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.
Gupta S, Vohra S, Sethi K, Gupta S, Bera BC, Kumar S, Kumar R.High cytotoxicity and increasing resistance reports of existing chemotherapeutic agents against T. evansi have raised the demand for novel, potent, and high therapeutic index molecules for the treatment of surra in animals. In this regard, repurposing approach of drug discovery has provided an opportunity to explore the therapeutic potential of existing drugs against new organism. With this objective, the macrocyclic lactone representative, ivermectin, has been investigated for the efficacy against T. evansi in the axenic culture medium. To elucidate the potential target of ivermectin in T. ev...
Brucks D, Härterich A, König von Borstel U.Self-control, defined as the ability to forgo immediate satisfaction in favor of better pay-offs in the future, has been extensively studied, revealing enormous variation between and within species. Horses are interesting in this regard because as a grazing species they are expected to show low self-control whereas its social complexity might be linked to high self-control abilities. Additionally, self-control may be a key factor in training and/or coping with potentially stressful husbandry conditions. We assessed horses' self-control abilities in a simplified delay of gratification test that...
Bonhomme D, Werts C.Leptospirosis is a zoonotic infectious disease affecting all vertebrates. It is caused by species of the genus Leptospira, among which are the highly pathogenic L. interrogans. Different mammals can be either resistant or susceptible to the disease which can present a large variety of symptoms. Humans are mostly asymptomatic after infection but can have in some cases symptoms varying from a flu-like syndrome to more severe forms such as Weil's disease, potentially leading to multiorgan failure and death. Similarly, cattle, pigs, and horses can suffer from acute forms of the disease, including ...
Resende CF, Santos AM, Cook RF, Victor RM, Câmara RJF, Gonçalves GP, Lima JG, Maciel E Silva AG, Leite RC, Dos Reis JKP.Marajó Island, within in the Amazon River Delta, supports numerous bands of feral equids including the genetically distinct Marajoara horses. Approximately 40% of the equids on the island are infected with Equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV). This high seropositivity rate coupled with the need to preserve rare breeds such as the Marajoara horse precludes euthanasia as the primary means for controlling EIAV in this region. In the absence of iatrogenic transmission, spread of this lentivirus is mediated primarily by hematophagous insects, whose year-round prevalence on the island is supported...
Lindinger MI, Waller AP.The present study determined the independent contributions of temperature, strong ion difference ([SID]), total weak acid concentration ([Atot]) and PCO2 to changes in arterial and mixed venous [H+] and total carbon dioxide concentration ([TCO2]) during 37 min of moderate intensity exercise (~50% of heart rate max) and the first 60 min of recovery. Six horses were fitted with indwelling carotid and pulmonary artery (PA) catheters, had PA temperature measured, and had blood samples withdrawn for immediate analysis of plasma ion and gas concentrations. The increase in core temperature during exe...
Mieszkowska M, Abako J, Mieszkowski M, Zhalniarovich Y.Desmopathy of the collateral ligaments of the equine interphalangeal joint is caused by a combination of factors, including hoof shape, excessive loading and ground surface. This complex problem poses a diagnostic challenge due to the non-specificity of perineural analgesia and the limitations associated with the most popular imaging methods such as radiography and ultrasonography. The aim of this study was to retrospectively determine the prevalence of desmopathy of the collateral ligaments of the equine distal interphalangeal joint in Poland between 2016 and 2019, and to establish the freque...
Suagee-Bedore JK, Hebrock S, Sundin O, Lengi AJ, Corl BA, Worth M.LinPro™ (LP) is a commercial dietary supplement marketed to increase hoof growth and quality. Ten mature (5-15 years) non-pregnant Quarter Horse mares without existing hoof quality issues were used to test the hypothesis that 32 weeks of daily supplementation with 113 g of LP would increase hoof growth rates as compared to non-supplemented controls. Hooves were trimmed at the start of the study and every 8 weeks thereafter. A mark was applied on the hoof wall surface at 2.5 cm below the junction of the hoof wall and coronary band. At each trimming, the distance between the mark and coronary ...
Valenchon M, Deneubourg JL, Nesterova AP, Petit O.In collective movements, specific individuals may emerge as leaders. In this study on the domestic horse (Equus ferus caballus), we conducted experiments to establish if an individual is successfully followed due to its social status (including hierarchical rank and centrality). We first informed one horse about a hidden food location and recorded by how many it was followed when going back to this location. In this context, all horses lead their groupmates successfully. In a second step, we tested whether group members would trust some leaders more than others by removing the food before the ...
Myćka G, Klecel W, Stefaniuk-Szmukier M, Jaworska J, Musiał AD, Ropka-Molik K.The Polish draft horse (PDH) breed is a result of crossing local mares with imported cold-blooded stallions, such as Belgians, Ardennes, Fjords, and others. A part of the broodmare stock investigated in this study was also imported from various countries, such as Denmark. In this study, we investigate the genetic composition of the PDH by analyzing the whole mitochondrial d-loop variability and comparing it to previously demonstrated whole d-loop sequences of other cold-blooded breeds: Ardennais, Belgian, Breton, Clydesdale, Noriker, Norwegian Fjord, Percheron, and Suffolk. Our results show hi...
Adepu S, Ekman S, Leth J, Johansson U, Lindahl A, Skiöldebrand E.Native biglycan (BGN), which can undergo proteolytic cleavage in pathological conditions, is well known to be involved in bone formation and mineralization. This study aimed to delineate the specific cleavage fragment, a neo-epitope for BGN (BGN), in synovial fluid (SF) from young racehorses in training, osteoarthritic (OA) joints with subchondral bone sclerosis (SCBS), and chip fracture joints. A custom-made inhibition ELISA was developed to quantify BGN in SF. Cohort 1: A longitudinal study comprising 10 racehorses undergoing long-term training. Cohort 2: A cross-sectional study comprising j...
Inoue S.Maternal aging has negative influences on the development and racing performance of their offspring in racehorses. However, the mechanism by which pregnancy at old age reduces the race performance of the offspring is unknown. Here, two hypotheses were posited: 1) Foals born to older mares are more likely to have muscular, skeletal, and cognitive disadvantages (direct effects). 2) Foals born to older mares are more likely to be affected by non-physiological factors correlating with the mare's age, such as the quality of sires (e.g. low-quality sires are likely to be chosen as partners of older ...
Mirmojarabian SA, Kajabi AW, Ketola JHJ, Nykänen O, Liimatainen T, Nieminen MT, Nissi MJ, Casula V.Machine learning models trained with multiparametric quantitative MRIs (qMRIs) have the potential to provide valuable information about the structural composition of articular cartilage. To study the performance and feasibility of machine learning models combined with qMRIs for noninvasive assessment of collagen fiber orientation and proteoglycan content. Retrospective, animal model. An open-source single slice MRI dataset obtained from 20 samples of 10 Shetland ponies (seven with surgically induced cartilage lesions followed by treatment and three healthy controls) yielded to 1600 data points...
Aragona F, Di Pietro S, Arfuso F, Fazio F, Piccione G, Giudice E, Giannetto C.The aim of the present study was to investigate the response to physical exercise of some ocular physiological variables (ocular temperature and intraocular pressure) in horses performing a jumping course in the morning (a.m.) or in the afternoon hours (p.m.), before and after the exercise, in correlation with the rectal temperature. Data collection was carried out on 14 clinical healthy Italian saddle horses. All horses were trained from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. and from 19:00 to 20:00 p.m. according to a specific training program. Ocular temperature (OT), rectal temperature (RT) and intraocular pr...
Alpoim-Moreira J, Fernandes C, Rebordão MR, Costa AL, Bliebernicht M, Nunes T, Szóstek-Mioduchowska A, Skarzynski DJ, Ferreira-Dias G.Collagen pathological deposition in equine endometrium (endometrosis) is responsible for infertility. Kenney and Doig's endometrial biopsy histopathological classification is the gold standard method for endometrosis evaluation, whereby blood biomarkers identification would be less invasive and could provide additional information regarding endometrosis diagnosis and fertility prognosis. This study aimed to identify blood biomarkers for endometrosis diagnosis (42 mares were used in experiment 1), and fertility assessment (50 mares were used in experiment 2). Reproductive examination, endometri...
Gunsalus K, Taylor R, Croix N.To report the clinical history, surgical management, and histologic findings of meibomian gland calcification and osseous metaplasia in a horse. Methods: A 21-year-old Selle Français gelding presented with a 9 months history of blepharitis, blepharospasm, and epiphora affecting the right eye. The horse was diagnosed with meibomianitis and impaction with associated granulomas, but not treated surgically for 6 years. Methods: Physical and ophthalmic examinations, and systemic bloodwork were performed. A diamond burr debridement was performed on a corneal ulceration, and meibomian gland nodul...
Divers TJ, Mongodin EF, Miller CB, Belgrave RL, Gardner RB, Fraser CM, Schutzer SE.Antemortem diagnosis of neuroborreliosis in horses has been hindered by both the low sensitivity of PCR testing for in CSF and the low specificity of serum:CSF ELISA ratios used to determine intrathecal antibody production against the bacterium. PCR testing of the CSF of an adult horse with acute neurologic disease for the flagellin gene was negative. However, we enriched DNA through nucleic acid hybrid capture, followed by next-generation sequencing, and identified in the CSF of the horse, confirming a diagnosis of neuroborreliosis.
Salem SE, Sinnott A, Roach JM, Verheyen KLP, de Mestre AM.Multiple pregnancies (MPs) are commonly diagnosed during breeding management of mares. Whilst some studies have reported on factors associated with the risk of MPs, few have utilised multivariable data analysis to control for confounding variables. A prospective cohort study of Thoroughbred broodmares was conducted with information collected on 27 factors. Mixed-effects logistic regression was used to determine risk factors for MPs. Mare, stallion, stud, and veterinarian were evaluated as random effects. The prevalence of MPs in 1754 mares and 2245 pregnancies was 16.06% (95% confidence interv...
Sloan PB, Self KA, Kang Q, Lutter JD.To characterize clinical findings and outcomes for horses with heel bulb lacerations. Medical records of a teaching hospital were reviewed to identify horses treated for heel bulb lacerations between February 2004 and October 2018. Long-term outcome was assessed by telephone communication with owners. Results were analyzed to determine association with clinical outcome. 31 mares and 31 geldings of various ages, breeds, and uses were evaluated. Thirty-six horses had a wound of 0 to 2 days' duration, and 17 horses had a wound of > 2 days' duration. Horses with a wound duration of < 2 days had a ...
Gupta S, Vohra S, Sethi K, Gupta S, Kumar S, Kumar R.The kinetoplastid protozoan parasite, Trypanosoma evansi causes a fatal disease condition known as Surra in equines throughout the globe. Disease condition being acute in nature, entrust a huge economic and health impact on the equine industry. Till date, quinapyramine methyl sulphate (QPS) is the first line of treatment and a panacea for the T. evansi infection in equines. Still after the >70 years of its discovery, there is no clue about the mode of action of QPS in T. evansi. The establishment of in vitro cultivation of T. evansi in HMI-9 media has provided opportunity to study the alte...
Boger BL, Manfredi JM, Yob C, Weber PSD, Jacobs CC.Diagnosis of equine septic arthritis is not straightforward, and increasing time between onset, diagnosis, and treatment can have serious consequences for quality of life. Defensins are used in diagnosis of human joint infection. The presence of beta defensins (BDs) in equine synovial fluid and their utility as a biomarker of sepsis has not been investigated; therefore, our objectives were to (1) compare in vitro gene expression of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated equine neutrophils to unstimulated neutrophils and (2) compare BD protein expression from normal, aseptically inflamed, and sept...
Dias De Castro LL, Oliveira Júnior GA, Perez BC, Carvalho ME, De Souza Ramos EA, Ferraz JBS, Molento MB.Cyathostomins are considered one of the most important parasites of horses. A group of horses within a herd can be responsible for eliminating the majority of parasite eggs. This phenotype might be explained by genetic factors. This study aimed to identify genomic regions associated with fecal egg count (FEC) and hematological parameters by performing a genomic-wide association study (GWAS) in Thoroughbred horses naturally infected with cyathostomins. Packed cell volume (PCV), differential leukocyte, and FEC were determined from 90 horses. All animals were genotyped using the Illumina Equine 7...
Alonso B, Carregaro A, Cuypers C, Michielsen A, Gasthuys F, Schauvliege S.To evaluate the effects of detomidine or romifidine on cardiovascular function, isoflurane requirements and recovery quality in horses undergoing isoflurane anaesthesia. Methods: Prospective, randomized, blinded, clinical study. Methods: A total of 63 healthy horses undergoing elective surgery during general anaesthesia. Methods: Horses were randomly allocated to three groups of 21 animals each. In group R, horses were given romifidine intravenously (IV) for premedication (80 μg kg), maintenance (40 μg kg hour) and before recovery (20 μg kg). In group D2.5, horses were given detomidine IV f...
Molla AM, Jemberu WT, Fentahun T.Epizootic lymphangitis (EZL) is a chronic, contagious disease of equids caused by the fungus Histoplasma capsulatum var. farciminosum. The disease is often prevalent in cart pulling equids in developing countries. This study was undertaken in Central and South Gondar zones of Amhara region, Ethiopia with the objectives of estimating the prevalence of EZL in cart pulling horses and mules and identifying the risk factors of the disease. Two towns, one high altitude and one mid altitude, from each of the two zones were included for the study. A total of 528 cart pulling horses and mules from the ...
Müller A, Glüge S, Vidondo B, Wróbel A, Ott T, Sieme H, Burger D.Prediction of impending foaling is highly desirable as early intervention may improve mare and foal outcomes. However, monitoring the peripartum mare is a time-consuming challenge for breeders and many foaling prediction systems have limitations. "Heating up" of the mare is empirically used by breeders as a sign of upcoming parturition in mares. The purpose of this study was to investigate if an increase in skin temperature shortly before parturition is detectable and to determine whether such physiological changes could be an additional valuable parameter to predict foaling. For that, 56 foal...
Turner SE, Knych HK, Adams AA.To determine the pharmacokinetics, bioavailability, and pharmacological effects of cannabidiol (CBD) in senior horses. Methods: 8 university-owned senior horses. Methods: In this randomized, crossover study, horses were assigned to receive either a single oral dose of 2 mg/kg CBD in oil or a single IV dose of 0.1 mg/kg CBD in DMSO between August 10 and September 4, 2020. Blood samples were collected before and then 0.5, 1, 4, 8, 24, 48, 72, 96, 120, 144, 168, 192, 216, 240, and 264 hours after CBD administration. Serum biochemical analyses and CBCs were performed. Plasma concentrations of CBD ...
Schnuelle ML, Hopster K, Toribio RE, Hurcombe SD.To compare the effects of 7.2% hypertonic and 0.9% isotonic saline (sodium chloride) solutions on cardiovascular parameters and plasma arginine vasopressin (AVP) concentrations in healthy, isoflurane-anesthetized horses. Methods: 8 healthy horses. Methods: In a prospective, randomized, crossover study, horses were anesthetized with isoflurane twice with a 14-day washout period between anesthetic episodes. While anesthetized, horses received a bolus (4 mL/kg) of 7.2% hypertonic saline solution (HS) or 0.9% isotonic saline solution (IS). Heart rate; systolic, mean, and diastolic arterial blood p...
Malaluang P, Wilén E, Lindahl J, Hansson I, Morrell JM.Bacteria develop resistance to antibiotics following low-level "background" exposure to antimicrobial agents as well as from exposure at therapeutic levels during treatment for bacterial infections. In this review, we look specifically at antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in the equine reproductive tract and its possible origin, focusing particularly on antibiotics in semen extenders used in preparing semen doses for artificial insemination. Our review of the literature indicated that AMR in the equine uterus and vagina were reported worldwide in the last 20 years, in locations as diverse as Euro...
Turley SM, Thambyah A, Riggs CM, Firth EC, Broom ND.The palmar aspect of the third metacarpal (MC3) condyle of equine athletes is known to be subjected to repetitive overloading that can lead to the accumulation of joint tissue damage, degeneration, and stress fractures, some of which result in catastrophic failure. However, there is still a need to understand at a detailed microstructural level how this damage progresses in the context of the wider joint tissue complex, i.e. the articular surface, the hyaline and calcified cartilage, and the subchondral bone. MC3 bones from non-fractured joints were obtained from the right forelimbs of 16 Thor...
Labelle P, De Cock HE.Although metastases to the adrenals are common in humans, they have not been thoroughly studied in animals. The purpose of this retrospective study was to document the types of malignant tumors that metastasize to canine, feline, equine, and bovine adrenals, and the rate at which they do so. The average rate of adrenal involvement in metastatic cancer was 112/534 (21.0%) in dogs, 12/81 (14.8%) in cats, 18/67 (26.9%) in horses, and 5/16 (31.3%) in cattle. In dogs, 26 different tumor types metastasized to the adrenals. Pulmonary, mammary, prostatic, gastric, and pancreatic carcinomas, and melano...
Blakeslee JR, Olsen RG, McAllister ES, Fassbender J, Dennis R.Five horses were experimentally exposed to equine herpesvirus 2 strain LK. Two young foals developed chronic pharyngitis (98 and 232 days, respectively). Growth characteristics, cytopathic effects (CPE), inclusion body formation, ether sensitivity, and immunofluorescent analysis indicated that the virus recovered from infected animals was a herpesvirus serologically identical with, or at least antigenically related to EHV-2 strain LK. No significant complement-fixing (CF) or virus-neutralizing (VN) antibody responses were observed in adult horses while both foals demonstrated a rise in CF anti...
Naccache F, Metzger J, Distl O.Osteochondrosis (OC) is an injury to cartilage canals with a following necrosis in the growth cartilage, from there it can develop to osteochondrosis dissecans (OCD). Due to its high impact in the equine industry, new insights into predisposing factors and potential high-risk genetic variants are warranted. This article reviews advancements in quantitative and molecular genetics in refining estimation of genetic parameters and identifying predisposing genetic loci. Heritabilities were highest for hock OC with estimates at 0.29-0.46 in Hanoverian warmblood and Norwegian trotters, whereas in Tho...
Pritchard JC, Burn CC, Barr AR, Whay HR.Dehydration is a serious welfare concern in horses working in developing countries. Identification of a valid and practical indicator of dehydration would enable more rapid treatment and prevention. Objective: To examine changes in bodyweight, clinical and blood parameters during rehydration of working horses, identify a 'gold standard' criterion for dehydration and use this to validate a standardised skin tent test, drinking behaviour and mucous membrane dryness as potential field indicators. Methods: Fifty horses with a positive skin tent test, working in environmental temperatures of 30-44 ...
Rhodin M, Johnston C, Holm KR, Wennerstrand J, Drevemo S.A common opinion among riders and in the literature is that the positioning of the head and neck influences the back of the horse, but this has not yet been measured objectively. Objective: To evaluate the effect of head and neck position on the kinematics of the back in riding horses. Methods: Eight Warmblood riding horses in regular work were studied on a treadmill at walk and trot with the head and neck in 3 different predetermined positions achieved by side reins attached to the bit and to an anticast roller. The 3-dimensional movement of the thoracolumbar spine was measured from the posit...
Fureix C, Benhajali H, Henry S, Bruchet A, Prunier A, Ezzaouia M, Coste C, Hausberger M, Palme R, Jego P.Stereotypic behaviours, i.e. repetitive behaviours induced by frustration, repeated attempts to cope and/or brain dysfunction, are intriguing as they occur in a variety of domestic and captive species without any clear adaptive function. Among the different hypotheses, the coping hypothesis predicts that stereotypic behaviours provide a way for animals in unfavourable environmental conditions to adjust. As such, they are expected to have a lower physiological stress level (glucocorticoids) than non-stereotypic animals. Attempts to link stereotypic behaviours with glucocorticoids however have y...
Holmström M, Fredricson I, Drevemo S.The trotting gait of 4 approved Swedish Warmblood stallions with a mean gait score > or = 8.67 (maximum score = 10) at official performance tests was recorded by high speed film (approximately 250 frames/sec). Angular patterns and hoof trajectories of the left fore and hind limbs were analysed, and presented as mean and standard deviation curves. The horses had a mean stride duration of 794.0 msec (sd 13.7) and the mean diagonal advanced placement was +29.8 msec (sd 7.6). The variation in angular patterns between the horses was greatest during the swing phase. The trajectory of the hind hoof r...
Armstrong RA, Lawrence RA, Jones RL, Wilson NH, Collier A.1. This study describes attempts to compare prostacyclin (IP-) receptors in human, pig, horse, rabbit and rat platelets and in circular muscle of human, rabbit and dog mesenteric and pig gastroepiploic arteries. Three stable prostacyclin analogues, iloprost, cicaprost and 6a-carba-prostacyclin (6a-carba-PGI2) and a prostaglandin endoperoxide analogue EP 157 (previously shown to mimic prostacyclin on human platelets) were used. 2. Our main conclusion is that prostacyclin receptors on human, pig and horse platelets are similar in nature, but distinct from those on rabbit and rat platelets. Funct...
Reed SK, Kramer J, Thombs L, Pitts JB, Wilson DA, Keegan KG.To compare results for initial body-mounted inertial sensor (BMIS) measurement of lameness in equids trotting in a straight line with definitive findings after full lameness evaluation. Methods: 1,224 equids. Methods: Lameness measured with BMIS equipment while trotting in a straight line was classified into categories of none, forelimb only, hind limb only, and 8 patterns of combined forelimb and hind limb lameness (CFHL). Definitive findings after full lameness evaluation were established in most horses and classified into types (no lameness, forelimb- or hind limb-only lameness, CFHL, or la...
Couto MA, Harwig SS, Cullor JS, Hughes JP, Lehrer RI.Endogenous, cysteine-rich antimicrobial peptides known as defensins are prominent components of human, rabbit, and rat neutrophils, yet little is known about their occurrence in other mammalian species. Although we did not detect mature (i.e., processed) defensins in equine neutrophil granules, we found that these granules contained small amounts of other cysteine-rich peptides with antimicrobial activity. One of these, eNAP-1, was purified by a combination of gel permeation and reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography from acid extracts prepared from the cytoplasmic granules of e...
Nitschke M, Korte T, Tielesch C, Ter-Avetisyan G, Tünnemann G, Cardoso MC, Veit M, Herrmann A.Equine arteritis virus (EAV) is an enveloped, positive-stranded RNA virus belonging to the family Arteriviridae. Infection by EAV requires the release of the viral genome by fusion with the respective target membrane of the host cell. We have investigated the entry pathway of EAV into Baby Hamster Kidney cells (BHK). Infection of cells assessed by the plaque reduction assay was strongly inhibited by substances which interfere with clathrin-dependent endocytosis and by lysosomotropic compounds. Furthermore, infection of BHK cells was suppressed when clathrin-dependent endocytosis was inhibited ...
Dupuis MC, Zhang Z, Druet T, Denoix JM, Charlier C, Lekeux P, Georges M.Recurrent laryngeal neuropathy (RLN) is a major upper-airway disease of horses that causes abnormal respiratory noise during exercise and can impair performance. Etiopathogenesis remains unclear but genetic factors have been suspected for many decades. The objective of this study was to identify risk loci associated with RLN. To that end we genotyped 234 cases (196 Warmbloods, 20 Trotters, 14 Thoroughbreds, and 4 Draft horses), 228 breed-matched controls, and 69 parents with the Illumina Equine SNP50 BeadChip. Using these data, we quantified population structure and performed single-marker and...
Peña FJ, García BM, Samper JC, Aparicio IM, Tapia JA, Ferrusola CO.We review recent developments in the technology of freezing stallion sperm, paying special attention to the molecular lesions that spermatozoa suffer during freezing and thawing, such as osmotic stress, oxidative damage, and apoptotic changes. We also discuss the applicability of colloidal centrifugation in stallion sperm cryobiology. Increased knowledge about the molecular injuries that occur during cryopreservation may lead to improved protective techniques and thus to further improvements in fertility in the current decade.
Arfuso F, Giudice E, Panzera M, Rizzo M, Fazio F, Piccione G, Giannetto C.The monitoring of endocrine and immunologic markers during exercise is of paramount importance to assess and/or maintain the physical well-being of athletes as well as to optimize the athletic performance. This study aimed to investigate the linkage between acute stress response and immune status in Thoroughbred horses competing in an official 1300-m race. From 10 horses blood was collected 1 week before the day of the race (1W-BEFORE), before (REST) and immediately after the race to assess the cortisol, Interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra), total proteins, white blood cells (WBC), red b...
Marenzoni ML, Stefanetti V, Danzetta ML, Timoney PJ.Although the first equine gammaherpesvirus was identified over 50 years ago, the isolation and characterization of other members of this virus group has been relatively recent. Even so, numerous clinical syndromes have been identified in equid species in association with these viruses. Equid gammaherpesviruses are a genetically heterogeneous viral subfamily, the function of which in host immune modulation and disease pathogenesis has not yet been elucidated. While they share similarities with gammaherpesviruses in humans, the role they play in their relationship with the host is the subject of...
Chapman GE, Baylis M, Archer D, Daly JM.Equine populations worldwide are at increasing risk of infection by viruses transmitted by biting arthropods, including mosquitoes, biting midges (Culicoides), sandflies and ticks. These include the flaviviruses (Japanese encephalitis, West Nile and Murray Valley encephalitis), alphaviruses (eastern, western and Venezuelan encephalitis) and the orbiviruses (African horse sickness and equine encephalosis). This review provides an overview of the challenges faced in the surveillance, prevention and control of the major equine arboviruses, particularly in the context of these viruses emerging in ...
Metzger J, Tonda R, Beltran S, Agueda L, Gut M, Distl O.Domestication has shaped the horse and lead to a group of many different types. Some have been under strong human selection while others developed in close relationship with nature. The aim of our study was to perform next generation sequencing of breed and non-breed horses to provide an insight into genetic influences on selective forces. Results: Whole genome sequencing of five horses of four different populations revealed 10,193,421 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and 1,361,948 insertion/deletion polymorphisms (indels). In comparison to horse variant databases and previous reports, w...
Setterbo JJ, Garcia TC, Campbell IP, Reese JL, Morgan JM, Kim SY, Hubbard M, Stover SM.To compare hoof acceleration and ground reaction force (GRF) data among dirt, synthetic, and turf surfaces in Thoroughbred racehorses. Methods: 3 healthy Thoroughbred racehorses. Methods: Forelimb hoof accelerations and GRFs were measured with an accelerometer and a dynamometric horseshoe during trot and canter on dirt, synthetic, and turf track surfaces at a racecourse. Maxima, minima, temporal components, and a measure of vibration were extracted from the data. Acceleration and GRF variables were compared statistically among surfaces. Results: The synthetic surface often had the lowest peak ...
Ilginis T, Clarke J, Patel PJ.The last two decades have seen a revolution in ophthalmic imaging. In this review we present an overview of the breadth of ophthalmic imaging modalities in use today and describe how the role of ophthalmic imaging has changed from documenting abnormalities visible on clinical examination to the detection of clinically silent abnormalities which can lead to an earlier and more precise diagnosis. Methods: This review is based on published literature in the fields of ophthalmic imaging and with focus on most commonly used imaging modalities. Results: New imaging techniques enable non-invasive eva...
Reynolds A, Keen JA, Fordham T, Morgan RA.Obesity is a common feature of equine metabolic syndrome (EMS). In other species, obese adipose tissue shows pathological features such as adipocyte hypertrophy, fibrosis, inflammation and impaired insulin signalling all of which contribute to whole body insulin dysregulation. Such adipose tissue dysfunction has not been investigated in horses. Objective: To determine if obese horses with EMS have adipose tissue dysfunction characterised by adipocyte hypertrophy, fibrosis, inflammation and altered insulin signalling. Methods: Cross-sectional post-mortem study. Methods: Samples of peri-renal (v...
Traversa D, Giangaspero A, Iorio R, Otranto D, Paoletti B, Gasser RB.Habronema microstoma and Habronema muscae (Spirurida: Habronematidae) are parasitic nematodes which infect the stomach and/or skin of equids. The accurate diagnosis of gastric habronemosis is central to studying its epidemiology, but data on its distribution and prevalence are lacking, mainly due to the limitations of clinical and coprological diagnosis in live horses. To overcome this constraint, a two-step, semi-nested PCR-based assay was validated (utilizing genetic markers in the nuclear ribosomal DNA) for the specific amplification of H. microstoma or H. muscae DNA from the faeces from ho...
Dynon K, Varrasso A, Ficorilli N, Holloway S, Reubel G, Li F, Hartley C, Studdert M, Drummer H.To develop rapid (< 8 hour) tests using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the diagnosis of equine herpesvirus 3 (EHV3; equine coital exanthema virus), equine gammaherpesviruses 2 (EHV2) and EHV5, equine adenovirus 1 (EAdV1), EAdV2, equine arteritis virus (EAV), equine rhinitis A virus (ERAV; formerly equine rhinovirus 1) Methods: Either single round or second round (seminested) PCRs were developed and validated. Methods: Oligonucleotide primers were designed that were specific for each virus, PCR conditions were defined and the specificity and sensitivity of the assays were determined. The a...
Padalino B, Raidal SL, Hall E, Knight P, Celi P, Jeffcott L, Muscatello G.Transportation can affect equine health and is a potential source of economic loss to the industry. Objective: To identify journey (duration, vehicle, commercial or noncommercial) and horse (sex, age, breed, use, amateur or professional status) characteristics associated with the development of transport-related health problems in horses. Methods: Cross-sectional online survey. Methods: An online survey was conducted targeting amateur and professional participants in the Australian equine industry; eligible respondents were required to organise horse movements at least monthly. Respondents pro...
Jones RL, Adney WS, Shideler RK.Clostridium difficile was isolated from the feces of 27 of 43 diarrheic foals (63%), and cytotoxin was detected in feces from 28 diarrheic foals (65%). The foals had not received any antimicrobial treatment before the onset of diarrhea. C. difficile was not isolated from feces of 18 normal foals without diarrhea and 62 adult horses (P less than 0.005). This finding of C. difficile and its toxins in association with diarrhea in foals adds another possible cause to the list of infectious agents which may cause diarrhea in foals.
Lan J, Chen P, Liu W, Ren W, Zhang L, Ding Q, Zhang Q, Wang X, Ge J.Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), SARS-CoV-2, and human coronavirus (hCoV)-NL63 utilize ACE2 as the functional receptor for cell entry, which leads to zoonotic infection. Horses (Equus caballus) attracted our attention because the spike protein receptor-binding domains (RBDs) of SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV-2-related coronaviruses bind equine ACE2 (eACE2) with high affinity. Here we show that eACE2 binds the RBDs of these three coronaviruses and also SARS-CoV-2 variants but with lower affinities compared with human ACE2 (hACE2). Structural analysis and mutation assays indica...
