y, Yasmin AR, Bande F, Sharma R, Ong BL.Japanese encephalitis (JE) is a vector-borne zoonotic disease caused by the Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV). It causes encephalitis in human and horses, and may lead to reproductive failure in sows. The first human encephalitis case in Malaya (now Malaysia) was reported during World War II in a British prison in 1942. Later, encephalitis was observed among race horses in Singapore. In 1951, the first JEV was isolated from the brain of an encephalitis patient. The true storyline of JE exposure among humans and animals has not been documented in Malaysia. In some places such as Sarawak, JEV ha...
Traversa D, Kuzmina T, Kharchenko VA, Iorio R, Klei TR, Otranto D.This study investigated the genetic variability within Cylicocyclus nassatus (Nematoda, Strongylida, Cyathostominae) collected from different domestic and wild hosts (i.e. horse, donkey, Przewalskii horse, tarpan and Turkmen kulan) and localities in Europe and/or USA. The ribosomal Internal Transcribed Spacer 2 (ITS2) and the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) gene were PCR-amplified and sequences characterized from seventy individual parasitic specimens. While ITS2 displayed 0-0.6% variation rate among all individual adult specimens of C. nassatus examined, 22 different seque...
Daly JM, Sindle T, Tearle J, Barquero N, Newton JR, Corning S.Surveillance of equine influenza viruses has suggested that strains included in currently licensed vaccines are a poor match for those predominantly circulating in the field. Objective: To assess the ability of Duvaxyn IE-T Plus to provide cross protection against the newly evolved South Africa/4/03 (H3N8) strain of equine influenza virus. Methods: The vaccine efficacy was evaluated by challenge infection with influenza strain A/eq/South Africa/4/03 (H3N8) 2 weeks after a primary course of 2 vaccinations with Duvaxyn IE-T Plus given at a 4-week interval. The outcome of challenge in vaccinated ...
Yang N, Mu MY, Yuan GM, Zhang GX, Li HK, He JB.Toxoplasma gondii is an important zoonotic pathogen infecting humans and almost all warm-blooded animals. The most common sources of human infection are ingestion of tissue cysts in raw or undercooked meat. However, limited information is available about T. gondii infection in horses and donkeys in China. In the present study, we report the seroprevalence of T. gondii infection in horses and donkeys in Liaoning province, northeastern China. Methods: Serum samples were collected from 711 and 738 slaughtered horses and donkeys, respectively, in 13 regions of Liaoning province. The modified agglu...
Crevier-Denoix N, Falala S, Holden-Douilly L, Camus M, Martino J, Ravary-Plumioen B, Vergari C, Desquilbet L, Denoix JM, Chateau H, Pourcelot P.The relationship between track surface properties and limb kinematics is poorly understood. Hoof orientation within the track surface has never been quantified under training conditions. Previously described kinematic and dynamic differences between leading and trailing forelimbs at the canter poorly correlate with epidemiological data regarding injuries. Objective: To compare joint kinematics and hoof orientation in the leading and trailing forelimbs of horses cantering on turf and on a synthetic surface. Methods: Noninvasive experimental study. Methods: The right forelimb of 5 horses was equ...
Two closed horse herds (Old Lot 4 and Field 24), infected since 1966 with Population B small strongyles resistant to thiabendazole (TBZ) and phenothiazine (PTZ), were terminated in February, March, and May, 2005. At necropsy, only the large endoparasites were identified and counted. The number of horses on pasture was 14 (239 days of age to 23 years old) for Old Lot 4 and two (3 to 20 years old) for Field 24. The time of the last antiparasitic treatment, relative to the year (2005) of necropsy, was 26 years for Old Lot 4 and 9 years for Field 24 horses. Gasterophilus intestinalis third instars...
Yaniv A, Dahlberg J, Gazit A, Sherman L, Chiu IM, Tronick SR, Aaronson SA.Molecular clones of the integrated form of the genome of equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV), the etiologic agent of a naturally occurring, worldwide disease of horses, were obtained. The restriction map of a full-length genome was determined. Additional evidence for the close evolutionary relationship between EIAV and a prototype lentivirus (caprine arthritis encephalitis virus) was acquired by Southern blotting and immunological analyses. An interspecies radioimmunoassay was developed in which EIAV and ovine and caprine lentiviruses could be detected equally well. These studies make availa...
Boschwitz JS, Timoney JF.The antiphagocytic property of equine fibrinogen for Streptococcus equi subsp. equi strain CF32 was examined in vitro. The results of bactericidal assays demonstrated that the presence of fibrinogen enhanced the ability of overnight and early log-phase cultures of strain CF32 to resist killing by equine neutrophils by 12-fold and seven-fold, respectively (p > 0.01). In addition, fibrinogen-coated bacteria treated with fibrinogen specific F(ab')2 fragments were 32% more susceptible to killing by equine neutrophils after opsonization in serum (p > 0.05), indicating that specific epitopes o...
Laroucau K, Colaneri C, Jaÿ M, Corde Y, Drapeau A, Durand B, Zientara S, Beck C.To evaluate the routine complement fixation test (CFT) used to detect Burkholderia mallei antibodies in equine sera, an interlaboratory proficiency test was held with 24 European laboratories, including 22 National Reference Laboratories for glanders. The panels sent to participants were composed of sera with or without B mallei antibodies. This study confirmed the reliability of CFT and highlighted its intralaboratory reproducibility. However, the sensitivity of glanders serodiagnosis and laboratory proficiency may be improved by standardising critical reagents, including antigens, and by dev...
Verdon M, Lanz S, Rhyner C, Gerber V, Marti E.Genetic, epidemiologic, and clinical evidence suggests that, in horses, there are manifestations of hypersensitivity that can occur together. Objective: To investigate whether concurrent insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH) and severe equine asthma (EA) is associated with higher allergen-specific and total serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) concentrations than only EA or IBH. Methods: Healthy control horses (C, n = 40), horses with IBH (IBH, n = 24), severe EA (EA, n = 18), and both conditions (IBH/EA, n = 23) were included. Methods: In our retrospective comparative study, sera from ho...
Acosta-Jamett G, Cleaveland S, Cunningham AA, Bronsvoort BM, Craig PS.Cyst echinococcosis (CE) is one of the most important zoonosis in Chile, where studies have focussed mainly in moist southern regions. The present study was conducted to determine the prevalence of cystic echinococcosis (CE) in livestock and humans in the semiarid Coquimbo region in north-central Chile. A review of all surgical cases of CE in humans reported in the Elqui, Limarí and Choapa provinces in Coquimbo region for the period comprising 1995-2006 was obtained. In addition, a retrospective study of CE covering condemnation records from slaughterhouses of these provinces from the same pe...
Gildea S, Sanchez Higgins MJ, Johnson G, Walsh C, Cullinane A.There is a lack of information concerning concurrent administration of vaccines against equine influenza virus (EIV) and equine herpesvirus 1 and 4 (EHV-1/4). The primary objective of this study was to determine the impact of the concurrent use of EIV and EHV-1/4 vaccines in Thoroughbred racehorses on their humoral immune response to EIV. This study was carried out on a population of 30 horses using an inactivated whole-virus EIV vaccine and an inactivated EHV-1/4 vaccine. Horses were randomly allocated to vaccination group A or B. Horses in group A were vaccinated against EIV and EHV-1/4 2 we...
Damiani AM, Scicluna MT, Ciabatti I, Cardeti G, Sala M, Vulcano G, Cordioli P, Martella V, Amaddeo D, Autorino GL.During local respiratory disease outbreaks, occurring in 2003 and 2004 in horse training stables within race-tracks in Rome, and on a stud horse farm in Bari in 2005, four strains of equine influenza (EI) virus were isolated. All outbreaks occurred in flu-vaccinated horses. Here, we are reporting the results of the genetic characterization of these isolates, together with that of another EI virus strain isolated in 1999 from a dead foal presenting pulmonary lesions. Alignment and phylogenetic analyses were carried out using the haemagglutinin amino acid sequences. The Rome and Bari isolates we...
Webster WR.In August 2007 equine influenza (EI) was diagnosed in Australia's horse population following the failure to contain infection in quarantine after the importation of one or more infected horses. The response had many unique features, and addressed financial, social, economic, human and animal health, trade and recovery issues. The outbreak and the associated control measures had a vast impact on individual horse owners, the horse industry and associated sectors in both infected and uninfected states.
Dutra F, Schuch LF, Delucchi E, Curcio BR, Coimbra H, Raffi MB, Dellagostin O, Riet-Correa F.A disease named locally as churrío or churrido equino (i.e., equine scours) has occurred for at least 100 years in Uruguay and southern Brazil in farms along both shores of the Merín lake. This report describes cases of churrido equino and provides serologic, pathologic, and DNA-based evidence indicating that the disease is in fact equine monocytic ehrlichiosis (Potomac horse fever). Results of an epidemiological investigation conducted on an endemic farm are also presented. Clinical signs in 12 horses were fever, depression, diarrhea, dehydration, and sometimes colic and distal hind limb ed...
Reinisch AI.Six recent cases of animal hoarding in Manitoba were compared to the relevant literature. Cases were similar to previous reports in age and demographics of hoarders. Five cases involved small mammals and 1 case involved horses. Understanding this phenomenon would be enhanced by consistent investigative format and reporting and closer working relationships with public health. Six cas récents d’amassement d’animaux au Manitoba ont été comparés à la documentation pertinente. Les cas étaient semblables à des rapports antérieurs relativement à l’âge et aux données démographiques ...
Cohen ND, Peloso JG.To identify risk factors for recurrent colic and chronic, intermittent colic in horses. Methods: Case control study. Methods: The population included 768 horses examined by veterinarians for emergencies other than colic (control group). Methods: Horses with colic that had history of colic (n = 232) were compared with those without such history (n = 536), using logistic regression analysis to identify risk factors for history of previous colic and to determine odds ratios (OR) for these associations. Among the 232 horses in the history of colic group, 58 horses that had chronic, intermittent co...
Shepard JJ, Andreadis TG, Thomas MC, Molaei G.Eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV) is a highly pathogenic mosquito-borne arbovirus, with active transmission foci in freshwater hardwood swamps in eastern North America, where enzootic transmission is maintained between the ornithophilic mosquito, Culiseta melanura, and wild passerine birds. The role of other locally abundant mosquito species in virus transmission and their associations with vertebrate hosts as sources of blood meals within these foci are largely unknown but are of importance in clarifying the dynamics of enzootic and epidemic/epizootic transmission. Blood-engorged mosqu...
Morita H, Shiratori C, Murakami M, Takami H, Kato Y, Endo A, Nakajima F, Takagi M, Akita H, Okada S, Masaoka T.Two strains, KBL13(T) and GBL13, were isolated as one of intestinal lactobacilli from the faecal specimens from different thoroughbreds of the same farm where they were born in Hokkaido, Japan. They were Gram-positive, facultatively anaerobic, catalase-negative, non-spore-forming and non-motile rods. KBL13(T) and GBL13 homofermentatively metabolize glucose, and produce lactate as the sole final product from glucose. The 16S rRNA gene sequence, DNA-DNA hybridization, DNA G+C content and biochemical characterization indicated that these two strains, KBL13(T) and GBL13, belong to the same species...
