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.
Erasha AM, Nazih M, Ali S, Alsafy M, El-Gendy S, Sayed RKA.A significant extent of researches in veterinary study have been focused on dental structure; however, there are scanty ones on the orientation and identification of their cusps. Therefore, the present article aimed to spot a light on arrangement pattern of dental cusps in the camel as a folivorous and graminivorous animal. This study was conducted on eight heads of adult, healthy camel of both sexes, collected from slaughter houses. To perform exact orientation of cusps of molar teeth, additional radiological and CT scans were performed on the mandible as a landmark that should facilitate the...
Nielsen MK, Leathwick DM, Sauermann CW.Over the past three decades, equine strongylid egg reappearance periods (ERPs) have shortened substantially for macrocyclic lactone anthelmintics. The ERPs of ivermectin and moxidectin were originally reported in the 8-10 and 12-16 week ranges, respectively, but several recent studies have found them to be around 4-5 weeks for both actives. This loss of several weeks of suppressed strongylid egg output could have substantial implications for parasite control. This study made use of a computer simulation model to evaluate the impact of shortened ERPs on the anthelmintic performance of ivermecti...
Gonzalez GA, Betbeze C, Wills R, Eddy A, Mochal-King C, Fontenot RL.To evaluate corneal sensitivity and adverse events following subconjunctival administration of three local anesthetics in horses. Methods: Randomized, masked, crossover study. Methods: Twelve healthy adult mares. Methods: The subconjunctival space of the treated eye was injected with 0.2 mL of liposomal bupivacaine (1.3%), ropivacaine (0.5%), or mepivacaine (2%). All horses received each medication once and the contralateral eye received saline (control). Corneal touch threshold (CTT) was measured using a Cochet-Bonnet esthesiometer before sedation, after sedation, and at specified intervals...
Śniegucka K, Soroko-Dubrovina M, Zielińska P, Dudek K, Žuffová K.Radial extracorporeal shock wave therapy (rESWT) is increasingly being used to treat musculoskeletal injuries in horses. The aim of this study was to assess the influence of rESWT on the skin surface temperature of the longissimus dorsi muscle in clinically healthy racing horses. A total of 24 thoroughbreds were divided into a study group (n = 12) and an rESWT-sham group (n = 12). The study group underwent rESWT, whereas the rESWT-sham group had rESWT without probe activation in the treated area. Both groups underwent thermographic examination before and just after rESWT to determine and compa...
Azhar M, Gadahi JA, Bhutto B, Tunio S, Vistro WA, Tunio H, Bhutto S, Ram T.Babesiosis is a protozoal disease affect livestock and pet animals such as cattle, buffaloes, sheep, goats, horses, donkeys, mules, dogs, and cats. It causes severe economic losses in livestock as well as in pet animals. A large number of dairy animals are imported in order to fulfill the demands of milk, milk, meat and its products. In addition, different pet animals are transported from Pakistan to various parts of the world, therefore, it is important to identify the current status and distribution of babesiosis throughout Pakistan in order to control the disease and draw attention for futu...
Hemberg E, Niazi A, Guo Y, Debnár VJ, Vincze B, Morrell JM, Kútvölgyi G.The presence of a microbiome/microbiota in the placenta is hotly debated. In previous studies, the presence of bacteria in equine amniotic fluid and umbilical blood was independent of foal health. The objective of the present study was to determine if the same bacteria are present in the equine placenta as in amniotic fluid and umbilical blood. Samples were obtained from 24 parturient mares and foals. Placental bacterial DNA was extracted, and the microbiome was identified using 16S rRNA sequencing. All amniotic fluid samples contained some polymorphonucleocytes; bacteria were isolated from fo...
Couroucé A, Normand C, Tessier C, Pomares R, Thévenot J, Marcillaud-Pitel C, Legrand L, Pitel PH, Pronost S, Lupo C.A total of 752 horses were involved in the CES Valencia Spring Tour 2021. Due to an equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) outbreak, the competition was cancelled and the site was locked down. The objective of this study was to describe epidemiological, clinical, diagnostic, and outcome data of the 160 horses remaining in Valencia. Clinical and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) data were analysed for 60 horses in a retrospective case-control observational study. The risk of developing clinical manifestations was explored using a logistic regression approach. EHV-1 was detected by qPCR, genot...
Gysens L, Vanmechelen B, Maes P, Martens A, Haspeslagh M.Infection with bovine papillomavirus (BPV) types 1 and 2 results in the most common skin tumor of horses, termed equine sarcoid. The persistent and recurrent nature of this tumor stands in contrast to the regressive nature of BPV-1/- 2 induced cutaneous papillomas in cattle. The circulation of horse-specific BPV-1/- 2 variants within equine populations has been suggested as a possible explanation for the difference in clinical presentation of BPV-1/- 2 infection between horses and cattle. In order to investigate this hypothesis, we identified 98 complete BPV-1/- 2 genomes using a Nanopore ...
Xu X, Murphy LA.The presence of insecticides like pyrethrins and synthetic pyrethroids, combined with the synergist piperonyl butoxide, in animal feeds can pose a risk to both animal and human health by contaminating the food chain. In this study, a simple and fast method was developed for the simultaneous determination of these compounds in contaminated animal feeds using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Sample preparation was carried out using a QuEChERS-based approach, and the method was validated with acceptable accuracy ranging from 84 to 115% and precision below 10%. The limit ...
Höglund N, Nieminen P, Mustonen AM, Käkelä R, Tollis S, Koho N, Holopainen M, Ruhanen H, Mykkänen A.Equine asthma (EA) is an inflammatory disease of the lower airways driven by mediators released from cells. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are vehicles for lipid mediators, which possess either pro-inflammatory or dual anti-inflammatory and pro-resolving functions. In this study, we investigated how the respiratory fatty acid (FA) profile reflects airway inflammatory status. The FA composition of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), BALF supernatant, and bronchoalveolar EVs of healthy horses (n = 15) and horses with mild/moderate EA (n = 10) or severe EA (SEA, n = 5) was determined w...
This study aimed to evaluate the change of white blood cell count, serum concentration of cortisol, C-reactive protein, albumin and globulin fractions in horse after road transport, and to assess the linkage among hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) and inflammatory reaction. From 10 horses blood samples were collected at rest, before road transport (218 km) (BT); after unloaded (AT), 30 and 60 min after unloaded (AT30 and AT60) in order to assess white blood cell count (WBC), serum cortisol, C-reactive protein (CRP), total proteins, albumin, α1-, α-2, β1-, β2- and γ-globulins. WB...
Faria R, Vicente A, Silva J.The aim of this study was to evaluate the sprint racing performance of Quarter Horses in Brazil. Estimating genetic parameters, trends and correlations were obtained by single- and two-trait analyses using Bayesian inference (earnings to 2 years of equestrian age, best time and time class at distances of 301 m and 402 m). The data comprised a period of 38 equestrian years (1978 to 2015) with 23,482 sprint race records from 5861 animals. The heritability estimates were of low to moderate magnitude, ranging from 0.10 to 0.37 (single-trait) and from 0.15 to 0.41 (two-traits), and the repeatabilit...
Madsen K, Martens A, Haspeslagh M, Meulyzer M, Gustafsson K.Medical grade honey (MGH) has been introduced as a protective measure against surgical site infections in equine surgery, but the effect on suture material has not been investigated. Objective: To evaluate the effect of MGH on the tensile properties of three synthetic absorbable suture materials. Methods: In vitro experiments. Methods: Ten strands of Polydioxanone USP 2 (PD2), Polyglactin 910 USP 2 (PG2) and Polyglecaprone USP 2-0 (PC2-0) were incubated 1, 7, 14, 21 and 28 days in MGH, phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), equine plasma (EP) and MGH mixed with equine plasma (HP). Mechanical testi...
Skiöldebrand E, Adepu S, Lützelschwab C, Nyström S, Lindahl A, Abrahamsson-Aurell K, Hansson E.This study aimed to test a novel treatment combination (TC) (equivalent to sildenafil, mepivacaine, and glucose) with disease-modifying properties compared to Celestone® bifas® (CB) in a randomized triple-blinded phase III clinical study in horses with mild osteoarthritis (OA). Joint biomarkers (reflecting the articular cartilage and subchondral bone remodelling) and clinical lameness were used as readouts to evaluate the treatment efficacy. Unassigned: Twenty horses with OA-associated lameness in the carpal joint were included in the study and received either TC (n = 10) or CB (n = ...
Lykkjen S, Stenbakk LK, Holmøy IH.Laminitis is a systemic condition resulting in debilitating pain and structural changes within the feet, and hence has major welfare implications. Causes include endocrine and systemic inflammatory conditions. Ponies are frequently affected, and observations in the field suggest that occurrence of laminitis is also common in Norwegian breeds. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence and risk factors for laminitis within the Norwegian pony breed Nordlandshest/Lyngshest. Results: The study was a cross-sectional study based on questionnaires sent to members of the Norwegian Nordlands...
Knych HK, McKemie DS, Yim S, Stanley SD, Arthur RM.Given the potential for long-term inhibition of bone remodeling/healing and detrimental effects to horses in training, bisphosphonates are tightly regulated in horseracing. Hair has proven to be an effective matrix for detection of drug administration to horses and has been particularly effective in detecting drugs for a long period of time post administration. Thus, hair may prove to be a useful matrix for detection of administration of this class of drugs. The objective of the current study was to develop an assay and assess the usefulness of hair as a matrix for long-term detection of clodr...
Gao Y, Yoshida S, Takeyama A, Tagami M, Rajabi-Toustani R, Tsogtgerel M, Nambo Y.Ultrasound examination during late gestation is one of the best methods for monitoring potential pregnancy risks. Enlarged bladder is a urological disorder rarely observed in equine fetuses. This clinical case report aimed to present a case illustrating the development of equine fetal enlarged bladder using transabdominal ultrasound examinations and maternal hormone evaluation during gestation. An 8-year-old Hokkaido native pony was impregnated by embryo transfer, and at 215 days of gestation, abnormalities of the fetal bladder were detected. The bladder volume increased with gestational age, ...
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 seeds of Houtt. (nutmeg oil), when used as a sensory additive in feed and water for drinking for all animal species. The additive contains myristicin (up to 12%), safrole (2.30%), elemicin (0.40%) and methyleugenol (0.33%). 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 0.2 mg/kg for laying hens and...
Derisoud E, Auclair-Ronzaud J, Rousseau-Ralliard D, Philau S, Aujean E, Durand A, Dahirel M, Charlier M, Boutinaud M, Wimel L, Chavatte-Palmer P.Nulliparity is associated with intra-uterine growth retardation and foal delayed catch-up growth. Older mares produce larger/taller foals than the precedents. Nursing at conception on foal growth had not been investigated yet. In any case, milk production conditions the foal's growth. This study aimed to determine effects of mare parity, age and nursing on subsequent lactation quantity and quality. Saddlebred mares and their foals (N = 43) run as a single herd over the same year were: young (6-7-year-old) primiparous, young multiparous, old (10-16-year-old) multiparous nursing at inseminatio...
Cittadini A, Domínguez R, Sarriés MV, Pateiro M, Lorenzo JM.This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the total or partial replacement of NaCl by a commercial low-salt mixture Pansalt® (T1) or Kombu (L. ochroleuca) seaweed powder (T2), respectively, on the quality properties of dry-cured foal "cecina". Salt reformulation unaffected fat percentages, decreased (P < 0.001) moisture and ash contents, while protein amounts increased (P < 0.001) in the T2 batch. Considering the physicochemical variables, any significant differences were observed among batches, except for a*, water activity, and springiness values. T1 and T2 samples presented a si...
Tehrani M, Ownagh A.Q fever is a worldwide zoonosis caused by an obligate intra-cellular pathogen called affecting a broad range of animal hosts including horses. Most of the isolates found carry plasmids which genetic studies of strains suggest a critical role in survival. The correlation between an isolated plasmid type and the chronic or acute nature of the disease has always been controversial. This study was conducted to investigate the prevalence of and plasmids in horses and assess the potential role of these species as reservoirs of infection and transmission. Nested-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) a...
Lean NE, Franklin SH, Steel C, Woolford L, White J, Ahern BJ.Little is known about potential differences in the left recurrent laryngeal nerve (Lrln) and left cricoarytenoideus dorsalis (LCAD) muscle between domestic and feral horse populations. If a difference exists, feral horses may provide a useful control population for research related to recurrent laryngeal neuropathy (RLN) and increase our understanding of potential population pressures influencing the incidence RLN. The objective of this study was to compare the Lrln and LCAD of domestic and feral horses using histological and immunohistochemical techniques (IHC). Sixteen horses, domestic (n = ...
Velloso Alvarez A, Wooldridge AA, Fuller J, Shrader SM, Mansour M, Boone LH.No studies have evaluated the effect of culture in serum-free media (SF) vs. media supplemented with equine serum (ES) on co-culture of synovial membrane and cartilage tissue explants. The study objective was to evaluate the effects of equine serum supplementation on induced production of inflammatory and catabolic mediators from articular cartilage and synovial explants while in co-culture. Articular cartilage and synovial membrane explants were harvested from femoropatellar joints of five adult horses. Cartilage and synovial explants were harvested from the stifle of five horses, placed in c...
Beckers KF, Gomes VCL, Crissman KR, Liu CC, Schulz CJ, Childers GW, Sones JL.Placentitis is the leading cause of infectious abortion in the horse. Additionally, it can result in weak and/or growth restricted offspring. While the etiology of ascending placentitis is well described in mares, less is known regarding the pathogenesis of other types, such as nocardioform placentitis. This study aims to identify the microbial communities in different body sites of the pregnant mare in early gestation to establish a core microbiome that may be perturbed in pathologic pregnancies such as placentitis. We hypothesize that the equine placenta harbors a distinct resident microbiom...
Todd ET, Fromentier A, Sutcliffe R, Running Horse Collin Y, Perdereau A, Aury JM, Èche C, Bouchez O, Donnadieu C, Wincker P, Kalbfleisch T....Historical genomes can provide important insights into recent genomic changes in horses, especially the development of modern breeds. In this study, we characterized 8.7 million genomic variants from a panel of 430 horses from 73 breeds, including newly sequenced genomes from 20 Clydesdales and 10 Shire horses. We used this modern genomic variation to impute the genomes of four historically important horses, consisting of publicly available genomes from 2 Przewalski's horses, 1 Thoroughbred, and a newly sequenced Clydesdale. Using these historical genomes, we identified modern horses with high...
Marshall K, Marsella R.Increased antimicrobial resistance highlights the need for alternatives to antibiotics. Bacteriophages, which are benign viruses that kill bacteria, are promising. We studied the efficacy of topical bacteriophages for treating equine staphylococcal superficial pyodermas. Eight isolates were tested against a bacteriophage bank, and a cocktail consisting of two bacteriophages was prepared. Twenty horses with clinical and cytological evidence of superficial pyoderma and confirmed infection based on swabbed culture were enrolled in the study. Each horse received both the bacteriophage cocktail a...
Yates KM, Stilwell NK, Fontenot RL, Betbeze CM.To determine the in vitro antibacterial efficacy of equine and canine autologous conditioned plasma (ACP) and amniotic membrane extract eye drops (AMEED) against aerobic bacteria common to the corneal surface. Methods: Canine (n = 4) and equine (n = 4) anticoagulated whole blood samples were sterilely collected, pooled for each species, and processed using the Arthrex ACP® Double-Syringe System. Platelet counts were performed on ACP and pooled blood. AMEED were obtained from a commercial source. An electronic medical records search (2013-2022) identified aerobic bacteria cultured from...
Gehlen H, Inerle K, Bartel A, Stöckle SD, Ulrich S, Briese B, Straubinger RK.There are limited data on Lyme borreliosis (LB), a tick-borne disease caused by the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex, in horses. Seropositivity is not necessarily associated with clinical disease. Data on seropositivity against Borrelia burgdorferi and Anaplasma phagocytophilum in German horses are sparse. Therefore, serum samples from horses (n = 123) suspected of having Lyme borreliosis and clinically healthy horses (n = 113) from the same stables were tested for specific antibodies against Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato and Anaplasma phagocytophilum. The samples were screened for an...
Beaumont RE, Smith EJ, Zhou L, Marr N, Thorpe CT, Guest DJ.We investigated how Interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β) impacts equine tenocyte function and global gene expression in vitro and determined if these effects could be rescued by pharmacologically inhibiting nuclear factor-κB (NF-B) or interleukin 1 signalling. Equine superficial digital flexor tenocytes were cultured in three-dimensional (3D) collagen gels and stimulated with IL-1β for two-weeks, with gel contraction and interleukin 6 (IL6) measured throughout and transcriptomic analysis performed at day 14. The impact of three NF-B inhibitors on gel contraction and IL6 secretion were measured in 3D ...
Lane JG, Bladon B, Little DR, Naylor JR, Franklin SH.To review the prevalence of single and complex forms of dynamic airway obstructions within a large group of Thoroughbred horses in training referred for investigation of poor performance. Methods: Video-endoscopic recordings of the upper respiratory tract made during a standardised treadmill exercise test of 600 Thoroughbred racehorses were reviewed and analysed in real time and slow motion to identify dynamic collapse by the tissues bordering onto the pharyngeal and laryngeal airways. Results: Dynamic collapse within the nasopharynx or larynx was confirmed in 471 of the 600 horses. Dorsal dis...
Smith JE, Mohandas N, Shohet SB.Deformability is an important aspect of erythrocyte physiology and has been extensively studied using human red cells. We have studied erythrocytes from 25 different animals using a viscometric technique. Erythrocyte diameters ranged from 3.3 microns in the goat to 11.4 microns for the elephant seal. Erythrocytes from most species deformed readily when a fluid shear stress was applied. A deformability index of the stressed cell defined as (length - width)/(length + width) correlated with cell size. The erythrocytes of four animals (pygmy goat, goat, Batanga horse, and miniature horse) deformed...
Eaton BT, Broder CC, Wang LF.Within the past decade a number of new zoonotic paramyxoviruses emerged from flying foxes to cause serious disease outbreaks in man and livestock. Hendra virus was the cause of fatal infections of horses and man in Australia in 1994, 1999 and 2004. Nipah virus caused encephalitis in humans both in Malaysia in 1998/99, following silent spread of the virus in the pig population, and in Bangladesh from 2001 to 2004 probably as a result of direct bat to human transmission and spread within the human population. Hendra and Nipah viruses are highly pathogenic in humans with case fatality rates of 40...
Suganuma K, Narantsatsral S, Battur B, Yamasaki S, Otgonsuren D, Musinguzi SP, Davaasuren B, Battsetseg B, Inoue N.Trypanosoma equiperdum causes dourine via sexual transmission in Equidae. T. equiperdum is classified under the subgenus Trypanozoon along with the T. brucei sspp. and T. evansi; however, the species classification of Trypanozoon remains a controversial topic due to the limited number of T. equiperdum reference strains. In addition, it is possible that some were misclassified T. evansi strains. Thus, there is a strong need for a new T. equiperdum strain directly isolated from the genital mucosa of a horse with a clinically- and parasitologically-confirmed dourine infection. Trypanosomes isolat...
Phillips TJ, Walmsley JP.Of 149 horses that underwent 151 exploratory laparotomies for gastrointestinal disorders from September 1987 to May 1991, 107 (72%) were discharged from the hospital: 100 (66%) survived for > 7 months, 94 of which returned to their intended use. Survival rate (64/80) for horses with caecum/large colon obstruction was significantly (P = 0.003) higher than for horses with small intestinal obstruction (33/64). Prolonged surgery was associated with significantly (P < 0.001) lower survival rates than short surgical time. In the large intestine, survival rate (15/29) for strangulated obstructions wa...
Hanafy RA, Lanjekar VB, Dhakephalkar PK, Callaghan TM, Dagar SS, Griffith GW, Elshahed MS, Youssef NH.We isolated and characterized 65 anaerobic gut fungal (AGF; Neocallimastigomycota) strains from fecal samples of five wild (W, axis deer, white-tailed deer, Boer goat, mouflon, and Nilgiri tahr), one zoo-housed (Z, zebra), and three domesticated (D, horse, sheep, and goat) herbivores in the US states of Texas (TX) and Oklahoma (OK), Wales (WA), and the Indian states of Kerala (KE) and Haryana (HA). Phylogenetic assessment using the D1-D2 regions of the large subunit (28S) rDNA and internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) identified seven monophyletic clades that are distinct from all curren...
Pérez MD, Calvo M.beta-Lactoglobulin is the major whey protein in the milk of ruminants and some nonruminants, such as pigs and horses. Although beta-lactoglobulin was first isolated 60 yr ago, no function has been definitely ascribed to beta-lactoglobulin. Recent x-ray crystallographic studies have advanced knowledge of the structure of beta-lactoglobulin, which is homologous with that of retinol-binding protein and lipocalycins; the function of these proteins seems to be participation in the transport of small hydrophobic substances. By analogy, this protein has been suggested as having a role as a transporte...
Bell C, Rogers S, Taylor J, Busby D.A key welfare problem for horses is that people commonly fail to recognise, and consequently neglect to resolve, equine behavioural signs of distress, worsening the welfare of the horse and potentially putting the safety of the handler at risk as a result. Members of equestrian Facebook groups were asked to view six videos and assess the horse's behaviour in each; the authors selected the videos and considered each video to demonstrate behaviour associated with negative affective states. An additional six equine behaviourists also completed the survey as an "expert comparison group" from whom ...
Dunowska M, Morley PS, Traub-Dargatz JL, Hyatt DR, Dargatz DA.Objective-To evaluate antimicrobial susceptibility of commensal Escherichia coli strains isolated from the feces of horses and investigate relationships with hospitalization and antimicrobial drug (AMD) administration. Design-Observational study. Animals-68 hospitalized horses that had been treated with AMDs for at least 3 days (HOSP-AMD group), 63 hospitalized horses that had not received AMDs for at least 4 days (HOSP-NOAMD group), and 85 healthy horses that had not been hospitalized or treated with AMDs (community group). Procedures-Fecal samples were submitted for bacterial culture, and up...
Ryan D, McKemie DS, Kass PH, Puschner B, Knych HK.The increasing availability of cannabidiol (CBD) and anecdotal reports of its anti-inflammatory effects has garnered it much interest in the equine industry. The objectives of the current study were to (1) describe the pharmacokinetics of oral CBD in exercising thoroughbreds, (2) characterize select behavioral and physiologic effects, and (3) evaluate effects on biomarkers of inflammation using an ex vivo model. This study was conducted in a randomized balanced 3-way crossover design with a two-week washout period between doses. Horses received a single oral dose (0.5, 1, and 2 mg/kg) of CBD...
Björnsdóttir S, Sigvaldadóttir J, Broström H, Langvad B, Sigurdsson A.A cross sectional study was designed to estimate the prevalence of summer eczema (a chronic, recurrent seasonal dermatitis) in exported Icelandic horses and the influence of environmental and genetic factors on the development of the disease. Among 330 horses, which had been exported to Germany, Denmark and Sweden, 114 (34.5%) were found to have clinical signs of summer eczema. The prevalence was highest 2 years after export and the exposure to the biting midges Culicoides spp., was found to be the main risk factor for developing the disease. Genetic influence on the sensitivity for the diseas...
Venner M, Astheimer K, Lämmer M, Giguère S.Mass antimicrobial treatment of foals with small subclinical ultrasonographic pulmonary lesions is empirical practice on many farms with endemic disease caused by Rhodococcus equi. Objective: Mass antimicrobial treatment of foals with subclinical ultrasonographic pulmonary lesions is unnecessary. Methods: One hundred and eight foals on a farm endemic for infections caused by R. equi. Methods: Controlled, randomized, and double-blinded prospective study. Foals with ultrasonographic evidence of pulmonary abscesses 5.0-10 cm in diameter (n = 108) were randomly allocated in 5 treatment groups: (1)...
Donnell JR, Frisbie DD, King MR, Goodrich LR, Haussler KK.When mild lameness exists, agreement between clinicians is often controversial due to its subjective nature. The goal of the study was to compare subjective and objective methods to identify the presence of mild lameness using an established model of osteoarthritis (OA) in which OA was induced by creating a unilateral carpal osteochondral fragment (OCF) in the middle carpal joint of 16 horses. Subjective lameness evaluations (blinded and unblinded), force platforms (FP), and an inertial-sensor system (ISS) were used to detect forelimb lameness at four time points. Limbs identified as lame by e...
Halliwell RE, McGorum BC, Irving P, Dixon PM.An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to quantify isotype-specific antibody to Micropolyspora faeni and to Aspergillus fumigatus in the sera and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of normal horses, horses with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and horses with other chronic respiratory diseases. Elevated antibody levels were not detected in the sera of affected horses. However, both IgE and IgA antibody to both allergens was significantly elevated in BALF in COPD affected horses sampled both when symptomatic and asymptomatic. Elevated levels were also found in animal...
MacLachlan NJ, Balasuriya UB, Hedges JF, Schweidler TM, McCollum WH, Timoney PJ, Hullinger PJ, Patton JF.Equine arteritis virus (EAV) is the causative agent of equine viral arteritis, an apparently emerging disease of equids. In this study, the antibody response of horses to the structural proteins of EAV was evaluated using gradient-purified EAV virions and baculovirus-expressed recombinant EAV structural proteins (G(L), G(S), M, N) as antigens in a Western immunoblotting assay. Thirty-three sera from horses that previously had been naturally or experimentally infected with EAV were evaluated, including samples from mares, geldings, and both persistently and nonpersistently infected stallions. S...
Hooper PT, Ketterer PJ, Hyatt AD, Russell GM.Laboratory examinations of equine morbillivirus included experimental reproductions of the disease caused by the virus by transmission of mixed lung and spleen taken from two field equine cases into two horses and by inoculating tissue culture virus into a further two horses. The most distinctive gross lesions of the diseases that developed in three of the horses was that of pulmonary edema characterized by gelatinous distension of subpleural lymphatics. Histologically, the lesions in the lungs were those of serofibrinous alveolar edema, alveolar macrophages, hemorrhage, thrombosis of capillar...
Nasir L, Reid SW.The sarcoid is a benign locally invasive dermal fibroblastic lesion, commonly affecting horses and donkeys. The aetiology of the equine sarcoid is equivocal. Bovine papillomaviral (BPV) DNA (type 1/2) is frequently demonstrable in equine sarcoid tumour biopsies. However, the exact role of the virus in the disease process and its contribution to the phenotypic differences in sarcoids is not known. It was sought to assess the transcriptional activity of BPV-1 found in sarcoid tissues. Of 20 tumours examined, 18 were positive for E2 expression and ten positive for L1 expression. Viral oncogenes E...
Buhl R, Ersbøll AK, Eriksen L, Koch J.To evaluate changes over time in echocardiographic measurements in young Standardbred racehorses undergoing training and racing and determine whether there was any relationship between cardiac dimensions and racing performance. Methods: Longitudinal observational study. Methods: 103 horses. Methods: 2-dimensional and M-mode echocardiography was performed 4 times at 6-month intervals. Results: Significant cardiac enlargement took place during the study period as indicated by increases in left ventricular internal diameter in diastole (LVIDd), estimated left ventricular muscle mass (LV mass), an...
Watts AE, Nixon AJ, Yeager AE, Mohammed HO.A consistent and clinically relevant model for the induction of core lesions confined to the mid-metacarpal superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) has not been previously reported. Injection of bacterial collagenase is commonly used but often results in large, irregular and inconsistent lesions that disrupt the superficial tendon layers and epitenon. Objective: To develop and evaluate a new injection technique for collagenase induction of SDFT injury. Methods: Collagenase gel was injected into a physical columnar defect created by longitudinally placing a curved 16 gauge 8.89 cm needle in ...
Attoui H, Mohd Jaafar F.Many novel emerging orbiviruses have been isolated in the past 15 years. Important viruses include Peruvian horse sickness virus (PHSV) and Yunnan orbivirus (YUOV), pathogens of equids which were originally isolated almost simultaneously from 1997 to 1999 in the People's Republic of China, Australia and Peru. YUOV has also been isolated from cattle, sheep and a dog. The isolation of YUOVfrom a dog is not the first case of an orbivirus being isolated from a carnivore. Bluetongue virus and African horse sickness virus were earlier detected in carnivores which fed on contaminated meat. PHSV and Y...
Akerreta S, Calvo MI, Cavero RY.To collect, analyze and evaluate the ethnoveterinary knowledge about medicinal plants in a northern Iberian region (Navarra, 10,421 km(2), 620,377 inhabitants). Methods: Field work was conducted between 2003 and 2007, using semi-structured questionnaire and participant observation as well as transects walks in wild herbal plant collection areas. We performed semi-structured interviews with 667 informants (mean age 72; 55.47% women, 44.53% men) in 265 locations, identified the plant reported and analyzed the results, comparing them with those from other territories. Results: Out of 287 species ...
Richardson JS, Parrera GS, Astacio H, Sahota H, Anderson DM, Hall C, Babinchak T.Botulism is a rare, life-threatening paralytic illness. Botulism Antitoxin Heptavalent (A,B,C,D,E,F,G)-(Equine) (BAT) manufactured by Emergent BioSolutions Canada Inc is an equine-derived heptavalent botulinum antitoxin product indicated for the treatment of symptomatic botulism following documented or suspected exposure to botulinum neurotoxin serotypes A-G in adults and pediatric patients. BAT product was US-licensed in 2013. In the United States, from October 2014 through July 2017, safety and clinical outcomes data were collected under a registry for patients treated with BAT product. Regi...
Guyton K, Houchen-Wise E, Peck E, Mayberry J.Horse-related injury can be severe and disabling. We investigated the causes, severity, and costs of equestrian injury with the goal of injury prevention. A retrospective review of horse-related injuries from 2001 to 2008 identified 231 patients with a mean age of 38 years and a mean Injury Severity Score of 11 (range, 1 to 45). Mean length of stay was 5.5 days. Fifty-nine patients (25%) required 84 surgeries. Helmet use was 20 per cent and of the 172 patients not wearing a helmet while mounted, 38 per cent received potentially preventable head injuries. There were three deaths of which two we...
Deeg CA, Ehrenhofer M, Thurau SR, Reese S, Wildner G, Kaspers B.Equine recurrent uveitis (ERU) is the most serious eye disease in horses worldwide. Despite the fact that ERU is generally considered to be immune mediated, a detailed description of the histopathology of the posterior part of ERU eyes is lacking. Here, we examined sections of paraffin-embedded eyes using histological and immunhistological methods. Twenty seven eyes of 20 horses with ERU and 30 eyes of 15 healthy control horses were included in this study. We could consistently demonstrate an involvement of the retina and the choroid in all examined eyes of horses with spontaneous ERU. In eyes...
Wilson WD.Myeloencephalopathy is an uncommon manifestation of equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1), but it can cause devastating losses during outbreaks on individual farms. Clinical signs of neurologic disease reflect a diffuse multifocal hemorrhagic myeloencephalopathy secondary to vasculitis and thrombosis. Sudden onset and early stabilization of signs, including ataxia, paresis, and urinary incontinence; involvement of multiple horses on the premises; and recent history of fever, abortion, or viral respiratory disease in the affected horse or herdmates are typical features, although there is considerable va...
van Loon JP, de Grauw JC, van Dierendonck M, L'ami JJ, Back W, van Weeren PR.Intra-articular administration of morphine as a local analgesic and anti-inflammatory drug is widely used in human medicine. In equids, little is known about its clinical analgesic and anti-inflammatory efficacy. Objective: To use an inflammatory orthopaedic pain model to investigate the analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects of intra-articularly administered morphine as a new treatment modality in horses with acute arthritis. Methods: In a crossover study design, synovitis was induced in the left or right talocrural joint by means of intra-articular injection of 0.5 ng lipopolyssacharide (LP...
Rikihisa Y, Pretzman CI, Johnson GC, Reed SM, Yamamoto S, Andrews F.Ehrlichia risticii has a close antigenic relationship to E. sennetsu. Sera of ponies experimentally infected with E. risticii, the etiologic agent of Potomac horse fever, consistently reacted with E. sennetsu, a human pathogen, in indirect fluorescent-antibody (IFA) testing, while human E. sennetsu convalescent serum reacted with E. risticii by IFA testing and immunoferritin labeling of cells infected in vitro. Two ponies injected intravenously with live E. sennetsu did no develop clinical illness. Subsequent injection with live E. sennetsu did not develop clinical illness. Subsequent injectio...
González-Fernández L, Ortega-Ferrusola C, Macias-Garcia B, Salido GM, Peña FJ, Tapia JA.Protein tyrosine kinases have important roles in spermatozoa; however, little is known about the presence and regulation in these cells of their counterparts in signaling, namely, protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) and dual-specificity phosphatases (DSPs). The objectives of the present study were to identify PTPs and DSPs in boar, stallion, and dog spermatozoa; to characterize their subcellular distribution; and to investigate the roles of tyrosine phosphatases in maintenance of protein tyrosine phosphorylation level and in sperm motility. Using Western blotting with specific antibodies in b...
Müller J, Feige K, Wunderlin P, Hödl A, Meli ML, Seltenhammer M, Grest P, Nicolson L, Schelling C, Heinzerling LM.Melanoma is a disease with high incidence in gray horses and has limited therapeutic options in metastatic disease. Gene therapy has shown some success in animal models and human patients. A randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled study was conducted to investigate 2 treatment options using cytokine-encoding plasmid DNA in horses with metastatic melanoma to induce immunologic antitumor effects. Adult gray horses with spontaneously occurring metastatic melanoma (n=26) were included in the study. Treatment of 26 gray horses with metastatic melanoma consisted of interleukin-18-encoding plasmi...
