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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.
Reduced centrifugation duration improves diagnostic performance of an equine tapeworm egg counting technique. Anoplocephala perfoliata, can cause severe health problems in horses. Standard coprological tests have performed poorly for detecting A. perfoliata, and while a centrifugation-enhanced flotation technique is superior to other techniques, it is time consuming due to three 10-minute centrifugation steps. This study aimed to evaluate modifications of this technique that reduce the centrifugation durations to 5 and 1 min, respectively. Fecal samples were collected from ten adult A. perfoliata egg count positive mares and divided into 9 subsamples to allow for three replicate counts for each of th...
Prevalence, risk factors, and antimicrobial resistance of Staphylococcus aureus in equines in Egypt. Staphylococcus aureus is a common commensal organism in both humans and animals, frequently colonizing the skin and nasal cavities of healthy individuals, although it can also cause a wide range of severe infections. The present study investigated the prevalence and risk factors of S. aureus in equines, along with antimicrobial resistance patterns of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) isolates. The results revealed a prevalence of 38.6% in nasal samples collected from equines, highlighting the organism's significant presence and potential to cause infections in these animals. A genotypic p...
Molecular and parasitological evidence of Leishmania (Mundinia) martiniquensis infection in a horse from Brazil. Leishmania (Mundinia) martiniquensis is an emerging human pathogen with increasing reports of infection in domestic animals. This study describes a naturally infected mare from Brazil with no history of international travel, presenting with persistent nodular cutaneous lesions and cervical lymph node enlargement, without evidence of systemic involvement. Considering the endemicity of cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis in the study area, as well as previous reports of equine leishmaniasis, infection by Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum was initially suspected. Anti-L. (L.) infantum antibodies ...
Viral Hepatitis. Since 2012, 2 viral causes of hepatitis have been identified in horses. Much remains to be discovered about their transmission, risk factors for clinical disease, diagnosis, and treatment approaches. Equine parvovirus-hepatitis has been identified as the cause of acute hepatic necrosis, previously known as Theiler's disease. Equine hepacivirus is recognized as a cause of chronic fibrosing hepatitis. Diagnosis relies on ruling out other causes of hepatitis and documenting infection by serum or liver polymerase chain reaction. There is no direct antiviral for either condition and treatments are ...
West Nile Virus in Horses as a Sentinel Host in One Health Surveillance: Epidemiological Insights and Future Perspectives. West Nile virus (WNV) is a globally distributed mosquito-borne flavivirus with significant implications for both veterinary and public health. While horses are incidental dead-end hosts, their epidemiological role extends beyond clinical disease, as they can serve as effective sentinel hosts for detecting local viral circulation. Their frequent exposure to mosquito vectors, ability to mount measurable antibody responses, geographic stability, accessibility for monitoring, and the possibility of observation within managed owner-veterinarian systems make them particularly suitable for surveillan...
Molecular prevalence of equine herpesvirus type 1 and equine herpesvirus type 4 in thoroughbred and Arabian horse facilities in Türkiye. Equine herpesvirus-1 and -4 are contagious viruses causing respiratory disease and reproductive losses in horses. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of EHV-1 and EHV-4 in eight Turkish stud farms using RT-PCR analysis of nasal secretions, uterine fluids and aborted foal tissues. Deep nasal swabs were collected from 443 horses showing acute-onset fever and/or clinical signs of respiratory disease. Additionally, uterine swabs and tissue samples (lung, liver, spleen, thymus, kidney, heart) were obtained from 152 abortion cases. Among symptomatic horses, EHV-1 DNA was found in 2 cases (0...
Cross-protective effect of a multicomponent fusion protein vaccine during a natural episode of Streptococcus zooepidemicus respiratory disease in ponies. Streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus is a highly diverse opportunistic pathogen of horses, associated with respiratory disease and endometritis. Objective: To characterise S. zooepidemicus isolates recovered from young ponies during a natural episode of respiratory disease, and to determine if vaccination with Strangvac®, a vaccine against Streptococcus equi subspecies equi, conferred cross-protection. Methods: Retrospective analysis of a double-blinded placebo-controlled study involving 32 ponies (16 vaccinates and 16 placebo controls) that experienced a natural episode of respiratory...
Case Report: Oral and topical chronic administration of THC-rich and CBD-rich cannabis oil as palliative care in a rescued horse with open wound, sarcoid and chronic pain. Cannabinoid-based therapies have shown analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and wound-healing potential across veterinary species; however, clinical data on long-term use of THC-rich formulations in horses remain scarce. This case report describes the use of combined oral and topical THC-rich and CBD-rich full-spectrum cannabis oils as part of a palliative care strategy in a rescued horse with severe chronic disease. A senior mixed-breed gelding was rescued with a large, chronic ulcerative lesion of the left hind limb, severe malnutrition, non-weight-bearing lameness (AAEP grade 5/5), and refractory ...
Pathology of sudden death in racehorses: a review. Sudden death (SD) is the second most important syndrome associated with death in racehorses. The cause of SD in a large number of horses remains undetermined, and, in many of these cases, causes are not found by gross or microscopic postmortem examinations. Among the known causes of SD are traumatic injuries, including fractures of skull, neck, and pelvis; intoxications (e.g., anticoagulant rodenticides); and others. For many cases of SD in which no significant lesions are found, heart failure, probably associated with arrhythmias, is suspected. Precise phenotypic characterization of SD in hor...
Evaluation of two point-of-care molecular diagnostic platforms for rapid detection of equine Hendra virus. Hendra virus (HeV) is a lethal zoonotic pathogen endemic to eastern Australia, posing significant risks to equine and human health. Rapid field detection of HeV enables timely intervention and outbreak management. This study evaluated candidate point-of-care (POC) molecular diagnostic platforms for HeV detection in equine samples: including a loop-mediated isothermal amplification (DARQ RT-LAMP) assay and real-time reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Comparative analytical evaluation demonstrated that RT-qPCR exhibited superior analytical sensitivity relativ...
Herd-level occurrence and spread of Theileria equi and its associated ticks on an Austrian horse farm. Equine piroplasmosis (EP) is a tick-borne disease caused by the blood parasites Theileria equi, Theileria haneyi, and Babesia caballi transmitted primarily by hard ticks (Ixodidae). The clinical courses of EP range from asymptomatic to severe, and chronic infections for several years support the transmission among hosts. Methods: Over a period of two years, blood and fecal samples were taken from horses (n = 18) on a single farm in eastern Austria, starting with the first confirmed case of T. equi infection. Hard ticks (n = 1525 of Ixodes ricinus, Dermacentor reticulatus and Haemaphysalis ...
Efficacy of 0.5% Tretinoin in the Treatment of Equine Aural Plaques. Equine aural plaques are a benign form of auricular papillomatosis caused by equine papillomavirus. Despite the efficacy of 5% imiquimod cream, a marked local reaction is frequently observed during therapy, often requiring sedation before application. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and potential adverse effects of 0.5% topical tretinoin in the treatment of equine aural plaques. We hypothesised that tretinoin would be effective, with fewer adverse effects compared to imiquimod. Methods: The study included 10 horses of both sexes, aged between 7 months and 15 y...
Do Polish Konik Horses Find Soaked Hay to Be Palatable? Frequently, equine diseases necessitate the moistening or soaking of hay for the horses. It was assumed that this treatment would not reduce the willingness of the Polish Konik horses with low nutritional requirements to consume the hay. Furthermore, it was believed that moistening would increase the palatability of this feed. The aim of this study was to determine time and frequency parameters and the amount of unconsumed dry, moist, or soaked hay. The research material comprised 12 Polish Konik horses consuming either 1 kg of dry hay, 2.1 kg of moist hay, or 3.3 kg of soaked hay on three sub...
Miscellaneous Equine Liver Conditions. Miscellaneous equine liver conditions not covered in other chapters include chronic active hepatitis, Tyzzer's disease, seasonal idiopathic hepatitis, neoplasia, and idiopathic persistent hyperbilirubinemia. Chronic active hepatitis refers to inflammatory and fibrotic liver disease with an unknown cause. Treatment is aimed at reducing inflammation. Tyzzer's disease is caused by Clostridium piliforme infection and causes acute necrotizing hepatitis in foals. Successful treatment with antimicrobial therapy and supportive care is rare. Seasonal idiopathic hepatitis is a winter disease of Midweste...
A Revised View on Equine Hypertriglyceridemia, Hyperlipidemia, and Hyperlipemia. Hypertriglyceridemia, also known as hyperlipidemia or hyperlipemia, affects equids of all breeds and ages, mostly secondary to a negative energy balance triggered by a disease process. Increased triglyceride concentrations (TG) have been described in well-eating equids with endocrinopathies, atypical myopathy, severe liver disease, and after treatment with sodium-glucose transporter 2 inhibitors. The fact that equids can have substantially increased TG without showing clinical signs prompted reevaluation of the clinical effects of hypertriglyceridemia. As long as the consequences of high TG ar...
Biliary Disorders in Horses. This review will mainly focus on the presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of cholangiohepatitis in adult horses. The condition is often accompanied by some degree of intrahepatic and/or extrahepatic biliary obstruction with "sludgy" bile or actual choleliths. In horses, these calculi are typically composed of calcium bilirubinate, rather than cholesterol. There is a propensity for cholangiohepatitis to become a recurrent, chronic condition and patient management should reflect this. Although much rarer, foreign body obstruction, neoplasia and, in some parts of the world, liver flukes can als...
Prognosis of Equine Liver Diseases. Prognostic information in equine liver disease can be gleaned from historical, clinical, clinicopathological, ultrasonographic, and histopathological features. However, given the multiple causes and subtypes of liver disease affecting horses worldwide, prognostic data might not be suitable for universal application across all cases. Most evidence has been established for horses with chronic hepatopathies and extrapolation to acute cases should be avoided. In chronic liver disease the presence and severity of clinical signs and serum markers including total globulins, albumin, and bile acids ar...
Seroprevalence of Orthoflaviviruses in horses in 3 different Algerian climatic zones between 2021 and 2023. Orthoflaviviruses are etiological agents of neurological diseases in equines. Horses are susceptible to equine Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), Usutu virus (USUV), and West Nile virus (WNV), although mostly WNV has been associated with clinical disease. The aim of the present study was to estimate the prevalence of TBEV, USUV and WNV in 289 healthy horses from nine provinces of Algeria. This study was conducted between March 2021 and December 2023. Sera that tested positive, doubtful, or negative close to the doubtful threshold in the Orthoflavivirus-ELISA were further tested by the virus...
Topical betulinic acid for treatment of equine melanoma and sarcoid. Betulinic acid, a natural pentacyclic triterpenoid, has demonstrated anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor properties in vitro, including activity against equine melanoma and sarcoid. However, there is limited in vivo evidence evaluating its clinical efficacy. The objective of this study was to assess the safety and efficacy of a compounded 1% betulinic acid cream for the treatment of equine cutaneous melanoma and sarcoid. Unassigned: This prospective, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial enrolled client-owned horses with melanoma or sarcoid tumors. Horses received either a...
Equine Liver Histopathology. This review summarizes best practices for equine liver biopsy, including when to perform a biopsy, techniques for sample collection and handling, and strategies to optimize diagnostic yield. It discusses the interpretive framework used by pathologists, common diagnostic challenges, and prognostic scoring systems. Limitations such as sampling error and variability among observers are considered alongside ancillary testing, immunohistochemistry, and in situ hybridization. Emphasis is placed on the importance of communication between clinicians and pathologists to maximize diagnostic and prognost...
Derivatisation-free FIA-MS/MS assay for rapid simultaneous screening of atypical myopathy biomarkers and acylcarnitine profiles from dried blood spots. Atypical myopathy (AM) is a frequently fatal, toxin-induced disease in horses, characterised by acute progression and mortality rates exceeding 70% within 72 h. The disease is caused by ingestion of seedlings or seeds of certain maple species that contain the toxins hypoglycin A (HGA) and methylenecyclopropylglycine (MCPrG). Early diagnosis depends on reliable detection of these compounds and their metabolites. However, most available LC-MS/MS assays are limited by derivatisation requirements and dependence on serum and urine matrices. Here, a rapid derivatisation-free flow injection analysis...
Isolation and Identification of Emerging Equine Encephalosis Virus Serotype 6 in Israel, 2023. Equine encephalosis (EE) is an arthropod-borne viral disease resembling a mild form of African horse sickness disease, which affects all species of equids. Previously, only EEV serotype 4 (EEV-4) caused sporadic outbreaks of the disease in Israel. In the summer of 2023, EE was clinically diagnosed in horses and donkeys in Israel. For laboratory confirmation, tissue cultures were inoculated with whole-blood samples obtained from sick animals. Five EEV isolates were successfully recovered in tissue and confirmed by conventional RT-PCR and Sanger sequencing of several viral genes. BLAST analysis ...
Surveillance of equine glanders in India (2019-2023): Prevalence estimate, risk analysis and future strategy. Equine glanders, a notifiable zoonotic disease caused by Burkholderia mallei, continues to pose a significant health and regulatory challenge in India. This study summarizes the outcomes of a nationwide sero surveillance programme conducted between January 2019 and December 2023 to assess the distribution and temporal trends of glanders in equid populations. A total of 158,798 serum samples collected from 391 districts across 19 states and three union territories were screened using Hcp1-based indirect ELISA, followed by confirmatory testing through the complement fixation test. During the fiv...
Theileria equi sensu lato genetic diversity and phylogeny: new insights from mitochondrion, apicoplast and nucleus multilocus gene analysis. Equine piroplasmosis is a significant tick-borne disease with a global distribution. Among the two causative agents, Theileria equi has undergone numerous taxonomic reclassifications over time, reflecting advances in our understanding of its biology, molecular characteristics, and phylogenetic relationships. Formerly named Babesia equi, now classified in the Equus group apart from Babesia and Theileria species, its genus name will again certainly change. The genetic diversity also within T. equi lead to the renaming of one lineage as Theileria haneyi. Theileria equi should better now be consid...
Activity of 1,2-o-dilauryl-rac-glycero-3-glutaric acid-(6′-methylresorufin) ester lipase in peritoneal fluid may be associated with strangulating lesions, pancreatic fibrosis, and negative outcome in horses with colic. To compare plasma and peritoneal 1,2-o-dilauryl-rac-glycero-3-glutaric acid-(6'-methylresorufin) ester (DGGR) lipase activity between horses with and without colic signs and document pancreatic histopathology in a subset of horses. Unassigned: This prospective, cross-sectional study included university-owned or donated healthy horses and client-owned horses presenting to the veterinary teaching hospital for colic. Peritoneal WBC and lactate concentrations and plasma and peritoneal DGGR lipase activity were measured. Pancreatic tissue was collected via convenience sampling. Pancreatic fibrosis ...
Visceral disseminated hemangiosarcoma causing severe bicytopenia in a mare. Hemangiosarcoma is an uncommon but highly aggressive malignant vascular neoplasm in horses, most often identified as a disseminated process at postmortem examination. This report describes an adult Warmblood mare presenting with acute hemorrhagic diarrhea, severe anemia, and thrombocytopenia associated with disseminated hemangiosarcoma likely originating in the transverse colon with metastasis to the liver and lungs. This case highlights gastrointestinal hemangiosarcoma as a potential differential diagnosis in horses with unexplained bicytopenia and hemorrhagic enteropathy.
Near-Term Extrauterine Pregnancy Secondary To Uterine Rupture In A Mare. Uterine rupture is an uncommon but life-threatening complication of equine reproduction, typically associated with dystocia, uterine torsion, fetal manipulation, or hydrops. Tears may occur in either the uterine horns or body, although involvement of the ventral uterine body is rare. This case report describes an 11-year-old Arabian mare at 350 days of gestation that developed abdominal pregnancy secondary to uterine torsion and full-thickness ventral uterine rupture, resulting in fetal death and the free presence of the fetus within the peritoneal cavity. Surgical removal of the fetus and pri...
A Genetic Algorithm-Based Approach for Quantitative Prediction of Drug-Drug Interactions Caused by Cytochrome P450 3A Inhibition or Induction in Horses. A genetic algorithm (GA)-based approach was designed to predict drug-drug interactions (DDIs) triggered by cytochrome P450 3A (CYP3A) inhibition or induction in horses. Area under the concentration-time curve ratios (AUCRs), obtained from published in vivo DDI studies in horses, were used to compute the following parameters: (1) the contribution ratio (CR), i.e., the fraction of the substrate dose metabolized via the CYP3A pathway, and (2) the interacting drug's inhibitory potency or inducing efficacy (IR or IC, respectively). AUCRs for 9 substrates, 12 inhibitors, and 1 inducer of equine C...
An epizootic of equine viral arteritis at a Thoroughbred racetrack in Illinois: 223 cases. An epizootic of equine viral arteritis (EVA) occurred over an 8-wk period in the summer of 1993 at a midwestern Thoroughbred (TB) racetrack that ceased operations in 2021. Based on clinical signs, viral isolation, and serology, 223 horses (213 TBs, 10 lead ponies) were affected. Consistent clinical signs included fever (38.3-40.6°C; 101-105°F), depression, inappetence, and diffuse urticaria, including distal limb and preputial edema. Equine arteritis virus (EAV) was cultured from buffy coat samples from 24 of 28 acutely ill horses. Seventeen of 18 convalescent horses and 1 of 92 non-affected...
Owner satisfaction and animal welfare after bilateral enucleation in horses. Bilateral enucleation in horses represents a challenging decision for owners, undertaken to relieve chronic, untreatable ocular pain. Emotional distress and uncertainty regarding postoperative welfare often lead to euthanasia instead of surgery. Objective: To evaluate owner perceptions of equine quality of life before and after bilateral enucleation, and to assess satisfaction with the procedure. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: Medical records from 21 horses that underwent bilateral enucleation between 2016 and 2024 were reviewed. Owners completed a structured survey assessing sat...
