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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.
Nonprimate hepaciviruses in domestic horses, United kingdom. Although the origin of hepatitis C virus infections in humans remains undetermined, a close homolog of this virus, termed canine hepacivirus (CHV) and found in respiratory secretions of dogs, provides evidence for a wider distribution of hepaciviruses in mammals. We determined frequencies of active infection among dogs and other mammals in the United Kingdom. Samples from dogs (46 respiratory, 99 plasma, 45 autopsy samples) were CHV negative by PCR. Screening of 362 samples from cats, horses, donkeys, rodents, and pigs identified 3 (2%) positive samples from 142 horses. These samples were gene...
[The prevalence of liver trematodes in equines in different cities of Turkey]. This study was carried out between March 2004- April 2005 to determine the prevalance of liver trematode infections of equids in different cities of Turkey. Methods: A total of 117 equids (72 horses, 39 donkeys and 6 mules) in Ankara were examined for liver parasites after the slaugthering process. On the other hand, a total of 620 feces of horses in Bursa, Gemlik, Malatya, Eskişehir and Ankara provinces were detected for determining liver trematodes in live equines. The fecal samples of horses were examined for liver fluke infection by Benedect's sedimentation methods. Results: Of these 117 ...
Antimicrobial use in horses undergoing colic surgery. Recommendations for antimicrobial prophylaxis for surgery are well-described in human medicine, but information is limited for veterinary practice. Objective: To characterize antimicrobial use in horses undergoing emergency colic surgery. Methods: A total of 761 horses undergoing emergency colic surgery (2001-2007). Methods: Retrospective case review. Antimicrobial dose and timing, surgical description, and duration of treatment were collected from medical records. Associations between antimicrobial use and the occurrence of fever, incisional inflammation or infection, catheter-associated comp...
Complete genome sequence of equine herpesvirus type 9. 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...
A pilot study comparing the development of EIAV Env-specific antibodies induced by DNA/recombinant vaccinia-vectored vaccines and an attenuated Chinese EIAV vaccine. Data from successful attenuated lentiviral vaccine studies indicate that fully mature Env-specific antibodies characterized by high titer, high avidity, and the predominant recognition of conformational epitopes are associated with protective efficacy. Although vaccination with a DNA prime/recombinant vaccinia-vectored vaccine boost strategy has been found to be effective in some trials with non-human primate/simian/human immunodeficiency virus (SHIV) models, it remains unclear whether this vaccination strategy could elicit mature equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) Env-specific antibodies, ...
Early detection of Trypanosoma evansi infection and monitoring of antibody levels by ELISA following treatment. In present communication, we report an outbreak of Trypanosoma evansi in equine herd n = 30 (horse and mules) which, were reared in fly proof stables as well as in open paddock maintained under semi-intensive system of management, and its effective control using trypanocidal drug. The infection was monitored by antibody ELISA up to 180 days post-treatment (PT). A total of 8 out of 14 equines (57.14 %) which were maintained only in open paddocks were found positive with T. evansi infection parasitologically. The infected animals were treated with quinapyramine methyl sulphate and chloride c...
Changes in Borrelia burgdorferi ELISA antibody over time in both antibiotic treated and untreated horses. Changes in ELISA serology are frequently used to determine antibiotic treatment success for Lyme disease in horses. This concept was based upon a previous report showing a marked decline in ELISA values in experimentally infected and antibiotic-treated ponies. Changes in Lyme serology following antibiotic treatment in naturally infected horses have not been reported. The objective of this study was to compare Borrelia ELISA antibody concentrations in naturally exposed horses both before and following antibiotic treatment for Lyme disease. A retrospective study was performed comparing oxytetrac...
Tenosynoviotomy for sepsis of the digital flexor tendon sheath in 9 horses. To describe a tenosynoviotomy technique for treatment of sepsis of the digital flexor tendon sheath (DFTS) in horses and report long-term outcome. Methods: Case series. Methods: Horses (n = 9). Methods: Horses were positioned in lateral recumbency with the affected limb uppermost. A linear incision was made just lateral to the mesotenon beginning 5 cm proximal to the apices of the proximal sesamoid bones, extending 2 cm distal to the bifurcation of the superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT). The incision was continued through the skin, subcutaneous tissue, palmar/plantar annular ligament, an...
Population genetics of Parascaris equorum based on DNA fingerprinting. The large roundworm of horses, Parascaris equorum is considered ubiquitous in breeding operations, and is regarded as a most important helminth pathogen of foals. Over the past decade, this parasite has been reported increasingly resistant to anthelmintic drugs worldwide. This paper reports analysis of the population genetic structure of P. equorum. Adult parasites (n=194) collected from Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Germany, Brazil and the USA were investigated by amplified restriction fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) analysis. The genetic variation was low (Hj=0.12-0.4), for the global populat...
Saccharomyces boulardii viability and efficacy in horses with antimicrobial-induced diarrhoea. Saccharomyces boulardii has been successfully used in the prevention and treatment of antimicrobial-associated diarrhoea in humans. We hypothesised that a viable, dried lyophilised preparation of S boulardii would survive in the gastrointestinal tract of horses with antimicrobial-associated enterocolitis, and significantly decrease the duration of diarrhoea. Twenty-one horses, over one year of age, with antimicrobial-associated diarrhoea of up to 72 hours duration, were consecutively randomised in a controlled prospective study. The treatment group received S boulardii (25 g, orally, every 12 ...
Challenges and proposed solutions for more accurate serological diagnosis of equine infectious anaemia. Serological diagnosis of equine infectious anaemia virus (EIAV) infections has depended mainly on the agar gel immunodiffusion test (AGIDT). This study documents the presence of EIAV genetic sequences in a number of persistently infected horses and mules whose serums were interpreted as negative/equivocal on AGIDT, but positive on more than one ELISA test and in immunoblot tests. Strategies designed to take advantage of the combined strengths of the ELISA and AGIDT are shown effective in a national surveillance program for EIA in Italy where 17 per cent (25/149) of the equids considered to be ...
Presumptive bacterial translocation in horses with strangulating small intestinal lesions requiring resection and anastomosis. To document whether presumptive bacterial translocation (PBT) occurs in horses with small intestinal strangulation (SIS). Methods: Prospective clinical cohort study. Methods: University tertiary care facility. Methods: Thirty-six adult horses with SIS (clinical cases) and 10 adult horses without gastrointestinal disease (control cases). Methods: Sterile collection and bacterial culture of samples from peripheral venous blood, mesenteric venous blood, mesenteric lymphatic tissue, and intestinal aspirates from horses with SIS and control horses without gastrointestinal disease. Results: Five of ...
Equine myeloperoxidase: a novel biomarker in synovial fluid for the diagnosis of infection. Equine joint infection is a life-threatening disorder, and confirmation of the diagnosis can be difficult. Synovial fluid biomarkers may assist the discrimination between infectious and noninfectious joint disease. Objective: This study investigates whether the immunological detection of total and enzymatically active myeloperoxidase (MPO) assists the diagnosis of joint infection in horses. Methods: The following 4 sample groups were included: healthy; osteochondritis dissecans (OCD); traumatic synovitis; and culture-confirmed infected joints. Synovial fluid was analysed for total MPO by a hor...
Comparative genomic analysis and phylogenetic position of Theileria equi. Transmission of arthropod-borne apicomplexan parasites that cause disease and result in death or persistent infection represents a major challenge to global human and animal health. First described in 1901 as Piroplasma equi, this re-emergent apicomplexan parasite was renamed Babesia equi and subsequently Theileria equi, reflecting an uncertain taxonomy. Understanding mechanisms by which apicomplexan parasites evade immune or chemotherapeutic elimination is required for development of effective vaccines or chemotherapeutics. The continued risk of transmission of T. equi from clinically silent,...
Clinical and subclinical infections with Cryptosporidium in animals. Cryptosporidium spp. are frequent parasites of livestock and companion animals, raising questions about the clinical significance of such infections. Cryptosporidium infections have a wide spectrum of clinical signs that can vary from asymptomatic to serious infection to death. In neonatal ruminants, cryptosporidiosis is considered an important disease characterised by diarrhoea and mortality. In companion animals most infections are asymptomatic but severe clinical illness has also been reported in dogs, cats and horses. In birds, three main clinical forms of cryptosporidiosis are primarily s...
Low MRSA prevalence in horses at farm level. In Europe, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) belonging to the clonal complex (CC) 398 has become an important pathogen in horses, circulating in equine clinics and causing both colonization and infection. Whether equine MRSA is bound to hospitals or can also circulate in the general horse population is currently unknown. This study, therefore, reports the nasal and perianal MRSA screening of 189 horses on 10 farms in a suspected high prevalence region (East- and West-Flanders, Belgium). Results: Only one horse (0.53%) from one farm (10%) tested positive in the nose. It carried...
Development of an equine-tropic replication-competent lentivirus assay for equine infectious anemia virus-based lentiviral vectors. The release of lentiviral vectors for clinical use requires the testing of vector material, production cells, and, if applicable, ex vivo-transduced cells for the presence of replication-competent lentivirus (RCL). Vectors derived from the nonprimate lentivirus equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) have been directly administered to patients in several clinical trials, with no toxicity observed to date. Because EIAV does not replicate in human cells, and because putative RCLs derived from vector components within human vector production cells would most likely be human cell-tropic, we previous...
Relationship of mixed bacterial infection to prognosis in foals with pneumonia caused by Rhodococcus equi. Isolation of multiple bacterial species is common in foals with Rhodococcus equi pneumonia. Objective: There is no association between isolation of other microorganisms and outcome. Methods: 155 foals with pneumonia caused by R. equi. Methods: Case records of foals diagnosed with R. equi pneumonia based on culture of the respiratory tract were reviewed at 2 referral hospitals (University of Florida [UF] and Texas A&M University [TAMU]). Results: R. equi was cultured from a tracheobronchial aspirate (TBA) in 115 foals and from lung tissue in 38 foals. Survival was significantly higher at UF...
A predictive model for reproductive performance following abortion in Thoroughbred mares. Pregnancy losses include early embryonic death (EED) and later (postimplantation) abortion. Abortions, particularly Equid herpesvirus (EHV-1) abortion epizootics, cause severe economic and production losses. The long-term effects of EHV-1 and other abortions on subsequent reproductive performance in broodmare populations, however, remain undefined. This study described the relationships of EED and abortion with the following reproductive outcomes in Thoroughbred systems: breeding efficiency, month of last breeding, subsequent pregnancy and live foal rates. A prospective cohort study in broodma...
Ivermectin inhibits growth of Chlamydia trachomatis in epithelial cells. Ivermectin is currently approved for treatment of both clinical and veterinary infections by nematodes, including Onchocerca cervicalis in horses and Onchocerca volvulus in humans. However, ivermectin has never been shown to be effective against bacterial pathogens. Here we show that ivermectin also inhibits infection of epithelial cells by the bacterial pathogen, Chlamydia trachomatis, at doses that could be envisioned clinically for sexually-transmitted or ocular infections by Chlamydia.
Comparative analysis of ORF5 nucleotide sequences and amino acid sequences of the GP5 protein of equine arteritis virus (EAV) detected in the semen of stallions from Eastern Poland. The purpose of this study was to conduct a comparative analysis of the ORF5 gene fragment nucleotide sequences and the GP5 protein amino acid sequences formed on this matrix, for the equine arteritis virus (EAV) strains isolated from the semen of infected stallions from Eastern Poland. The study covered 41 stallions whose blood serum tested positive for antigens specific to the EAV. The presence of EAV genetic material was shown in material from 5 horses, in one of which permanent presence of viral RNA was detected over the entire 4-year study period (the material was sampled four times at yea...
Development and evaluation of a SYBR Green real-time RT-PCR assay for evaluation of cytokine gene expression in horse. Cytokine secretion is one of the main mechanisms by which the immune system is regulated in response to pathogens. Therefore, the measurement of cytokine expression is fundamental to characterizing the immune response to infections. Real-time quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) is widely used to measure cytokine mRNA levels, but assay conditions should be properly evaluated before analyzing important equine infections through relative quantification of gene expression. The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate a set of RT-qPCR assays for a panel of th...
Whole inactivated equine influenza vaccine: Efficacy against a representative clade 2 equine influenza virus, IFNgamma synthesis and duration of humoral immunity. Equine influenza (EI) is a serious respiratory disease of horses induced by the equine influenza virus (EIV). Surveillance, quarantine procedures and vaccination are widely used to prevent or to contain the disease. This study aimed to further characterise the immune response induced by a non-updated inactivated EI and tetanus vaccine, including protection against a representative EIV isolate of the Florida clade 2 sublineage. Seven ponies were vaccinated twice with Duvaxyn IE-T Plus at an interval of four weeks. Five ponies remained unvaccinated. All ponies were experimentally infected with t...
Epidemiology, chronobiology and taxonomic updates of Rhinoestrus spp. infestation in horses of Sardinia Isle, Western Mediterranean (Italy). From January to December 2008, 265 horses slaughtered in Sardinia (Italy) were examined for the presence of Rhinoestrus spp. (Diptera: Oestridae) through the examination of the nasal cavities and pharynges. Larvae were detected in 49% of the horses, with a mean intensity of infestation of 16.09 and abundance of 7.95. A total of 2108 larvae were collected, 66% of which were classified in first instar (L1), 22% in second instar (L2) and 12% in third instar (L3). The most frequent localization of larvae was the ethmoid, while the less one the larynx. According to the dynamics of Rhinoestrus larva...
Pharmacokinetics of macrolides in foals. Macrolides are used for treatment of pneumonia and extrapulmonary conditions caused by Rhodococcus equi. In foals, macrolides have an extraordinary capacity to accumulate in different lung tissue compartments. These drugs show unique pharmacokinetic features such as rapid and extensive distribution and long persistence in pulmonary epithelial lining fluid (PELF) and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cells from foals. This article reviews the pharmacokinetic characteristics of erythromycin, azithromycin, clarithromycin, tulathromycin, telithromycin, gamithromycin, and tilmicosin in foals, with empha...
[New drugs for horses and production animals in 2011]. In 2011, three newly developed active pharmaceutical ingredients for horses and food producing animals were released on the German market for veterinary drug products. Two of these new products represent different drug classes of antibiotics, the polypeptide antibiotic Bacitracin (Bacivet™) and the macrolide antibiotic Clorsulon (Levatum®). The third product represents an anticestodal antiparasitic (Tildipirosin, Zuprevo®). Furthermore, three established veterinary active pharmaceutical ingredients were modified to allow their application for additional species. Thus the nonsteroidal anti-...
Treponemes-infected canker in a Japanese racehorse: efficacy of maggot debridement therapy. A 3-year-old thoroughbred colt presented with canker on its left hind foot. Subsequent development of cottage cheese-like horns and dermatitis disturbed healing, despite the use of miscellaneous orthodox treatment approaches to the lesions. Histological examination revealed exudative and suppurative dermatitis, and proliferatively suppurative epidermitis infected with helically coiled treponemes. Total debridement under general anesthesia led to a temporary improvement, but the ground surface regenerated abnormal epidermis similar to that observed initially after surgery. Maggot debridement th...
