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.
Page AE, McPeek JL, McGreevy E, Carattini S, Adam EN.Intra-articular (IA) corticosteroids can cause hyperinsulinemia, which can subsequently increase the risk of laminitis, particularly in horses with insulin dysregulation (ID). Sodium glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i), a drug class that is being utilised more commonly in horses with insulin dysregulation, could potentially be used to control post-IA corticosteroid hyperinsulinemia. Objective: To determine whether treatment with the SGLT2i drug ertugliflozin decreases hyperinsulinemia following intra-articular corticosteroid administration in metabolically normal horses. Methods: Prosp...
Planes P, Arsenault J, Allano M, Sauvé F.Biosecurity measures are recommended in stables housing meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)-positive horses, but their feasibility and acceptability, as well as their implementation barriers, remain unclear. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among clients of a veterinary teaching hospital using an online questionnaire. Information on horse activities, stable characteristics and perceptions (feasibility and acceptability scores) of recommended biosecurity measures for MRSA-positive horses was collected. Results: Fifty-seven horse and/or stable owners completed the que...
Honkavaara JM, Karikoski NP, Palvas L, Pypendop BH, Rinne VM, Raekallio MR.The aim of the study was to determine the exposure to subcutaneously administered butorphanol in horses pre-treated with intravenous (IV) detomidine, with or without vatinoxan, a peripherally selective alpha-adrenoceptor antagonist. Five healthy, adult horses received three IV treatments 7 days apart, in a randomized, cross-over design: detomidine 20 μg/kg (DET-B), detomidine 20 μg/kg with vatinoxan 200 μg/kg (DETVAT-B) and saline (S-B), all followed by 0.1 mg/kg of butorphanol administered subcutaneously 30 min later. Venous samples were collected between 10 and 270 min after...
Calle-González N, Rivero JL, Argüelles D, Requena F, Muñoz A.Capacitive resistive electrical transfer (CRET) is a non-invasive electromagnetic diathermic technique. The effect of its application 24 h prior to exercise, compared to a sham application performed with the device off, was evaluated in 8 Spanish Purebred dressage stallions. CRET was applied bilaterally on the neck, back, and croup. The horses wore an accelerometer fixed on the sternal area during a dressage test, and spatiotemporal stride parameters, total and dorsoventral (DVAA), longitudinal (LAA), and mediolateral accelerometric activities, as well as dorsoventral displacement, were recor...
Santonastaso A, Burns T, Claffey E.The objective of this video is to demonstrate a reliable technique for obtaining diagnostic venogram images of the equine foot. Venogram studies are indicated to assess vascular contrast filling of the equine digit, primarily in cases of laminitis. Unassigned: A healthy university-owned horse was used for demonstration purposes. The protocol was approved by the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University IACUC. Unassigned: The horse's shoes are removed, and the foot is cleaned of debris. The horse is sedated and a medial and lateral abaxial nerve block performed. The pastern is clipped...
Strootmann T, Peter VG, Körner J.Anatomical variations of the caudal ventral lamina of the sixth cervical vertebra (C6), referred to as equine caudal cervical morphologic variations (ECCMV), and radiographic modelling of the caudal cervical articular process joints (APJ) are commonly identified in sport horses, yet their interrelationship and relevance for athletic performance remain controversial. This retrospective observational study aimed to determine the prevalence of ECCMV and APJ modelling in a clinically sound warmblood sport horse population, to evaluate a potential association and to assess if ECCMV affects competit...
Valberg SJ, Williams ZJ, Ames EG, Mickelson JR, Nout-Lomas YS, Landolt G, Sanz M, Gardner K.Equine myotonic dystrophy (eMD) is a rare neuromuscular disorder of undetermined origin marked by muscle hypertrophy and stiffness, dystrophic muscle histopathology, and myotonic discharges. In humans, myotonic dystrophy (DM) arises from trinucleotide repeat expansions in dystrophia myotonica protein kinase (DMPK) (DM1) or tetranucleotide expansions in cellular nucleic acid-binding protein (CNBP) (DM2), which disrupt mRNA processing and induce embryonic splicing patterns across multiple genes. In 6 eMD Quarter Horse types, (2-36 months-of-age) and 8 control Quarter Horses we determined: (1) fi...
Boger B, Naraian M, Hernandez E, Eaton A, Rockburn R, Tillman I, Payne S, Yob C, Panek C, Manfredi JM.Resistance bands used while horses are exercised with their handlers have shown benefits, but it is unknown if whole-body resistance bands used independently have therapeutic benefits. This study hypothesized that horses with varying gait asymmetries would experience improvements in lameness, muscular function, range of motion, posture, and cortisol following short-term use of a whole-body resistance band wrap (RBW). In this study, nine lame adult horses were evaluated with and without the RBW. The assessment included: objective gait analysis, acoustic myography, postural analysis, gait kinema...
Henshall C, McGreevy P, Shea G, Doherty O, Christensen JW, Fenner K, Warren-Smith A, McLean A.The use of horses for sport is under scrutiny due to evidence that common practices such as tight nosebands may impair horse welfare. Restrictive nosebands prevent horses from performing normal comfort behaviour such as coughing and yawning. To address these concerns, the International Society for Equitation Science (ISES) developed a noseband tightness-checking device, the ISES "taper gauge," along with a validated method that assesses how far the device can be inserted beneath the noseband at the dorsal midline of the nasal planum. However, citing concerns about the reliability of dorsal mid...
Lewczuk D, Borowska A, Maśko M, Bagnicka E.: Knowledge of the genetic background of evaluated traits has been the basis for genetic progress in every horse-breeding population and is essential for precise breeding and up-to-date decision-making. The study aimed to estimate the heritability coefficients for field performance traits in mares. : The research was based on 1408 evaluations of mares conducted during the years 2002-2021 in 51 training centers in Poland. The preliminary analyses of the effects, significant for the investigated traits, were obtained using analysis of variance, and these additional data are also presented (SAS p...
Dropsy H, Husson JC, Degorce-Rubiales F, Cochet-Faivre N.A 9-year-old gelding Quarter Horse with a lesion on the right upper eyelid was diagnosed with cutaneous lupus erythematosus. Clinical resolution and control of UV-induced flares were achieved with topical tacrolimus and a UV-blocking mask without adverse effects over the following 3 years.
Knickelbein KE.Numerous ocular diseases cause visual impairment and induce ocular pain that may be associated with undesired behaviors in horses. Horses with ocular pain, indicated by the presence of blepharospasm, blepharoedema, ocular discharge or rubbing the eye, should be rested from work to avoid worsening the ocular disease and to avoid undesired behaviors associated with pain or vision impairment. Horses with ocular disease are frequently head shy. Some stoic horses may not have obvious outward clinical signs despite significant visual impairment, and as such, undesired behaviors such as spooking, bal...
de Castro Sasahara TH, Gomes SP, Abdala FCM, Schimming BC, Miglino MA.Sexual differentiation in the equine fetus involves coordinated morphogenetic processes that shape both the gonads and the genital ducts. Although the formation of testes and ovaries has been relatively well documented, the temporal dynamics and morphometric patterns of the mesonephric (Wolffian) and paramesonephric (Müllerian) ducts remain insufficiently characterized. This study aimed to detail the timeline of gonadal and ductal differentiation in male and female equine fetuses during the critical developmental window between 60 and 80 days of gestation. Gross anatomical evaluation, histo...
Gordon S, Pusterla N, Finno CJ, Young A, Martínez-López B.Equine alphaherpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) is a highly contagious virus that can cause the neurological form, equine herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy (EHM). Understanding transmission-related risk factors is crucial for improving prevention strategies and guiding effective control measures. In this study, we collected data from 63 horses that had previously participated in the February 2022 winter horse show season at the Desert International Horse Park (DIHP) (26 cases and 37 controls) to identify host and management factors associated with EHV-1 infection and/or EHM development during the February 202...
Junkkari R, Mykkänen A, Sulku P, Rantala M, Pohjanvirta T, Eklund M, Pelkonen S, Grönthal T. subsp. (), an opportunistic pathogen often found in the stable environment and upper respiratory tract of young horses, can cause severe pneumonias in Equidae. In this study we investigated the occurrence, genetic variation and antimicrobial susceptibility of isolates from 63 weanling horses kept in loose housing or conventional stables. The bacterial isolates were typed by using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and multi-locus sequence typing (MLST). The possible associating factors (stable type, age, breed and clinical signs) for positive finding were analysed using logistic regre...
Tyrnenopoulou P, Kalatzis D, Kiouvrekis Y, Flouraki E, Folias L, Loukopoulos E, Starras A, Chalvatzis P, Tsioli V, Mavrogianni VS, Fthenakis GC.The objective of the present study was to apply supervised Machine Learning to predict severe complications after equine orchiectomy. A dataset of 612 cases of orchiectomies in stallions was used for the development of a computational model, among which in 8.5% of cases severe complications (colic, continued stallion-like behaviour, evisceration, funiculitis, haemorrhage, and scrotal infection) were diagnosed post-orchiectomy. Three supervised Machine Learning tools were employed: Logistic Regression (12 different models evaluated), Random Forest (64 models), and Gradient Boosting (8 models). ...
Pettersson J, Levanov L, Tervo S, Hautala K, Aaltonen K, Utriainen M, Kareinen L, Gadd T, Sironen T, Vapalahti O, Kinnunen PM.Parapoxviruses (PPV) cause skin and mucous membrane signs to several animal species and humans worldwide. Equine parapoxvirus (EqPPV) was first detected in a sick horse in Finland in 2013. It is potentially zoonotic, and a similar virus has been detected in humans in the USA. In winter 2021–2022, EqPPV caused a large-scale pastern dermatitis epidemic in racehorses all over Finland. Field reports suggest that similar epidemics of unverified cause have also occurred in 2015 and 2019. The aim of this study was to develop a serological test and study the immune response, seroprevalence, and hist...
Vargas J.To describe the application of water treadmill exercise for equine fitness and/or rehabilitation in a scientific and clinically reasonable manner. Unassigned: Horses owned by Spy Coast Farm were used for video content. Unassigned: A literature review was performed and compiled in this brief video to provide veterinarians with a comprehensive, evidence-based guide for implementing water treadmill exercise within fitness and rehabilitation programs. Unassigned: Equine water treadmill exercise is an aerobic modality that increases distal limb flexion and range of motion, with no reported adverse ...
Turcotte GK, O'Sullivan TL, Spence KL, Winder CB, Greer AL.Biosecurity plays an important role in the prevention and control of infectious disease outbreaks in the equine population. With competition organizers responsible for implementing and upholding biosecurity requirements at competitions, it is important to understand the biosecurity landscape at these locations where Ontario horses commonly travel and interact in large group settings. Unassigned: The objective of this study was to describe the perspectives, challenges and experiences of competition organizers of both sanctioned and unsanctioned events in Ontario, Canada regarding implementing e...
Williams MR, Silverstone A, Burba DJ, McCarrel T, Schoonover MJ, Rudra P.To describe the prevalence of postrace airway abnormalities in a population of barrel racing horses competing in Oklahoma. Unassigned: A descriptive field study was conducted at a single event. Horses underwent resting endoscopy within 60 minutes of competition. Recordings were evaluated and numerical and/or binary scores assigned for pharyngeal lymphoid hyperplasia, recurrent laryngeal neuropathy, dorsal displacement of the soft palate, epiglottic entrapment, and exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage. Clients completed a questionnaire detailing the horse's medical history and run time. A line...
Balog O, Havanecz K, Csányi T, Ökrös C, Tóth L, Berki T.Equestrian sport is a unique multi-species discipline in which the performance of a horse-rider dyad depends on the harmonious interaction of two athletes with distinct biomechanics and needs. Although the sport contributes substantially to the global economy and is the only Olympic event involving two species, research on rider-centered factors has been fragmented. Current narrative review centered peer-reviewed evidence addressing three questions: (RQ1) how rider biomechanics and posture influence horse performance and welfare; (RQ2) what causes and consequences rider asymmetry has; and (RQ3...
Bachmann M, Bochnia M, Wensch-Dorendorf M, Glatter M, Schäfer S, Simroth K, Greef JM, Zeyner A.Feed intake and digestibility are important indicators for sufficient nutrient supply, but they can be assessed only to a limited extent in horses on pasture. In horses, feed intake is embedded in a complex behavioural pattern of searching, selecting, chewing and almost constant movement called foraging. The objectives of this study were to estimate organic matter intake (OMI) and organic matter digestibility (OMD) in six horses, 24 h/day on pasture, based on plant alkanes and synthetic n-hexatriacontane (C) excretion. A multi-compartmental model was fitted to the marker excretion and the C m...
Tyrnenopoulou P, Flouraki E, Folias L, Loukopoulos E, Starras A, Chalvatzis P, Tsioli V, Mavrogianni VS, Fthenakis GC.The objectives of this work were (i) to evaluate the incidence of complications in male horses after orchiectomy performed in the field, i.e., away from a veterinary hospital, (ii) to describe the post-operative complications that occurred in these animals and (iii) to study the potential predictors for the development of such complications. This study involved 612 animals, on which orchiectomy was performed. The operative part of the study was carried out by one of three experienced veterinary surgeons. Standard pre-operative procedures were followed. Orchiectomy was performed using one of th...
Amaral TM, Ramos PDCA, Silva RA, Ferreira MM, Filho EDS.In the context of Brazilian equestrian sports, the Quarter Horse (QH) breed has the third largest population of registered horses and stands out for its numerous abilities in various disciplines. Studies on equine health and athletic performance parameters are scarce, especially involving molecular markers. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the differential expression of microRNAs and target genes involved in metabolic pathways of exercise and to assess hematological and clinical changes in 10 horses (Equus caballus Linnaeus) of the QH breed under different physiological conditions. H...
Bindi F, Cingottini D, Sorvillo B, Sala G, De Marchi L, Monni G, Celardo S, Bonelli F, Sgorbini M.During the perinatal period, neonates experience a sudden increase in oxygen exposure, predisposing them to oxidative stress. Objective: This prospective, in vivo study aimed to evaluate biomarkers of oxidative stress and antioxidant defence in healthy neonatal foals during the first 48 hours of life. Methods: Ten Standardbred foals were enrolled. Blood samples were collected at birth, 24 hours, and 48 hours after birth and analyzed for biomarkers using spectrophotometry assays. Statistical analysis was performed using non-parametric tests and linear regression. Results: The results revealed s...
Salinas P, Vergara MA, Tapia D.Navicular syndrome (NS) is a chronic, degenerative condition of the equine thoracic limb that compromises the distal sesamoid bone (DSB) and associated structures responsible for stabilization and load absorption during locomotion. Although historically attributed to vascular alterations, its etiology is now recognized as biomechanical, characterized by chronic overload of the deep digital flexor tendon. Conventional diagnostic techniques-radiography, scintigraphy, and ultrasonography-lack the sensitivity and precision required to detect early microarchitectural alterations. This study aimed t...
Milczek-Haduch D, Żmigrodzka M, Kiełbik P, Świderska B, Olędzki J, Witkowska-Piłaszewicz O.Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are promising biomarkers and mediators of intercellular communication, but their isolation from equine biofluids remains challenging. This study compared two isolation workflows-size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) and differential ultracentrifugation followed by SEC (UC + SEC)-to evaluate their efficiency, reproducibility, and the proteomic composition of EVs derived from equine serum and plasma. Blood from six healthy horses was processed to obtain platelet-free plasma and serum. EVs were isolated using SEC or UC + SEC and characterized by transmission ele...
Moaby I, Aitken A, Varga S.Several equine conditions are associated with and exacerbated by increased high-sugar grass intake. Knowing how climatic and biotic factors affect sugar content in grasses is important for decision-making by those involved in the management of equines. Objective: (1) To characterise equine owners' knowledge and perceptions of the factors affecting sugar content in grasses to inform in the management of grasses and equines. (2) To identify associations between pre-existing horse-related experience and level of knowledge about equine nutrition and health conditions. Methods: A questionnaire was ...
Freitas Silva D, Passagli Barbosa D, de Paula Rodrigues J, Robaina Sancler-Silva YF, Saules Ignácio F, Lucena Fredou M, Segabinazzi L, Monteiro GA.Doppler ultrasonography is a valuable tool for monitoring testicular hemodynamics, offering improved diagnostic insight and supporting treatment monitoring. However, its use in equine andrology remains limited due to a scarcity of published data and reference values. Therefore, this study aimed to characterize the testicular arterial blood flow patterns in clinically normal stallions and stallions with 180° spermatic cord torsion. Spectral Doppler ultrasonography was performed on both testes of 48 Mangalarga Marchador stallions. Thirty stallions with normal testes were divided into three age ...
Dick LK, Bernhard AE, Brodeur TJ, Santo Domingo JW, Simpson JM, Walters SP, Field KG.The purpose of this study was to examine host distribution patterns among fecal bacteria in the order Bacteroidales, with the goal of using endemic sequences as markers for fecal source identification in aquatic environments. We analyzed Bacteroidales 16S rRNA gene sequences from the feces of eight hosts: human, bovine, pig, horse, dog, cat, gull, and elk. Recovered sequences did not match database sequences, indicating high levels of uncultivated diversity. The analysis revealed both endemic and cosmopolitan distributions among the eight hosts. Ruminant, pig, and horse sequences tended to for...
Dutkiewicz J, Mackiewicz B, Kinga Lemieszek M, Golec M, Milanowski J.Pantoea agglomerans, a bacterium associated with plants, is not an obligate infectious agent in humans. However, it could be a cause of opportunistic human infections, mostly by wound infection with plant material, or as a hospital-acquired infection, mostly in immunocompromised individuals. Wound infection with P. agglomerans usually follow piercing or laceration of skin with a plant thorn, wooden splinter or other plant material and subsequent inoculation of the plant-residing bacteria, mostly during performing of agricultural occupations and gardening, or children playing. Septic arthritis ...
Jónsson H, Schubert M, Seguin-Orlando A, Ginolhac A, Petersen L, Fumagalli M, Albrechtsen A, Petersen B, Korneliussen TS, Vilstrup JT, Lear T....Horses, asses, and zebras belong to a single genus, Equus, which emerged 4.0-4.5 Mya. Although the equine fossil record represents a textbook example of evolution, the succession of events that gave rise to the diversity of species existing today remains unclear. Here we present six genomes from each living species of asses and zebras. This completes the set of genomes available for all extant species in the genus, which was hitherto represented only by the horse and the domestic donkey. In addition, we used a museum specimen to characterize the genome of the quagga zebra, which was driven to ...
Dougal K, de la Fuente G, Harris PA, Girdwood SE, Pinloche E, Newbold CJ.The horse has a rich and complex microbial community within its gastrointestinal tract that plays a central role in both health and disease. The horse receives much of its dietary energy through microbial hydrolysis and fermentation of fiber predominantly in the large intestine/hindgut. The presence of a possible core bacterial community in the equine large intestine was investigated in this study. Samples were taken from the terminal ileum and 7 regions of the large intestine from ten animals, DNA extracted and the V1-V2 regions of 16SrDNA 454-pyrosequenced. A specific group of OTUs clustered...
Garmashova N, Atasheva S, Kang W, Weaver SC, Frolova E, Frolov I.The encephalitogenic New World alphaviruses, including Venezuelan (VEEV), eastern (EEEV), and western equine encephalitis viruses, constitute a continuing public health threat in the United States. They circulate in Central, South, and North America and have the ability to cause fatal disease in humans and in horses and other domestic animals. We recently demonstrated that these viruses have developed the ability to interfere with cellular transcription and use it as a means of downregulating a cellular antiviral response. The results of the present study suggest that the N-terminal, approxima...
Campo MS.Tumorigenesis due to papillomavirus (PV) infection was first demonstrated in rabbits and cattle early last century. Despite the evidence obtained in animals, the role of viruses in human cancer was dismissed as irrelevant. It took a paradigm shift in the late 1970s for some viruses to be recognised as 'tumour viruses' in humans, and in 1995, more than 60 years after Rous's first demonstration of CRPV oncogenicity, WHO officially declared that 'HPV-16 and HPV-18 are carcinogenic to humans'. Experimental studies with animal PVs have been a determining factor in this decision. Animal PVs have bee...
McCarthy HE, Bara JJ, Brakspear K, Singhrao SK, Archer CW.A chondrocyte progenitor population isolated from the surface zone of articular cartilage presents a promising cell source for cell-based cartilage repair. In this study, equine articular cartilage progenitor cells (ACPCs) and equine bone marrow-derived stromal cells (BMSCs) were compared as potential cell sources for repair. Clonally derived BMSCs and ACPCs demonstrated expression of the cell fate selector gene, Notch-1, and the putative stem cell markers STRO-1, CD90 and CD166. Chondrogenic induction revealed positive labelling for collagen type II and aggrecan. Collagen type X was not detec...
Baldacchino F, Desquesnes M, Mihok S, Foil LD, Duvallet G, Jittapalapong S.Tabanids are nuisance pests for people and livestock because of their painful and irritating bite, persistent biting behavior, and blood ingestion. About 4400 tabanid species have been described; they are seasonally present in all kinds of landscapes, latitudes, and altitudes. High populations have a significant economic impact on outdoor activities, tourism, and livestock production. Tabanids are also vectors of animal disease agents, including viruses, bacteria and parasites. However, tabanids have received little attention in comparison with other hematophagous Diptera. Here, we highlight t...
Wong K, van der Weyden L, Schott CR, Foote A, Constantino-Casas F, Smith S, Dobson JM, Murchison EP, Wu H, Yeh I, Fullen DR, Joseph N, Bastian BC....Mucosal melanoma is a rare and poorly characterized subtype of human melanoma. Here we perform a cross-species analysis by sequencing tumor-germline pairs from 46 primary human muscosal, 65 primary canine oral and 28 primary equine melanoma cases from mucosal sites. Analysis of these data reveals recurrently mutated driver genes shared between species such as NRAS, FAT4, PTPRJ, TP53 and PTEN, and pathogenic germline alleles of BRCA1, BRCA2 and TP53. We identify a UV mutation signature in a small number of samples, including human cases from the lip and nasal mucosa. A cross-species comparative...
Biewener AA.The stresses acting in muscle-tendon units and ligaments of the forelimb and hindlimb of horses were determined over a range of speed and gait based on recordings of ground reaction forces and limb kinematics. Maximum stresses of 40-50 MPa were calculated to act in several of the principal forelimb (superficial digital flexor (SDF), deep digital flexor (DDF), ulnaris lateralis (UL) and flexor carpi ulnaris/radialis (FCU/R)) and hindlimb tendons (plantaris, DDF) at the fastest galloping speeds recorded (up to 7.4 m s-1). Smaller stresses were found for the gastrocnemius (GAST) tendon (30 MPa) a...
Love S, Murphy D, Mellor D.Cyathostomes are now the principle parasitic pathogen of the horse: a remarkable transformation during the last 25 years from virtual obscurity to focus of attention in equine parasitology. This rise to prominence coincides with the marked decrease in prevalence of large strongyle infections as a result of widespread use of modern anthelmintic compounds. On the basis that strongyle-associated diseases continue to commonly occur in the absence of these large strongyle species, clinical attention has turned to the pathogenicity of cyathostomes. Although many horses harbour burdens of tens of tho...
Chindera K, Mahato M, Sharma AK, Horsley H, Kloc-Muniak K, Kamaruzzaman NF, Kumar S, McFarlane A, Stach J, Bentin T, Good L.To combat infection and antimicrobial resistance, it is helpful to elucidate drug mechanism(s) of action. Here we examined how the widely used antimicrobial polyhexamethylene biguanide (PHMB) kills bacteria selectively over host cells. Contrary to the accepted model of microbial membrane disruption by PHMB, we observed cell entry into a range of bacterial species, and treated bacteria displayed cell division arrest and chromosome condensation, suggesting DNA binding as an alternative antimicrobial mechanism. A DNA-level mechanism was confirmed by observations that PHMB formed nanoparticles whe...
Rubin CT, Lanyon LE.Galileo (1638) observed that "nature cannot grow a tree nor construct an animal beyond a certain size, while retaining the proportions which suffice in the case of a smaller structure". However, subsequent measurement has shown that limb bone dimensions are scaled geometrically with body size (Alexander et al., 1979a), and that the material properties of their constituent bone tissue are similar in animals over a wide range of body weight (Sedlin & Hirsch, 1966; Yamada, 1970; Burstein et al., 1972; Biewener, 1982). If, as suggested in previous scaling arguments (McMahon, 1973; Biewener, 19...
Xu X, Arnason U.The sequence of the mitochondrial (mt) DNA of the horse (Equus caballus) was determined. The length of the sequence presented is 16,660 bp. This figure, however, is not absolute due to pronounced heteroplasmy caused by variable numbers of the motif GTGCACCT in the control region of different molecules. Boundaries of the 13 peptide-coding genes were determined by the presence of start and stop codons, and by analogy with other eutherian mtDNAs. Three genes (COIII, NADH3 and NADH4) were not terminated by a stop codon. Comparison among the peptide-coding genes of the horse and eight other mammals...
Brayton CF.Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) is a very simple compound that has stimulated much controversy in the scientific and popular literature. Fig. 1 It is an aprotic solvent. Therapeutic and toxic agents that are not soluble in water are often soluble in DMSO. DMSO has a very strong affinity for water; on exposure to air, pure DMSO is rapidly diluted. DMSO's physiologic and pharmacologic properties and effects are incompletely understood. Properties that are considered to be particularly important to its therapeutic and toxic effects include: its own rapid penetration and enhanced penetration of other su...
Hu S, Vincenz C, Buller M, Dixit VM.Molluscum contagiosum virus proteins MC159 and MC160 and the equine herpesvirus 2 protein E8 share substantial homology to the death effector domain present in the adaptor molecule Fas-associated death domain protein (FADD) and the initiating death protease FADD-like interleukin-1beta-converting enzyme (FLICE) (caspase-8). FADD and FLICE participate in generating the death signal from both tumor necrosis factor receptor-1 (TNFR-1) and the CD-95 receptor. The flow of death signals from TNFR-1 occurs through the adaptor molecule tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated death domain protein (TRA...
Savini G, Afonso A, Mellor P, Aradaib I, Yadin H, Sanaa M, Wilson W, Monaco F, Domingo M.Epizootic haemorrhagic disease (EHD) is an infectious non-contagious viral disease transmitted by insects of the genus Culicoides which affects wild and domestic ruminants. The causative agent, the epizootic haemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV), belongs to the family Reoviridae, genus Orbivirus and shares many morphological and structural characteristics with the other members of the genus such as bluetongue, African horse sickness and equine encephalosis viruses. In recent years EHD outbreaks have been reported in countries bordering the European Union. They caused disease in cattle and severe r...
Steele KE, Twenhafel NA.The encephalitides caused by Venezuelan (VEEV), eastern (EEEV), and western (WEEV) equine encephalitis viruses are important natural diseases of horses and humans and potential agents of biowarfare or bioterrorism. No licensed vaccines or specific therapies exist to prevent or treat human infections with VEEV, EEEV, or WEEV. Well-characterized animal models are needed to support the development of such medical countermeasures under the United States Food and Drug Administration's "Animal Rule." This review focuses on the pathological features and pathogenetic mechanisms of these alphaviral enc...
Science (New York, N.Y.)April 30, 2017
Volume 356, Issue 6336 442-445 doi: 10.1126/science.aam5298
Librado P, Gamba C, Gaunitz C, Der Sarkissian C, Pruvost M, Albrechtsen A, Fages A, Khan N, Schubert M, Jagannathan V, Serres-Armero A, Kuderna LFK....The genomic changes underlying both early and late stages of horse domestication remain largely unknown. We examined the genomes of 14 early domestic horses from the Bronze and Iron Ages, dating to between ~4.1 and 2.3 thousand years before present. We find early domestication selection patterns supporting the neural crest hypothesis, which provides a unified developmental origin for common domestic traits. Within the past 2.3 thousand years, horses lost genetic diversity and archaic DNA tracts introgressed from a now-extinct lineage. They accumulated deleterious mutations later than expected ...
de la Fuente J, Massung RF, Wong SJ, Chu FK, Lutz H, Meli M, von Loewenich FD, Grzeszczuk A, Torina A, Caracappa S, Mangold AJ, Naranjo V, Stuen S....The causative agent of human granulocytic ehrlichiosis was recently reclassified as Anaplasma phagocytophilum, unifying previously described bacteria that cause disease in humans, horses, dogs, and ruminants. For the characterization of genetic heterogeneity in this species, the homologue of Anaplasma marginale major surface protein 4 gene (msp4) was identified, and the coding region was PCR amplified and sequenced from a variety of sources, including 50 samples from the United States, Germany, Poland, Norway, Italy, and Switzerland and 4 samples of A. phagocytophilum-like organisms obtained f...
Thorpe CT, Streeter I, Pinchbeck GL, Goodship AE, Clegg PD, Birch HL.Little is known about the rate at which protein turnover occurs in living tendon and whether the rate differs between tendons with different physiological roles. In this study, we have quantified the racemization of aspartic acid to calculate the age of the collagenous and non-collagenous components of the high strain injury-prone superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) and low strain rarely injured common digital extensor tendon (CDET) in a group of horses with a wide age range. In addition, the turnover of collagen was assessed indirectly by measuring the levels of collagen degradation mark...
Schmiedel J, Falgenhauer L, Domann E, Bauerfeind R, Prenger-Berninghoff E, Imirzalioglu C, Chakraborty T.Multiresistant Gram-negative bacteria producing extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) are an emerging problem in human and veterinary medicine. This study focused on comparative molecular characterization of β-lactamase and ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae isolates from central Hesse in Germany. Isolates originated from humans, companion animals (dogs and cats) and horses. Results: In this study 153 (83.6%) of the human isolates (n = 183) and 163 (91.6%) of the animal isolates (n = 178) were confirmed as ESBL producers by PCR and subsequent sequencing of the PCR amplicons. Predomin...
Scoles GA, Ueti MW.Equine piroplasmosis is a disease of Equidae, including horses, donkeys, mules, and zebras, caused by either of two protozoan parasites, Theileria equi or Babesia caballi. These parasites are biologically transmitted between hosts via tick vectors, and although they have inherent differences they are categorized together because they cause similar pathology and have similar morphologies, life cycles, and vector relationships. To complete their life cycle, these parasites must undergo a complex series of developmental events, including sexual-stage development in their tick vectors. Consequentl...
Frost MJ, Zhang J, Edmonds JH, Prow NA, Gu X, Davis R, Hornitzky C, Arzey KE, Finlaison D, Hick P, Read A, Hobson-Peters J, May FJ, Doggett SL....To determine the cause of an unprecedented outbreak of encephalitis among horses in New South Wales, Australia, in 2011, we performed genomic sequencing of viruses isolated from affected horses and mosquitoes. Results showed that most of the cases were caused by a variant West Nile virus (WNV) strain, WNV(NSW2011), that is most closely related to WNV Kunjin (WNV(KUN)), the indigenous WNV strain in Australia. Studies in mouse models for WNV pathogenesis showed that WNV(NSW2011) is substantially more neuroinvasive than the prototype WNV(KUN) strain. In WNV(NSW2011), this apparent increase in vir...
Johnston GM, Eastment JK, Wood J, Taylor PM.To document the equine perioperative mortality rate and to highlight any factor associated with an increased risk of death up to 7 days after anaesthesia. Methods: A prospective observational epidemiological multicentre study. Methods: Data were recorded from all equidae undergoing general anaesthesia in 62 clinics. Power calculations indicated that 45 000 cases were required to detect the significance of important variables. Details of each horse, operation, anaesthetic agents and clinic personnel were recorded. Outcome at 7 days was recorded as: alive, put to sleep (PTS) or dead. Data were a...
Sutton S, Clutterbuck A, Harris P, Gent T, Freeman S, Foster N, Barrett-Jolley R, Mobasheri A.Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the most common and disabling chronic joint disorders affecting horses, dogs and humans. Synovial inflammation or synovitis is a frequently observed phenomenon in osteoarthritic joints and contributes to the pathogenesis of OA through formation of various catabolic and pro-inflammatory mediators altering the balance of cartilage matrix degradation and repair. Catabolic mediators produced by the inflamed synovium include pro-inflammatory cytokines, nitric oxide, prostaglandin E(2) and several neuropeptides, which further contribute to the pathogenesis of OA by incr...
