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.
Lazareva Y, Rayisyan M, Mironova E.Keratitis is a common cause of eye diseases in horses, often resulting in complete loss of vision. The purpose of this article is to study the features of the clinical picture of primary and secondary keratitis in horses, depending on the form of the course of the disease. The study was conducted in 2019 at 22 private horse breeding farms. The study involved 80 horses with keratitis, which were divided into two equal groups depending on the diagnosis of primary or secondary keratitis. The effectiveness of the therapies was compared 1, 3, and 6 months after the start of treatment. Following a 1...
Felici M, Nanni Costa L, Zappaterra M, Bozzo G, Di Pinto P, Minero M, Padalino B.During horse transportation, the journey conditions are considered a welfare risk. This study aimed to document journeys, journey conditions, and welfare status of handled horses on arrival at two different slaughterhouses in Northern and Southern Italy, to find possible associations between journey conditions and welfare problems. The welfare status of 613 draft-breed and light-breed horses from 32 different journeys was evaluated on arrival at the slaughterhouses with a standardized protocol, using animal-based (ABMs) and environmental-based (EBMs) measures. The drivers’ skills and vehicle...
Akula S, Riihimäki M, Waern I, Åbrink M, Raine A, Hellman L, Wernersson S.Asthma is a chronic inflammatory airway disease and a serious health problem in horses as well as in humans. In humans and mice, mast cells (MCs) are known to be directly involved in asthma pathology and subtypes of MCs accumulate in different lung and airway compartments. The role and phenotype of MCs in equine asthma has not been well documented, although an accumulation of MCs in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) is frequently seen. To characterize the phenotype of airway MCs in equine asthma we here developed a protocol, based on MACS Tyto sorting, resulting in the isolation of 92.9% pur...
Depuydt E, Chiers K, Van Hecke L, Saunders J, Martens A, Pille F, Spaas JH.Injuries to equine tendons and ligaments are career-compromising, causing reduced performance and premature retirement. Promising treatment alternatives have been investigated in the field of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). In this study, the tissue adherence and protein expression of tenogenic primed mesenchymal stem cells (tpMSCs) after administration to ex vivo tendon and ligament explants is investigated. First, collagen type I (COL I) and smooth muscle actin (SMA) expression was assessed in cytospins prepared from native MSCs and tpMSCs. Second, equine superficial digital flexor tendon and...
Ahmed BM, Bayoumi MM, Farrag MA, Elgamal MA, Daly JM, Amer HM.Equine influenza is an important cause of respiratory disease in equids. The causative virus; EIV, is highly variable and can evolve by accumulation of mutations, particularly in the haemagglutinin (HA) gene. Currently, H3N8 is the sole subtype circulating worldwide with Florida clade 1 (FC1) is most prevalent in the Americas and FC2 in Asia and Europe. In Egypt, EIV was detected in two occasions: subtype H7N7 in 1989 and subtype H3N8 (FC1) in 2008. No data is available on the circulation pattern of EIV during the last decade despite frequent observation of suspected cases. Twenty-two nasal sw...
Boström A, Bergh A, Hyytiäinen H, Asplund K.Extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ECSWT) is increasingly used to treat different types of musculoskeletal conditions in sport and companion animals. To explore the scientific basis for the treatment, we conducted a systematic review of the literature on ECSWT used in horses, dogs, and cats. Methods: Relevant articles published in 1980-2020 were identified from three major databases. Each article was assessed for risk of bias. Results: The review identified 27 relevant articles on the effects of ECSWT in horses, nine in dogs, but none in cats. Typically, ECSWT involved one to three treatment se...
Górski K, Stefanik E, Turek B, Bereznowski A, Czopowicz M, Polkowska I, Domino M.Dental disorders, a term encompassing both malocclusion and dental disease, constitute a serious health problem in horses worldwide. As horse populations differ among countries and regions, a geographically specific characterization of the occurrence of various dental disorders may be helpful for local equine practitioners. This study investigated the prevalence and frequency distribution of selected malocclusions and dental diseases in horses housed in the Mazovia region of Poland, with attention paid to variations among age, gender, and breed categories. Routine dental examinations were cond...
Cavalleri JV, Korbacska-Kutasi O, Leblond A, Paillot R, Pusterla N, Steinmann E, Tomlinson J.Horses and other equids can be infected with several viruses of the family Flaviviridae, belonging to the genus Flavivirus and Hepacivirus. This consensus statement focuses on viruses with known occurrence in Europe, with the objective to summarize the current literature and formulate clinically relevant evidence-based recommendations regarding clinical disease, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. The viruses circulating in Europe include West Nile virus, tick-borne encephalitis virus, Usutu virus, Louping ill virus and the equine hepacivirus. West Nile virus and Usutu virus are mosquito-bor...
Hobbs SJ, Curtis S, Martin J, Sinclair J, Clayton HM.Conformation of the hooves and distal limbs of foals and factors influencing their morphological development have not been reported in detail for the Thoroughbred breed. In this paper we explore morphogenesis of the equine distal limb in Thoroughbred foals with emphasis on adaptations in response to weight bearing early in life that prepare the foal for an athletic career. Novel data from four studies are presented chronologically during key time periods to illustrate specific aspects of distal limb growth and adaptation. Dorsal epidermal thickness increased from 2.84 ± 0.41 mm in utero to 4....
Lawton K, Keller SM, Barnum S, Arredondo-Lopez C, Spann K, Pusterla N.While some companion animals have been shown to be susceptible to SARS-CoV-2, their role in the COVID-19 pandemic has remained poorly investigated. Equids are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 based on the similarity of the human ACE-2 receptor and reports of infection. Clinical disease and prevalence factors associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection in equids have not yet been investigated. The aim of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 and selected prevalence factors in 1186 equids presented for various conditions to a Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital over a two-year period. ...
Wotman KL, Chow L, Martabano B, Pezzanite LM, Dow S.Ocular surface squamous neoplasia (OSSN) is the major cause of corneal cancer in man and horses worldwide, and the prevalence of OSSN is increasing due to greater UVB exposure globally. Currently, there are no approved treatments for OSSN in either species, and most patients are managed with surgical excision or off-label treatment with locally injected interferon alpha, or topically applied cytotoxic drugs such as mitomycin C. A more broadly effective and readily applied immunotherapy could exert a significant impact on management of OSSN worldwide. We therefore evaluated the effectiveness of...
Żak-Bochenek A, Bajzert J, Sambor D, Siwińska N, Szponar B, Łaczmański Ł, Żebrowska P, Czajkowska A, Karczewski M, Chełmońska-Soyta A.The defensive function of the intestinal mucosa depends both on the ability to secrete immunoglobulin A and communication with the mucus microbiome. In horses, the functioning of this system is also influenced by the presence of nematode eggs. Feces collected from healthy horses were examined to determine the fecal egg count, immunoglobulin A level (ELISA), microbiome composition (Next-Generation Sequencing, NGS, V3−V4 and V7−V9 hypervariable regions of the 16S rRNA gene analysis and short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production ((high-performance liquid chromatography, HPLC). In the taxonomic ...
Ji Z, Zhang J, Deng C, Hu Z, Du Q, Guo T, Wang J, Fan R, Han R, Yang Y.Mare milk(MM)production is lower than that of cow milk (CM), making it a premium product. Unfortunately, sellers adulterate MM with cheap CM to unscrupulously gain more profits. This study aimed to analyze MM adulteration with CM using proteomics and metabolomics. Using univariate and multivariate statistical analysis, the relative abundances of certain proteins of caseins and secretoglobin family 1D member were found to be higher with a higher CM admixture percentage. In addition, several metabolites, such as orotic and 4-aminonicotinic acids, increased in the mare-cow milk mixture with an in...
Qiu X, Cao X, Shi N, Zhang H, Zhu X, Gao Y, Mai Z, Jin N, Lu H.Getah virus (GETV) disease is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that causes fever, aseptic meningitis, and abortion in a variety of animals. Currently, the epidemic trend of GETV disease increases seriously worldwide, especially in China, posing a potential threat to animal safety and public health. However, there are few reports about the epidemiological investigation of GETV disease in China as well as a lack of commercial diagnostic kit for GETV antibody. Therefore, the establishment of a rapid, sensitive and suitable GETV antibody detection method for large-scale samples is an urgent req...
Lindinger MI.Horses that sweat for prolonged periods lose considerable amounts of water and electrolytes. Maintenance of hydration and prevention of dehydration requires that water and electrolytes are replaced. Dehydration is common in equine disciplines and can be avoided, thus promoting equine wellness, improved performance and enhanced horse and rider safety. Significant dehydration occurs through exercise or transport lasting one hour or more. Oral electrolyte supplementation is an effective strategy to replace water and electrolytes lost through sweating. The stomach and small intestine serve as a re...
Adler DMT, Jørgensen E, Cornett C.To determine the synovial fluid (SF) concentrations of lidocaine and mepivacaine after intra-articular injection with clinically relevant doses to the distal interphalangeal (DIP), metacarpophalangeal (MCP), middle carpal (MC), and tarsocrural (TC) joint at two different time points after injection in order to be able to compare concentrations with previously established concentrations associated with cytotoxicity and antimicrobial activity. Unassigned: In the first of two experiments, 20 joints (5 MC, 5 MCP, 10 DIP joints) of five horses under general anesthesia were injected with clinically ...
Osterman-Lind E, Hedberg Alm Y, Hassler H, Wilderoth H, Thorolfson H, Tydén E.Horses, as grazing animals, are inadvertently exposed to intestinal parasites that, if not controlled, may cause disease. However, the indiscriminate use of anthelmintic drugs has led to drug resistance, highlighting the need for pasture-management practices to reduce the level of parasitic exposure and lessen reliance on drugs. The efficacy of such methods depends both on the epidemiology of the parasites and the prevailing weather conditions. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of faecal removal and harrowing on reducing the number of parasite larvae in herbage. Moreover, the ...
Merridale-Punter MS, Wiethoelter AK, El-Hage CM, Hitchens PL.Lameness is an important concern in working equids of low- and middle-income communities (LMICs) with significant One Welfare implications. This study aims to determine the prevalence and influencing factors of lameness in working equids of LMICs. A systematic review and meta-analysis were performed to investigate pooled outcome prevalence using a random intercept regression model. Subgroup and sensitivity analysis were performed through meta-regression. A meta-analysis of study factors for lameness prevalence was performed. Sixty-four studies were included in the review. The pooled prevalence...
Pisch C, Wensch-Dorendorf M, Schwarzenbolz U, Henle T, Greef JM, Zeyner A.Steaming hay is increasingly used to treat low-quality forage because it was proven to reduce inhalable allergens such as mould spores, bacteria, and airborne dust particles. Preliminary results have shown a substantial loss of precaecal (pc) digestibility (D) of crude protein (CP) and amino acids (AA). For this purpose, six different batches of hay from central Germany were divided into four subsamples, and each one was individually steamed. Native hay and four replicates of each steamed subsample were analysed for CP, AA, neutral detergent insoluble crude protein (NDICP), neutral detergent s...
McGilloway M, Manley S, Aho A, Heeringa KN, Lou Y, Squires EJ, Pearson W.Leaky gut syndrome (LGS) is an idiopathic disorder characterised by alterations in intestinal permeability and low-grade systemic inflammation. Factors contributing to development of LGS are not well-understood but physiological stressors such as exercise and transport may play a role which may be of pathophysiological relevance in horses. Objective: To characterise the combined effect of transport stress and exercise on gastrointestinal permeability, and to determine whether these effects are associated with increased inflammatory biomarkers in plasma. Methods: Controlled, randomised and cros...
Stefanik E, Górski K, Turek B, Drewnowska-Szczepakowska O, Kliczkowska-Klarowicz K, Stefanik A.Melanomas in horses are most often associated with gray, older horses with an average age of over 16 years. Anaplastic malignant melanoma, however, can very rarely affect non-gray horses. Herein, we report a case of a 16-year-old Wielkopolski gelding with a chronic lameness caused by a mass in the hoof. The first resection of the lesion and histopathological examination confirmed the presence of a keratoma. The regrown mass and persistent lameness resulted in another mass resection. The second histopathological examination result suggested a neoplastic growth of melanocytic origin with a low h...
Ilić T, Bogunović D, Nenadović K, Gajić B, Dimitrijević S, Popović G, Kulišić Z, Milosavljević P.Data on gastrointestinal infections in horses in Southeastern Europe are limited; thus, this study aimed to add to the existing knowledge on this topic by reporting on the prevalence of intestinal parasites of horses in the territory of the Republic of Serbia. Methods: In the period from April 2017 to December 2018, parasitological examination of 548 samples from horses of different breed, age and sex from four regions and 18 districts of the country was performed. Coprological diagnostic was done by using qualitative methods without concentration and qualitative methods with concentration of ...
Silva CJFL, Trindade KLG, Cruz RKS, Manso HECCC, Coelho CS, Filho JDR, Nogueira CEW, Aragona F, Fazio F, Manso Filho HC.Erosions and gastric ulcers may be present in horses at any age and under different conditions of rearing and handling. In tropical regions, horses can feed on fruits rich in soluble carbohydrates, such as mangoes, but little is known about how these foods interact with their digestive systems. To test the hypothesis that the ingestion of ripe mangoes with peels could cause disturbances in the digestive processes of horses, an experiment was developed to monitor animals that had free access to ripe mangoes in their pasture areas. Horses (purebred Arabians, n = 5; ~340 kg, ~13 years) were evalu...
Saitua A, Castejón-Riber C, Requena F, Argüelles D, Calle-González N, de Medina AS, Muñoz A.During a water treadmill (WT) exercise, horses change their accelerometric patterns. We aimed to analyze if these changes persist during terrestrial locomotion. Six horses were randomly subjected to 40 min duration WT exercises, without water (WW), at the depth of fetlock (FET), carpus (CAR) and stifle (STF), with a day off between them. Before and after 30 min after WT, horses were evaluated at walk and at trot on a track with a triaxial accelerometer fixed on the pectoral (PECT) and sacrum (SML) regions. The percent of change from baseline (before WT and after each exercise session) were cal...
Scilimati N, Beccati F, Dall'Aglio C, Di Meo A, Pepe M.To provide a postmortem description of anatomic variations and changes of the lumbosacroiliac region in horses. The authors hypothesized that lesion severity would increase with age and body weight and correlate to anatomic variations. Lumbosacroiliac vertebral specimens from 38 horses (mean age, 16 years; range, 5 to 30 years) that died or were euthanized for reasons unrelated to the study between November 2019 and October 2021. The lumbosacroiliac region of the vertebral column was removed from each cadaver. After dissection, disarticulation, and boiling, the anatomic specimens were examined...
Furtado T, Perkins E, Pinchbeck G, McGowan C, Watkins F, Christley R.While equine obesity is understood by equine professionals to be a serious and widespread welfare problem, thus far approaches to reducing the prevalence of obesity in the UK's leisure horses have mainly been limited to educating owners about the dangers of obesity in their horses. In human health, approaches to behavior change encourage holistic thinking around human behavior, recognizing the importance of the connection between the individuals' knowledge, attitudes, habits, and the social and physical environments. This study used qualitative data from interviews with horse owners and profes...
Scholtz M, Guthrie AJ, Fosgate GT, Schulman ML.Population demographics and reproductive performance of Thoroughbred populations have been described, but the most recent assessment of the South African Thoroughbred population was reported two decades ago. Objectives of this study were to report demographic data for selected Thoroughbred breeding populations and to analyse selected mare-level variables in association with foaling outcomes, as predictors of reproductive performance. The National Horseracing Authority of Southern Africa's stud health scheme requires annual screening of Thoroughbred stallions, maiden and barren mares for venere...
Cummings CO, Krucik DDR, Price E.Clinical predictive models use a patient's baseline demographic and clinical data to make predictions about patient outcomes and have the potential to aid clinical decision making. The extent of equine clinical predictive models is unknown in the literature. Using PubMed and Google Scholar, we systematically reviewed the predictive models currently described for use in equine patients. Models were eligible for inclusion if they were published in a peer-reviewed article as a multivariable model used to predict a clinical/laboratory/imaging outcome in an individual horse or herd. The agreement o...
Okada CTC, Kaps M, Reichart U, Walter I, Gautier C, Aurich J, Aurich C.While detrimental effects of reduced plasma progesterone concentration in the early luteal phase on conceptus development in horses have recently been demonstrated, there is no information on associated effects on the endometrium, allantochorion (AC), and chorionic girdle (CG) in this species. We hypothesised that reduced early postovulatory progesterone concentration in pregnant horses is detrimental to endometrial function and development of the embryonic membranes and is an underlying cause of delayed conceptus development. After insemination and ovulation, mares (n = 11) were assigned to...
Buchner HH, Savelberg HH, Schamhardt HC, Barneveld A.The kinematic patterns of all limbs of 11 clinically nonlame Dutch Warmblood horses were studied during induced supporting limb lameness to gain insight into the compensation mechanisms horses use to manage lameness and to test kinematic limb variables for their significance as lameness indicators. Using the locomotion analysis system CODA-3, the kinematics of the horses were recorded while walking (1.6 m/s) and trotting (3.5 m/s) on a treadmill. A transient lameness model, evoking pressure on the hoof sole, was used to induce 3 degrees of fore- and hindlimb lameness. Joint angle patterns and ...
Cullinane A, Weld J, Osborne M, Nelly M, Mcbride C, Walsh C.The purpose of these studies was to examine the response of Thoroughbred foals and yearlings to different influenza vaccines and vaccination regimes. The horses' antibody levels against haemagglutinin, an established correlate of protection were measured by haemagglutination inhibition. The first study investigated the extent to which maternal antibodies interfered with the humoral response to a subunit vaccine. The findings suggest that repeat vaccination in the face of maternal antibodies may induce tolerance as defined by serological testing. The second study compared the immune response el...
Pronost S, Legrand L, Pitel PH, Wegge B, Lissens J, Freymuth F, Richard E, Fortier G.Equid herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1)-associated myeloencephalopathy (EHM) is a disease affecting the central nervous system of horses. Despite the constantly increasing interest about this syndrome, epidemiological data are limited especially when related to the description of large outbreaks. The aim of this article is to describe clinical, virological and molecular data obtained throughout a severe outbreak of EHM, with emphasis on laboratory diagnostic methods. The epidemic disease concerned a riding school in France where 7/66 horses aged 12-22 years developed signs of neurological disease in July ...
Nielsen MK, Monrad J, Olsen SN.In 1999, legislation in Denmark made anthelmintic drugs available only by prescription, and prohibited their use for routine, prophylactic treatment. A questionnaire survey was conducted in 2004 to determine current strategies for surveillance and control of equine strongyles used in Danish equine veterinary practices. Eighty-seven of 170 (51.2%) registered equine veterinary practices responded. Ninety seven percent of the respondents used faecal egg counts for diagnosis and surveillance, and 41% used larval cultures. Logistic regression revealed that the use of larval cultures was positively ...
Theegarten D, Sachse K, Mentrup B, Fey K, Hotzel H, Anhenn O.Recurrent airway obstruction (RAO) in horses is a naturally occurring dust-induced disease mainly characterized by bronchiolitis which shows histological and pathophysiological similarities to human chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In human COPD previous investigations indicated an association with Chlamydophila psittaci infection. The present study was designed (1) to clarify a possible role of this infectious agent in RAO and (2) to investigate the suitability of this equine disorder as a model for human COPD. Methods: Clinico-pathological parameters of a total of 45 horses (25 ...
Bixby-Hammett D, Brooks WH.The most common location of horse-related injuries is the upper extremity (24% to 61%) with injuries to the lower extremity second in frequency (36% to 40%). The head and face sustain 20% of horse-related injuries. The most common type of injury is a soft tissue injury (92% to 1%), followed by a fracture (57% to 3%). Concussion is the third most common type of injury (63% to 2%). The most frequent cause of hospitalisation is concussion (38% to 4%) with fracture second. The most common injury which leaves residual impairment is injury to the central nervous system. The age at which most injury ...
Tokuriki M, Ohtsuki R, Kai M, Hiraga A, Oki H, Miyahara Y, Aoki O.We recorded the electromyographic (EMG) activity of 7 skeletal muscles in the forequarters and 1 in the hindquarters of 6 Thoroughbred horses during overground walking, swimming in a circular pool, and walking and trotting in a water treadmill. Bipolar fine wire electrodes were inserted into the muscles and the EMG signals were recorded using a telemetric system. The splenius exhibited tonic EMG activity during swimming. The brachiocephalicus showed its highest intensity during swimming followed by the walk and trot in the water treadmill and then walking overground. The triceps brachii caput ...
Gingrich JB, Williams GM.Paucity of data on host-feeding patterns and behavior of 43 mosquito species that are reported as suspected West Nile virus (WN) vectors has limited full evaluation of their vectorial capacity. Recent studies addressing this issue need additional confirmation and should also be expanded to include collections of species or subpopulations attracted to humans. We used 4 types of collection methods to collect mosquitoes, including omnidirectional Fay-Prince traps, Centers for Disease Control-type light traps, gravid traps, and human-landing collections. Mosquitoes were collected during 2 full WN ...
Nadeau JA, Andrews FM, Mathew AG, Argenzio RA, Blackford JT, Sohtell M, Saxton AM.To measure pH, volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentrations, and lactate concentrations in stomach contents and determine number and severity of gastric lesions in horses fed bromegrass hay and alfalfa hay-grain diets. Methods: Six 7-year-old horses. Methods: A gastric cannula was inserted in each horse. Horses were fed each diet, using a randomized crossover design. Stomach contents were collected immediately after feeding and 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, and 24 hours after feeding on day 14. The pH and VFA and lactate concentrations were measured in gastric juice Number and severity of gastri...
van Der Meulen KM, Nauwynck HJ, Bí¶®rt W, Pensaert MB.In the present study, the outcome of an inoculation of equine peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) with equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) was studied in vitro. Cytoplasmic and plasma membrane expression of viral antigens, intra- and extracellular virus titres, and plaque formation in co-culture were determined. EHV-1 replicated in monocytes, although in a highly restricted way. Viral antigens were found at maximum levels (8.7% of the monocytes) at 12 h post-infection. The infection was productive in 0.16% of the monocytes. The virus yield was 10(0.7) TCID(50) per productive cell. In a pop...
Chambers TM, Holland RE, Tudor LR, Townsend HG, Cook A, Bogdan J, Lunn DP, Hussey S, Whitaker-Dowling P, Youngner JS, Sebring RW, Penner SJ....Flu Avert IN vaccine is a new, live attenuated virus vaccine for equine influenza. We tested this vaccine in vivo to ascertain 1) its safety and stability when subjected to serial horse to horse passage, 2) whether it spread spontaneously from horse to horse and 3) its ability to protect against heterologous equine influenza challenge viruses of epidemiological relevance. For the stability study, the vaccine was administered to 5 ponies. Nasal swabs were collected and pooled fluids administered directly to 4 successive groups of naïve ponies by intranasal inoculation. Viruses isolated from th...
Martin-Alonso A, Abreu-Yanes E, Feliu C, Mas-Coma S, Bargues MD, Valladares B, Foronda P.The nematode Angiostrongylus cantonensis is the causative agent of human angiostrongyliasis, the main clinical manifestation of which is eosinophilic meningitis. Although this parasite has been found recently in its definitive rat host in Tenerife (Canary Islands, Spain), showing a widespread distribution over the north-east part of the island, there are no available data regarding which snail and/or slug species are acting as intermediate hosts on this island. Consequently, the objective of this work was to determine the possible role of three mollusc species, Plutonia lamarckii, Cornu aspers...
Hulting G, Flock M, Frykberg L, Lannergård J, Flock JI, Guss B.Streptococcus equi ssp. equi causes strangles, a highly contagious and serious disease in the upper respiratory tract of horses. Streptococcus equi ssp. zooepidemicus, another subspecies of this genus, is regarded as an opportunistic commensal in horses. The present study describes the characterization of two novel immunoglobulin G (IgG) endopeptidases of these subspecies, IdeE2 and IdeZ2. Both enzymes display sequence similarities with two previously characterized IgG endopeptidases, IdeE of S. equi ssp. equi and IdeZ of S. equi ssp. zooepidemicus. IdeE2 and IdeZ2 display high substrate-speci...
Ros-García A, M'ghirbi Y, Hurtado A, Bouattour A.The genetic diversity and prevalence of Babesia and Theileria species in the equine population of Tunisia were studied using reverse line blot (RLB) hybridization on blood samples and unfed adult ticks collected from apparently healthy horses from three bioclimatic zones in Tunisia. Piroplasms were identified in 13 of 104 of the horse blood samples analyzed (12.5%) and five genotype groups were identified: Theileria equi group A (nine animals, 8.7%), group C (one animal, 1.0%) and group D (three animals, 2.9%), and Babesia caballi groups A and B (one animal each). All horses from the semi-arid...
Hustace JL, Firshman AM, Mata JE.To determine pharmacokinetics and oral bioavailability of metformin in healthy horses. Methods: 4 adult horses. Methods: 6 g of metformin was administered 3 times IV and PO (fed and unfed) to each horse, by use of a crossover design, with a 1-week washout period between treatments. Plasma metformin concentration was determined via high-pressure liquid chromatography. Results: Mean +/- SD distribution half-life of metformin following IV administration was 24.9 +/- 0.4 minutes with a volume of distribution of 0.3 +/- 0.1 L/kg. Mean area under the curve was 20.9 +/- 2.0 h.microg/mL for IV adminis...
Atta EH, de Sousa AM, Schirmer MR, Bouzas LF, Nucci M, Abdelhay E.The standard regimen for HLA-identical sibling bone marrow transplant (BMT) in severe aplastic anemia (SAA) is cyclophosphamide (Cy) and horse antithymocyte globulin (ATG). Horse ATG has been replaced by rabbit ATG in many countries due to the unavailability of the former product. This study was designed to assess if these ATG preparations are interchangeable in the preparative regimen for matched related BMT in SAA. Forty consecutive BMTs were retrospectively analyzed: 20 received Cy plus horse ATG and 20 received Cy plus rabbit ATG as the preparative regimen. Conditioning with rabbit ATG was...
Sreenivasan CC, Thomas M, Wang D, Li F.While the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) continues to wreak havoc, there is little known about the susceptibility of the livestock and companion animals relative to humans. Here, we explore the susceptibility of companion and agricultural animals, in light of the existing information on natural infections, experimental infections, serosurveillance, and in vitro protein-homology binding interaction studies of the SARS-CoV-2 with the proposed receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 from diverse animal species.
Phillips T, Ferraz I, Bell S, Clegg PD, Carter SD, Mobasheri A.Glucose serves as the major energy substrate for articular chondrocytes and as the main precursor for the synthesis of extracellular matrix glycosaminoglycans in cartilage. Chondrocytes have been shown to express several glucose transporter (GLUT) isoforms including GLUT1 and GLUT3. The aim of this investigation was to determine the effects of endocrine and cytokine factors on the capacity of equine articular chondrocytes for transporting 2-deoxy-d-[2,6-3H] glucose and on the expression levels of GLUT1 and GLUT3. Chondrocytes maintained in monolayer culture were stimulated for 24 h with TNF-al...
Meredith DM, Stocks JM, Whittaker GR, Halliburton IW, Snowden BW, Killington RA.Equine herpesvirus types 1 and 4 (EHV-1 and EHV-4) labelled with [14C]glucosamine were purified from infected cell culture medium and profiles of their structural proteins were obtained that enabled identification of the major glycoproteins. Nine glycosylated polypeptides were identified for each virus. Preparations of the purified viruses each contained a glycoprotein which was linked by disulphide bonds, as determined by diagonal gel electrophoresis under reducing/non-reducing conditions. High Mr forms of this glycoprotein were detected for EHV-1 when the sample was not heated. The EHV-1 pro...
Garner DL, Pinkel D, Johnson LA, Pace MM.Spermatozoa from bulls, boars, dogs, horses, mice, and men were examined using a fluorogenic stain consisting of the membrane-permeant substrate carboxyfluorescin diacetate (CFDA) and the relatively membrane-impermeant nuclear stain propidium iodide (PI). Three distinct populations of spermatozoa were discernible in samples from each species upon microscopic examination. Individual spermatozoa, presumed to be viable because of their motility, retained products of the fluorescein chromophore throughout the cell. A second population of spermatozoa in which the nuclei stained red with PI retained...
Allen WR, Pashen RL.The blastomeres of 192- to 8-cell embryos recovered surgically 1-3 days after ovulation from 23 Pony mares were mechanically separated and inserted, in various combinations, into evacuated pig zonae pellucidae to make 27 'half' and 17 'quarter' micromanipulated embryos. These were embedded in agar and cultured in vivo in the ligated oviducts of ewes for 3.5-5 days to allow development to the late morula/early blastocyst stage. Subsequent surgical or non-surgical transfer of 13 'half' and 17 'quarter' embryos to mares resulted in 10 established pregnancies, including 2 monozygotic pairs. Surgic...
Salama AA, Aboulaila M, Moussa AA, Nayel MA, El-Sify A, Terkawi MA, Hassan HY, Yokoyama N, Igarashi I.Fusidic acid known to has antibacterial, antifungal, and antimalarial activities. Fusidic acid blocks translation elongation factor G gene in Plasmodium falciparum. In the present study, the inhibitory effects of fusidic acid on the in vitro growth of bovine and equine Babesia parasites were evaluated. The inhibitory effect of fusidic acid on the in vivo growth of Babesia microti was also assessed. The in vitro growth of four Babesia species that were tested was significantly inhibited (P<0.05) by micromolar concentrations of fusidic acid (IC(50) values=144.8, 17.3, 33.3, and 56.25 μM for ...
Riggs CM.Fractures are a common cause of loss among Thoroughbred racehorses. A large proportion of these injuries occurs in the absence of a specific traumatic event and show typical characteristics of stress fractures. The fractures show a high degree of consistency in their morphology; they frequently share the same locations as incomplete cracks and they are often associated with pre-existing pathology (periosteal and endosteal new bone formation and intracortical remodelling). Bone is able to adapt to changes in its mechanical environment. Studies of the Thoroughbred racehorse show modification of ...
Okamura H, Yamamura T, Wakabayashi Y.The hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis is the regulatory system for reproduction in mammals. Because secretion of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) into the portal vessels is the final step at which the brain controls gonadal activities, the GnRH neuronal system had been thought to be central to the HPG axis. A newly discovered neural peptide, kisspeptin, has opened a new era in reproductive neuroendocrinology. As shown in a variety of mammals, kisspeptin is a potent endogenous secretagogue of GnRH, and the kisspeptin neuronal system governs both the pulsatile GnRH secretion that dri...
A clinical evaluation of a new, purified, heat-treated equine rabies immunoglobulin (PHT-Erig), F(ab')2 preparation, was carried out in Thailand and in the Philippines-two countries where rabies is endemic. An initial prospective, randomised, controlled trial (Study 1), compared the safety and pharmacokinetics (serum concentrations of rabies antibodies) after administration either of PHT-Erig or of a commercially-available, equine rabies immune globulin (Erig PMC). A second trial (Study 2) simulated post-exposure rabies prophylaxis by using a reference cell culture vaccine, the purified Vero-c...
Worthing KA, Abraham S, Pang S, Coombs GW, Saputra S, Jordan D, Wong HS, Abraham RJ, Trott DJ, Norris JM.This study aimed to determine the frequency and molecular epidemiology of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) from Australian animals and whether animal-derived MRSA was similar to that from Australian veterinarians. A total of 1,080 clinical coagulase positive Staphylococcus isolates from Australian animals were collected during 2013. Sixteen (4%) of 360 S. aureus isolates were MRSA. Most MRSA came from companion animals, while none came from livestock. MRSA isolates were characterized using whole genome sequencing. ST22-IV (EMRSA-15) was the most common clone in dogs and cats....
