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.
Neira-Egea P, Alamar Malvoisin C, de la Cuesta-Torrado M, Bautista-Erler C, Vitale V, Jolly S, Cesarini C. spp. are ubiquitous yeasts that are part of most mammals' microbiota and can become opportunistic pathogens under predisposing conditions. Interestingly, recent studies in human medicine report an increased abundance of spp. in association with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Gastrointestinal candidiasis has been primarily reported in neonatal foals, but not in adult horses. The aim of this study is to describe the morphological, histopathological, and microbiological features of gastric lesions associated with infiltration in five horses referred to two tertiary hospitals for different r...
Ryu SH, Forbes E, Kim BS, Park KT.Five previously healthy horses in Korea, including a 19-year-old mixed-breed gelding, a 16-year-old mixed-breed mare, a 13-year-old Thoroughbred gelding, a 12-year-old Belgian warmblood mare, and a 12-year-old Andalusian mare, developed subcutaneous abscesses in the left neck after receiving intramuscular vaccination without prior skin disinfection. The vaccination used was Equivac® 2 in1, containing toxoid and cell-free extract. Within one week, the horses developed localised swelling and/or abscessation at the injection site. One case involved a ruptured abscess, while the others presente...
Khaliji E, Marycz K, Horna M, Morgan JM, Galuppo LD, Vapniarsky N, Cassano JM.To evaluate IA autologous platelet-derived mitochondrial preparation versus vehicle control in a bilateral lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced model of equine synovitis. Unassigned: 2 ng of LPS was injected into bilateral intercarpal joints of 6 horses over 3 months. Autologous mitochondria, isolated with a commercial kit, were injected into one joint, while the contralateral joint received a vehicle control, a within-subject controlled experimental design. Mitochondrial organelle appearance was visualized on transmission electron microscopy. Outcome measures included synovial fluid and whole-blo...
Ennsmann LH, Licka TF.Most horses are used with horseshoes additionally supported by either dorsoabaxial or dorsal clips. The effects of such clips on bone density and shape of the distal phalanx are currently unclear. The aim of this study was to identify correlations between density and shape of the distal phalanx, comparing front hooves unshod or shod with standard shoes either with two dorsoabaxial clips or with a single dorsal clip. Researchers analyzed Oxspring radiographs of either the left or right front hoof from warmblood horses ( = 137) and ponies ( = 43) aged 3-28 years. The evaluation focused...
Gelinder Viklund Å, Blom Y, Eriksson S.The breeding goal of the Swedish Warmblood horse (SWB) is to produce internationally competitive horses in dressage and show jumping. In the current genetic evaluation, breeding values are estimated in multiple-trait animal models where competition performance is the target trait and results from two different young horse tests serve as indicator traits. However, preselection of horses, both for young horse tests and for competitions, is not considered in the current evaluation. The overall aim of this study was to analyse the all-or-none trait start status, in competition and in young horse t...
Smith RKW, Schramme MC.Superficial digital flexor tendinopathy is one of the most common orthopedic soft tissue injuries in horses. The veterinary challenge for this condition is less related to identifying the presence of the injury (as it is usually readily evident clinically) but more related to improving the healing process so that the healed tendon is more like normal tendon in biology and function in order to reduce reinjury, which is the key adverse consequence of the injury. Diagnostic imaging has improved in recent years to aid with treatment choices and monitoring the healing process.
Fletcher KA, Benedetti B, Limon G, Grist A, Padalino B, Hernández-Gil M, Gibson TJ.There has been limited research into the effectiveness of penetrating captive bolt (PCB) for stunning horses () at slaughter. This study observed 100 horses at a commercial abattoir in Mexico, stunned using pneumatic PCB. Animals were assessed at the time of stunning and immediately after for signs of effective/ineffective stunning and shot positioning, with macroscopic gross brain pathology conducted to determine brain trauma. Twenty-five percent (25/100) received more than one shot and 28% (28/100) displayed behavioural signs of ineffective stunning. Of these 28 animals, all had deviations o...
Durgam S.The mid-metacarpal SDFT, intrasynovial DDFT and suspensory ligament are frequently injured soft tissues in the equine athlete. The mid-metacarpal SDFT exhibits a hierarchical structure and encounters repetitive strains at its functional limit. The intrasynovial DDFT possesses fibrocartilage where opposing bony surfaces to facilitate resistance-free gliding and contains chondrocyte-like cells embedded in a proteoglycan-rich ECM. While suspensory ligament enthesis injuries are common, collagen and non-collagen ECM structure-function specializations at the bone-ligament interface are understudied...
Campana S, Dittmann M, Kircher P, Donati B.The distribution pattern of central tarsal bone (CTB) changes has not been described, except for slab- and dorsomedial-plantarolateral fractures. Objective: To describe CTB changes in CT and document their distribution and associations. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: Standing and recumbent tarsal CT studies from 94 clinical cases were retrospectively evaluated. General case information, degree of sclerosis (none-severe), lesions (demineralisation, cystoid, fissure/fracture) and their location were recorded, dividing CTBs into 8 regions. Results: Eighty five of 94 tarsi showed at ...
de Souza AF, Pereira CAM, Gialain IO, Meira JBC, Ballester RY, De Zoppa ALDV.This study aimed to compare the stress distribution in proximal interphalangeal joint arthrodesis with locking compression plate in horses based on the type and method of screw implantation in the proximal hole and partial or total removal of implants after fusion.Finite element analysis.Proximal interphalangeal joint arthrodesis was simulated using a 3-hole, 4.5-mm narrow locking compression plate combined with two 5.5-mm transarticular screws. Models were created according to the type (cortex or locking) and method of implantation (uni- or bicortical) of the screw in the proximal hole of the...
Drespling J, Berwanger L, Kühn H, Schwarz B, Doherr M, Mundhenk L.Mucus parameters are hallmark diagnostic features of equine asthma (EA). Objective: To investigate the relationship between mucus quantity score and mucus viscosity score with signalment, history, clinical findings and cytological parameters. Methods: Retrospective cross-sectional study. Methods: Mucus quantity and viscosity scores, signalment, history and clinical findings recorded for diagnostic purposes from up to 1599 samples, and cytological values of the corresponding bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and tracheobronchial secretions were analysed. The cut-off value of a mucus quantity ...
Fiedler JM, Rosanowski S, Ayre ML, Slater JD.Participation in horse-related activities frequently involves relocating horses from the home stable to an activity venue, which might require local, regional, or international travel. In these circumstances, horses are exposed to unfamiliar surroundings and experience changes to their daily routines, which could have negative welfare impacts. An online survey was conducted in 2021 to ask experienced horse sector participants about the horse management practices that they perceived worked well and provided for positive horse welfare when undertaken at venues. Qualitative analysis identified fo...
Cheung E, Mills D, Ventura BA.There is concern amongst the public, equestrians, animal welfare organisations, and horse-sport governing bodies regarding the welfare of performance horses, but equestrian culture appears slow to change. The present study seeks to increase our understanding of human factors underlying the persistence of welfare-compromising management and training practices within the performance horse world. Individual, semi-structured interviews focused on equestrians' attitudes were conducted with 22 equestrians from classical equestrian disciplines in the US, Canada, and the UK. Interview transcripts were...
Croll TP, Swanson BZ.Early in the 1900s, a Philadelphia Horse Dentist apparently had a jolly sense of humor. A business card with a fun reverse is evidence of that. In 1876 Peter J. Haley, Sr. founded a veterinary horse parlor business in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and his sons Peter Jr. Haley and James Raymond Haley carried their father's work forward, after his death.
Legg KA, Gibson MJ, Gee EK, Rogers CW.Injury modelling based on changes in speed and stride characteristics of racehorses has become a primary industry focus for the Thoroughbred racing industry. However, speed and stride characteristics are strongly associated with track condition; therefore, reliable quantification of surface variables for use in future models is imperative. Objective: This study aimed to understand the interaction of objective turf track condition score (TCS) measurement with racing speed and injury in flat racing Thoroughbred horses. Methods: Retrospective time series analysis. Methods: Race-day data from 16 f...
Suomala H, Brotherus I, Hänninen L, Ternman E, Mykkänen AK.Very little is known about sleep disturbances in horses, although several management or animal-based factors may contribute to an increased risk of disturbances. Objective: To investigate factors related to rest and sleep behaviour of horses kept in stalls as perceived by Nordic horse owners or caretakers and their association with suspected sleep disturbances (SSD). Methods: Cross-sectional survey. Methods: The 40 question online international survey included a convenience sample of horse owners or caretakers with horses over 4 years old kept in the same individual stalls for at least the l...
Celik F, Karabulut B, Uslug M, Cankaya E, Eroksuz Y, Simsek S. is a parasitic cestode primarily maintained within an equine-canine life cycle, with horses, donkeys, mules, and other ungulates serving as intermediate hosts. Although has historically been considered non-zoonotic, recent molecular studies suggest that this assumption may need to be reevaluated. This study aimed to investigate the presence and molecular characterization of in equids from Türkiye. A retrospective analysis of 52 equine necropsies performed between 2020 and 2025 identified hydatid cysts in one Arabian horse and two donkeys. Gross and histopathological examination confirmed t...
Haase L, Winter J, Grummt S, Sedlmayr M, Sedlmayr B.Many people seek health-related information online, not only for themselves but also on behalf of others who cannot articulate their symptoms. This proxy information-seeking behavior is particularly relevant for animal owners, who must interpret their animals' symptoms without direct verbal feedback. While online health information-seeking in the context of one's own health is well-studied, the specific challenges of searching by proxy, especially for animal health information, remain largely unexplored. Unassigned: This study aimed to determine the specific information needs and search behavi...
Bertone AL, Reinemeyer C, Tsaprailis G, Ragland D, Leise B.The use of micro-particulate allografts is rising, but knowledge about the protein characterization and biocompatibility of umbilical cord-derived allografts (UC) in vivo is limited. Methods: Proteomic analyses using mass spectrometry (MS) determined equine UC protein relative quantification and functions using total spectral counts (TSC). UC cytokines were quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Three in vivo studies assessed recipient clinical and tissue biocompatibility in joints and ligaments. Results: Proteomics revealed 2645 annotated TSCs. Proteins of > 89 TSC we...
Schild CO, Nyaoke A, Asin J, Henderson EE, Blea JA, Stover SM, Uzal FA.Radial fractures are relatively uncommon (0-1%) injuries in postmortem studies of racehorses, and few cases have been published. We describe here a series of 42 cases of radial fractures observed in California racehorses. Autopsy findings from all racehorses submitted for postmortem examination between 2006 July 1 and 2022 June 30 that had a recorded radial fracture were evaluated. We included 42 horses (30 Thoroughbreds, 12 Quarter Horses), most of which were 3-5-y-old. Catastrophic radial fracture was observed in 30 (71%) horses; in the remaining 12 (29%) horses, the fracture of the radius w...
Jing H, Liu P, Zheng S, Cao K, Li X.Total Mixed Ration (TMR) is recognized for its balanced nutritional composition, improved feed efficiency, enhanced animal production, and stabilization of the gastrointestinal microbiome. It has been extensively implemented in intensive ruminant farming, particularly for cattle and sheep, with demonstrated positive outcomes. However, its effects on the nutritional health of non-ruminant herbivores, such as horses, remain insufficiently investigated. This study aims to evaluate the comparative effects of TMR feeding versus conventional feeding practices in Akhal-Teke horses while maintaining i...
Roncaglia-Pereira VA, Dumard CH, Monteiro-Machado M, Melo PA, Fonseca J, Meirelles L, Cunha-Ribeiro L, Souza P, da Silva JL, Castilho L....In this study, we aim to report the persistent presence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 immunoglobulins in pre-immunized mare offspring. Three mares from Vital Brazil Institute were pre-immunized with recombinant SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and became pregnant during this period. After parturition, the mares' serum and colostrum/milk and foal serum were collected over 6 weeks. Our results have shown high and persistent presence of IgG and neutralizing antibodies over the weeks not only in the mares' serum, as expected, but in mares' colostrum/milk and foal serum as well-what were very surprising. This peculia...
Vermedal H, Hellings IR, Fretheim-Kelly ZL, Fintl C, Olsen HMB, Strand E.Exercise-related upper respiratory tract (URT) disorders are common in racehorses. Objective assessment of URT mechanics is essential to quantify degrees of obstruction caused by URT disorders identified upon dynamic endoscopy. Objective: To establish reference values for inspiratory and expiratory tracheal pressures (cmHO) during high-speed treadmill endoscopy in harness racehorses with clinically normal URTs. Methods: Prospective observational study. Methods: Tracheal pressures were measured in harness racehorses (Standardbreds and Norwegian-Swedish coldblooded trotters) in which no URT abno...
Migliorisi A, Hassel DM, Moore AR, Blair BW, Wilkins PA.To characterize coagulopathies before and after antivenom administration in rattlesnake-envenomated equids. Unassigned: Client-owned envenomated equids treated with antivenom at Colorado State University (2023 to 2024). Rattlesnake bite severity score (RBSS), platelet count, prothrombin time, activated thromboplastin time, D-dimers, antithrombin, and viscoelastic testing variables were assessed before and after antivenom administration. Paired comparisons of hemostatic variables between admission and approximately 24 hours, and correlation analysis with RBSS, were performed. Length of hospital...
Douglas M, Williams J, Randle H.Recent research has highlighted the detrimental impact of an ill-fitting saddle on equine health, welfare and performance. A correctly fitting saddle may not fit if positioned incorrectly. Objective: This study assessed riders' ability to visually evaluate saddle position and examine factors that influenced accuracy of assessment. Methods: Survey participants were provided with photographs of a series of saddles on horses obtained from the lateral aspect of the left side of the horse. Saddles were either correctly positioned (n = 5), too far forward (n = 5) or too far back (n = 2). This was in...
Gomes C, Coheur L, Tilley P.Equine asthma is a prevalent respiratory disease that negatively impacts horses' health and athletic performance. Traditional diagnostic methods are invasive and require specialised equipment. There is a need for a non-invasive, cost-effective screening tool that can be used by veterinarians and horse handlers in ambulatory settings. Objective: To assess the willingness of veterinarians and horse handlers to adopt such a tool (Questionnaire 1) and the challenges associated with visually recognising equine asthma (Questionnaire 2) and to develop EquiBreathe, an artificial intelligence (AI)-powe...
Miles S, McCauley C, Carossino M, Del Piero F, Liu CC, Gaschen L.Manica flexoria tears are increasingly recognized as a cause of lameness in horses resulting in a need for improved pre-operative diagnosis. Partial tears are difficult to pre-operatively diagnose and thus research for diagnostics of manica flexoria tears has been seen in increasing frequency over the past decade, though a deficit of information exists for the features of this structure on MRI, which is best suited for evaluation of soft tissues. The goal is to perform an observational study on the morphometry of the normal manica flexoria prospectively and describe it retrospectively on MRI. ...
Hildebrandt D, Venner M, Hart KA, Berghaus L.Early and specific diagnosis of bronchopneumonia in foals is important to prevent severe disease. In human medicine, C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) are important diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in neonatal pneumonia in other species. Evaluation of these markers in foals with naturally occurring respiratory diseases is lacking. Objective: To determine if CRP and IL-6 were useful predictors of respiratory disease in foals from birth to weaning. Methods: Prospective cohort study. Methods: Periodic blood samples from 200 initially healthy foals were collected from birth to ...
Doherty O, Conway R, McGreevy P.Pressures applied to horses via nosebands are of growing concern. The current study applied noseband pressure to the head of a dead horse. Pressure sensors were placed on the left nasal bone to record pressures as the noseband was progressively tightened. Tightness increased as predicated by holes in the strap of the noseband (as supplied) through eight steps from two fingers' space, assessed using the standard International Society for Equitation Science Taper Gauge through to zero space. Sensors were also placed at the midline frontal plane and intra-orally at the level of the second premola...
Hopkins E, Whitrod S, Marlin D, Blake R.Noseband tightness has received increasing attention within equitation science, however, there is little research into how this effects equine behaviour or performance. Objective: 1) determine the peak pressures under noseband in vivo at three different tightness; 2) assess limb and back kinematics at different noseband tightness. Methods: Noseband tightness (n = 8 horses) was set using an International Society for Equine Science (ISES) taper gauge with the three settings being; "two fingers (2F)", "one finger (1F)" and "zero fingers (0F)". Peak pressure under noseband was determined using pre...
Vengust M, Anderson ME, Rousseau J, Weese JS.To evaluate the prevalence of methicillin-resistant staphylococcal (MRS) colonization in clinically normal dogs and horses in the community. Results: Three hundred clinically normal horses and 200 clinically normal dogs were enrolled. One nasal swab was collected from each horse. Two swabs were taken from each dog: (i) from an anterior nare, and (ii) a combination of the perineal area and 0.5 cm into the anus. Enrichment cultures were performed. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was not identified. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus intermedius (MRSI) was isolated from the n...
The Journal of nutritionMay 22, 2007
Volume 137, Issue 6 Suppl 2 1626S-1641S doi: 10.1093/jn/137.6.1626S
Ball RO, Urschel KL, Pencharz PB.Differences in lysine and arginine requirements among various species such as omnivores (humans, pigs, rats, dogs), carnivores (cats), herbivores (rabbits, horses), ruminants (cattle), poultry, and fish, are covered in detail in this article. Although lysine is classified as an indispensable amino acid across species, the classification of arginine as either an indispensable or dispensable amino acid is more ambiguous because of differences among species in rates of de novo arginine synthesis. Because lysine is most often the limiting amino acid in the diet, its requirement has been extensivel...
van der Geize R, Grommen AW, Hessels GI, Jacobs AA, Dijkhuizen L.Rhodococcus equi causes fatal pyogranulomatous pneumonia in foals and immunocompromised animals and humans. Despite its importance, there is currently no effective vaccine against the disease. The actinobacteria R. equi and the human pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis are related, and both cause pulmonary diseases. Recently, we have shown that essential steps in the cholesterol catabolic pathway are involved in the pathogenicity of M. tuberculosis. Bioinformatic analysis revealed the presence of a similar cholesterol catabolic gene cluster in R. equi. Orthologs of predicted M. tuberculosis vi...
Watts AE, Millar NL, Platt J, Kitson SM, Akbar M, Rech R, Griffin J, Pool R, Hughes T, McInnes IB, Gilchrist DS.Tendon injuries (tendinopathies) are common in human and equine athletes and characterized by dysregulated collagen matrix, resulting in tendon damage. We have previously demonstrated a functional role for microRNA29a (miR29a) as a post-transcriptional regulator of collagen 3 expression in murine and human tendon injury. Given the translational potential, we designed a randomized, blinded trial to evaluate the potential of a miR29a replacement therapy as a therapeutic option to treat tendinopathy in an equine model that closely mimics human disease. Tendon injury was induced in the superficial...
Binder AK, Rodriguez KF, Hamilton KJ, Stockton PS, Reed CE, Korach KS.Determining the spatial and temporal expression of genes involved in the ovulatory pathway is critical for the understanding of the role of each estrogen receptor in the modulation of folliculogenesis and ovulation. Estrogen receptor (ER)-β is highly expressed in ovarian granulosa cells, and mice lacking ER-β are subfertile due to inefficient ovulation. Previous work has focused on isolated granulosa cells or cultured follicles and, although informative, provides confounding results due to the heterogeneous cell types present including granulosa and theca cells and oocytes and exposure to in...
Ueti MW, Palmer GH, Scoles GA, Kappmeyer LS, Knowles DP.Tick-borne pathogens may be transmitted intrastadially and transstadially within a single vector generation as well as vertically between generations. Understanding the mode and relative efficiency of this transmission is required for infection control. In this study, we established that adult male Rhipicephalus microplus ticks efficiently acquire the protozoal pathogen Babesia equi during acute and persistent infections and transmit it intrastadially to naïve horses. Although the level of parasitemia during acquisition feeding affected the efficiency of the initial tick infection, infected t...
Ireland JL, Clegg PD, McGowan CM, McKane SA, Chandler KJ, Pinchbeck GL.Geriatric horses (aged ≥ 15 years) represent a substantial proportion of the equine population, yet few studies have investigated the prevalence of diseases within this population in the UK. Objective: To describe the findings of veterinary clinical examination of 200 geriatric horses and ponies in north west England and north Wales, and to assess the effect of animal age and type (horse or pony) on the presence or absence of clinical signs and veterinary diagnosed health problems. Methods: From responses to a cross-sectional postal questionnaire survey of owners of geriatric horses (n = 918...
Raudsepp T, Frönicke L, Scherthan H, Gustavsson I, Chowdhary BP.Human chromosome specific libraries (CSLs) were individually applied to equine metaphase chromosomes using the fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) technique. All CSLs, except Y, showed painting signals on one or several horse chromosomes. In total 43 conserved chromosomal segments were painted. Homoeology could not, however, be detected for some segments of the equine genome. This is most likely related to the very weak signals displayed by some libraries, rather than to the absence of similarity with the human genome. In spite of divergence from the human genome, dated 70-80 million yea...
Ostlund EN, Crom RL, Pedersen DD, Johnson DJ, Williams WO, Schmitt BJ.After the 1999 outbreak of West Nile (WN) encephalitis in New York horses, a case definition was developed that specified the clinical signs, coupled with laboratory test results, required to classify cases of WN encephalitis in equines as either probable or confirmed. In 2000, 60 horses from seven states met the criteria for a confirmed case. The cumulative experience from clinical observations and diagnostic testing during the 1999 and 2000 outbreaks of WN encephalitis in horses will contribute to further refinement of diagnostic criteria.
Brossi PM, Moreira JJ, Machado TS, Baccarin RY.This systematic review aimed to present and critically appraise the available information on the efficacy of platelet rich plasma (PRP) in equine and human orthopedic therapeutics and to verify the influence of study design and methodology on the assumption of PRP's efficacy. We searched Medline, PubMed, Embase, Bireme and Google Scholar without restrictions until July 2013. Randomized trials, human cohort clinical studies or case series with a control group on the use of PRP in tendons, ligaments or articular lesions were included. Equine clinical studies on the same topics were included inde...
Thiel PG, Marasas WF, Sydenham EW, Shephard GS, Gelderblom WC, Nieuwenhuis JJ.Fumonisins B1 (FB1) and B2 (FB2), two structurally related mycotoxins with cancer-promoting activity, were recently isolated from corn cultures of Fusarium moniliforme MRC 826. These toxins have been reported to be produced also by isolates of F. proliferatum. Contamination of foods and feeds by F. moniliforme has been associated with human esophageal cancer risk, and FB1 has been shown to be the causative agent of the neurotoxic disease leukoencephalomalacia in horses. Because of the toxicological importance of the fumonisins, the potential to produce FB1 and FB2 was determined in a study of ...
Marx C, Silveira MD, Beyer Nardi N.Mesenchymal stem cells, considered one of the most promising cell types for therapeutic applications due to their capacity to secrete regenerative bioactive molecules, are present in all tissues. Stem cells derived from the adipose tissue have been increasingly used for cell therapy in humans and animals, both as freshly isolated, stromal vascular fraction (SVF) cells, or as cultivated adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs). ASCs have been characterized in different animal species for proliferation, differentiation potential, immunophenotype, gene expression, and potential for tissue engineering. W...
Kamm JL, Nixon AJ, Witte TH.Understanding the expression of catabolic and anabolic genes during osteoarthritis progression should help to identify the major mediators of the disease. Objective: To compare the cytokine and anabolic marker concentrations in synovium, synovial fluid and cartilage between normal and osteoarthritic joints. Methods: Carpi from horses age 2-11 years were used. Tissues were harvested at the time of surgery or euthanasia, and RNA was isolated for RT-PCR analysis. Tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFα), interleukin-1beta (IL-1β), aggrecanase 1 (ADAMTS-4), aggrecanase 2 (ADAMTS-5), matrix metallopro...
Weatherman S, Feldmann H, de Wit E.The genus Henipavirus has expanded rapidly in geographic range, number of species, and host range. Hendra and Nipah virus are two henipaviruses known to cause severe disease in humans with a high case-fatality rate. Pteropid spp. bats are the natural reservoir of Hendra and Nipah virus. From these bats, virus can be transmitted to an amplifying host, horses and pigs, and from these hosts to humans, or the virus can be transmitted directly to humans. Although the main route of shedding varies between host species, close contact is required for transmission in all hosts. Understanding the transm...
Neubauer H, Sprague LD, Zacharia R, Tomaso H, Al Dahouk S, Wernery R, Wernery U, Scholz HC.Burkholderia mallei causes glanders or farcy in solipeds, a disease that must be reported to the OIE (Office International des Epizooties, Paris, France). The number of reported outbreaks has increased steadily during the last decade. Serodiagnosis is hampered by the considerable number of false-positives and -negatives of the internationally prescribed tests. The major problem leading to low sensitivity and specificity of complement fixation test (CFT) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) has been linked to the test antigens currently used, i.e. crude preparations of whole cells. Fut...
Ricco S, Renzi S, Del Bue M, Conti V, Merli E, Ramoni R, Lucarelli E, Gnudi G, Ferrari M, Grolli S.Overstrain tendonitis are common pathologies in the sport horses. Therapeutic approaches to tendon healing do not always result in a satisfactory anatomical and functional repair, and healed tendon is often characterized by functional impairment and high risk of reinjury. Recently, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and platelet rich plasma (PRP) have been proposed as novel therapeutic treatments to improve the tendon repair process. MSCs are multipotent, easy to culture and being originated from adult donors do not pose ethical issues. To date, autologous MSCs have been investigated mainly in the ...
Gerding JC, Gilger BC.Equine recurrent uveitis (ERU) is a leading cause of vision loss in horses. Objective: To assess the prognosis and impact of ERU on affected horses and their owners by evaluating the signalment, treatment and outcome (including the loss of use, vision assessment and economic loss). Methods: Retrospective impact study. Methods: Medical records of horses presenting to the North Carolina State University Veterinary Health Complex (NCSU-VHC) with ERU between 1999 and 2014 were reviewed. Signalment, clinical signs, ophthalmic examination findings, treatments and outcomes were evaluated. Owner quest...
Hamond C, Martins G, Loureiro AP, Pestana C, Lawson-Ferreira R, Medeiros MA, Lilenbaum W.The aim of the present study was to consider the wide usage of urinary PCR as an increasingly useful tool for an accurate diagnosis of leptospirosis in livestock. A total of 512 adult animals (300 cattle, 138 horses, 59 goats and 15 pigs), from herds/flocks with reproductive problems in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil was studied by serology and urinary PCR. From the 512 serum samples tested, 223 (43.5 %) were seroreactive (cattle: 45.6 %, horses: 41.3 %, goats: 34%and pigs: 60 %). PCR detected leptospiral DNA in 32.4 % (cattle: 21.6 %, horses: 36.2 %, goats: 77.4 % and pigs: 33.3 %. To our knowledge t...
Gilbertie JM, Schnabel LV, Hickok NJ, Jacob ME, Conlon BP, Shapiro IM, Parvizi J, Schaer TP.Bacterial invasion of synovial joints, as in infectious or septic arthritis, can be difficult to treat in both veterinary and human clinical practice. Biofilms, in the form of free-floating clumps or aggregates, are involved with the pathogenesis of infectious arthritis and periprosthetic joint infection (PJI). Infection of a joint containing an orthopedic implant can additionally complicate these infections due to the presence of adherent biofilms. Because of these biofilm phenotypes, bacteria within these infected joints show increased antimicrobial tolerance even at high antibiotic concentr...
Rekant SI, Lyons MA, Pacheco JM, Arzt J, Rodriguez LL.Abnormal body temperature is a major indicator of disease; infrared thermography (IRT) can assess changes in body surface temperature quickly and remotely. This technology can be applied to a myriad of diseases of various etiologies across a wide range of host species in veterinary medicine. It is used to monitor the physiologic status of individual animals, such as measuring feed efficiency or diagnosing pregnancy. Infrared thermography has applications in the assessment of animal welfare, and has been used to detect soring in horses and monitor stress responses. This review addresses the var...
Paillot R, Hannant D, Kydd JH, Daly JM.Equine influenza virus is a leading cause of respiratory disease in the horse. Equine influenza vaccines containing inactivated virus were first developed in the 1960s. Despite their intensive use, equine influenza outbreaks still continue to occur and therefore new strategies of vaccination are necessary to improve vaccine efficacy. Numerous methods of vaccination have been evaluated and commercialised in the horse, the most recent being the cold-adapted influenza virus and poxvirus-based vaccines. As a large animal model, the horse is also a useful species in which to evaluate the potential ...
Ahmed A, Siman-Tov G, Keck F, Kortchak S, Bakovic A, Risner K, Lu TK, Bhalla N, de la Fuente-Nunez C, Narayanan A.Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV), a new world alphavirus belonging to the Togaviridae family, causes periodic disease outbreaks in humans and equines with high associated mortality and morbidity. VEEV is highly infectious via the aerosol route and so has been developed as a biological weapon (Hawley and Eitzen, 2001). Despite its current classification as a category B select agent, there are no FDA approved vaccines or therapeutics to counter VEEV infections. Here we utilize a naturally occurring host defense peptide, LL-37, as a therapeutic strategy to inhibit VEEV multiplication i...
Hoffman AM.Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) is a method for the recovery of respiratory secretions that line the peripheral airways and alveoli. Overall, BAL is considered very safe and sufficiently sensitive to detect inflammation at the cytologic level. The good correlation between BAL differential cell counts and exercise-induced hypoxemia or lactic acidosis, airway obstruction, or airway responsiveness attests to the relevance of BAL cytology to the structure and function of the equine airways. Thus, an important advantage of BAL over tracheal wash cytology is that BAL cytology relates well to the clinic...
Schmidt A, Aurich J, Möstl E, Müller J, Aurich C.Based on cortisol release, a variety of situations to which domestic horses are exposed have been classified as stressors but studies on the stress during equestrian training are limited. In the present study, Warmblood stallions (n=9) and mares (n=7) were followed through a 9 respective 12-week initial training program in order to determine potentially stressful training steps. Salivary cortisol concentrations, beat-to-beat (RR) interval and heart rate variability (HRV) were determined. The HRV variables standard deviation of the RR interval (SDRR), RMSSD (root mean square of successive RR di...
Feary DJ, Hassel DM.Enteritis and colitis remain challenging and life-threatening diseases despite many recent advances. Successful treatment is largely dependent on early recognition and directed therapy, which is facilitated by obtaining a complete history and physical examination. A number of new therapies and methods of monitoring critically ill patients have become integral components of treatment success. The critical monitoring of equine foals and adults continues to be an exciting and emerging field.
Williams KJ, Maes R, Del Piero F, Lim A, Wise A, Bolin DC, Caswell J, Jackson C, Robinson NE, Derksen F, Scott MA, Uhal BD, Li X, Youssef SA, Bolin SR.Pulmonary fibrosis and interstitial lung disease are poorly understood in horses; the causes of such conditions are rarely identified. Equine herpesvirus 5 (EHV-5) is a gamma-herpesvirus of horses that has not been associated with disease in horses. Pathologic and virologic findings from 24 horses with progressive nodular fibrotic lung disease associated with EHV-5 infection are described and compared with 23 age-matched control animals. Gross lesions consisted of multiple nodules of fibrosis throughout the lungs. Histologically, there was marked interstitial fibrosis, often with preservation ...
Brooks SA, Makvandi-Nejad S, Chu E, Allen JJ, Streeter C, Gu E, McCleery B, Murphy BA, Bellone R, Sutter NB.Horses, like many domesticated species, have been selected for broad variation in skeletal size. This variation is not only an interesting model of rapid evolutionary change during domestication, but is also directly applicable to the horse industry. Breeders select for complex traits like body size and skeletal conformation to improve marketability, function, soundness and performance in the show ring. Using a well-defined set of 35 measurements, we have identified and quantified skeletal variation in the horse species. We collected measurements from 1215 horses representing 65 breeds of dive...
Klein C, Scoggin KE, Ealy AD, Troedsson MH.Establishment and maintenance of pregnancy are critically dependent on embryo-maternal communication during the preimplantation period. To gain new insights into this complex process in the horse, transcriptional profiling of Day 13.5 pregnant and cyclic endometrial tissue samples was carried out using custom-designed microarrays. Selected array data were validated using quantitative RT-PCR, and proteins of interest were localized using immunohistochemistry. One hundred and six transcripts were up-regulated, whereas 47 transcripts showed lower expression levels in pregnant mares, that is, were...
Saad MD, Hussein HA, Bashandy MM, Kamel HH, Earhart KC, Fryauff DJ, Younan M, Mohamed AH.Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is an important cause of hepatitis among young Egyptian adults with high seroprevalence rates seen in both rural areas of the Nile Delta and in suburban Cairo. Because natural antibodies to HEV have been detected in animals and zoonotic transmission is postulated, we surveyed work horses in Cairo for evidence of HEV exposure and viremia. Sera from 200 Cairo work horses were tested by ELISA for the presence of IgG anti-HEV antibody revealed a seropositivity of 13%. Among 100 samples processed for detection of viral genome by means of nested polymerase chain reaction (N-P...
