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.
Ortega McCormack JJ, Reed RA, Epstein KL, Camus MS, Knych HK.To determine if transdermally delivered fentanyl can achieve greater concentrations of fentanyl in synovial fluid when applied over a synovial structure. Conclusion: Application of fentanyl matrix patches directly over the CMCJ did not result in increased fentanyl concentrations in the synovial fluid of the treated intercarpal joint in normal horses.
Antonioli ML, Canola PA, de Carvalho JRG, Fonseca MG, Ferraz GC.It is important to understand the effects of hoof trimming on hoof and limb conformation to maximize its benefits on the health of the appendicular skeleton of horses, thus promoting improvements in athletic performance and sporting longevity with regard to athletic horses. There is little information on possible changes in the angulation of the thoracic limb joints after hoof trimming and correlations between the angulation of the thoracic limb joints with hoof measurements. To that purpose, nineteen Mangalarga mares received routine hoof trimming. Visual recordings (photographs) were taken b...
Bohlman T, Waddell H, Schumaker B.The occurrence of zoonotic infections following an animal exposure continues to be an important consideration for all patients, especially those within agricultural communities. Streptococcus equi subspecies equi (S. equi subsp. equi) is a bacteria known to cause a common infection called 'Strangles' in horses. This article highlights a new case of pneumonia and bacteremia in a patient caused by S. equi subsp. equi following strangles exposure in a horse. Rarely has there been reported horse to human transmission of subsp. equi. Methods: A 70-year-old woman attended a rural emergency departmen...
Hoblick S, Denagamage TN, Morton AJ, McCarrel TM.Post-anaesthetic fever is a known complication of general anaesthesia, however, its incidence in horses undergoing elective magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is unknown. Objective: To determine the incidence of post-anaesthetic fever in horses undergoing elective orthopaedic MRI and determine whether prophylactic antimicrobial therapy would be associated with a reduction in the incidence of post-anaesthetic fever. We hypothesised that prophylactic antimicrobials would be associated with a reduction in the incidence of post-anaesthetic fever. Methods: Retrospective cross-sectional study. Methods...
Pozharskiy A, Abdrakhmanova A, Beishova I, Shamshidin A, Nametov A, Ulyanova T, Bekova G, Kikebayev N, Kovalchuk A, Ulyanov V, Turabayev A....Horses are traditionally used in Kazakhstan as a source of food and as working and saddle animals as well. Here, for the first time, microarray-based medium-density single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping of six traditionally defined types and breeds of indigenous Kazakh horses was conducted to reveal their genetic structure and find markers associated with animal size and weight. The results showed that the predefined separation between breeds and sampled populations was not supported by the molecular data. The lack of genetic variation between breeds and populations was revealed by t...
Frippiat T, Art T, Tosi I.Airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) and inflammation are both observed in human and equine asthma. The aim of this study was to assess the timeline and relationship of both features at the subclinical onset of severe equine asthma (SEA). First, the repeatability of the pulmonary function test (PFT) using impulse oscillometry system, and the methacholine bronchoprovocation test (BPT) were assessed at a 1-day interval on six SEA horses in clinical remission and six control horses. Then, clinical and ancillary tests were performed before and after a 1-week low-dust environmental challenge, including...
Clark BL, Stewart AJ, Kemp KL, Bamford NJ, Bertin FR.Field tests and their association with laminitis have not been evaluated in large cohorts. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the performance of basal insulin (BI), the oral sugar test (OST) and the insulin tolerance test (ITT) to diagnose ID and investigate their association with laminitis. Insulin dysregulation status was determined in 146 ponies using BI (insulin concentration >20 µIU/mL), an OST (insulin concentration >65 µIU/mL at 60 or 90min after oral administration of 0.45mL/kg corn syrup) and an ITT (< 50% reduction in glucose concentration 30min after intravenous adminis...
Lightbody KL, Austin A, Lambert PA, von Samson-Himmelstjerna G, Jürgenschellert L, Krücken J, Nielsen MK, Sallé G, Reigner F, Donnelly CG....Cyathostomins are ubiquitous equine nematodes. Infection can result in larval cyathostominosis due to mass larval emergence. Although faecal egg count (FEC) tests provide estimates of egg shedding, these correlate poorly with burden and provide no information on mucosal/luminal larvae. Previous studies describe a serum IgG(T)-based ELISA (CT3) that exhibits utility for detection of mucosal/luminal cyathostomins. Here, this ELISA is optimised/validated for commercial application using sera from horses for which burden data were available. Optimisation included addition of total IgG-based calibr...
Latham E, Scherrer NM, Stefanovski D.To compare the measurement of intraocular pressure in horses with clinical ocular disease using three tonometry devices. Conclusions: All three tonometers showed strong agreement, however, the TonoVet and the TonoVet Plus carried the strongest agreement with the TonoVet Plus having slightly higher measurements overall compared with the TonoVet. Due to small variations between devices, it is recommended that the same device be used for serial measurements of intraocular pressure. However, all three devices are appropriate to use in horses presented for ophthalmic evaluation.
Bampidis V, Azimonti G, Bastos ML, Christensen H, Durjava M, Kouba M, López-Alonso M, López Puente S, Marcon F, Mayo B, Pechová A, Petkova M....Following a request from the European Commission, EFSA was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on the safety and efficacy of star anise oil from the fruit (without or with the presence of plant leaves) of Illicium verum Hook.f., when used as a sensory additive in feed and water for drinking for all animal species. For long-living and reproductive animals, the Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (FEEDAP) considered of low concern the use of the additive in complete feed at 0.6 mg/kg for laying hens and rabbits, 1.0 mg/kg for sows and dairy cows, 1.6 mg/kg f...
Hepworth-Warren KL, Estell K, Cowles B, Amodie D, Crisman M.Serum amyloid A (SAA) is a major acute phase protein in horses which could be a useful tool for assessing clinical response to treatment of bacterial pneumonia in adult horses.
Zaitseva S, Dagurova O, Radnagurueva A, Kozlova A, Izotova A, Krylova A, Noskov S, Begmatov S, Patutina E, Barkhutova DD.The Buryatian horse is an ancient breed and, as an indigenous breed, they have unique adaptive abilities to use scarce pastures, graze in winter, and survive in harsh conditions with minimal human care. In this study, fecal microbiota of Buryatian horses grazing in the warm and cold seasons were investigated using NGS technology on the Illumina MiSeq platform. We hypothesized that the composition of microbial communities in the feces of horses maintained on pasture would change in the different seasons, depending on the grass availability and different plant diets. We conducted microhistologic...
Jondeau C, Guyonnet A, Losada A, Laloy E, Reyes-Gomez E, Le Dudal M, Chahory S.To describe a case of lipogranulomatous conjunctivitis in a horse. Methods: A client-owned 12-year-old Standardbred gelding presenting with chronic conjunctivitis and palpebral masses. Methods: Complete ophthalmic examination, surgical excision, histopathology, and bacterial culture of biopsy samples were performed. Results: Upper and lower eyelids of both eyes were affected, with multiple yellow-to-white nodules on the palpebral conjunctiva, adjacent to the eyelid margin. Nodule removal was achieved via partial tarsal plate excision. Histopathological examination revealed granulomatous inflam...
Amory H, Cesarini C, De Maré L, Loublier C, Moula N, Detilleux J, Saulmont M, Garigliany MM, Lecoq L.The objective of this retrospective study was to evaluate the clinical significance of fecal quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) results when taking the cycle threshold values (Ct) into account. The study included 120 qPCR-positive fecal samples obtained from 88 hospitalized horses over a 2-year period. The mean Ct of the qPCR test was evaluated in regard to (1) clinical outcome and (2) systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) status (no SIRS, moderate SIRS, or severe SIRS) of the sampled horses. An ROC analysis was performed to establish the optimal cut-off Ct valu...
El-Hage C, Legione A, Devlin J, Hughes K, Jenkins C, Gilkerson J. is an important zoonotic pathogen. Although primarily a pathogen of birds, from which infection can spillover into humans and other mammalian hosts, the importance of as a cause of equine reproductive loss and the risk of infection to humans in contact with infected horses are increasingly being recognised in Australia and elsewhere. Despite the risks to both human and equine health, infection in horses is incompletely understood. This study aimed to update and summarise cases of equine psittacosis in Australia in the period 2018-2022, thus addressing a knowledge gap relating to recent case...
Bampidis V, Azimonti G, Bastos ML, Christensen H, Durjava M, Kouba M, López-Alonso M, López Puente S, Marcon F, Mayo B, Pechová A, Petkova M....Following a request from the European Commission, EFSA was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on the safety and efficacy of an essential oil from the leaves and twigs of Eucalyptus globulus Labill. (eucalyptus oil) when used as a sensory additive in feed and water for drinking for all animal species. The FEEDAP Panel concluded that the use of eucalyptus oil is safe at the following concentrations in complete feed: 12 mg/kg for chickens for fattening, 18 mg/kg for laying hens, 16 mg/kg for turkeys for fattening, 22 mg/kg for piglets, 26 mg/kg for pigs for fattening, 32 mg/kg for ...
Burns JJ, MacMillan KM, John E.Respiratory disease is common in the horse population and is often associated with poor performance in equine athletes. Despite their outstanding strength and aerobic capacity, little regard is given to draft horses and the respiratory disorders they may encounter when performing athletic activity. For this reason, the objectives of this study were: (1) to determine the prevalence of exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH), tracheal mucus (TM) and recurrent laryngeal hemiplegia (RLH) in a population of competitive draft pulling horses, and (2) to determine if there was an association betw...
Rule EK, Boyle AG, Stefanovski D, Anis E, Linton J, Lorello O.Equine granulocytic anaplasmosis (EGA) is a common disease in adult horses, but clinical disease in foals is rarely reported. The relationship between equine maternal and neonatal antibodies to Anaplasma phagocytophilum is unclear. Objective: That mares in an endemic region would be seropositive for A. phagocytophilum and that mare and foal serum IgG concentrations for A. phagocytophilum would correlate. Additionally, we hypothesized that foal IgG concentrations for A. phagocytophilum acquired by passive immunity would decline by 6 months of age. Methods: Twenty-two healthy mare-foal pairs. ...
Stefaniuk-Szmukier M, Piórkowska K, Ropka-Molik K.Equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) has become an important issue in modern veterinary medicine and is linked to the common, extremely painful, most-of-the-time performance-terminating hoof laminitis. The growing knowledge in the field of genetic background, inducing environmental factors, diagnosis, treatment and maintenance of affected equines led us to summarise the available information to be used not only for scientific purposes but for fieldwork. In horses, the clinical presentation of EMS includes: obesity or local fat deposition, bilateral lameness or hoof rings attributed to ongoing or pr...
Carossino M, Balasuriya UBR, Thieulent CJ, Barrandeguy ME, Vissani MA, Parreño V.Equine rotavirus A (ERVA) is the leading cause of diarrhea in foals, with G3P[12] and G14P[12] genotypes being the most prevalent. Recently, equine G3-like RVA was recognized as an emerging infection in children, and a group B equine rotavirus (ERVB) was identified as an emergent cause of foal diarrhea in the US. Thus, there is a need to adapt molecular diagnostic tools for improved detection and surveillance to identify emerging strains, understand their molecular epidemiology, and inform future vaccine development. We developed a quadruplex TaqMan RT-qPCR assay for differentiation of ERVA an...
Hoikhman R, Molinková D, Pillárová D, Linhart P, Kopecká A, Jahn P.Equine sarcoids (ES) are known globally as the most frequent skin tumour affecting horses. These tumours affect the horse's monetary value, they can affect the horse's welfare and can be difficult and expensive to treat. Bovine papillomavirus (BPV) is considered to be the aetiological agent of this tumour, as BPV 1, 2 and 13 have been detected in ES. This is the only known natural cross species infection by a papillomavirus. The BPV genome can be divided into two coding regions: The early region E which encodes the transforming proteins E5, E6 and E7 as well as the replication and transcriptio...
Muñoz E, Castro M, Aguila L, Contreras MJ, Fuentes F, Arias ME, Felmer R.Sperm sexing is a technology that can generate great economic benefits in the animal production sector. Techniques such as sex-sorting promise over 90% accuracy in sperm sexing. However, for the correct standardization of the technique, some laboratory methodologies are required. The present manuscript describes in detail a standardized equine sperm sex-sorting protocol using an absolute qPCR-based methodology. Furthermore, the results of absolute qPCR were implemented and validated by generating equine/bovine heterologous embryos by intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) of presumably sexed ...
du Plessis N, Uys K, Buys T.Hippotherapy, an equine-assisted service, uses the movement of the horse as a treatment tool. Hippotherapy is often used by occupational therapists, physiotherapists, and speech and language pathologists. To optimise hippotherapy and facilitate the development of transdisciplinary hippotherapy practise guidelines, this scoping review identified novel hippotherapy concepts used during hippotherapy interventions for clients with spastic cerebral palsy.
Marshall-Gibson ME, Durham MG, Seabaugh KA, Moorman VJ, Ferris DJ.Back pain is a common complaint, clinical finding and performance limiting factor in sport horses. This study sought to gather current veterinary trends in the diagnosis, treatment and management of primary equine back pain in the United States. A 22 question survey was distributed electronically to equine practitioners through AAEP and ACVSMR listservs and through closed social media groups. The survey was open from April 20, 2022 to July 5, 2022. Responses were analyzed using Microsoft excel pivot tables. Ninety-seven survey responses were obtained and analyzed. Respondents reported the clin...
Lavado RA, Lewis J, Montgomery JB.Laminitis is a severely debilitating and life-threatening condition that occurs as a consequence of different primary triggering factors. Continuous digital hypothermia (CDH) is recommended in horses at risk of, or diagnosed with, acute laminitis due to its several physiological and biochemical alterations that may be positive for the prevention and early treatment of the condition, representing a low risk of adverse effects. Modulation of the inflammatory response, profound vasoconstriction, and prevention of tissue damage are the most notable protective effects of cryotherapy on the lamellae...
Amairia S, Jbeli M, Mrabet S, Jebabli LM, Gharbi M.Sarcocystis spp. and Toxoplasma gondii are two apicomplexan protozoa that infect a broad range of vertebrates, however, little is known about the infection of equids with these parasites. A total of 184 slaughtered equids from slaughterhouses of Bizerte and Tunis located in Northern Tunisia, were examined for meat infections with Sarcocystis spp. and T. gondii by PCR. The prevalence of infections with Sarcocystis spp. and T. gondii were 38% (95% CI: 31-45) and 39.7% (95% CI: 32.6-46.7), respectively. The highest prevalence of infection with Sarcocystis spp. was observed in donkeys (48.6%; 95%C...
Okolo CC, Emejuo NT, Udeagbala NG, Emeto UE, Ezema AS, Omeje OV, Nweze NE.Sample processing methods and storage time affect the outcome of biochemical analysis. Objectives: We aimed to assess the effects of dipotassium-ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (K2-EDTA) and lithium-heparin treatments and storage times on selected analytes in equine synovial fluid (SF). Conclusions: The analytes-except for TP-became unstable within a few hours postcollection. Lithium-heparin and K2-EDTA treatments significantly altered ALP, LDH, TNCCs, and pH but not the TP concentrations of equine SF. Studies establishing reference intervals for these analytes based on the anticoagulant used ...
Cassady KR, Minter LJ, Gruber EJ.Field veterinarians and researchers studying wild species, such as the southern white rhinoceros, often work in remote areas with limited access to standard laboratory equipment, hindering the ability to measure serum analytes.
Objectives: The first objective was to produce an inexpensive, manually operated centrifuge that could accept standard laboratory tubes by modifying a consumer-grade salad spinner with low-cost materials. The second objective was to compare biochemistry analysis results obtained from equine and southern white rhinoceros serum separated by traditional laboratory and m...
Lu H, Zhang W, Sun S, Mei Y, Zhao G, Yang K.Grazing is a common approach to rearing. We investigated the effects of supplementation during grazing on milk yield and composition, blood biochemistry, and fecal microflora in Yili horses. The control mares grazed normally, while those in groups I and II received 1 kg/d of concentrate and 1 kg/d of concentrate + 0.4 kg/d of coated FA, respectively. Milk volumes were significantly higher in groups I and II than in the control group, and among the previous two, milk volumes were significantly higher in group II than in group I. Milk fat, lactose, and protein levels were significantly higher in...
Claeys I, Van der Vekens E, Kümmerle J, de Preux M, Koch C.To develop a minimally invasive technique for placing a toggle construct across the coxofemoral joint of small equids using computer-assisted surgery. Methods: Experimental cadaveric study. Methods: Three pilot specimens: One donkey, one Shetland pony and one Warmblood foal. Six main study specimens: Three Shetland ponies, one American Miniature Horse, one Warmblood foal and one donkey. Methods: Experimental surgeries were performed on both coxofemoral joints of each cadaver. Using a minimally invasive surgical approach, 5.5 mm bone canals were drilled through the femur and acetabulum, trave...
Xie L, Zhang N, Marsano A, Vunjak-Novakovic G, Zhang Y, Lopez MJ.Directed differentiation of adult multipotent stromal cells (MSC) is critical for effective treatment strategies. This study was designed to evaluate the capability of equine MSC from bone marrow (BMSC) and adipose tissue (ASC) on a type I collagen (COLI) scaffold to undergo chondrogenic, osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation and form extracellular matrix (ECM) in vitro. Following determination of surface antigen expression, MSC were loaded into scaffolds in a perfusion bioreactor and loading efficiency was quantified. Cell-scaffold constructs were assessed after loading and 7, 14 and 21 d...
Das PJ, Paria N, Gustafson-Seabury A, Vishnoi M, Chaki SP, Love CC, Varner DD, Chowdhary BP, Raudsepp T.Sperm mRNA transcriptional profiles can be used to evaluate male fertility, yet differences between species in sperm attributes and packaging require adjustments in sperm RNA isolation protocols. The objective was to optimize RNA isolation methodology for fresh, frozen, and extended ejaculates, and epididymal sperm of stallions. Additionally, a protocol for RNA isolation from testis biopsies was established. Separation of sperm from somatic cells was critical for assuring the isolation of sperm-specific RNA. The highest purity was obtained by centrifuging ejaculates and epididymal sperm at 200...
van Eps AW, Pollitt CC.Experimental induction of equine laminitis with a reliable and clinically relevant model should facilitate understanding of the disease. Successful induction with oligofructose (OF) could link pasture consumption to laminitis. Objective: To determine whether alimentary administration of OF induces laminitis. Methods: Twelve horses were dosed with OF and 6 received a sham (placebo) treatment. Clinical observations were made and blood collected at 4 h intervals over a 48 h study period. Stained sections of the hoof wall lamellae, examined by light microscopy, were graded for laminitis severity. ...
Robinson NE, Olszewski MA, Boehler D, Berney C, Hakala J, Matson C, Derksen FJ.During a trial to determine the dose response to the beta2-adrenergic agonist pirbuterol, we judged the severity of airway obstruction by use of a clinical scoring system and compared this to objective data obtained by quantitative measures of lung function. Six horses affected by recurrent airway obstruction were used in this trial. Four hundred and sixty-eight measurements of lung function and clinical scores were obtained from 13 measurement periods when horses received each of 6 doses of pirbuterol. Scores of 1-4 were assigned to degree of nasal flaring and abdominal effort and summed for ...
Yang F, Fu B, O'Brien PC, Robinson TJ, Ryder OA, Ferguson-Smith MA.Complete sets of chromosome-specific painting probes, derived from flow-sorted chromosomes of human (HSA), Equus caballus (ECA) and Equus burchelli (EBU) were used to delineate conserved chromosomal segments between human and Equus burchelli, and among four equid species, E. przewalskii (EPR), E. caballus, E. burchelli and E. zebra hartmannae (EZH) by cross-species chromosome painting. Genome-wide comparative maps between these species have been established. Twenty-two human autosomal probes revealed 48 conserved segments in E. burchelli. The adjacent segment combinations HSA3/21, 7/16p, 16q/1...
Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Abortusequi is frequently reported as a cause of abortion in mares and neonatal septicemia and polyarthritis in Asian and African countries, but only sporadically in Europe and the United States. We report an outbreak of S. Abortusequi in foals in Italy, characterized by high mortality. In a herd of Murgese horses, 10 of 34 newborns died at birth and a further 7 died, after developing severe clinical signs, during the first 10 d of life. Tissue specimens from different organs of 2 dead foals, synovial fluids from 4 sick foals, and vaginal and rectal ...
Baylis M, el Hasnaoui H, Bouayoune H, Touti J, Mellor PS.African horse sickness (AHS) is a vector-borne, infectious disease of equines that is caused by African horse sickness virus (AHSV). The only proven field vector is the biting midge Culicoides imicola, although C. obsoletus and C. pulicaris are suspected vectors. There was a recent epizootic of AHS in Iberia (1987-90) and Morocco (1989-91). In 1994-45 a total of 3887 light trap samples were taken from twenty-two sites distributed over most of Morocco. Culicoides imicola was found to be very widely dispersed, with the greatest catches in the low-lying northwestern areas (between Tangier and Rab...
Konishi E, Shoda M, Ajiro N, Kondo T.Antibodies to Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) nonstructural 1 (NS1) protein constitute a marker of natural JEV infection among populations vaccinated with inactivated JE vaccine. In Japan, with few recent human JE cases, the natural infection rate is critical to evaluate the necessity of continuing JE vaccination. A sensitive immunochemical staining method for detecting NS1 antibodies in individuals naturally and subclinically infected with JEV was previously established. Here, an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to detect NS1 antibodies in equine sera was developed and evaluated as...
Liu X, Zhang Y, Liu W, Li Y, Pan J, Pu Y, Han J, Orlando L, Ma Y, Jiang L.Chinese ponies are endemic to the mountainous areas of southwestern China and were first reported in the archaeological record at the Royal Tomb of Zhongshan King, Mancheng, dated to approximately ∼2,100 YBP. Previous work has started uncovering the genetic basis of size variation in western ponies and horses, revealing a limited number of loci, including HMGA2,LCORL/NCAPG,ZFAT, and LASP1. Whether the same genetic pathways also drive the small body size of Chinese ponies, which show striking anatomical differences to Shetland ponies, remains unclear. To test this, we combined whole-genome se...
Lopez AM, Hines MT, Palmer GH, Alperin DC, Hines SA.Rhodococcus equi infects and causes pneumonia in foals between 2 and 4 months of age but does not induce disease in immunocompetent adults, which are immune and remain clinically normal upon challenge. Understanding the protective response against R. equi in adult horses is important in the development of vaccine strategies, since those mechanisms likely reflect the protective phenotype that an effective vaccine would generate in the foal. Twelve adult horses were challenged with virulent R. equi and shown to be protected against clinical disease. Stimulation of cells obtained from bronchoalve...
Ikeda T.Ivermectin is an oral semi-synthetic lactone anthelmintic agent derived from avermectins isolated from fermentation products of Streptomyces avermitilis. Ivermectin showed a concentration-dependent inhibitory effect on motility of a free-living nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans). There exist specific binding sites having a high affinity for ivermectin in the membrane fraction of C. elegans, and a strong positive correlation was detected between the affinity for these binding sites and the suppressive effect on motility of C. elegans in several ivermectin-related substances. These re...
Sundberg JP, Burnstein T, Page EH, Kirkham WW, Robinson FR.In a retrospective study of neoplasms in Equidae pre;ented to the Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, Purdue University, from Jan 1, 1970, to Dec 31, 1974, data were compiled on numbers and anatomic sites of neoplasms as well as on age, sex, and breed of subjects from which the neoplasms were taken. During this 5-year period, 21 neoplasms were diagnosed from 687 equine necropsies (3.1%) and 215 from 635 biopsies (33.9%), totaling 236 neoplasms from 1,322 cases (17.9%). The most common neoplasms were sarcoids (43.6%) and squamous cell carcinomas (24.6%). Papillomas (5.5%), nerve sheath tumors...
Archer DC, Proudman CJ.Colic remains a significant problem in the horse in terms of welfare and economics; in some equine populations it is the single most common cause of death. Many causes of colic are cited in the equestrian and veterinary literature but little scientific evidence exists to substantiate these theories. Recent epidemiological investigations have confirmed that colic is complex and multi-factorial in nature. Studies have identified a number of factors that are associated with increased risk of colic including parasite burden, certain feed types, recent change in feeding practices, stabling, lack of...
Waller AS.Strangles, characterized by abscessation of the lymph nodes of the head and neck, is the most frequently diagnosed infectious disease of horses worldwide. The persistence of the causative agent, Streptococcus equi, in a proportion of convalescent horses plays a critical role in the recurrence and spread of disease. Recent research has led to the development of effective diagnostic tests that assist the eradication of S equi from local horse populations. This article describes how these advances have been made and provides advice to assist the resolution and prevention of outbreaks. New perspec...
von Samson-Himmelstjerna G, Thompson RA, Krücken J, Grant W, Bowman DD, Schnyder M, Deplazes P.Anthelmintic resistance (AR) has thus far only rarely been reported for intestinal helminths of dogs and cats, in contrast to parasites of livestock and horses. We highlight possible reasons for this striking and important discrepancy, including ecological, biological and genetic factors and/or intervention regimens of key intestinal helminths concerning both host groups. In view of the current knowledge related to the genetics, mechanisms and principles of AR development, we point at issues which in our view contribute to a comparatively lower risk of AR development in intestinal helminths of...
Newton SA, Knottenbelt DC, Eldridge PR.Twenty mature horses with typical headshaking of 2 week-7 year duration were studied. Clinical examinations included radiography of the head and nasopharyngeal endoscopy. All were assessed at rest and at exercise, both before and after fitting an occlusive nasal mask, application of tinted contact lenses and the perineural anaesthesia of the infraorbital and posterior ethmoidal branches of the trigeminal nerve. Infraorbital anaesthesia had no effect in 6/7 cases but 11/17 (65%) cases showed a 90-100% improvement following posterior ethmoidal nerve anaesthesia. Tinted contact lenses had no appa...
Wagner B, Freer H, Rollins A, Erb HN, Lu Z, Gröhn Y.Lyme disease is a zoonotic, vector-borne disease and occurs in mammals including horses. The disease is induced by infection with spirochetes of the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato group. Infection of mammalian hosts requires transmission of spirochetes by infected ticks during tick bites. Lyme disease diagnosis is based on clinical signs, possible exposure to infected ticks, and antibody testing which is traditionally performed by ELISA and Western blotting (WB). This report describes the development and validation of a new fluorescent bead-based multiplex assay for the detection of antibodie...
Tessier L, Bienzle D, Williams LB, Koch TG.Multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) have attracted interest for their cytotherapeutic potential, partly due to their immunomodulatory abilities. The aim of this study was to test the robustness of our equine cord blood (CB) MSC isolation protocol, to characterize the CB-MSC before and after cryopreservation, and to evaluate their immunosuppressive phenotype. We hypothesized that MSC can be consistently isolated from equine CB, have unique and reproducible marker expression and in vitro suppress lymphoproliferation. Preliminary investigation of constitutive cytoplasmic Toll-like recepto...
Stringer A.Animals are vital to ensuring food security for individuals, families and communities in countries around the world. In this, the latest article in Veterinary Record's series promoting One Health, Andy Stringer, director of veterinary programmes at the Society for the Protection of Animals Abroad, discusses how improving animal health, particularly of poultry and working equids, has the potential to reduce poverty and promote food security and sustainable livelihoods in low-income countries.
Bowling AT, Eggleston-Stott ML, Byrns G, Clark RS, Dileanis S, Wictum E.A parallel testing of 4803 routine Quarter Horse parentage cases, using 15 loci of blood group and protein polymorphisms (blood typing) and 11 loci of dinucleotide repeat microsatellites (DNA typing), validated DNA markers for horse pedigree verification. For the 26 loci, taken together, the theoretical effectiveness of detecting incorrect parentage was 99.999%, making it extremely unlikely that false parentage would fail to be recognized. The tests identified incorrect parentage assignment for 95 offspring (2% of cases). Despite fewer loci, DNA typing was as effective as blood typing and, in ...
Suva LJ, Cooper A, Watts AE, Ebetino FH, Price J, Gaddy D.Bisphosphonates (BPs) are characterized by their ability to bind strongly to bone mineral and inhibit bone resorption. However, BPs exert a wide range of pharmacological activities beyond the inhibition of bone resorption, including the inhibition of cancer cell metastases and angiogenesis and the inhibition of proliferation and apoptosis in vitro. Additionally, the inhibition of matrix metalloproteinase activity, altered cytokine and growth factor expression, as well as reductions in parameters of pain have also been reported. In humans, clinical BP use has transformed the treatment of post-m...
Boscan P, Van Hoogmoed LM, Farver TB, Snyder JR.To evaluate the effects of morphine administration for 6 days on gastrointestinal tract function in healthy adult horses. Methods: 5 horses. Methods: Horses were randomly allocated into 2 groups in a crossover study. Horses in the treatment group received morphine sulfate at a dosage of 0.5 mg/kg, IV, every 12 hours for 6 days. Horses in the control group received saline (0.9% NaCl) solution at a dosage of 10 mL, IV, every 12 hours for 6 days. Variables assessed included defecation frequency, weight of feces produced, intestinal transit time (evaluated by use of barium-filled spheres and radio...
Gallardo Bolaños JM, Balao da Silva CM, Martín Muñoz P, Morillo Rodríguez A, Plaza Dávila M, Rodríguez-Martínez H, Aparicio IM, Tapia JA....AKT, also referred to as protein kinase B (PKB or RAC), plays a critical role in controlling cell survival and apoptosis. To gain insights into the mechanisms regulating sperm survival after ejaculation, the role of AKT was investigated in stallion spermatozoa using a specific inhibitor and a phosphoflow approach. Stallion spermatozoa were washed and incubated in Biggers-Whitten-Whittingham medium, supplemented with 1% polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) in the presence of 0 (vehicle), 10, 20 or 30 μM SH5, an AKT inhibitor. SH5 treatment reduced the percentage of sperm displaying AKT phosphorylation, w...
Longhini ALF, Salazar TE, Vieira C, Trinh T, Duan Y, Pay LM, Li Calzi S, Losh M, Johnston NA, Xie H, Kim M, Hunt RJ, Yoder MC, Santoro D, McCarrel TM....Previously, we showed that mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) can be mobilized into peripheral blood using electroacupuncture (EA) at acupoints, LI-4, LI-11, GV-14, and GV-20. The purpose of this study was to determine whether EA-mobilized MSC could be harvested and expanded in vitro to be used as an autologous cell therapy in horses. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) isolated from young and aged lame horses (n = 29) showed a marked enrichment for MSCs. MSC were expanded in vitro (n = 25) and administered intravenously at a dose of 50 x 106 (n = 24). Treatment resulted in significant improve...
Rhodin M, Gómez Alvarez CB, Byström A, Johnston C, van Weeren PR, Roepstorff L, Weishaupt MA.Dressage involves training of the horse with the head and neck placed in a position defined by the rider. The best position for dressage training is currently under debate among riders and trainers, but there are few scientific data available to confirm or disprove the different views. Objective: To evaluate the kinematic effects of different head and neck positions (HNPs) in elite dressage horses ridden at trot. Methods: Seven high-level dressage horses were subjected to kinetic and kinematic measurements when ridden on a treadmill with the head and neck in 5 different positions. Results: Com...
Comin A, Veronesi MC, Montillo M, Faustini M, Valentini S, Cairoli F, Prandi A.Stimulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and elevated cortisol concentrations in fetal plasma are associated with foal maturity, viability and adaptation to independent life. However, non-invasive measurement of cortisol in hair samples has not yet been validated in horses. The current study developed a radioimmunoassay to analyse cortisol in horse hair and was used to measure cortisol hair concentration at birth and at 30 and 60 days of age as a retrospective study of HPA axis activity. Cortisol was detectable in the hair of foals from birth until 2 months, but decreased w...
McGuire TC, Poppie MJ, Banks KL.Thirty sick Arabian foals and 78 clinically normal Arabian foals were examined for combined (B- and T-lymphocyte) immunodeficiency. Diagnosis was based on lymphocyte counts and serum immunoglobulin (Ig) content or microscopic examination of lymphoid organs. Ten of the 30 sick foals and 2 of the 78 clinically normal foals had combined immunodeficiency. The 2 affected foals in the group of 78 subsequently developed fatal pneumonia.
Lymphocyte counts were made from 9 of the 12 immunodeficient foals; the range was 0 to 936/cmm., whereas the normal mean was 4,119/cmm., with a standard deviation ...
Li F, Wang R, Guo Y, Li N, Feng Y, Xiao L.Limited data are available on infection rates and genetic identity of Enterocytozoon bieneusi and Giardia duodenalis in horses and donkeys. In this study, 865 fecal specimens were collected from donkeys (n = 540) and horses (n = 325) in three provinces and autonomous regions in northern China during 2015-2019. Enterocytozoon bieneusi was detected and genotyped by PCR and sequence analyses of the ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and G. duodenalis was detected and genotyped by PCR and sequence analyses of the β-giardin, glutamate dehydrogenase, and triosephosphate isomerase g...
Hansen NC, Avershina E, Mydland LT, Næsset JA, Austbø D, Moen B, Måge I, Rudi K.It is well known that nutrient availability can alter the gut microbiota composition, while the effect on diversity and temporal stability remains largely unknown. Methods: Here we address the equine caecal microbiota temporal stability, diversity, and functionality in response to diets with different levels of nutrient availability. Hay (low and slower nutrient availability) versus a mixture of hay and whole oats (high and more rapid nutrient availability) were used as experimental diets. Results: We found major effects on the microbiota despite that the caecal pH was far from sub-clinical ac...
