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Topic:Equine Diseases
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.
Interaction of transforming growth factor-beta-1 with alpha-2-macroglobulin from normal and inflamed equine joints. Binding between equine plasma alpha-2-macroglobulin (alpha 2M) and several cytokines known to participate in inflammatory reactions in other species was initially examined. Plasma was obtained from 5 horses with various abnormalities. Samples, both untreated and after reaction with methylamine, were incubated with exogenous, radiolabeled, porcine-derived transforming growth factor-beta-1 (125I-TGF-beta 1), recombinant human interleukin-1-beta (125I-IL-1 beta), and recombinant human tumor necrosis factor-alpha (125I-rhTNF-alpha). They were then subjected to nondenaturing polyacrylamide gel elec...
Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for serological survey of equine arteritis virus in racehorses. To examine antibodies against equine arteritis virus (EAV), an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using purified virus antigen was developed. The results of ELISA were compared with those of serum neutralization (SN) tests. The ELISA absorbance values and the SN titers in sera collected weekly from EAV-infected horses showed a similar pattern. The ELISA could detect antibody to EAV in horses experimentally infected with not only a homologous virus strain, which was used as the ELISA antigen, but also a heterologous strain. Using the ELISA, serum samples collected in 1996 from racehorses...
Radiographic assessment of equine interphalangeal joints asymmetry: articular impact of phalangeal rotations (Part I). This study is part of a work to develop a radiographic method that defines objectively the individual conformation of an equine digit and its appropriate trimming. The authors used isolated distal limbs on a rotation support to study the influence of induced foot rotations on several angles measured from specific radiographs. The results of this work enabled the authors to quantify the rotation of the proximal phalanx compared to the distal, and to determine exactly the possible rotation in the distal interphalangeal joint. It was also observed that, faced with a forced rotation of the foot, t...
Description of a new Neospora species (Protozoa: Apicomplexa: Sarcocystidae). Neospora hughesi n. sp. was isolated from the central nervous system tissue of an adult equine (Equus caballus) from California. The tachyzoites are crescent-shaped, approximately 2 x 5 microm (1.8-3.0 x 4.0-7.0 microm), with characteristic apical complex structures consisting of an anterior polar ring, conoid, numerous rhoptries filled with a uniform electron-dense material, and 22 microtubules extending posteriorly from the polar ring. Comparison of N. hughesi to canine and bovine Neospora caninum isolates showed phenotypic differences in immunoreactive proteins. Molecular analysis of the sm...
Radiographic assessment of equine interphalangeal joints asymmetry: articular impact of asymmetric bearings (Part II). This study is part of a work to develop a radiographic method that defines objectively the individual conformation of an equine digit and its appropriate trimming. The authors used isolated distal limbs fastened on a rotation support with variable inclinations to study the influence of induced asymmetric bearings on various angles measured from specific radiographs. The digit responded to asymmetric bearings by 1. deformation of the hoof; 2. rotation of the phalanges; and 3. joint asymmetry or local articular space narrowing. The two last situations occurred mainly in the distal interphalangea...
Preliminary characterisation of extracellular serine proteases of Dermatophilus congolensis isolates from cattle, sheep and horses. Dermatophilus congolensis is a filamentous branching actinomycete that causes dermatophilosis, an exudative dermatitis in ruminants. The pathogenesis of this disease is poorly understood and virulence factors of D. congolensis have not been characterised. Culture filtrate (CF) of 14 D. congolensis isolates from cattle, 15 from sheep and four from horses were examined for proteolytic activity using azocasein as a non-specific substrate. The isolates were from a variety of geographical locations. All the isolates examined produced extracellular proteolytic activity. CF from 24 and 48 h cultures ...
Coprological methods for the diagnosis of Anoplocephala perfoliata infection of the horse. To compare the sensitivities of three coprological techniques for the diagnosis of Anoplocephala perfoliata infection in horses and to assess the value of the methods for diagnosis of horses at risk of clinical cestodiasis. Methods: Faecal samples were collected from necropsied horses with or without A perfoliata infection and examined using one sedimentation and two different flotation methods. The coprological results were compared with worm counts performed at necropsy of the horses and the degree of mucosal damage. In addition, the efficiency of recovery of A perfoliata eggs from faeces wa...
Occult osseous metastasis of a colonic adenocarcinoma visualized with technetium tc 99m hydroxymethylene diphosphate scintigraphy in a horse. A 5-year-old Arabian horse was admitted with a 5-day history of undulant pyrexia of unknown origin, inappetence, obtundation, and acute collapse. Physical examination results were unremarkable except for a grade II/VI left-sided systolic cardiac murmur and abdominal splinting. Mild chronic inflammatory changes were evident on clinicopathologic evaluation. Echocardiography revealed moderate aortic insufficiency. A solitary soft tissue opacity was found on thoracic radiography but not on ultrasonography. Palliative treatment was ineffective. Nuclear scintigraphy with WBC labeled with technetium ...
Aerobic bacterial flora of semen and stallion reproductive tract and its relation to fertility under field conditions. This study was initiated in order to investigate the bacterial flora of the stallion genital tract by taking consecutive samples from normal stallions in regular use. The objective was to determine whether any growth of potential pathogens, particularly P. aeruginosa and K. pneumoniae, in fresh semen and urethra was associated with the presence of inflammatory cells in the semen and whether bacterial growth had any effect on sperm morphology and pregnancy results. Sixteen stallions, only used for A.I., housed at 3 different commercial stud farms, were used. A wide variety of microorganisms was...
Actinobacillus and Pasteurella species isolated from horses with lower airway disease. Seventy-three bacterial isolates from 65 horses with and without evidence of lower airway disease were identified to assess whether the association with disease was accounted for by a small or large number of species. Just over half (50.5 per cent were Actinobacillus equuli, 17.8 per cent were A suis-like, 11 per cent were Pasteurella pneumotropica, 8.2 per cent were A lignieresii, 6.8 per cent were P haemolytica and 5.5 per cent were P mairii. These results suggest that a range of Actinobacillus and Pasteurella species can be isolated from the lower airways of horses, with many of the isolate...
Application of an indirect fluorescent antibody assay for the detection of African horse sickness virus antibodies. An indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA) technique was used to screen and quantify antibodies against African horse sickness virus (AHSV) in equine sera. Results obtained with the IFA assay were compared directly with those obtained with standard complement fixation (CF) and virus neutralisation (VN) tests using horse sera from experimental studies and samples from the field. Positive fluorescent antibody titres were detected from as early as 7 days after primary vaccination and persisted for at least six months. The IFA technique offers a clear advantage over CF tests, where the antibodies are ...
Epidemiology of African horse sickness and the role of the zebra in South Africa. Zebra are the only equine species native to South Africa. These animals roamed over much of the country in the 17th century when horses and donkeys were first imported. The first cases of African horse sickness (AHS) then occurred in the horses of hunters who entered zebra territory. AHS continued to occur on a country-wide basis until the beginning of the 20th century, though the number of outbreaks decreased as the populations of zebra collapsed through overhunting. For most of the 20th century almost all free-living zebra have been confined to the north-eastern parts of South Africa which a...
Future international management of African horse sickness vaccines. Three types of African horse sickness (AHS) vaccine, namely adult mouse brain, modified live vaccine and inactivated viral vaccine (IVV) are reviewed. The results of efficacy trials carried out with each vaccine type highlight the advantages of the IVV. Vaccination with African horse sickness virus serotype 4 IVV, given as 2 separate doses, provided full protection against subsequent, homologous challenge. The absence of any detectable viraemia after challenge would also prevent infection of insect vectors. The advantages of establishing international vaccine banks for AHS are discussed.
Simulation studies of African horse sickness in Spain. Factors affecting epidemics of African horse sickness in Spain were studied using a mathematical model. The model examined the likelihood of an epidemic after the introduction of the virus, and the effectiveness of vaccination strategies. Two host species (horses and donkeys) and one vector species (the biting midge Culicoides imicola) were included. A stratified random sampling method (Latin hypercube sampling) was used for sensitivity analysis of the likelihood of an epidemic. Systematic variation of vaccination parameters was used to consider alternative control strategies. In general, when...
Clinical, serologic, and histopathologic characterization of experimental Borna disease in ponies. Borna disease was originally described as an equine neurologic syndrome over 200 years ago, although the infectious etiology of the disorder was unproven until the early 20th century. Borna disease virus (BDV) was finally isolated from horses dying of the disorder, and that virus has been used to experimentally reproduce Borna disease in several species of laboratory animals. However, BDV has never been inoculated back into horses to experimentally and etiologically confirm the classic clinical, pathologic, and serologic characteristics of the disease in that species. Three ponies were intrace...
Phenytoin alters transcript levels of hormone-sensitive lipase in muscle from horses with hyperkalemic periodic paralysis. In equine hyperkalemic periodic paralysis (HyperPP), there is evidence suggesting that the primary defect in the sodium channel is associated with a secondary alteration in triacylglycerol-associated fatty acid metabolism (TAFAM) in skeletal muscle. Furthermore, TAFAM may be involved in the therapeutic action of phenytoin. The effects of phenytoin treatment on the transcript levels of three key proteins in TAFAM, hormone sensitive lipase (HSL), carnitine palmitoyltransferase (CPT), and fatty acid binding protein (FABP), were examined. These transcripts were quantitated by competitive reverse t...
Western immunoblotting as a method for the detection of African horse sickness virus protein-specific antibodies: differentiation between infected and vaccinated horses. A Western immunoblotting procedure has been developed for the detection of African horse sickness virus (AHSV) protein-specific antibody responses. This assay readily identifies antibodies specific for at least 4 distinct, AHSV proteins, including VP5, NS1, NS2 and NS3/NS3a. By using the AHSV non-structural proteins as 'markers', the Western blotting procedure could be employed to provide a reliable means of discriminating between animals vaccinated with a purified, inactivated AHSV vaccine and those either naturally infected or vaccinated with a live, attenuated AHSV vaccine.
Donkeys as reservoirs of African horse sickness virus. Investigations have been carried out to elucidate the possible role of the donkey in the epidemiology of African horse sickness (AHS). These studies have shown that despite the absence of pyrexia or other observable clinical signs, donkeys become infected with virulent AHS virus serotype 4 (AHSV 4) and that they develop a viraemia which can persist for at least 12 days, albeit at a comparatively lower titre than that recorded for similarly infected ponies. AHSV 4 showed a similar tissue tropism in the pony and donkey but the virus appeared to replicate less efficiently in donkey tissues. The o...
Immunohistochemical demonstration of African horse sickness viral antigen in tissues of experimentally infected equines. African horse sickness virus (AHSV) antigen was demonstrated immunohistochemically in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded sections of tissues collected from three ponies suffering from the peracute form of the disease and from one pony affected by the fever form. The pattern of the antigen distribution indicated a particular organ tropism characterised by an accumulation of AHSV antigen in cardio-pulmonary tissues of the animals with the peracute disease and in the spleen of the pony with the fever form. AHSV antigen was identified in endothelial cells of small blood vessels, particularly capill...
Genetic variation and phylogenetic analysis of open reading frames 3 and 4 of various equine arteritis virus isolates. The genetic variation in equine arteritis virus (EAV) nonstructural (NS) protein-encoding open reading frames (ORF) 3 and 4 genes was investigated. Nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences from seven different EAV isolates (one European, one American and five Canadian isolates) and the Arvac vaccine strain were compared with those of the Bucyrus reference strain. ORF 3 nucleotide and amino acid sequence identities amongst these isolates (including the Arvac vaccine strain) and the Bucyrus reference strain ranged from 85.6 to 98.8%, and 85.3 to 98.2%, respectively, whereas ORF 4 nucleotide a...
Equine viral arteritis. Current status in Finland. A serological study for antibodies against equine arteritis virus (EAV) in Finland was performed during 1996. All equine sera delivered to the Virology Unit at the National Veterinary and Food Research Institute were tested with a micro-neutralization test, using the Arvac strain as antigen. The study also included imported horses to evaluate EAV circulation in the countries of origin. Nucleocapsid gene sequences of 2 Finnish equine semen isolates were amplified with RT-PCR and sequenced. The genetic relationships of those isolates with strains isolated elsewhere in the world were analyzed. Th...
Histamine-induced gastric acid secretion in horses. To determine gastric secretory responses in horses treated with histamine and to determine the dose of histamine needed to elicit maximal gastric secretion. Methods: 6 adult horses with an indwelling gastric cannula. Methods: Gastric contents were collected in 15-minute periods, and volume, pH, hydrogen ion concentration, hydrogen ion output, sodium concentration, and sodium output were determined. Values were determined without any treatment (baseline), after administration of pyrilamine maleate (1 mg/kg of body weight, i.v., given during a 15-minute period), and during 1-hour infusions of hi...
Equine chorionic gonadotropin regulates luteal steroidogenesis in pregnant mares. The onset of eCG secretion in pregnant mares coincides with an increase in luteal steroid production and a relative shift toward androgen and estrogen synthesis. However, a cause-effect relationship between eCG and the shift in luteal steroidogenesis has not been demonstrated. In this study, we have investigated the effect of eCG on steroid production by the corpus luteum (CL) during equine pregnancy. All mares were supplemented with 44 mg altrenogest (a progestogen) per day on Days 18-50. Increasing doses of eCG were administered on Days 26-28, before the onset of endogenous eCG secretion, to...
Changes in plasma protein concentrations in ponies with experimentally induced alimentary laminitis. To determine whether plasma protein concentrations were altered in ponies with alimentary laminitis. Methods: 12 adult ponies. Methods: Acute laminitis was induced in 6 ponies by oral administration of carbohydrate (85% corn starch, 15% wood flour); the other 6 ponies were used as controls. A physical examination was performed and blood samples were collected immediately before and 4, 8, 12, 24, and 28 hours after administration of carbohydrate. Plasma protein concentrations were determined by means of sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Results: 19 plasma proteins rang...
Local hemodynamics, permeability, and oxygen metabolism during acute inflammation of innervated or denervated isolated equine joints. To determine oxygen metabolism, permeability, and blood flow in isolated joints in response to interleukin 1beta (IL-1beta) and contribution of innervation. Methods: One metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joint of 24 adult horses. Methods: The MCP joint was isolated for 6 hours in a pump-perfused, auto-oxygenated, innervated or denervated preparation. Isolated joints were assigned to the following 4 groups: control, control-denervated, inflamed, and inflamed-denervated, and inflammation was induced by intra-articular injection of IL-1beta. Circuit arterial and venous pressures, flows, and blood gas ten...
Establishment of a monoclonal antibody (1/14/16H9) for detection of equine keratan sulfate. To establish a sensitive and specific monoclonal antibody (MAB) against equine keratan sulfate (KS) and to develop an enzyme immunoassay for measurement of the concentration of KS in serum and synovial fluid from horses. Methods: 18 synovial fluid and 48 serum samples were obtained from clinically normal horses and horses with arthritis. Methods: BALB/c mice were immunized with chondroitinase-ABC-digested proteoglycan monomer from equine joint cartilage, and MAB were raised, using Sp2/O cells as a fusion partner. A competitive ELISA was optimized, using one of the established MAB, and KS conce...
A cluster of equine granulomatous enteritis cases: the link with aluminium. A cluster of 6 cases of equine granulomatous enteritis is described. Aluminium was demonstrated in the tissues and lesions of these horses and in the intimal bodies of intestinal vessels. The relationship between granulomatous lesions, aluminium, acidity and invading microorganisms, particularly parasites, is presented and discussed.
