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Topic:Equids
Equids are members of the family Equidae, which includes modern horses, donkeys, and zebras, as well as extinct species. Equids are characterized by their long limbs, single-toed hooves, and herbivorous diet, which is primarily composed of grasses. Horses, specifically, have been domesticated for thousands of years and have played significant roles in agriculture, transportation, and sport. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore various aspects of equids and horses, including their evolution, physiology, behavior, and interactions with humans. The collected works provide insights into the genetic diversity, adaptive traits, and conservation efforts related to equid species.
Interlaboratory ring trial to evaluate CFT proficiency of European laboratories for diagnosis of glanders in equids. 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...
Microscopic and Molecular Detection of Theileria (Babesia) Equi Infection in Equids of Kurdistan Province, Iran. Equine piroplasmosis (EP) is the cause of persistent tick-borne infection with no symptoms, but the most important problem of EP is due to the persistent carrier state. Carrier animals to Babesia (Theileria) equi (Laveran 1901) and B. caballi (Nuttall, 1910) infestation could be identified by extremely sensitive PCR-based method. The purpose of this study was to identify the causative agents of equine piroplasmosis based on molecular and microscopic assays in equids from Kurdistan Province, Iran. Methods: Thirty one horse and mule blood samples were used with history of living in Kurdistan Pro...
The origin of Chinese domestic horses revealed with novel mtDNA variants. The origin of domestic horses in China was a controversial issue and several hypotheses including autochthonous domestication, introduction from other areas, and multiple-origins from both introduction and local wild horse introgression have been proposed, but none of them have been fully supported by DNA data. In the present study, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences of 714 Chinese indigenous horses were analyzed. The results showed that Chinese domestic horses harbor some novel mtDNA haplogroups and suggested that local domestication events may have occurred, but they are not the dominant ha...
Detection of Vaccinia virus during an outbreak of exanthemous oral lesions in Brazilian equids. In August 2014, an outbreak of oral exanthematous disease in equids was reported in Brazil, affecting 11 donkeys and 3 mules. Objective: To investigate if Vaccinia virus (VACV) was the aetiological agent in this outbreak. Methods: Investigation of clinical cases using serological, molecular and phylogenetic approaches. Methods: To analyse the presence of neutralising antibodies against VACV, samples were submitted in triplicate to a plaque-reduction neutralisation test (PRNT ). On the basis of previous studies which detected VACV DNA in sera, we submitted extracted DNA samples to different pol...
Serological Survey of West Nile Virus in Domestic Animals from Northwest Senegal. In Africa, infection with West Nile virus (WNV) is frequent but almost always asymptomatic in humans and equids. The aim of this study was to identify whether any other domestic animal living in the same enzootic locality may be the sentinel of WNV circulation. In northwest Senegal, blood samples were collected from 283 adult domestic animals (136 sheep, 64 horses, 29 donkeys, 29 goats, 14 cattle, and 11 dogs), in three localities near Keur Momar Sarr. Each serum was tested for WNV immunoglobulin G using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The prevalence among donkeys, horses, dogs, goats, catt...
Micromanipulation of equine blastocysts to allow vitrification. Embryo cryopreservation presents an essential method for banking of valuable genetics. However, in equine species the cryopreservation of embryos is complicated by three interacting factors: (1) the late entry of the embryo into the uterus (~6 days after ovulation); (2) the rapid expansion of the blastocyst; and (3) the formation of the equine embryonic capsule, a glycoprotein membrane that forms between the embryo and zona. Efforts to freeze or vitrify equine expanded blastocysts were initially met with little success. In addition, it was thought that breaching the capsule led to loss of embr...
Positive selection in the SLC11A1 gene in the family Equidae. Immunity-related genes are a suitable model for studying effects of selection at the genomic level. Some of them are highly conserved due to functional constraints and purifying selection, while others are variable and change quickly to cope with the variation of pathogens. The SLC11A1 gene encodes a transporter protein mediating antimicrobial activity of macrophages. Little is known about the patterns of selection shaping this gene during evolution. Although it is a typical evolutionarily conserved gene, functionally important polymorphisms associated with various diseases were identified in ...
Spatial distribution, risk factors and haemato-biochemical alterations associated with Theileria equi infected equids of Punjab (India) diagnosed by indirect ELISA and nested PCR. Equine piroplasmosis is a febrile, tick-borne disease of equids predominately caused by obligatory intra-erythrocytic protozoa Theileria equi in the Indian sub-continent. A cross-sectional study was carried out on 464 equids (426 horses and 38 donkeys/mules) in Punjab, India to assess the level of exposure to equine piroplasmosis by 18S rRNA gene nested polymerase chain reaction (nPCR) and equine merozoite antigen-2 (EMA2) indirect-ELISA (enzyme linked immunosorbent assay), to investigate risk factors and haemato-biochemical alterations associated with the infection. The endemicity of the dise...
The complete mitochondrial genome of Hequ horse. The complete mitochondrial genome of Hequ horse was determined in this study. The mitogenome is 16 656 bp in length and contains 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, 2 ribosomal RNA genes, and a D-loop region. The overall base composition of the H-strand is 32.20% for A, 28.55% for C, 13.38% for G and 25.86% for T. Tree constructed using MEGA 6 with Maximum-likelihood (ML) methods demonstrated that Hequ horse was clustered in subfamily Equidae.
Oviposition site selection by Gasterophilus pecorum (Diptera: Gasterophilidae) in its habitat in Kalamaili Nature Reserve, Xinjiang, China. Oviposition site selection is an important aspect of the behavioural ecology of insects. A comparison of the habitats used by a species enhances our understanding of their adaptation to altered environments. We collected data on the oviposition behaviours of Gasterophilus pecorum (Diptera: Gasterophilidae) in its habitat in Kalamaili Nature Reserve (KNR), Xinjiang, China between March and October 2014. We found 91 quadrats were used by G. pecorum for oviposition. Examining 13 ecological factors using the t-test, chi-square test, and principal component analysis showed that G. pecorum's oviposi...
Equine infectious anaemia and mechanical transmission: man and the wee beasties. There is no credible evidence that the lentivirus that causes equine infectious anaemia (EIA) replicates in invertebrates. The virus persistently infects its equid hosts and is often present in blood in significant quantities. Blood-feeding arthropods thus have the potential to transfer the virus between hosts, especially if their feeding on the first host is interrupted and immediately continued on a second host. The general details and dynamics of mechanical transmission are included in this paper, as this agent presents an excellent model. Mechanical transmission can be effectively controll...
Can insecticide-treated netting provide protection for Equids from Culicoides biting midges in the United Kingdom? Biting midges of the genus Culicoides Latreille, 1809 (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) cause a significant biting nuisance to equines and are responsible for the biological transmission of African horse sickness virus (AHSV). While currently restricted in distribution to sub-Saharan Africa, AHSV has a history of emergence into southern Europe and causes one of the most lethal diseases of horses and other species of Equidae. In the event of an outbreak of AHSV, the use of insecticide treated nets (ITNs) to screen equine accomodation is recommended by competent authorities including the Office Interna...
Fecal Ciliate Composition of Domestic Horses (Equus caballus Linnaeus, 1758) Living in Kyrgyzstan. Species composition and distribution of intestinal ciliates were investigated in the feces from 15 domestic horses living in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Twenty-three species belonging to 14 genera were identified. This is the first study on intestinal ciliates in domestic horses living in Kyrgyzstan. The mean number of ciliates was 14.1 ± 6.8 x10(4) cells ml(-1) of feces and the mean number of ciliate species per host was 6.0 ± 3.2. No endemic or new species were detected. Blepharocorys was the major genus as these ciliates were detected in high proportions. In contrast Holophryoides, Allantosoma w...
Establishment of an in vitro equine papillomavirus type 2 (EcPV2) neutralization assay and a VLP-based vaccine for protection of equids against EcPV2-associated genital tumors. The consistent and specific presence of Equus caballus papillomavirus type 2 (EcPV2) DNA and mRNA in equine genital squamous cell carcinoma (gSCC) is suggestive of an etiological role in tumor development. To further validate this concept, EcPV2-neutralizing serum antibody titers were determined by an EcPV2 pseudovirion (PsV) neutralization assay. Furthermore, an EcPV2 L1 virus-like particle (VLP)-based vaccine was generated and its prophylactic efficacy evaluated in vivo. All 6/6 gSCC-affected, but only 3/20 tumor-free age-matched animals revealed EcPV2-neutralizing serum antibody titers by P...
Equids. Alongside domestic horses and donkeys, the horse family, also known as equids, comprises six extant wild species of asses and zebras (Figure 1). Equids are extremely well represented in the fossil record, comprising a 55 million-year evolutionary history, punctuated by many episodes of innovation, extinction and migration. Limited to the single genus Equus today, in the Miocene (23.0–5.3 million years ago) the equid family flourished, comprising more than twenty genera. The group originated in Northern America, where the earliest fossil forms have been found, the so-called Hyracotheres, no l...
Cheek Tooth Extraction Via a Minimally Invasive Transbuccal Approach and Intradental Screw Placement in 54 Equids. To describe (1) preoperative findings and surgical technique, (2) intraoperative difficulties, and (3) postoperative complications and long-term outcome of equine cheek tooth extraction using a minimally invasive transbuccal screw extraction (MITSE) technique. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: Fifty-four equids; 50 horses, 3 ponies, and 1 mule. Methods: Fifty-eight MITSE procedures were performed to extract cheek teeth in 54 equids. Peri- and intraoperative difficulties, as well as short- (<1 month) and long-term (>6 months) postoperative complications were recorded. Followup inform...
What’s New in Old Horses? Postmortem Diagnoses in Mature and Aged Equids. Postmortem findings in 241 equids admitted to a teaching hospital that were at least 15 years old at autopsy were reviewed (1) to determine disease prevalence, (2) to compare the cause of death (or euthanasia) in equids 15 to 19 years of age (n = 116) with that in equids ≥20 years of age (n = 125), and (3) to catalog coexisting lesions in equids with pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID). Breed and sex were evenly distributed between the age groups. Death or euthanasia was attributed to disease of the digestive system (41.5%), pituitary gland (12.9%), locomotor system (10.0%), nervous...
Characterization of an Equine α-S2-Casein Variant Due to a 1.3 kb Deletion Spanning Two Coding Exons. The production and consumption of mare's milk in Europe has gained importance, mainly based on positive health effects and a lower allergenic potential as compared to cows' milk. The allergenicity of milk is to a certain extent affected by different genetic variants. In classical dairy species, much research has been conducted into the genetic variability of milk proteins, but the knowledge in horses is scarce. Here, we characterize two major forms of equine αS2-casein arising from genomic 1.3 kb in-frame deletion involving two coding exons, one of which represents an equid specific duplicati...
Theileria equi and Babesia caballi infection of equids in Punjab, India: a serological and molecular survey. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Submountain undulating, Undulating plain, Western and Western plain agro-climatic zones of Punjab province, India, to determine the prevalence, agreement between diagnostic tests and associated related risk factors of Theileria equi and Babesia caballi infection in equids (horses, donkey, mules). An overall prevalence of 14.14 and 0.0% of T. equi and B. caballi was recorded by multiplex polymerase chain reaction targeting 18S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) for both the parasites and 75 and 1.11% by competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in a representative...
Clinical Research Abstracts of the British Equine Veterinary Association Congress 2015. Injury to the superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) is common in equids, with a high risk of re-injury associated with changes in tendon stiffness. In vivo measurement of limb stiffness has been shown to correlate with tendon stiffness after injury [1] but requires kinematic analysis which is impractical in a clinical setting. We have developed a simple system for measuring limb stiffness statically, which could be used as a tool for monitoring SDFT healing. Objective: To validate a goniometric measurement of limb stiffness. Methods: Cross sectional study. Methods: Initially, forelimb stiff...
Evolutionary constraints on equid domestication: Comparison of flight initiation distances of wild horses (Equus caballus ferus) and plains zebras (Equus quagga). Habituation to humans was an essential component of horse (Equus caballus ferus) domestication, with the nondomestication of zebras (Equus quagga) possibly reflecting an adaptive constraint on habituation. We present the human hunting hypothesis, arguing that ancestral humans hunted African animals, including zebras, long enough to promote a persistent wariness of humans, whereas a briefer period of hunting horses in Central Asia influenced by glacial cycles was unlikely to produce an equally persistent wariness. An alternative habituation to humans hypothesis, prompted by field observations, ...
Early Developmental and Evolutionary Origins of Gene Body DNA Methylation Patterns in Mammalian Placentas. Over the last 20-80 million years the mammalian placenta has taken on a variety of morphologies through both divergent and convergent evolution. Recently we have shown that the human placenta genome has a unique epigenetic pattern of large partially methylated domains (PMDs) and highly methylated domains (HMDs) with gene body DNA methylation positively correlating with level of gene expression. In order to determine the evolutionary conservation of DNA methylation patterns and transcriptional regulatory programs in the placenta, we performed a genome-wide methylome (MethylC-seq) analysis of hu...
Prevalence, intensity and risk factors of infestation with major gastrointestinal nematodes in equines in and around Shashemane, Southern Ethiopia. Prevalence, intensity and risk factors of major gastrointestinal nematode infestation in equines were studied through a cross-sectional survey in 384 equids from October 2013 to April 2014 in and around Shashemane, southern Ethiopia. Three hundred and fifteen equids (82 %) were demonstrated harbouring one or more gastrointestinal (GIT) nematodes using the faecal flotation technique. The prevalence of GIT nematode infestation was 73.4, 85 and 86.5 % for horses, mules and donkeys, respectively. The identified nematodes were strongyle type (73.4 %), Parascaris equorum (21.4 %) and Oxyuris equ...
A Geographic Assessment of the Global Scope for Rewilding with Wild-Living Horses (Equus ferus). Megafaunas worldwide have been decimated during the late Quaternary. Many extirpated species were keystone species, and their loss likely has had large effects on ecosystems. Therefore, it is increasingly considered how megafaunas can be restored. The horse (Equus ferus) is highly relevant in this context as it was once extremely widespread and, despite severe range contraction, survives in the form of domestic, feral, and originally wild horses. Further, it is a functionally important species, notably due to its ability to graze coarse, abrasive grasses. Here, we used species distribution mod...
Identification of the hair of a Holocene “Yukagir horse” (Equus spp.) mummy. No abstract available
Next Generation Semiconductor Based Sequencing of the Donkey (Equus asinus) Genome Provided Comparative Sequence Data against the Horse Genome and a Few Millions of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms. Few studies investigated the donkey (Equus asinus) at the whole genome level so far. Here, we sequenced the genome of two male donkeys using a next generation semiconductor based sequencing platform (the Ion Proton sequencer) and compared obtained sequence information with the available donkey draft genome (and its Illumina reads from which it was originated) and with the EquCab2.0 assembly of the horse genome. Moreover, the Ion Torrent Personal Genome Analyzer was used to sequence reduced representation libraries (RRL) obtained from a DNA pool including donkeys of different breeds (Grigio Sic...
