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.
Nelson B.Complications of equine musculoskeletal procedures and surgery are an inevitable occurrence. This article summarizes complications principally encountered by primary equine veterinarians who perform and manage musculoskeletal procedures and surgeries. Topics discussed include complications of musculoskeletal diagnostic procedures, angular/flexural limb deformities, and muscle, tendon, and ligament surgery; surgery of the foot, orthopedic and arthroscopic surgery, and cast management. Each section lists complications encountered and includes diagnostic and treatment considerations. Awareness of...
Studzińska M, Klockiewicz M, Szczepaniak K, Demkowska-Kutrzepa M, Roczeń-Karczmarz M, Tomczuk K.The resistance of strongyles to pyrantel pamoate has been reported in publications worldwide. There is no data on its efficacy in horses in Poland. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of pyrantel pamoate to control strongyle invasions in young horses. The study involved horses of both sexes, aged 1 to 2 years, and was conducted in two seasons (spring and the end of summer). Feces were collected 24 hours before and 14 days after deworming, and they were then examined using McMaster's and combined sedimentation-flotation methods. Results revealed that in spring, th...
Hain AM, Tretow M, Bienert-Zeit A.Outside of Iceland, the Icelandic horse is prone to the development of Equine Odontoclastic Tooth Resorption and Hypercementosis (EOTRH). The aim of this study was to determine the radiographic prevalence and clinical signs of EOTRH in elderly horses (≥15 years) in Iceland. The rostral oral cavity of 170 horses (aged 15-30 years) was examined clinically. In addition, husbandry and nutritional management history was recorded by use of a questionnaire. Radiographs (2-4 views) of 188 horses were evaluated, findings were categorized by numerical staging of the condition and collated with clinica...
Larson MK, Gaffney C, Hoagland C, Jayawickrama J, Kamm JL.To determine the xenogen-free serum source that provides the greatest number of live equine mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) while maintaining the MSC phenotype. Unassigned: Equine bone marrow-derived MSCs from 8 horses were cultured for 7 days in media containing one of the following serum treatments: 10% xenogeneic serum, 10% or 20% commercial allogeneic equine serum, 10% autologous serum, 10% equine pooled platelet lysate (PPL), or a staged media reduction of xenogeneic media. Live cell numbers, MSC viability, and MSC immunophenotype were compared. Unassigned: The use of 10% commercial allo...
Mudge M.Morbidity after equine abdominal surgery is common and post-operative complications can be costly to owners. The focus of this article is on intraoperative decision-making and current evidence, including surgical techniques and prognostic information that can prevent and predict complications. Emerging techniques for intra-operative monitoring and intestinal viability assessment, anastomotic techniques, body wall suturing, peritonitis treatment, and pain management are discussed.
Verna M, Amitrano FN, Boeder ZJ.To assess the clinical impact of the cricoarytenoideus dorsalis (CAD) myectomy in the short- and long-term postoperative abduction grade in racehorses. Unassigned: Records from horses presented for surgical treatment of recurrent laryngeal neuropathy from January 2019 through December 2023 were divided into 2 groups: horses that received standard prosthetic laryngoplasty and horses that received a complete myectomy of the CAD (modified myectomy laryngoplasty). Outcomes were compared through endoscopic evaluation after anesthetic recovery, both short term (7 to 10 days) and long term (80 to 90 ...
Domańska-Kruppa N, Benoit P, Żukiewicz-Benoit K, Domino M, Kliczkowska K, Szubart M, Stefanik E.Limited data is available on the diagnostic and therapeutic methods for pathologies caused by scarring after castration. It is well recognized that specific behaviors or untypical hindlimb lameness may be observed in geldings with gelding scars and adhesions caused by spermatic cord remnants after castration OBJECTIVES: To describe how to diagnose movement disorders associated with excessive adhesions caused by spermatic cord remnant after castration and to present a successful surgical treatment method. Methods: To assess the impact of gelding scars on horses' movement and behavior, medical r...
Brauns M, Ali A, Berger J, McLean A.Small stalls and regulated feedings restrict horses' natural foraging and locomotion, increasing risks to welfare. Environmental enrichment may promote more naturalistic behavioral time budgets, yet little is known about how enrichment type or timing affects physiology and behavior. This study examined nine stabled Quarter Horses provided with hay feeders, activity balls, or mirrors across randomized trials. Each trial included 30 min observations, four times per day, with enrichment removed between sessions and 5-day washouts between trials. Nightwatch Smart Halters™ recorded heart and resp...
Wang T, Yang X, Wang C, Wang J, Meng J, Yao X, Zeng Y, Ren W.Studying the genetic characteristics and molecular mechanisms of immune regulation in horses is of great significance for protecting their genetic resources, improving breeding strategies, and enhancing their disease resistance, thereby ensuring their healthy performance in both sports and production. Objective: This study investigates the genetic characteristics and molecular mechanisms underlying immune regulation in Yili horses, comparing them with Thoroughbreds and Kazakh horses. Methods: Blood samples from each breed were analyzed for physiological, biochemical, and immune indices alongsi...
Berglund P, Andonov S, Strandberg E, Eriksson S.Harness racing is popular in several parts of the world, and the ability to race barefoot is an important trait for success because of its effect on racing time. Barefoot racing is also discussed in terms of animal welfare because not all horses have hooves that tolerate racing without shoes. In Swedish Standardbred trotters (SB) and Swedish-Norwegian Coldblooded trotters (CB), the proportion of barefoot races and the probability to race barefoot in any given race (barefoot status) have low-to-moderate heritability (h = 0.07-0.28). However, the genetic correlation between the ability to race...
Countrymann K, Ruby R, Miller AD.Equine meningoencephalomyelitis is an important cause of morbidity and mortality and is associated with a wide variety of infectious etiologies. Because of the lack of large retrospective studies, the prevalence and incidence of these diseases are unknown. Here we describe 171 cases of meningoencephalomyelitis in horses submitted to the Section of Anatomic Pathology at the New York State Animal Health Diagnostic Center (Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA) from 1996-2023. Neuroinflammatory disease was identified in 5.4% of submitted horses with a wide breed, age, and sex distribution. A parasi...
Luštrek B, Šimon M, Turk K, Bogičević S, Potočnik K.In small, closed populations such as the Lipizzan horse, maintaining genetic diversity while limiting inbreeding is a key challenge in conservation breeding. The Lipizzan is an indigenous Slovenian breed with a small population and restricted gene flow from other subpopulations. Inbreeding is traditionally monitored with pedigree-based coefficients, but these often underestimate realised autozygosity, particularly when pedigree depth is limited. This study compared pedigree-based inbreeding (F_PED) with four genomic estimators (F_HOM, F_ROH, F_HBD, F_GRM) in 329 Slovenian Lipizzan horses genot...
Tucker-Retter EK, Yamagata M, Gilger B, Oh A.To assess whether topical carbonic anhydrase inhibitors (CAIs) with or without episcleral brinzolamide implants control intraocular pressure (IOP) in horses with glaucoma. Methods: 12 client-owned horses diagnosed with glaucoma. Methods: Medical records of horses treated with topical CAIs for ≥ 14 days, with a subset receiving episcleral brinzolamide implants, were reviewed. Diagnosis, signalment, concurrent ocular disease, medications, IOP, visual status, and additional procedures were recorded. Treatment failure was defined as horses with IOP > 30 mmHg resulting in phthisis bulbi o...
Kozłowska N, Borowska M, Jasiński T, Wierzbicka M, Domino M.In human medicine, computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) is increasingly employed for screening, identifying, and monitoring early endoscopic signs of various diseases. However, its potential-despite proven benefits in human healthcare-remains largely underexplored in equine veterinary medicine. This study aimed to quantify endoscopic signs of pharyngeal lymphoid hyperplasia (PLH) as digital data and to assess their effectiveness in CAD of PLH in comparison and in combination with clinical data reflecting respiratory tract disease. Endoscopic images of the pharynx were collected from 70 horses clinic...
In light of the increasing reports of anthelmintic (AH) resistance in equids, a national survey on helminth control practices was distributed to 42 528 keepers. A total of 4 344 responses was obtained. Respondents implemented preventive pasture practices with varying frequency according to the age of the animals, such as pasture rotations (78.1-80.6 %), excrement removal from pastures several times a year (15.9-27.2 %) and/or mixed or rotational grazing with ruminants (14.5-18.1 %). A majority of keepers routinely used AH treatments even though they did not perceive any major risk to the...
Vidal-Cardos R, Fàbrega E, Dalmau A.The sustainability of extensive livestock systems is compromised. It is necessary to enhance our understanding of the activity and grazing behavior of different livestock species (cows, horses, and sheep) sharing the same mountainous areas. Nowadays, the observation and analysis of animal activity is greatly facilitated by remote tracking technology, especially in zones with difficult access. In this article, we proved that commercial geolocation collars can provide meaningful data on animal activity, behavior, and distribution, which can be used to model daily distances, activity patterns, gr...
Wickenden H, Lightbody KL, Peczak N, Stevens KB, Pollard D, Blake DP, Austin CJ, Matthews JB, Fox MT.Anoplocephala perfoliata is the most common equine tapeworm infection. This parasite is found at the small/large intestinal junction and has been associated with colic. The cestode has an indirect lifecycle involving oribatid mite intermediate hosts, though little is known of its epidemiology. This study aimed to monitor seasonal fluctuations in pasture oribatid mite numbers and the presence of Anoplocephala spp. DNA in mite samples collected from three equine premises in the UK. Exposure to infection in resident horses was assessed by measuring tapeworm-specific salivary antibodies. The data ...
Hartl B, Strohmayer C, Vali Y, Lyrakis M, Kneissl SM.Horses with hyoid bone disease may present with clinical symptoms such as exercise intolerance, resistance to ridden work, anorexia, or headshaking. This study aims to describe the computed tomographic (CT) signs and prevalence of hyoid disease and to evaluate their association with other CT changes of the head. Unassigned: In this study, four investigators conducted a retrospective analysis of their findings after reviewing the medical records of 200 horses that had undergone CT scans between 2009 and 2019. A total of 32 parameters were analyzed, and associations were evaluated between those ...
Merle R, Feuer L, Frenzer K, Plenio JL, Bethe A, Sarnino N, Lübke-Becker A, Bäumer W.: A mandatory monitoring of the use of antibiotics in horses in the European Union will come into force from 2027 on. The aim of the study was to explore the potential implementation of a monitoring system and to provide an overview of antibiotic use in horses in Germany. : Data on all consultations from 57 German practices between 2018 and 2023 were obtained. The dataset included basic data about the horse, free-text diagnoses (allocated to one of 20 categories), and treatments. Information on the administered or dispensed pharmaceutical product was recorded for antibiotic treatment consultat...
Cloteau C, Delcourt V, Loup B, Chabot B, Pescher M, Susdorf E, Kaabia Z, Garcia P, Popot MA, Le Bizec B, Dervilly G, Bailly-Chouriberry L.Biomarker identification by mass spectrometry represents a key step in the workflow of nontargeted metabolomic studies. Given the complexity of the data, this step, which must be carried out by a trained specialist, is time-consuming, and the biomarkers discovered are not always identified. While this stage is not an obstacle to the development of new screening and classification tools, it is nonetheless crucial to a better understanding of the results obtained. For this reason, the aim of this study was to perform structural elucidation of candidate biomarkers, which had previously been displ...
Buschmann E, Van Steenkiste G, Vernemmen I, Demeyere M, Schauvliege S, Decloedt A, van Loon G.Detailed characterization of arrhythmias can be performed by multiple catheter mapping; but this has not yet been explored in horses. Objective: Perform ultrasound-guided multiple catheter mapping of the right heart during sinus rhythm and right and left atrial pacing to identify activation patterns characteristic of the origin of ectopy. Obtain His signals and effective refractory periods (ERP). Methods: Eight healthy adult horses. Methods: Experimental study. Recording catheters were placed at the terminal crest, intervenous tubercle, caudal vena cava, and coronary sinus. Right atrial pacing...
Lugo T, Myers S, Nguyen TA.In vitro models have revolutionized our understanding of biological pathways and mechanisms, offering a viable alternative to direct patient testing. However, there is a significant lack of models for different animals, particularly equine models. This study presents a novel primary cell culture extracted from a 3-year-old horse diagnosed with multisystemic eosinophilic epitheliotropic disease. Tissue samples were collected from lymph nodes at various locations. Growth curves of extracted primary cells were analyzed and the optimal conditions were assessed. Biomarkers, such as CD31, ZO-1, CD79...
Riahi Z, Naeini AT, Zare R.Dareshuri horses are the predominant breed in Fars Province, Iran. Although disorders affecting their maxillary cheek teeth and maxillary sinuses are relatively common, limited fundamental data are available on the dimensions and relationships of these structures at different ages. Given the significant anatomical changes in the heads of young horses as they mature, this study aimed to evaluate age-related changes in the position and anatomical relationships of individual maxillary cheek teeth within the rostral and caudal maxillary sinuses (RMS and CMS, respectively), as well as changes in th...
Smith R, Perkins L, Pinchbeck G, Ireland J.The decisions made by horse owners on behalf of their animal, including decisions to involve a veterinarian, play an important role in the management of pain. This study explored horse owners' experiences to understand how they conceptualised chronic pain within the context of their horse-human relationship, what led them to seek veterinary involvement, and how veterinary interactions shaped their perceptions of pain and its management. An ethnographic approach using constructivist grounded theory methods was adopted. This paper draws upon field notes generated through 200 h of observation und...
Sharshar A, Hammad A, Salem M, El-Sunsafty M.This study was carried out to evaluate a rectal pull-back one-stage technique, which is a modification of the one-stage Goetz technique, for treating third-degree perineal laceration or rectovestibular fistula. Methods: This study was performed on 12 mares, ten of whom suffered from third-grade perineal laceration, and two suffered from rectovestibular fistula and were included in this study. After incision of the vestibular shelf horizontally, the dissected rectal flap was pulled caudally and sutured to the anal sphincter during its reconstruction at the final stage. While the vestibular shel...
Olakojo TA, Akinniyi OO, Dansu EO, Adeoye AO, Adah O, Nwufoh OC, Adeoye BO, Oridupa OA, Saba AB.Dexamethasone is a common drug used in equine medicine, but when administered inappropriately, it can lead to serious health complications. There is a dearth of data on horse caregivers' knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding dexamethasone use in Nigeria. Understanding current dexamethasone usage patterns is necessary for developing educational interventions which will then improve equine welfare. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of horse caregivers regarding dexamethasone use in Ibadan, Nigeria. A cross-sectional study was conducted amongst a tot...
subsp. (SEZ) is a bacterium that primarily affects horses but can also infect other animals and humans. In 2021-2022, two SEZ outbreaks occurred in Abruzzo, Italy: one in humans linked to unpasteurized cheese (37 cases) and another in donkeys (4 deaths). These events led researchers to investigate SEZ in horses, donkeys, and a mule in the regions of Abruzzo and Molise, focusing on antibiotic resistance and genetic traits. A total of 490 nasal and genital swabs were collected from equids and analyzed for SEZ presence, with 61 positive samples. Isolated strains underwent antimicrobial suscepti...
Wood AD, Parker RA.To describe a tenoscopically guided technique for desmotomy of the proximal digital annular ligament (PDAL). Methods: Ex vivo study and clinical case series. Methods: A total of 10 normal cadaver equine hindlimbs and five clinical cases of PDAL desmitis. Methods: The digital flexor tendon sheath (DFTS) was approached via a lateral basisesamoid portal and a palmar/plantar annular ligament (PAL) desmotomy was performed to improve maneuverability in the DFTS. Additional proximolateral and distal midline instrument portals were created to facilitate transection of the proximolateral attachment, th...
Carey KJ, Smith I, Hartley CA, Bailey KE, McIntosh K, Broder CC, Gilkerson JR.Hendra virus (HeV) is a high consequence pathogen that causes severe respiratory and/or neurological disease in both horses and humans with high mortality. The equine vaccine, Equivac® HeV, is a recombinant soluble version of the G glycoprotein of HeV (HeV-sG) that elicits a potent HeV-neutralising antibody response in adult horses and also provides indirect protection for humans. Maternally derived HeV-G specific antibodies could interfere with subsequent foal vaccination, although other factors such as foal age and the suitability of vaccination protocols that have been optimised for adult ...
Mousquer MA, Paz CFR, Rafael LA, Wendt CG, Curcio BR, Souza RP, Santos IPOD, da Silva RB, Müller V, Nogueira CEW.Obesity is common in some horse breeds, raising concerns about health and performance. Criollo horses in morphological events often undergo intensive management promoting early adiposity. Objective: This study aimed (1) to assess morphometric traits, metabolic profile, hoof morphology, and tarsal joint alterations in Criollo horses participating in morphological trials; (2) to evaluate sex-related differences; and (3) the associations between morphometric measurements, hoof morphology, and tarsal osteoarthritis grades. Methods: Fifty-five horses (30 mares, 25 stallions) were evaluated for body...
Bellone RR, Holl H, Setaluri V, Devi S, Maddodi N, Archer S, Sandmeyer L, Ludwig A, Foerster D, Pruvost M, Reissmann M, Bortfeldt R, Adelson DL....Leopard complex spotting is a group of white spotting patterns in horses caused by an incompletely dominant gene (LP) where homozygotes (LP/LP) are also affected with congenital stationary night blindness. Previous studies implicated Transient Receptor Potential Cation Channel, Subfamily M, Member 1 (TRPM1) as the best candidate gene for both CSNB and LP. RNA-Seq data pinpointed a 1378 bp insertion in intron 1 of TRPM1 as the potential cause. This insertion, a long terminal repeat (LTR) of an endogenous retrovirus, was completely associated with LP, testing 511 horses (χ(2)=1022.00, p<<...
Divers TJ, Tennant BC, Kumar A, McDonough S, Cullen J, Bhuva N, Jain K, Chauhan LS, Scheel TKH, Lipkin WI, Laverack M, Trivedi S, Srinivasa S....Equine serum hepatitis (i.e., Theiler's disease) is a serious and often life-threatening disease of unknown etiology that affects horses. A horse in Nebraska, USA, with serum hepatitis died 65 days after treatment with equine-origin tetanus antitoxin. We identified an unknown parvovirus in serum and liver of the dead horse and in the administered antitoxin. The equine parvovirus-hepatitis (EqPV-H) shares <50% protein identity with its phylogenetic relatives of the genus Copiparvovirus. Next, we experimentally infected 2 horses using a tetanus antitoxin contaminated with EqPV-H. Viremia develop...
de Laat MA, McGree JM, Sillence MN.Compared with some other species, insulin dysregulation in equids is poorly understood. However, hyperinsulinemia causes laminitis, a significant and often lethal disease affecting the pedal bone/hoof wall attachment site. Until recently, hyperinsulinemia has been considered a counterregulatory response to insulin resistance (IR), but there is growing evidence to support a gastrointestinal etiology. Incretin hormones released from the proximal intestine, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide, augment insulin secretion in several species but require invest...
van Loon JP, Van Dierendonck MC.Although recognition of equine pain has been studied extensively over the past decades there is still need for improvement in objective identification of pain in horses with acute colic. This study describes scale construction and clinical applicability of the Equine Utrecht University Scale for Composite Pain Assessment (EQUUS-COMPASS) and the Equine Utrecht University Scale for Facial Assessment of Pain (EQUUS-FAP) in horses with acute colic. A cohort follow-up study was performed using 50 adult horses (n = 25 with acute colic, n = 25 controls). Composite pain scores were assessed by direct ...
Magneson GR, Puvathingal JM, Ray WJ.The enzyme phosphoglucomutase can be used as a metal ion indicator to measure the concentrations of free Mg2+ and free Zn2+ in physiological fluids. In horse plasma, the concentration of free Mg2+ is close to 0.5 mM, whereas that of free Zn2+ is about 2 X 10(-10) M, although numerous physiological roles for Zn2+ have been postulated that would require free Zn2+ concentration orders of magnitude higher than this. A titration of plasma with Zn2+ shows that the fractional increase in free Zn2+ is essentially the same as the fractional increase in total exchangeable Zn2+, and the results are consi...
Powers AM, Oberste MS, Brault AC, Rico-Hesse R, Schmura SM, Smith JF, Kang W, Sweeney WP, Weaver SC.Venezuelan equine encephalitis (VEE) epidemics and equine epizootics occurred periodically in the Americas from the 1920s until the early 1970s, when the causative viruses, subtypes IAB and IC, were postulated to have become extinct. Recent outbreaks in Columbia and Venezuela have renewed interest in the source of epidemic/epizootic viruses and their mechanism of interepizootic maintenance. We performed phylogenetic analyses of VEE virus isolates spanning the entire temporal and geographic range of strains available, using 857-nucleotide reverse transcription-PCR products including the E3 and ...
Båverud V, Gustafsson A, Franklin A, Aspán A, Gunnarsson A.Clostridium difficile has been associated with acute colitis in mature horses. Objective: To survey C. difficile colonisation of the alimentary tract with age, occurrence of diarrhoea and history of antibiotic therapy; and to study the occurrence and survival of C. difficile in the environment and antimicrobial susceptibility of isolated strains. Methods: A total of 777 horses of different breeds, age and sex were studied. Further, 598 soil samples and 434 indoor surface samples were examined. Antimicrobial susceptibility of 52 strains was investigated by Etest for 10 antibiotics. Results: In ...
Cuny C, Strommenger B, Witte W, Stanek C.During 2006 and 2007 small clusters of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections in horses were recorded in different clinical departments of a veterinary university. The infections were caused by different MRSA clones (ST1, ST254, and ST398). In the same time, nasal colonization of veterinarians, veterinary personnel, and students was observed indicating transmission to humans.
Leroux C, Issel CJ, Montelaro RC.We have investigated the genetic evolution of three functionally distinct regions of the equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) genome (env, rev, and long terminal repeat) during recurring febrile episodes in a pony experimentally infected with a well-characterized reference biological clone designated EIAV(PV). Viral populations present in the plasma of an EIAV(PV)-infected pony during sequential febrile episodes (18, 34, 80, 106, and 337 days postinfection) were amplified from viral RNA, analyzed, and compared to the inoculated strain. The comparison of the viral quasispecies showed that the ...
Browning GF, Fitzgerald TA, Chalmers RM, Snodgrass DR.Equine rotavirus FI23 was shown to be prototypic of a novel G serotype, provisionally G14, by cross-neutralization and VP7 sequence determination. Although distinct, there are as few as six differing amino acid residues (92, 94, 96, 146, 147, and 221) in the VP7 antigenic regions of FI23 and G3 rotaviruses.
de Grauw JC, van Loon JP.Accurate recognition and quantification of pain in horses is imperative for adequate pain management. The past decade has seen a much needed surge in formal development of systematic pain assessment tools for the objective monitoring of pain in equine patients. This narrative review describes parameters that can be used to detect pain in horses, provides an overview of the various pain scales developed (visual analogue scales, simple descriptive scales, numerical rating scales, time budget analysis, composite pain scales and grimace scales), and highlights their strengths and weaknesses for po...
Plaza Davila M, Martin Muñoz P, Tapia JA, Ortega Ferrusola C, Balao da Silva C C, Peña FJ.Mitochondria have been proposed as the major source of reactive oxygen species in somatic cells and human spermatozoa. However, no data regarding the role of mitochondrial ROS production in stallion spermatozoa are available. To shed light on the role of the mitochondrial electron transport chain in the origin of oxidative stress in stallion spermatozoa, specific inhibitors of complex I (rotenone) and III (antimycin-A) were used. Ejaculates from seven Andalusian stallions were collected and incubated in BWW media at 37 °C in the presence of rotenone, antimycin-A or control vehicle. Incubation...
De Boyer Des Roches A, Richard-Yris MA, Henry S, Ezzaouïa M, Hausberger M.Lateralization of emotions has received great attention in the last decades, both in humans and animals, but little interest has been given to side bias in perceptual processing. Here, we investigated the influence of the emotional valence of stimuli on visual and olfactory explorations by horses, a large mammalian species with two large monocular visual fields and almost complete decussation of optic fibres. We confronted 38 Arab mares to three objects with either a positive, negative or neutral emotional valence (novel object). The results revealed a gradient of exploration of the 3 objects ...
Browning GF, Chalmers RM, Fitzgerald TA, Snodgrass DR.A group A rotavirus designated L338 was isolated from the faeces of a diarrhoeic foal and was compared to 11 standard G serotype strains of group A rotaviruses by cross-neutralization. It was clearly distinct from serotypes G1 to G11 and thus representative of a novel rotavirus G serotype tentatively designated G13. The nucleic acid sequence of the virion protein 7 (VP7) coding region was determined and the deduced amino acid sequence compared to published sequences. Within VP7 regions A and B, L338 was clearly distinct from serotypes G1 to G12 (excluding G7 which has not been sequenced), but ...
Van den Eede A, Martens A, Lipinska U, Struelens M, Deplano A, Denis O, Haesebrouck F, Gasthuys F, Hermans K.Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections do occur in equine patients. Little is known, however, about their origin and the general equine MRSA colonization status. In West European horses in particular, neither the colonization rate nor the present strains or their antimicrobial susceptibility patterns are known. In the present study, a sample of 110 (Belgian, French, Dutch and Luxemburg) horses presented at a Belgian equine clinic was screened for nasal MRSA carriage. An indirect culturing protocol using a 0.001% colistin and nalidixic acid containing broth was compared t...
Arnhold SJ, Goletz I, Klein H, Stumpf G, Beluche LA, Rohde C, Addicks K, Litzke LF.To isolate and characterize bone marrow-derived equine mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) for possible future therapeutic applications in horses. Methods: Equine MSCs were isolated from bone marrow aspirates obtained from the sternum of 30 donor horses. Methods: Cells were cultured in medium (alpha-minimum essential medium) with a fetal calf serum content of 20%. Equine MSC features were analyzed to determine selfrenewing and differentiation capacity. For potential therapeutic applications, the migratory potential of equine MSCs was determined. An adenoviral vector was used to determine the transdu...
Brüssow H, Brüssow L.Contemporary medical reports from Britain and Germany on patients suffering from a pandemic infection between 1889 and 1891, which was historically referred to as the Russian flu, share a number of characteristics with COVID-19. Most notable are aspects of multisystem affections comprising respiratory, gastrointestinal and neurological symptoms including loss of taste and smell perception; a protracted recovery resembling long covid and pathology observations of thrombosis in multiple organs, inflammation and rheumatic affections. As in COVID-19 and unlike in influenza, mortality was seen in e...
Rico-Hesse R, Weaver SC, de Siger J, Medina G, Salas RA.One of the most important questions in arbovirology concerns the origin of epidemic Venezuelan equine encephalitis (VEE) viruses; these viruses caused periodic, extensive epidemics/epizootics in the Americas from 1938-1973 (reaching the United States in 1971) but had recently been presumed extinct. We have documented the 1992 emergence of a new epidemic/epizootic VEE virus in Venezuela. Phylogenetic analysis of strains isolated during two outbreaks indicated that the new epidemic/epizootic virus(es) evolved recently from an enzootic VEE virus in northern South America. These results suggest co...
DebRoy C, Maddox CW.The pathogenic strains of Escherichia coli recovered from the intestinal tract of animals fall into categories called enterotoxigenic, enteropathogenic, enterohemorrhagic and necrotoxigenic. The other two categories, enteroinvasive and enteroaggregative, have not been reported in animals. The pathogenicity of these strains is determined by the presence of certain genes that encode adhesins and toxins, are generally organized in large blocks in chromosomes, large plasmids or phages, and are often transmitted horizontally between strains. In this review, we summarize current knowledge of the vir...
McLean RG, Ubico SR, Bourne D, Komar N.WN virus is one of the most ubiquitous arboviruses occurring over a broad geographical range and in a wide diversity of vertebrate host and vector species. The virus appears to be maintained in endemic foci on the African continent and is transported annually to temperate climates to the north in Europe and to the south in South Africa. Reports of clinical disease due to natural WN virus infection in wild or domestic animals were much less common than reports of infection (virus isolation or antibody detection). Until recently, records of morbidity and mortality in wild birds were confined to ...
Shehu-Xhilaga M, Ablan S, Demirov DG, Chen C, Montelaro RC, Freed EO.The Gag proteins of a number of different retroviruses contain late or L domains that promote the release of virions from the plasma membrane. Three types of L domains have been identified to date: Pro-Thr-Ala-Pro (PTAP), Pro-Pro-X-Tyr, and Tyr-Pro-Asp-Leu. It has previously been demonstrated that overexpression of the N-terminal, E2-like domain of the endosomal sorting factor TSG101 (TSG-5') inhibits human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) release but does not affect the release of the PPPY-containing retrovirus murine leukemia virus (MLV), whereas overexpression of the C-terminal portion...
Evans SV, Brayer GD.The three-dimensional structure of horse heart metmyoglobin has been refined to a final R-factor of 15.5% for all observed data in the 6.0 to 1.9 A resolution range. The final model consists of 1242 non-hydrogen protein atoms, 154 water molecules and one sulfate ion. This structure has nearly ideal bonding and bond angle geometry. A Luzzati plot of the variation in R-factor with resolution yields an estimated mean co-ordinate error of 0.18 A. An extensive analysis of the pattern of hydrogen bonds formed in horse heart metmyoglobin has been completed. Over 80% of the polypeptide chain is involv...
Nemoto M, Bannai H, Tsujimura K, Kobayashi M, Kikuchi T, Yamanaka T, Kondo T.An outbreak of Getah virus infection occurred among racehorses in Japan during September and October 2014. Of 49 febrile horses tested by reverse transcription PCR, 25 were positive for Getah virus. Viruses detected in 2014 were phylogenetically different from the virus isolated in Japan in 1978.
McGowan TW, Pinchbeck GP, McGowan CM.Equine pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) is an ageing-related neurodegenerative disorder. The prevalence and risk factors for PPID using seasonally adjusted basal adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) concentrations in aged horses have not been previously reported. Objective: To determine the prevalence, risk factors and clinical signs predictive for PPID in a population of horses aged ≥ 15 years in Queensland, Australia. Methods: Owner-reported data was obtained using a postal questionnaire distributed to an equestrian group. A subgroup of surveyed owners were visited and a veterina...
Morrison PK, Newbold CJ, Jones E, Worgan HJ, Grove-White DH, Dugdale AH, Barfoot C, Harris PA, Argo CM.Gastrointestinal microbial communities are increasingly being implicated in host susceptibilities to nutritional/metabolic diseases; such conditions are more prevalent in obese and/or older horses. This controlled study evaluated associations between host-phenotype and the fecal microbiome / metabolome. Thirty-five, Welsh Mountain pony mares were studied across 2 years (Controls, = 6/year, 5-15 years, Body Condition Score (BCS) 4.5-6/9; Obese, = 6/year, 5-15 years, BCS > 7/9; Aged, = 6 Year 1; = 5 Year 2, ≥19 years old). Animals were individually fed the same hay to maintenance (2% bo...
Tinker MK, White NA, Lessard P, Thatcher CD, Pelzer KD, Davis B, Carmel DK.A prospective study of one year was conducted on 31 horse farms to obtain population based estimates of incidence, morbidity and mortality rates of equine colic. Farms with greater than 20 horses were enrolled by randomly selecting horse owners from 2 adjacent counties of Virginia and Maryland. Descriptive information for 1427 horses was collected at the initiation of the study and updated at 3 month intervals. Time on the farm during the study was tabulated for each horse. When colic was reported by the owner, investigators visited the farm to obtain information about the colic. The crude inc...
Vannella KM, Moore BB.Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) remains exactly that. The disease originates from an unknown cause, and little is known about the mechanisms of pathogenesis. While the disease is likely multi-factorial, evidence is accumulating to implicate viruses as co-factors (either as initiating or exacerbating agents) of fibrotic lung disease. This review summarizes the available clinical and experimental observations that form the basis for the hypothesis that viral infections may augment fibrotic responses. We review the data suggesting a link between hepatitis C virus, adenovirus, human cytomegalo...
Burn CC, Dennison TL, Whay HR.Over 85% of equids live in developing countries, where they are usually used for work. We aimed to identify environmental factors associated with potential welfare problems in working equids, helping target welfare interventions towards the most vulnerable animals. Over 5 years, non-invasive behavioural and physical data were collected from 5481 donkeys, 4504 horses, and 858 mules across nine developing countries. Hoof and limb problems were over 90% prevalent, and 85% of equids were thin. Older, thinner animals had the most problems, and species differences in susceptibility were found. Equid...
Hitchens PL, Morrice-West AV, Stevenson MA, Whitton RC.Studies of racehorse injury or fatality in various countries have identified common, and in some cases conflicting, risk factors. We conducted a systematic search of the relevant literature published from 1990 to 2017. Peer-reviewed articles were included if they reported the incidence of fatal or catastrophic musculoskeletal injury (CMI) in Thoroughbred flat races (n=21) or risk factors for CMI (n=65). Pooled effect sizes were estimated using the random-effects DerSimonian-Laird model. The pooled incidence of CMI was 1.17 (95% confidence interval 0.90, 1.44) per 1000 race starts. Almost 300 f...
