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.
Brandly JE, Midon M, Douglas HF, Hopster K.Equine peri-anesthetic mortality is higher than that for other commonly anesthetized veterinary species. Unique equine pulmonary pathophysiologic aspects are believed to contribute to this mortality due to impairment of gas exchange and subsequent hypoxemia. No consistently reliable solution for the treatment of peri-anesthetic gas exchange impairment is available. Flow-controlled expiration (FLEX) is a ventilatory mode that linearizes gas flow throughout the expiratory phase, reducing the rate of lung emptying and alveolar collapse. FLEX has been shown to improve gas exchange and pulmonary me...
Tuniyazi M, Wang W, Zhang N.Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is a technique involving transferring fecal matter from a healthy donor to a recipient, with the goal of reinstating a healthy microbiome in the recipient's gut. FMT has been used in horses to manage various gastrointestinal disorders, such as colitis and diarrhea. To evaluate the current literature on the use of FMT in horses, including its efficacy, safety, and potential applications, the authors conducted an extensive search of several databases, including PubMed, MEDLINE, Web of Science, and Google Scholar, published up to 11 January 2023. The authors...
Salamone D, Maserati M.Horse cloning by somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) is an attractive scientific and commercial endeavor. Moreover, SCNT allows generating genetically identical animals from elite, aged, castrated, or deceased equine donors. Several variations in the horse SCNT method have been described, which may be useful for specific applications. This chapter describes a detailed protocol for horse cloning, thus including SCNT protocols using zona pellucida (ZP)-enclosed or ZP-free oocytes for enucleation. These SCNT protocols are under routine use for commercial equine cloning.
Gołyński M, Metyk M, Ciszewska J, Szczepanik MP, Fitch G, Bęczkowski PM.Homocysteine is an endogenous, non-protein sulfuric amino acid, an intermediate metabolite formed by the methionine transmethylation reaction. Its elevated serum concentration in humans, hyperhomocysteinemia, is a sensitive indicator and a risk factor for coagulation disorders, cardiovascular diseases and dementia. However, the role of homocysteine in veterinary species has not been unequivocally established. Although some research has been conducted in dogs, cats, cattle and pigs, relatively few studies on homocysteine have been conducted in horses. So far, it has been established in this spe...
Leal Reis I, Lopes B, Sousa P, Sousa AC, Branquinho M, Caseiro AR, Pedrosa SS, Rêma A, Oliveira C, Porto B, Atayde L, Amorim I, Alvites R, Santos JM....Tendon and ligament injuries are frequent in sport horses and humans, and such injuries represent a significant therapeutic challenge. Tissue regeneration and function recovery are the paramount goals of tendon and ligament lesion management. Nowadays, several regenerative treatments are being developed, based on the use of stem cell and stem cell-based therapies. In the present study, the preparation of equine synovial membrane mesenchymal stem cells (eSM-MSCs) is described for clinical use, collection, transport, isolation, differentiation, characterization, and application. These cells are ...
Hu Z, Guo K, Du C, Sun J, Naletoski I, Chu X, Lin Y, Wang X, Barrandeguy M, Samuel M, Wang W, Lau PI, Wernery U, Raghavan R, Wang X.Equine infectious anemia (EIA) is an important viral disease characterized by persistent infection in equids worldwide. Most EIA cases are life-long virus carriers with low antibody reactions and without the appearance of clinical symptoms. A serological test with high sensitivity and specificity is required to detect inapparent infection. In this study, a B-cell common epitope-based blocking ELISA (bELISA) was developed using a monoclonal antibody together with the EIAV p26 protein labelled with HRP. The test has been evaluated against the standard and with field serum samples globally. This ...
Smith LH, Adams L, Derré M, Townsend WM.To describe the successful use of endoscopy to visualize and place a soft canine ureteral stent to relieve a chronic nasolacrimal duct (NLD) obstruction in a horse. Methods: A 7-year-old, Quarter horse gelding. Methods: Under general anesthesia, retrograde nasolacrimal endoscopy was performed using an 8.5 Fr Storz Flex XC ureteroscope through the nasal punctum (NP). An obstructive web of fibrous tissue was visualized approximately 20 cm proximal to the NP. A 0.035″/150 cm hydrophilic guidewire was passed normograde from the ventral lacrimal punctum and used to puncture the stenotic tissu...
Abalaka SE, Audu Z, Kolawole VO, Adeyemo BT, Idoko IS, Okafor ROS, Oyelowo-Abdulraheem FO, Tags SZ, Ogbe AO, Sanni S, Jegede OC, Sani NA, Tenuche OZ....Schistosomiasis is a worldwide snail-borne parasitic infestation of man and animals with acute or chronic phases having devastating sequelae. The present case report focused on post-mortem examination of a cachexic Dongola stallion ( Linnaeus, 1758) in Abuja, Nigeria, that failed to respond to treatment. Typical dense collagenous granulomatous lesions with marked inflammatory responses and fibrosis occurred in the liver and several visceral organs of the horse along with other lesions indicative of systemic collapse. Special Ziehl-Neelsen and Periodic Acid-Schiff staining as well as microbial ...
Bookbinder LC, Mani R, Carr EA.Contemporary data reflecting local pathogens and their antibiograms is necessary to select empirical antimicrobial therapy for equine neonates. Objective: Describe bacterial isolates associated with equine neonatal infection and their antibiograms in the Midwestern United States. An increase in gram-positive infection and antibiotic resistance compared to previous literature was expected. Methods: Data from 149 fluid samples from 133 foals <30 days of age submitted for bacterial culture between January 2007 and December 2018. Methods: A retrospective evaluation of equine neonatal fluid cu...
Angel-Velez D, Meese T, Hedia M, Fernandez-Montoro A, De Coster T, Pascottini OB, Van Nieuwerburgh F, Govaere J, Van Soom A, Pavani K, Smits K.In the last decade, in vitro embryo production in horses has become an established clinical practice, but blastocyst rates from vitrified equine oocytes remain low. Cryopreservation impairs the oocyte developmental potential, which may be reflected in the messenger RNA (mRNA) profile. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the transcriptome profiles of metaphase II equine oocytes vitrified before and after in vitro maturation. To do so, three groups were analyzed with RNA sequencing: (1) fresh in vitro matured oocytes as a control (FR), (2) oocytes vitrified after in vitro maturation (VMAT), a...
Frisch V, Fuehrer HP, Cavalleri JV.In equine stables and their surroundings, a large number of insects are present that can be a nuisance to their equine hosts. Previous studies about dipterans transmitting infectious agents to Equidae have largely focused on Nematocera. For the preparation of this systematic review, the existing literature (until February 2022) was systematically screened for various infectious agents transmitted to Equidae via insects of the suborder Brachycera, including Tabanidae, Muscidae, Glossinidae and Hippoboscidae, acting as pests or potential vectors. The PRISMA statement 2020 (Preferred Reporting It...
Schneider ST, Meemken D, Gehlen H, Merle R, Langkabel N.In Europe, equines destined for human consumption (hereafter called slaughter equines) are subject to the same restrictions of usage of veterinary drugs as other food-producing animals, with amendments regulated in the so-called 'positive list', Regulation (EC) No. 1950/2006. Due to the complex legal requirements for drug administration in slaughter equines, it might be that specific knowledge regarding the legislation of slaughter equines may be insufficient among veterinarians, equine owners, and equine keepers. To study this assumption, three target group-specific surveys were conducted in ...
Seewald LA, Sabino IG, Montney KL, Delco ML.To evaluate mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) release from injured chondrocytes and investigate the utility of synovial fluid mtDNA concentration in early detection of posttraumatic osteoarthritis. We measured mtDNA release using four models of osteoarthritis: in vitro interleukin-1β stimulation of cultured equine chondrocytes, ex vivo mechanical impact of bovine cartilage explants, in vivo mechanical impact of equine articular cartilage, and naturally occurring equine intraarticular fracture. In our in vivo model, one group was treated with an intraarticular injection of the mitoprotective peptide S...
Berghaus LJ, Cathcart J, Berghaus RD, Hart KA.The vitamin D receptor (VDR)-vitamin D axis modulates pulmonary immunity in people but its role in equine immunity is unknown. Bacterial pneumonia causes high morbidity/mortality in foals and alveolar macrophages (AMφ) are important for pulmonary defenses. Age-related variations in vitamin D-mediated function of AMφ might contribute to the foal's susceptibility to pneumonia. Our aim was to assess the impact of age on equine vitamin D metabolism and VDR expression in AMφ. AMφ and plasma was collected from healthy foals (2, 4 and 8 weeks old) and adult horses (once). AMφ VDR expression was ...
Vokes J, Lovett A, Sykes B.Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome (EGUS) is a term that has been used since 1999, initially being used to describe all gastric mucosal disease in horses. Since this time, the identification of two distinct main disease entities of the equine gastric mucosa have been described under the umbrella of EGUS; these are Equine Squamous Gastric Disease (ESGD) and Equine Glandular Gastric Disease (EGGD). In 2015 the European College of Equine Internal Medicine (ECEIM) released a consensus statement defining these disease entities. This document highlighted the lack of evidence surrounding EGGD compared to ...
Martin-Pelaez S, Rabow Z, de la Fuente A, Draheim P, Loynachan A, Fiehn O, Meyers S, Lyman C, Dini P.Postmortem and pre-euthanasia oocyte retrieval provides the last opportunity to preserve the genetic material in mares. Pentobarbital (PB) is the most common euthanasia agent; however, its effect on the developmental competence of oocytes has not been determined. Here, we evaluated the concentration of PB in equine follicular fluid (FF) and investigated its effect on the developmental competence of oocytes using a bovine IVF model to overcome the low availability of equine oocytes. The concentration of PB was measured by gas-chromatography/mass-spectrometry in FF collected from mare ovaries im...
Vereecke N, Vandekerckhove A, Theuns S, Haesebrouck F, Boyen F.Actinobacillus equuli is mostly associated with disease in horses and is most widely known as the causative agent of sleepy foal disease. Even though existing phenotypic tools such as biochemical tests, 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) can be used to identify members of the Actinobacillus genus, these methods struggle to differentiate between certain species and do not allow strain, virulence, and antimicrobial susceptibility typing. Hence, we performed in-depth analysis of 24 equine Actinobacillus isolate...
Moss A, Leise B, Hackett E.Laminitis is a complex and debilitating disease of horses. Numerous predisposing factors contribute to laminitis development, however the exact pathogenesis remains undetermined. Serum T4, cortisol, and histamine are components of the innate stress response and could play a causative or contributory role. Stress hormone concentrations in laminitis are largely unknown. Objective: To evaluate parameters associated with stress response in horses with laminitis, and compare these to healthy horses and horses with gastrointestinal (GI) disease. Methods: Thirty-eight adult horses presenting for non-...
Phelps S, Chong D, McKenzie E, Kiupel M, Gorman E.Clinical disease caused by infection with Listeria monocytogenes is rare in adult horses, and there is a paucity of ante-mortem clinicopathologic changes for this species reported in the literature. Confirmatory diagnosis is difficult and often requires post-mortem sampling of the brainstem. This report details a case of meningoencephalitis caused by Listeria monocytogenes in an adult American quarter horse gelding presenting with central neurologic signs. Pre-mortem analysis of the cerebrospinal fluid revealed a mononuclear, primarily lymphocytic, pleocytosis, which is a reported finding in o...
Bergmann W, Vernooij JCM, Grinwis GCM, Gröne A.Osteochondrosis dissecans (OCD) of articular process joints (APJs) is involved in cervical vertebral compressive myelopathy (CVM). Biomechanical forces, important in development of OCD, depend on joint conformation. Oval and flat APJ surfaces are considered normal. Objective: To identify and grade gross shape variation of cervical and cranial thoracic APJ surfaces and determine association with histological evidence of osteochondrosis. Methods: Case series. Methods: Eight hundred and four cervical and cranial thoracic APJ surfaces of 30 foals were evaluated for shape(s) and grades, and were co...
Berman N, Tirosh-Levy S, Steinman A, Minderigiu A, Blinder E, Leszkowicz Mazuz M. is a tissue cyst forming coccidia, which affects multiple host species worldwide. Equine besnoitiosis is characterized mainly by generalized skin lesions and cysts in the scleral conjunctiva. Recent reports revealed exposure to in equines in Europe and the United States. However, the exposure to spp. in the Israeli equine population was never investigated. The aim of this study was to evaluate the seroprevalence and associated risk factors for besnoitiosis in equids in Israel. A cross-sectional serosurvey was performed using serum samples of apparently healthy horses ( = 347), donkeys ( = 9...
Daoualibi Y, Pereira AHB, Lima LR, Pool RR, Ubiali DG.Proliferative tenosynovitis (PT) is an inflammatory and proliferative disorder of the synovial membrane of the tendon sheath that is rare in animals. The histological alterations are characterized by multinodular neovascularization, with infiltration of histiocytic and multinucleated giant cells and haemosiderin deposition. We reviewed necropsy and biopsy records of horses submitted to the Setor de Anatomia Patológica of the Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro from January 2017 to December 2020 to select cases of PT. We identified PT in three adult Brazilian Mangalarga Marchador hors...
Golombieski L, Bassi das Neves G, Casa MDS, Costa GCS, Miletti LC, Saito ME, Fonteque JH.Campeiro horse is a breed locally adapted to the Santa Catarina plateau region and its main characteristic is the gait, it is known as "Marchador das Araucárias." It is a breed considered in danger of extinction, being fundamental the search for the preservation of this important genetic resource. Surra, caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma evansi, is among the diseases that affect horses. However, there are no data on the prevalence of infection in Campeiro horses. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of T. evansi in Campeiro horses, correlate hematology and serum biochemistry, and id...
Fujiwara Y, Kusakabe KT, Baba K, Sasaki N.Currently, treatment for peripheral nerve injuries in horses primarily relies upon physical therapy and anti-inflammatory drugs. In humans, various treatments using mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are being attempted. Therefore, in this study, Schwann-like cell differentiation cultures of equine MSCs were prepared using fetal bovine serum (FBS) and equine platelet lysate (ePL). ePL increased the platelet count to 1 × 10/μl, the optimal concentration for culture. In both groups, an elongated morphology at both ends, characteristic of Schwann cells, was observed under the microscope. Real-time...
Busechian S, Conti MB, Sgorbini M, Conte G, Marchesi MC, Pieramati C, Zappulla F, Vitale V, Rueca F.Equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS) is the most common disease of the stomach in horses and treatment is based on the oral administration of omeprazole for at least 28 days. Aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of two formulations of oral omeprazole-powder paste and gastro-enteric resistant granules-in the treatment of naturally occurring gastric ulcers in racehorses. Thirty-two adult racehorses, aged between 2 and 10 years old, with clinical signs of EGUS were included in this blinded, randomized clinical trial. Two gastroscopies were performed to evaluate gastric lesions in the squ...
de Favare GM, de Almeida Cipriano I, do Carmo TA, Mena MO, Guelpa GJ, do Amarante AFT, de Soutello RVG.The indiscriminate use of drugs to control gastrointestinal helminths in horses can lead to serious consequences for the animals, which represents a growing problem for health, animal welfare and productivity. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the anthelmintic efficacy of ivermectin in naturally infected horses in the western region of the state of São Paulo. From May 2021 to April 2022, 123 naturally infected adult horses in 12 equine breeding farms (7 to 14 animals per farm) were evaluated with the fecal egg count reduction test. The horses had not been treated with anthelminti...
Jindra C, Hainisch EK, Brandt S.Horses and other equid species are frequently affected by bovine papillomavirus type 1 and/or 2 (BPV1, BPV2)-induced skin tumors termed sarcoids. Although sarcoids do not metastasize, they constitute a serious health problem due to their BPV1/2-mediated resistance to treatment and propensity to recrudesce in a more severe, multiple form following accidental or iatrogenic trauma. This review provides an overview on BPV1/2 infection and associated immune escape in the equid host and presents early and recent immunotherapeutic approaches in sarcoid management.
Alpoim-Moreira J, Szóstek-Mioduchowska A, Słyszewska M, Rebordão MR, Skarzynski DJ, Ferreira-Dias G.Endometrosis negatively affects endometrial function and fertility in mares, due to excessive deposition of type I (COL1) and type III (COL3) collagens. The pro-fibrotic transforming growth factor (TGF-β1) induces myofibroblast differentiation, characterized by α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) expression, and collagen synthesis. In humans, fibrosis has been linked to epigenetic mechanisms. To the best of our knowledge, this has not been described in mare endometrium. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the in vitro epigenetic regulation in TGF-β1-treated mare endometrial fibroblasts an...
Blangy-Letheule A, Vergnaud A, Dupas T, Rozec B, Lauzier B, Leroux AA.Sepsis is a life-threatening disease defined as an organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to an infection. Early diagnosis and prognosis of sepsis are necessary for specific and timely treatment. However, no predictive biomarkers or therapeutic targets are available yet, mainly due to the lack of a pertinent model. A better understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms associated with sepsis will allow for earlier and more appropriate management. For this purpose, experimental models of sepsis have been set up to decipher the progression and pathophysiology of human seps...
Velie BD, Shrestha M, Franҫois L, Schurink A, Tesfayonas YG, Stinckens A, Blott S, Ducro BJ, Mikko S, Thomas R, Swinburne JE, Sundqvist M....While susceptibility to hypersensitive reactions is a common problem amongst humans and animals alike, the population structure of certain animal species and breeds provides a more advantageous route to better understanding the biology underpinning these conditions. The current study uses Exmoor ponies, a highly inbred breed of horse known to frequently suffer from insect bite hypersensitivity, to identify genomic regions associated with a type I and type IV hypersensitive reaction. A total of 110 cases and 170 controls were genotyped on the 670K Axiom Equine Genotyping Array. Quality control ...
Stout TA, Allen WR.Between at least day 9 and day 16 after ovulation the spherical equine conceptus migrates continuously throughout the uterine lumen, propelled by peristaltic myometrial contractions. This unusually long period of intrauterine movement ensures that the conceptus delivers its anti-luteolytic signal to the entire endometrium to achieve luteostasis. The present experiment tested the hypothesis that prostaglandins stimulate the myometrial contractions that result in the migration of the conceptus. Serial ultrasonographic examinations of the uteri of eight mares performed during 2 h periods between ...
Otten N, von Tscharner C, Lazary S, Antczak DF, Gerber H.Nucleotide sequences of bovine papillomavirus (BPV) DNA amplified by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) from samples of equine sarcoid skin tumours were determined. All naturally occurring sarcoids (n = 58 tumours from 32 horses and 2 donkeys) contained BPV-DNA. All but 3 of the genome fragments belonged to the BPV type 1 strain (BPV-1); the remaining were BPV type 2. Similar results were obtained with cutaneous bovine papillomas used as controls (n = 20). One of the horses, carrying 2 sarcoids, was particularly interesting; one tumour contained BPV-1 DNA whilst the other sarcoid yielded BPV-...
Teyssèdre S, Dupuis MC, Guérin G, Schibler L, Denoix JM, Elsen JM, Ricard A.A genome-wide association study for osteochondrosis (OC) in French Trotter horses was carried out to detect QTL using genotype data from the Illumina EquineSNP50 BeadChip assay. Analysis data came from 161 sire families of French Trotter horses with 525 progeny and family sizes ranging from 1 to 20. Genotypes were available for progeny (n = 525) and sires with at least 2 progeny (n = 98). Radiographic data were obtained from progeny using at least 10 views to reveal OC. All radiographic findings were described by at least 2 veterinary experts in equine orthopedics, and severity indices (scores...
Rwambo PM, Issel CJ, Hussain KA, Montelaro RC.A neutralization escape mutant (A/1 E) of equine infectious anemia virus was isolated after 13 passages in cell culture in the presence of serum containing antibodies to type- and group-specific determinants of EIAV envelope glycoproteins. Loss of neutralization by the selecting serum correlated with loss of two epitopes in the major envelope glycoprotein gp90 of A/1 E which were present in a parallel variant isolated from a persistently infected pony.
Bragança FM, Bosch S, Voskamp JP, Marin-Perianu M, Van der Zwaag BJ, Vernooij JCM, van Weeren PR, Back W.Inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensor-based techniques are becoming more popular in horses as a tool for objective locomotor assessment. Objective: To describe, evaluate and validate a method of stride detection and quantification at walk and trot using distal limb mounted IMU sensors. Methods: Prospective validation study comparing IMU sensors and motion capture with force plate data. Methods: A total of seven Warmblood horses equipped with metacarpal/metatarsal IMU sensors and reflective markers for motion capture were hand walked and trotted over a force plate. Using four custom built algo...
Marycz K, Kornicka K, Irwin-Houston JM, Weiss C.Endocrine disorders have become more and more frequently diagnosed in humans and animals. In horses, equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) is characterized by insulin resistance, hyperleptinemia, hyperinsulinemia, inflammation and usually by pathological obesity. Due to an increased inflammatory response in the adipose tissue, cytophysiological properties of adipose derived stem cells (ASC) have been impaired, which strongly limits their therapeutic potential. Excessive accumulation of reactive oxygen species, mitochondria deterioration and accelerated ageing of those cells affect their multipotency...
Latson KM, Nieto JE, Beldomenico PM, Snyder JR.The most common cause of death as a direct result of colic is acute circulatory failure secondary to intestinal ischaemia. Early and accurate recognition of ischaemic bowel is essential to decrease complications and increase survival. Blood to peritoneal lactate values have been evaluated as a prognostic indicator, but lactate values characterised by type of lesion have not been reported. Objective: Plasma and peritoneal lactate values are higher in horses with intestinal ischaemia secondary to a strangulating obstruction (ISSO). Methods: Venous blood and peritoneal fluid were collected sequen...
Spirito F, Charlesworth A, Linder K, Ortonne JP, Baird J, Meneguzzi G.Recent achievements in the genetic correction of keratinocytes isolated from patients with junctional epidermolysis bullosa have paved the way to a gene therapy approach for the disease. Because gene therapy protocols require preclinical validation in animals, we have characterized spontaneous animal models of junctional epidermolysis bullosa. In this study we have elucidated the genetic basis of the hereditary junctional mechanobullous disease in the Belgian horse, a condition characterized by blistering of the skin and mouth epithelia, and exungulation (loss of the hoof). Immunofluorescence ...
Sandmeyer LS, Breaux CB, Archer S, Grahn BH.To determine the prevalence of congenital stationary night blindness (CSNB) in Appaloosa horses in western Canada, investigate the association with the leopard complex of white spotting patterns, and further characterize the clinical and electroretinographic aspects of CSNB in the Appaloosa. Methods: Three groups of 10 Appaloosas were studied based on coat patterns suggestive of LpLp, Lplp, and lplp genotype. Methods: Neurophthalmic examination, slit-lamp biomicroscopy, indirect ophthalmoscopy, measurement of corneal diameter, streak retinoscopy, scotopic and photopic full-field and flicker ER...
Laval K, Poelaert KCK, Van Cleemput J, Zhao J, Vandekerckhove AP, Gryspeerdt AC, Garré B, van der Meulen K, Baghi HB, Dubale HN, Zarak I....Equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) is an alphaherpesvirus related to pseudorabies virus (PRV) and varicella-zoster virus (VZV). This virus is one of the major pathogens affecting horses worldwide. EHV-1 is responsible for respiratory disorders, abortion, neonatal foal death and equine herpes myeloencephalopathy (EHM). Over the last decade, EHV-1 has received growing attention due to the frequent outbreaks of abortions and/or EHM causing serious economical losses to the horse industry worldwide. To date, there are no effective antiviral drugs and current vaccines do not provide full protection a...
Laus F, Spaterna A, Faillace V, Veronesi F, Ravagnan S, Beribé F, Cerquetella M, Meligrana M, Tesei B.Interest in the welfare and diseases of donkeys is constantly increasing in several countries. Despite this, clinical research into donkeys needs to be in continual development since they show different reactions compared to horses in many conditions, including infectious diseases, and need specific clinical and therapeutic approaches. No reports are currently available on clinical and clinical pathology data regarding donkeys with natural piroplasms infection. Results: Venous blood samples were taken from one hundred and thirty eight donkeys and underwent indirect fluorescent antibody test (I...
Sears K, Knowles D, Dinkel K, Mshelia PW, Onzere C, Silva M, Fry L.Control of , the primary cause of equine theileriosis, is largely reliant on acaracide use and chemosterilization with imidocarb dipropionate (ID). However, it is currently unknown if ID is effective against , the recently identified second causative agent of equine theileriosis, or if the drug maintains effectiveness against in the presence of co-infection. The purpose of this study was to address these questions using ID treatment of the following three groups of horses: (1) five infected horses; (2) three - infected horses; and (3) three - infected horses. Clearance was first evaluated u...
Bucca S, Fogarty U, Collins A, Small V.Ultrasound assessment of feto-placental well-being has found its application in the equine field, as a valid diagnostic tool. Most reports on equine fetal parameters focus on advanced to late gestation. The aim of the present study was to further validate the technique of ultrasound evaluation of the equine fetal environment, by extending its application to earlier stages of pregnancy. Fetal parameters were collected (on 150 pregnancies) over a 3-year period. Data included in the study were selected according to the clinical behaviour of the mare, the neonate/fetus and fetal membranes at the t...
Bannai H, Nemoto M, Ochi A, Kikuchi T, Kobayashi M, Tsujimura K, Yamanaka T, Kondo T.To clarify the factors causing an outbreak in 2014 of Getah virus infection among racehorses at the Miho training center, Japan, we isolated virus strains and performed an epizootiological investigation of affected horses and related horse populations. Three Getah virus isolates were recovered from clinical samples, and one of them (14-I-605) was used in a virus-neutralizing test. Of the affected horses (n = 33), 20 (60.6%) were 2-year-olds. We investigated the histories of Getah virus vaccination of the affected horses and the whole population at the Miho training center. Among the 2-year-old...
Garner HE, Coffman JR, Hahn AW, Hutcheson DP, Tumbleson ME.Acute alimentary form of laminitis was uniformly induced in 11 of 12 horses by administration of a starch and wood flour gruel and could be graded by previously established (Obel) and presently defined criteria. The experimentally induced laminitis was similar to naturally occurring laminitis, as determined on the basis of lameness severity and vital signs. Packed cell volume, leukocyte count, and total protein were significantly increased (P smaller than 0.05) at 24 and 40 hours after administration of gruel. Arterial systolic and diastolic pressures increased, central venous pressure decreas...
Kooijman LJ, James K, Mapes SM, Theelen MJ, Pusterla N.Equine coronavirus (ECoV) is considered an enteric pathogen of foals and has only recently been associated with infections in adult horses. Seroprevalence data is needed to better understand the epidemiology of ECoV in adult horses, evaluate diagnostic modalities and develop preventive measures. The objective of this study was to investigate the seroprevalence and selective risk factors for ECoV in 5247 healthy adult horses in the USA, using a recently established and validated IgG enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Prevalence factors analysed in this study included geographic region, age, bre...
Serra Bragança FM, Broomé S, Rhodin M, Björnsdóttir S, Gunnarsson V, Voskamp JP, Persson-Sjodin E, Back W, Lindgren G, Novoa-Bravo M, Gmel AI....For centuries humans have been fascinated by the natural beauty of horses in motion and their different gaits. Gait classification (GC) is commonly performed through visual assessment and reliable, automated methods for real-time objective GC in horses are warranted. In this study, we used a full body network of wireless, high sampling-rate sensors combined with machine learning to fully automatically classify gait. Using data from 120 horses of four different domestic breeds, equipped with seven motion sensors, we included 7576 strides from eight different gaits. GC was trained using several ...
Pollitt CC.The equine hoof capsule protects the softer, more sensitive, structures within. Failure of the connection between hoof and bone (suspensory apparatus of the distal phalanx or SADP) results in the crippling lameness of laminitis. Active basal cell proliferation occurs principally in tubular hoof and proximal and distal lamellae. The remaining lamellae are virtually non-proliferative and the hoof wall moves past the stationary distal phalanx, by controlled activation and inhibition of constituent proteases. The lamellar corium derives most of its blood supply from the branches of the terminal ar...
Lavoie-Lamoureux A, Moran K, Beauchamp G, Mauel S, Steinbach F, Lefebvre-Lavoie J, Martin JG, Lavoie JP.Neutrophils are potent contributors to the lung pathophysiological changes occurring in allergic airway inflammation, which typically involve T helper type 2 (Th2) cytokine overexpression. We have previously reported that equine pulmonary endothelial cells are activated by the Th2 cytokine IL-4 and express chemotactic factors for neutrophils after stimulation. We have further explored the possible mechanisms linking Th2-driven inflammation and neutrophilia by studying the effects of recombinant equine IL-4, a prototypical Th2 cytokine, on peripheral blood neutrophils (PBN) isolated from normal...
Goodrich LR, Grieger JC, Phillips JN, Khan N, Gray SJ, McIlwraith CW, Samulski RJ.A gene therapeutic approach to treat osteoarthritis (OA) appears to be on the horizon for millions of people who suffer from this disease. Previously we described optimization of a scAAVIL-1ra gene therapeutic vector and initially tested this in an equine model verifying long-term intrasynovial IL-1ra protein at therapeutic levels. Using this vector, we carried out a dosing trial in six horses to verify protein levels and establish a dose that would express relevant levels of therapeutic protein for extended periods of time (8 months). A novel arthroscopic procedure used to detect green fluore...
Adams AA, Katepalli MP, Kohler K, Reedy SE, Stilz JP, Vick MM, Fitzgerald BP, Lawrence LM, Horohov DW.Advanced age is associated with a low-grade, systemic inflammatory response characterized by increased inflammatory cytokine production both in vitro and in vivo, termed inflamm-aging. It is also known that increased white adipose tissue, associated with obesity, leads to increased production of inflammatory cytokines. To date, it is unknown whether increased adiposity contributes to the age-related increased inflammatory status. Here we show that peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from old horses compared to young horses have increased inflammatory cytokine production; moreover, fat ol...
Nielsen MK, Banahan M, Kaplan RM.Anthelmintic resistance in equine cyathostomins is both widespread and highly prevalent in the benzimidazole and tetrahydropyrimidine classes; however, reports of resistance to macrocyclic lactone (ML) drugs are sparse and sporadic. This study reports a case of clear ML resistance in a group of Thoroughbred yearlings imported from Ireland to the US in 2019. Fecal egg count reduction (FECR) following ivermectin administered in February 2020 demonstrated 100% reduction in the US bred yearlings, but 93.5%, 70.5%, and 74.5% reduction in three groups of the imported yearlings. The two former groups...
Taylor J, Thompson K, Annand EJ, Massey PD, Bennett J, Eden JS, Horsburgh BA, Hodgson E, Wood K, Kerr J, Kirkland P, Finlaison D, Peel AJ, Eby P....In October 2021, the first contemporary detection of Hendra virus genotype 2 (HeV-g2) was made by veterinary priority disease investigation in a horse near Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, as part of routine veterinary priority disease surveillance. This discovery followed an update of Hendra virus diagnostic assays following retrospective identification of this variant from 2015 via sentinel emerging infectious disease research, enabling timely detection of this case. The sole infected horse was euthanized in moribund condition. As the southernmost recognised HeV spill-over detection to...
Hong CB, Donahue JM, Giles RC, Petrites-Murphy MB, Poonacha KB, Roberts AW, Smith BJ, Tramontin RR, Tuttle PA, Swerczek TW.Placentas from aborted, stillborn, and premature foals were examined during the 1988 and 1989 foaling seasons, and 236 of 954 (24.7%) had placentitis. Microorganisms associated with placentitis were isolated or demonstrated from 162 of 236 (68.6%) placentitis cases. Leptospira spp. and a nocardioform actinomycete were 2 important, newly emerging bacteria associated with equine placentitis. Major pathogens identified in decreasing order were Streptococcus zooepidemicus, Leptospira spp., Escherichia coli, a nocardioform actinomycete, fungi, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Streptococcus equisimilis, Ente...
Dayaram A, Franz M, Schattschneider A, Damiani AM, Bischofberger S, Osterrieder N, Greenwood AD.For viruses to utilize environmental vectors (hard surfaces, soil, water) for transmission, physical and chemical stability is a prerequisite. There are many factors including pH, salinity, temperature, and turbidity that are known to contribute to the ability of viruses to persist in water. Equine herpesvirus type-1 (EHV-1) is a pathogenic alphaherpesvirus associated with domestic horses and wild equids. EHV-1 and recombinants of EHV-1 and EHV-9 are able to cause infections in non-equid animal species, particularly in captive settings. Many of the captive non-equid mammals are not naturally s...
Negussie H, Gizaw D, Tesfaw L, Li Y, Oguma K, Sentsui H, Tessema TS, Nauwynck HJ.Infections with equine herpesviruses (EHVs) are widespread in equine populations worldwide. Whereas both EHV-1 and EHV-4 produce well-documented respiratory syndromes in equids, the contribution of EHV-2 and EHV-5 to disease of the respiratory tract is still enigmatic. This study describes the detection and genetic characterization of EHVs from equids with and without clinical respiratory disease. Virus-specific PCRs were used to detect EHV-1, -2, -4 and -5. From the total of 160 equids with respiratory disease, EHV-5 was detected at the highest prevalence (23.1%), followed by EHV-2 (20.0%), E...
Freeman DE, Hammock P, Baker GJ, Goetz T, Foreman JH, Schaeffer DJ, Richter RA, Inoue O, Magid JH.The records of 74 horses that recovered from anaesthesia after surgery for a small intestinal lesion from 1994 to 1999 were reviewed. Sixty-three horses (85%) had a strangulating lesion and 43 of these (68%) had a resection and anastomosis. Four of 11 horses (36%) without a strangulating lesion had a resection and anastomosis. Sixty-three horses (85%) survived to discharge, with a survival rate of 53/63 in horses with a strangulating lesion (84%) and 10/11 (91%) in others. For all lesions, short-term survival for all end-to-end anastomoses (91%; 21/23) and for no resection (92%; 23/25) were su...
Pedersen SK, Cribb AE, Windeyer MC, Read EK, French D, Banse HE.Prevalence of, and risk factors for, equine squamous gastric disease (ESGD) are well established. Limited data exists on risk factors for equine glandular gastric disease (EGGD). Objective: To identify management factors associated with EGGD in show jumping Warmbloods in training. A secondary objective was to identify management factors associated with ESGD. Methods: Cross-sectional. Methods: Gastroscopies were performed in horses following a 12-16 h fast. Management questionnaires were collected for each horse. Risk factors were determined using multivariable logistic regression modelling. Re...
Dyer J, Al-Rammahi M, Waterfall L, Salmon KS, Geor RJ, Bouré L, Edwards GB, Proudman CJ, Shirazi-Beechey SP.Experimental and epidemiological evidence suggests that consumption of hydrolyzable carbohydrate, hCHO (grain), by horses is an important risk factor for colic, a common cause of equine mortality. It is unknown whether the small intestinal capacity to digest hCHO and/or to absorb monosaccharides is limiting, or even if horses can adapt to increased carbohydrate load. We investigated changes in the brush-border membrane carbohydrate digestive enzymes and glucose absorptive capacity of horse small intestine in response to increased hCHO. Expression of the Na(+)/glucose co-transporter, SGLT1, was...
