"Horses" is a broad topic that encompasses various aspects of equine biology, behavior, and management. This category includes studies on the anatomy, physiology, and genetics of horses, as well as their behavior, nutrition, and care. Research in this area may also cover the historical and cultural significance of horses, their roles in agriculture, sport, and therapy, and the challenges associated with their conservation and welfare. The page aggregates peer-reviewed research articles and scholarly studies that explore the multifaceted relationships between humans and horses, examining both scientific and socio-economic perspectives.
Munhoz AD, Souza MA, Costa SCL, Freitas JS, Silva AND, Lacerda LC, Cruz RDS, Albuquerque GR, Pereira MJS.The aim of this study was to determine the frequency and factors associated with Toxoplasma gondii in naturally infected equids in northeastern Brazil. Serum samples from 569 equids (528 horses, 8 mules and 33 donkeys) were subjected to the indirect fluorescent antibody test. Generalized linear models were used to evaluate associated factors. Among the 569 animals sampled, 118 (30.6%) living in rural areas and 14 (26.42%) in urban areas were seropositive (p>0.05). Seropositive animals were observed on 95% of the farms and in all the municipalities. Donkeys/mules as the host, presence of dom...
Ochi A, Sekiguchi M, Tsujimura K, Kinoshita T, Ueno T, Katayama Y.Equine multinodular pulmonary fibrosis (EMPF) is a recently described form of interstitial pneumonia associated with equine herpesvirus type 5 (EHV-5). This disease has been reported in North and South America, Europe and Oceania but not, to our knowledge, in horses in Japan. We diagnosed EMPF in two Thoroughbred horses in Japan on the basis of gross and histopathological findings. In both cases, significant gross lesions, restricted to the lungs, consisted of numerous firm and coalescing nodules widely distributed throughout the lung. The nodules were <3 cm in diameter and pale white to t...
Duke-Novakovski T.Hemoglobin oxygen saturation (SO) is measured by co-oximetry (SO) or calculated from partial pressure of oxygen (PO) using algorithms (SO). To compare venous and systemic arterial blood sample data retrospectively and to examine whether temperature correction of PO is important. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: A group of 21 healthy, adult, sedated or anesthetized horses. Methods: Mixed-venous and systemic arterial blood samples (1 mL) were anaerobically collected using commercial preheparinized syringes from the right ventricle and facial artery, respectively. Blood was analyzed using a...
Le Moyec L, Robert C, Triba MN, Bouchemal N, Mach N, Rivière J, Zalachas-Rebours E, Barrey E.Endurance racing places high demands on energy metabolism pathways. Metabolomics can be used to investigate biochemical responses to endurance exercise in humans, laboratory animals, and horses. Although endurance horses have previously been assessed in the field (i.e., during races) using broad-window Nuclear Magnetic Resonance metabolomics, these studies included several different race locations, race distances, age classes, and race statuses (finisher or elimination). The present NMR metabolomics study focused on 40 endurance horses racing in three race categories over 90, 120, or 160 km. T...
Sears KP, Kappmeyer LS, Wise LN, Silva M, Ueti MW, White S, Reif KE, Knowles DP.Theileria equi infection, exotic to the United States has reemerged through intravenous (iatrogenic) and tick-borne transmission. Surveillance at the US-Mexico border identified a new species, Theileria haneyi, (T. haneyi) (EP = Eagle Pass, Texas) which warranted additional investigation due to inability to detect by PCR targeting of T. equi ema-1 and EMA-1-cELISA validated for T. equi. Infection dynamics of T. haneyi were evaluated, including ability to superinfect in the presence of T. equi-Texas (T. equi), the isolate responsible for the reemergence of T. equi in the U S. Experimental i...
Claußen G, Grau D, Hessel EF.It has been known for some years now that the occurrence of lameness in horses is closely related to the characteristics of the riding surface and that respiratory tract diseases can be induced by airborne particles. To ensure both optimal rideability (e.g., grip, elasticity, etc.) and low dust production, riding surfaces have to be regularly attended to, which also includes watering the floor. However, at present, it is not known what the individual moisture content of the various types of riding surface should be to ensure optimal rideability or what their potential for releasing dust is at ...
Berryhill EH, Knych H, Edman JM, Magdesian KG.The neurokinin-1 (NK) receptor antagonist, maropitant citrate, mitigates nausea and vomiting in dogs and cats. Nausea is poorly understood and likely under-recognized in horses. Use of NK-1 receptor antagonists in horses has not been reported. The purpose of this study was to determine the pharmacokinetic profile of maropitant in seven adult horses after single intravenous (IV; 1 mg/kg) and intragastric (IG; 2 mg/kg) doses. A randomized, crossover design was performed. Serial blood samples were collected after dosing; maropitant concentrations were measured using LC-MS/MS. Pharmacokinetic pa...
Cuervo-Arango J, Claes AN, Stout TA.Asynchronous embryo transfer is an excellent tool to investigate how subtle differences in the uterine environment affect embryo development and survival. Progesterone secreted from the corpus luteum following ovulation is one of the main factors responsible for establishing endometrial receptivity for the pre-implantation embryo via complex alterations in the expression of genes involved in the secretion of the histotroph. The objective of this retrospective study was to determine whether the recipient's Day after ovulation and the number of CL at ET influence the pregnancy rates of IVP horse...
Robert M, Manet H, Manneveau G, Geffroy O. The aim of this study was to describe an ultrasound-guided injection technique of the lumbosacral disc in horses through the cranial vertebral notch of the sacrum and to evaluate both accuracy and potential complications of the technique on equine cadavers. Methods: Twenty-four injections of the lumbosacral area were performed on 12 equine cadavers shortly after euthanasia under ultrasound guidance with the horse in recumbency using two different dyes (one colour for each side). The lumbosacral area was dissected in each horse and the accuracy of the technique, as well as its potential c...
Dall Agnol AM, Beuttemmuller EA, Pilz D, Leme RA, Saporiti V, Headley SA, Alfieri AF, Alfieri AA.Equid gammaherpesvirus 2 (EHV-2) and 5 (EHV-5) are members of the Herpesviridae family and have been reported in horse populations worldwide. This study aimed to evaluate the presence of herpesvirus DNA in the upper respiratory tract of horses. Twenty-six nasal swabs were collected from asymptomatic adult horses of two different horse farms (A, n = 18; B, n = 8), both located in Southern Brazil. The EHV-1, EHV-2, EHV-4, and EHV-5 DNA analyses were performed using nested PCR assays targeting the glycoprotein B gene. Four (15.3%) and 12 (46.1%) of the 26 nasal swab samples were positive ...
Bettembourg V, Dulgheriu D, Haga HA.To determine dexmedetomidine plasma concentrations at two infusion rates in isoflurane anaesthetized horses and compare cardiovascular effects and anaesthetic recovery between treatments. Methods: Prospective, randomized, masked clinical study. Methods: Healthy, adult, client-owned, non-food producing horses presented for castration. Methods: Premedication consisted of acepromazine, romifidine and morphine, and anaesthesia was induced with ketamine and midazolam. The horses were randomized to receive dexmedetomidine 0.5 μg kg hour (treatment DL, n = 7) or 1.75 μg kg hour (treatment DH, n =...
Visser EM, Menke ES, van Loon JP.To assess the clinical course of abdominal wall sensitivity after ventral midline coeliotomy in horses by determining mechanical nociceptive thresholds (MNTs) during hospitalization, and to determine the inter-observer reliability of pressure algometry on the abdominal wall. Methods: Observational, cohort study. Methods: A total of 13 horses presenting with signs of abdominal pain/colic undergoing ventral midline coeliotomy and 10 healthy horses without an abdominal incision. Methods: Measurements were performed on days 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 postoperatively using a pressure algometer. Measurement s...
Marteles D, Verde MT, Conde T, Pereboom D, Casanova Á, Villanueva-Saz S, Ortín A, Fernández A.The aim of this study was to assess the effect of allergen-specific immunotherapy (ASIT) on the immunological responses of horses. Blood samples were taken from thirty-two horses with allergic dermatitis treated with ASIT and 10 healthy control horses at 0, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months to investigate the evolution of the percentage of regulatory T cells (Treg) in the peripheral blood and the serum levels of cytokines and immunoglobulins. Clinical improvement was appreciated by the majority of the horses' owners (56.6%). No effect of ASIT on CD4CD25 Treg cells was found during the one year treatment...
Witkowska-Piłaszewicz O, Bąska P, Czopowicz M, Żmigrodzka M, Szczepaniak J, Szarska E, Winnicka A, Cywińska A.Sport training leads to adaptation to physical effort that is reflected by the changes in blood parameters. In equine endurance athletes, blood testing is accepted as a support in training, however, only the changes before versus after exercise in creatine phosphokinase activity (CPK) and basic blood parameters are usually measured. This study is the first longitudinal investigation of the changes in routinely measured blood parameters and, additionally, serum amyloid A (SAA), during seven months, in Arabian horses introduced to endurance training and competing in events for young horses. It h...
Millares-Ramirez EM, Le Jeune SS.Girth aversion or girthiness is a nonspecific clinical sign anecdotally associated with multiple conditions in the horse (behavioral problems, gastric ulcers, back pain); however, studies have not been conducted to definitively correlate this clinical sign to specific pathologies. This retrospective study aims to describe the clinical signs and final diagnoses of 37 horses evaluated at the University of California, Davis with a presenting complaint of girthiness. Medical records of all horses presented to the veterinary hospital between 2004 and 2016 for girthiness were reviewed. Twelve horses...
Schedlbauer C, Blaue D, Gericke M, Blüher M, Starzonek J, Gittel C, Brehm W, Vervuert I.Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is known as determining part of human obesity. The impact of body weight (BW) gain on liver metabolism has not been extensively investigated yet. Objective: To investigate hepatic alterations caused by increasing BW in ponies and horses. Methods: A total of 19 non-obese equines (10 Shetland ponies, geldings; nine Warmblood horses, geldings). Methods: Animals received 200% of their metabolizable maintenance energy requirements for 2 years. Serum alkaline phosphatase, glutamate dehydrogenase (GLDH), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and gamma-glutamyl transferas...
Stejskalova K, Janova E, Horecky C, Horecka E, Vaclavek P, Hubalek Z, Relling K, Cvanova M, D'Amico G, Mihalca AD, Modry D, Knoll A, Horin P.The West Nile virus (WNV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus causing meningoencephalitis in humans and animals. Due to their particular susceptibility to WNV infection, horses serve as a sentinel species. In a population of Romanian semi-feral horses living in the Danube delta region, we have analyzed the distribution of candidate polymorphic genetic markers between anti WNV-IgG seropositive and seronegative horses. Thirty-six SNPs located in 28 immunity-related genes and 26 microsatellites located in the MHC and LY49 complex genomic regions were genotyped in 57 seropositive and 32 seronegative ho...
Riddin MA, Venter GJ, Labuschagne K, Villet MH.African horse sickness (AHS), a disease of equids caused by the AHS virus, is of major concern in South Africa. With mortality reaching up to 95% in susceptible horses and the apparent reoccurrence of cases in regions deemed non-endemic, most particularly the Eastern Cape, epidemiological research into factors contributing to the increase in the range of this economically important virus became imperative. The vectors, Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae), are considered unable to proliferate during the unfavourable climatic conditions experienced in winter in the province, although the annua...
Meier A, de Laat M, Pollitt C, Walsh D, McGree J, Reiche DB, von Salis-Soglio M, Wells-Smith L, Mengeler U, Mesa Salas D, Droegemueller S, Sillence MN.Laminitis is a common equine disease characterized by foot pain, and is commonly diagnosed using a five-grade Obel system developed in 1948 using sepsis-related cases. However, endocrinopathic laminitis is now the most common form of the disease and clinical signs may be mild, or spread across two Obel grades. This paper describes a modified method which assigns scores to discreet clinical signs, providing a wider scale suitable for use in a research setting. Methods: The "modified Obel" method was developed using an iterative process. First, a prototype method was developed during the detaile...
Potter K, Stevens K, Menzies-Gow N.A retrospective treated versus untreated study (study 1) and multicentre prospective cohort study (study 2) were undertaken to determine the prevalence of, and risk factors associated with, acute laminitis in horses treated with corticosteroids. All old treated with corticosteroids January-December 2014 (study 1) and January 2015-February 2017 (study 2) by two first opinion and referral hospitals in UK were included. Additionally, an untreated animal was identified for each treated animal (study one). Signalment, body condition (study 2 only), relevant medical history, primary condition, corti...
Shakarami MH, Mohammadabadi T, Motamedi H, Sari M, Teimouri Yansari A.This study was conducted to isolate and identify the cellulolytic bacteria from gastrointestinal tract of Arabian horse and investigate their effect on the nutritional value of wheat straw (WS). Results: Fresh faeces were collected from four Arabian horses. The cellulose-hydrolytic bacteria were isolated by using a medium amended with carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC). The activity of CMC was determined by measuring the release of reducing sugars from CMC. Among the isolates, four isolates (L11, L12, L2 and Z2) showed maximum hydrolysis capacity. 16S rRNA sequence analysis showed that these isolat...
Wiklund M, Kellgren M, Wulcan S, Grubb T, Nyman G.Administration of pulsed inhaled nitric oxide (PiNO) improves arterial oxygenation in spontaneously breathing anaesthetised healthy horses and in horses undergoing colic surgery. However, because hypoventilation commonly occurs, horses are often mechanically ventilated to prevent hypercarbia. Objective: To evaluate the effects of PiNO on arterial oxygenation during anaesthesia in mechanically ventilated healthy horses and horses undergoing colic surgery. Methods: Prospective nonblinded clinical trial. Methods: Fifty horses undergoing elective arthroscopy (Group A) and 30 horses undergoing coli...
Shaw DJ, Rosanowski SM.Epiglottic entrapment is a condition in racing horses, associated with abnormal respiratory noises and exercise intolerance. Epiglottic entrapment has been linked to both poor and superior athletic performance, leading to concerns regarding whether surgery is indicated, and whether surgical correction may have a deleterious effect on future race performance. The objective of the current study was to assess the race-day performance of horses racing with epiglottic entrapment and the effect of surgical correction on performance outcomes using an intra-oral technique in anaesthetised horses. A ca...
Valença SRFA, Ribeiro-Andrade M, Moré G, Albuquerque PPF, Pinheiro Júnior JW, Mota RA.The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of infection by Sarcocystis neurona in horses and identify potential risk factors. Were analyzed 427 samples from 36 farms in 21 municipalities in the Alagoas State, Brazil. Presence of anti-S. neurona antibodies was diagnosed by indirect immunofluorescence antibody test (IFAT) and was confirmed using the immunoblot test. Risk factors were assessed through investigative questionnaires on animal management on the farms. The prevalence of anti-S.neurona antibodies was 2.8% (confidence interval, CI: 1.5-4.9%) from IFAT and 1.6% (CI:0.8-3.34%) ...
Piccolo L, Kienapfel K.Too much rein tension while riding may compromise the welfare of the horse. But who generates the tension on the reins-the horse or the rider? The primary aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the maximum rein tension that horses voluntarily maintain without a rider compared to rein tension with a rider. A secondary aim was to evaluate conflict behaviours in relation to rein tension. Thirteen horses were used, all fitted with customised "Animon" rein tension sensors (25 Hz, up to 600 N range), free-moving with side reins set in dressage competition frame with the noseline on the vertical. Re...
Contreras-Aguilar MD, Escribano D, Martínez-Subiela S, Martín-Cuervo M, Lamy E, Tecles F, Cerón JJ.The biochemical components of saliva can change in certain pathologies in horses, for example in acute abdominal disease. The aim of this study was (1) to evaluate if a panel of biochemical analytes usually used in serum can be measured in saliva of horses and (2) to study the possible changes of these biochemical analytes in saliva of horses affected by acute abdominal disease. A panel of 23 analytes was analytically validated in saliva of horses and possible changes in these analytes in a pilot study with six healthy horses and six horses with acute abdominal disease were evaluated. The anal...
Adair HS, Levine D. The purpose of this study was to examine the tissue temperature changes that occur at various depths during 1.0-MHz ultrasound (US) treatments of the epaxial muscles in horses. Ten healthy adult mares with no lameness or orthopedic disease weighing between 465 and 576 kg were studied. Two 1.0 MHz US treatments, one at an intensity of 1.0 W/cm and one at 2.0 W/cm, were administered to the epaxial region. Needle thermistors were inserted in the epaxial muscles below the skin surface at depths of 1.0, 3.0, and 5.0 cm, directly under the US treatment area. Depths were verified with diagnostic u...
Hibi H, Hatama S, Obata A, Shibahara T, Kadota K.A case of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and squamous papilloma in a 19-year-old Thoroughbred stallion is described. The animal exhibited severe wheezing caused by laryngopharyngeal stenosis. Histological examination identified laryngeal, laryngotracheal, and guttural pouch tumor masses consisting of areas of SCC. In the epiglottic lesion, the overlying epithelium was replaced by papilloma cells, and superficial cells frequently had nuclear inclusion bodies that expressed oncoprotein E6, which is characteristic of high risk human papillomaviruses. The papillomatous epithelium was cont...
Chunekamrai S, Krook LP, Lust G, Maylin GA.Eight mature horses with no prior signs of joint disease or history of intra-articular therapy were treated with 8 weekly intra-articular injections of methylprednisolone acetate. Treatments were given at a dose of 120 mg/joint into the right radiocarpal and intercarpal joints, with the left joints as untreated controls. Articular cartilage samples were obtained at necropsy 1, 4, and 8 weeks after the last injection. Compared with controls, cartilage from injected joints had a loss of hematoxylin basophilia and decreased intensity of staining in safranin O fast green dye. Chondrocyte necrosis ...
Li XY, Chen YO, Wang QK, Li K, Pape T, Zhang D.Species of Gasterophilus are obligate parasites of equids and may induce severe, even lethal myiasis. However, identification of the third instar Gasterophilus larva at the species level is still problematic predominantly due to a shortage of diagnostic morphological features and incomplete molecular libraries. Testing the suitability of three different molecular markers showed that the traditional 650 bp barcode region near the 5' terminus of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) served as a better tool for species-level identification than a 663 bp region near the 3' terminus of COI and a...
Clayton HM.The central body axis or core is a key component in controlling body posture and providing a stable platform for limb movements and generation of locomotor forces. Persistent dysfunction of the deep stabilizing muscles seems to be common in horses indicating a need for core training exercises to restore normal function. Core training should be performed throughout the horse's athletic career to maintain a healthy back and used therapeutically when back pain is identified. This article reviews the structure and function of the equine thoracolumbar spine with special reference to function, dysfu...
Sutton GA, Ertzman-Ginsburg R, Steinman A, Milgram J.Initial assessment of the mortality rates and prognostic indicators in horses with colic presented to a referral hospital in Israel. Objective: To determine mortality rates and to identify potential prognostic indicators in horses undergoing treatment for colic. Methods: The medical records of 208 colic cases were reviewed and mortality rates calculated including 95% confidence intervals. Mortality rates in surgical cases were calculated separately for strangulating and nonstrangulating lesions as well as for lesions of the large and small intestines. Potential prognostic indicators were ident...
Mead DG, Ramberg FB, Maré CJ.In previous experiments we have demonstrated that colonized and wild black flies are competent laboratory vectors of different Mexican and Western USA isolates of vesicular stomatitis virus, serotype New Jersey (VSV-NJ). We have recently demonstrated biological VSV-NJ transmission by black flies using animal models. In the study described here, we tested the vector competence of colonized and wild black flies for the vesicular stomatitis virus, serotype Indiana (VSV-IN). A 1998 equine isolate was used. After a 10 day incubation period, saliva from experimentally infected Simulium vittatum and ...
Couroucé A, Chatard JC, Auvinet B.The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between V4 (velocity which results in a blood lactate concentration of 4 mmol/l), age and racing performance of Standardbred trotters and to establish V4 normal values to select good and poor performers. The specific influence of racing (RT) and training (T1 and T2) tracks was also examined. A total of 159 horses were divided into 5 age-groups from 2 to 6 and over and performed 330 standardised exercise tests of 3 steps performed at increasing speeds. The velocity of the horses was measured with a tachometer on the sulky. Blood lactate ...
Fukushi H, Yamaguchi T, Yamada S.Equine herpesvirus type 9 (EHV-9), which we isolated from a case of epizootic encephalitis in a herd of Thomson's gazelles (Gazella thomsoni) in 1993, has been known to cause fatal encephalitis in Thomson's gazelle, giraffe, and polar bear in natural infections. Our previous report indicated that EHV-9 was similar to the equine pathogen equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1), which mainly causes abortion, respiratory infection, and equine herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy. We determined the genome sequence of EHV-9. The genome has a length of 148,371 bp and all 80 of the open reading frames (ORFs) fo...
Hemida MG, Perera RAPM, Chu DKW, Ko RLW, Alnaeem AA, Peiris M.West Nile virus (WNV) is an important emerging zoonotic arbovirus giving rise to clinical syndromes of varying severity in humans and horses. Culex mosquitoes are the main vector. Although WNV has been reported in many countries in the Middle East and Asia, little is known about its prevalence in equine populations in the Arabian Peninsula. We have carried out a serological study on 200 horses to assess WNV infection in the Eastern and Central regions of Saudi Arabia in 2013-2015. Sera were tested for the presence of WNV antibodies in parallel using a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent ass...
Chahan B, Zhang S, Seo JY, Nakamura C, Zhang G, Bannai H, Jian Z, Inokuma H, Tuchiya K, Sato Y, Kabeya H, Maruyama S, Mikami T, Xuan X.The prevalence of Babesia (Theileria) equi and B. caballi infections in donkeys in western Xinjiang China was investigated. In total, 93 serum samples were randomly taken from donkeys in the Kashi and Ili areas, and examined for B. equi and B. caballi infections by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays using recombinant antigens. Of the 93 samples, 9 (9.6%) and 36 (38.7%) samples were positive for B. equi infection and B. caballi infection, respectively. In addition, 2 (2.2%) samples were positive for both B. equi and B. caballi infections. These results indicate that equine babesiosis might be e...
Corletto F, Raisis AA, Brearley JC.The aim of this study was to compare two different alpha2 agonist-opioid combinations in ponies undergoing field castration. Methods: Prospective double-blind randomized clinical trial. Methods: Fifty-four ponies undergoing field castration. Methods: The ponies were randomly allocated to receive one of three different pre-anaesthetic medications [intravenous (IV) romifidine 100 microg kg(-1) and butorphanol 50 micro kg(-1); romifidine 100 microg kg(-1) and morphine 0.1 mg kg(-1) IV, or romifidine 100 microg kg(-1) and saline IV] before induction of anaesthesia with ketamine 2.2 mg kg(-1) IV. F...
Bisgaard M, Piechulla K, Ying YT, Frederiksen W, Mannheim W.Evidence was obtained to indicate that equine strains of organisms previously described as Actinobacillus suis or hemolytic variants of Actinobacillus equuli might constitute a separate group of organisms provisionally designated taxon 11. Four biovars were noticed within taxon 11. Selected DNA:DNA hybridizations support the classification of the mannitol positive biovar 2 of taxon 11 distinct from porcine A. suis. The final taxonomical position of taxon 11, however, has to await more detailed genetic studies including all biovars of taxon 11. A species name has not been suggested for the same...
Ciota AT.Eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV; Togaviridae, Alphavirus) is an arthropod-borne virus (arbovirus) primarily maintained in an enzootic cycle between Culiseta melanura (Coquillett) and passerine birds. EEEV, which has the highest reported case- fatality rate among arbovirus in the Americas, is responsible for sporadic outbreaks in the Eastern and Midwest United States. Infection is associated with severe neurologic disease and mortality in horses, humans, and other vertebrate hosts. Here, we review what is known about EEEV taxonomy, functional genomics, and evolution, and identify gaps i...
de Moraes MVDS, Salgado CRS, Godoi TLOS, de Almeida FQ, Chalhoub FLL, de Filippis AMB, de Souza AM, de Oliveira JM, Figueiredo AS.The equine parvovirus-hepatitis (EqPV-H), recently identified in association with serum hepatitis in horses (also known as Theiler's disease), has been so far described in horses from North America, Asia and Europe. There is no information regarding its circulation in South America. Our retrospective study (2013-2016) screened by EqPV-H nested-PCR a total of 96 Brazilian horses grouped according to previous status of infection: Known to be positive for one or more horse "hepatitis viruses" (equine hepacivirus, equine pegivirus-EPgV and Theiler's disease-associated virus) and known to be negati...
Murray MJ.Ulceration of the gastric squamous epithelial mucosa was induced in 10 horses using a feeding protocol previously shown to expose the gastric mucosa to repeated periods of high acidity. The feeding protocol consisted of alternating feed deprivation with free access to hay. Over a period of seven days, each horse was provided hay for 84 hr and deprived of hay for 84 hr. Hay was never withheld for longer than 24 hr at a time. Gastroscopy was performed on each horse at the beginning of the protocol after 12 hr of feed deprivation, and after a total of 36 hr, 60 hr, and 84 hr of feed deprivation. ...
Leroux AA, Detilleux J, Sandersen CF, Borde L, Houben RM, Al Haidar A, Art T, Amory H.Risk factors for cardiac diseases in horses have not been explored in a large population of animals. Objective: To describe risk factors for various cardiac diseases in a hospital-based population of horses. Methods: Files of 3,434 horses admitted at the Internal Medicine Department of the Liege Equine Teaching Hospital between 1994 and 2011 were reviewed and of those, 284 were categorized as having moderate-to-severe cardiac disease. Methods: Observational study. After calculating prevalence for each cardiac disease, we tested whether breed (chi-square test) or sex, age, body weight (BW), and...
Unger L, Fouché N, Leeb T, Gerber V, Pacholewska A.Circulating miRNAs in body fluids, particularly serum, are promising candidates for future routine biomarker profiling in various pathologic conditions in human and veterinary medicine. However, reliable standardized methods for miRNA extraction from equine serum and fresh or archived whole blood are sorely lacking. We systematically compared various miRNA extraction methods from serum and whole blood after short and long-term storage without addition of RNA stabilizing additives prior to freezing. Time of storage at room temperature prior to freezing did not affect miRNA quality in serum. Fur...
Rosiles MR, Bautista J, Fuentes VO, Ross F.Equine leukoencephalomalacia (ELEM), swine pulmonary oedema and human oesophageal cancer have been associated with fumonisine B1 (FB1) ingestion. For the first time in this study it is reported that FB1 was identified as being associated with an outbreak of ELEM at Oaxaca, Mexico. Symptoms of ELEM and Equine Venezuelan Encephalitis (EVE) are similar and a different diagnosis is obligatory. In the geographical area (Oaxaca, Mexico) where donkeys died showing a neurological syndrome, 14 corn samples were collected. With the use of TLC (Thin layer chromatography) and HPLC (High performance liquid...
Takai S, Fujimori T, Katsuzaki K, Tsubaki S.Quantitative culture of R. equi in the feces of dams and foals, in the air of the stalls and in the soil of the paddocks was carried out on three horse-breeding farms during the foaling season. The isolation rates of R. equi from the feces of dams from the 3 farms suddenly increased to approximately 80% at the end of March, when the snow in the paddocks finished melting, and remained at that level during April and May. The mean number of R. equi and the isolation rate of R. equi from the feces of dams on the farms were investigated for 5 weeks before and 5 weeks after delivery. During the 10 w...
Mullaney T, Murphy AJ, Kiupel M, Bell JA, Rossano MG, Mansfield LS.Opossums (Didelphis spp.) are the definitive host for the protozoan parasite Sarcocystis neurona, the causative agent of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM). Opossums shed sporocysts in feces that can be ingested by true intermediate hosts (cats, raccoons, skunks, armadillos and sea otters). Horses acquire the parasite by ingestion of feed or water contaminated by opossum feces. However, horses have been classified as aberrant intermediate hosts because the terminal asexual sarcocyst stage that is required for transmission to the definitive host has not been found in their tissues despite...
Cárdenas NC, Galvis JOA, Farinati AA, Grisi-Filho JHH, Diehl GN, Machado G.Glanders is a highly infectious zoonotic disease caused by Burkholderia mallei. The transmission of B. mallei occurs mainly by direct contact, and horses are the natural reservoir. Therefore, the identification of infection sources within horse populations and animal movements is critical to enhance disease control. Here, we analysed the dynamics of horse movements from 2014 to 2016 using network analysis in order to understand the flow of animals in two hierarchical levels, municipalities and farms. The municipality-level network was used to investigate both community clustering and the bala...
de Bruijn CM, Houterman W, Ploeg M, Ducro B, Boshuizen B, Goethals K, Verdegaal EL, Delesalle C.Most Friesian horses reach their anaerobic threshold during a standardized exercise test (SET) which requires lower intensity exercise than daily routine training. Objective: to study strengths and weaknesses of an alternative SET-protocol. Two different SETs (SETA and SETB) were applied during a 2 month training period of 9 young Friesian dressage horses. SETB alternated short episodes of canter with trot and walk, lacking long episodes of cantering, as applied in SETA. Following parameters were monitored: blood lactic acid (BLA) after cantering, average heart rate (HR) in trot and maximum H...
Peters J, Block W, Oswald S, Freyer J, Grube M, Kroemer HK, Lämmer M, Lütjohann D, Venner M, Siegmund W.The delivery of clarithromycin (CRL) to its site of action in bronchial/alveolar epithelial cells (EC), bronchial epithelial lining fluid (ELF), and bronchoalveolar lavage cells (BALC) may be influenced by CYP3A4 and the drug transporters, ATP-binding cassette (ABC) B1 and ABCC2 and organic anion-transporting polypeptides (OATPs), which can be modulated and/or up-regulated via the nuclear pregnane X receptor (PXR) by rifampicin (RIF). Therefore, we evaluated the disposition and pulmonary distribution of CLR (7.5 mg/kg b.i.d., 21 days) and expression of ABCB1, ABCC2, OATP1A2, and OATP2B1 in EC ...
Ali OJ, Comerford EJ, Clegg PD, Canty-Laird EG.BiTendons are constructed from collagenous fascicles separated by endotenon/interfascicular matrix (IFM). Tendons may be specialised for precision movement or to store energy during locomotion and for the latter the elasticity of the endotenon/IFM is particularly important. The equine superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) is a dedicated energy-storing tendon with a similar function to the human Achilles tendon. Classical anatomical descriptions portray fascicles as longitudinally arranged distinct anatomical structures. In the present study, using three-dimensional reconstruction from whole...
Steelman SM, Johnson P, Jackson A, Schulze J, Chowdhary BP.Acute laminitis is an inflammatory disease of the equine foot that often occurs secondarily to sepsis or systemic inflammation associated with gastrointestinal disease. It has been suggested that laminitis is similar to multiple organ dysfunction syndrome in humans, although in horses the weight-bearing laminar epithelium of the foot appears to be the tissue most sensitive to insult and the first "organ" to fail. Metabolomics performed on serum samples collected before (Con) and after (Lmn) experimental induction of gastrointestinal-associated sepsis in six horses detected 1,177 metabolites of...
Ven S, Decloedt A, Van Der Vekens N, De Clercq D, van Loon G.Aortic regurgitation (AR) in horses can lead to left ventricular (LV) eccentric hypertrophy, ventricular arrhythmia and heart failure. Objective quantification of the severity of regurgitation is difficult. The aim of this study was to evaluate dimensional measurements, systolic time intervals and blood flow velocities, acquired by standard 2D, M-mode and pulsed wave Doppler echocardiography, for quantification of AR. Echocardiography was performed in 32 healthy horses and 35 horses with AR that were subdivided in three groups (mild, moderate or severe AR). From the recorded images LV, left at...
Reilas T, Rivera Del Alamo MM, Liepina E, Yeste M, Katila T.Cervical patency is considered to be important for uterine drainage after mating or artificial insemination (AI), and failure to relax or premature tightening of the cervix can lead to persistent endometritis. This study investigated the hypothesis that cervical occlusion after AI increases accumulation of fluid, polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs), and cytokines in the uterine lumen. Endometrial swabs were obtained from 29 normal cyclic mares during the first, third, and fifth estrus and biopsies during the first and fifth estrus. All mares were inseminated during the second and fourth estrus...
Lester GD, Merritt AM, Kuck HV, Burrow JA.Intravenous (IV) and intragastric (IG) administration of fluid therapy are commonly used in equine practice, but there are limited data on the systemic, renal, and enteric effects. Objective: IV fluid administration will increase intestinal and fecal hydration in a rate-dependent manner after hypertonic dehydration, but will be associated with significant urinary water and electrolyte loss. Equivalent volumes of IG plain water will result in comparatively greater intestinal hydration with less renal loss. Methods: Six Thoroughbred geldings. Methods: Experimental study. 6 by 6 Latin square desi...
Slocombe JO.A study was initiated to determine the prevalence of tapeworms in horses in Southern Ontario and to investigate the efficacy of pyrantel pamoate, niclosamide and mebendazole. Fecal samples were taken from 580 horses of various breeds, ages and sexes in 24 locations and Anoplocephala perfoliata was found in 13.6%. This was regarded as a minimum, the true rate being probably significantly higher and the reasons for this are discussed. A brief review of the life cycle and effects of tapeworms in horses and a comparison of two flotation techniques for the diagnosis of A. perfoliata eggs in feces i...
