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.
de Camp NV, Ladwig-Wiegard M, Geitner CIE, Bergeler J, Thöne-Reineke C.As has been hypothesized more than 20 years ago, data derived from Electroencephalography (EEG) measurements can be used to distinguish between behavioral states associated with animal welfare. In our current study we found a high degree of correlation between the modulation index of phase related amplitude changes in the EEG of horses ( = 6 measurements with three different horses, mare and gelding) and their facial expression, measured by the use of the horse grimace scale. Furthermore, the pattern of phase amplitude coupling (PAC) was significantly different between a rest condition and a s...
Veres-Nyéki KO, Nyéki J, Bodó G, Spadavecchia C.Quantitative sensory testing methods are now standard in the evaluation of sensory function in man, while few normal equine values have been reported. Objective: The aim of this experimental study was (a) to define the tactile sensory, mechanical nociceptive and thermal nociceptive thresholds of the equine face; (b) to assess the effect of age, sex, stimulation site and shaving; (c) to evaluate the reliability of the methods and (d) to provide reference facial quantitative sensory testing values. Methods: Method description. Methods: Thirty-four healthy Warmblood horses were used in the study....
Arthurs C, Suarez-Bonnet A, Willis C, Xie B, Machulla N, Mair TS, Cao K, Millar M, Thrasivoulou C, Priestnall SL, Ahmed A.Equine penile squamous cell carcinoma (EpSCC) is a relatively common cutaneous neoplasm with a poor prognosis. In this study, we aimed to determine the protein expression and colocalisation of FRA1, c-Myc, Cyclin D1, and MMP7 in normal (NT), tumour (T), hyperplastic epidermis and/or squamous papilloma (Hyp/Pap), poorly-differentiated (PDSCC), or well-differentiated (WDSCC) EpSCC using a tissue array approach. Further objectives were to correlate protein expression to (i) levels of inflammation, using a convolutional neural network (ii) equine papillomavirus 2 (EcPV2) infection, detected using ...
Page AE, Adam E, Stewart JC, Gonzales C, Barker V, Horohov DW.While the use of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to induce inflammation has been well described in the horse, the object of this study was to evaluate the effect of repeated intra-articular LPS injections and determine whether this method may be of use to assess changes in gene expression related to inflammation. Six mixed breed horses were utilized for this study, with three horses aged 10-17 years (older group) and three horses aged 3 years (younger group). One milliliter of phosphate-buffered saline containing 3 μg of LPS from Escherichia coli O111:B4 was aseptically injected into either the radi...
Szóstek-Mioduchowska AZ, Baclawska A, Rebordão MR, Ferreira-Dias G, Skarzynski DJ.An increasing number of studies have shown that prostaglandins (PGs) exert multiple regulatory actions in the processes associated to tissue remodeling and fibrosis. Extracellular matrix (ECM) turnover is mediated by matrix metallopeptidases (MMPs). The knowledge about the regulation of their expression in mare endometrium is still limited. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate whether: (i) profibrotic transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 modulates PG production in equine endometrium; and (ii) PGE and PGF modulate MMPs, their tissue inhibitors (TIMPs), and collagen 1 (COL1) expression...
Novello G, Podico G, Segabinazzi LGTM, Lima FS, Canisso IF.The objective of this study was to compare semen parameters and embryo recovery rates of cooled stallion semen extended with INRA 96 or BotuSemen Gold. In experiment 1, 45 ejaculates from nine mature stallions were collected, assessed, and equally split between both extenders and then extended to 50 million sperm/mL. Then, the extended semen was stored in three passive cooling containers (Equitainer, Equine Express II, and BotuFlex) for 48 hours. In experiment 2, the same ejaculates extended in experiment 1 were cushion-centrifuged, the supernatant was discarded, and the pellets were resuspend...
Onen EA.The aim of this study was to evaluate formalin-inactivated autovaccination to treat cutaneous papillomatosis and to perform molecular typing of the papillomavirus in four horses (two foals, one 3-year-old filly and a 5-year-old stallion). Methods: Histopathological slides of lesions were prepared and stained with haematoxylin and eosin (H&E) to establish a diagnosis that was based on observation koilocytosis, which is a pathognomonic cytopathic change that is associated with papillomatosis, using light microscopy. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and DNA sequencing were performed using the ...
Tartor YH, El-Naenaeey EY, Gharieb NM, Ali WS, Ammar AM.Strangles displays a major challenge to veterinary medicine worldwide. However, no data on Streptococcus equi subsp. equi (S. equi) M protein alleles have been reported so far from Arabian horses. We report here for the first time the S. equi SeM alleles causing strangles in Arabian horses, and the associated risk factors for the disease. Duplicate samples from one hundred Arabian horses with acute strangles in confirmed outbreaks and sporadic cases were analysed by phenotypic methods and multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting streptokinase precursor, seeI and sodA genes. PCR and ...
Jonsdottir S, Fettelschoss V, Olomski F, Talker SC, Mirkovitch J, Rhiner T, Birkmann K, Thoms F, Wagner B, Bachmann MF, Kündig TM, Marti E....： Insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH) is an eosinophilic allergic dermatitis of horses caused by type I/IVb reactions against mainly bites. The vaccination of IBH-affected horses with equine IL-5 coupled to the Cucumber mosaic virus-like particle (eIL-5-CuMV) induces IL-5-specific auto-antibodies, resulting in a significant reduction in eosinophil levels in blood and clinical signs. the preclinical and clinical safety of the eIL-5-CuMV vaccine. The B cell responses were assessed by longitudinal measurement of IL-5- and CuMV-specific IgG in the serum and plasma of vaccinated and unvaccinate...
Gáspárdy A, Renkó E, Somoskői B, Bába A, Cseh S.The objective of this study was to compare the efficiency of artificial insemination (AI) carried out with frozen and fresh, diluted and chilled semen under field conditions. One hundred and twenty-nine mares of different breeds were included in the study. Eighty-one out of the 107 mares inseminated with fresh, chilled semen got pregnant. Seven pregnant mares aborted and 74 foals were born. Out of the 22 mares inseminated with frozen semen, 17 mares got pregnant. Two mares out of the 17 pregnant mares aborted and finally 15 healthy foals were born. No difference was found between the two group...
Lauková A, Styková E, Kubašová I, Strompfová V, Gancarčíková S, Plachá I, Miltko R, Belzecki G, Valocký I, Pogány Simonová M.The effects of non-authochtonous Enterococcus faecium AL41 = CCM 8558, enterocin M-producing and probiotic strain were tested on the microbiota, phagocytic activity, hydrolytic enzymes, biochemical parameters and dry matter in horses based on its previous benefits demonstrated in other animals. E. faecium CCM 8558 sufficiently colonized the digestive tract of horses. At day 14, its counts reached 2.35 ± 0.70 CFU/g (log 10) on average. The identity of CCM 8558 was confirmed by means of PCR after its re-isolation from horse faeces. The inhibition activity of CCM 8558 was demonstrated a...
Mund SJK, Kawamura E, Awang-Junaidi AH, Campbell J, Wobeser B, MacPhee DJ, Honaramooz A, Barber S.Limb wounds on horses are often slow to heal and are prone to developing exuberant granulation tissue (EGT) and close primarily through epithelialization, which results in a cosmetically inferior and non-durable repair. In contrast, wounds on the body heal rapidly and primarily through contraction and rarely develop EGT. Intravenous (IV) multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are promising. They home and engraft to cutaneous wounds and promote healing in laboratory animals, but this has not been demonstrated in horses. Furthermore, the clinical safety of administering >1.00 × 108 alloge...
Satué K, Montesinos P, Muñoz A.In women and females of different species of laboratory animals, oestrogens stimulate the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) by increasing tissue and circulating levels of angiotensinogen and renin during the preovulatory period. Progesterone and cortisol compete with aldosterone for mineralocorticoid receptors, which results in increased Na+ reabsorption during the postovulatory period. The purpose of the current research was to analyse the relationship of oestradiol-17β, progesterone and cortisol with RAAS in 23 mares during an oestrous cycle. During the preovulatory period, signif...
Pallarols NB, Lamuraglia R, Guglielminetti A, Ortiz de Elguea MF, Carossino M, Funcia JP.Xylazine and remifentanil in constant rate infusion (CRI) could be used for sedation in horses without adverse effects. The objective was to evaluate behavioral and cardiopulmonary effects of an intravenous (IV) infusion of xylazine and remifentanil for sedation in horses. Xylazine (0.8 mg/kg IV) followed after 3 minutes by a CRI of xylazine and remifentanil (0.65 mg/kg/h and 6 μg/kg/h, respectively) was administered in 10 healthy horses for 60 minutes. Sedation, ataxia, and cardiopulmonary, hematological, and blood gases variables were evaluated. Heart rate decreased significantly durin...
Tamura N, Okano A, Kuroda T, Niwa H, Kusano K, Matsuda Y, Fukuda K, Mita H, Nagata S.To clarify the detailed pharmacokinetics (PK) of orally administered voriconazole in tear fluid (TF) of horses for evaluating the efficacy of voriconazole secreted into TF against equine keratomycosis. Methods: Five healthy Thoroughbred horses. Methods: Voriconazole was administrated through a nasogastric tube to each horse at a single dose of 4.0 mg/kg. TF and blood samples were collected before and periodically throughout the 24 hours after administration. Voriconazole concentrations in plasma and TF samples were analyzed using liquid chromatography-electrospray tandem-mass spectrometry. T...
Silveira BB, Souza EC, Dos Santos MDN, Porciuncula ML, Azevedo MDS, Duarte CA, de Carvalho AD, de Souza Junior P.Criollo horse breeding is an important economic activity in South America. Because of their athletic performance, these animals tend to show great incidence of musculoskeletal disorders, many of them diagnosed by means of perineural blocks. However, incorrect interpretation of these blocks may be due to anatomical differences in nerve distribution. The objective of this study was to describe the innervation of the digit region of thoracic limbs in Criollo horses, in order to improve the interpretation of tests for claudication diagnosis based on nerve block. Thirty thoracic limbs from Criollo ...
Morrison PK, Newbold CJ, Jones E, Worgan HJ, Grove-White DH, Dugdale AH, Barfoot C, Harris PA, Argo CM.Bacteria residing in the gastrointestinal tract of mammals are crucial for the digestion of dietary nutrients. Bacterial community composition is modified by age and diet in other species. Although horses are adapted to consuming fibre-based diets, high-energy, often high-starch containing feeds are increasingly used. The current study assessed the impact of age on the faecal bacteriome of ponies transitioning from a hay-based diet to a high-starch diet. Over two years, 23 Welsh Section A pony mares were evaluated (Controls, 5-15 years, n = 6/year, 12 in total; Aged, ≥19 years, n = 6 Year 1;...
Léon A, Castagnet S, Maillard K, Paillot R, Giard JC.The present study described the evolution of antimicrobial resistance in equine pathogens isolated from 2016 to 2019. A collection of 7806 bacterial isolates were analysed for their in vitro antimicrobial susceptibility using the disk diffusion method. The most frequently isolated pathogens were group C Streptococci (27.0%), Escherichia coli (18.0%), Staphylococcus aureus (6.2%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (3.4%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (2.3%) and Enterobacter spp. (2.1%). The majority of these pathogens were isolated from the genital tract (45.1%, n = 3522). With the implementation of two French n...
Kalinowski M, Jarosz Ł, Grądzki Z.Rhodococcus equi is an opportunistic, intracellular saprophyte that causes severe pyogranulomatous pneumonia in foals. The bacterium displays in vitro susceptibility to many antibiotics. The highest efficacy against R. equi in vitro and in vivo is achieved by using a combination of rifampicin and macrolide antibiotics. Recent years have seen an upward trend in the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of rifampicin and erythromycin, suggesting increasing resistance of R. equi to these antibiotics. The aim of the study was to determine the antimicrobial activity of 24 selected antibiotics...
Won SY, Kim YC, Do K, Jeong BH.Prion disease is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder caused by a deleterious prion protein (PrP). However, prion disease has not been reported in horses during outbreaks of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) in various animals in the UK. In previous studies, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the prion protein gene () have been significantly associated with susceptibility to prion disease, and strong linkage disequilibrium (LD) between and prion-like protein gene () SNPs has been identified in prion disease-susceptible species. On the other hand, weak LD values have been r...
Tscharke M, Kind K, Kelly J, Kleemann D, Len J.Spontaneous nuclear maturation of mammalian oocytes can occur when physically removed from the ovarian follicle during in vitro oocyte maturation (IVM), largely because of a decrease in cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) concentration. Modulation of oocyte cAMP during IVM by using phosphodiesterase inhibitors has been shown to maintain elevated oocyte cAMP concentrations and control meiotic resumption of bovine and ovine oocytes. This study determined the effect of inclusion of isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX) during collection and the first 12 hours of incubation of equine oocytes on cAM...
Samy A, Elmetwally M, El-Khodery SA.The aim of the present study was to establish appropriate doses for both lidocaine hydrochloride (Hcl) and mepivacaine in intravenous regional analgesia (IVRA) and to assess their intraoperative and postoperative analgesic effects in horses with distal limb surgeries. A total of 55 draft horses were included in the present study. Six clinically healthy horses were selected randomly for establishing the doses of lidocaine Hcl and mepivacaine in IVRA in horse limbs. After selection, 32 horses suffered from various distal limb surgical affections were randomly allocated into three groups: thiopen...
Piotrowska-Tomala KK, Jonczyk AW, Skarzynski DJ, Szóstek-Mioduchowska AZ.Prostaglandins (PGs) play crucial roles in the regulation of the oestrus cycle and establishment of pregnancy in animals. Luteinizing hormone (LH) and ovarian steroids are involved in regulating endometrial PG production in many species. Their effects on PG production and associated pathways in the mare myometrium and endometrium are the subjects of our interest. This study aimed to evaluate the specific effects of LH and ovarian steroids on equine myometrial and endometrial tissues on (i) PGE and PGF secretion and (ii) transcription of genes encoding specific enzymes responsible for PG synthe...
d' Fonseca NMM, Gibson CME, van Doorn DA, de Ruijter-Villani M, Stout TAE, Roelfsema E.Overfeeding is associated with obesity and insulin dysregulation (ID), which are both risk factors for equine metabolic syndrome. How chronic overfeeding affects development of these factors is poorly understood. Objective: To examine the influence of long-term high-energy diet provision on body condition and ID. Methods: Eleven Shetland pony mares. Methods: In a 3-phase study, the high-energy group (n = 7) was fed 200% of net energy (NE) requirements (hay; concentrate: 36% sugar and starch, 13% fat) for 24 weeks, followed by 17 weeks hay-only feeding before resuming the high-energy diet (...
Cuervo-Arango J, Martín-Peláez MS, Claes AN.The echogenicity of the early CL undergoes obvious changes during the first 5 days of luteal development. This phenomenon could potentially be used to estimate the age of the CL in mares which have not been checked frequently for the diagnosis of ovulation. The objective of this retrospective study was to determine the accuracy of estimating the age of the early CL (Day 0 to Day 4; Day 0 = Day of ovulation) in recipient mares examined for the first time in the breeding season to be used in a commercial embryo transfer (ET) program. The post-transfer pregnancy rate and embryo loss of 28 recip...
Ferlazzo A, Cravana C, Fazio E, Medica P.The review discusses the hormonal changes during exercise stress. The exercise generally produces a rise of adrenaline (A), noradrenaline (NA), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), cortisol, glucagon, growth hormone, arginine vasopressine, etc., and a drop of insulin. The hormonal events during reestablishment of homeostasis due to exercise stress can be divided into a catabolic phase, with decreased tolerance of effort, and reversible biochemical, hormonal and immunological changes, and an anabolic phase, with a higher adaptive capacity, and enhanced performance. The two main hormonal axes act...
Satué K, Gardon JC, Muñoz A.The process of fibrin clot formation is a series of complex and well-regulated reactions involving blood vessels, platelets, procoagulant plasma proteins, natural inhibitors, and fibrinolytic enzymes. Vasculitis can be caused by a variety of different agents as bacteria, viruses, protozoal, rickettsial organisms, toxic, drugs, medications, and neoplasms. The most common cause of vasculitis is the purpura hemorrhagica, which is associated with exposure to Streptococcus equi ssp. equi or less commonly, equine influenza. Deficiencies or defects of the hemostatic components may result in bleeding ...
Lores M, Rakestraw P, De Rijck M, Yarbrough T.Application of an autogenous fascia lata graft in the treatment of keratomalacia in the horse has not been reported. The present case describes the use of an autologous fascia lata graft to surgically treat a complicated corneal ulcer in a horse. Methods: A 12-year-old Arabian mare was admitted to Sharjah Equine Hospital with a history of right eye ulcerative keratitis of unknown duration. Following a week of aggressive medical treatment, the condition deteriorated and a keratectomy and pedicle conjunctival graft were performed. A week later, the conjunctival graft partially dehisced and the u...
Durgam S, Singh B, Cole SL, Brokken MT, Stewart M.Histological evaluation of healing tendons is primarily focused on monitoring restoration of longitudinal collagen alignment, although the elastic property of energy-storing flexor tendons is largely attributed to interfascicular sliding facilitated by the interfascicular matrix (IFM). The objectives of this study were to explore the utility of second harmonic generation (SHG) imaging to objectively assess cross-sectional tendon fascicle architecture, to combine SHG microscopy with elastin immunofluorescence to assess the ultrastructure of collagen and elastin in longitudinal and transverse se...
Pusterla N, Barnum S, Young A, Mendonsa E, Lee S, Hankin S, Brittner S, Finno CJ.While the main goal in the management of an EHM outbreak focuses on identifying early clinical disease in order to physically separate infected horses, little effort is placed towards monitoring healthy horses. The assumption that EHV-1 shedding parallels clinical disease is erroneous, as subclinical shedders have been shown to be actively involved in viral spread. In an attempt to document the frequency of EHV-1 shedders and their impact on environmental contamination, we collected nasal swabs from 231 healthy horses and 203 environmental samples for the testing of EHV-1 by qPCR. Six horses a...
Merlo B, Teti G, Lanci A, Burk J, Mazzotti E, Falconi M, Iacono E.Little is known about the differences among adult and foetal equine mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), and no data exist about their comparative ultrastructural morphology. The aim of this study was to describe and compare characteristics, immune properties, and ultrastructural morphology of equine adult (bone marrow: BM, and adipose tissue: AT) and foetal adnexa derived (umbilical cord blood: UCB, and Wharton's jelly: WJ) MSCs. Results: No differences were observed in proliferation during the first 3 passages. While migration ability was similar among cells, foetal MSCs showed a higher adhesion a...
Watanabe T, Imamura Y, Hosaka Y, Ueda H, Takehana K.By using ultramorphological and biochemical methods, we analyzed the regional differences between the three parts of the equine superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT), namely, the myotendinous junction (MTJ), middle metacarpal (mM), and osteotendinous junction (OTJ). Cross-sectional images showed unique distributions of collagen fibrils of varying diameters in each region. Small collagen fibrils (diameter 200 nm). In the mM region, the collagen fibrils were intermediately distributed between the MTJ and OTJ. The results indicate a graded arrangement of collagen fibrils in the tendon. Type V ...
Alanazi AD, Alyousif MS, Hassieb MM.In total, 241 sera from clinically healthy adult horses were collected from 6 locations in Saudi Arabia and examined for Theileria equi and Babesia caballi antibodies by an indirect fluorescent antibody test. Antibodies to Theileria equi were detected in 25 horses (10.4%) while the antibodies to Babesia caballi were observed in 18 horses (7.5%). In addition, 7 serum samples were positive for antibodies to both parasites (3%). The horses sampled in Al-Janadriah had the highest prevalence of infection with T. equi at 16.5% and with B. caballi at 8.8%, while the lowest prevalence of infection wit...
Pacheco AP, Paradis MR, Hoffman AM, Hermida P, Sanchez A, Nadeau JA, Tufts M, Mazan MR.Despite the increasing number of geriatric horses attended by veterinarians, there is a lack of understanding of aging-related changes on the respiratory system of horses. Objective: To identify aging-related changes on the respiratory function and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) cytology of horses. Methods: Fifteen healthy young adult (2-11 years) and 16 healthy aged (≥20 years) horses. Methods: The respiratory system was examined by measurement of arterial blood gases (ABG), use of respiratory inductive plethysmography (RIP) for assessment of breathing pattern and ventilatory paramet...
Katila T, Reilas T, Nivola K, Peltonen T, Virtala AM.The major horse breeds in Finland are the Finnhorse (FH) and the American Standardbred (SB). The foaling rates of the FH have consistently been lower than those of the SB. During the last years, a decreasing trend in foaling rates of both breeds has been observed. The purpose of this study was to describe and compare the structure of these two mare populations for age, reproductive history and mating type. In addition, changes over the years were studied that could explain the decline in foaling rates. Methods: In Finland, the mating statistics and foaling rates per stallion are published year...
Durham AE.Aging horses may be at particular risk of endocrine disease. Two major equine endocrinopathies, pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction and equine metabolic syndrome, are commonly encountered in an aging population and may present with several recognizable signs, including laminitis. Investigation, treatment, and management of these diseases are discussed. Additionally, aging may be associated with development of rarer endocrinopathic problems, often associated with neoplasia, including diabetes mellitus and other confounders of glucose homeostasis, as well as thyroid, parathyroid, and adrenal d...
Azab W, Tsujimura K, Kato K, Arii J, Morimoto T, Kawaguchi Y, Tohya Y, Matsumura T, Akashi H.Equine herpesvirus 4 (EHV-4) is an important equine pathogen that causes respiratory tract disease among horses worldwide. A thymidine kinase (TK)-deletion mutant has been generated by using bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) technology to investigate the role of TK in pathogenesis. Deletion of TK had virtually no effect on the growth characteristics of WA79DeltaTK in cell culture when compared to the parent virus. Also, virus titers and plaque formation were unaffected in the absence of the TK gene. The sensitivity of EHV-4 to inhibition by acyclovir (ACV) and ganciclovir (GCV) was studied...
Hewetson M, Sykes BW, Hallowell GD, Tulamo RM.Equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS) is common in adult horses, particularly those involved in performance disciplines. Currently, detection of EGUS by gastroscopy is the only reliable ante mortem method for definitive diagnosis; however it is unsuitable as a screening test because it is expensive, time consuming, and is not readily available to most veterinarians. Sucrose permeability testing represents a simple, economical alternative to gastroscopy for screening purposes, and the feasibility of this approach in the horse has been previously reported. The aim of this study was to determine t...
Story MR, Haussler KK, Nout-Lomas YS, Aboellail TA, Kawcak CE, Barrett MF, Frisbie DD, McIlwraith CW.Interest in the cervical spine as a cause of pain or dysfunction is increasingly becoming the focus of many equine practitioners. Many affected horses are presented for poor performance, while others will present with dramatic, sometimes dangerous behavior. Understanding and distinguishing the different types of neck pain is a starting point to comprehending how the clinical presentations can vary so greatly. There are many steps needed to systematically evaluate the various tissues of the cervical spine to determine which components are contributing to cervical pain and dysfunction. Osseous s...
Lacombe VA, Hinchcliff KW, Kohn CW, Devor ST, Taylor LE.To determine effects of feeding diets with various soluble-carbohydrate (CHO) content on rates of muscle glycogen synthesis after exercise in horses. Methods: 7 fit horses. Methods: In a 3-way crossover study, horses received each of 3 isocaloric diets (a high soluble CHO [HC] diet, a low soluble CHO [LC] diet, or a mixed soluble CHO [MC] diet). For each diet, horses were subjected to glycogen-depleting exercise, followed by feeding of the HC, LC, or MC diet at 8-hour intervals for 72 hours. Results: Feeding the HC diet resulted in a significantly higher glycemic response for 72 hours and sign...
de Heus P, Kolodziejek J, Hubálek Z, Dimmel K, Racher V, Nowotny N, Cavalleri JV.The emergence of West Nile virus (WNV) and Usutu virus (USUV) in addition to the autochthonous tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) in Europe causes rising concern for public and animal health. The first equine case of West Nile neuroinvasive disease in Austria was diagnosed in 2016. As a consequence, a cross-sectional seroprevalence study was conducted in 2017, including 348 equids from eastern Austria. Serum samples reactive by ELISA for either flavivirus immunoglobulin G or M were further analyzed with the plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT-80) to identify the specific etiologic age...
Miele A, Dhaliwal K, Du Toit N, Murchison JT, Dhaliwal C, Brooks H, Smith SH, Hirani N, Schwarz T, Haslett C, Wallace WA, McGorum BC.Donkey pulmonary fibrosis (DPF) is a spontaneous syndrome of aged donkeys with a high prevalence (35%). No previous detailed characterization of DPF has been performed. We sought to determine the similarities between DPF and recognized patterns of human pulmonary fibrosis. Methods: Whole lungs were collected from 32 aged donkeys at routine necropsy. Gross examination revealed pulmonary fibrosis in 19 donkeys (DPF cases), whereas 13 (control cases) had grossly normal lungs. Eighteen whole inflated ex vivo lungs (11 DPF cases, seven control cases) were imaged with high-resolution CT (HRCT) scan,...
Pusterla N, Jackson R, Wilson R, Collier J, Mapes S, Gebhart C.The goals of this study were to evaluate titers of antibodies against Lawsonia intracellularis in 68 resident broodmares from a farm known to be endemic for equine proliferative enteropathy (EPE) and to evaluate maternal antibodies, occurrence of seroconversion and fecal shedding in their foals. Serum samples collected from mares at delivery and from foals pre- and post-colostrum ingestion and monthly thereafter were tested for the presence of L. intracellularis antibodies by immunoperoxidase monolayer assay (IPMA). Further, feces collected from mares at delivery and foals post-partum and mont...
van Eps AW, Pollitt CC.The hypometabolic and vasoconstrictive effects of cryotherapy could prevent the development of laminitis. Objective: To use distal limb cryotherapy to prevent laminitis induced by alimentary carbohydrate overload. Methods: Laminitis was induced in 6 Standardbred horses that had one front limb continuously cooled in an ice/water mixture. Lameness evaluation, blinded lamellar histological grading and analysis for lamellar matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) mRNA expression were used to evaluate the severity of laminitis. Results: Cryotherapy was well tolerated and effective in cooling the feet. I...
Gómez-Sanz E, Simón C, Ortega C, Gómez P, Lozano C, Zarazaga M, Torres C.Eight coagulase-positive staphylococci from equines with different pathologies obtained between 2005 and 2011 were investigated. Isolates were characterized by different molecular techniques (spa-, agr-, MLST), and clonal relatedness of strains was investigated by ApaI and SmaI PFGE. Anti-microbial resistance and virulence profiles were determined. Six isolates were identified as Staphylococcus aureus, and two as Staphylococcus pseudintermedius. Of these, four isolates were methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) ST398 and one S. pseudintermedius was mecA positive and typed as ST68. One MRSA ...
Żuraw A, Dietert K, Kühnel S, Sander J, Klopfleisch R.Evidence suggest there is a link between equine atypical myopathy (EAM) and ingestion of sycamore maple tree seeds. Objective: To further evaluate the hypothesis that the ingestion of hypoglycin A (HGA) containing sycamore maple tree seeds causes acquired multiple acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency and might be associated with the clinical and pathological signs of EAM. Methods: Case report. Methods: Necropsy and histopathology, using hematoxylin and eosin and Sudan III stains, were performed on a 2.5-year-old mare that died following the development of clinical signs of progressive muscle stif...
Meschan EM, Peham C, Schobesberger H, Licka TF.As there is no statistical evidence that saddle fit influences the load exerted on a horse's back, this study was performed to assess the hypothesis that the width of the tree significantly alters the pressure distribution on the back beneath the saddle. Nineteen sound horses were ridden at walk and trot on a treadmill with three saddles differing only in tree width. Kinetic data were recorded by a sensor mat. A minimum of 14 motion cycles were used in each trial. The saddles were classified into four groups depending on fit. For each horse, the saddle with the lowest overall force (LOF) was d...
Harman RM, Bihun IV, Van de Walle GR.The prevalence of cutaneous fibroproliferative disorders (CFPDs) is high and almost exclusively occurs in humans (keloids and hypertrophic scars) and horses (exuberant granulation tissue), making the horse a valuable translational model for studies on prevention and treatment of human CFPDs. CFPDs arise as a result of dysregulated wound healing characterized by persistently high levels of cytokines, such as transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1), that contribute to excessive extracellular matrix deposition, and the physical disorganization of dermal fibroblasts (DF). The mesenchymal strom...
Paul LJ, Ericsson AC, Andrews FM, Keowen ML, Morales Yniguez F, Garza F, Banse HE.The role of the gastric microbiome in development or persistence of equine glandular gastric disease (EGGD) remains to be investigated. Objective: The objective was to characterize the glandular mucosal and gastric fluid microbiomes of horses with and without EGGD. It was hypothesized that differences in the mucosal microbiome are associated with EGGD. Methods: Twenty-four horses were enrolled. Methods: Gastroscopy was performed and EGGD scores recorded (score 0, n = 6; score 1, n = 8; score ≥2, n = 10). Gastric fluid and pinch biopsies of healthy glandular mucosa and EGGD lesions were...
Prince A, Geor R, Harris P, Hoekstra K, Gardner S, Hudson C, Pagan J.In order to compare the metabolic responses to exercise in 2 similarly managed breeds of horses, 5 Arabian (AR) and 5 Thoroughbred (TB) horses, fed an identical diet with a similar diet and exercise training programme for the 2 preceding months, undertook 3 treadmill (3 degree incline) trials with a minimum of 7 days between tests: 1) an incremental test (MAX) for determination of aerobic capacity, V(LA4) and lactate threshold (LT; the percentage of VO2max when plasma lactate = 4 mmol/l); 2) a single high-speed exercise test (SPR) at 115% VO2max for estimation of maximal accumulated oxygen def...
Pusterla N, Byrne BA, Hodzic E, Mapes S, Jang SS, Magdesian KG.A quantitative real-time (RT)-PCR assay was developed to detect Salmonella spp. in the feces of 911 equine species admitted to a veterinary hospital. Fresh feces and feces enriched for 24h in selenite broth were assessed by conventional culture and by RT-PCR targeting the Salmonella invA gene. The detection limit for the RT-PCR assay was 3 and 10 organisms, respectively, when spiked samples were purified from selenite broth and feces. The analytical specificity was 100% based on the detection of a panel of 40 salmonella serotypes from five serogroups and the lack of cross-reactivity with non-r...
Broeckx SY, Borena BM, Van Hecke L, Chiers K, Maes S, Guest DJ, Meyer E, Duchateau L, Martens A, Spaas JH.Several studies report beneficial effects of autologous and allogeneic stem cells on wound healing. However, no comparison between autologous versus allogeneic epithelial-like stem cells (EpSCs) has been made so far. For this reason, we first hypothesize that both EpSC types enhance wound healing in comparison to vehicle treatment and untreated controls. Second, on the basis of other studies, we hypothesized that there would be no difference between autologous and allogeneic EpSCs. Methods: Twelve full-thickness skin wounds were created in six horses. Each horse was subjected to (i) autologous...
Barussi FC, Bastos FZ, Leite LM, Fragoso FY, Senegaglia AC, Brofman PR, Nishiyama A, Pimpão CT, Michelotto PV.This research evaluated the effects of bone marrow-derived mononuclear cells (BMMCs) on the inflammatory process in the equine recurrent airway obstruction (RAO). Eight horses in RAO clinical score were divided into cell therapy group (Gcel) treated with a single intratracheal dose of BMMCs, and dexamethasone group (Gdex) treated with 21days of oral dexamethasone. The horses were clinically revaluated on days 7 and 21, together with cytological evaluation of the BALF, and detection of inflammatory markers (interleukins [IL]-10, -4, and -17, and interferon γ and α). There were decreases in re...
Vermeulen AD, Evans DL.Field based studies of changes in fitness are difficult to conduct in galloping Thoroughbreds. Measurements of heart rate (HR) and real time velocity with a global positioning system (GPS) could provide a method for routine field studies of fitness. Objective: To investigate measurements of fitness in the field without using multiple, standardised steps of increasing velocity in the exercise test. Methods: Twelve healthy 3- to 5-year-old Thoroughbreds were used in the study of reliability, and twelve 2-year-old Thoroughbreds in the investigation of the effect of training. Five second averages ...
Burgess EC, Mattison M.Infection with Borrelia burgdorferi was associated with encephalitis in a horse. The horse lived in an area of Wisconsin endemic for B burgdorferi infection. Borrelia burgdorferi was isolated from the brain, but rabies virus was not detected in the brain. Serum obtained from the horse had a B burgdorferi antibody titer of 1:2,048, but was negative for antibodies to eastern and western encephalomyelitis.
Adams SB, Fessler JF.Infection of the umbilical cord remnants was diagnosed in 16 foals. The infection was found in the urachus alone in 3 foals, the umbilical arteries in 2 foals, the urachus and umbilical arteries in 3 foals, the urachus and umbilical vein in 2 foals, and the urachus, umbilical vein, and umbilical arteries in 2 foals. The specific location of the infection was not determined in 4 foals. Eleven foals developed an acquired patent urachus between 4 and 16 days of age. Seven foals had one or more joints infected. All foals with umbilical cord remnant infections were treated with orally, intramuscula...
Rivero JL.The main goal of any conditioning programme in athletic horses is to improve performance by inducing physiological changes within the animal's body. Equine skeletal muscles have a considerable potential to adapt during training and these adaptations have important physiological implications that influence stamina, strength and speed. Although there is an extensive specialized literature in this regard, scientific based muscle conditioning methods have not been introduced sufficiently in the equine sport practice. After a brief synopsis of both equine muscle exercise physiology and muscular ada...
