Fungal infections in horses encompass a variety of conditions caused by different fungal species that can affect the skin, respiratory system, and other body systems. These infections can range from superficial skin infections, such as ringworm, to more serious systemic infections like aspergillosis. The presence of fungi in the equine environment and their interactions with the horse's immune system can influence the development and severity of these infections. Diagnosis often involves identifying the specific fungal organism through laboratory testing, while treatment may include antifungal medications and supportive care. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the epidemiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of fungal infections in horses.
Melo UP, Ferreira C, Barreto SWM.Respiratory diseases considerably affect equine athletes, being the second most common cause of poor performance. Among these diseases, fungal pneumonia in horses, caused specifically by Aspergillus spp., is relatively rare but potentially fatal. Fungal pneumonia typically affects horses exposed to fungal elements due to environmental factors, immunosuppression, or previous debilitating illnesses. Treatment is complex, with minimal success due to late diagnosis and serious concomitant underlying diseases. The choice of medication depends on the site of infection, the fungal species involved, a...
Lan Y, Hu Y, Guo Y, Ali F, Amjad N, Ouyang Q, Almutairi MH, Wang D.Similar to gut bacterial community, gut fungal community are also an important part of the gut microbiota and play crucial roles in host immune regulation and metabolism. However, most studies have focused on the gut bacterial community, and research on the gut fungal community has been limited. Dutch Warmblood (DWH) and Mongolian horses (MGH) are important equine breeds, but little research has been done on their gut fungal community. Here, we assessed differences in gut fungal community between two horse species. Results showed that a total of 2159 OTUs were found in the Dutch Warmblood and ...
Girma A, Tamir D.In Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), particularly in Ethiopia, Epizootic Lymphangitis (EL) is the most prevalent fungal disease of equids, which causes significant economic losses as well as a decrease in equid populations. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis were designed to pool the results of individual studies and estimate the prevalence of EL among equids in Ethiopia. A systematic search of research articles on the prevalence and risk factors of EL among equids in Ethiopia was conducted in registers, databases, and other sources. Cochrane's Q, inverse variance (I2), sensitivity an...
Anbalagan E, Malathi S.The human body's largest organ is the skin which covers the entire body. The facial skin is one area of the body that needs careful handling. It can cause several facial skin diseases like acne, eczema, moles, melanoma, rosacea, and many other fungal infections. Diagnosing these diseases has been difficult due to challenges like the high cost of medical equipment and the lack of medical competence. However, various existing systems are utilized to detect the type of facial skin disease, but those approaches are time-consuming and inaccurate to detect the disease at early stages. To address var...
Waitt Wolker LH, Black A, Lee JK.Clinical and histologic examination of a 12-y-old client-owned Quarter Horse gelding with pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction revealed dermatitis, cellulitis, and osteomyelitis caused by , confirmed by a PCR assay. This novel presentation of a fungal disease in a horse was characterized by aggressive local invasion and failure to respond to all medical therapy attempted over a 1-y period. Treatments included systemic and topical antifungals, anti-inflammatories, and use of cellular matrices. Surgical excision was not attempted but should be strongly considered early in the disease process in...
Mazan MR, Deveney EF.Equine asthma (EA) is an important cause of wastage in the USA horse industry. Exposure to organic particulates, from stable dust, airborne pollen, and fungal loads, is posited to be the main cause. Dust arising from the earth's crust has been largely ignored as a contributor to EA in the veterinary literature. The objectives of this study were to investigate the occurrence of birefringent particulates in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of horses with a clinical complaint of EA residing in the arid West of the USA v. the East, in an effort to determine the contribution of geolocation t...
