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Topic:Equine Health
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.
Detection and genotyping of equid herpesvirus 1 in Uruguay. Infection with equid alphaherpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) causes respiratory disease, abortion and neurological disorders in horses. Molecular epidemiology studies have demonstrated that a single nucleotide polymorphism (A2254/G2254) in the genome region of open reading frame 30 which results in an amino acid variation (N752/D752) of the EHV-1 DNA polymerase, is significantly associated with the neuropathogenic potential of naturally occurring strains. In recent years, an increase in the number of cases of equine neurological disease caused by neuropathogenic variants of EHV-1 has been observed in numer...
Gene Therapy Using Plasmid DNA Encoding VEGF164 and FGF2 Genes: A Novel Treatment of Naturally Occurring Tendinitis and Desmitis in Horses. This clinical study describes the intralesional application of the plasmid DNA encoding two therapeutic species-specific growth factors: vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF164) and fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) in seven horses to restore naturally occurring injuries of the superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) (tendinitis) and in three horses with suspensory ligament branch desmitis. Following application all horses were able to commence a more rapid exercise program in comparison to standardized exercise programs. Clinical observation and ultrasonic imaging was used to evaluate th...
Avian influenza A virus adaptation to the equine host and identification of host-specific markers. Avian influenza A viruses (IAVs) are able to overcome the interspecies barrier and adapt to the new non-avian host. The process of adaptation requires the adaptive changes of IAV genome resulting in amino acid substitutions. The aim of this work was the description of amino acid substitutions in avian influenza A viruses (IAVs) occurring during their adaptation to equine host. Today, viruses of the equine influenza H3N8 subtype, first isolated in 1963, represent a single genetic lineage of IAV causing a respiratory disease in horses. We compared the amino acid sequences of the conserve...
Comparative seroprevalence and risk factor analysis of Trypanosoma evansi infection in equines from different agro-climatic zones of Punjab (India). As parasitaemia is low and fluctuating during the chronic stage of infection, accurate detection of Trypanosoma evansi in blood is difficult. The primary aims of this investigation were to assess for the first time the seroprevalence of T. evansi in all agro-climatic zones of Punjab, by indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (iELISA) and card agglutination test (CATT/T. evansi), and to evaluate the risk factors associated with latent trypanosomosis. A total of 319 equine serum samples collected from 12 districts of Punjab (India) belonging to different agro-climatic zones revealed 39 (12.2...
Limitations of a chromogenic agar plate for the identifying bacteria isolated from equine endometritis samples. The use of commercial chromogenic agar plates for the rapid, easy and correct identification of equine endometritis-causing bacteria has been proposed. Preliminary tests in our lab revealed undescribed limitations. Therefore, we tested the ability of the Brilliance UTI agar, a commercially available chromogenic agar, to accurately identify bacteria causing equine endometritis. Objective: To 1) investigate whether bacteria present in the equine uterus are able to grow on this chromogenic agar plate, 2) determine whether these bacteria belong to the genera for which these agar plates were origin...
Induction of Synovitis Using Interleukin-1 Beta: Are There Differences in the Response of Middle Carpal Joint Compared to the Tibiotarsal Joint? The effects of recombinant interleukin-1β (rIL-1β) have been described for the middle carpal joint (MCJ). However, we are unaware of any studies that have described the cytological response of the tibiotarsal joint (TTJ) to rIL-1β or compared the clinical and cytological responses of the MCJ to the TTJ following the administration of intra-articular rIL-1β. Such information is critical for researchers planning to use rIL-1β to create acute synovitis models in horses. To compare the clinical and cytological responses of the MCJ to the TTJ following administration of intra-articular rIL-1...
Comparison among three different serological methods for the detection of equine influenza virus infection. The equine influenza virus (EIV) H3N8 subtype is responsible for all EIV outbreaks worldwide while the H7N7 subtype is less pathogenic and is considered extinct as it has not been confirmed in outbreaks since 1980. Although EIV is enzootic in Brazil, few reports describe the actual EIV antibody status in the country. The aims of this study were: - to evaluate the efficiency of different serum treatments described by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and the World Health Organization (WHO) to remove non-specific haemagglutination inhibitors for the haemagglutination inhibition (HI)...
Does Exercise Alter Gut Microbial Composition? A Systematic Review. The objective of this systematic review of literature was to evaluate and summarize published research that has investigated the association between exercise and gut microbial composition in mammals. This review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. The databases searched for this review included: PubMed; PubMed Central; Medline; Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature; Web of Science; Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux Direct; Health Source: Nursing Academic Edition; Clinicaltrials.gov; International Prosp...
Molecular survey and genetic diversity of piroplasmids in equids from Midwestern Brazil. We evaluated the distribution of piroplasmids in equids from the Mato Grosso state in Midwestern Brazil using molecular methods and the interspecific genetic diversity. For this, 1,624 blood samples of equids from 973 farms were examined by PCR, using primer pairs that amplify a fragment of the genes rap-1 and ema-1 of Babesia caballi and Theileria equi, respectively. For molecular characterization and phylogenetic studies, 13 and 60 sequences of the rap-1 and ema-1 genes, respectively, were used to build a dendogram using maximum parsimony. B. caballi and T. equi were detected in 4.11% and 28...
In vitro effects of three equimolar concentrations of methylprednisolone acetate, triamcinolone acetonide, and isoflupredone acetate on equine articular tissue cocultures in an inflammatory environment. OBJECTIVE To compare the effects of 3 equimolar concentrations of methylprednisolone acetate (MPA), triamcinolone acetonide (TA), and isoflupredone acetate (IPA) on equine articular tissue cocultures in an inflammatory environment. SAMPLE Synovial and osteochondral explants from the femoropatellar joints of 6 equine cadavers (age, 2 to 11 years) without evidence of musculoskeletal disease. PROCEDURES From each cadaver, synovial and osteochondral explants were harvested from 1 femoropatellar joint to create cocultures. Cocultures were incubated for 96 hours with (positive control) or without (n...
Domestic horses (Equus caballus) discriminate between negative and positive human nonverbal vocalisations. The ability to discriminate between emotion in vocal signals is highly adaptive in social species. It may also be adaptive for domestic species to distinguish such signals in humans. Here we present a playback study investigating whether horses spontaneously respond in a functionally relevant way towards positive and negative emotion in human nonverbal vocalisations. We presented horses with positively- and negatively-valenced human vocalisations (laughter and growling, respectively) in the absence of all other emotional cues. Horses were found to adopt a freeze posture for significantly longe...
Horses with solar foot penetration, deep digital flexor tendon injury, and absence of concurrent synovial sepsis can have a positive outcome. Solar foot penetration is one of the causes of deep digital flexor tendon injuries in horses, however, limited information is available on the prognosis for return to soundness in the absence of synovial sepsis. Objectives of this retrospective observational study were to describe low-field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings and long-term outcome for a group of horses with this combination of clinical problems. Horses were included if low-field standing MRI of the foot was performed following puncture wounds, injury of the deep digital flexor tendon was diagnosed, and sepsis was confirm...
A genome-wide association study for harness racing success in the Norwegian-Swedish coldblooded trotter reveals genes for learning and energy metabolism. Although harness racing is of high economic importance to the global equine industry, significant genomic resources have yet to be applied to mapping harness racing success. To identify genomic regions associated with harness racing success, the current study performs genome-wide association analyses with three racing performance traits in the Norwegian-Swedish Coldblooded Trotter using the 670 K Axiom Equine Genotyping Array. Following quality control, 613 horses and 359,635 SNPs were retained for further analysis. After strict Bonferroni correction, nine genome-wide significant SNPs were id...
Evaluation of chromocystoscopy in the diagnosis of cystitis in female donkeys. Early detection of cystitis in equine is essential to improve the prognosis and outcome of therapy. However, the conventional white light endoscopy is not sufficiently accurate for this purpose. Hence, this study evaluated chromoendoscopy as a recent diagnostic tool for cystitis in female donkeys. For this purpose, 5 apparently normal donkeys (control group) and 5 female donkeys with cystitis (diseased group) were used. Physical and rectal examinations, urine analysis, white light cystoscopy, methylene blue-based chromoendoscopy and histopathology were performed in all animals. Turbid urine ex...
Equine Myxovirus Resistance Protein 2 Restricts Lentiviral Replication by Blocking Nuclear Uptake of Capsid Protein. Human myxovirus resistance protein 2 (huMxB) has been shown to be a determinant type I interferon (IFN)-induced host factor involved in the inhibition of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) as well as many other primate lentiviruses. This blocking occurs after the reverse transcription of viral RNA and ahead of integration into the host DNA, which is closely connected to the ability of the protein to bind the viral capsid. To date, Mx2s derived from nonprimate animals have shown no capacity for HIV-1 suppression. In this study, we examined the restrictive effect of equine Mx2 (eqMx2) o...
A novel radiographic projection for the detection of sagittal plane slab fracture of the equine third carpal bone. Some sagittal plane fractures of the equine third carpal bone are difficult to detect with conventional radiographic projections. Objective: To describe a novel radiographic projection for the detection of sagittal plane slab fractures of the equine third carpal bone. Methods: Retrospective study of radiological records. Methods: From a first opinion Thoroughbred racehorse caseload, cases were included for analysis if sagittal fracture of the third carpal bone was evident on a dorsoproximal lateral-palmarodistal medial oblique (DPrL-PDiMO) projection of the distal row of carpal bones and not v...
Sagittal plane fore hoof unevenness is associated with fore and hindlimb asymmetrical force vectors in the sagittal and frontal planes. Asymmetry in forelimb dorsal hoof wall angles, termed unevenness, is associated with forelimb gait asymmetries, but compensatory mechanisms and out of plane ground reaction forces (GRFs) due to unevenness have yet to be documented. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate the effects of fore hoof unevenness on contralateral fore and hind limb force vectors patterns, in both sagittal and frontal planes. A group of n = 34 riding horses were classified into four groups: hoof angle difference of more than 1.5 degrees (UNEVEN; n = 27), including higher left fore (HIGH-LF; n = 12), higher ...
Endotoxin-induced changes of type VII collagen- cleaving matrix metalloproteinases in lamellar tissue of extracorporeally perfused equine limbs. OBJECTIVE To investigate the effect of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on type VII collagen- cleaving matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in the lamellar tissue of extracorporeally perfused equine limbs. SAMPLE 10 right forelimbs and 3 left forelimbs collected from 10 adult horses after slaughter at a licensed abattoir. PROCEDURES Extracorporeal perfusion of the isolated equine limbs was performed for 10 hours under physiologic conditions (control-perfused limbs; n = 5) and with the addition of 80 ng of LPS/L of perfusate (LPS-perfused limbs; 5). Lamellar tissue specimens were then collected from the do...
Hepacivirus A Infection in Horses Defines Distinct Envelope Hypervariable Regions and Elucidates Potential Roles of Viral Strain and Adaptive Immune Status in Determining Envelope Diversity and Infection Outcome. Hepacivirus A (also known as nonprimate hepacivirus and equine hepacivirus) is a hepatotropic virus that can cause both transient and persistent infections in horses. The evolution of intrahost viral populations (quasispecies) has not been studied in detail for hepacivirus A, and its roles in immune evasion and persistence are unknown. To address these knowledge gaps, we first evaluated the envelope gene (E1 and E2) diversity of two different hepacivirus A strains (WSU and CU) in longitudinal blood samples from experimentally infected adult horses, juvenile horses (foals), and foals with sever...
A rapid and sensitive method for the quantitative analysis of ibuprofen and its metabolites in equine urine samples by gas chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. Ibuprofen is widely used in human and veterinary medicine for the treatment of chronic pain as well as rheumatic and musculoskeletal disorders. However, the analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties of Ibuprofen have contributed to frequent drug abuse in equestrian sports. A sensitive and rapid gas chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry based method with a simple liquid-liquid extraction and derivatization requiring 200 μL volume of sample and 2 mL of extraction solvent for the simultaneous determination of ibuprofen and its metabolites was developed. The proposed procedure was optim...
The effects of antibiotic type and extender storage method on sperm quality and antibacterial effectiveness in fresh and cooled-stored stallion semen. Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of antibiotic-containing extender of on sperm quality and control of bacterial growth. In Experiment 1, ejaculates were diluted in extender containing no antibiotics, potassium penicillin G-amikacin disulfate (PEN-AMIK), ticarcillin disodium-potassium clavulanate (TICAR-CLAV), piperacillin sodium/tazobactam sodium (PIP-TAZ), or meropenem (MERO). In freshly extended semen, only slight differences were detected among some antibiotic treatments for total sperm motility, curvilinear velocity, and viable acrosome-intact sperm (P < 0.05)....
Emotional excitability and behaviour of horses in response to stroking various regions of the body. Touching the skin by gentle stroking is frequently used to reward horses. The objective of the study was to examine emotional excitability and behaviour of horses in response to stroking different regions of their bodies. The study included 15 adult warmbloods and 15 adult ponies, nine geldings and six mares within each type of horse. First, a novel-object test was conducted. For five successive days, one of five regions of the horse's body was stroked on each side for 5 min. Heart rate and heart rate variability were monitored at rest, during the test and stroking. Simultaneously, horse beha...
Tenogenic Properties of Mesenchymal Progenitor Cells Are Compromised in an Inflammatory Environment. Transplantation of multipotent mesenchymal progenitor cells is a valuable option for treating tendon disease. Tenogenic differentiation leading to cell replacement and subsequent matrix modulation may contribute to the regenerative effects of these cells, but it is unclear whether this occurs in the inflammatory environment of acute tendon disease. Equine adipose-derived stromal cells (ASC) were cultured as monolayers or on decellularized tendon scaffolds in static or dynamic conditions, the latter represented by cyclic stretching. The impact of different inflammatory conditions, as represente...
Polymorphisms in selected genes and analysis of their relationship with osteochondrosis in Polish sport horse breeds. The aim of this research was to evaluate the polymorphisms of selected genes and to find their potential effect on the occurrence of osteochondrosis in Polish Warmbloods (sport horse breeds). The study was conducted on a group of 198 horses subjected to official performance tests. Investigated joints-fetlock, hock and stifle-were X-rayed twice, once before and again at the end of the tests (first and second examination), and on this basis the degree of disease was evaluated. Based on the results of previous research, 13 candidate genes potentially associated with the occurrence of osteochondro...
The Importance of Subchondral Bone in the Pathophysiology of Osteoarthritis. Subchondral bone plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of osteochondral disease across veterinary species. The subchondral bone is highly adaptable, with the ability to model and remodel in response to loading stresses experienced by the joint. Repetitive stress injuries within the joint can result in primary or secondary pathologic lesions within the subchondral bone, which have been recognized to contribute to the development and progression of osteoarthritis. Recent advances in diagnostic imaging, particularly volumetric imaging modalities have facilitated earlier identification of subc...
Repeatability, reproducibility and consistency of horse shape data and its association with linearly described conformation traits in Franches-Montagnes stallions. Linear description (LD) of conformation traits was introduced in horse breeding to minimise subjectivity in scoring. However, recent studies have shown that LD traits show essentially the same problems as traditionally scored traits, such as data converging around the mean value with very small standard deviations. To improve the assessment of conformation traits of horses, we investigated the application of the recently described horse shape space model based upon 403 digitised photographs of 243 Franches-Montagnes (FM) stallions and extracted joint angles based on specific landmark triplets....
Development and characterization of ORF68 negative equine herpes virus type-1, Ab4p strain. Equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) is an important pathogen, which infects horses worldwide with high morbidity but low mortality rates. The respiratory disorders and abortions are the most common indicators. Ab4p (an abortigenic and paralytic virus) is one of the most important and virulent strains. The development and functional characterization of the open reading frame-68 (ORF68) negative EHV-1 Ab4p mutants and an assessment of their roles in the infection at the cellular level were the main targets of the current study. Escherichia coli DH10β containing the Ab4p bacterial artificial chromosome...
Serial evaluation of resting and exercising overground endoscopic examination results in young Thoroughbreds with no treatment intervention. We hypothesised that grade/appearance for upper respiratory tract (URT) disorders identified at the first overground endoscopy (OGE) examination would vary at subsequent examinations. Objective: To compare OGE examinations from horses evaluated on at least two occasions under similar exercise conditions without treatment intervention. Methods: Retrospective cohort. Methods: Pre-exercise and exercising OGE recordings from Thoroughbred horses undergoing multiple examinations under similar exercise conditions were reviewed, with the first two recordings for each horse statistically evaluated. Pai...
