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.
Bernardino P, James K, Barnum S, Corbin R, Wademan C, Pusterla N.Equine rhinitis B virus (ERBV) has been given little attention by practitioners compared to other respiratory viruses, mainly because of the lack of diagnostic modalities and association with clinical disease. The objective of the study was to determine the frequency of detection of ERBV in nasal secretions from 6568 horses with acute onset of respiratory signs. ERBV-positive qPCR results from nasal secretions submitted to a molecular diagnostic laboratory from 2013 to 2019 were reviewed. A total of 333 ERBV qPCR-positive samples (5.1%) were detected with increasing yearly frequency since the ...
Wilson BJ, Thompson KR, McGreevy PD.The annual Melbourne Cup Thoroughbred horse race has iconic status among many Australians but sits in the context of increasing criticism of the welfare of Thoroughbred racing horses and the ethics of gambling. Despite heated debates and protests playing out in the public domain, there is scant empirical research to document Australian attitudes to the Melbourne Cup, or horse racing more generally. Specifically, little is known about how support for or against the Melbourne Cup correlate with age, gender, income and level of education. To provide a more nuanced understanding of attitudes towar...
Eberhardt C, Schwarzwald CC.In horses, persistent atrial dysfunction is a prognostic indicator of recurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF). The objective of this study was to quantify left atrial (LA) contractile function in Warmblood horses after successful cardioversion of AF to sinus rhythm, using standard two-dimensional echocardiography (2DE) and two-dimensional speckle tracking (2DST) analyses, and to provide proof-of-concept for use of 2DST to detect LA contractile dysfunction in horses. Methods: Nineteen Warmblood horses with AF and successful transvenous electrical cardioversion (TVEC) or medical cardioversion usi...
Kalpokas I, Martínez MN, Cavestany D, Perdigón F, Mattos RC, Meikle A.We investigated the early effects of the equine embryo on maternal serum concentrations of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1), leptin and adiponectin, uterine immune cells and genes and proteins related to embryo development and the maintenance of pregnancy. Ipsilateral endometrial expression was assessed on Days 7 and 13 after ovulation for the following transcripts: oestrogen receptor ERα (ESR1), progesterone receptor (PGR), progestin and adipoQ receptor family member 5 (PAQR5), oxytocin receptor (OXTR), prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 (PTGS2), raf-1 proto-oncogene serine/threonine k...
Dietrich J, Handschuh S, Steidl R, Böhler A, Forstenpointner G, Egerbacher M, Peham C, Schöpper H.As the longissimus dorsi muscle is the largest muscle in the equine back, it has great influence on the stability of the spine and facilitates proper locomotion. The longissimus muscle provides support to the saddle and rider and thereby influences performance in the horse. Muscular dysfunction has been associated with back disorders and decline of performance. In general, muscle function is determined by its specific intramuscular architecture. However, only limited three-dimensional metrical data are available for the inner organisation of the equine longissimus dorsi muscle. Therefore, we a...
Graham-Thiers PM, Bowen LK.Feeding management in horses suggests feeding horses in advance of exercise, particularly the grain portion of the diet. Plasma amino acids () peak at 3 to 6 h postfeeding depending on the AA. The timeframe between feeding and exercise may affect the availability of AA during and after exercise. The purpose of this study was to observe the differences in plasma AA in horses fed prior to exercise or after exercise. Eight light type horses were fed a diet with adequate protein and AA for horses in light to moderate exercise. After an adjustment period, horses completed a standardized exercise te...
Hague N, Durham AE, Menzies-Gow NJ.Equine pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) is treated with daily pergolide therapy. Owner compliance and its effect on PPID control have not been previously investigated. Clinical records were searched to identify the sample of animals with PPID treated with pergolide from 2016 to 2019. The signalment was noted and the dose of pergolide received calculated. Animals were classified as compliant (receiving ≥90% of the veterinarian recommended dose of pergolide) or non-compliant, and as controlled (follow-up basal adrenocorticotrophic hormone concentrations within the reference range) ...
Podico G, Lago-Alvarez Y, Carossino M, Ferrer MS, Arnold CE, Canisso IF.This study aimed to describe and compare semen parameters (pre-freeze and post-freezing) and antisperm antibodies (ASA) of donkeys with epididymal sperm granuloma and healthy controls. Feral donkeys (n = 10) castrated in a concurrent study were enrolled in the present experiment. Three donkeys had unilateral granulomas, two donkeys had bilateral granulomas, whereas the remaining five had grossly normal epididymides. The granulomas were either single or multiple, firm, well-circumscribed, tan to red, and 1-5 mm in size. Upon incision, abundant, thick, tan to white-yellow fluid was recovered. ...
Mathewos M, Fesseha H, Yirgalem M.Gastrointestinal helminth parasite infection is a major influencing factor against the profitability of working equines all over the world. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the Hosaena district to investigate the prevalence and the potential risk factors of strongyle infection. To address this, 384 equines; donkeys (n = 208), and horses (n = 176) were randomly selected for the coprological examination to identify strongyle eggs using the floatation technique. Results: The study revealed that the overall prevalence of strongyle infection in the Hosaena district was 54.2% and...
Flynn H, Cenani A, Brosnan RJ, DiMaio Knych HK, de Araujo Aguiar AJ.To determine the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of high-concentration formulation of buprenorphine (1.8 mg mL; Simbadol) following subcutaneous (SC) administration in horses. Methods: Prospective, randomized, crossover trial. Methods: A group of six healthy adult horses weighing 521-602 kg. Methods: On three occasions, Simbadol (0.005 mg kg; treatment S5), (0.0025 mg kg; treatment S2.5) or saline (treatment SAL) were administered SC at least 7 days apart in random order. Electrical nociceptive threshold (ENT) measured on the neck region, physiologic variables, locomotor activity, degree...
Schvartz G, Tirosh-Levy S, Barnum S, David D, Sol A, Pusterla N, Steinman A.Equine coronavirus (ECoV) infection is the cause of an emerging enteric disease of adult horses. Outbreaks have been reported in the USA, EU and Japan, as well as sporadic cases in the UK and Saudi Arabia. Infection of ECoV in horses in Israel has never been reported, and the risk of exposure is unknown. Importation and exportation of horses from and into Israel may have increased the exposure of horses in Israel to ECoV. While the disease is mostly self-limiting, with or without supportive treatment, severe complications may occur in some animals, and healthy carriers may pose a risk of infec...
Mecocci S, Porcellato I, Armando F, Mechelli L, Brachelente C, Pepe M, Gialletti R, Passeri B, Modesto P, Ghelardi A, Cappelli K, Razzuoli E.Equine genital squamous cell carcinomas (egSCCs) are among the most common equine tumors after sarcoids, severely impairing animal health and welfare. papillomavirus type 2 (EcPV2) infection is often related to these tumors. The aim of this study was to clarify the molecular mechanisms behind egSCCs associated with EcPV2 infection, investigating receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappa B ligand (RANKL) signaling in NF-kB pathway, together with the Wnt and IL17 signaling pathways. We analyzed the innate immune response through gene expression evaluation of key cytokines and transcription fac...
MacKechnie-Guire R, Pfau T.Assessing back dysfunction is a key part of the investigative process of "loss of athletic performance" in the horse and quantitative data may help veterinary decision making. Ranges of motion of differential translational and rotational movement between adjacent inertial measurement units attached to the skin over thoracic vertebrae 5, 13 and 18 (T5, T13, T18) lumbar vertebra 3 (L3) and tuber sacrale (TS) were measured in 10 dressage horses during trot in-hand and ridden in sitting trot/canter. Straight-line motion cycles were analysed using a general linear model (random factor: horse; fixed...
De Lange L, Vera L, Decloedt A, Van Steenkiste G, Vernemmen I, van Loon G.Ventricular septal defects (VSDs) are the most common congenital cardiac defect in horses. Objective: To identify prevalence, age, breed, and sex distribution of VSD and to describe associated clinical and ultrasonographic findings. Methods: Hospital-based population of 21 136 horses presented to the equine internal medicine department. Methods: Medical records over a 12-year period were reviewed for VSD confirmed by ultrasonography. Age, breed, sex, sport discipline, murmur, clinical signs, outcome, VSD type, VSD size, shunt velocity, cardiac dimensions, concomitant cardiac anomalies, and v...
Hicks GR, Fraser NS, Bertin FR.Although there are many hormonal changes associated with reproduction, the effects of ovulation and early pregnancy on adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and insulin concentrations are poorly described. We hypothesise that both ovulation and early pregnancy will alter ACTH and insulin concentrations in healthy mares. Eighteen mares showing no clinical signs suggestive of, or laboratory findings consistent with, pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction PPID and insulin dysregulation (ID) are enrolled. ACTH, cortisol, insulin and glucose concentrations are measured over their peri-ovulatory period,...
Delgado OBD, Louro LF, Rocchigiani G, Verin R, Humphreys W, Senior M, Campagna I.To describe dye distribution and spinal nerve involvement after a simulated erector spinae plane (ESP) block performed on fresh equine cadavers. Methods: Experimental cadaver study. Methods: A group of 11 adult equine cadavers. Methods: The spinal region surrounding the sixteenth thoracic vertebra (Th16) of one cadaver was removed and underwent magnetic resonance imaging. In 10 adult equine cadavers [body weight, 549 ± 58 kg (mean ± standard deviation)], 0.2 mL kg of a 50:1 2% lidocaine/dye solution was injected bilaterally (n = 20 injections) into the fascial plane between the transverse p...
Al-Kass Z, Brown A, Johannisson A, Ntallaris T, Morrell JM.Although single layer centrifugation (SLC) selects robust spermatozoa from stallion semen, the effect of individual variation has not been studied in detail. The objective of this study was to determine the variation among stallions in the effects of SLC on sperm quality during cooled storage for up to 48 hr. Semen samples from seven stallions (18 ejaculates) were split, with one portion being used for SLC and the other serving as a control (CON). Sperm quality (kinematics, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, membrane integrity (MI) and chromatin integrity) were analysed at 0, 24 and 48...
Lansade L, Trösch M, Parias C, Blanchard A, Gorosurreta E, Calandreau L.Pet-directed speech (PDS) is a type of speech humans spontaneously use with their companion animals. It is very similar to speech commonly used when talking to babies. A survey on social media showed that 92.7% of the respondents used PDS with their horse, but only 44.4% thought that their horse was sensitive to it, and the others did not know or doubted its efficacy. We, therefore, decided to test the impact of PDS on two tasks. During a grooming task that consisted of the experimenter scratching the horse with their hand, the horses (n = 20) carried out significantly more mutual grooming g...
Dufour P, Courtois J, Seynaeve Y, Peeters S, Le Goff C, Cavalier E, Ponthier J.Steroid concentrations in serum are fluctuating during pregnancy of many mammal species. The current knowledge about endocrinology of gestation is mainly based on immunoassays. However, the lack of specificity of these assays hampers the reliability of the results. In the present work, we developed and validated a methodology associating liquid chromatography (LC) and mass spectrometry (MS) to simultaneously quantify, with high specificity and accuracy, estrone-3-sulfate (E3S), progesterone (PRO), estrone (E1) and estradiol (E2) in serum of two different mammal species. The sample preparation ...
Boyle AG, Mitchell C, Stefanovski D, Waller AS.The dual antigen iELISA uses two Streptococcus equi subsp equi surface protein antigens composed of N-terminal portions of SEQ2190 (Antigen A) and SeM (Antigen C). It is currently used to identify animals exposed to S. equi which have developed an immune response to the target antigens. Objective: To determine the usefulness of the dual antigen iELISA in a population of horses vaccinated with Pinnacle IN. We hypothesised that horses vaccinated for strangles with a live attenuated, non-encapsulated SeM-2 strain of S. equi, would seroconvert when tested 5 weeks later by the dual antigen iELIS...
Townsend KS, Johnson PJ, LaCarrubba AM, Martin LM, Ericsson AC.Bacteremia resulting from dental surgery is increasingly recognized as a health risk, especially in older and immunocompromised patients. Dentistry-associated bacteremia can lead to remote infections, as exemplified by valvular endocarditis. Emerging evidence points to a novel role played by oral cavity commensals in the pathogenesis of diabetes, respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease, and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Whether dental extraction, a commonly undertaken procedure in old horses, causes bacteremia has not been reported extensively. In a prospective clinical study using next gene...
Ireland JL, McGowan CM.Research demonstrating insulin's causal role in endocrinopathic laminitis has greatly advanced understanding of equine laminitis. However, the degree to which this knowledge has been translated into clinical practice has not been assessed. This two-part study aimed to investigate veterinary surgeons' current diagnostic approach to laminitis, whether this had changed over time, and the impact of diagnosing an endocrinopathy on laminitis case management and outcome. Two cross-sectional online surveys of equine veterinary surgeons working within the UK were undertaken. The first study population ...
Rasche A, Lehmann F, Goldmann N, Nagel M, Moreira-Soto A, Nobach D, de Oliveira Carneiro I, Osterrieder N, Greenwood AD, Steinmann E, Lukashev AN....Preclinical testing of novel therapeutics for chronic hepatitis B (CHB) requires suitable animal models. Equids host homologs of hepatitis C virus (HCV). Because coinfections of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and HCV occur in humans, we screened 2,917 specimens from equids from five continents for HBV. We discovered a distinct HBV species (Equid HBV, EqHBV) in 3.2% of donkeys and zebras by PCR and antibodies against EqHBV in 5.4% of donkeys and zebras. Molecular, histopathological, and biochemical analyses revealed that infection patterns of EqHBV resembled those of HBV in humans, including hepatotro...
Auer U, Kelemen Z, Engl V, Jenner F.Horses' behavior can provide valuable insight into their subjective state and is thus a good indicator of welfare. However, its complexity requires objective, quantifiable, and unambiguous evidence-based assessment criteria. As healthy, stress-free horses exhibit a highly repetitive daily routine, temporal quantification of their behavioral activities (time budget analysis) can assist in equine welfare assessment. Therefore, the present systematic review aimed to provide an up-to-date analysis of equine time budget studies. A review of the literature yielded 12 papers that fulfilled the inclus...
Polak G, Gurgul A, Jasielczuk I, Szmatoła T, Krupiński J, Bugno-Poniewierska M.Traditionally, pedigree-based relationship coefficients were used to manage inbreeding and control inbreeding depression that occurs within populations. The extensive incorporation of genomic data in livestock breeding creates the opportunity to develop and implement methods to manage populations at the genomic level. Consequently, the realized proportion of the genome that two individuals share can be more accurately estimated instead of using pedigree information to estimate the expected proportion of shared alleles. To make use of this improvement, in this study we evaluated the genomic inb...
Al Abri MA, Brooks SA, Al-Saqri N, Alkharousi K, Johnson EH, Alqaisi O, Al-Rawahi A, Al Marzooqi W.Arabian horses were selected for metabolic efficiency, beauty, efficiency and endurance. Therefore, Bedouins have for centuries traced their prized horses' ancestries. With the establishment of the World Arabian Horse Organization (WAHO), registration of Arabian horses became centralized and countries worldwide registered them in its database. Most existing Arabian horses in Oman today were imported after the 1970s and are predominantly flat-racing Arabians. This work aimed at revealing the genetic background and diversity of Omani Arabian horses by comparing them with Arabian horses from a di...
Boyle AG, Rankin SC, O'Shea K, Stefanovski D, Peng J, Song J, Bau HH.Rapid point-of-care (POC) detection of Streptococcus equi subsp. equi (S. equi) would theoretically reduce the spread of strangles by identifying index and carrier horses. Objective: That the eqbE isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay, and the same eqbE LAMP assay tested in a microfluidic device format, are comparable to a triplex real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assay that is commonly used in diagnostic labs. Methods: Sixty-eight guttural pouch lavage (GPL) specimens from horses recovering from strangles. Methods: Guttural pouch lavage specimens were tested for S. equi ...
Silva MAB, Lupianhes AFG, Lage JB, Sande LAP, Rosa RC, Lombardi LA, Espindula AP.Activation of the trunk and lower limb muscles, namely the multifidus, rectus abdominis, rectus femoris, and tibialis anterior, was analyzed using surface electromyographyin 40 young, healthy, and sedentary individuals. Methods: Data were collected from sneaker-clad subjects with independent gait and during hippotherapy using saddles and blankets, with the feet in and out of the stirrups. Results: Surface electromyography results demonstrated a statistically significantly greater activation of the rectus femoris comparison to tibialis anterior muscle during hippotherapy. No statistically signi...
Klier J, Lindner D, Reese S, Mueller RS, Gehlen H.Potential triggers for equine asthma are allergens from hay and straw dusts, mold spores and storage mites. The contribution of these environmental trigger factors to equine asthma is still largely uncertain. The aim of this study was to compare results of four allergy tests from healthy and asthma-affected horses, and to evaluate the clinical relevance of allergens tested positive via specific inhalation provocation test. Fifteen horses were classified using a clinical scoring system as asthmatic (n = 9) or control (n = 6). Four different allergy tests (functional in vitro test, intraderm...
Pehkonen J, Karma L, Raekallio M.No studies have focused on dental pain signs associated with periapical infection in cheek teeth (CT) of horses. Moreover, the ability of owners to recognize signs of dental pain in horses has not been reported. We hypothesized that periapical infection will usually induce pain that manifests in the behavior of the horse. Removing the infected tooth will reduce the expression of such behaviors. Owners of 47 horses whose CT had been removed because of periapical infection participated in this study. They filled an internet-based questionnaire including 23 questions about eating behavior, bit be...
Bergmann W, Bergknut N, Veraa S, Gröne A, Vernooij H, Wijnberg ID, Back W, Grinwis GCM.Equine intervertebral disc degeneration is thought to be rare and of limited clinical relevance, although research is lacking. To objectively assess pathological changes of the equine intervertebral disc and their clinical relevance, description of the normal morphology and a practical, biologically credible grading scheme are needed. The objectives of this study are to describe the gross and histological appearance of the equine intervertebral discs and to propose a grading scheme for macroscopic degeneration. Spinal units from 33 warmblood horses were grossly analyzed and scored. Of the 286 ...
Legrand LJ, Pitel PH, Marcillaud-Pitel CJ, Cullinane AA, Couroucé AM, Fortier GD, Freymuth FL, Pronost SL.The Réseau d'Epidémio-Surveillance en Pathologie Equine (RESPE, the French epidemiological network for equine diseases) is a network for epidemio-surveillance of major equine diseases based around sentry veterinarians in France. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the contribution of RESPE to efficient surveillance of equine influenza virus (EIV) in France. Methods: Retrospective cross-sectional study. Methods: From November 2005 to October 2010, epidemiological and phylogenetic studies were performed on 1426 nasopharyngeal swabs received at the Frank Duncombe Laboratory. Detect...
McGreevy PD, Corken RA, Salvin H, Black CM.The use of whips by jockeys is an issue. The current study viewed opportunistic high-speed footage of 15 race finishes frame-by-frame to examine the outcomes of arm and wrist actions (n = 350) on 40 horses viewed from the left of the field. Any actions fully or partially obscured by infrastructure or other horses were removed from the database, leaving a total of 104 non-contact sweeps and 134 strikes. For all instances of arm actions that resulted in fully visible whip strikes behind the saddle (n = 109), the outcomes noted were area struck, percentage of unpadded section making conta...
de Cocq P, Duncker AM, Clayton HM, Bobbert MF, Muller M, van Leeuwen JL.In equestrian sports, it is generally assumed that rising and sitting trot load the horse's back differently. The objective of this study was to quantify the load on the horse's back in these riding techniques. Kinematic data of 13 riders were collected in rising and sitting trot. The time-history of the position of the rider's centre of mass (CoM) was calculated, and differentiated twice to obtain the acceleration of the CoM. The reaction force between the rider and the horse's back was calculated from the acceleration. Forces were divided by the body weight of the rider to obtain dimensionle...
Xing J, Liu G, Zhang X, Bai D, Yu J, Li L, Wang X, Su S, Zhao Y, Bou G, Dugarjaviin M.The community of microorganisms inhabiting the gastrointestinal tract of monogastric herbivores played critical roles in the absorption of nutrients and keeping the host healthy. However, its establishment at different age groups has not been quantitatively and functionally examined. The knowledge of microbial colonization and its function in the intestinal tract of different-age donkeys is still limited. By applying the V3-V4 region of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene and functional prediction on fecal samples from different-age donkeys, we characterized the gut microbiota during the different age...
Ueno TE, Costa FB, Moraes-Filho J, Agostinho WC, Fernandes WR, Labruna MB.Rickettsia rickettsii is vectored by ticks, and some vertebrate hosts can be sources of infection to ticks during bacteremic periods. In Brazil, the main vector for R. rickettsii is the tick Amblyomma sculptum, a member of the A. cajennense complex. Horses, in turn, are one of the major hosts for A. sculptum. In this study, horses experimentally infected with R. rickettsii were assessed for clinical changes and their capability to transmit the infection to A. sculptum ticks. Four horses were infected with R. rickettsii through either intraperitoneal injection or infestation with R. rickettsii-...
Jones SL, Maggi R, Shuler J, Alward A, Breitschwerdt EB.Bartonella spp. are emerging zoonotic agents that have been found in a wide variety of domestic animals and wildlife and cause a number of clinical syndromes. Bartonella sp. infection has been identified in a growing number of animal species, including cats, rodents, porpoises, and canids, but has not been reported in horses. Objective: To document the presence of Bartonella sp. in the blood of horses. Methods: One horse with chronic arthropathy and 1 horse with presumptive vasculitis. Methods: Blood samples were tested for the presence of Bartonella sp. by a combination of multiplex real-time...
Van den Eede A, Martens A, Floré K, Denis O, Gasthuys F, Haesebrouck F, Van den Abeele A, Hermans K.Equine methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) carriage entails a risk of both equine and zoonotic transmission and infection. In Europe, CC398, the livestock-associated (LA-)MRSA is highly prevalent in horses and veterinary personnel at equine clinics. The extent of the MRSA reservoir created by healthy horses from the general population and associated health hazard for their daily caretakers is, however, unknown. This study aimed at screening healthy horse-caretaker couples from a broad range of home farms. At five equine gatherings, 166 couples were selected for MRSA screening in...
Stokol T, Yeo WM, Burnett D, DeAngelis N, Huang T, Osterrieder N, Catalfamo J.Equid herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) causes outbreaks of abortion and neurological disease in horses. One of the main causes of these clinical syndromes is thrombosis in placental and spinal cord vessels, however the mechanism for thrombus formation is unknown. Platelets form part of the thrombus and amplify and propagate thrombin generation. Here, we tested the hypothesis that EHV-1 activates platelets. We found that two EHV-1 strains, RacL11 and Ab4 at 0.5 or higher plaque forming unit/cell, activate platelets within 10 minutes, causing α-granule secretion (surface P-selectin expression) and pl...
Mama KR, Steffey EP, Pascoe PJ.To evaluate selected hemodynamic, respiratory, and behavioral responses to propofol in horses premedicated with xylazine or detomidine. Methods: Xylazine (0.5 and 1.0 mg/kg of body weight) was administered IV on different days to each of 6 horses prior to IV administration of propofol (2 mg/kg). In a second group of 6 horses, detomidine (15 and 30 micrograms/kg) was similarly studied. Methods: 2 groups of 6 mature healthy horses. Methods: Rectal temperature, heart and respiratory rates, arterial blood gas tensions, and direct arterial blood pressures were recorded before and at fixed intervals...
Mustonen AM, Lehmonen N, Oikari S, Capra J, Raekallio M, Mykkänen A, Paakkonen T, Rilla K, Niemelä T, Nieminen P.Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease with inadequately understood pathogenesis leading to pain and functional limitations. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) released by synovial joint cells can induce both pro- and anti-OA effects. Hyaluronic acid (HA) lubricates the surfaces of articular cartilage and is one of the bioactive molecules transported by EVs. In humans, altered EV counts and composition can be observed in OA synovial fluid (SF), while EV research is in early stages in the horse-a well-recognized OA model. The aim was to characterize SF EVs and their HA cargo in 19 horses...
Blunden A, Murray R, Dyson S.Lameness associated with lesions of the deep digital flexor tendon (DDFT) in the digit is now recognised as an important cause of lameness, but there is currently limited information about the pathological nature of the lesions. Objective: To compare: signal intensity changes on magnetic resonance images with histopathology; and histopathological changes in the DDFT from horses with no history of foot-related lameness (Group C) and horses with lesions of the DDFT confirmed using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (Group D). Methods: Transverse sections of the DDFT were harvested from 3 sites in ...
Calisher CH, Sasso DR, Sather GE.During 1971, an epizootic of Venezuelan equine encephalitis (VEE) reached the United States. Laboratory tests were performed on a large number of sick, healthy, unvaccinated, and vaccinated horses. Neutralization (N) tests in cell cultures revealed that 153 of 193 (79.3%) equines outside the state of Texas and 175 of 204 (85.8%) within Texas (82.6% overall) had detectable N antibody to VEE virus a week or more after vaccination. Twenty-six of 40 (65%) non-Texas equines and 18 of 29 (62%) Texas equines which had no detectable antibody against VEE virus a week or more after vaccination had N ant...
Ma TW, Li Y, Wang GY, Li XR, Jiang RL, Song XP, Zhang ZH, Bai H, Li X, Gao L.The study aimed to clarify the changes in the concentration of inflammatory mediators, proteases, and cartilage degradation biomarkers in the synovial fluid of joints in an equine osteoarthritis model. Methods: Osteoarthritis was induced in eight Mongolian horses by a sterile intra-articular injection of amphotericin B, which was injected into the left carpal joint in a dose of 2 mL (25 mg/mL). The control group comprised five horses which were injected with an equal dose of sterile physiological saline into the left carpal joint. Synovial fluid was obtained at baseline and every week after in...
Isa P, Snodgrass DR.A series of viral reassortants was prepared between equine rotaviruses H1 (G5), H2 (G3), and L338 (G13) and human rotavirus ST3 (G4). All contained the VP4 cognate gene segment 4 from the equine parental virus and the VP7 cognate gene segment 9 from ST3. Using these viruses and antisera prepared to them, it was shown that each of the three equine viruses possessed a serologically distinct VP4 or P serotype with a > or = 16-fold difference in reciprocal cross-neutralization titers. H1 VP4 was closely related to that of porcine virus OSU, i.e., P7. L338 gene 4 was sequenced, and the sequence and...
Theelen MJ, Wilson WD, Edman JM, Magdesian KG, Kass PH.Monitoring the development of antimicrobial resistance is important for the rational selection of appropriate antimicrobial drugs to initiate treatment of foals with sepsis. Objective: To identify temporal trends in antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of bacteria isolated from foals with sepsis. Methods: Retrospective review of medical records. Methods: Foals aged <30 days with a diagnosis of sepsis, confirmed by culture of bacteria, were included. Susceptibility data, expressed as minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) (MIC50 , MIC90 , MIC range) and percent of isolates that were suscepti...
Rockey JH.Eight antigenically unique immunoglobulins have been identified in purified equine anti-p-azophenyl-beta-lactoside (Lac) antibody isolated from a single horse. The Fc fragments of the gammaGa-, gammaGb-, gammaGc-, and -gammaA-globulins have been shown to possess unique antigenic determinants. Common gammaG- and gammaA-Fc fragment antigenic determinants, which were absent from the 10Sgamma(1)- and gammaM-globulins, have also been observed. All antibody populations share two antigenically distinct light (B, L) chain variants. The association of anti-Lac antibody with the hapten p-(p-dimethylamin...
Vannucci FA, Pusterla N, Mapes SM, Gebhart C.Lawsonia intracellularis is the causative agent of proliferative enteropathy, an endemic disease in pigs and an emerging concern in horses. Enterocyte hyperplasia is a common lesion in every case but there are differences regarding clinical and pathological presentations among affected species. We hypothesize that host susceptibility to L. intracellularis infection depends on the species of origin of the bacterial isolate. The objective of this study was to evaluate the susceptibilities of pigs and horses to L. intracellularis infection using either a porcine or an equine isolate. Methods: Twe...
Spier SJ, Carlson GP, Holliday TA, Cardinet GH, Pickar JG.Eleven horses (3 mares, 7 stallions, 1 gelding) with clinical and biochemical evidence of hyperkalemic periodic paralysis were studied. Each horse had history of episodic weakness, muscular tremors, or collapse, which lasted for periods of a few minutes to hours. Diagnosis was based on hyperkalemia in association with a spontaneous episode of paralysis or by precipitation of an episode by oral administration of potassium chloride. Clinical and biochemical events were documented during spontaneous and induced episodes of muscular weakness. During episodes, electrocardiographic findings were con...
Ziegler A, Fogle C, Blikslager A.Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs work through inhibition of cyclooxygenase (COX) and are highly effective for the treatment of pain and inflammation in horses. There are 2 clinically relevant isoforms of COX. Cyclooxygenase-1 is constitutively expressed and is considered important for a variety of physiologic functions, including gastrointestinal homeostasis. Thus, NSAIDs that selectively inhibit COX-2 while sparing COX-1 may be associated with a lower incidence of adverse gastrointestinal effects. Various formulations of firocoxib, a COX-2-selective NSAID, labeled for use in horses are av...
Holcombe SJ, Jacobs CC, Cook VL, Gandy JC, Hauptman JG, Sordillo LM.Endotoxemia models are used to study mechanisms and treatments of early sepsis. Repeated endotoxin exposures induce periods of endotoxin tolerance, characterized by diminished proinflammatory responses to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and modulated production of proinflammatory cytokines. Repeated measure designs using equine endotoxemia models are rarely performed, despite the advantages associated with reduced variability, because the altered responsiveness would confound study results and because the duration of equine endotoxin tolerance is unknown. We determined the interval of endotoxin toler...
Anderson GS, Belton P, Kleider N.Six horses from British Columbia severely affected by Culicoides hypersensitivity, a seasonal dermatitis caused by the bites of Culicoides spp., were inoculated intradermally with extracts of six species or forms of Culicoides from British Columbia, United States, and Israel. Two native and four exotic species were thought to cause the disease in their own geographical area. The horses developed large welts within 20 min after injection of any of the six extracts, indicating an immediate (type I) reaction. The skin reactions caused by each extract peaked at or after 24 h, indicating an additio...
Solismaa M, Laaksonen S, Nylund M, Pitkänen E, Airakorpi R, Oksanen A.In autumn 2006, Finnish meat inspection data revealed lesions in tendons, muscles and ligaments of bovine hind legs leading to partial condemnation of carcasses. In gross pathological examination at Finnish Food Safety Authority Evira, Oulu (now Fish and Wildlife Health) Research Unit, Onchocerca sp. (Filarioidea; Onchocercidae) nematodes were detected in lesions. Due to this, a pilot study was made in order to find out what filarioid nematodes do occur in cattle, horses and sheep in Finland. Methods: Ventral skin biopsies from 209 dairy cattle and 42 horses, as well as blood samples from 209 ...
Anzai T, Timoney JF, Kuwamoto Y, Fujita Y, Wada R, Inoue T.The glossy non-encapsulated strain of Steptococcus equi, NCTC 9682, was compared with the matt strain Hidaka/95/2 which expresses a medium sized capsule and with the mucoid CF32 which expresses a large sized capsule in phagocytosis assays and for virulence in inoculated horses. The three strains, NCTC 9682, Hidaka /95/2 and CF32 produced 2.0, 3.1, and 5.3 mg/g wet cells respectively after 3 h incubation, but similar amounts of M-like proteins, cytotoxin and mitogen. NCTC 9682 showed no resistance to phagocytosis by equine neutrophils regardless of the presence of opsonin while strains Hidaka /...
Galiazzo G, Tagliavia C, Giancola F, Rinnovati R, Sadeghinezhad J, Bombardi C, Grandis A, Pietra M, Chiocchetti R.Colic is a common digestive disorder in horses and one of the most urgent problems in equine medicine. A growing body of literature has indicated that the activation of cannabinoid receptors could exert beneficial effects on gastrointestinal inflammation and visceral hypersensitivity. The localisation of cannabinoid and cannabinoid-related receptors in the intestine of the horse has not yet been investigated. The purpose of this study was to immunohistochemically localise the cellular distribution of canonical and putative cannabinoid receptors in the ileum of healthy horses. Distal ileum spec...
Ross SE, Murray JK, Roberts VLH.Headshaking in horses has been reported to be most commonly due to idiopathic neuropathic facial pain (trigeminal-mediated headshaking). The prevalence of headshaking in horses in the UK is unknown. Objective: To estimate owner-reported prevalence of headshaking in horses in the UK and to report their case background and disease characteristics, as reported by owners. Methods: Cross-sectional web based owner questionnaire. Methods: The questionnaire was advertised online via social media, horse forums, veterinary websites and equestrian magazines from 17th June 2016, until >1000 responses had ...
Feeney E, Peal BT, Inglis JE, Su J, Nixon AJ, Bonassar LJ, Reesink HL.The objective of this study was to examine temporal variations in synovial fluid composition and lubrication following articular fracture. Post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) was induced by creating an osteochondral fracture in the middle carpal joint of four horses while the contralateral limb served as a sham-operated control. Horses were exercised on a high-speed treadmill, and synovial fluid was collected pre-operatively and at serial timepoints until 75 days post-operatively. Lubricin and hyaluronic acid (HA) concentrations were measured using sandwich ELISAs, and the molecular weight di...
