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.
Huang X, Deng R, Huang H, Xie H, Chen A.This case report detailed a rare co-infection of and in a 9-year-old warmblood mare, leading to severe cellulitis and secondary lymphangitis following traditional hoof blood-letting therapy. The mare exhibited acute limb swelling, fever, cutaneous ulceration, lymphatic dysfunction and unknown anemia. Comprehensive diagnostics, including bacterial culture, whole-genome sequencing, anti-elastin antibody (AEAb) ELISA, and diagnostic imaging, confirmed the pathogens causing cellulitis and secondary lymphangitis. AEAb levels were elevated, correlating with lymphatic degradation, while radiography...
Chen J, Yablon A, Metaxas C, Guedin M, Hu J, Conover K, Simpson M, Ralston SL, Krishnamurthy K, Pelczer I.: There are a few very specific inflammation biomarkers in blood, namely lipoprotein NMe signals of protein clusters (GlycA and GlycB) and a composite resonance of phospholipids (SPC). The relative integrals of these resonances provide clear indication of the unique metabolic changes associated with disease, specifically inflammatory conditions, often related to serious diseases such as cancer or COVID-19 infection. Relatively complicated, yet very efficient experimental methods have been introduced recently (DIRE, JEDI) to suppress the rest of the spectrum, thus allowing measurement of these ...
Lai CS, Wong ASY, Wong KS, Wan TSM, Ho ENM.In the screening of prohibited substances (PS) in horse biological samples with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) for doping control, an enormous number of chromatograms are generated. Reviewing these chromatograms to identify suspicious findings requires an extensive manual effort. Recent advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI) enable its use to classify images into different categories. This can potentially be utilized to perform first-line analysis of chromatograms, which are usually displayed as images, by classifying them...
van Maanen K, van den Wollenberg L, de Haan T, Frippiat T.Monitoring infectious diseases is essential for safeguarding equine health and ensuring the sustainability of the horse industry. In 2019, the Royal Veterinary Association of the Netherlands (KNMvD) and Royal GD (GD Animal Health) launched SEIN (Surveillance of Equine Infectious diseases in the Netherlands), a voluntary surveillance system for laboratory-confirmed outbreaks of equid alphaherpesvirus 1 (EHV-1), equid alphaherpesvirus 4 (EHV-4), equine influenza virus (EIV), and subsp. . This retrospective study analyzed 364 confirmed outbreaks reported through SEIN between June 2019 and April ...
Osorio-Cardona JJ, Usuga-Moreno VM, Martínez-Aranzales JR.The dexamethasone suppression test (DST) has been used in humans for the diagnosis of psychiatric problems such as depression, anxiety and Cushing's syndrome, and in horses for the ante mortem diagnosis of dysfunction of the intermediate part of the pituitary. Objective: This study aimed to examine the functionality of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis through the DST and the cortisol index (CI), to evaluate the rhythmicity of the circadian cycle of cortisol in healthy horses with crib-biting or windsucking. Methods: A total of 20 Colombian Creole horses of both sexes, under similar mana...
Atay YE, Ekinci G, Öztürk AE, Timur MC, Mete A, Altınbay K, Derelli FM, Akar Y, Keleş İ.Equine Coital Exanthema (ECE) is an endemic herpesvirus disease primarily affecting the external genitalia and impairing mating activities in horses. Its extremely contagious nature, latency and subclinical features can result in outbreaks and significant economic losses. Transmission occurs primarily through mating activities; therefore, robust biosecurity measures are crucial in breeding facilities. This study aims to determine the clinical prevalence of ECE among horses in a covering station in Türkiye from 2021 to 2024. It also aims to assess the efficacy of routine PCR implementation wit...
Ostuni A, Frontoso R, Crudele MA, Barca L, Amati M, Boni R, De Vendel J, Raimondi P, Bavoso A.Equine Infectious Anemia Virus (EIAV), a lentivirus marked by considerable genetic variability, poses significant diagnostic challenges. Existing diagnostic tools encompass the Agar Gel Immunodiffusion Assay (AGID), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and Western blotting (WB). ELISA and AGID mainly utilize the p26 capsid protein, often sourced from the Wyoming reference strain. To broaden the range of viral proteins and strains employed in these immunoassays, we previously developed a novel p26/double-strain gp45 indirect ELISA. In this study, we evaluated the performance of this ELISA...
Dosi M, Scott L, Payne H, Poldy J, Keen J, McGorum B, Malbon A, Morgan R.Hyperinsulinaemia (HI) is an important feature of Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS). It has been suggested that reduced hepatic clearance of insulin contributes to HI, particularly in humans affected by metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). Objective: In obese horses with HI, insulin clearance is impaired and associated with MASLD. Methods: Tissue samples were collected at post-mortem from clinically well-characterized horses with HI (n = 13; basal insulin > 20 mIU/l) and without HI (control; n = 20). Methods: Retrospective observational study. Molecular d...
Becerro-Rey L, Martín-Cano FE, Silva-Rodríguez A, Ortega-Ferrusola C, da Silva-Álvarez E, Ortiz-Placín C, Tapia JA, Gil MC, Peña FJ.Three isoforms of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) - LDHA (cytoplasmic), LDHB (mitochondrial), and LDHC (flagellar) - have been identified and localized in stallion spermatozoa. Functional inhibition assays indicate that these three isoforms constitute a lactate shuttle of crucial importance for sperm function. Unassigned: Stallion spermatozoa use different energy sources; while oxidative phosphorylation predominates, glycolysis and beta-oxidation of fatty acids are also present. Glycolysis depends on the availability of NAD+ as an electron acceptor. During glycolysis, NAD+ is reduced to NADH. To e...
Cserhalmi D, Wermer K.Our paper presents a case study of a Welsh pony mare with grazing-induced severe urticaria. The main clinical signs were eye swelling, depression and extensive urticaria. Physical examination revealed no other abnormalities. Botanical sampling revealed horseweed (Conyza canadensis) as the most abundant species and a potential allergen plant due to sesquiterpene lactones (SQL). Differential diagnosis strongly suggested that the clinical signs were the result of a hypersensitivity reaction to this plant. Former studies brought controversial data about the toxic or allergic potential of horsewee...
Leus EK, Collins N, Gruyaert M, Kennedy RN, McConnell E, McGorum BC, Luethy D, Sanz M, Versporten A, Viljoen A, Lyle CH.Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is increasingly recognised in equine medicine. Antimicrobial use (AMU) is a key driver of AMR. Objective: To pilot a point prevalence survey (PPS), based on the Global-PPS used in human hospitals, to obtain data on antibiotic prescribing and AMR in equine hospitals and to identify targets for improvement in AMU. Methods: Point prevalence survey. Methods: Eight equine hospitals located in Australia, Belgium, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States were recruited. Data on AMU were collected from all in-patients on antibiotic treatment at 08h00 on fou...
Janczarek I, Gazda I, Barłowska J, Kurnik J, Łuszczyński J.It is assumed that horses have a strong herd instinct that cannot be suppressed by any form of social support from humans. The aim of this study was to assess the behaviour and heart rate parameters of horses that received various forms of human support during short-term social isolation. The research material consisted of 12 clinically healthy recreational warmblood mares and geldings. The test was carried out four times. The research test consisted of two parts, which began in the presence of accompanying horses and under conditions of social isolation, with and without support provided by a...
Nielsen MK, Pyatt A, Perrett J, Tydén E, van Doorn D, Pihl TH, Schmidt JS, von Samson-Himmelstjerna G, Beasley A, Abbas G, Jabbar A.Equine parasite control has historically been characterized by confusing and conflicting information, posing significant challenges for veterinarians and horse owners to make evidence-based decisions. Since 2012, equine parasite control guidelines have been developed and published for different parts of the world to address this situation and provide trusted sources of current guidance. At the 2024 International Equine Infectious Disease Conference in Deauville, Normandy, France, lead authors of equine parasite control guideline documents published in the USA, UK, Sweden, Denmark, the Netherla...
Lee S, Kyaw MT, Harada K, Kusakabe KT, Igase M, Sasaki N.Generally, most mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have lower pluripotency and limited differentiation potential than embryonic stem cells (ESCs). However, a small subpopulation of MSCs, called multilineage differentiating stress-enduring (MUSE) cells, exhibit pluripotency. MUSE cells express stage-specific embryonic antigen 3 (SSEA-3), a sphingoglycolipid. Here, we isolated and investigated the pluripotency of SSEA-3-positive MSCs (MUSE cells). Six thoroughbred horses were used as test subjects. MSCs were harvested from the bone marrow of the thoracic vertebrae under ultrasound guidance. Harvested...
Viljanto M, Cutler C, Habershon-Butcher J, Hincks P, Scarth J.The use of testosterone in racehorses is predominantly monitored using international urine and plasma concentration-based thresholds and complementary steroid ratios. To date, there has been no published pharmacokinetic study on transdermally applied testosterone products in horses and whether their use could result in adverse analytical findings. Therefore, quantitative analysis of testosterone and epitestosterone in urine and testosterone in plasma samples was performed following a pilot multi-dose transdermal Testogel administration (1 mg/kg once a day for 7 days on clipped skin) to one...
Turcotte GK, O'Sullivan TL, Spence KL, Winder CB, Greer AL.Horses may travel for a variety of reasons, leading to potential exposure to pathogens. Typically, these movements are bidirectional with horses returning to their home facility, therefore also risking pathogen exposure to resident horses at home facilities. The Canadian National Farm and Facility Level Biosecurity Standard for the Equine Sector was designed to outline best practices for managing biosecurity at equestrian facilities, however, there is a gap between the implementation of these recommendations and the day-to-day operations of equestrian facilities. This study aimed to explore th...
Nikvand AA, Jalali SM, Bahrami S, Rahij Torfi H.Trypanosoma evansi (T. evansi) is a hemoprotozoan parasite affecting camels and equids, such as horses, mules, and donkeys, and is known to cause surra disease in these animals. Despite the worldwide distribution of T. evansi infections in equids, surra has not been reported in Arabian horses in Khuzestan Province for over 60 years. In September 2018, a 7-year-old Arabian mare was referred from a 10-horse farm in the suburbs of Ahvaz City. The mare presented with a history of weight loss, poor appetite, and proximity to a camel herd. Physical examination revealed a poor body condition score ...
Dai F, Toson M, Bertotto D, Dalla Costa A, Heinzl EUL, Lega F, Minero M, Padalino B, Stefani AL, Trestini S, Maietti F, Zonta G, Di Martino G.The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of self-loading training on the overall stress response during pre-slaughter transportation in slaughter horses. Thirty-two slaughter horses were divided into two groups: the control group (CG) and the Trained Group (TG). For six weeks, the TG horses were trained to self-load using a method based on target training and shaping. Animals from both groups were transported to the same slaughterhouse in small groups on different days using the same truck along the same route. The baseline and post-transportation values of the eye temperature and fecal...
Rigby C, Prutton A.Recruitment and retention of equine veterinarians presents an ongoing challenge for employers. Recent research has highlighted factors that contribute to attrition across the profession, but further understanding of the specific challenges faced in the equine sector is needed. This study builds on existing research by exploring the relative impact of different factors on veterinarians' decisions to leave equine clinical practice. Methods: Veterinarians who had left equine clinical practice in the UK within the previous 10 years were invited to participate in an anonymous online survey. The par...
Medica A, Aitken RJ, Swegen A, Gibb Z.Context Equine reproductive technologies are crucial for overcoming challenges in natural fertilisation, particularly in sub-fertile stallions and breeding programs focused on genetic conservation and performance enhancement. Assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs), such as artificial insemination (AI), intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), and in vitro fertilisation (IVF), improve fertility outcomes and enable breeding across geographical distances. Aims This review examines sperm isolation techniques used in ART, evaluating their efficacy, limitations, and potential to enhance reproduct...
Kadic LIM, Liu CC, Leise BS, McCauley CT, Riggs LM.The aim of the study was to determine if a novel arthrodesis technique for the equine metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joint using a human non-contact bridging (NCB), polyaxial locking compression plate system has biomechanical and potential clinical advantages versus a traditional 5.5 mm stainless steel locking compression plate (LCP) under biomechanical testing. Methods: An ex vivo biomechanical equine cadaver study. Methods: A total of 11 MCP joints collected from adult Thoroughbred horses euthanized unrelated to musculoskeletal disease. Methods: Each pair of MCP joints were randomly implanted w...
Horan K, Pfau T.Racehorses and jockeys can incur injuries, not only during gallops, but also during routine trotting exercise to access gallop tracks or warm-up. Understanding how jockey position affects racehorse movement may influence safety, and this may vary across different surface conditions. This study used inertial sensing technology (XSens MTw sensors) and linear mixed models to quantify and determine the significance (p ≤ 0.05) of jockey riding position ('rising' versus 'two-point seat') and surface type (artificial, grass and tarmac) on: 1) time offsets between stance and flight phases; 2) ho...
Elte Y, Wolframm I, Vernooij H, Nielen M, van Weeren R.Equine veterinarians play a crucial role in maintaining equine health and ensuring client satisfaction. Understanding their perspectives on key aspects of veterinary care is essential for optimising outcomes for both clients and horses. Objective: To identify and compare the importance equine veterinarians place on seven key aspects of client satisfaction in equine veterinary practice (quality of care, quality of service, horsemanship, interpersonal skills, transfer of knowledge, financial aspects and professionalism) across four different scenarios. Methods: A cross-sectional survey-based stu...
Patricio CR, Winter GHZ, Garbade P.Spinal articular dysfunction disrupts normal neural function and may lead to stiffness, pain or poor performance. Back pain is common in equine athletes, and it is a common complaint by horse owners requesting chiropractic evaluations. Objective: To describe the prevalence of spinal articular dysfunction in showjumping horses. Methods: Retrospective analysis of clinical records. Methods: Records from 3 years of examinations in horses, from beginners to high-performance levels. Each horse had 30 spinal segments evaluated for the presence of dysfunctional articulations. Exams were performed by...
de Fátima Coccia V, Rodacki ALF, Pavão SL.Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder affecting sensorimotor systems, potentially disturbing postural control and stability. Considering the treatment options for these children, hippotherapy (HPOT) is based on horse movements to provide sensory stimuli and motor challenges, potentially contributing to improvements in postural control. Objective: To investigate the immediate effects of a 30-min HPOT session on the center of pressure (CoP) displacement of children with ASD (ASDG) and children with typical development (TDG). Methods: 120 children (60 ASDG; 60 TD...
Kutumbetov L, Myrzakhmetova B, Tussipova A, Zhapparova G, Tlenchiyeva T, Bissenbayeva K, Nurabayev S, Kerimbayev A.Equine rhinopneumonia, caused by equine herpesvirus types 1 and 4 (EHV-1 and EHV-4), continues to be a significant health and economic concern in the global equine industry, particularly in Kazakhstan. While vaccines targeting EHV-1 are available, there is currently no licensed monovalent vaccine for EHV-4, and existing formulations offer limited protection against this serotype. This study aimed to develop and evaluate a freeze-dried, live-attenuated EHV-4 vaccine with improved safety, stability, and immunogenicity. Methods: A field isolate of EHV-4 was attenuated through serial passaging in ...
Alves LSS, Hasuda AL, Giordano LGP, Frederico I, Dos Santos IH, Pereira PFV, Lisbôa JAN, Flaiban KKMDC.This study investigated isolation of equine neutrophils and the assessment of their antioxidant function using the nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) reduction test, an indicator of reactive oxygen species (ROS) activation. The objective was to test the viability of neutrophils isolated from equine whole blood and their ability to undergo respiratory burst, comparing the results with whole blood. The hypothesis tested was that isolation of equine neutrophils allows for effective functional evaluation, even after isolation process, with no significant differences between whole blood and isolated cells...
Ribeiro RM, Oliveira TO, Ribeiro DSF.The use of thermal cameras in horses has proven effective for monitoring surface body temperature non-invasively, enabling the early identification of disease and inflammation. This study evaluated the agreement between a thermal camera compared to an infrared thermometer in the measurement of surface temperatures of 60 healthy horses (27 mares, 33 stallions; 7.88 ± 4.01 years; 466 ± 50.1 kg). Measurements were taken at the neck, thorax, and coronary band between 8:00-9:00 a.m., under controlled environmental conditions. Analysis revealed strong correlations between the two methods at the co...
Parra MT, Ayala MSF.A retrospective study was conducted at the Foal Care Equine Perinatology Center in Colombia from October 2017 to May 2023. The goal was to analyze the most frequent pathologies, as well as assess the sexes, ages, and breeds of the patients, with an emphasis on the perinatal population. Out of 945 clinical histories, 776 pertained to perinatology. Survival rates were calculated, and a descriptive analysis was performed. The overall survival rate for neonates was 73.6%, with females constituting 57% of the neonatal patients. The most prevalent breed among mares and neonates was the Creole Colomb...
Harder A, Schmitt-Wrede HP, Krücken J, Marinovski P, Wunderlich F, Willson J, Amliwala K, Holden-Dye L, Walker R.There are three major classes of anthelmintics for veterinary use: the benzimidazoles/prebenzimidazoles, the tetrahydropyrimidines/imidazothiazoles, and the macrocyclic lactones. In nematodes, there are five targets for the existing anthelmintics: the nicotinergic acetylcholine receptor which is the target of tetrahydropyrimidines/imidazothiazoles and indirectly that of the acetylcholineesterase inhibitors; the GABA receptor which is the target of piperazine, the glutamate-gated chloride channel as the target of the macrocyclic lactones, and beta-tubulin as the target of prebenzimidazoles/benz...
Rudolph JA, Spier SJ, Byrns G, Rojas CV, Bernoco D, Hoffman EP.We recently reported on a linkage study within a Quarter Horse lineage segregating hyperkalaemic periodic paralysis (HYPP), an autosomal dominant condition showing potassium-induced attacks of skeletal muscle paralysis. HYPP co-segregated with the equine adult skeletal muscle sodium channel alpha subunit gene, the same gene that causes human HYPP. We now describe the Phe to Leu mutation in transmembrane domain IVS3 which courses the horse disease. This represents the first application of molecular genetics to an important horse disease, and the data will provide an opportunity for control or e...
Mocchi M, Dotti S, Bue MD, Villa R, Bari E, Perteghella S, Torre ML, Grolli S.Regenerative medicine aims to restore the normal function of diseased or damaged cells, tissues, and organs using a set of different approaches, including cell-based therapies. In the veterinary field, regenerative medicine is strongly related to the use of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs), which belong to the body repair system and are defined as multipotent progenitor cells, able to self-replicate and to differentiate into different cell types. This review aims to take stock of what is known about the MSCs and their use in the veterinary medicine focusing on clinical reports on dogs and hors...
Keegan KG, Wilson DA, Kramer J, Reed SK, Yonezawa Y, Maki H, Pai PF, Lopes MA.To compare data obtained with an inertial sensor system with results of subjective lameness examinations performed by 3 experienced equine veterinarians for evaluation of lameness in horses. Methods: 106 horses. Methods: Horses were evaluated for lameness with a body-mounted inertial sensor system during trotting in a straight line and via subjective evaluation by 3 experienced equine practitioners who performed complete lameness examinations including lunging in a circle and limb flexion tests. Agreement among evaluators regarding results of subjective evaluations and correlations and agreeme...
Patterson-Kane JC, Karikoski NP, McGowan CM.Laminitis, one of the most debilitating conditions of all equids, is now known to be the result of several systemic disease entities. This finding, together with other recent developments in the field of laminitis research, have provoked a rethink of our clinical and research strategies for this condition. First, laminitis is now considered to be a clinical syndrome associated with systemic disease (endocrine disease, sepsis or systemic inflammatory response syndrome, SIRS) or altered weight bearing rather than being a discrete disease entity. Next, laminitis associated with endocrine disease ...
Johansson KE, Pettersson B, Uhlén M, Gunnarsson A, Malmqvist M, Olsson E.Seven Swedish isolates of Ehrlichia species from the blood of four dogs and three horses with clinical granulocytic ehrlichiosis, were identified by direct solid phase DNA sequencing of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products from the 16S rRNA gene. The amplified DNA fragments were produced with primers complementary to the universal regions, U1, U2, U5 and U8 of the 16S rRNA molecule. Identical sequences were obtained from all seven isolates. This nucleotide sequence was similar to the sequences deposited in GenBank for Ehrlichia phagocytophila and E equi. The sequence of the Swedish ehrlich...
Raubenheimer D, Machovsky-Capuska GE, Gosby AK, Simpson S.We apply nutritional geometry, a framework for modelling the interactive effects of nutrients on animals, to help understand the role of modern environments in the obesity pandemic. Evidence suggests that humans regulate the intake of protein energy (PE) more strongly than non-protein energy (nPE), and consequently will over- and under-ingest nPE on diets with low or high PE, respectively. This pattern of macronutrient regulation has led to the protein leverage hypothesis, which proposes that the rise in obesity has been caused partly by a shift towards diets with reduced PE:nPE ratios relativ...
Weese JS, Rousseau J, Traub-Dargatz JL, Willey BM, McGeer AJ, Low DE.To evaluate the prevalence of nasal colonization with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in horses and horse personnel. Methods: Prospective prevalence study. Methods: 972 horses and 107 personnel from equine farms in Ontario, Canada and New York state. Methods: Nasal swab specimens were collected from horses and humans on farms with (targeted surveillance) and without (nontargeted surveillance) a history of MRSA colonization or infection in horses during the preceding year. Selective culture for MRSA was performed. Isolates were typed via pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, and ...
Vatistas NJ, Snyder JR, Carlson G, Johnson B, Arthur RM, Thurmond M, Zhou H, Lloyd KL.Although gastric ulcers have been identified relatively frequently in racing Thoroughbreds, there have been no large scale studies to determine their effect on health and performance. Two hundred and two Thoroughbred horses in active race training were selected by the attending veterinarians for gastro-endoscopic examination. Images of the stomach mucosa were stored in a digitised format for subsequent evaluation. The number of ulcers and a score of severity were determined. Gastric ulceration of the squamous mucosa was identified in 82% of horses. Seventy-three (39%) horses displayed clinical...
Paillot R.Equine influenza (EI) is a major respiratory disease of horses, which is still causing substantial outbreaks worldwide despite several decades of surveillance and prevention. Alongside quarantine procedures, vaccination is widely used to prevent or limit spread of the disease. The panel of EI vaccines commercially available is probably one of the most varied, including whole inactivated virus vaccines, Immuno-Stimulating Complex adjuvanted vaccines (ISCOM and ISCOM-Matrix), a live attenuated equine influenza virus (EIV) vaccine and a recombinant poxvirus-vectored vaccine. Several other strateg...
Harris RC, Marlin DJ, Dunnett M, Snow DH, Hultman E.1. Muscle buffering capacity (beta m) and dipeptide content were measured in locomotory muscles of the Thoroughbred horse, Greyhound dog and Man. 2. Beta m and carnosine contents were highest in the horse. Anserine was only found in dog muscle. 3. The higher beta m in horse and dog muscle, compared with man, appears to be predominantly due to higher muscle contents of histidine containing dipeptides in these species.
Del Bue M, Riccò S, Ramoni R, Conti V, Gnudi G, Grolli S.Equine mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) are of particular interest both for basic research and for the therapeutic approach to musculoskeletal diseases in the horse. Their multilineage differentiation potential gives them the capability to contribute to the repair of tendon, ligament and bone damage. MSCs are also considered a promising therapeutic aid in allogeneic cell transplantation, since they show low immunogenicity and immunomodulating functions.Adipose tissue-derived adult equine stem cells (AdMSC) can be isolated, expanded in vitro and then inoculated into the damaged tissue, eventually i...
Li YY, Liu H, Fu SH, Li XL, Guo XF, Li MH, Feng Y, Chen WX, Wang LH, Lei WW, Gao XY, Lv Z, He Y, Wang HY, Zhou HN, Wang GQ, Liang GD.Getah virus (GETV) was first isolated in Malaysia in 1955. Since then, epidemics in horses and pigs caused by GETV have resulted in huge economic losses. At present, GETV has spread across Eurasia and Southeast Asia, including mainland China, Korea, Japan, Mongolia, and Russia. Data show that the Most Recent Common Ancestor (MRCA) of GETV existed about 145years ago (95% HPD: 75-244) and gradually evolved into four distinct evolutionary populations: Groups I-IV. The MRCA of GETVs in Group III, which includes all GETVs isolated from mosquitoes, pigs, horses, and other animals since the 1960s (fr...
Garbin LC, Olver CS.Autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is a biological preparation made from the patient's own plasma that contains a platelet concentration above the whole blood baseline. Owing to the release of growth factors and other cytokines after degranulation, platelets have a central role in inflammation and in different stages of the healing process. For this reason, PRP-derived products have been used to enhance healing of musculoskeletal injuries and modulate progression of inflammatory processes, including osteoarthritis (OA). Osteoarthritis is one of the main causes of musculoskeletal disabilitie...
Smith C, Skelly C, Kung N, Roberts B, Field H.Hendra virus causes sporadic but typically fatal infection in horses and humans in eastern Australia. Fruit-bats of the genus Pteropus (commonly known as flying-foxes) are the natural host of the virus, and the putative source of infection in horses; infected horses are the source of human infection. Effective treatment is lacking in both horses and humans, and notwithstanding the recent availability of a vaccine for horses, exposure risk mitigation remains an important infection control strategy. This study sought to inform risk mitigation by identifying spatial and environmental risk factors...
Haupt JL, Frisbie DD, McIlwraith CW, Robbins PD, Ghivizzani S, Evans CH, Nixon AJ.This study evaluated the potential of gene induced synoviocyte expression of a combination of insulin-like growth factor-I (AdIGF-I) and interleukin-1 receptor antagonist protein (AdIL-1Ra) to control articular cartilage degradation in vitro. Cartilage explants and synovial membrane were harvested from young mature horses. Synovial monolayers were established and either (1) maintained as untransduced controls; (2) transduced with AdIGF-I at 200 MOI in 500 microl serum-free medium; (3) transduced with AdIL-1Ra at 100 MOI; or (4) transduced with a combination of AdIGF-I (200 MOI) and AdIL-1Ra (1...
Scepek S, Lindau M.We have investigated the granule fusion events during exocytosis in horse eosinophils by time-resolved patch-clamp capacitance measurements. Stimulation with intracellular GTP gamma S leads to a stepwise capacitance increase by 4.0 +/- 0.9 pF. At GTP gamma S concentrations < 20 microM the step size distribution is in agreement with the granule size distribution in resting cells. Above 80 microM the number of steps is reduced and very large steps occur. The total capacitance increase, however, is unaffected. These results show that at high GTP gamma S concentrations granule--granule fusion o...
Waters AJ, Nicol CJ, French NP.Stereotypies are invariant and repetitive behaviour patterns that seemingly have no function, which tend to develop in captive animals faced with insoluble problems and may be indicative of reduced welfare. A 4 year prospective study of the factors influencing the development of stereotypic and redirected behaviours (abnormal behaviour) in a population of 225 young Thoroughbred and part-Thoroughbred horses was conducted between 1995 and 1999. Abnormal behaviour affected 34.7% of the population. Multivariable analysis showed that foals of low- or middle-ranking mares were less likely to develop...
Stewart HL, Pitta D, Indugu N, Vecchiarelli B, Engiles JB, Southwood LL.OBJECTIVE To characterize the fecal microbiota of horses and to investigate alterations in that microbiota on the basis of sample collection site (rectum vs stall floor), sample location within the fecal ball (center vs surface), and duration of environmental exposure (collection time). ANIMALS 6 healthy adult mixed-breed mares. PROCEDURES From each horse, feces were collected from the rectum and placed on a straw-bedded stall floor. A fecal ball was selected for analysis immediately after removal from the rectum and at 0 (immediately), 2, 6, 12, and 24 hours after placement on the stall floor...
Szóstek-Mioduchowska AZ, Lukasik K, Skarzynski DJ, Okuda K.Transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 not only regulates cell growth, development, and tissue remodeling, but it also participates in the pathogenesis of tissue fibrosis. In the equine endometrium, the concentration of TGF-β1 is correlated with endometrosis (equine endometrial fibrosis). In other tissues, TGF-β1 induces differentiation of many cell types into myofibroblasts. These cells are characterized by α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) expression and an ability to deposit excessive amounts of extracellular matrix (ECM) components. The aim of the study was to determine whether TGF-β1 plays...
Blitvich BJ, Fernandez-Salas I, Contreras-Cordero JF, Marlenee NL, Gonzalez-Rojas JI, Komar N, Gubler DJ, Calisher CH, Beaty BJ.Serum samples were obtained from 24 horses in the State of Coahuila, Mexico, in December 2002. Antibodies to West Nile virus were detected by epitope-blocking enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and confirmed by plaque reduction neutralization test in 15 (62.5%) horses. We report the first West Nile virus activity in northern Mexico.
Frisbie DD, Kawcak CE, Trotter GW, Powers BE, Walton RM, McIlwraith CW.The objective of this study was to determine the effects of intra-articularly administered triamcinolone acetonide (TA) in exercised equine athletes with carpal osteochondral fragmentation. Eighteen horses were randomly assigned to each of 3 groups. An osteochondral chip fragment was created in one randomly chosen intercarpal joint of each horse. Both intercarpal joints in the placebo control group (CNT) horses were injected with intra-articular administration (IA) of polyionic fluid. Both joints in the TA control group (TA CNT) horses were treated with 12 mg of TA in the intercarpal joint wit...
Lin C, Stahl DA.A total of six 16S rRNA targeted oligonucleotide probes were used to quantify Fibrobacter abundance and diversity in the gastrointestinal contents of a pony. Approximately 12% of the total 16S rRNA extracted from cecal contents hybridized with a Fibrobacter genus-specific probe and a Fibrobacter succinogenes species-specific probe. However, no significant hybridization was observed with a probe for the species. Fibrobacter intestinalis or with three probes for F. succinogenes subspecies. This suggested the presence of a previously undescribed population of F. succinogenes-like organisms. Novel...
Bailey SR, Habershon-Butcher JL, Ransom KJ, Elliott J, Menzies-Gow NJ.To determine the metabolic phenotype of a group of laminitis-prone ponies when at pasture in summer, compared with when at pasture in winter. Methods: 40 ponies of various breeds predisposed to recurrent pasture-associated laminitis and 40 unaffected control ponies. Methods: Body condition score and size of the crest of the neck were assessed, blood samples obtained, and blood pressure measured by use of an indirect oscillometric technique, while ponies were kept on winter pasture (last week of November or beginning of December) and again on summer pasture (June). Serum insulin concentration a...
Threadgill DS, Steagall WK, Flaherty MT, Fuller FJ, Perry ST, Rushlow KE, Le Grice SF, Payne SL.The putative dUTPase domain was deleted from the polymerase (pol) gene of equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) to produce a recombinant delta DUpol Escherichia coli expression cassette and a delta DU proviral clone. Expression of the recombinant delta DUpol polyprotein yielded a properly processed and enzymatically active reverse transcriptase, as determined by immunoblot analysis and DNA polymerase activity gels. Transfection of delta DU provirus into feline (FEA) cells resulted in production of virus that replicated to wild-type levels in both FEA cells and fetal equine kidney cells. In con...
Torina A, Vicente J, Alongi A, Scimeca S, Turlá R, Nicosia S, Di Marco V, Caracappa S, de la Fuente J.The objective of this study was to characterize the observed prevalence of tick-borne pathogens (TBP) in domestic animals in Sicily, Italy during 2003-2005. Serological (competitive ELISA and indirect immunofluorescence antibody, n = 3299) and DNA tests (polymerase chain reaction and reverse line blot, n = 2565) were conducted on horse, donkey, cattle, sheep, goat, pig and dog samples. Pathogens analysed included Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, Rickettsia, Babesia and Theileria species, and Coxiella burnetii. The most prevalent TBP were Anaplasma and Babesia species. The results reported herein suggeste...
Imam M, Alrashid B, Patel F, Dowah ASA, Brown N, Millard A, Clokie MRJ, Galyov EE.Phages are the most abundant biological entity on Earth. There are many variants in phage virion sizes, morphology, and genome sizes. Large virion sized phages, with genome sizes greater than 200 kbp have been identified and termed as Jumbo phages. These phages exhibit certain characteristics that have not been reported in phages with smaller genomes. In this work, a jumbo phage named MIJ3 (vB_PaeM_MIJ3) that infects PAO1 was isolated from an equine livery yard in Leicestershire, United Kingdom. The genome and biological characteristics of this phage have been investigated. MIJ3 is a Myovirus...
Kampen H, Holicki CM, Ziegler U, Groschup MH, Tews BA, Werner D.In 2018, West Nile virus (WNV) broke out for the first time in Germany, with continuation of the epidemic in 2019, involving birds, horses and humans. To identify vectors and characterize the virus, mosquitoes were collected in both years in zoological gardens and on a horse meadow immediately following the diagnosis of disease cases in birds and horses. Mosquitoes were identified and screened for WNV by qRT-PCR, with virus-positive samples being sequenced for the viral envelope protein gene. While no positive mosquitoes were found in 2018, seven mosquito pools tested positive for WNV in 2019 ...
van Maanen C, Cullinane A.Equine influenza is one of the most economically important contagious respiratory diseases of horses. In this paper the current state of knowledge of equine influenza virus and the most important aspects of these virus infections, e.g. epidemiology, clinical aspects, pathogenesis and pathology, immunity, diagnosis, treatment, management and vaccination, are reviewed with an emphasis on epidemiology, diagnosis and vaccinology. Many questions have remained and with the advent of improved technology new questions have arisen. Consequently, research priorities should be set in an attempt to answer...
