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.
Wilkins PA, Marsh PS, Acland H, Del Piero F.Listeria monocytogenes septicemia was diagnosed in a 6-day-old Thoroughbred foal. Primary clinical signs included fever, depression, diarrhea, and respiratory distress. Hematologic abnormalities included leukopenia, neutropenia, degenerative left shift, and hyperfibrinogenemia. Clinical chemistry and blood gas abnormalities included metabolic acidosis, hypoxemia, hypocapnia, hypoglycemia, and hyponatremia. Despite aggressive therapeutic intervention and intensive care, the foal died within 12 hours of admission. A postmortem examination was performed, and the primary gross lesion was bilateral...
Schumacher J, Dutton DM, Murphy DJ, Hague BA, Taylor TS.To report experience with paranasal sinus surgery through a frontonasal flap in sedated, standing horses. Methods: Treatment of 10 horses with naturally occurring paranasal sinus disease through a frontonasal bone flap created with the horses standing. Methods: Ten adult horses. Methods: After restraint and sedation, local anesthetic was injected subcutaneously along the proposed incision line over the conchofrontal sinus and was instilled into the sinuses through a small hole created in the frontal bone. A 3-sided, rectangular, cutaneous incision that extended through the periosteum was creat...
Kinde H, Mathews M, Ash L, St Leger J.Two horses, a 16-year-old male Holsteiner and a 5-year-old male miniature horse, were diagnosed with halicephalobiasis at the California Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory System, San Bernardino Branch, in April and June of 1998. Over a period of 4 weeks, the Holsteiner horse developed renal dysfunction, blepharospasm, and blindness in the right eye. A 15-cm-diameter mass was detected on ultrasound examination in the right kidney. Terminally, the animal developed seizures and was euthanized. The miniature horse had a 6-week-long illness characterized by testicular enlargement and uveitis. This a...
Schröer U, Lange A, Glatzel P, Ludwig H, Borchers K.The aim of the present study was to clarify whether an EHV-1 induced abortion can be prognosticated by an increase of antibody titres, virus shedding and/or viraemia and whether the current abortion diagnostic is suitable. In this context the immune response post immunization and a possible reactivation were of great interest. For this purpose blood samples of 32 mares between the ages of 5-21 years were regularly investigated during a period of two years before and after vaccination and pregnancy. Neutralization tests, indirect immunofluorescence tests as well as PCR and virus isolation were ...
Groom LJ, Gaughan EM, Lillich JD, Valentino LW.Arthrodesis was performed to treat septic arthritis of the proximal interphalangeal joint of 8 horses. Records of the horses were reviewed to determine outcome and possible factors that influenced success or failure. All horses were female. Seven horses had 1 joint treated and 1 horse was treated for bilateral pelvic limb involvement. The duration of sepsis before surgery ranged from 1 to 66 days. Bone lysis and production was radiographically apparent in 7 horses before surgery. Six horses had multiple bacterial organisms cultured from bone or synovial tissues; 2 horses had single isolates id...
Taniguchi A, Fukushi H, Matsumura T, Yanai T, Masegi T, Hirai K.Pathogenicity of equine herpesvirus 9 (EHV-9), a new type of equine herpesvirus isolated from Gazella thomsoni, in horses was investigated by intranasal inoculation of EHV-9 (10(7) pfu) to two conventionally reared 8-months old half-bred weanling horses. Fever higher than 39 degrees C was recorded. Virus was recovered from nasal swabs and peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Both horses developed neutralizing antibody to EHV-9. Perivascular infiltration of mononuclear cells and glial reaction were found in the olfactory and limbic systems. The results suggested that EHV-9 has a pathogenicity in...
Sellon DC, Spaulding K, Breuhaus BA, Katz L, Mealey R.Hepatic abscesses were diagnosed in 3 adult horses. Two were < 4 years old and had evidence of concurrent immune-mediated conditions, including aseptic arthritis, immune-mediated thrombocytopenia, and immune-mediated anemia. Predisposing factors for hepatic abscess formation in these horses included prior abdominal surgery, proximal duodenitis/jejunitis, inflammatory bowel disease, and a penetrating foreign body in the large colon. Serum hepatic enzyme activities were within or slightly greater then reference limits in all 3 horses. The most pronounced and consistent abnormalities on CBC and s...
Cheramie HS, Pleasant RS, Dabareiner RM, Carolan RO.An aberrant branch of the internal carotid artery was detected by angiography in a horse with guttural pouch (auditory tube diverticulum) mycosis after the distal portion of the artery had been occluded by use of a detachable latex balloon. A second balloon was placed to eliminate retrograde hemorrhage from the aberrant branch. The horse recovered and returned to its previous activity. Vascular anomalies of the internal carotid artery my be more common than expected, and have resulted in fatal complications during and after surgical treatment in guttural pouch mycosis. Intraoperative identific...
Reinemeyer CR, Scholl PJ, Andrews FM, Rock DW.A 3 m, video gastroscope was used to screen 47 horses suspected of being naturally infected with equine bot larvae. 17 of 47 (36.2%) candidate horses harbored Gasterophilus nasalis larvae in the proximal duodenum and 46 of 47 (97.9%) had G. intestinalis larvae in the stomach. All horses infected with G. nasalis had concurrent infections with G. intestinalis. 14 horses with dual infections were allocated randomly to two treatment groups. Seven horses in Group 1 received 2% moxidectin oral gel once at a dosage of 0.4 mg/kg bodyweight (BW), and seven horses in Group 2 were untreated controls. 14 ...
Watson JL, Jackson KA, King DP, Stott JL.Expression of the low-affinity IgE receptor (CD23) on the surface of mononuclear cells is a critical event in the development of IgE-mediated immunologic responses. Using PCR and cDNA library screening, a 2.7kb cDNA encoding equine CD23 and a 627bp PCR fragment of cattle CD23 were sequenced and characterized. The equine CD23 sequence encodes a complete and continuous open reading frame of 327 amino acids, while the shorter cattle fragment encodes 209 amino acids corresponding to nucleotides 325-1098 of the equine CD23 transcript. In addition to high identities in their nucleotides and translat...
Molenkamp R, Rozier BC, Greve S, Spaan WJ, Snijder EJ.Equine arteritis virus (EAV), the type member of the family Arteriviridae, is a single-stranded RNA virus with a positive-stranded genome of approximately 13 kb. EAV uses a discontinuous transcription mechanism to produce a nested set of six subgenomic mRNAs from which its structural genes are expressed. We have generated the first documented arterivirus defective interfering (DI) RNAs by serial undiluted passaging of a wild-type EAV stock in BHK-21 cells. A cDNA copy of the smallest DI RNA (5.6 kb) was cloned. Upon transfection into EAV-infected BHK-21 cells, transcripts derived from this clo...
Harrold SM, Cook SJ, Cook RF, Rushlow KE, Issel CJ, Montelaro RC.Equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) infection of horses is characterized by recurring cycles of disease and viremia that typically progress to an inapparent infection in which clinical symptoms are absent as host immune responses maintain control of virus replication indefinitely. The dynamics of EIAV viremia and its association with disease cycles have been well characterized, but there has been to date no comprehensive quantitative analyses of the specific tissue sites of EIAV infection and replication in experimentally infected equids during acute disease episodes and during asymptomatic ...
Pusterla N, Madigan JE, Chae JS, DeRock E, Johnson E, Pusterla JB.We report successful helminthic transmission of Ehrlichia risticii, the causative agent of Potomac horse fever, using trematode stages collected from Juga yrekaensis snails. The ehrlichial agent was isolated from the blood of experimentally infected horses by culture in murine monocytic cells and identified as E. risticii ultrastructurally and by characterization of three different genes.
Katz J, Dewald R, Nicholson J.Procedurally similar competitive enzyme-linked immunoassay (cELISA) methods were developed for the serodiagnosis of Babesia equi and Babesia caballi (piroplasmosis), Trypanosoma equiperdum (dourine), and Burkholderia mallei (glanders) infections in horses. Apparent test specificities for the B. equi, B. caballi, T. equiperdum, and B. mallei cELISAs were 99.2%, 99.5%, 98.9%, and 98.9%, respectively. Concordances and kappa values between the complement fixation (CF) and the cELISA procedures for the serodiagnosis of B. equi, B. caballi, T. equiperdum, and B. mallei infections in experimentally e...
Rossano MG, Mansfield LS, Kaneene JB, Murphy AJ, Brown CM, Schott HC, Fox JC.Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) is a neurological disease of horses and ponies caused by the apicomplexan protozoan parasite Sarcocystis neurona. The purposes of this study were to develop the most stringent criteria possible for a positive test result, to estimate the sensitivity and specificity of the EPM Western blot antibody test, and to assess the ability of bovine antibodies to Sarcocystis cruzi to act as a blocking agent to minimize false-positive results in the western blot test for S. neurona. Sarcocystis neurona merozoites harvested from equine dermal cell culture were heat ...
Anzai T, Walker JA, Blair MB, Chambers TM, Timoney JF.To determine whether streptococcal pneumonia is caused by strains of Streptococcus zooepidemicus similar to those obtained from the tonsils of healthy horses. Methods: 5 tonsils from healthy horses, 8 tracheal washes and 6 lung specimens from foals with pneumonia, and 5 nasopharyngeal swab specimens from donkeys with acute bronchopneumonia. Methods: Variable M-like protectively immunogenic SzP proteins of 5 isolates of S. zooepidemicus from each tonsil and clinical specimen were compared, using immunoblots. The SzP gene of 13 isolates representative of various SzP immunoblot phenotypes from 1 ...
Chapman PS, Green C, Main JP, Taylor PM, Cunningham FM, Cook AJ, Marr CM.A total of 1235 tracheal aspirates taken from 724 thoroughbreds in race training, aged from two to 10 years, were examined cytologically and bacteriologically. An inflammation scoring system on a scale of 0 to 9 was devised to allow the severity of lower airway disease to be assessed from the cytological results. The inflammation scores were closely related to the isolation of bacteria (P<0.001), and the most common bacterial isolates were Streptococcus zooepidemicus, Streptococcus pneumoniae and Pasteurella/Actinobacillus-like species. Lower airway disease was less common in older horses (...
Thomsen ME, Davis EG, Rush BR.A 5-y-old Paint horse gelding was evaluated for acute laminitis after exposure to black walnut shavings. The gelding's feet were previously soaked in an ice bath continuously for approximately 24 h. Treatment consisted of anti-inflammatory and vasodilator therapy. Serial radiographs revealed progressive palmar deviation of the third phalanx and subsolar abscesses in both forefeet. The gelding developed purulent discharge from the right coronary band and the hoof wall detached circumfrentially. Euthanasia was elected after 54 days. Continual exposure of the gelding's feet to ice water temperatu...
van Maanen C, de Boer-Luijtze E, Terpstra C.A monoclonal antibody blocking ELISA was developed for the detection of antibodies directed against either EHV1 or EHV4. For this purpose, we selected a monoclonal antibody directed against a cross-reactive, conservative and immunodominant epitope of both EHV1 and EHV4. High antibody titres were found in rabbit antisera and SPF-foal antisera infected with either EHV1 or EHV4. After experimental challenge of conventional horses with EHV1 or EHV4 significant increases in CF and ELISA titres were found, whereas VN antibodies did not always increase significantly. In 344 paired serum samples submi...
Routledge NB, Harris RC, Harris PA, Naylor JR, Roberts CA.The variation over 24 h of plasma glutamine concentration in nonexercising horses was studied in 3 Thoroughbreds (TB) fed at 1600 h and 0700 h. This indicated a small but regular change associated with feeding. Starting at a mean of 482 mumol/l at 1600 h the concentration increased to 522 mumol/l at 2000 h, falling to 476 mumol/l at 1600 h and increasing again to 525 mumol/l at 2000 h. 'Normal' values were established in 19 part-bred TB horses, lacking clinical signs or remarkable pathology and in light training, by sampling weekly at 1000 h over a 10 week period. The mean concentration was 49...
Anzai T, Eguchi M, Sekizaki T, Kamada M, Yamamoto K, Okuda T.In order to establish a rapid diagnostic method for contagious equine metritis (CEM), we developed and evaluated a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test. Species-specific PCR primer sets were derived from the DNA sequence of a cloned DNA fragment of Taylorella equigenitalis that did not hybridize with the genome of a taxomonically related species, Oligella urethralis. Single step PCR with primer set P1-N2 and two-step semi-nested PCR with primer sets P1-N2 and P2-N2 detected as low as 100 and 10 CFU of the bacteria, respectively. Single-step PCR detected T. equigenitalis from genital swabs of e...
Chang YF, Novosol V, McDonough SP, Chang CF, Jacobson RH, Divers T, Quimby FW, Shin S, Lein DH.Seven specific-pathogen-free (SPF) ponies, 1-5 years old, were exposed to Borrelia burgdorferi-infected adult ticks while being treated with dexamethasone over 5 consecutive days. One SPF pony (pony No. 178) was first exposed to laboratory-reared nymphs without B. burgdorferi infection and 3 weeks later was exposed to B. burgdorferi-infected adult ticks with concurrent dexamethasone treatment for 5 consecutive days. Four uninfected ponies treated with dexamethasone, exposed to laboratory-reared ticks without B. burgdorferi infection served as uninfected controls. Clinical signs, bacteriologic ...
Patterson-Kane JC, Sanchez LC, MacKay RJ, Sundberg JP, Homer BL.A 4-year-old Quarter Horse gelding was presented with a history of weight loss of 6 months duration, along with extensive ventral subcutaneous edema. Clinicopathologic findings included a markedly low serum total protein (2.9 g/dl) and a low packed cell volume (24%). The mucosal surface of the distal jejunum and entire ileum were carpeted with numerous polypoid, papillary, and glandular masses comprised of pseudostratified tall columnar cells and large numbers of interspersed goblet cells. Neoplastic change was diffuse throughout the mucosa of each mass, but abrupt demarcation occurred between...
Shin EK, Rijkers T, Pastink A, Meek K.We reported previously that the genetic SCID disease observed in Arabian foals is explained by a defect in V(D)J recombination that profoundly affects both coding and signal end joining. As in C.B-17 SCID mice, the molecular defect in SCID foals is in the catalytic subunit of the DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PKCS); however, in SCID mice, signal end resolution remains relatively intact. Moreover, recent reports indicate that mice that completely lack DNA-PKCS also generate signal joints at levels that are indistinguishable from those observed in C.B-17 SCID mice, eliminating the possibilit...
Kuttappan DA, Mooyottu S, Sponseller BA.The understanding of the pathogenesis of equine enteric clostridial organisms is an active, evolving field. Advances will improve our knowledge both from the animal welfare and human health perspectives. The zoonotic nature of this group of diseases makes them relevant in the age of One health, as a significant amount of close human-equine interactions occurs for business and pleasure. Economic and welfare reasons prompt a better understanding of enteric clostridial pathogenesis, treatment, and control of the infection in horses and ongoing efforts are needed to advance clinical outcomes.
Corbeil LE, Morrissey JF, Léguillette R.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...
Cuteri V, Takai S, Moscati L, Battistacci L, Pieramati C, Valente C.A serological survey of Rhodococcus equi infection was carried out on 602 blood samples collected from foals in central Italy. The assay was performed with an ELISA test using two different antigens prepared with reference strains of R. equi, ATCC 33071 and ATCC 6939. A positive reaction was obtained on 81 serum samples (13.45%) (OD > or = 0.3) using antigen ATCC 33071, and on 73 serum samples (12.12%) using antigen ATCC 6939. Although the frequency of the disease was not high, the serological positivity was about 13%. There was no statistically significant difference between males and fema...
Drozdzewska K, Potocnik E, Schwarz B.Placing a nasogastric tube can be a life-saving act for a horse but is considered an occupational hazard for veterinarians. An online questionnaire was performed to assess and specify potential risks. 123 equine veterinarians completed the survey, and the majority admitted using the mouth to handle the end of the nasogastric tube (sucking or blowing air) and having accidentally swallowed or aspirated stomach content or medications. This can potentially lead to aspiration pneumonia or pneumonitis. Mineral oil seems to be especially dangerous as aspiration may be asymptomatic at the beginning an...
Gupta AK, Yadav MP, Uppal PK, Mumford JA, Binns MM.Two A/Equi-2 (H3N8) isolates were obtained during the 1987 Indian equine influenza epizootic. The sequence of the Ludhiana/87 HA1 gene revealed that this isolate was very similar to recent European and North American isolates of equine influenza. In contrast, the Bhiwani/87 HA1 gene was nearly identical to the Miami/63 prototype H3 sequence. These results support the antigenic analysis previously carried out on these isolates using monoclonal antibodies. However, the finding that Bhiwani/87 is so similar to Miami/63, coupled with the finding that equine H3N8 influenza viruses have previously b...
Tanaka S, Kaji Y, Taniyama H, Matsukawa K, Ochiai K, Itakura C.Typical Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia was found in a male thoroughbred foal (46 days old) suffering from diarrhea and hypogammaglobulinemia after birth. The characteristics of the organisms were demonstrated by Grocott methenamine silver staining, and scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The present focal had no histological lesions suggesting immunodeficiency. However, he could not get adequate colostrum from his dam, because she died of hemorrhagic shock due to immuno-mediated thrombocytopenia at delivery. This condition was considered to have predisposed the foal to the pneumonia...
Sockett DC, Traub-Dargatz J, Weiser MG.A one-month-old Quarter Horse filly had unilateral epistaxis, hyphema, icterus, petechial hemorrhages in the oral, nasal, conjunctival, and vulvar mucous membranes, anemia, thrombocytopenia, negative antinuclear test result, and a positive direct Coombs' test result. Megakaryocytes or cell-associated IgG (fluorescent antibody and immunoperoxidase stains) were not found in bone marrow biopsy specimens. Treatment consisted of glucocorticoids, antibiotics, and a single whole blood transfusion. The foal responded well to treatment, did not develop relapses of the disease, and was clinically normal...
Kung N, Mackenzie S, Pitt D, Robinson B, Perkins NR.An outbreak of equine influenza (EI) caused by influenza A H3N8 subtype virus occurred in the Australian states of Queensland and New South Wales in August 2007. Infection in the Australian horse population was associated with the introduction of infection by horses from overseas. The first case of EI in Queensland was detected on 25 August 2007 at an equestrian sporting event. Infection subsequently spread locally and to other clusters through horse movements prior to the implementation of an official standstill. There were five main clusters of infected properties during this outbreak and se...
Ferreira-Dias G, Nequin LG, King SS.Equine endometria representative of Kenney's categories I, II, and III were incubated in vitro with phosphate buffer, Streptococcus pneumoniae, or S zooepidemicus. Endometrial tissues from mares in estrus and diestrus were first categorized according to Kenney's classification, then were tested for adherence of S pneumoniae and S zooepidemicus to the epithelia. Bacteria were not observed when the endometrial tissue was incubated with phosphate buffer or S pneumoniae. There was no statistical difference in attachment of S zooepidemicus to endometrial tissue from mares in estrus or diestrus if e...
Waguespack RW, Taintor J.The paranasal sinus system of horses is complex, comprising six pairs of sinuses. Disease processes that can develop in the sinuses include ethmoid hematomas, cysts, neoplasia, and bacterial and fungal infections. Horses that develop paranasal sinus disease vary widely in age. A significant number of clinical conditions involving the paranasal sinuses require a combination of diagnostic tests to determine the specific pathologic process. Because of the anatomic location of the paranasal sinuses and associated chronic conditions that affect many patients, many disease processes involving the pa...
Radcliffe RM, Bookbinder LC, Liu SY, Tomlinson JE, Cook VL, Hurcombe SDA, Divers TJ.Blood transfusion is a lifesaving treatment for horses with acute hemorrhage and other causes of anemia. Transfusions improve oxygen delivery to the tissues via increased blood volume and hemoglobin concentration. Certain aspects of equine blood transfusion are challenging, especially in the field situation, and practitioners may be unfamiliar or feel overwhelmed with the process. An understanding of the indications, materials, methods, and techniques as well as donor selection and possible complications will help practitioners successfully implement blood transfusion in clinical practice. Met...
Pinn TL, Divers TJ, Southard T, De Bernardis NP, Wakshlag JJ, Valberg S.A 12-hours-old Paint filly was examined because of weakness and dull mentation after birth. Despite IV administered dextrose, the foal remained persistently hypoglycemic with increase in serum activity of muscle and liver enzymes. A postmortem diagnosis of lipid myopathy most similar to multiple acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency (MADD) was confirmed by findings of myofiber lipid accumulation, elevated urine organic acids, and serum free acylcarnitines with respect to control foals. This report details a case of equine neonatal lipid storage myopathy with many biochemical characteristics of MAD...
Kriegshäuser G, Wutz G, Lea S, Stuart D, Skern T, Kuechler E.Mouse monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) were employed to select neutralization escape mutants of equine rhinitis A virus (ERAV). Amino acid changes in the ERAV mutants resulting in resistance to neutralization were identified in capsid protein VP1 at Lys-114, Pro-240 and Thr-241. Although the changes were located in different parts of the polypeptide chain, these mutants exhibited cross-resistance against all four mAbs employed, indicating that these residues contribute to a single immunogenic site. To explain this result, we constructed a model of the three-dimensional structure of the ERAV capsid...
DeBowes RM, Yovich JV.Foot-associated lamenesses are common diagnostic challenges for the equine practitioner. This article reviews the commonly occurring penetrating and concussive solar injuries of the equine foot. Diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for the management of these conditions are suggested. With proper treatment, many of these serious injuries will show excellent results.
Rudi K.Mainly due to the lack of time-series data, we know very little about the underlying interactions leading to adverse states in the gut. I therefore investigate the host-bacteria dynamic interactions in a recently published acidotic state induction time-series experiment. Too high levels of fermentation in the hindgut may lead to elevated serum lactate levels, which is a characteristic of the acidotic state. The acidotic state was induced through injection of oligofructose directly into the caecum of five horses, with subsequent temporal measurements of host serum lactate, and a range of caecum...
Bannai H, Kambayashi Y, Nemoto M, Ohta M, Tsujimura K.The immune response and protective efficacy of a modified equid alphaherpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) vaccine administered by two different routes were tested in horses. Horses that received intramuscular (IM) priming and an intranasal (IN) booster with a 28-day interval (IM-IN group [n = 6]), IN priming and IM booster (IN-IM group [n = 5]), or no vaccination (control group [n = 6]) were challenged with EHV-1 strain 10-I-224 28 days after the second vaccination. Both vaccinated groups had significantly higher serum virus-neutralizing titers than the control group, with increased levels of ser...
Vandenabeele SI, White SD, Affolter VK, Kass PH, Ihrke PJ.Twenty horses with pemphigus foliaceus were seen over a period of 15 years in a veterinary medical teaching hospital. Breeds seen were seven quarterhorses, five thoroughbreds, three cross-bred horses, two Arabians and one of each of the following: standardbred, Tennessee walker and warmblood. There was no breed, age or sex predisposition. Nine were mares, ten were geldings and one was a stallion. Ages ranged from 2.5 months to 25 years, with a mean of 8.6 years. Sixteen (80%) of the pemphigus foliaceus horses first exhibited signs between September and February. There was a statistically signi...
Sloet van Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan MM, Klein WR, Misdorp W.Dermatophytosis is the most common equine skin disease. Mycotic-like lesions that do not disappear are suspected of being sarcoids. The clinical symptoms and therapeutic interventions for both affections are discussed. A short review of the differential diagnoses is presented.
Berndt A, Derksen FJ, Venta PJ, Karmaus W, Ewart S, Yuzbasiyan-Gurkan V, Robinson NE.Airway inflammation in recurrent airway obstruction (RAO) is triggered by housing affected horses in stables.It has been suggested that RAO is an allergic condition, but innate immune mechanisms are also involved. Fungal products activate innate immune mechanisms through toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2). In human airway epithelium, TLR2 activation leads to interleukin (IL)-8 production. This pathway is negatively regulated by the zinc finger protein A20. This study was performed to enhance understanding of innate immune mechanisms in RAO. Objective: TLR2 and IL-8 mRNA are elevated in RAO during sta...
Baigazinov ZА, Lukashenko SN, Panitsky АV, Kadyrova NZ, Karatayev SS, Mamyrbayeva АS, Baigazy SА, Bazarbaeva АМ, Kabdyrakova AB....Horses are important food sources in several countries however, data on their radionuclide uptake is less available than for many other farm animals. Information on the transfer of artificial radioisotopes from the environment to the food supply is necessary for internal dose assessment and assuring the safety of the population relying on this food source. This study provides data for a less studied farm animal and, in the case of Am and Pu, relatively poorly studied radionuclides with respect to transfer to animal products. The transfer parameters for Pu, Am, Cs and Sr to the organs of 1-year...
Arenas-Gamboa AM, Mansell J.Haemangiosarcomas (HSAs) are malignant tumours of endothelial cell origin. Epithelioid HSA is a variant of the histologically conventional HSA that has little or no morphological evidence of a vascular origin and has been reported rarely in domestic animals. The following report documents six cases of equine epithelioid HSA occurring in the ocular tissues of horses with a mean age of 19.8 years at the time of diagnosis. Microscopically, all of the lesions consisted of solid sheets or cords of epithelioid cells with rare narrow clefts or small spaces containing erythrocytes that were often the ...
Fernie DS, Cayzer I, Chalmers SR.A passive haemagglutination test (PHT) which has been developed for the detection of antibodies to the contagious equine metritis organism (CEMO) in serum is described. Samples from each of 30 mares with metritis were positive with titres in the range 256 to 4096. Samples from each of 239 clinically normal mares and 30 colts and fillies believed not to have been exposed to CEMO were negative with titres of less than 256, the majority of samples (97 per cent) showing a titre of 32 or less.
MacLeay JM.In 1992, a multiparous 13-year-old Thoroughbred mare and her 48-hour-old colt were examined because of possible neonatal isoerythrolysis (NI). Supportive treatment was administered, and the foal recovered without requiring a transfusion. According to the owners, the mare had delivered foals without incident during 1987 and 1991. The mare was barren during 1993, but in 1994, delivered a filly that developed severe NI. The foal was given 3 transfusions and eventually recovered without complications. Blood typing analysis of the mare and its foals indicated that all 4 foals were positive for the ...
Fayer R, Dubey JP.Eight ponies and a horse were inoculated orally with sporocysts of Sarcocystis fayeri from dogs. They were examined for clinical signs of infection and killed 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 50 (horse), 77, 101, and 156 days after inoculation (DAI). Elevated temperature was observed in three ponies 20 and 26 DAI and anemia was observed in three ponies and the horse 15 to 69 DAI. Schizonts were found in or near cells lining capillaries or arteries of the heart, brain, and kidney 10, 20, and 25 DAI. Immature cysts containing only metrocytes were first found in muscles 50 DAI. Mature intramuscular cysts cont...
Morris DD, Gaulin G, Strzemienski PJ, Spencer P.Comparison of neutrophil function was made between 8 clinically normal pony foals (3 to 7 days of age), and their dams. Random migration, stimulated migration to zymosan-activated serum, bacterial phagocytosis and bactericidal capacity of neutrophils were determined in vitro. Random migration was greater (P less than 0.01) and stimulated migration was less (P less than 0.01) in foals than in their dams. Bacterial phagocytosis and bactericidal capacity of neutrophils were not different (P greater than 0.05) between foals and mares. Results of this study suggested that neonatal foals have altere...
Viljoen A, Saulez MN, Donnellan CM, Bester L, Gummow B.Medical records of equine after-hours admissions from 1998 to 2007 are reviewed. Data extracted from the medical records included signalment, reason for admission, pre-admission treatment, clinical presentation, procedures performed, final diagnoses, complications occurring in hospital, length of stay and outcome. Eight hundred and twenty after-hours admissions were available of which 75% were classified as emergencies. Most horses originated from Gauteng province (82%), with Thoroughbred, Arabian, and Warmbloods representing 46%, 10% and 7% of horses. Horses had a median age of 7 years and we...
Digby NJ.Experimental studies of endometrial smears from 26 normal mares showed that after a period of sexual rest exceeding 7 days smears were generally free from inflammatory cells. Smears from 9 mares showing signs of persistent endometritis contained inflammatory cells in 91 per cent while bacterial culture was positive in only 45 per cent. Smears were also taken from 242 Thoroughbred mares as a routine procedure in 1977. It was concluded that endometrial cytology provides a better guide to uterine inflammation than bacteriology. The routine clinical use of endometrial cytology is recommended to ai...
Rash A.During the summer months, there will be increased movement and, therefore, increased mixing of the horse population, leading to a higher risk of disease transmission and subsequent clinical cases. It is important that both vets and owners remain vigilant for equine influenza infection. Here, Adam Rash, of the Animal Health Trust, discusses the diagnosis of this disease.
Zouiten H, Berrag B, Oukessou M, Sadak A, Cabaret J.Sport and leisure horses in Morocco are treated with several anthelmintics, organophosphates (dichlorvos), benzimidazoles (mostly thiabendazole) or tetrahydropyrimidines (mostly pyrantel pamoate) against nematodes. We studied three horse stables in Rabat, one in Meknes and one in Bouznika. Two of the Rabat and Bouznika stables had introduced a large number of horses from countries (Argentina or Europe) where resistance to benzimidazoles is frequent, whereas the Meknes stud farm remained without foreign introduction. The number of treatments was not very frequent (twice a year in adult horses) ...
