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.
Li Y, Zhang C, Taylor WTT, Chen L, Flad RK, Boivin N, Liu H, You Y, Wang J, Ren M, Xi T, Han Y, Wen R, Ma J.Horseback riding was a transformative force in the ancient world, prompting radical shifts in human mobility, warfare, trade, and interaction. In China, domestic horses laid the foundation for trade, communication, and state infrastructure along the ancient Silk Road, while also stimulating key military, social, and political changes in Chinese society. Nonetheless, the emergence and adoption of mounted horseback riding in China is still poorly understood, particularly due to a lack of direct archaeological data. Here we present a detailed osteological study of eight horse skeletons dated to c...
Clérico G, Taminelli G, Veronesi JC, Polola J, Pagura N, Pinto C, Sansinena M.Oocyte vitrification is considered experimental in the horse with only three live foals reported. The oxidative conditions induced by vitrification could in part explain the poor results and melatonin, a powerful antioxidant, could stimulate ROS metabolization and restore mitochondrial function in these oocytes. Our objective was to determine the oxidative status of vitrified equine oocytes and to analyze the effect of melatonin on mitochondrial-specific ROS (mROS), oocyte maturation, ICSI embryo development and viability. Immature, abattoir-derived oocytes were held for 15 h and vitrified in...
Müller-Quirin J, Dittmann MT, Roepstorff C, Arpagaus S, Latif SN, Weishaupt MA.Lameness is a symptom indicative of pain or injury of the locomotor apparatus. Lame horses generally should not be ridden. However, owners' ability to assess lameness has been questioned. This study's aim was to use subjective lameness assessments and objective gait analysis to generate a descriptive overview of movement and weight-bearing asymmetries of owner-sound riding horses. 235 horses were subjectively assessed in a field study, and the owner's perception of their horse's orthopedic health was recorded through an online survey. 69 horses were re-evaluated by gait analysis at an equine h...
Gallo N, Natali ML, Sannino A, Salvatore L.Type I collagen has always aroused great interest in the field of life-science and bioengineering, thanks to its favorable structural properties and bioactivity. For this reason, in the last five decades it has been widely studied and employed as biomaterial for the manufacture of implantable medical devices. Commonly used sources of collagen are represented by bovine and swine but their applications are limited because of the zoonosis transmission risks, the immune response and the religious constrains. Thus, type-I collagen isolated from horse tendon has recently gained increasing interest a...
Pei L, Yang H, Qin S, Yan Z, Zhang H, Lan Y, Li A, Iqbal M, Shen Y.The objective of the present study was to evaluate the probiotic properties, security and antibacterial ability in vivo of isolated strains from healthy equine. In the present study, two Pediococcus acidilactici (P1 and P2) and two Lactobacillus equi (L1 and L2) were isolated. All isolates were died when exposed to pH 2.0 for 3 hours but survived at pH 3.0 and pH 4.0 with differential survival rate, and there is a higher survival rate at pH 4.0. Similarly, the isolates showed different tolerance to bile. The viable bacteria count was sustained at high levels in a tolerance test with artificia...
Crespo F, Wilson R, Díaz-Jimenez M, Consuegra C, Dorado J, Barrado BG, Gosálvez J, Smit RL, Hidalgo M, Johnston S.Horses are long-day seasonal breeding animals, however, with modern stallion reproductive management it is important for collection of semen during periods that are not part of the traditional breeding season. This study was conducted to examine variation in the seminal characteristics of individual stallions in Avila, Spain during 1 year with a particular emphasis on sperm DNA fragmentation. Semen was collected twice per season from a total of 20 stallions. There was a marked seasonal effect on all seminal characteristics, with the greatest on progressive motility, % membrane integrity and le...
Joó K, Povázsai Á, Nyerges-Bohák Z, Szenci O, Kutasi O.It is important to treat the upper and lower respiratory tracts as a single unit, as lower respiratory tract diseases can often cause upper respiratory functional disorders, whereas upper respiratory obstructions could be a factor in lower respiratory problems. The present study aimed to investigate the hypothesis that asthmatic diseases may be an underlying cause of dorsal displacement of the soft palate in horses. Pleasure or sport horses (n = 57) with a history of asthmatic disease were incorporated in the study. All horses were examined in the exacerbation phase of the asthmatic disease. ...
Ben Hamouda S, Vargas A, Boivin R, Miglino MA, da Palma RK, Lavoie JP.Severe asthma is associated with an increased airway smooth muscle (ASM) mass and altered composition of the extracellular matrix (ECM). Studies have indicated that ECM-ASM cell interactions contribute to this remodeling and its limited reversibility with current therapy. Three-dimensional matrices allow the study of complex cellular responses to different stimuli in an almost natural environment. Our goal was to obtain acellular bronchial matrices and then develop a recellularization protocol with ASM cells. We studied equine bronchi as horses spontaneously develop a human asthma-like disease...
Masko M, Domino M, Zdrojkowski L, Jasinski T, Gajewski Z.The regulation of head and neck position during physical exercise may be obtained using lunging aids (LAs): Chambon (CH), rubber band (RB), or triangle side reins (TR). The use of LAs would shift the center of horse mass caudally, thereby change the limb load. The aim is to evaluate the pattern of superficial temperatures (PST) of hoof wall (HW), the coronary band (CB), and the dorsal aspect of the fetlock joint (FJ) obtained before and after lunging with LAs and freely moving head (FMH). Sixteen horses were imaged using an infrared camera. The temperatures of HW, CB, and FJ were measured, and...
Furtado T, Perkins E, Pinchbeck G, McGowan C, Watkins F, Christley R.Equine obesity is considered one of the most serious welfare concerns in UK leisure horses, yet little is known about how horse owners conceptualise their horse's weight as part of its health, or how they plan and carry out weight management. Objective: This study aimed to further our understanding of leisure horse owners' perceptions of equine health and awareness of excess fat in order to clarify our understanding of successful strategies for managing equine weight. Methods: This study used a qualitative research methodology. Methods: Data comprised 16 threads from online UK equine discussio...
Brand A, Lindner A, Gerhards H, Valenchon M, Petit O.The objective of this study was to explore how the endurance of five-year-old horses, kept out on pasture all their life and ridden for the first time well into their fifth year of age, developed within one year and compared to that of six-year-old horses raised under the same conditions and to other horses. Horses were submitted to a standardized exercise test (SET) to calculate their v (velocity run under defined conditions inducing 4 mmol/L of blood lactate concentration (LA)) and v (velocity run under defined conditions inducing a heart rate of 180 beats/min). The test consisted of up to ...
Silverstone AM, Tatarniuk DM, Durket E, Gillen AM.A 15-year-old Pony of America (POA) gelding presented for evaluation of a large mass present on the right external pinna. Based on gross appearance, the right ear mass was suspected to be neoplastic. The most likely differential diagnosis was that of a fibroblastic sarcoid. Complete auriculectomy via use of a constricting latex-tourniquet performed under multimodal analgesia was proposed as an option to achieve complete resolution of mass growth and improve patient comfort. Benefits of latex tourniquet constriction included immediate lack of bleeding associated with amputation, gradual ischemi...
Davies E, McConn-Palfreyman W, Williams JM, Lovell GP.Due to COVID-19, horseracing was required to cease all activity in March 2020; however, little is known about the pandemic's impact on staff working practices. This study investigated the impact of COVID-19 on staff working practices during the initial lockdown phases. An online survey about working conditions during lockdown was answered by 287 participants. Chi-squared tests for independence and binary logistic regression (BLR) analysis was undertaken. A total of 53.7% (n = 154) of staff were working during lockdown. Pandemic-specific workplace changes were reported as effective by 87.8% (n ...
Kunz JR, Granella MCS, Mendes RP, Müller TR, Kau S, Fonteque JH.In developing and emerging countries, many people make a living from picking municipal solid waste to sell for reuse or recycling. These people depend on cost-effective transport vehicles like horse-drawn carts. It is indisputable that the general health of these horses not only plays a major economic role but is a welfare issue as well. Orodental disorders are likely to be of particular importance as they directly impair health, performance, and therefore influence animal welfare and income. However, studies investigating prevalence and distribution of orodental disorders in working horses ar...
Cymerys J, Słońska A, Chodkowski M, Golke A, Krzyżowska M, Bańbura MW.Equid herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) causes respiratory disease, abortion and neurological disorders in horses. Similarly, to other alphaherpesviruses, EHV-1 is neurotropic and establishes latency in the neurons of its natural host. Despite the fact that many studies have been devoted to the pathogenesis of various clinical forms of EHV-1 infection, mechanisms of the neuronal damage are still not fully understood. The aim of this study was to define the phosphorylation status of tau protein in neuronal cell culture infected with EHV-1. Phosphorylation of tau was tested at tau-ser199/ser202, tau-ser404,...
Valberg SJ, Finno CJ, Henry ML, Schott M, Velez-Irizarry D, Peng S, McKenzie EC, Petersen JL.Commercial genetic tests for type 2 polysaccharide storage myopathy (PSSM2) and myofibrillar myopathy (MFM) have not been validated by peer-review, and formal regulation of veterinary genetic testing is lacking. Objective: To compare genotype and allele frequencies of commercial test variants (P variants) in MYOT (P2; rs1138656462), FLNC (P3a; rs1139799323), FLNC (P3b; rs1142918816) and MYOZ3 (P4; rs1142544043) between Warmblood (WB) and Arabian (AR) horses diagnosed with PSSM2/MFM by muscle histopathology, and phenotyped breed-matched controls. To quantify variant frequency in public reposi...
Thompson RE, Johnson AK, Dini P, Turco MY, Prado TM, Premanandan C, Burton GJ, Ball BA, Whitlock BK, Pukazhenthi BS.The endometrium, the inner uterine lining, is composed of cell layers that come in direct contact with an embryo during early pregnancy and later with the fetal placenta. The endometrium is responsible for signals associated with normal reproductive cyclicity as well as maintenance of pregnancy. In the mare, functionally competent in vitro models of the endometrium have not been successful. Furthermore, the ability to study various reproductive processes in vitro may allow critical evaluation of signaling pathways involved in the reproductive diseases of animals that cannot be handled frequent...
van Eps AW, Belknap JK, Schneider X, Stefanovski D, Engiles JB, Richardson DW, Zedler ST, Medina-Torres CE, Watts MR.Supporting limb laminitis (SLL) is suspected to be caused by lamellar ischaemia as a consequence of increased mechanical load. Objective: Examine the effects of prolonged preferential weight bearing (PWB) on lamellar perfusion and metabolism. Methods: In vivo experiment. Methods: Microdialysis probes were inserted in the lamellar and sublamellar dermis of one forelimb in 13 Standardbred horses. In six horses, a platform shoe (contralateral forelimb) was used to induce increased load on the microdialysis-instrumented forelimb (PWB). The remaining seven horses were controls (CON). All horses wer...
Jackson K, Kelty E, Tennant M.Equine peripheral caries can be a significant welfare issue in affected horses. Recent work has shown that complete reversal of the condition may be possible if the primary risk factor can be identified and corrected. Determining whether caries are active (deteriorating) or inactive (improving) is of vital importance when formulating a management and treatment plan. A new grading system is proposed that looks at whether caries are likely active or inactive to assist clinicians deciding whether intervention is required. Objective: To examine the reliability of an alternative grading method for ...
Gacem S, Catalán J, Valverde A, Soler C, Miró J.In order to optimize the donkey sperm motility analysis by the CASA (Computer Assisted Sperm Analysis)-Mot system, twelve ejaculates were collected from six jackasses. Capillary loaded chamber (CLC), ISASD4C depths 10 and 20 µm, ISASD4C Leja 20 and drop displacement chamber (DDC), Spermtrack (Spk) depths 10 and 20 µm were used. Sperm kinematic variables were evaluated using each chamber and a high-resolution camera capable of capturing a maximum of 500 frames/second (fps). The optimum frame rate (OFR) (defined according to curvilinear velocity-VCL) was dependent on chamber type. The highest ...
Pereira EL, Bataglion GA, Mazo JZ.Based on the theoretical assumptions of Norbert Elias, we sought to understand the figurations of equine-assisted therapy in Rio Grande do Sul from 1970 to 2000. To this end, the research corpus consisted of official documents, newspapers and magazines. Based on the concept of figuration, the documentation analyzed demonstrated technical-scientific elements linked to the fields of healthcare, education and horseback riding, coming from equestrianism and shared in the practice of equine-assisted therapy. The interrelations established between these different areas allowed the practice to take o...
Jarosinski SK, Sampson SN, Russell L.Injection of the centrodistal (CD) joint in the horse is a commonly performed procedure for both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. This procedure can be technically challenging, and while radiographic guidance has been previously used, ultrasound localised injection of the CD joint has not been described. Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore the feasibility of using ultrasound localisation to increase the accuracy of CD joint injection. Methods: Experimental method assessment. Methods: One operator performed the ultrasound and injection of 24 CD joints in 12 sedated horses. T...
Marr CM, Franklin S, Garrod G, Wylie C, Smith L, Dukes-McEwan J, Bright J, Allen K.Exercise-associated cardiac rhythm disturbances are common, but there is a lack of evidence-based criteria on which to distinguish clinically relevant rhythm disturbances from those that are not. Objective: To describe and characterise rhythm disturbances during clinical exercise testing; to explore potential risk factors for these rhythm disturbances and to determine whether they influenced future racing. Methods: Retrospective cohort using a convenience sample. Methods: Medical records were reviewed from two clinical services to identify horses with poor performance and/or respiratory noise ...
Thompson K, McManus P, Stansall D, Wilson BJ, McGreevy PD.The idea that whip use is critical to thoroughbred racing integrity is culturally entrenched but lacks empirical support. To test the longstanding beliefs that whip use aids steering, reduces interference, increases safety and improves finishing times, we conducted a mixed-method analysis of 126 race reports produced by official stewards of the British Horseracing Authority, representing 1178 jockeys and their horses. We compared reports from 67 "Hands and Heels" races, where whips are held but not used (whipping-free, WF), with 59 reports from case-matched races where whipping was permitted (...
Ortiz-Rodríguez JM, Martín-Cano FE, Gaitskell-Phillips G, Silva A, Tapia JA, Gil MC, Redondo E, Masot J, Ortega-Ferrusola C, Peña FJ.Spermatozoa are redox-regulated cells, and stallion spermatozoa, in particular, present an intense mitochondrial activity in which large amounts of reactive oxygen species (ROS) are produced. To maintain the redox potential under physiological conditions, sophisticated mechanisms ought to be present, particularly in the mitochondria. In the present study, we investigated the role of the SLC7A11 antiporter. This antiporter exchanges intracellular glutamate for extracellular cystine. In the spermatozoa, cystine is reduced to cysteine and used for GSH synthesis. The importance of the antiporter f...
Dell A, Curry M, Yarnell K, Starbuck G, Wilson PB.The Cleveland Bay horse is one of the oldest equines in the United Kingdom, with pedigree data going back almost 300 years. The studbook is essentially closed and because of this, there are concerns about loss of genetic variation across generations. The breed is one of five equine breeds listed as "critical" (<300 registered adult breeding females) by the UK Rare Breeds Survival Trust in their annual Watchlist. Due to their critically endangered status, the current breadth of their genetic diversity is of concern, and assessment of this can lead to improved breed management strategies. Herein...
Škerlová J, Ismail A, Lindström H, Sjödin B, Mannervik B, Stenmark P.Organotin compounds are highly toxic environmental pollutants with neurotoxic and endocrine-disrupting effects. They are potent inhibitors of glutathione transferases (GSTs), thus impeding their detoxication and antioxidant functions. Several GSTs, including equine GST A3-3 (EcaGST A3-3), exhibit steroid double-bond isomerase activity and are involved in the biosynthesis of testosterone and progesterone. We have performed enzyme kinetics analyses of the inhibition of EcaGST A3-3 by organotin compounds. We have also solved crystal structures of EcaGST A3-3 in complexes with glutathione, and wit...
Wernery U, Rodriguez M, Raghavan R, Syriac G, Miriam Thomas M S, Elizabeth SK, Federico Ronchi G, Muhammed R, Patteril NA, Joseph S.African horse sickness (AHS) is a devastating viral disease of equids that was first recorded in 1327. Currently, prevention and control of the disease are based on attenuated vaccines and midge control. It has been shown that attenuated Orbivirus vaccines are not always safe as they may reverse to virulence. Objective: In the Emirate of Dubai, a vaccination experiment was carried out with an inactivated AHS vaccine produced at the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory (CVRL), Dubai, UAE to investigate the humoral antibody response of AHS-naïve horses to this vaccine. Our vaccination experim...
Stas E, Kranenburg L, Witt P, de Grauw J, van den Brand J, Ensink J, Brommer H.Meckel's diverticula are a rare cause of small intestinal strangulation, diagnosed at laparotomy or necropsy. This congenital anomaly of the gastrointestinal tract originates from a remnant of the vitelline duct. In reported equine cases, they present as a full-thickness diverticulum on the antimesenteric border of the distal jejunum or proximal ileum. Methods: On laparotomy a Meckel's diverticulum positioned at the mesenteric side was found to be the cause of small intestinal strangulation. This position is very uncommon and to the best knowledge of the authors there is no unambiguous descrip...
Rutenberg D, Venner M, Giguère S.There is conflicting data regarding the efficacy of tulathromycin for the treatment of foals with bronchopneumonia. Tulathromycin is effective for the treatment of bronchopneumonia in foals and noninferior to the combination of azithromycin and rifampin. A total of 240 foals on a farm endemic for infections caused by Rhodococcus equi. In a controlled, randomized, and double-blinded clinical trial, foals with ultrasonographic pulmonary lesions (abscess score 10-15 cm) were allocated to 3 groups: 1-tulathromycin IM q 7 days (n = 80); 2-azithromycin-rifampin, orally q24h (n = 80); or 3-untreated ...
Poole DC, Erickson HH.As the Thoroughbreds race for the final stretch, 44 hooves flash and thunder creating a cacophony of tortured air and turf. Orchestrated by selective breeding for physiology and biomechanics, expressed as speed, the millennia-old symphony of man and beast reaches its climax. At nearly 73 kilometers per hour (45 mph) over half a ton of flesh and bone dwarfs its limpet-like jockey as, eyes wild and nostrils flaring, their necks stretch for glory. Beneath each resplendent livery-adorned, latherin-splattered coat hides a monstrous heart trilling at 4 beats per second, and each minute, driving over...
Kouba JM, Burns TA, Webel SK.The effects of dietary marine-derived n-3 fatty acids (FA) on mare milk and mare and foal plasma FA, postpartum ovarian follicular growth and prostaglandin concentrations were evaluated. Sixty days prior to expected foaling dates, mares were assigned to one of three diets: corn oil (CORN, n = 6), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) diet (D; 12.64 g/d, n = 7), or eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and DHA (ED; 8.84 g EPA, 10.43 g DHA/d, n = 7). Milk and plasma were collected for FA analysis. Follicular data were recorded through the first postpartum ovulation. Post-ovulation serial blood samp...
Li CX, Chang WS, Mitsakos K, Rodger J, Holmes EC, Hudson BJ.Papillomaviruses (PVs) have been identified in a wide range of animal species and are associated with a variety of disease syndromes including classical papillomatosis, aural plaques, and genital papillomas. In horses, 13 PVs have been described to date, falling into six genera. Using total RNA sequencing (meta-transcriptomics) we identified a novel equine papillomavirus in semen taken from a thoroughbred stallion suffering a genital lesion, which was confirmed by nested RT-PCR. We designate this novel virus (EcPV9). The complete 7656 bp genome of EcPV9 exhibited similar characteristics to th...
Borer KE, Bailey SR, Menzies-Gow NJ, Harris PA, Elliott J.Identification of ponies (Equus caballus) at increased risk of pasture-associated laminitis would aid in the prevention of the disease. Insulin resistance has been associated with laminitis and could be used to identify susceptible individuals. Insulin resistance may be diagnosed by feeding supplementary water-soluble carbohydrate (WSC) and measuring blood glucose and insulin concentrations. The aim of this study was to assess the glycemic and insulinemic responses of 7 normal (NP) and 5 previously laminitic (PLP), mixed breed, native UK ponies fed glucose, fructose, and inulin [1 g/(kg·d) fo...
Mikami T, Kashiwagi M, Tsuchihashi K, Daino T, Akino T, Gasa S.Equine brain gangliosides were isolated and their structures were characterized, to examine whether equine brain has N-glycolyl neuraminic acid in gangliosides, since other mammals predominantly possess N-acetyl neuraminic acid in brain gangliosides, and equine erythrocytes and organs except the brain have gangliosides exclusively containing N-glycolyl neuraminic acid. The gangliosides purified from the brain were identified by proton NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry, as well as GLC, resulting in their identification as GM4, GM3, GM2, GM1, GD1a, GD1b, and GT1b. Of these gangliosides, GM3...
Manguin E, Pépin E, Boivin R, Leclere M.There are limited data on potential dysbiosis of the airway microbiota in horses with asthma. Objective: We hypothesized that the respiratory microbiota of horses with moderate asthma is altered. Our objectives were (a) to quantify tracheal bacterial populations using culture and qPCR, (2) to compare aerobic culture and qPCR, and (c) to correlate bacterial populations with bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) cytology. Methods: Eighteen horses with moderate asthma from a hospital population and 10 controls. Methods: Prospective case-control study. Aerobic culture was performed on tracheal aspir...
Jiménez-Cabello L, Utrilla-Trigo S, Barreiro-Piñeiro N, Pose-Boirazian T, Martínez-Costas J, Marín-López A, Ortego J.Bluetongue virus (BTV) and African horse sickness virus (AHSV) are widespread arboviruses that cause important economic losses in the livestock and equine industries, respectively. In addition to these, another arthropod-transmitted orbivirus known as epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV) entails a major threat as there is a conducive landscape that nurtures its emergence in non-endemic countries. To date, only vaccinations with live attenuated or inactivated vaccines permit the control of these three viral diseases, although important drawbacks, e.g., low safety profile and effectiveness...
Hilton H, Puchalski SM, Aleman M.Equine temporohyoid osteoarthropathy is characterized by progressive osseous proliferation of the temporohyoid articulation and surrounding structures. The diagnosis has generally been made using radiography and endoscopy of the guttural pouch. Recently, computed tomography (CT) has been used in the diagnosis of temporohyoid osteoarthropathy. This study was performed to determine the CT imaging characteristics of temporohyoid osteoarthropathy and to compare these to radiographic and endoscopic findings. CT scans from 16 horses with a final diagnosis of temporohyoid osteoarthropathy were review...
Vigani A, Garcia-Pereira FL.Morbidity and mortality rate in equine anesthesia is still unacceptably high. Thus it is critical contemplating whether the benefit of general anesthesia for a specific patient and procedure outweighs the risks. Sedative protocols that would allow performing diagnostic and surgical procedures with the patient remaining standing would therefore be ideal. Infusion of short-acting agents allows to rapidly achieve a titratable steady state of sedation. Supplementing sedatives and tranquilizers with systemic analgesic or regional anesthetic techniques (i.e. epidurals) facilitates standing surgical ...
Squires EL, Carnevale EM, McCue PM, Bruemmer JE.Recent studies demonstrated that zwitterionic buffers could be used for satisfactory storage of equine embryos at 5 degrees C. The success of freezing embryos is dependent upon size and stage of development. Morulae and blastocysts <300 microm can be slowly cooled or vitrified with acceptable pregnancy rates after transfer. The majority of equine embryos are collected from single ovulating mares, as there is no commercially available product for superovulation in equine. However, pituitary extract, rich in FSH, can be used to increase embryo recovery three- to four-fold. Similar to human medic...
Zoonoses and public healthJune 10, 2010
Volume 58, Issue 3 192-199 doi: 10.1111/j.1863-2378.2010.01338.x
McNamara SE, Abdujamilova N, Somsel P, Gordoncillo MJ, DeDecker JM, Bartlett PC.Clostridium difficile (CD), Salmonella, Campylobacter and enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) are major causes of morbidity in a variety of enteric diseases in humans and animals, but subclinical carriage in both is probably more common than are clinical cases. Little is known regarding the prevalence of these pathogens in animals raised for exhibit at Michigan county fairs or the frequency with which Michigan citizens raising these animals may have been subclinically colonized. To address these issues, 361 fecal specimens from 158 humans and 203 of their farm animals were cultured for C...
Gibson JS, Slater JD, Field HJ.The sequencing of the genome of equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) is reported in Elizabeth A. R. Telford, Moira S. Watson, Kathryn McBride, and Andrew J. Davison, 1992, Virology, 189, 304-316. The sequence was derived using a plaque-purified clone of EHV-1 strain Ab4 (designated Ab4p). To ensure that Ab4p shares the pathogenic characteristics of parental Ab4 (hereafter Ab4), both were inoculated intranasally into foals, specifically free from EHV-1 and EHV-4. Clinical signs, including rectal temperature, were similar for both viruses. In addition, nasal shedding of virus was observed over a 1- to 2...
Sanz MG, Kwon S, Pusterla N, Gold JR, Bain F, Evermann J.Currently, diagnosis of equine coronavirus (ECoV) relies on the exclusion of other infectious causes of enteric disease along with molecular detection of ECoV in feces or tissue. Although this approach is complete, it is costly and may not always be achievable. Objective: We hypothesized that the overall fecal shedding of ECoV in hospitalized horses is low. Our objective was to determine whether systemically healthy horses and horses with gastrointestinal disorders shed ECoV in their feces at the time of admission to a referral hospital and after 48 hours of stress associated with hospitaliz...
de Laat MA, Kyaw-Tanner MT, Sillence MN, McGowan CM, Pollitt CC.Advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs) have been implicated in the pathogenesis of cancer, inflammatory conditions and diabetic complications. An interaction of AGEs with their receptor (RAGE) results in increased release of pro-inflammatory cytokines and reactive oxygen species (ROS), causing damage to susceptible tissues. Laminitis, a debilitating foot condition of horses, occurs in association with endocrine dysfunction and the potential involvement of AGE and RAGE in the pathogenesis of the disease has not been previously investigated. Glucose transport in lamellar tissue is thought to be l...
Newton JR, Verheyen K, Wood JL, Yates PJ, Mumford JA.In 1998, equine influenza was diagnosed by serology and nucleoprotein enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay as the cause of acute respiratory disease in vaccinated and unvaccinated horses in the UK. The signs were generally milder in vaccinated horses and completely susceptible animals showed the most severe signs, including pyrexia, inappetence, coughing, mucopurulent nasal discharge and secondary bacterial pneumonia. In a detailed investigation of an outbreak among 52 vaccinated thoroughbreds in a flat racing yard, more than 60 per cent of the horses seroconverted on the evidence of paired serum...
Aurich C, Ortega Ferrusola C, Peña Vega FJ, Schrammel N, Morcuende D, Aurich J.Spermatozoa contain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). Cryopreservation damages sperm membranes and they become less functional after thawing. We analysed the lipid composition of spermatozoa from Shetland stallions (n = 15) collected monthly from January to June and hypothesized that sperm lipid patterns change with season. In addition, one ejaculate per month was submitted to cryopreservation. Content of saturated palmytic and stearic acid decreased from January to March (p < 0.001) while content of the PUFA docosapentaenoic (p < 0.001) and arachidonic acid (p < 0.05) and total PUFA...
Burns EN, Finno CJ.Equine neuroaxonal dystrophy/equine degenerative myeloencephalopathy is an inherited neurodegenerative disorder affecting many horse breeds. Clinical signs include a symmetric ataxia and an abnormal stance at rest, similar to cervical vertebral compressive myelopathy, equine protozoal myeloencephalitis, and equine herpesvirus 1 myeloencephalopathy. This review will provide an update on the disease prevalence, management, impact, and ongoing research.
Seeber PA, Quintard B, Sicks F, Dehnhard M, Greenwood AD, Franz M.Equine Herpesviruses (EHV) are common and often latent pathogens of equids which can cause fatalities when transmitted to non-equids. Stress and elevated glucocorticoids have been associated with EHV reactivation in domestic horses, but little is known about the correlation between stress and viral reactivation in wild equids. We investigated the effect of an environmental stressor (social group restructuring following a translocation event) on EHV reactivation in captive Grévy's zebras (). A mare was translocated by road transport from Zoo Mulhouse, France, to join a resident group of three ...
Brummer-Holder M, Cassill BD, Hayes SH.The use of hair as a sample matrix to determine the mineral status of an animal has received a lot of interest. The objective of this study was to determine if the trace element content in horse mane hair changed with age when evaluated in a group of horses representing a large age range. As a second objective, whole blood trace element content was evaluated, and its relationship to mane hair trace element content, as well as age, were tested. Therefore, mane hair and whole blood samples were obtained from 59 horses, ranging from 2 months to 26 years in age, housed on the same farm. Mane hai...
Silva AV, Costa HM, Santos HA, Carvalho RO.Thirty six horses from nine Brazilian states (Goiás, Minas Gerais, Pará, Maranhão, Piauí, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Rio Grande do Norte, and Ceará) were examined for infections by small strongyles. The following species were identified: Cylicocyclus nassatus, C. insigne, C. brevicapsulatus, C. leptostomum, C. radiatus, C. ultrajectinus, C. ashworthi, Cylicostephanus goldi, C. calicatus, C. minutus, C. longibursatus, Petrovinema poculatum, Coronocyclus coronatus, C. labiatus, C. labratus, Cyathostomum catinatum, C. pateratum, C. alveatum, Parapoteriostomum euproctus, Cylicodontophorus bicorona...
Vail KJ, da Silveira BP, Bell SL, Cohen ND, Bordin AI, Patrick KL, Watson RO.Rhodococcus equi is a major cause of foal pneumonia and an opportunistic pathogen in immunocompromised humans. While alveolar macrophages constitute the primary replicative niche for R. equi, little is known about how intracellular R. equi is sensed by macrophages. Here, we discovered that in addition to previously characterized pro-inflammatory cytokines (e.g., Tnfa, Il6, Il1b), macrophages infected with R. equi induce a robust type I IFN response, including Ifnb and interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs), similar to the evolutionarily related pathogen, Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Follow up studi...
Leng J, Proudman C, Darby A, Blow F, Townsend N, Miller A, Swann J.Equine grass sickness (EGS) is a frequently fatal disease of horses, responsible for the death of 1 to 2% of the U.K. horse population annually. The etiology of this disease is currently uncharacterized, although there is evidence it is associated with Clostridium botulinum neurotoxin in the gut. Prevention is currently not possible, and ileal biopsy diagnosis is invasive. The aim of this study was to characterize the fecal microbiota and biofluid metabolic profiles of EGS horses, to further understand the mechanisms underlying this disease, and to identify metabolic biomarkers to aid in diagn...
Hampson BA, Ramsey G, Macintosh AM, Mills PC, de Laat MA, Pollitt CC.The present study investigated the foot health of the Kaimanawa feral horse population and tested the hypotheses that horses would have a large range of foot morphology and that the incidence of foot abnormality would be significantly high. Methods: Abnormality was defined as a variation from what the two veterinarian assessors considered as optimal morphology and which was considered to impact negatively on the structure and/or function of the foot. Fifteen morphometric variables were measured on four calibrated photographic views of all four feet of 20 adult Kaimanawa feral horses. Four morp...
Mfitilodze MW, Hutchinson GW.A quantitative post-mortem study of 57 horses from northern Queensland was done to determine the prevalence and intensity of non-strongyle intestinal parasites. The following species (% prevalence) were found: Draschia megastoma (39%); Habronema muscae (43%); Gasterophilus intestinalis (34%), G. nasalis (30%); Parascaris equorum (15%); Strongyloides westeri (6%); Probstmayria vivipara (2%); Oxyuris equi (26%); Anoplocephala magna (2%); A. perfoliata (32%). Mean parasite numbers of individual species ranged from 10 to 1310. Prevalence and intensity data were compared to recent studies in Wester...
Galindo F, de Aluja A, Cagigas R, Huerta LA, Tadich TA.Equids are still used for diverse chores in Mexico and are essential for the livelihoods of numerous families. Appropriate health and behavior are prerequisites for performing work without affecting welfare. This study aimed to assess the welfare of working equids in Tuliman, applying the hands-on donkey tool. This tool evaluates five dimensions (behavior, body condition score [BCS], wounds, lameness, and other health issues) and was applied to 438 working equids (horses, mules, and donkeys). The Kruskall-Wallis test was applied to investigate differences between species and sex. Donkeys were ...
Broström H.Associations between clinical parameters of sarcoids and the equine leucocyte antigen system (ELA) were analysed for 120 Swedish horses. Median age of affected horses was 5.2 years, and the majority presented with solitary tumors between 2 and 5 cm in diameter and ventral abdomen was a predilection site. Clinical signs first appeared at a median age of 3.5 years, and sarcoids at different locations first appeared at different ages. Lesions at different sites differed in size, and multiple tumors, early onset, long duration, and older age all had an association with large size. Clinical manifes...
Ehizibolo DO, Gusi AM, Ehizibolo PO, Mbuk EU, Ocholi RA.Despite the endemicity of brucellosis in Nigeria, reports on equine brucellosis are rare. The Rose Bengal Plate Test (RBPT) was used to determine the serologic prevalence of Brucella abortus antibodies amongst 75 horses from three stables in two States of northern Nigeria. The highest prevalence (22.7%) was recorded in stable C located in Plateau State and the lowest (6.7%) was found in stable B in Kaduna State. The overall prevalence determined was 14.7%. There is need for the inclusion of horses in brucellosis surveillance and control strategies in Nigeria to safeguard people at high risk.
Berthoud D, Schwarzwald CC.Echocardiographic assessment of left ventricular (LV) size and function using area-based indices and volumetric estimates is not well established in horses. Objective: To report reference intervals and measurement variability for uni-, 2-, and 3-dimensional echocardiographic indices of LV size and systolic function in Warmblood horses and to provide proof of concept for allometric scaling of variables to body weight. Unidimensional indices were to be compared to area-based indices and LV volume estimates to establish their clinical use. Methods: Thirty healthy Warmblood horses and 70 Warmblood...
Po E, Williams C, Muscatello G, Celi P.This study reports preliminary data on systemic and local biomarkers of oxidative stress (OS) in Thoroughbred foals. Blood and exhaled breath condensate (EBC) were sampled from 13 foals on two farms. Values of reactive oxygen metabolites (d-ROMs), biological antioxidant potential (BAP), antioxidant barrier (OXY-ads), thiol antioxidant barrier (SHp) and advanced oxidation protein products (AOPPs) were determined in blood, while EBC samples were assayed for hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) levels. Systemic and local OS biomarkers did not differ between farms and gender. Increased oxidative stress in...
