Equine diseases encompass a wide range of health conditions that can affect horses, including infectious diseases, metabolic disorders, and genetic conditions. These diseases can impact the overall health, performance, and well-being of horses. Common equine diseases include equine influenza, equine herpesvirus, laminitis, and equine metabolic syndrome. Diagnosis and management of these diseases often require a combination of clinical evaluation, laboratory testing, and appropriate treatment strategies. This page gathers peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the etiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment options for various equine diseases, providing valuable insights for veterinarians and researchers in the field.
Rivas VN, Magdesian KG, Fagan S, Slovis NM, Luethy D, Javsicas LH, Caserto BG, Miller AD, Dahlgren AR, Peterson J, Hales EN, Peng S, Watson KD....Idiopathic hypocalcemia in Thoroughbred (TB) foals causes tetany and seizures and is invariably fatal. Based upon the similarity of this disease with human familial hypoparathyroidism and occurrence only in the TB breed, we conducted a genetic investigation on two affected TB foals. Familial hypoparathyroidism was identified, and pedigree analysis suggested an autosomal recessive (AR) mode of inheritance. We performed whole-genome sequencing of the two foals, their unaffected dams and four unaffected, unrelated TB horses. Both homozygosity mapping and an association analysis were used to prior...
Isbell DA, Schils SJ, Oakley SC, Carraro U, Knaeble BR.Asymmetry of the multifidi has been correlated with scoliosis and back pain in humans and has been investigated as a factor in equine back pain as well. The purpose of this study was to determine if FES would affect the symmetry of equine thoracolumbar multifidi when compared to controls. Twelve horses received 24 FES treatments bilaterally over the thoracolumbar region for 8 weeks. Twelve additional control horses received no FES treatments. Ultrasonographic measurements of the cross-sectional area (CSA) of the multifidi of the treatment horses at seven thoracolumbar levels were compared to ...
Daddy KK, Mwanza M, Oguttu JW, Ngoma L.Leptospirosis is one of the major emerging global economic and health problems affecting donkeys, thereby reducing their work output. Furthermore, the disease has public health importance because of its zoonotic nature. Despite the significant contribution donkeys make to the national economy, less attention is given to diseases that afflict donkeys and reduce their productivity and performance. A cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate the seroprevalence of Leptospira and identify risk factors associated with the occurrence of the disease among donkeys in the study area. Methods: A...
Fortin JS, Benskey MJ, Lookingland KJ, Patterson JS, Howey EB, Goudreau JL, Schott HC.Pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) develops slowly in aged horses as degeneration of hypothalamic dopaminergic neurons leads to proliferation of pars intermedia (PI) melanotropes through hyperplasia and adenoma formation. Dopamine (DA) concentrations and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunoreactivity are markedly reduced in PI tissue of PPID-affected equids and treatment with the DA receptor agonist pergolide results in notable clinical improvement. Thus, we hypothesized that pergolide treatment of PPID-affected horses would result in greater DA and TH levels in PI tissue collected from ...
Walker L, Martinelli MJ, Rantanen N, Drumond B, Trostle S.Nuclear scintigraphy can be beneficial in the investigation of equine lameness and poor performance. Images obtained through the sole allow for better identification of a region of increased radionuclide uptake in the foot. The presence of shoes or pads may affect these images. To determine the degree of radioactive attenuation different types of shoes and pads of different thickness and materials were evaluated by placing the material directly on the gamma camera detector acquiring flood images from a point source. The study compared five different types of shoes from 3 different shoeing mate...
Lightfoot KL, Burford JH, England GCW, Bowen IM, Freeman SL.Telephone triage is an integral part of modern patient care systems in human medicine, and a key component of veterinary practice care systems. There is currently no published research on telephone triage within the veterinary profession. To investigate current approaches to telephone triage of horses with abdominal pain (colic) in veterinary practice and develop new resources to support decision-making. Participatory action research using mixed-methods approach. An online survey assessed current approaches to telephone triage of horses with colic in UK veterinary practices. Structured group a...
Pechanec MY, Boyd TN, Baar K, Mienaltowski MJ.Tendon injuries amount to one of the leading causes of career-ending injuries in horses due to the inability for tendon to completely repair and the high reinjury potential. As a result, novel therapeutics are necessary to improve repair with the goal of decreasing leg lameness and potential reinjury. Small leucine-rich repeat proteoglycans (SLRPs), a class of regulatory molecules responsible for collagen organization and maturation, may be one such therapeutic to improve tendon repair. Before SLRP supplementation can occur in vivo, proper evaluation of the effect of these molecules in vitro n...
Journal of proteomicsSeptember 23, 2020
Volume 230 103989 doi: 10.1016/j.jprot.2020.103989
Weigand M, Hauck SM, Deeg CA, Degroote RL.Equine recurrent uveitis (ERU) is a spontaneous, remitting-relapsing autoimmune disease driven by the adaptive immune system. Although T cells are described as the main effector cells in pathogenesis, granulocytes have also emerged as possible disease mediators. To explore the role of these innate immune cells, we investigated the whole cell proteome of granulocytes from equine recurrent uveitis cases and healthy controls. Among the 2362 proteins identified by mass spectrometry, we found 96 proteins with significantly changed abundance between groups (p < 0.05, fold change >1.2), representin...
Kim KH, Park TS, Cho BW, Kim TM.Recent studies have shown that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can play a restorative role against degenerative joint diseases in horses. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether fetal bone marrow-derived cells (BMC)-derived nanoparticles (BMC-NPs) can stimulate the survival of equine chondrocytes. Equine fetal BMCs were isolated and characterized, and the role of BMC-NPs s in equine chondrocytes undergoing inflammatory cell death was examined. BMCs have several characteristics, such as the potential to differentiate into chondrocytes and osteocytes. Additionally, BMCs expressed immu...
Wu L, Ou J, Cai S, Ji J, Ren Z, Shao R, Li S.Equine Hepacivirus (EqHV) is a newly discovered equine virus that is classified under the Hepacivirus genus of the Flaviviridae family. There are three sub-types of EqHV worldwide namely; sub-types 1-3. The majority of EqHV sub-type 1 strains were found in China. While different sub-types have been found in Japan and USA, therefore, to investigate whether the other sub-types of EqHV strains were present in China, a total of 60 horse serum samples were collected and screened for EqHV RNA through RT-PCR. The results revealed that 19 serum samples were RNA-positive (19/60) and the EqHV detection ...
Autry JM, Karim CB, Cocco M, Carlson SF, Thomas DD, Valberg SJ.We have analyzed protein expression and enzyme activity of the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-transporting ATPase (SERCA) in horse gluteal muscle. Horses exhibit a high incidence of recurrent exertional rhabdomyolysis, with myosolic Ca2+ proposed, but yet to be established, as the underlying cause. To better assess Ca2+ regulatory mechanisms, we developed an improved protocol for isolating sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) vesicles from horse skeletal muscle, based on mechanical homogenization and optimized parameters for differential centrifugation. Immunoblotting identified the peak subcellular fract...
Kahler A, McGonnell IM, Smart H, Kowalski AA, Smith KC, Wathes DC, de Mestre AM.Early pregnancy loss (EPL) occurs in approximately 8% of equine pregnancies, although the aetiology is mostly unknown and embryonic/fetal morphological abnormalities associated with EPL are not defined. Objective: To compare the morphology of EPL to clinically normal embryos/fetuses and previously described embryonic/fetal developmental milestones. To identify morphological abnormalities associated with equine EPL. Methods: Observational case-control study. Methods: Embryos/fetuses were obtained from clinically normal Thoroughbred and pony pregnancies (n = 11) and following EPL from Thorough...
Ali AA, Refat NA, Algabri NA, Sobh MS.EHV-1 infection is responsible for huge economic losses in equines due to abortion and neonatal mortality. In this study, we describe 4 cases of abortion and neonatal deaths from pregnant mares and a she-donkey from different localities in Egypt during the period from May 2015 to October 2017. Attempts were made to isolate and identify EHV-1, in addition to compare the different pathological lesions in various tissues of the necropsied cases. EHV-1 was successfully isolated from two aborted fetuses and one dead neonatal foal from mares, beside one aborted fetus from a she-donkey. The positive ...
Wise LM, Stuart GS, Sriutaisuk K, Adams BR, Riley CB, Theoret CL.Fibroproliferative disorders occur in both humans and horses following skin injury. In horses, wound healing on the limb is often complicated by the formation of fibroproliferative exuberant granulation tissue, characterized by persistent expression of pro-fibrotic transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-β1) and deficient expression of anti-inflammatory interleukin-10 (IL-10). IL-10 has been shown to directly modulate fibrotic gene expression in human fibroblasts, so we hypothesized that equine IL-10 (eIL-10) may exert similar anti-fibrotic effects on equine dermal fibroblasts. Cell-lines were ...
Alvarado TD, Mariezcurrena Berasain MD, Salem AZM, Pinzón Martínez DL.Functional biocompounds beneficial for animals and humans are in Mexican folk herbs. Cuphea and Eryngium species presented antimicrobial potential. Natural antibiotic uses by ethnoveterinary research with medicinal plants in equine infection or digestive diseases need more scientific evidence. Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica serotype Enteritidis are etiological agents in horses responsible for stable infections, abortions, fetal or perinatal deaths, and resistant intrahospital infections. The main objective of the present research was to evaluate the potential of a...
Szóstek-Mioduchowska A, Leciejewska N, Zelmańska B, Staszkiewicz-Chodor J, Ferreira-Dias G, Skarzynski D.Equine endometrosis is a chronic degenerative condition, described as endometrial fibrosis that forms in the stroma, under the basement membrane and around the endometrial glands. The role of lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) in the development of tissue fibrosis varies depending on the organ, and its profibrotic role in mare endometrosis remains unclear. The study aimed to establish the endometrial presence of LPA and its receptors (LPAR1-4), together with its effects on connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) and prostaglandins (PG) secretion from equine endometrium under physiological (estrous cyc...
Akbarinejad V, Fathi R, Shahverdi A, Esmaeili V, Rezagholizadeh A, Ghaleno LR.Equine sperm possesses a unique physiology because its energy supply is mostly dependent on oxidative phosphorylation of mitochondria as an aerobic source of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) generation. The present study was, therefore, conducted to investigate the relationship between sperm kinematic and functional variables in stallions. Semen samples were collected from five warmblood stallions (three ejaculates from each stallion), diluted with INRA96 and transferred to the laboratory. Next, sperm motility, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), production of superoxide anion (as a reactive o...
Goto Asakawa M, Mehmood W, Ali M, Oikawa MA.Myocardial atrophy with fibrosis and fatty infiltration involving the cardiac conduction system is relatively unusual in horses. We herein report of such a case in a 13-year-old Arabian broodmare that had spontaneously died on a paddock. An autopsy revealed multifocal myocardial atrophy with concomitant fibrosis and fatty infiltration in both the ventricles and interventricular septum. The Purkinje fibres in the ventricles and interventricular septum were surrounded by thick fibrous or adipose tissues adjacent to atrophic myocardial cells. Myocardial fibrosis and fatty infiltration were likely...
Stange LM, Krieter J, Czycholl I.Equine headshaking syndrome is a problematic behavior that has been described in literature for more than 100 years. The signs of headshaking syndrome appear frequently and violently so that riding the horse can be dangerous. The aim of this research was to gain an overview of the underlying causes of equine headshaking syndrome to identify effective treatment options, reduce the distress of horses and, in a second step, potentially improve therapeutic possibilities for horse owners and veterinarians. Most studies on prevalence originate from Anglo-American countries, so this research was to ...
Tallon R, Hewetson M.Equine glandular gastric disease (EGGD) is recognised as a separate entity to equine squamous gastric disease (ESGD) and it is recommended that lesions are graded differently. Currently, no validated scoring system exists for EGGD. Objective: To determine inter-observer reliability of two previously described grading systems for EGGD and to assess if agreement improved with gastroscopy experience, specialist training or familiarity with the descriptive system. Methods: Cross-sectional survey. Methods: A link to an electronic questionnaire containing 20 images of glandular lesions was circulate...
Angermair J, Bosshardt DD, Nelson K, Flügge TV, Stricker A, Fretwurst T.The aim of this prospective, clinical study was to evaluate the clinical performance and histological outcome of a new equine hydroxyapatite collagenated bone block (eHAC) for horizontal bone grafting prior to implant placement. Methods: Five patients (two male/three female) with a mean age of 51.6 years (range 22-66 years) and a reduced horizontal bone width of the alveolar ridge (mean 3.5 mm) underwent horizontal bone grafting using eHAC at 10 grafting sites. Reentry was performed 6.9 months after the horizontal grafting procedure. Clinical follow-up (mean 28.9 month) considered width g...
Sauermann CW, Leathwick DM, Lieffering M, Nielsen MK.Climate change is likely to influence livestock production by increasing the prevalence of diseases, including parasites. The traditional practice of controlling nematodes in livestock by the application of anthelmintics is, however, increasingly compromised by the development of resistance to these drugs in parasite populations. This study used a previously developed simulation model of the entire equine cyathostomin lifecycle to investigate the effect a changing climate would have on the development of anthelmintic resistance. Climate data from six General Circulation Models based on four di...
Pérez-Manrique L, León-Pérez K, Zamora-Sánchez E, Davies S, Ober C, Wilson B, McGreevy P.Restrictive nosebands are used in equestrian sports to hold the bit in place and reduce mouth-opening, a response that can attract penalties in some sports and is thought to reduce the rider's control of the horse. Sustained pressure from such tightly fitted (restrictive) nosebands denies normal behaviour and thus, causes frustration and distress that can jeopardise horse welfare. It also may push the cheek against the molar teeth, compress soft tissues including blood vessels and nerves, and possibly induce chronic changes to underlying bone. This study of mature cavalry horses (n = 144) was ...
Thompson RE, Premanandan C, Pukazhenthi BS, Whitlock BK.The inner layer of the uterus, the endometrium, is responsible and necessary for many reproductive functions. Normal reproductive cyclicity, maternal recognition of pregnancy, maternal interaction with the embryo, and interaction of the reproductive tract with pathogens are dependent on the endometrium. Although most studies have been conducted in vivo using live animals, recent advances in in vitro approaches could facilitate future research in a laboratory setting with minimal effect on animals. Many reproductive studies have been performed in vivo and in vitro in equids, but new in vitro me...
Corda A, Columbano N, Secchi V, Scanu A, Parpaglia MLP, Careddu GM, Passino ES.Thrombophlebitis and thrombosis are the most common causes of jugular vein occlusion in horses. Medical and surgical treatments aim to recanalize the occluded vessel and reduce proximal venous congestion and edema. The present report describes a clinical case of equine jugular vein thrombosis (JVT) with complete vein occlusion diagnosed by saline contrast ultrasonography (SCU) and confirmed by contrast venography. Our results demonstrated that the SCU test can be easily performed and objectively interpreted using standard ultrasound equipment; it is not expensive and it does not require x-ray...
Munsterman AS, Gillen AM, Coleridge MOD, Hanson RR.To evaluate the effect of changes in intraabdominal pressure (IAP) on central venous pressure (CVP) in normal horses. Methods: Experimental, in vivo study. Methods: University Teaching Hospital. Methods: Convenience sample of 7 mixed breed horses-5 geldings and 2 mares. Methods: Pneumoperitoneum was induced in horses under standing sedation with carbon dioxide gas using a laparoscopic insufflator for a total of 60 minutes to simulate clinical elevation in IAP. Pressure was increased stepwise to 20 mm Hg over 30 minutes, and maintained at that pressure for 30 minutes to evaluate the effect of ...
Saey V, Decloedt A, Van Poucke M, Peelman L, van Loon G, Vanderperren K, Ducatelle R, Chiers K.This case report describes the clinical presentation, the necropsy findings, and genetic results of a 13-year-old Warmblood mare presented with colic and a bilaterally loud, holosystolic murmur. Echocardiographic examination revealed the presence of a thoracic aortic aneurysm, an aortic pseudoaneurysm, a periaortic hematoma (circumferential cuffing by perivascular hemorrhage), and aortopulmonary fistulation. A supravalvular aortic stenosis (SVAS) was visible during echocardiography. Necropsy confirmed that the thoracic aortic aneurysm had ruptured and connected to the pseudoaneurysm, which fis...
Selim A, Khater H.Equine piroplasmosis (EP) is caused by Theileria equi and/or Babesia caballi and has economic importance particularly in equines reared in poor management systems. This study is based on cELISA test to study the seroprevalence of EP among 370 horses and 150 donkeys in four Governorates north Egypt. Additionally, its risk factors were studied for the first time. The seroprevalence rates 36.5 %, 20 %, and 5.6 % for T. equi, B. caballi, and mixed infections, respectively. The highest antibody levels against T. equi were detected in Kafr ElSheikh (40 %) and Giza (40.1 %) Governorates, whereas thos...
Fenner K, Dashper K, Wilkins C, Serpell J, McLean A, Wilson B, McGreevy P.Over the last decade, equitation scientists have increasingly relied on online survey tools to gather information on horse training, management, behaviour and other equine-related subjects. With a detailed knowledge of their animals, horse owners and riders are ideally placed to contribute to research but are sometimes reluctant to engage with and devote time to surveys. The current article reveals, through consultation with stakeholder groups, the potential of a range of motivational items to boost horse-owner participation. A short, three-question inquiry was developed to rank respondents' (...
Clarke LL, Roberts MC, Argenzio RA.The association of feeding practices with the development of digestive disorders in horses has long been recognized, although the underlying mechanisms had been barely considered. The physiologic consequences of meal frequency may help to explain the relationship and prove to be of major significance in the induction of many conditions. Many Equidae kept for performance and leisure activities are fed high-energy, low-forage rations twice daily, with limited access to hay or grazing. Rapid ingestion of such meals stimulates a copious outpouring of upper alimentary secretions and results in tran...
McGurrin MK, Physick-Sheard PW, Kenney DG.Electrical cardioversion of atrial fibrillation is a well-established technique for restoration of sinus rhythm in humans. While transthoracic cardioversion is more commonly used, transvenous electrical cardioversion (TVEC) has been reported as having higher efficacy at substantially lower energy levels. In horses, treatment of atrial fibrillation has essentially been limited to the administration of quinidine salts either orally or intravenously. TVEC provides an alternative to quinidine salts, especially for those animals in which quinidine is neither effective nor tolerated. The present rep...
Horsington J, Lynch SE, Gilkerson JR, Studdert MJ, Hartley CA.Of the many members that comprise the family Picornaviridae, only two species are known to infect horses: equine rhinitis A virus (ERAV) and equine rhinitis B virus (ERBV). Each species now occupies a distinct phylogenetic branch within the family, with the single serotype of ERAV grouping with the aphthoviruses, such as foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV), and the three serotypes of ERBV as the sole members of the genus Erbovirus. The high seroprevalence of equine picornaviruses in horse populations worldwide contrasts with the relatively few reports of detection of these viruses and poor und...
Puotunen-Reinert A.In a retrospective study, the prognostic value and individual merit of seven variables, used in routine examination of colic cases, were tested. The following variables proved to be significant in discriminating between horses which survived and those which died: heart rate (P less than 0.00005), packed cell volume (P less than 0.00005) and intensity of colic signs (P less than 0.0001).
Payne SL, La Celle K, Pei XF, Qi XM, Shao H, Steagall WK, Perry S, Fuller F.The Wyoming strain of equine infectious anaemia virus (EIAV) is a highly virulent field strain that replicates to high titre in vitro only in primary equine monocyte-derived macrophages. In contrast, Wyoming-derived fibroblast-adapted EIAV strains (Malmquist virus) replicate in primary foetal equine kidney and equine dermis cells as well as in the cell lines FEA and Cf2Th. Wyoming and Malmquist viruses differ extensively both in long terminal repeat (LTR) and envelope region sequences. We have compared the promoter activities of the Wyoming LTR with those of LTRs derived from fibroblast-adapte...
Coultous RM, Phipps P, Dalley C, Lewis J, Hammond TA, Shiels BR, Weir W, Sutton DGM.Equine piroplasmosis (EP) has historically been of minor concern to UK equine practitioners, primarily due to a lack of competent tick vectors. However, increased detection of EP tick vector species in the UK has been reported recently. EP screening is not currently required for equine importation, and when combined with recent relaxations in movement regulations, there is an increased risk regarding disease incursion and establishment into the UK. This study evaluated the prevalence of EP by both serology and PCR among 1242 UK equine samples submitted for EP screening between February and Dec...
Rizzo M, du Preez N, Ducheyne KD, Deelen C, Beitsma MM, Stout TAE, de Ruijter-Villani M.Aneuploidy of meiotic origin is a major contributor to age-related subfertility and an increased risk of miscarriage in women. Although age-related aneuploidy has been studied in rodents, the mare may be a more appropriate animal model to study reproductive aging. Similar to women, aged mares show reduced fertility and an increased incidence of early pregnancy loss; however, it is not known whether aging predisposes to aneuploidy in equine oocytes. We evaluated the effect of advanced mare age on (1) gene expression for cohesin components, (2) incidence of aneuploidy and (3) chromosome centrome...
Tracey AK, Alcott CJ, Schleining JA, Safayi S, Zaback PC, Hostetter JM, Reinertson EL.Topical oxygen therapy (TOT) has been used in human medicine to promote healing in chronic wounds. To test the efficacy and safety of TOT in horses, an experimental wound model was created by making 1 standardized dermal wound on each limb of 4 healthy horses (n = 16). Each wound was fitted with an oxygen delivery cannula and covered with a bandage. One limb of each front and hind pair was randomly assigned to the treatment group (fitted with an oxygen concentrator device), with the contralateral limb assigned to the control group (no device). Wound area, epithelial area, and contraction were ...
Carneiro JAM, Canisso IF, Bandeira RS, Scheeren VFC, Freitas-Dell'Aqua CP, Alvarenga MA, Papa FO, Dell'Aqua JA.This study aimed to evaluate the antioxidant properties of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) during cryopreservation of semen obtained from stallions having good and bad semen freezing ability (GFA vs. BFA, respectively). Forty ejaculates (n = 20 stallions) were split into five centrifugation and five freezing extenders containing different concentrations of CoQ10 (0, 25, 50, 75 and 100 μmols/L). If CoQ10 was added to the centrifugation extender, the freezing extender had no CoQ10 added; similarly, if CoQ10 was added to the freezing extender, the centrifugation extender had no CoQ10. Semen cryoprese...
Dixon PM, Tremaine WH, Pickles K, Kuhns L, Hawe C, McCann J, McGorum BC, Railton DI, Brammer S.Of 400 referred horses with dental disorders, 349 cases suffered from primary disorders of their cheek teeth, ninety of these from disorders of development or eruption, or displacements. These included 20 cases with rostral maxillary and caudal mandibular cheek teeth overgrowths, 16 with diastemata, 15 with grossly enlarged mandibular 'eruption cysts', 4 with grossly enlarged maxillary cheek teeth 'eruption cysts', 10 cases with supernumerary cheek teeth and 23 cases with displaced cheek teeth. These displacements were believed to be developmental in 16 cases and acquired in the remaining 7 ca...
Klier J, Geis S, Steuer J, Geh K, Reese S, Fuchs S, Mueller RS, Winter G, Gehlen H.New therapeutic strategies to modulate the immune response of human and equine allergic asthma are still under extensive investigation. Immunomodulating agents stimulating T-regulatory cells offer new treatment options beyond conventional symptomatic treatment or specific immunotherapy for human and equine allergic airway diseases, with the goal of a homoeostatic T-helper cell balance. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of a nebulized gelatin nanoparticle-CpG formulation (CpG-GNP) with and without specific allergens for the treatment of spontaneous allergic equine asthma as a mo...
DITCHFIELD J, MACPHERSON LW.From outbreaks of upper respiratory infection of horses in the Toronto area between 1960 and 1963, several viruses have been isolated. The viruses, isolated in tissue cultures or eggs, include an equine strain of Myxovirus parainfluenzae 3; two strains of equine influenza virus, A/equi-1/Prague/56, and A/equi-2/Miami/63; equine rhinopneumonitis virus, and two newly recognized viruses of the horse, equine rhinoviruses. In addition serological evidence suggested a widespread infection with these viruses in the population under study. Because of the identical clinical picture seen and the complex...
Sallé G, Kornaś S, Basiaga M.Equine strongyles are a major health issue. Large strongyles can cause death of horses while cyathostomins (small strongyles) have shown increased resistance to anthelmintics worldwide. Description of strongyle communities have accumulated but little is known about the diversity of these communities and underpinning environmental factors. Strongyles were recovered after ivermectin treatment from 48 horses located in six premises in Poland. Correlation between previously published species fecundity and the observed relative abundance and prevalence were estimated. Significance of horse sex was ...
Lazary S, Gerber H, Glatt PA, Straub R.The distribution of equine leucocyte antigens (ELA) in horses affected by equine sarcoid tumours was determined and compared with unaffected controls. ELA-haplotype W3,B1 occurred more frequently in affected riding horses of Irish, Swiss and French background. The combined data for the three breeds resulted in a chi 2 value of 20.35 (P less than 0.0005 after correction). Simultaneously, ELA-specificity W11 was more frequently found in horses of Irish background, while W5 was found in Swiss and French horses with sarcoids. The combined data for haplotype W3,B1 and/or W5 specificity demonstrated...
Carnevale EM, Catandi GD, Fresa K.Numerous similarities in reproductive aging have been documented between the mare and woman. Aging is associated with a decline in fertility. In mares and women, oocyte transfer procedures were initially used to establish that oocyte donor age is associated with oocyte quality. Age-associated differences in oocytes include altered morphology, gene expression, and developmental potential. Reactive oxygen species and mitochondrial dysfunction are thought to be important contributors to loss of oocyte quality. In the woman, aneuploidy is a primary consideration with maternal aging. Although misal...
Ballagi-Pordány A, Klingeborn B, Flensburg J, Belák S.Primers and probes were selected from the gene encoding glycoprotein 13 (gp 13) of equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1). The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was run on infected and noninfected cultured cells and on 63 specimens from 29 aborted equine fetuses. The results were evaluated by electrophoresis and dot-blot hybridization using an oligonucleotide probe labeled with biotin. In the infected samples electrophoresis showed a PCR product of about 280 base pairs. The dot-blot hybridization confirmed that this product contained EHV-1 DNA sequences. PCR took 4 h and hybridization another 14 h; the re...
Christensen L, Camitz L, Illigen KE, Hansen M, Sarvaa R, Conaghan PG.Polyacrylamide hydrogel (PAAG) is a non-toxic, non-degradable synthetic product, used for years in the augmentation of soft tissues. Preliminary results in animals and humans have suggested long-lasting beneficial effects on symptoms of osteoarthritis (OA). The aim of this histopathological study was to investigate whether intra-articular injection of PAAG is integrated into synovial tissue in normal and OA animal joints, and if this integration is sustained. (A) A prospective, controlled, longitudinal study of normal knee joints injected with PAAG was performed in 10 rabbits, following the an...
Pillet E, Labbe C, Batellier F, Duchamp G, Beaumal V, Anton M, Desherces S, Schmitt E, Magistrini M.Egg yolk is normally used as a protective agent to freeze semen of equine and other species. However, addition of egg yolk in extenders is not without disadvantages and the demand to find cryoprotective alternatives is strong. The objective of this study was to test the cryoprotective capacities of liposomes composed of egg yolk phospholipids. Two experiments were conducted: 1) the first to determine the optimal composition and concentration of liposomes to preserve post-thaw motility and membrane integrity of spermatozoa; 2) the second to assess in vivo the cryoprotective capacities of these ...
Barrey E, Jayr L, Mucher E, Gospodnetic S, Joly F, Benech P, Alibert O, Gidrol X, Mata X, Vaiman A, Guérin G.Recurrent exertional rhabdomyolysis (RER) is frequently observed in race horses like trotters. Some predisposing genetic factors have been described in epidemiological studies. However, the exact aetiology is still unknown. A calcium homeostasis disruption was suspected in previous experimental studies, and we suggested that a transcriptome analysis of RER muscles would be a possible way to investigate the pathway disorder. The purpose of this study was to compare the gene expression profile of RER vs. control muscles in the French Trotter to determine any metabolic or structural disruption. T...
Cordes DO, Perry BD, Rikihisa Y, Chickering WR.Potomac horse fever was reproduced in 15 ponies by transfusion of whole blood originally from two natural cases and subsequently from ponies infected by the transfusions. Incubation periods varied from 9 to 15 days. Affected ponies developed varying degrees of fever, diarrhea, anorexia, depression, and leukopenia. Eleven affected ponies were killed, three died in the acute phase of the disease, and one did not show clinical signs. The most consistent post-mortem findings were fluid contents in the cecum and large colon, and areas of hyperemia (of inconstant degree and distribution) in mucosae ...
Haussler KK.A thorough knowledge of equine spinal anatomy, biomechanics, and potential pathology is required to understand the principles and theories behind chiropractic and to apply its techniques properly. Chiropractic provides additional diagnostic and therapeutic means that may help equine practitioners to identify and treat the primary cause of lameness or poor performance. Specialized training in the evaluation and treatment of vertebral joint dysfunction and neuromusculoskeletal disorders places chiropractic in the forefront of conservative treatment of spinal-related disorders. Nevertheless, limi...
Vatistas NJ, Sifferman RL, Holste J, Cox JL, Pinalto G, Schultz KT.Gastric ulceration is a prevalent condition of racehorses. A number of models of gastric ulceration have been described, but none mimic the conditions of a horse in training. The objectives of this study were to determine whether gastric ulcers could be induced and maintained in a group of horses in simulated race training. In addition, serum cortisol was measured on a weekly basis to investigate the possibility that stress may be important in the pathogenesis of gastric ulceration. Thirty horses used in the trial were fed Bermuda grass hay and 6 kg of a concentrate diet, and exercised 6 days/...
Salim B, Bakheit MA, Sugimoto C.Equine trypanosomosis (ET) is a protozoan disease affecting equines in many parts of the world. We examined 509 samples collected from geographically distinct regions in eastern, central and western Sudan to estimate the endemicity of ET using the generic ITS1-PCR diagnostic methods. Results revealed that horses and donkeys were infected by Trypanosoma brucei subgroup, Trypanosoma vivax, Trypanosoma simiae and Trypanosoma congolense. The prevalence of Trypanosoma spp. was higher in horses (12.7%, n=393) than in donkeys (3.4%, n=116). The highest prevalence was observed in South Darfur State (1...
Love CC, Kenney RM.The relationship between fertility and susceptibility of sperm DNA to denaturation was determined in a group of 84 actively breeding, clinically fertile stallions. Susceptibility of DNA to denaturation was determined using the sperm chromatin structure assay (SCSA). The SCSA measures, mean of alpha-t (mean alpha t), standard deviation of alpha-t (SD alpha t), and the COMP of alpha-t (cells outside the main population)] were significantly correlated with the percentage seasonal pregnancy rate (SPR; mean alpha t, r = -0.24, P < or = 0.05; % COMP alpha t, r = -0.27, P < or = 0.05); percentage pre...
Whitlock F, Grewar J, Newton R.During 2019, an epidemic of equine influenza (EI) occurred in Europe. Objective: To describe the epidemiology of the 2019 EI epidemic within Great Britain (GB). Methods: Retrospective descriptive study of laboratory confirmed EI cases. Methods: Epidemiological data were obtained from veterinary surgeons referring samples for EI virus testing. Where available, data on confirmed cases and their wider resident population on EI-infected premises were collated and described. On a national level, spatial and temporal representations, consisting of choropleth maps and epidemic curves, described the s...
Timoney PJ.In an era of increasing globalization, the risk of spread of infectious diseases in humans and animals, including equids, has never been greater. International movement of equids and trade in semen are the most important factors responsible for the dissemination of various equine pathogens. Other factors that can or do have the potential to influence the global distribution of equine infectious diseases include: multinational trade agreements, emergent diseases, mutation of pathogens, climate related phenomena, migration of amplifying/reservoir hosts or vectors, availability of new vectors, va...
Valberg SJ, Mickelson JR, Gallant EM, MacLeay JM, Lentz L, de la Corte F.The purpose of this study was to determine if chronic exertional rhabdomyolysis (ER) in Quarter Horses and Thoroughbreds represents one or several distinct myopathies. Eighteen Quarter Horses and 18 Thoroughbreds with ER were selected from cases presented to the Veterinary Hospital on the basis of a history of ER, assessment of muscle histopathology, and serum CK activity before and 4 h post exercise. In addition, 2 of 3 of the following parameters were evaluated: muscle glycogen concentrations, thyroid hormones (T3, T4), fractional excretion (FE) of sodium, potassium and chloride. The CK resp...
Morgenthaler C, Diribarne M, Capitan A, Legendre R, Saintilan R, Gilles M, Esquerré D, Juras R, Khanshour A, Schibler L, Cothran G.Curly horses present a variety of curl phenotypes that are associated with various degrees of curliness of coat, mane, tail and ear hairs. Their origin is still a matter of debate and several genetic hypotheses have been formulated to explain the diversity in phenotype, including the combination of autosomal dominant and recessive alleles. Our purpose was to map the autosomal dominant curly hair locus and identify the causal variant using genome-wide association study (GWAS) and whole-genome sequencing approaches. Results: A GWAS was performed using a Bayesian sparse linear mixed model, based ...
Yoon JH, Brooks RL, Khan A, Pan H, Bryan J, Zhang J, Budsberg SC, Mueller PO, Halper J.Fluoroquinolone antibiotics have been used widely in humans and domestic animals, including horses, because of their broad-spectrum bactericidal activity, and relative safety. The use of fluoroquinolones, however, is not without risk. Tendonitis and spontaneous tendon rupture have been reported in people during or following therapy with fluoroquinolones. We have studied the effects of enrofloxacin, a fluoroquinolone antibiotic used commonly in domestic animals, on tendon cell cultures established from equine superficial digital flexor tendons. Effects on cell proliferation and morphology were ...
Semevolos SA, Nixon AJ, Brower-Toland BD.To determine molecular changes in the expression of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) in horses with osteochondrosis, and to characterize expression of matrix aggrecan and collagen types I, II, and X in articular cartilage of affected joints. Methods: Articular cartilage from affected stifle or shoulder joints of 11 horses with naturally acquired osteochondrosis and corresponding joints of 11 clinically normal horses. Methods: Harvested specimens were snap frozen in liquid nitrogen, and total RNA was isolated. Specimens were fixed in 4% paraf...
