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Topic:Infection
Infections in horses encompass a range of diseases caused by various pathogens, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites. These infections can affect different systems within the horse, such as the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and integumentary systems, leading to a variety of clinical signs depending on the pathogen and the severity of the infection. Common infectious diseases in horses include equine influenza, strangles, and equine herpesvirus. Diagnosis often involves clinical examination, laboratory testing, and sometimes imaging, to identify the causative agent and assess the extent of the disease. Treatment strategies may include antimicrobial therapy, supportive care, and preventive measures such as vaccination and biosecurity practices. This page aggregates peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of infectious diseases in equine populations.
The Role of the Equine Herpesvirus Type 1 (EHV-1) US3-Encoded Protein Kinase in Actin Reorganization and Nuclear Egress. The serine-threonine protein kinase encoded by gene (pUS3) of alphaherpesviruses was shown to modulate actin reorganization, cell-to-cell spread, and virus egress in a number of virus species. However, the role of the US3 orthologues of equine herpesvirus type 1 and 4 (EHV-1 and EHV-4) has not yet been studied. Here, we show that is not essential for virus replication in vitro. However, growth rates and plaque diameters of a -deleted EHV-1 and a mutant in which the catalytic active site was destroyed were significantly reduced when compared with parental and revertant viruses or a virus in w...
Substrate Specificity of Equine and Human Influenza A Virus Sialidase to Molecular Species of Sialic Acid. Most equine influenza A viruses (IAVs) show strong binding to glycoconjugates containing N-glycolylneuraminic acid (Neu5Gc) as well as N-acetylneuraminic acid (Neu5Ac). Therefore, the progeny of equine IAV is thought to be released from the infected cell surface through removal of sialic acids by the viral sialidase. In the present study, equine IAV sialidases showed significantly lower substrate affinity than that of human IAV sialidases to artificial and natural Neu5Gc-conjugated substrates. The substrate specificity of equine IAV sialidases is in disagreement with their binding specificity ...
The prevalence of Culicoides spp. in 3 geographic areas of South Africa. The seasonal abundance of Culicoides midges, the vector of Bluetongue and African horse sickness viruses (BTV/AHSV) and the presence of viruses in midges were determined in 3 geographic areas in South Africa. In the Onderstepoort area, more than 500,000 Culicoides midges belonging to 27 species were collected. Eighteen midge species were collected throughout Winter and the presence of AHSV and BTV RNA in midges was detected using real time reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The nucleic acid of AHSV was found in 12 pools out of total pools of 35 Culicoides. Twenty‑f...
Inhomogeneity of the density of Parascaris spp. eggs in faeces of individual foals and the use of hypothesis testing for treatment decision making. Faecal egg counts (FEC) are used widely for monitoring of parasite infection in animals, treatment decision-making and estimation of anthelmintic efficacy. When a single count or sample mean is used as a point estimate of the expectation of the egg distribution over some time interval, the variability in the egg density is not accounted for. Although variability, including quantifying sources, of egg count data has been described, the spatiotemporal distribution of nematode eggs in faeces is not well understood. We believe that statistical inference about the mean egg count for treatment decis...
Oxidative stress and DNA damage in horses naturally infected with Theileria equi. The aim of this study was to determine the concentrations of oxidative stress parameters and DNA damage in horses infected by Theileria equi. Initial screening of 110 horses with duplex PCR enabled the selection of 30 infected horses with T. equi and 30 free of infection (control). Specimens from the 60 horses were further analysed by determining the following oxidative stress parameters: extent of haemolysis (EH), plasma free haemoglobin (PHb), catalase (CAT), Cu,Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1), paraoxonase (PON1), nitrite (NO), total nitrate and nitrite (NOx), malondialdehyde (MDA) and free t...
Is Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis infection (pigeon fever) in horses an emerging disease in western Canada? This report describes 5 horses in the southern Alberta region with typical and atypical external abscessation due to Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis (pigeon fever). "Pigeon fever" has recently been diagnosed in new geographic regions in North America and should be kept as a differential diagnosis by practitioners when an external or internal abscess is identified in a horse. L’infection parCorynebacterium pseudotuberculosis(fièvre du pigeon) chez les chevaux est-elle une maladie émergente dans l’Ouest canadien? Ce rapport décrit cinq chevaux dans la région sud de l’Alberta atteint...
Experimental induction of mycotic plaques in the guttural pouches of horses. Guttural pouch mycosis (GPM) is a rare but potentially life-threatening condition in horses. GPM is caused by a fungal invasion into the mucosal lining of the guttural pouches and, frequently, the associated neurovascular structures. Although several species of fungi have been associated with this disease, Aspergillus spp. appear to be the most common isolated from the guttural pouches. However, it remains unclear which are the predisposing factors leading to the development of the infection. The objectives of the present study were to experimentally reproduce an infection by Aspergillus fumig...
Use of large-scale veterinary data for the investigation of antimicrobial prescribing practices in equine medicine. As antimicrobial resistant bacterial strains continue to emerge and spread in human and animal populations, understanding prescription practices is key in benchmarking current performance and setting goals. Antimicrobial prescription (AP) in companion veterinary species is widespread, but is neither monitored nor restricted in the USA and Canada. The veterinary use of certain antimicrobial classes is discouraged in some countries, in the hope of preserving efficacy for serious human infections. Objective: The aim of this study was to ascertain the rate of prescription of a number of 'reserved'...
Time required by different anthelmintics to reach expected efficacy levels in horses infected by strongyles. The aim of this study was to determine the time required by different anthelmintic agents to reduce strongyle egg shedding in horses. Fifty horses were divided into five homogenous groups based on faecal egg counts (FECs). Treatment groups received either ivermectin; moxidectin; fenbendazole; piperazine; or no treatment (control group). Faecal examinations were performed 4, 8, 12, 18, 24, 36 and 48h after the anthelmintic treatment. After this period, faecal samples were taken every 24h over the next 12days and finally on alternate days (48-h intervals) for another 14days until the end of the ...
Genetic characterization of equine herpesvirus 1 isolates from abortion outbreaks in India. Equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV1) is a common pathogen of horses that causes upper respiratory tract disease, abortion, neonatal death and neurological disease. The neurological form of disease is called equine herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy (EHM). During the past decade, the incidence of EHM has been on the rise in Europe, North America, Australia and Asia. Some EHV1 isolates causing EHM exhibit a single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the DNA polymerase gene (ORF30) at position 2254 (A to G). Further, based on polymorphism in the ORF68, EHV1 isolates have been classified into different groups. T...
Methods and Variables Associated with the Risk of Septic Arthritis Following Intra-Articular Injections in Horses: A Survey of Veterinarians. To determine common methods for intra-articular injections and variables associated with the risk of septic arthritis following intra-articular injection in the horse. Methods: Cross-sectional survey. Methods: Equine veterinarians. Methods: A link to an online survey was distributed to equine practitioners in 2014. Responses for descriptive data were tabulated. Data on infection rates obtained from medical records were analyzed. Variables associated with the risk of septic arthritis were determined using χ or Fisher's exact tests and logistic regression. Results: Common current methods for in...
Four cases of equine motor neuron disease in Japan. In this study, fasciculation of the limbs and tongue was observed in four horses kept by a riding club. Neurogenic muscle atrophy was also observed in biopsy of pathological tissues. In addition, in two cases that subjected to autopsy, Bunina-like bodies of inclusion in the cell bodies of neurons in the spinal cord ventral horn were confirmed, leading to a diagnosis of equine motor neuron disease (EMND). Serum vitamin E concentrations varied between 0.3 and 0.4µg/ml, which is significantly lower than the levels in normal horses. Although lack of vitamin E is speculated to be a contributory fa...
Frequency of Undetected Glove Perforation and Associated Risk Factors in Equine Surgery. To estimate the frequency of undetected perforations in surgical gloves during equine surgery and to identify risk factors associated with occurrence. Methods: Observational cohort study. Methods: Surgical gloves-292 pairs. Methods: Water leak tests were performed on gloves after equine surgery to detect perforations. Fifty pairs of unused gloves were also tested. Potential risk factors were recorded. Logistic regression was used to explore associations between putative risk factors and perforation. Results: No perforations were detected in the unused gloves. Of 292 pairs of used gloves tested...
Comparative pharmacokinetics of minocycline in foals and adult horses. The objective of this study was to compare the pharmacokinetics of minocycline in foals vs. adult horses. Minocycline was administered to six healthy 6- to 9-week-old foals and six adult horses at a dose of 4 mg/kg intragastrically (IG) and 2 mg/kg intravenously (i.v.) in a cross-over design. Five additional oral doses were administered at 12-h intervals in foals. A microbiologic assay was used to measure minocycline concentration in plasma, urine, synovial fluid, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was used to measure minocycline concentrations in ...
Ivermectin failure in the control of Oxyuris equi in a herd of ponies in France. Drug resistance in equine gastro-intestinal parasitic nematodes has been reported throughout the world. While the focus is usually put on cyathostomins, observations of macrocylic lactone failure against Oxyuris equi have accumulated over the last decade. Here we report the failure of ivermectin in the control of O. equi in an experimental Welsh pony herd. In a first trial, 6 ponies previously drenched with moxidectin and showing patent O. equi infections were administered ivermectin and subsequently monitored for O. equi egg excretion over one month. This trial demonstrated a failure of iverm...
Cyathostomum catinatum infection in a mule of Palam Valley, India: a case report. The small strongyles also called as cyathostomes, cyathostomins or trichonemes, affect the health status of equines, leading to morbidity and mortality in heavily infested individuals. The present study was carried out with the aim to identify the cause of colic in a mule of Palam valley, Himachal Pradesh, India. The detailed faecal sample examination revealed heavy intensity of strongyle eggs with an egg per gram value of 2300. The collected faecal sample also exhibited presence of adult worms. The morphological observations after clearing the retrieved parasites revealed the presence of adul...
Survey of horse transportation in Australia: issues and practices. To survey amateur and professional participants on equine transportation management, practices and outcomes in Australia. Methods: An online survey targeting people who organised horse movements at least monthly was made available to a broad cross-section of amateur and professional equine associations. Respondents were invited to provide demographic details and information relating to their routine transportation management practices and their experiences of issues relating to the transportation of horses. Results: Of 797 usable responses involving approximately 17,000 horses and 313,000 indi...
Diagnosis and prevalence of Theileria equi horses in western Mexico by nested PCR. Theileria equi infection prevalence was calculated from 1000 blood samples obtained from apparently healthy horses in western Mexico. Samples were sent to the Animal Biotechnology Laboratory of the University of Guadalajara (Mexico) for T. equi diagnosis. Nested polymerase chain reaction (nPCR) was used as a diagnostic method to detect pathogen DNA. Using primers for the merozoite antigen-1 (EMA-1) gene, 19.70±2.47% of the horses (95% CI, 17.23-22.17%) tested positive for T. equi. There was no significant association between gender and T. equi infection. However, prevalence was higher among s...
Acute and chronic infections with nonprimate hepacivirus in young horses. The recently discovered nonprimate hepacivirus (NPHV) naturally infects horses and is the closest known homolog of hepatitis C virus to date. Within a follow-up study acute field infections were monitored in four young Thoroughbred horses until the ages of 12-13 months. Serum samples were analyzed for the presence of NPHV RNA and anti-NPHV NS3 antibodies and liver specific parameters were evaluated. The four young horses were not able to clear infection, but remained chronically infected for the entire monitored time period despite the presence of NPHV specific antibodies.
Are horse age and incision length associated with surgical site infection following equine colic surgery? It is our clinical impression that age and incision length are more strongly associated with surgical site infection (SSI) following colic surgery than skin closure or wound protection method. Therefore, the objective of this observational clinical cohort study was to identify the risks for SSI in horses undergoing colic surgery. Data collection included pre-, intra-, and postoperative variables. Variables with P < 0.2 following univariable analysis were used in a logistic regression multivariable model. Variables with P <0.05 were included in the final model. Odds ratios (OR; 95% ...
Equine Pulmonary Cryptococcosis: A Comparative Literature Review and Evaluation of Fluconazole Monotherapy. Cryptococcus is the most common fungal respiratory pathogen in Australian horses, manifesting primarily as pulmonary granulomas. Disease severity at presentation is dependent on the athletic use of the horse. The diagnosis and estimation of disease severity are centred around clinical findings, cytological evaluation of respiratory tract secretions, diagnostic imaging, and antigen titre testing. Both the lateral flow assay and the latex cryptococcal antigen titre are used, and important similarities and differences between species are discussed. Cryptococcus gattii occurs with greater frequenc...
Prevention of equine herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy – Is heparin a novel option? A case report. Equine herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy (EHM) is a severe manifestation of equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) infection. Prevention and treatment of EHM during EHV-1 outbreaks is critical, but no reliable and tested specific medication is available. Due to the thromboischemic nature of EHM and due to the fact that EHV-1 entry in cells is blocked by heparin, it was hypothesized that this compound may be useful in reduction of EHM incidence and severity. Therefore, during an acute EHV-1 outbreak with the neuropathogenic G/D Pol variant, metaphylactic treatment with heparin to prevent EHM was initiated....
Feeding horses with industrially manufactured pellets with fungal spores to promote nematode integrated control. The usefulness of pellets industrially manufactured with spores of parasiticide fungi as a contribution to integrated nematode control was assessed in grazing horses throughout sixteen months. Two groups of 7 Pura Raza Galega autochthonous horses (G-T and G-P) were dewormed pour-on (1mg Ivermectin/kg bw) at the beginning of the trial, and other group (G-C) remained untreated. The G-P was provided daily with commercial pellets to which was added a mixture of fungal spores during the industrial manufacturing (2×10 spores of Mucor circinelloides and same dose of Duddingtonia flagrans/kg), and G-...
An Ecotype of Neorickettsia risticii Causing Potomac Horse Fever in Canada. Neorickettsia (formerly Ehrlichia) risticii is an obligatory intracellular bacterium of digenetic trematodes. When a horse accidentally ingests aquatic insects containing encysted trematodes infected with N. risticii, the bacterium is transmitted from trematodes to horse cells and causes an acute and often fatal disease called Potomac horse fever (PHF). Since the discovery of N. risticii in the United States in 1984, using immunofluorescence and PCR assays, PHF has been increasingly recognized throughout North America and South America. However, so far, there exist only a few stable N. ristici...
Experimental infection of horses with Rickettsia rickettsii. Rickettsia rickettsii is vectored by ticks, and some vertebrate hosts can be sources of infection to ticks during bacteremic periods. In Brazil, the main vector for R. rickettsii is the tick Amblyomma sculptum, a member of the A. cajennense complex. Horses, in turn, are one of the major hosts for A. sculptum. In this study, horses experimentally infected with R. rickettsii were assessed for clinical changes and their capability to transmit the infection to A. sculptum ticks. Four horses were infected with R. rickettsii through either intraperitoneal injection or infestation with R. rickettsii-...
Identification of SP110 in horse (Equus caballus): Isolation of novel splice variants and evidence of activation effects on macrophages. SP110 has previously shown to be a genetic determinant of host resistance to the intracellular pathogen infection in mouse and human. However, its relevant biological information in large non-primate animals still remains unknown. Here we report the novel discovery and characterization of three transcript variants of horse SP110. The transcript variant 1 (Tv1) of horse SP110 with the longest open reading frame has four domains (Sp100, SAND, PHD and Bromo domain). Tv2 and Tv3 share the same N-terminal sequence as Tv1, which contains Sp100 and SAND. We show that Tv2 is generated from alternative...
Actinomyces denticolens colonisation identified in equine tonsillar crypts. Recently, submandibular abscesses associated with Actinomyces denticolens have been reported in horses. The actinomycotic clumps have been observed in the tonsillar crypts. The aim of this study was to demonstrate colonisation of A denticolens in equine tonsils. Twelve equine tonsils obtained from a slaughterhouse were divided into two parts for histopathological examination and for isolation of A denticolens. When actinomycotic clumps were found in these tonsillar crypts, immunohistochemistry using hyperimmune serum against A denticolens (DMS 20671) was performed on the serial sections. To de...
The usefulness of uterine lavage and acute phase protein levels as a diagnostic tool for subclinical endometritis in Icelandic mares. Endometritis is a common problem in a broodmare practice, often leading to infertility. The diagnosis is based on several methods such as cytology, bacteriology and histopathology; however the outcome of these methods may be inconclusive even when used together. The objectives of this study were: (1) to investigate the usefulness of acute phase proteins as an additional diagnostic tool for diagnosis of subclinical endometritis in mares and (2) to evaluate the association between macroscopic changes in uterine flushes and inflammation of the uterus. Materials were collected from 53 Icelandic ma...
Gasterophilus (Diptera, Gasterophilidae) infestation of equids in the Kalamaili Nature Reserve, China. We investigated infections with Gasterophilus spp. in three equids within the Kalamaili Nature Reserve (northern China). We conducted necropsies on 6 Przewalski's horses (Equus ferus przewalskii) and 6 Mongolian wild asses (Equus hemionus) and administered ivermectin to 10 overwintering domestic horses to expel parasites during winter periods. All 22 equids studied (100%) were infested with Gasterophilus spp. and a total of 17,225 larvae were collected. These included six species: G. haemorrhoidalis, G. inermis, G. intestinalis, G. nasalis, G. nigricornis, and G. pecorum. The mean intensity of...
Equine Cyathostominae can develop to infective third-stage larvae on straw bedding. Domesticated grazing animals including horses and donkeys are frequently housed using deep litter bedding systems, where it is commonly presumed that there is no risk of infection from the nematodes that are associated with grazing at pasture. We use two different approaches to test whether equids could become infected with cyathostomines from the ingestion of deep litter straw bedding. Two herbage plot studies were performed in horticultural incubators set up to simulate three straw bedding scenarios and one grass turf positive control. Faeces were placed on 16 plots, and larval recoveries pe...
