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Topic:Equine Health
Equine health encompasses the study and management of diseases, disorders, and overall well-being of horses. It involves understanding various physiological systems, preventive care, and treatment strategies to maintain optimal health in equine populations. Common areas of focus include nutrition, infectious diseases, orthopedic conditions, and reproductive health. Research in equine health aims to advance knowledge on diagnostic methods, therapeutic interventions, and management practices that improve horse welfare and performance. This page collects peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the diverse aspects of equine health, offering insights into current findings and advancements in the field.
Observations on the Echinococcus granulosus horse strain in Spain. The Spanish sheep and horse strains of Echinococcus granulosus possess several differential characteristics in their metacestode stage. Cysts from sheep vary widely in size and fertility, but they usually have a thin cyst wall and, when fertile, a whitish hydatid sand formed by brood capsules and protoscoleces. Two types of infections have been observed in horses: one resembling that of sheep, caused by small, non-fertile cysts with a thin wall, and a second type caused by medium to large, always fertile cysts with a thick wall. In this latter case, hydatid sand is always dark brown in color a...
Occurrence and importance of glomus organs (Hoyer-Grosser’s organs) in the skin of the equine and bovine mammary gland. Glomus organs (Hoyer-Grosser's organs) were frequently found in the corium and the subcutis of the skin of the equine and bovine mammary gland. They were most frequently situated in the border zone between the stratum profundum and the stratum superficiale corii. These specialized vascular structures (arterio-venous anastomosis) were present in all investigated skin areas. Although the glomus organs varied in size and shape, they possessed common histologic structures: an arteriole entered the connective capsule of the glomus and divided into strongly convoluted arterio-venous channels; the ar...
Effects of a sudden flow reduction on red blood cell rouleau formation and orientation using RF backscattered power. In most studies that were aimed at evaluating the kinetics of red blood cell (RBC) aggregation, human blood was initially circulated at a high shear rate to disrupt the aggregates, and measurements were performed following a complete flow stoppage, during the process of rouleau formation. However, it is known that a very low shear rate can enhance the formation of aggregates, as demonstrated by the modal relationship of the shear-rate dependence of RBC aggregation. The objective of the present study was, thus, to evaluate the influence of sudden flow reductions compared to a complete flow stop...
Monoclonal antibody against Babesia equi: characterization and potential application of antigen for serodiagnosis. Monoclonal antibody (MAb) BEG3 was produced against Babesia equi parasites to define a species-specific antigen for diagnostic use. The MAb reacted with single, paired, and Maltese cross forms of B. equi, and no reaction was observed with this MAb on acetone-fixed Babesia caballi, Babesia ovata, or Babesia microti parasites in the indirect immunofluorescent antibody test. Confocal laser and immunoelectron microscopic studies showed that the antigen which was recognized by this MAb was located on the surface of B. equi parasites. This MAb recognized a 19-kDa protein of B. equi antigen and did n...
Use of metronidazole in equine acute idiopathic toxaemic colitis. Sixteen cases of acute idiopathic toxaemic colitis developed in a veterinary hospital over a period of three years. Before the onset of colitis, 15 horses had received antibiotics, 11 had undergone general anaesthesia and various surgical procedures, and 10 had been treated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The horses had acute onset, profuse watery diarrhoea, profound depression, mild to moderate abdominal pain, reduced intestinal borborygmi, tachycardia, dehydration and endotoxic shock. Leucopenia, neutropenia and pyrexia were common early indicators of impending colitis. Metronida...
Identification of a granulocytic Ehrlichia strain isolated from a horse in Switzerland and comparison with other rickettsiae of the Ehrlichia phagocytophila genogroup. This case report describes a 12-year-old Arabian mare with granulocytic ehrlichiosis. Clinical signs included fever, apathy, anorexia, icterus, limb edema, and reluctance to move. Examination of buffy coat smears revealed Ehrlichia organisms in neutrophils and eosinophils. A band of 1,428 bp was amplified from DNA of leukocytes via nested PCR and was identified as part of the Ehrlichia 16S rRNA gene. It differed from the gene sequences of Ehrlichia phagocytophila and E. equi at two and three positions, respectively. Interestingly, the nucleotide sequence of the 16S rRNA was 100% identical to t...
Experimental transmission of Ehrlichia equi to horses through naturally infected ticks (Ixodes pacificus) from Northern California. We report the experimental transmission of Ehrlichia equi from naturally infected Ixodes pacificus ticks to horses. Three weeks after exposure to ticks, two of three horses developed clinical signs compatible with E. equi infection, while one horse remained asymptomatic. 16S rRNA gene PCR of blood leukocyte lysates was positive for all horses at various time points; two horses seroconverted. The 16S rRNA gene sequences amplified from tick-exposed horses showed more than 99% homology to corresponding fragments of the 16S rRNA genes of E. equi, Ehrlichia phagocytophila, and the human granulocyti...
Seroprevalence of Babesia equi among horses in Israel using competitive inhibition ELISA and IFA assays. Sera from 361 horses were tested by indirect immunofluorescence antibody test (IFA) and by competitive inhibition ELISA (cELISA), to detect antibodies to Babesia equi. The concordance between the assays was 95.7%. Application of a cutoff based on a calculated percent inhibition of 20% inhibition was used. Approximately one-third of all the horses tested were found serologically positive to B. equi, with more horses testing positive from northern Israel. Among horses raised with access to pasture there was a significant difference in the percentage of seropositive reactors (76.6% in the north ...
Determination of the volume changes for pressure-induced transitions of apomyoglobin between the native, molten globule, and unfolded states. The volume change for the transition from the native state of horse heart apomyoglobin to a pressure-induced intermediate with fluorescence properties similar to those of the well-established molten globule or I form was measured to be -70 ml/mol. Complete unfolding of the protein by pressure at pH 4.2 revealed an upper limit for the unfolding of the intermediate of -61 ml/mol. At 0.3 M guanidine hydrochloride, the entire transition from native to molten globule to unfolded state was observed in the available pressure range below 2.5 kbar. The volume change for the N-->I transition is relat...
Detection of virulent Rhodococcus equi in tracheal aspirate samples by polymerase chain reaction for rapid diagnosis of R. equi pneumonia in foals. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based assays were developed to detect virulent Rhodococcus equi in transtracheal aspirate samples from sick foals showing respiratory signs. An oligonucleotide primer pair from the sequence of the virulence-associated 15- to 17-kDa antigen gene of the virulence plasmid in virulent R. equi was used to amplify a 564 bp region by PCR, and the result was confirmed by Southern blot hybridization. No positive reaction was seen in DNA from 13 different microorganisms typically found in the respiratory tract. In tracheal aspirates seeded with virulent R. equi, a visible...
The interaction of Streptococcus dysgalactiae with plasmin and plasminogen. The activation of plasminogen and the binding of plasmin by bacteria may have many effects which promote infection. The occurrence of such activities in streptococci is well documented; however, these are yet to be demonstrated for S. dysgalactiae. Consequently, the ability of this bacterium to activate mammalian plasminogen and bind either plasmin or its zymogen was investigated. Activation of bovine plasminogen was dependent on both the strain and the growth medium used for cultivation. Eighteen strain were able to activate bovine and ovine plasminogen and some of these also activated plasmi...
The effect of endotoxin and anti-endotoxin serum on synovial fluid parameters in the horse. The effects of a commercially available equine hyperimmune anti-endotoxin serum on synovial fluid parameters were evaluated in an induced synovitis model in normal horses. Four groups of 3 horses each received lipopolysaccharide (LPS) plus hyperimmune antiendotoxin (anti-LPS), LPS, anti-LPS, and Ringers lactate (control) respectively injected into the left intercarpal joint. Synovial fluid parameters were measured at 4, 8, 24 and 72 h. It was found that anti-LPS had no attenuating effect on the LPS and that it induced a synovitis almost equivalent to that induced by LPS alone. The introduction...
Articular Cartilage Optical Properties in the Spectral Range 300-850 nm. Measurements of absolute total reflectance were recorded from weight-bearing (n=9) and nonweight-bearing (n=9) equine articular cartilage specimens from 300 to 850 nm using a spectrophotometer with integrating sphere attachment. Following correction of measured spectra for interfacial reflections and edge losses, Kubelka-Munk theory was applied to estimate absorption and scattering coefficient, one-dimensional light intensity distribution, and light penetration depth. Kubelka-Munk absorption coefficients ranged from ∼7 cm-1 at 330 nm to ∼1 cm-1 at 850 nm. A localized absorption peak wa...
Datura seed intoxication in two horses. A sunflower-based feed supplement grossly contaminated with the seed of a Datura sp. resulted in severe signs of poisoning in 2 horses. One horse died peracutely of acute gastric dilatation and rupture following ingestion of the contaminated feed. The 2nd horse developed unresponsive paralytic ileus that led to euthanasia. Examination of the feed and gastrointestinal contents of both horses showed a high proportion of the characteristic Datura sp. seeds. The clinical signs and pathology in both cases were consistent with intoxication by the parasympatholytic alkaloid components of Datura sp.
[Halicephalobus (Syn. Micronema) deletrix as a cause of granulomatous gingivitis and osteomyelitis in a horse]. Therapy resistant swellings of the maxillary region and unilateral nasal discharge in older horses are mainly thought to be consequences of neoplasias of the oral cavity, especially of the gingiva and the teeth, or to develop from tumours of the nasal cavity. We report an unilateral swelling of the left nasal and buccal region in a 13-year-old gelding, which was accompanied by an aggressive destruction of involved osseous tissue due to a severe proliferative granulomatous inflammation. The granuloma was caused by the nematode Halicephalobus (syn. Micronema) deletrix. This nematode infection is...
Direct sequencing of the HA gene of clinical equine H3N8 influenza virus and comparison with laboratory derived viruses. Equine influenza viruses propagated in the laboratory in alternate hosts such as embryonated hens' eggs or mammalian cell culture have been analysed by HA sequencing and antigenically and their sequence compared to the original virus present in clinical material. In contrast to clinically derived human influenza virus which generally grows in MDCK cells without change, the data for equine influenza virus were less clear in that variants of equine virus were derived in both eggs and cells. The study indicated that the current use of eggs for equine influenza virus surveillance and vaccine produ...
Efficacy of moxidectin 2% oral gel against second- and third-instar Gasterophilus intestinalis De Geer. In a trial designed to evaluate the efficacy of the recommended dosage of moxidectin 2% oral gel against the gastric stages of Gasterophilus spp., 14 ponies were selected from a herd on the basis of the inclusion criterion of the presence of Gasterophilus spp. eggs attached to their hair coats. After random allocation, the ponies were treated with 1 of 2 treatments, moxidectin 2% equine gel in a single dose at the commercial dosage of 400 microg moxidectin/kg body weight or placebo gel. The animals were necropsied 14 days posttreatment. Efficacies against second- and third-instar Gasterophilus...
Skeletal muscle adaptations to prolonged training, overtraining and detraining in horses. Thirteen standard-bred horses were trained intensively for 34 weeks and detrained for 6 weeks to study skeletal muscle adaptations to prolonged training, overtraining and detraining. Training included endurance (phase 1, 7 weeks), high-intensity (phase 2, 9 weeks) and overload training (OLT) (phase 3, 18 weeks). During phase 3, horses were divided into two groups, OLT and control (C), with OLT horses performing greater intensities and durations of exercise than C horses. Overtraining was evident in OLT horses after week 31 and was defined as a significant reduction in treadmill run time in res...
[Tinea caused by Trichophyton equinum]. We report on the first human infection with Trichophyton equinum in Germany, which was transmitted from an infected pony to a 12-year old girl. Trichophyton equinum was identified by its morphology, dependency on nicotinic acid, hair perforation, and enzyme production. A noteworthy new observation was the development of white pleomorphic tufts on the surface of thalli grown on potatoe-dextrose agar. The girl's tinea was non-inflammatory and responded promptly to topical treatment, whereas the pony's strongly inflammatory lesions persisted for months. In supernatants of cultures supplemented wi...
Dung-derived biological agents associated with reduced numbers of infective larvae of equine strongyles in faecal cultures. Two sets of dung-derived organisms from soil routinely fertilized with manure (MA) and soil chemically fertilized (CH) were cultured separately in the laboratory. Baermannized organisms from these cultures were added to 20 g of faeces from strongyle-infected horses to form three treatment groups: (i) no soil organisms; (ii) low inoculum of soil organisms containing all organisms present in a suspension of approximately 100 adult female free-living nematodes; and (iii) high inoculum containing those soil organisms present with approximately 1000 adult female free-living nematodes. Three studies...
Epidemiological aspects of dermatophyte infections in horses and cattle. Ringworm infections in the principal domestic animals are a major public and veterinary health problem. The aetiology, epidemiology and symptomatology of these mycoses are quite heterogeneous and complex. In this context, the AA carried out an epidemiological study to investigate the prevalence of dermatophytes in two different animal species, horses (n = 200) belonging to 10 private stables and cattle (n = 1900) belonging to farms with different breeding purposes and management. With regard to horses the results showed a positive level of 9% and Trichophyton equinum was the major organism iso...
Concentrations of oxytocin in the intercavernous sinus of mares during luteolysis: temporal relationship with concentrations of 13,14-dihydro-15-keto-prostaglandin F2 alpha. The reproductive tracts of nine thoroughbred mares were examined by ultrasound to determine the day of ovulation (day 0). Mares were fitted with intercavernous sinus cannulae on the day before the start of sample collection of pituitary venous effluent rich in oxytocin. Intercavernous sinus blood samples were collected for at least 36 h at 5 min intervals beginning at noon on day 13 (n = 2), day 15 (n = 5) or day 16 (n = 2) after ovulation. Concentrations of oxytocin and 13,14-dihydro-15-keto prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGFM) in plasma were determined by radioimmunoassay. Three high-magnitude surg...
Plasma aspartate aminotransferase and creatine kinase activities in thoroughbred racehorses in relation to age, sex, exercise and training. In order to investigate the effect of age, sex and month on the response of plasma aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and creatine kinase (CK) to exercise, blood samples were collected once a month between March and September from a group of 40 2- and 3-year-old (2yo and 3yo) thoroughbred racehorses (kept under the same managemental regimen) at rest before exercise (PRE) and at 2 (2H) and 24 h (24H) post-exercise. The absolute change in activities between the 2H and PRE samples (2H delta) and the 24H and PRE samples (24H delta) was also calculated. Age had a significant effect on all measured an...
The diagnosis of lameness associated with distal limb pathology in a horse: a comparison of radiography, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. A cadaver limb from an eight-year-old horse with right forelimb lameness that was relieved with an intra-articular distal interphalangeal joint block was imaged with radiographs, spiral computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Spiral CT demonstrated several lucencies within the deep digital flexor tendon immediately proximal to the navicular bone. On MRI these areas had increased signal and there was enlargement of the tendon at this site. Effusion in the proximal interphalangeal joint and navicular bursa and thinning of the fibrocartilage of the navicular bone were also ...
Gas handling in the caecum of the horse. Electromanometric recordings of caecal pressures were made in chronically cannulated ponies. Endoscopy allowed direct observation of the caecal base and cupola while recording intracaecal pressures and enabled a functional interpretation of caecal pressure profiles. Using gas-tight seals, the caecal gas cap baseline pressure (tone) was usually below atmosphere, becoming less negative postprandially. Diurnal variations were observed in the amplitude and frequency of caecal pressure profiles and the direction of caecal movements, during which intra-caecal gas cap pressures briefly became positiv...
Report of the Second Equine Leucocyte Antigen Workshop, Squaw valley, California, July 1995. The final assignment of antibody clusters for leucocyte antigens and immunoglobulins, as described in detail in Sections 3 and 4, is summarized in Table 4. Together with other mAbs developed outside of ELAW II (Table 9) this pool of reagents represent a powerful array of tools for the study of equine immunity. The Second Equine Leucocyte Antigen Workshop made considerable advances in pursuing the objectives of establishing the specificities of mAbs and achieving consensus on the nomenclature for equine leucocyte and immunoglobulin molecules. Of equal importance, several productive collaboratio...
