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.
Gravey F, Sévin C, Langlois B, Maillard K, Foucher N, Duquesne F, Léon A, Le Hello S, Petry S.Misidentifications as Klebsiella pneumoniae were observed during a French retrospective study of a necropsy-associated K. pneumoniae bacterial collection from horses. Accordingly, the present study aimed to further characterise the 12 Raoultella spp. and Klebsiella spp. strains involved in these misidentifications. The strains were identified and characterised using the Api 20E system, K. pneumoniae PCR detection, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight mass spectroscopy and whole-genome sequencing. Antimicrobial susceptibilities were tested by the disc diffusion method with...
Ryu SH, An SJ, Forbes E, Kim BS, Choe S.Equine strongyle infections are prevalent among grazing horses worldwide, yet research on anthelmintic efficacy and parasite management strategies in South Korea remains limited. This study investigated the infection dynamics and parasite burden in horses managed under different systems (pasture vs. stable) over a one-year period in Jeju, South Korea, assessing the impact of management practices on parasite burden and the effectiveness of current deworming regimens. Thirty-two horses were administered ivermectin/praziquantel in June 2022 and assigned to either pasture (n = 16) or stable (n...
Kloster H, Stormo C, Haaland AH, Stuen S, Kjelland V. ticks play a crucial role as carriers of diseases, transmitting pathogens to vertebrate hosts, including horses. This study aimed to investigate the seroprevalence of IgG antibodies against sensu lato (s. l.), , and tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBE-virus) in equine sera collected in southern Norway. In total, sera from 331 horses stabled in four counties (Agder, Vestfold and Telemark, Vestland, and Viken) were analyzed by immunoblot. In total, 66% of the horses were IgG-seropositive for antibodies against one or multiple tick-borne pathogens. The highest seroprevalence was detected against...
da Silva VV, de Sá Barreto Maia Leite DP, de Crasto Souza Carvalho Reis J, de Almeida Braz BM, Junior JWP, de Almeida JC, Mota RA.This study identifies high-risk areas for Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA) in Brazil and analyzes the temporal trend of the disease across regions and Federative Units over an 18-year period (2006-2023), using data from the National Animal Health Information System (SIZ). During the analyzed period, 111,826 cases of EIA were reported in Brazil, with a predominance in the Northeast (39.75 %), Central-West (27.56 %), and North (20.95 %) regions. The state of Mato Grosso recorded the highest number of cases (17.02 %), while Sergipe had the lowest (0.36 %). In the incidence risk analysis, the s...
Stapley ED, Bertin FR.Pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction is diagnosed using immunoreactive ACTH concentrations. Glass reportedly binds ACTH, but the clinical relevance of using glass blood tubes for measuring equine ACTH concentrations is controversial. This study investigates whether the collection of whole blood into glass EDTA tubes and storage for up to 6 hours changes ACTH concentrations compared to plastic EDTA tubes. Unassigned: This was a cohort study. Whole blood was collected into both glass and plastic EDTA tubes from 9 horses > 12 years of age, including 4 with pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction a...
Streng K, Holicki CM, Hesson JC, Graham H, Chandler F, Krol L, Blom R, Münger E, van der Linden A, Koenraadt CJM, Schrama M, de Saint Lary CB....We report Sindbis virus circulation in the Netherlands based on serologic evidence found in 6 resident wild birds and 3 horses (2021-2022). Tested mosquitoes were molecularly negative, and humans were serologically negative. Veterinarians and health practitioners in the Netherlands should be aware of the importance of surveillance for Sindbis virus.
Loppnow Z, Kersh K, Wang C, Spaethe S, Troy J.The clinical outcomes in horses diagnosed with established synovial sepsis (SS) or minimally contaminated synovial wounds (SW)/non-established sepsis, following intravenous regional limb perfusion (IVRLP) treatment, have not been reported since 2010. Additionally, previous reports on this subject were confined to just two clinical retrospective reports. This study aimed to provide an update on the short-term (hospital discharge) and long-term (≥1 year) survival rates in adult horses diagnosed with SS or SW treated with IVRLP at a single institution in the USA from 2010-2020. The study also...
Bain ME, Alsop EJ, Knox CA, Tweedie MA, Knottenbelt DC.Mycobacterium ulcerans infection in horses is under-reported. Objective: To document the successful multimodal treatment of M. ulcerans and highlight the need for further investigation due to the zoonotic nature of M. ulcerans with its related potential public health concerns. Methods: Case report CASE DESCRIPTION: A 14-year-old gelding in the Southeastern region of Australia was diagnosed with M. ulcerans infection, initially presenting as a non-healing wound of the right flank progressing to extensive necrotic ulceration. Ziehl-Neelsen and Wade-Fite stained incisional biopsies revealed large...
Kawanishi N, Kinoshita Y, Reedy SE, Garvey M, Kambayashi Y, Bannai H, Tsujimura K, Yamanaka T, Cullinane A, Chambers TM, Nemoto M.Equine influenza virus (EIV) is one of the most important pathogens causing respiratory signs in equids. Rapid antigen detection (RAD) kits are useful for point-of-care testing because they are user-friendly and provide fast results. Although sensitive and broad-reactive RAD kits are needed for controlling horse movement, no RAD kits specified for EIV are available. Objective: This study evaluated the usefulness of seven RAD kits originally developed for human influenza and available in Japan during 2023-2024 for EIV antigen detection. Methods: Experimental assay comparison. Methods: The detec...
Peris MP, Serrano M, Romero A, García M, Halaihel N, Castillo JA, Gracia MJ.Equine piroplasmosis (EP), a tick-borne disease caused by Babesia caballi and Theileria equi, is of significant concern due to its impact on the international horse trade. According to standards established by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), horses imported from EP-endemic regions must have a certificate confirming negative serological and molecular test results. In EP-free countries, only seronegative horses are allowed to enter. This entails economic losses for endemic regions such as Spain. Our study aimed to assess the prevalence of B. caballi and T. equi in horses from no...
van der Merwe LM, Schliewert EC.Colic is a common equine emergency requiring medical or surgical intervention. These interventions can be costly, making outcomes data and prognostic indicators essential for guiding referral and treatment decisions. Objective: To determine survival rates to hospital discharge and evaluate prognostic indicators in equine colic cases treated at a referral hospital (Onderstepoort Veterinary Academic Hospital [OVAH], South Africa). Methods: This retrospective observational cohort study analysed records from horses with colic that were presented to the OVAH from January 2019 to August 2021. Data i...
Griessel TS, Muñoz Morán JA, Byaruhanga C, Smit Y.Surgical site infection (SSI) is a significant cause of postoperative morbidity following equine laparotomy. Therefore, if risk factors for SSI can be identified, morbidity may consequently be reduced. The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of SSI in horses undergoing exploratory laparotomy at a single hospital over an 8-year period (2013‒2021), investigate the risk factors associated with SSI and report on the bacterial isolates identified. Methods: The medical records of horses that had an exploratory laparotomy performed at the teaching hospital due to colic were r...
Uprety T, Swan M, Kennedy L, Bryant U, Cassone L, Loynachan A, Janes J, Evely MM, Calvaruso FC, Quick M, Morgan J, Abdelrazek S, Lahmers K, Carter C....Clostridium piliforme is an obligate intracellular filamentous bacterium that causes Tyzzer disease (TD) in many animals. The disease manifests as severe, multifocal necrotizing hepatitis, with a high fatality rate in foals. Through retrospective investigation, we detected C. piliforme in 43 equine necropsy cases from 2012 to 2024. Positive cases were diagnosed from February to July, peaking in May. The age of affected foals ranged from 4 days to 2 months. Histologically, all cases had necrotizing hepatitis with multifocal, coalescing pinpoint, tan or reddish foci. Since only a partial 16S rRN...
Quatember H, Nell B, Richter B, Rigler D, Dolezal M, Sykora S, Wallner B.A missense mutation in damage-specific DNA binding protein 2 (DDB2 c.1013 C>T; p.Thr338Met) has been described as a risk factor for ocular squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) in the Haflinger breed. Here, we examined the impact of DDB2 C>T allele status on the development of OSCC, squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) at other localisations, or equine sarcoid (ES) in Haflingers and other breeds with a high incidence of these tumour types. We genotyped affected Haflinger, Noriker, Warmblood, and Icelandic horses. Results based on 56 Haflingers confirmed the significantly higher risk for OSCC in DDB2-TT Hafl...
Finno CJ.Nutrigenomics defines the interaction between the nutrients in our food and the genes in our body. Examples from human medicine of diseases and associated genes include lactose intolerance (genetic variants in LCT lactase), hypercholesteremia (low density lipoprotein receptor, LDLR) and caffeine sensitivity (adenosine A2A receptor, ADORA2A). In horses, examples include Hyperkalemic Periodic Paralysis (HYPP), where clinical signs of disease are managed through maintaining a diet low in potassium and Polysaccharide Storage Myopathy Type 1 (PSSM1), where low starch and high fat diets are recommen...
de Secondi C, Cantatore F, Marcatili M, Biggi M, Withers J, de Zani D, Zani D.Back pain is a debilitating condition hampering horses' athletic careers. Thoracic spondylosis (TS), a known cause of back pain, leads to osteophytes formation across intervertebral joints. In horses, TS is poorly reported, with anecdotal signs and response to treatment. To report clinical presentation, diagnostic imaging findings, treatment and outcome in horses with TS. The clinical records of horses diagnosed with TS between 2010 and 2023 were reviewed. Signalment, clinical and imaging findings, treatment, and outcome were analysed. Thoracic spondylosis was graded from 1 to 5. Grades, concu...
Pusterla N, Lawton K, Barnum S, Magdesian KG.In recent years, the use of non-invasive host and environmental samples for the detection and monitoring of equine respiratory pathogens has shown promise and a high overall agreement with the gold standard of nasal secretions. The present study looked at comparing nose wipes, stall sponges, and air samples with nasal swabs collected from 27 horses involved in an equine influenza (EI) outbreak. The outbreak involved 5 clinical, 6 subclinical, and 16 uninfected horses. Samples sets were collected at the onset of the index case and retested every 2-3 days thereafter until all horses tested qPCR-...
Barnett TP, Colgate VA, Robinson N, Smith LCR, Palmer L, Barakzai SZ.To compare overground endoscopy (OGE) findings and racing performance in horses before and after laryngeal tie-forward (LTF) surgery for the treatment of intermittent dorsal displacement of the soft palate (iDDSP). Methods: Retrospective case series with follow up. Methods: A total of 56 horses met the inclusion criteria. Methods: Clinical record review of all horses definitively diagnosed with iDDSP, treated with LTF surgery, and evaluated with a single OGE examination postoperatively. In addition to LTF, some horses underwent bilateral aryepiglottic fold resection (AEFR) and/or soft palate t...
Buono F, Castaldo E, Veneziano V, Veronesi F, Roncoroni C, Scarcelli S, Sgroi G, Matthews JB, Piantedosi D.Grazing horses are exposed to various intestinal helminths, with tapeworms being of major concern due to their potential pathogenicity. Few regional data are available in Italy on tapeworm infections in horses; therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of Anoplocephala spp. eggs over a nine-year period (2014-2023) in 12,056 faecal samples from horses living in all 18 continental Italian regions. Coprological examinations were performed using the Proudman and Edwards (1992) method using Sheather's sugar solution as the floatation medium. An overall prevalence of 3.7 % ...
do Carmo TA, Fonseca JDS, Braga FR, Paz-Silva A, de Soutello RVG, de Araújo JV.Equine farming faces growing challenges with helminthoses, aggravated by the indiscriminate use of anthelmintics without technical criteria. This practice favors resistance to these drugs, generates residues in animal products, compromises food safety and human health, and, when excreted in large quantities, negatively impacts environmental health by affecting invertebrates and fecal microorganisms. This highlights the importance of the One Health approach. A promising alternative is biological control with nematophagous or helminthophagous fungi such as , , , , and . Due to their different m...
Nadal C, Chanet C, Delaunay C, Pitel PH, Marsot M, Bonnet SI.Equine piroplasmosis, caused by the protozoan parasites Babesia caballi and Theileria equi, is endemic in Europe's Mediterranean basin, creating significant health and economic challenges for the equine sector. With no available vaccine, an eco-epidemiological approach is essential in order to identify and implement effective preventive measures. With this aim in view, we identified risk factors associated with B. caballi and T. equi infections and tick infestation for draught horses in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of France, known for its high piroplasmosis seroprevalence. During the spri...
Fouché N, Doras C, Schüpbach-Regula G, Scherer A, Freudenschuss B, Gerber V.There remains a scarcity of data concerning the relationship between the clinical signs associated with PPID and plasma ACTH concentrations. Objective: Report the frequency of clinical signs in the study cohort and identify individual clinical signs or combinations of clinical signs associated with high ACTH concentrations. Methods: Two hundred eighty equids were examined by private veterinarians. Methods: A cross-sectional study of animals with clinical suspicion of PPID was conducted between August and November. Private practitioners completed an online questionnaire reporting detailed infor...
Bindi F, Nocera I, Meucci V, Vallesi G, Sala G, Spadari A, Rinnovati R, Bonelli F, Sgorbini M.This study investigated the plasma concentrations of symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) and asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) in healthy horses and in horses affected by colic in relation to the type of colic and systemic inflammation response syndrome (SIRS) status. Upon admission (T0), horses underwent a physical examination, and the SIRS status was assessed. The horses with colic were divided retrospectively based on the type of colic, SIRS status, treatment, and outcome. SDMA and ADMA levels were measured at T0 and then every 24 h at four time points (T1, T2, T3, T4). Differences between ...
Cullinane A, Nelly M, Dayot L, Lukaseviciute G, Garvey M, Healy J, Gallagher R.This study describes a comparison of the detection of rotavirus in clinical samples from foals using two commercially available rapid antigen detection (RAD) kits, with the detection of rotavirus nucleic acid via a laboratory-based, in-house, real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay. One hundred and forty freeze-thawed samples (70 that were RT-PCR-positive and 70 that were RT-PCR-negative on original tests) submitted to the diagnostic laboratory over a seven-year period were tested in addition to 123 fresh samples (15 RT-PCR-positive and 108 RT-PCR-negative) sub...
Rykala M, Jasiak M, Niedzwiedz A.Preventing the spread of infectious diseases in horses requires breaking the chain of infection through appropriate prophylaxis. In Poland, where the horse population reached 273,006 in 2023, vaccinations are voluntary and primarily the responsibility of horse owners, with mandatory influenza vaccinations limited to sport horses. This study aimed to evaluate the vaccination status of Polish horses against infectious diseases through a survey of 980 horse owners and an analysis of 123 horse passports from slaughterhouses. Survey participants represented all provinces, predominantly owning warmb...
Ing ST, Pinard CL, James-Jenks EM, Leis ML.Our objective was to investigate the demographics and prevalence of ocular disease in a large referral population of horses in Ontario over a 10-year period. Unassigned: A retrospective analysis of medical records for 283 horses evaluated by Board-certified veterinary ophthalmologists at the Ontario Veterinary College (Guelph, Ontario) was conducted. Signalment and ocular disease were recorded. Unassigned: The 3 most common ocular abnormalities identified were uveitis (43.7%, 123 horses), ulcerative keratitis (42.0%, 119 horses), and cataract (25.1%, 71 horses). Uveitis was most often secondar...
Morgan J, Curtis Shaw G, Weisman J, Cecere T, Carvallo-Chaigneau FR.A 2-d-old Warmblood colt was submitted for autopsy with a spectrum of bilateral ocular abnormalities. At postmortem examination, a constellation of lesions within the anterior segment included retention of ectodermal elements, compatible with choristoma. Ocular choristomas can be localized to different intraocular structures and are rare in equids. The morphologic features in our case were suggestive of abnormal corneal differentiation.
Sun Y, Yu YT, Castillo XO, Anderson R, Wang M, Sun Q, Tallmadge R, Sams K, Reboul G, Zehr J, Brown J, Wang X, Marra N, Stanhope B, Grenier J....Fever of unknown origin (FUO) without a respiratory component is a frequent clinical presentation in horses. Multiple pathogens, both tick-borne and enteric, can be involved as etiologic agents. An additional potential mechanism is intestinal barrier dysfunction. This case-control study aimed to detect and associate microbial taxa in blood with disease state. Areas known for a high prevalence of tick-borne diseases in humans were chosen to survey horses with FUO, which was defined as fever of 101.5°F or higher with no signs of respiratory illness or other recognisable diseases. Blood samples ...
Dixon PM, Dacre I.Equine dentistry is a very important but until recently rather neglected area of equine practice, with many horses suffering from undiagnosed, painful dental disorders. A thorough clinical examination using a full mouth speculum is a pre-requisite to performing any equine dental procedure. Common incisor disorders include: prolonged retention of deciduous incisors, supernumerary incisors and overjet--the latter usually accompanied by cheek teeth (CT) overgrowths. Overjet can be surgically corrected, but perhaps should not be in breeding animals. In younger horses, traumatically fractured incis...
Lacourt M, Gao C, Li A, Girard C, Beauchamp G, Henderson JE, Laverty S.To correlate degenerative changes in cartilage and subchondral bone in the third carpal bone (C3) of Standardbred racehorses with naturally occurring repetitive trauma-induced osteoarthritis. Methods: Fifteen C3, collected from Standardbred horses postmortem, were assessed for cartilage lesions by visual inspection and divided into Control (CO), Early Osteoarthritis (EOA) and Advanced Osteoarthritis (AOA) groups. Two osteochondral cores were harvested from corresponding dorsal sites on each bone and scanned with a micro-computed tomography (CT) instrument. 2D images were assembled into 3D reco...
Raudsepp T, Finno CJ, Bellone RR, Petersen JL.The horse reference genome from the Thoroughbred mare Twilight has been available for a decade and, together with advances in genomics technologies, has led to unparalleled developments in equine genomics. At the core of this progress is the continuing improvement of the quality, contiguity and completeness of the reference genome, and its functional annotation. Recent achievements include the release of the next version of the reference genome (EquCab3.0) and generation of a reference sequence for the Y chromosome. Horse satellite-free centromeres provide unique models for mammalian centromer...
Weishaupt MA, Wiestner T, Hogg HP, Jordan P, Auer JA.The study was performed to obtain a detailed insight into the load and time shifting mechanisms of horses with unilateral weight-bearing forelimb lameness. Reversible lameness was induced in 11 clinically sound horses by applying a solar pressure model. Three degrees of lameness (subtle, mild and moderate) were induced and compared with sound control measurements. Vertical ground reaction force-time histories of all four limbs were recorded simultaneously on an instrumented treadmill. Four compensatory mechanisms could be identified that served to reduce structural stress, i.e. peak vertical f...
Fettelschoss-Gabriel A, Fettelschoss V, Thoms F, Giese C, Daniel M, Olomski F, Kamarachev J, Birkmann K, Bühler M, Kummer M, Zeltins A, Marti E....Insect-bite hypersensitivity is the most common allergic dermatitis in horses. Excoriated skin lesions are typical symptoms of this seasonal and refractory chronic disease. On a cellular level, the skin lesions are characterized by massive eosinophil infiltration caused by an underlying allergic response. To target these cells and treat disease, we developed a therapeutic vaccine against equine IL-5 (eIL-5), the master regulator of eosinophils. The vaccine consisted of eIL-5 covalently linked to a virus-like particle derived from cucumber mosaic virus containing the tetanus toxoid universal T-...
Bogaert L, Van Poucke M, De Baere C, Peelman L, Gasthuys F, Martens A.Real-time quantitative PCR can be a very powerful and accurate technique to examine gene transcription patterns in different biological conditions. One of the critical steps in comparing transcription profiles is accurate normalisation. In most of the studies published on real-time PCR in horses, normalisation occurred against only one reference gene, usually GAPDH or ACTB, without validation of its expression stability. This might result in unreliable conclusions, because it has been demonstrated that the expression levels of so called "housekeeping genes" may vary considerably in different t...
Hammarberg M, Egenvall A, Pfau T, Rhodin M.Lungeing is an important part of lameness examinations as the circular path may accentuate low-grade lameness. Movement asymmetries related to the circular path, to compensatory movements and to pain make the lameness evaluation complex. Scientific studies have shown high inter-rater variation when assessing lameness during straight line movement. Objective: The aim was to estimate inter- and intra-rater agreement of equine veterinarians evaluating lameness from videos of sound and lame horses during lungeing and to investigate the influence of veterinarians' experience and the objective degre...
Neundorf RH, Lowerison MB, Cruz AM, Thomason JJ, McEwen BJ, Hurtig MB.To determine the prevalence and severity of osteoarthritis in the metacarpophalangeal joints of Thoroughbred racehorses via development and validation of a quantitative macroscopic evaluation system. Methods: Metacarpophalangeal joints from 50 Thoroughbred racehorses. Methods: Joints were collected from horses that died or were euthanized within 60 days of racing. Metacarpophalangeal joints were assessed for osteoarthritic degeneration by use of macroscopic and histologic scoring systems, polarized light microscopy, and cartilage biochemical analysis. The global macroscopic score for the entir...
Greay TL, Zahedi A, Krige AS, Owens JM, Rees RL, Ryan UM, Oskam CL, Irwin PJ.Apicomplexan tick-borne pathogens that cause disease in companion animals include species of Babesia Starcovici, 1893, Cytauxzoon Neitz & Thomas, 1948, Hepatozoon Miller, 1908 and Theileria Bettencourt, Franca & Borges, 1907. The only apicomplexan tick-borne disease of companion animals that is known to occur in Australia is babesiosis, caused by Babesia canis vogeli Reichenow, 1937 and Babesia gibsoni Patton, 1910. However, no molecular investigations have widely investigated members of Apicomplexa Levine, 1980 in Australian ticks that parasitise dogs, cats or horses, until this present inves...
Ireland JL, Clegg PD, McGowan CM, McKane SA, Chandler KJ, Pinchbeck GL.Previous studies suggest that owners underestimate or incorrectly recognise or report health problems in geriatric horses. However, few studies have directly compared owner-reported and veterinary assessed disease. Objective: To compare the findings of veterinary clinical examination of geriatric horses with owner-reported clinical signs and disease. Methods: A total of 200 horses aged ≥ 15 years were randomly selected to receive a veterinary examination, from responses to a cross-sectional postal questionnaire survey. Veterinary examinations were performed within 2 months of questionnaire r...
Hardeman AM, Serra Bragança FM, Swagemakers JH, van Weeren PR, Roepstorff L.Objective lameness assessment is gaining more importance in a clinical setting, necessitating availability of reference values. Objective: To investigate the between -path, -trial and -day variation, between and within horses, in the locomotion symmetry of horses in regular use that are perceived sound. Methods: Observational study with replicated measurement sessions. Methods: Twelve owner-sound horses were trotted on the straight line and on the lunge. Kinematic data were collected from these horses using 3D optical motion capture. Examinations were repeated on 12 occasions over the study wh...
Ross TN, Kisiday JD, Hess T, McIlwraith CW.To compare two transient models of synovitis-osteoarthritis (OA) in horses by characterizing biological changes in synovial fluid and joint tissue. Methods: Twelve skeletally mature mares were utilized in a block design. Synovitis was induced by an intra-articular injection of 100 ng recombinant equine interleukin 1 beta (reIL-1β) or 0.5 ng lipopolysaccharide (LPS) into a middle carpal joint in 1 ml volumes. One ml of saline was injected into the contra-lateral control joint. Lameness evaluations were conducted through post-injection hour (PIH) 8 (at which time arthroscopic removal of syno...
Wilsher S, Allen WR, Wood JL.The low productivity associated with training and racing of young Thoroughbreds (TBs) in the UK due to athletic inability, injury and disease requires further study. Objective: To identify the time points and causes of losses during growth and training phases of a cohort of 1022 TB foals born in 1999 up to the end of their third year. Methods: Movement and fate of 1022 Thoroughbred foals conceived in 1998 and born live in 1999 were monitored from birth to age 3 years. Those (n = 562) that entered training age 2 and/or 3 years with one of 161 registered trainers in Britain or Ireland in 2001/2 ...
Barrachina L, Remacha AR, Romero A, Vázquez FJ, Albareda J, Prades M, Ranera B, Zaragoza P, Martín-Burriel I, Rodellar C.Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are being investigated for the treatment of equine joint diseases because of their regenerative potential. Recently, the focus mainly has addressed to their immunomodulatory capacities. Inflammation plays a central role in joint pathologies, since the release of proinflammatory mediators to the synovial fluid (SF) leads to the activation of enzymatic degradation of the cartilage. MSCs can modulate the local immune environment through direct or paracrine interaction with immune cells, suppressing their proliferation and re-addressing their functions. Proinflammator...
Fukunaga Y, Kumanomido T, Kamada M.Getah virus is a member of the genus Alphavirus in the family Togaviridae and has been frequently isolated from mosquitoes. Seroepizootiologic studies indicate that the virus is mosquito-borne and widespread, ranging from Eurasia to southeast and far eastern Asia, the Pacific islands, and Australasia. The natural host animal of the virus was not known until the first recognized occurrence of Getah virus infection among racehorses in two training centers in Japan in 1978. Outbreaks of clinical disease due to Getah virus infection occur infrequently, and only one outbreak has been reported outsi...
Lu J, Guo Z, Pan X, Wang G, Zhang D, Li Y, Tan B, Ouyang L, Yu X.Avian influenza virus H5N1 has demonstrated considerable pandemic potential. Currently, no effective vaccines for H5N1 infection are available, so passive immunotherapy may be an alternative strategy. To investigate the possible therapeutic effect of antibody against highly pathogenic H5N1 virus on a mammal host, we prepared specific equine anti-H5N1 IgGs from horses vaccinated with inactivated H5N1 virus, and then obtained the F(ab')2 fragments by pepsin digestion of IgGs. Methods: The horses were vaccinated with inactivated H5N1 vaccine to prepare anti-H5N1 IgGs. The F(ab')2 fragments were p...
Morris LH, Allen WR.The findings of a retrospective survey of 1393 Thoroughbred mares visiting 22 studfarms in the Newmarket region of the UK during the 1998 mating season were compared with those of a similar study undertaken in 1983. The effects of mare age and status, stallion, month of mating, application of uterine treatments and other parameters on the rates of singleton and twin conception and subsequent pregnancy losses were analysed. Mare age and status significantly affected the per cycle pregnancy rate and the incidence of pregnancy loss. Overall, the mean number of matings per oestrus was 1.12 and the...
Lyons S, Kapoor A, Schneider BS, Wolfe ND, Culshaw G, Corcoran B, Durham AE, Burden F, McGorum BC, Simmonds P.Non-primate hepacivirus (NPHV), equine pegivirus (EPgV) and Theiler's disease associated virus (TDAV) are newly discovered members of two genera in the Flaviviridae family, Hepacivirus and Pegivirus respectively, that include human hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human pegivirus (HPgV). To investigate their epidemiology, persistence and clinical features of infection, large cohorts of horses and other mammalian species were screened for NPHV, EPgV and TDAV viraemia and for past exposure through serological assays for NPHV and EPgV-specific antibodies. NPHV antibodies were detected in 43% of 328 ho...
Breton A, Sharma R, Diaz AC, Parham AG, Graham A, Neil C, Whitelaw CB, Milne E, Donadeu FX.Pluripotent stem cells offer unprecedented potential not only for human medicine but also for veterinary medicine, particularly in relation to the horse. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are particularly promising, as they are functionally similar to embryonic stem cells and can be generated in vitro in a patient-specific manner. In this study, we report the generation of equine iPSCs from skin fibroblasts obtained from a foal and reprogrammed using viral vectors coding for murine Oct4, Sox2, c-Myc, and Klf4 sequences. The reprogrammed cell lines were morphologically similar to iPSCs rep...
Allsopp MT, Lewis BD, Penzhorn BL.The intra-erythrocytic parasite Theileria equi is one of two tick-transmitted causative agents of equine piroplasmosis. Piroplasms of T. equi can be transmitted across the equine placenta and once a horse is infected, it appears to remain a lifelong carrier, since anti-theilerial drugs suppress but do not eliminate the parasite. Carrier mares may transmit the organism to their offspring and this may result in abortion or neonatal piroplasmosis, but observations by some researchers suggest that foals may be born as carriers yet remain apparently healthy. Using a T. equi-specific oligonucleotide...
Lyons ET, Tolliver SC, Drudge JH.Small strongyles are highly prevalent in horses and can be found worldwide. Even though over 50 species of these parasites have been described, about 10 species comprise the bulk of the total number present in horses. Efforts to control small strongyles and other equine internal parasites have been undertaken for many years. Some of the early medications and control measures provided questionable activity against endoparasites; whether effective or not, they could be detrimental to the horse. Beginning in the early 1900s, scientific effort was used to evaluate activity of antiparasitic compoun...
Valberg SJ, Sponseller BT, Hegeman AD, Earing J, Bender JB, Martinson KL, Patterson SE, Sweetman L.We hypothesised that seasonal pasture myopathy (SPM), which closely resembles atypical myopathy (AM), was caused by ingestion of a seed-bearing plant abundant in autumn pastures. Objective: To identify a common seed-bearing plant among autumn pastures of horses with SPM, and to determine whether the toxic amino acid hypoglycin A was present in the seeds and whether hypoglycin metabolites were present in SPM horse serum or urine. Methods: Twelve SPM cases, 11 SPM pastures and 23 control farms were visited to identify a plant common to all SPM farms in autumn. A common seed was analysed for amin...
Rizk MA, El-Sayed SA, Terkawi MA, Youssef MA, El Said el Sel S, Elsayed G, El-Khodery S, El-Ashker M, Elsify A, Omar M, Salama A, Yokoyama N....A rapid and accurate assay for evaluating antibabesial drugs on a large scale is required for the discovery of novel chemotherapeutic agents against Babesia parasites. In the current study, we evaluated the usefulness of a fluorescence-based assay for determining the efficacies of antibabesial compounds against bovine and equine hemoparasites in in vitro cultures. Three different hematocrits (HCTs; 2.5%, 5%, and 10%) were used without daily replacement of the medium. The results of a high-throughput screening assay revealed that the best HCT was 2.5% for bovine Babesia parasites and 5% for equ...
Raabe O, Reich C, Wenisch S, Hild A, Burg-Roderfeld M, Siebert HC, Arnhold S.Adipose-derived stromal cells (ADSCs) are multipotent cells which, in the presence of appropriate stimuli, can differentiate into various lineages such as the osteogenic, adipogenic and chondrogenic. In this study, we investigated the effect of transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1) in comparison to hydrolyzed fish collagen in terms of the chondrogenic differentiation potential of ADSCs. ADSCs were isolated from subcutaneous fat of horses by liposuction. Chondrogenesis was investigated using a pellet culture system. The differentiation medium was either supplemented with TGF-β1 (5 ng/ml)...
Paria N, Raudsepp T, Pearks Wilkerson AJ, O'Brien PC, Ferguson-Smith MA, Love CC, Arnold C, Rakestraw P, Murphy WJ, Chowdhary BP.Studies of the Y chromosome in primates, rodents and carnivores provide compelling evidence that the male specific region of Y (MSY) contains functional genes, many of which have specialized roles in spermatogenesis and male-fertility. Little similarity, however, has been found between the gene content and sequence of MSY in different species. This hinders the discovery of species-specific male fertility genes and limits our understanding about MSY evolution in mammals. Here, a detailed MSY gene catalogue was developed for the horse--an odd-toed ungulate. Using direct cDNA selection from horse...
Godinho MSC, Thorpe CT, Greenwald SE, Screen HRC.Tendon is composed of fascicles bound together by the interfascicular matrix (IFM). Energy storing tendons are more elastic and extensible than positional tendons; behaviour provided by specialisation of the IFM to enable repeated interfascicular sliding and recoil. With ageing, the IFM becomes stiffer and less fatigue resistant, potentially explaining why older tendons become more injury-prone. Recent data indicates enrichment of elastin within the IFM, but this has yet to be quantified. We hypothesised that elastin is more prevalent in energy storing than positional tendons, and is mainly lo...
Smith KC, Blunden AS, Whitwell KE, Dunn KA, Wales AD.A detailed review of laboratory records for equine abortion is fundamental in establishing current disease trends and suggesting problems important for further research. Objective: To review the causes of abortion and neonatal death in equine diagnostic submissions to the Animal Health Trust over a 10 year period. Methods: The diagnoses in 1252 equine fetuses and neonatal foals were reviewed and analysed into categories. Results: Problems associated with the umbilical cord, comprising umbilical cord torsion and the long cord/cervical pole ischaemia disorder, were the most common diagnoses (38....
Colbath AC, Dow SW, Phillips JN, McIlwraith CW, Goodrich LR.The use of allogeneic bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMDMSCs) may provide an effective alternative to autologous BMDMSCs for treatment of equine musculoskeletal injuries. However, concerns have been raised regarding the potential safety and effectiveness of allogeneic BMDMSCs. We conducted studies to assess the immunological properties of equine allogeneic BMDMSCs compared with those of autologous BMDMSCs. For assessment of inherent immunogenicity, the relative ability of allogeneic and autologous BMDMSCs to stimulate spontaneous proliferation of equine lymphocytes was compared. T...
Jacobsen S, Niewold TA, Halling-Thomsen M, Nanni S, Olsen E, Lindegaard C, Andersen PH.The aim of the study was to determine the intraarticular serum amyloid A (SAA) response pattern in horses with inflammatory arthritis. Inflammatory arthritis was induced by injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) into the radiocarpal joint of four horses. Serum and synovial fluid (SF) samples were collected before and at 4, 8, 12, 24, 48, 72, 96, and 144 h after injection. Concentrations of SAA were measured by immunoturbidometry, and expression of SAA isoforms was visualized by denaturing isoelectric focusing and Western blotting. The LPS injection caused systemic and local clinical signs of in...
Lindholm A, Piehl K.LINDHOLM, ARNE and KARIN PIEHL: Acta vet. scand. 1974, , 287–309. — Measurements of metabolites, electrolytes, water, RNA and protein concentrations, the activity of certain muscle enzymes (SDH and PFK) and muscle fibre composition were made on biopsy specimens from the gluteus medius muscle of 68 standardbred horses, ½ to 8 years old. The muscle fibres were classified in 3 major categories, slow twitch (ST), fast twitch and high oxidative (FTH) and fast twitch (FT) fibres. The percentage of FTH fibres was higher after the age of 4 years, averaging 54 %. ST fibres comprised 24 % and this...
