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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.
Population genetic structure of Gasterophilus pecorum in the Kalamaili Nature Reserve, Xinjiang, based on mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase (COI) gene sequence. Gasterophilosis is a significant threat to equids in the desert steppe of Xinjiang, China, where Gasterophilus pecorum (Fabricius) (Diptera: Gasterophilidae) is the dominant botfly species. A population analysis was conducted on 195 individual G. pecorum larvae from three host species, Przewalski's horse, the domestic horse and the Asiatic wild ass. The distribution of haplotypes of the maternally inherited mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) gene was analysed to assess the population differentiation of G. pecorum. High haplotype diversity was observed among G. pecorum popul...
Profiles of strongyle EPG values for Thoroughbred mares on 14 farms in Kentucky (2012-2013). The main purpose of the research was to determine if three weekly samplings would produce consistent results for low strongyle egg shedders, generally associated with older horses. Strongyle egg counts per gram of feces (EPG) were done for 661 Thoroughbred mares on 14 farms in 2012-2013 once a week for three consecutive weeks. None of the mares had been treated with ivermectin or moxidectin for more than 90 days and with fenbendazole, oxibendazole, or pyrantel pamoate for more than 60 days. Strongyle EPG count data indicated that 38.3% of the mares were positive at first and second sampling, a...
Clinical review of two fatal equine cases of infection with the insectivorous bat strain of Australian bat lyssavirus. The first two confirmed cases of Australian bat lyssavirus (ABLV) infection in horses are presented. Both cases occurred in the same week in May 2013 in paddock mates in south-east Queensland. Australia has been one of only a few countries considered free from rabies-like viruses in domestic animal species. ABLV infection had previously only been confirmed in bats and humans. All three confirmed human cases were fatal, the latest in February 2013. An additional human case of possible abortive infection in 1996 has also been reported. Both equine cases reported here resulted in euthanasia. The ...
Neutrophil extracellular traps formation by bacteria causing endometritis in the mare. Besides the classical functions, neutrophils (PMNs) are able to release DNA in response to infectious stimuli, forming neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) and killing pathogens. The pathogenesis of endometritis in the mare is not completely understood. The aim was to evaluate the in vitro capacity of equine PMNs to secrete NETs by chemical activation, or stimulated with Streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus (Szoo), Escherichia coli (Ecoli) or Staphylococcus capitis (Scap) strains obtained from mares with endometritis. Ex vivo endometrial mucus from mares with bacterial endometritis wer...
Antiviral potency and functional analysis of tetherin orthologues encoded by horse and donkey. Tetherin is an interferon-inducible host cell factor that blocks the viral particle release of the enveloped viruses. Most knowledge regarding the interaction between tetherin and viruses has been obtained using the primate lentiviral system. However, much less is known about the functional roles of tetherin on other lentiviruses. Equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) is an important macrophage-tropic lentivirus that has been widely used as a practical model for investigating the evolution of the host-virus relationship. The host range of EIAV is reported to include all members of the Equidae ...
Evaluation of a copro-antigen ELISA to detect Fasciola hepatica infection in sheep, cattle and horses. To determine the specificity and sensitivity of a commercial copro-antigen ELISA for the detection of Fasciola hepatica infection in cattle and sheep and to assess the suitability of the test for use in horses. Methods: Testing was done on more than 100 negative faecal samples from each of sheep, cattle and horses and on at least 40 positive faecal samples from each species. Positive samples were selected based on a positive sedimentation test for liver fluke eggs. Faecal samples of animals from Western Australia, which is free of liver fluke infection, served as negative controls. Specificity...
Clinical follow-up of horses treated with allogeneic equine mesenchymal stem cells derived from umbilical cord blood for different tendon and ligament disorders. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) offer promise as therapeutic aids in the repair of tendon and ligament disorders in sport horses. Equine allogeneic MSCs derived from umbilical cord blood (eUCB-MSCs) can be obtained in a minimally invasive fashion with successful propagation of MSCs. Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the applicability and therapeutic effect of eUCB-MSCs on tendinitis of the superficial digital flexor tendon, desmitis of the suspensory ligament, tendinitis of the deep digital flexor tendon, and desmitis of the inferior check ligament in clinical cases. Method...
Comparative analysis of LTR and structural genes in an equine infectious anemia virus strain isolated from a feral horse in Japan. Although equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) poses a major threat to the equine industry worldwide, the molecular epidemiology of this virus is poorly understood. Recently, an EIAV strain (EIAVMiyazaki2011-A) representing a new monophyletic group was discovered in feral horses in southern Japan. In the present study, the EIAVMiyazaki2011-A proviral genome is compared with evolutionarily divergent EIAV isolates to investigate conservation of functional elements or motifs within the long terminal repeats (LTRs) and structural genes. This analysis represents a significant step forward in increa...
Prevalence of patent Strongyloides westeri infections in Thoroughbred foals in 2014. The prevalence of patent Strongyloides westeri infections was determined by examination for eggs in fecal samples collected from 513 Thoroughbred (TB) foals between February 25 and June 3, 2014. The study was conducted with 244 colts and 269 fillies from 11 well-managed farms in Central Kentucky. Foals ranged from 17 to 117 days of age and had never been dewormed. The mean prevalence of patent S. westeri infection was 30% (156/513 foals). This prevalence was substantially greater than historical reports from the same sampling area during the late 1990s and early 2000s. It is hypothesized that ...
A pre- and post-intervention study of infection control in equine hospitals in Sweden. Detection of nosocomial methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections in horses in Sweden has increased attention on infection control (IC) in equine hospitals. This study established baseline data on IC programmes within such settings, evaluated compliance with some IC procedures before and after an education intervention, and examined barriers to compliance.The study was carried out between 2008 and 2011 in four Swedish equine hospitals. Data on current IC of each hospital, purchase data on hand sanitisers and disposable gloves per patient, and direct observations of compliance with...
Systemic mycobacteriosis in an aborted thoroughbred fetus in Japan. A male Thoroughbred fetus was aborted on day 251 of pregnancy. Gross and histological examinations detected systemic granulomatous lesions in many superficial and visceral lymph nodes and organs including the liver, tonsils, lungs, thymus, spleen, right thyroid gland and gastrointestinal tract, and suppurative placentitis, pyogranulomatous amnionitis and intralesional acid-fast bacilli were also detected. An examination of the DNA base sequence of the β subunit of RNA polymerase demonstrated that Mycobacterium avium strain 104 had infected several organs. To the best of our knowledge, this is...
Experimental inoculation of equine coronavirus into Japanese draft horses. Recently, outbreaks associated with equine coronavirus (ECoV) have occurred in Japan and the United States. While ECoV is likely to be pathogenic to horses, it has not been shown that experimental inoculation of horses with ECoV produces clinical signs of disease. In this study, we inoculated three Japanese draft horses with an ECoV-positive diarrheic fecal sample to confirm infection after inoculation and to investigate the clinical course and virus shedding patterns of ECoV. Virus neutralization tests showed that all three horses became infected with ECoV. Two of the three horses developed c...
Australian bat lyssavirus infection in two horses. In May 2013, the first cases of Australian bat lyssavirus infections in domestic animals were identified in Australia. Two horses (filly-H1 and gelding-H2) were infected with the Yellow-bellied sheathtail bat (YBST) variant of Australian bat lyssavirus (ABLV). The horses presented with neurological signs, pyrexia and progressing ataxia. Intra-cytoplasmic inclusion bodies (Negri bodies) were detected in some Purkinje neurons in haematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stained sections from the brain of one of the two infected horses (H2) by histological examination. A morphological diagnosis of sub-acu...
Pharmacokinetics, pulmonary disposition and tolerability of liposomal gentamicin and free gentamicin in foals. Although gentamicin is highly active against Rhodococcus equi in vitro, its clinical efficacy has been limited presumably due to poor cellular uptake. Encapsulation of drugs in liposomes enhances their cellular uptake. Objective: To compare the disposition of liposomal gentamicin (LG) and free gentamicin (FG) in the plasma, pulmonary epithelial lining fluid and bronchoalveolar cells of healthy foals after i.v. administration or by nebulisation, and to assess the tolerability of the drug after repeated i.v. dosing. Methods: Experimental study. Methods: Eight healthy foals received a single i.v....
Airborne particulates (PM10) and tracheal mucus: A case-control study at an American Thoroughbred racetrack. Particle mapping within stalls has demonstrated a relationship between particulate concentrations and visible accumulations of tracheal mucus. However, measurement of breathing zone particulate concentrations, which is the most accurate way to measure exposure, has not been performed to determine the relationship between exposures and accumulations of tracheal mucus sufficient to affect performance. Objective: To compare breathing zone particulate exposures between horses with tracheal mucus scores (MS) previously demonstrated to affect performance (MS≥2) and those without (MS = 0) visible t...
Administration of commercial Rhodococcus equi specific hyperimmune plasma results in variable amounts of IgG against pathogenic bacteria in foals. Rhodococcus equi is the most common cause of pneumonia in young foals. A vaccine is not available and the use of R equi-specific hyperimmune plasma (HIP) is common. Despite its widespread use, the efficacy of HIP in preventing disease remains controversial. The objectives of this study were (1) to evaluate the virulence associate protein A (VapA)-specific IgG and IgG subclasses in commercially available R equi HIP and (2) to evaluate serum VapA-specific IgG and IgG subclasses in foals following administration of commercial R equi HIP. Three different lots from four commercial R equi HIP were s...
Epitope shifting of gp90-specific cellular immune responses in EIAV-infected ponies. Unlike other lentiviruses, EIAV replication can be controlled in most infected horses leading to an inapparent carrier state free of overt clinical signs which lasts for many years. While the resolution of the initial infection is correlated with the appearance of virus specific cellular immune responses, the precise immune mechanisms responsible for control of the infection are not yet identified. Since the virus undergoes rapid mutation following infection, the immune response must also adapt to meet this challenge. We hypothesize that this adaptation involves peptide-specific recognition sh...
Infection of equine monocyte-derived macrophages with an attenuated equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) strain induces a strong resistance to the infection by a virulent EIAV strain. The Chinese attenuated equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) vaccine has successfully protected millions of equine animals from EIA disease in China. Given that the induction of immune protection results from the interactions between viruses and hosts, a better understanding of the characteristics of vaccine strain infection and host responses would be useful for elucidating the mechanism of the induction of immune protection by the Chinese attenuated EIAV strain. In this study, we demonstrate in equine monocyte-derived macrophages (eMDM) that EIAVFDDV13, a Chinese attenuated EIAV strain, indu...
Serum neutralization assay can efficiently replace plaque reduction neutralization test for detection and quantitation of West Nile virus antibodies in human and animal serum samples. A serum neutralization assay (SN) was compared with the official plaque reduction neutralization test for the quantitation of West Nile virus antibodies. A total of 1,348 samples from equid sera and 38 from human sera were tested by these two methods. Statistically significant differences were not observed, thus supporting the use of SN for routine purposes.
Bacteriostatic effect of equine pure platelet-rich plasma and other blood products against methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus. An in vitro study. 1) To evaluate the bacteriostatic in vitro effect of pure platelet-rich plasma (P-PRP), pure platelet-rich gel (P-PRG), leukocyte-poor gel (LPG), platelet-poor plasma (PPP), and heat inactivated plasma (IP) against methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) over a period of 24 hours. 2) To determine the degradation of platelet factor-4 (PF-4), transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1), and platelet-derived growth factor isoform BB (PDGF-BB) in these equine blood components. 3) To establish correlations between platelet and leukocyte counts, PF-4 concentrations, and MSSA growth. Metho...
Evaluation of regional limb perfusion with chloramphenicol using the saphenous or cephalic vein in standing horses. Regional limb perfusion (RLP) significantly decreases morbidity and mortality associated with distal limb injuries in horses. There is an urgent need for finding additional effective antimicrobial drugs for use in RLP. In this study, we tested the pharmacokinetics (PK) of chloramphenicol in RLP. Eight horses participated in the study, which was approved by the University Animal Care and Use Committee. The cephalic and the saphenous veins were used to perfuse the limbs. Synovial samples were collected from the metacarpo/metatarsophalangeal (MCP/MTP) joint. The Friedman Test was applied for asse...
Antibodies reactive to Ehrlichia spp. are common in Oklahoma horses. Abstract Tick infestations and infection with tick-borne agents are commonly recognized in horses in North America, but equine infection with true Ehrlichia spp. has not been described. To determine the degree to which horses in the south-central United States are naturally exposed to and infected with tick-borne disease agents, serum samples were collected at random (n=240) or from horses with active tick infestations (n=73) and tested by immunofluorescence antibody assay (IFA) and/or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for evidence of antibodies reactive to Ehrlichia spp., Anaplasma sp...
Field investigations of winter transmission of eastern equine encephalitis virus in Florida. Studies investigating winter transmission of Eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV) were conducted in Hillsborough County, Florida. The virus was detected in Culiseta melanura and Anopheles quadrimaculatus in February 2012 and 2013, respectively. During the winter months, herons were the most important avian hosts for all mosquito species encountered. In collections carried out in the summer of 2011, blood meals taken from herons were still common, but less frequently encountered than in winter, with an increased frequency of mammalian- and reptile-derived meals observed in the summer. Four ...
Efficacy of a Parapoxvirus ovis-based immunomodulator against equine herpesvirus type 1 and Streptococcus equi equi infections in horses. The efficacy of Zylexis®, an immunomodulator in horses based on inactivated Parapoxvirus ovis (iPPVO), was assessed using an equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) challenge model in the presence of a natural infection with Streptococcus equi equi (S. equi). Eleven horses were treated with iPPVO and twelve were kept as controls. Six horses were challenged with EHV-1 and commingled with the horses on study. Animals were dosed on Days -2, 0 (just before commingling) and Day 7. On Day 11 significantly less nasal discharge, enlarged lymph nodes, EHV-1 shedding and lower rectal temperatures were observ...
Risk factors for MRSA infection in companion animals: results from a case-control study within Germany. Increasing numbers of companion animals suffering from infections with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) have been reported in the recent past. These infections are of particular concern because of the limited treatment options for MRSA and their transferability to humans. Since MRSA lineages isolated from infected companion animals often mirror typical human epidemic strains circulating in the same region, successful strategies to combat MRSA need strong and coordinated efforts from both, the human and the veterinary field according to the "One Health" concept. Hence, to iden...
Diversity of interferon inducible Mx gene in horses and association of variations with susceptibility vis-à-vis resistance against equine influenza infection. Equine influenza (EI) is primarily an infection of the upper respiratory tract and is one of the major infectious respiratory diseases of economic importance in equines. Re-emergence of the disease, species jumping by H3N8 virus in canines and possible threat of human pandemic due to the unpredictable nature of the virus have necessitated research on devising strategies for preventing the disease. The myxovirus resistance protein (Mx) has been reported to confer resistance to Orthomyxo virus infection by modifying cellular functions needed along the viral replication pathway. Polymorphisms and...
Semen quality of stallions challenged with the Kentucky 84 strain of equine arteritis virus. Equine arteritis virus (EAV) is the causal agent of equine viral arteritis (EVA), a respiratory and reproductive disease of equids. Some strains of EAV can cause fever, leukopenia, and dependent edema of the limbs, scrotum, and preputium in the acutely infected stallion. We hypothesized that fever and scrotal edema observed during the acute phase of the infection, but not the presence of EAV, have an adverse effect on semen quality. A group of seven stallions were intranasally inoculated with the Kentucky 84 (KY84) strain of EAV. Stallions were monitored for clinical signs of EVA until 42 days...
CpG-ODN class C-mediated immunostimulation and its potential against Trypanosoma evansi in equines. Trypanosoma evansi is the causative agent of surra, which is the most common and widespread trypansomal disease. The infection is mainly restricted to animals, but it has also been documented in human. Trypanosomes possess the thick immunogenic surface coat known as variant surface glycoprotein (VSG). The parasite modifies the VSG constantly resulting in continuous antigenic variations and thus evades the host immune response. Due to antigenic variations, vaccination against trypanosomosis is not useful. Therefore, alternate strategies to augment the immune response are required. CpG-ODN class...
