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.
Idrissi Bougrine S, Fassi Fihri O, el Harrak M, Fassi Fehri MM.A vaccination protocol involving three horses, with five repeated injections of inactivated serotype 4 African horse sickness virus, was undertaken to determine a possible threshold for the appearance of antibodies against the non-structural protein NS3. Using an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, with the recombinant NS3 protein as an antigen, the authors detected a response to NS3 as of the second injection for the first horse and after four injections for the second horse. No response to NS3 was detected for the third horse. The results show that the inactivated vaccine is insuffic...
Lucchesi PM, Parma AE.Horses infected with Leptospira interrogans present several clinical disorders, one of them being recurrent uveitis. An antigenic relationship between this bacterium and equine cornea has been described in previous studies. With the aim to make progress on defining the molecular basis and pathogenesis of equine recurrent uveitis, here we describe the cloning of one DNA fragment from a Leptospira interrogans serovar pomona genomic lambda gt11 library. Although there are references of transcription of leptospiral genes in E. coli from their own leptospiral promoters, in this recombinant construc...
Jose-Cunilleras E, Hinchcliff KW.Pharmacologic treatment of diseases of the urinary tract of horses is limited to administration of antibiotics for treatment of urinary tract infections (UTIs), administration of drugs that alter urine pH, administration of drugs that alter bladder smooth muscle function or urethral sphincter tone, and treatment of acute renal failure. The indications, mechanisms of action, pharmacokinetic characteristics, and adverse effects of these agents in each of these groups are discussed in this article. The use of the agents is discussed within the context of the pathophysiology of the disease being t...
Anderson BH, Ethell MT.A number of methods for the local delivery of drugs to musculoskeletal tissues in the horse are now available. Further research is required to document the disposition of drugs delivered by such methods and to correlate this information with efficacy. Perhaps the greatest potential area for the methods discussed is the treatment of synovial and bone infections. To be able to provide high and sustained therapeutic concentrations of antimicrobials to the site of infection should increase the chances of success in such cases. These methods of drug delivery need to be used in conjunction with othe...
Hamor RE, Whelan NC.Corneal ulcers are one of the most common ocular disease presentations in the horse. With the use of correct diagnostic techniques and selection of an appropriate treatment regimen, most cases result in a satisfactory outcome. The eye does not respond well to inflammation, and in complicated ulcers, this should be managed aggressively using systemic NSAIDs with a high priority assigned to removing the infectious agent. Care needs to be taken to avoid topical or systemic corticosteroid use for the treatment of equine ocular disease, however, unless the clinician is completely sure that the corn...
Dubey JP, Romand S, Thulliez P, Kwok OC, Shen SK, Gamble HR.Serum samples from 296 horses slaughtered for food in the United States were tested for antibodies to Neospora caninum by the Neospora-agglutination test (NAT). Antibodies were found in 69 (23.3%) horses with titers of 1:40 (19 horses), 1:80 (19 horses), 1:100 (3 horses), 1:200 (7 horses), 1:400 (4 horses), and 1:800 (17 horses). This is the first serologic survey for N. caninum antibodies in horses.
Murphy AJ, Mansfield LS.Sarcocystis neurona is a protozoan parasite that causes a neurological disease in horses called equine protozoal myeloencephalitis. The route of transmission is speculated to be by fecal-oral transfer of sporocysts shed from opossums. Controversy exists regarding both the natural life cycle for this parasite as well as the species identity of opossum Sarcocystis. To provide stage-specific material for species comparison, 27 opossums from southern Michigan were screened for Sarcocystis spp. sporocysts. Seven opossums were positive for Sarcocystis sporocysts by fecal flotation. A simplified, eff...
Davis CR, Barr BC, Pascoe JR, Olander HJ, Dubey JP.Hepatic sarcocystosis was diagnosed in a horse in association with refractory bacterial osteomyelitis and plasma cell tumor of the maxilla and hepatic salmonellosis. Gross lesions included pleural, pericardial, and peritoneal effusions, hepatomegaly, gastric ulceration, colonic edema, and proliferative tissues filling 2 maxillary dental alveoli. Histologically, liver was characterized by severe suppurative, necrotizing, periportal hepatitis, and severe periacinar necrosis. Hepatocytes frequently contained protozoal schizonts in various stages of development. In mature schizonts, merozoites wer...
Keir AA, Stämpfli HR, Crawford J.Exposure of a group of horses to tetracycline-contaminated feed resulted in acute colitis and subsequent death in one horse and milder diarrhea in 3 others. The most severely affected animal demonstrated clinical and pathological findings typical of colitis X. The other herdmates responded well to administration of zinc bacitracin.
Smyth DA, Baptiste KE, Cruz AM, Naylor JM.A 6-year-old, 420-kg quarter horse gelding was presented with a 2-month history of difficulty swallowing and dyspnea. The horse was diagnosed with a right guttural pouch empyema with many large chondroids. Two surgeries were required to completely remove all the chondroids from what proved to be a primary distension of the guttural pouch lateral compartment.
Perron Lepage MF, Gerber V, Suter MM.Subacute interstitial pneumonia with diffuse alveolar damage, marked macrophage infiltration, and intracellular Pneumocystis carinii cysts is described in a 3-month-old Swiss warmblood foal. Clinically, the disease was characterized by sudden onset of respiratory distress with fatal outcome. Based on serum immunoglobulin G (IgG), IgA, and IgM values, no humoral immunosuppression was detected. Spleen, thymus, and bronchial lymph nodes did not reveal lymphoid depletion, as assessed by immunohistochemical staining of CD-3-positive cells. Immunopathogenesis of pulmonary infections with intracellul...
Pusterla N, Leutenegger CM, Chae JS, Lutz H, Kimsey RB, Dumler JS, Madigan JE.This paper describes the kinetics of the human granulocytic ehrlichiosis agent in the blood of horses experimentally infected by intravenous inoculation with infected leukocytes and by infected ticks as evaluated by using a real-time quantitative PCR assay. The data obtained indicated differences in the period of incubation, duration of rickettsemia, and initial and maximal ehrlichial loads between the two routes of infection.
Schroeder B, Boyle MD, Sheerin BR, Asbury AC, Lottenberg R.Our laboratory previously demonstrated that group C streptococcal isolates from humans and horses secrete streptokinases that preferentially activate plasminogens reflecting the origin of the isolates. To analyze the significance of these findings, series of streptokinase-producing Streptococcus equisimilis isolates recovered from humans and horses were examined. Southern blot analysis revealed that chromosomal DNA of the streptococcal isolates from humans reacted exclusively with a skc(hu) probe and that chromosomal DNA of streptococcal isolates from horses reacted preferentially with an skc(...
Camarda G, Spinetti G, Bernardini G, Mair C, Davis-Poynter N, Capogrossi MC, Napolitano M.Several herpesviruses contain open reading frames (ORFs) that encode potential homologs of eucaryotic genes. Equine herpesvirus 2 (EHV-2) is a gammaherpesvirus related to other lymphotropic herpesviruses such as herpesvirus saimiri and Epstein-Barr virus. The E1 ORF of EHV-2, a G protein-coupled receptor homolog, shows 31 to 47% amino acid identity with known CC chemokine receptors. To investigate whether E1 may encode a functional receptor, we cloned the E1 ORF and expressed it in stably transfected cell lines. We report here the identification of the CC chemokine eotaxin as a functional liga...
Collins MD, Rodriguez Jovita M, Lawson PA, Falsen E, Foster G.Two strains of an unknown Gram-positive, catalase-negative, facultatively anaerobic coccus originating from the reproductive tract of horses were characterized by phenotypic and molecular taxonomic methods. Comparative 16S rRNA gene sequencing studies demonstrated that the two strains constitute a new subline within the lactic-acid group of bacteria, close to, but distinct from, Abiotrophia defectiva, Globicatella sanguinis and close relatives. The unknown bacterium was readily distinguished from other described Gram-positive, catalase-negative cocci by biochemical tests and electrophoretic an...
Lichtenstein DL, Craigo JK, Leroux C, Rushlow KE, Cook RF, Cook SJ, Issel CJ, Montelaro RC.The long terminal repeat (LTR) is reported to be one of the most variable portions of the equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) genome. To date, however, no information is available on the effects of observed sequence variations on viral replication properties, despite a widespread assumption of the biological importance of EIAV LTR variation. EIAV LTR sequence variability is confined mostly to a small portion of the enhancer within the U3 segment of the LTR. Analysis of published EIAV LTR sequences revealed six different types of LTR based on the pattern of putative transcription factor motif...
Ribeiro MF, Costa JO, Guimarães AM.The prevalence of Babesia equi in two climatic regions of Minas Gerais state was determined using the indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) with blood samples obtained from horses in two slaughterhouses. Of 399 samples, 241 (60.4%) showed a positive reaction. Anti-B. equi antibody was detected in every county studied, the prevalence being 59.7% for horses in the area where the temperature rises above 18 degrees C in winter and 61.4% in the area where it remains below 18 degrees C, indicating that climatic variation has no substantial effect on the prevalence of the infection in Brazil. Blo...
Walter I, Nowotny N.Effects of infection with two different strains of equine herpes virus type 1 (EHV-1; Piber 178/83, Kentucky D) on the cytoskeleton of Vero cells were investigated immunohistochemically, and evaluated by confocal laser scanning microscopy. Twenty four hours post EHV-1 infection the assembly of the microtubulus system of Vero cells was heavily disturbed. The Golgi region was dispersed into vesicles spread throughout the cytoplasm as demonstrated by WGA lectin binding. Other cytoskeletal elements such as cytokeratin, vimentin, and filamentous actin (F-actin) were not affected by EHV-1 infection....
Marr KA, Lees P, Cunningham FM.Adherence to vascular endothelium and extracellular matrix proteins is a pre-requisite for neutrophil accumulation at sites of inflammation. In this study, equine neutrophil adherence to fibronectin and autologous serum-coated plastic in response to PAF, hrIL-8, hrC5a and PMA has been measured. In addition, the mechanisms involved have been investigated using monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) against the beta2 integrin CD18. PAF and hrC5a caused similar, concentration dependent, increases in adherence to fibronectin- and serum-coated plastic (maximum responses 19 +/- 4% and 19 +/- 3% for PAF and 1...
Etana D.Samples were collected from clinically infected carthorses in Awassa. Fungus species affecting the carthorses were identified. Eight genera of fungal groups were isolated from swabs and skin scrapes taken from symptomatic horses. These included Aspergillus spp., Histoplasma spp., Penicillium spp., Microsporum spp., Trichophyton spp., yeast cells of Candida spp., Cryptococcus spp. and Geotrichum spp. The most frequent isolates were from the genera Aspergillus (48%), Penicillium (39.2%) and Trichophyton (31.6%). Clinical findings are reported, the economic, zoonotic and pathogenetic importance o...
Pozio E, Paterlini F, Pedarra C, Sacchi L, Bugarini R, Goffredo E, Boni P.A total of 120 muscle tissues from three horses naturally infected with Trichinella spiralis were examined. The head was the most infected site. In particular, the muscles harbouring the highest number of larvae were: musculus buccinator (12, 411 and 1183 larvae g-1), the tongue (11, 615 and 1749 larvae g-1), m. levator labii maxillaris (17,582 and 1676 larvae g-1), and the masseter (4.9, 289 and 821 larvae g-1). Compared with the diaphragm, the number of larvae per gram was from 3.5 to 6.8 times higher in the tongue, from 3.5 to 6.5 higher in m. levator labii maxillaris, and from 2.5 to 4.6 h...
Ikadai H, Xuan X, Igarashi I, Tanaka S, Kanemaru T, Nagasawa H, Fujisaki K, Suzuki N, Mikami T.A cDNA expression library prepared from Babesia caballi merozoite mRNA was screened with a monoclonal antibody BC11D against the rhoptry protein of B. caballi merozoite. A cDNA encoding a 48-kDa protein of B. caballi was cloned and designated BC48. The complete nucleotide sequence of the BC48 gene had 1,828 bp and was shown to contain no intron. Southern blotting analysis indicated that the BC48 gene contained more than two copies in the B. caballi genome. Computer analysis suggested that this sequence contained an open reading frame of 1,374 bp with a coding capacity of approximately 52 kDa. ...
Dubey JP, Mattson DE, Speer CA, Baker RJ, Mulrooney DM, Tornquist SJ, Hamir AN, Gerros TC.An isolate of Sarcocystis neurona (SN6) was obtained from the spinal cord of a horse from Oregon with neurologic signs. The parasite was isolated in cultures of bovine monocytes and equine spleen cells. The parasite divided by endopolygeny and completed at least one asexual cycle in cell cultures in three days. Two gamma interferon knockout mice inoculated with cell culture-derived merozoites became ill 35 d later and S. neurona schizonts and merozoites were found in encephalitic lesions. The parasite in tissue sections of mice reacted with S. neurona-specific antibodies and S. neurona was rei...
Chang Y, Novosol V, McDonough SP, Chang CF, Jacobson RH, Divers T, Quimby FW, Shin S, Lein DH.Eight 1-year-old ponies were vaccinated with recombinant OspA (ospA gene derived from B. burgdorferi B31) with adjuvant (aluminium hydroxide). Four ponies were used as non-vaccinated controls with adjuvant. One hundred and twelve days after the first vaccination, the vaccinated and non-vaccinated ponies were challenged by exposure to B. burgdorferi-infected adults tick (Ixodes scapularis) collected from Westchester County, New York (tick infection rate >/=60%). Protection from infection was evaluated by culture for B. burgdorferi from three monthly skin biopsies taken near the site of tick bit...
Galuppo LD, Pascoe JR, Jang SS, Willits NH, Greenman SL.To document natural bacterial flora on the ventral aspect of the equine abdomen, to compare 2 preparation techniques, and to identify potential risk factors that may contribute to incisional drainage. Methods: Prospective study. Methods: 53 horses undergoing exploratory celiotomy. Methods: Group-1 horses (n = 26) were prepared with povidone-iodine and alcohol. Group-2 horses (27) were prepared with a film-forming iodophor complex. Numbers of bacterial colony-forming units (CFU) were measured before and after surgical scrub, following skin closure, and after recovery from general anesthesia. Sw...
Steel CM, Hunt AR, Adams PL, Robertson ID, Chicken C, Yovich JV, Stick JA.To identify factors affecting the prognosis for survival and athletic use in foals with septic arthritis. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: 93 foals with septic arthritis. Methods: Medical records were reviewed to obtain clinical findings, laboratory test results, radiographic findings, treatment method, and outcome. Race records for Thoroughbreds and Standardbreds were evaluated to determine whether foals subsequently raced and whether they raced successfully. Results: 43 foals had 1 affected joint, 44 foals had multiple affected joints, and number of affected joints was not recorded for...
Chapman MR, Kearney MT, Klei TR.With the increased interest in equine cyathostomes it has become apparent that some evaluations of methods currently used to count the various larval stages which occur in the mucosa would be beneficial. Experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of fixation and storage of mucosal tissues at -20 C on the accuracy of counting these larvae. The accuracy of counting developing larvae within the mucosa by transmural illumination (TMI) and by artificial digestion (DIG) of the mucosa was also compared. The data indicate that fixation of digested mucosa in PBS-buffered 5% or 10% formalin d...
Rees WA, Harkins JD, Lu M, Holland RE, Lehner AF, Tobin T, Chambers TM.To determine pharmacokinetics of single and multiple doses of rimantadine hydrochloride in horses and to evaluate prophylactic efficacy of rimantadine in influenza virus-infected horses. Methods: 5 clinically normal horses and 8 horses seronegative to influenza A. Methods: Horses were given rimantadine (7 mg/kg of body weight, i.v., once; 15 mg/kg, p.o., once; 30 mg/kg, p.o., once; and 30 mg/kg, p.o., q 12 h for 4 days) to determine disposition kinetics. Efficacy in induced infections was determined in horses seronegative to influenza virus A2. Rimantadine was administered (30 mg/kg, p.o., q 1...
Berrocal A, van den Ingh TS.The pathological findings in three cases of equine phycomycosis in Costa Rica are described. Two cutaneous (Pythium sp) and one nasal lesion (Conidiobolus) were observed.
Scott TW, Olson JG, All BP, Gibbs EP.Sensitivity and specificity of an antigen-capture ELISA vs virus isolation in cell culture were evaluated for the detection of eastern equine encephalomyelitis (EEE) virus in the brain tissue of naturally infected equids. Brain specimens from 16 equids with neurologic disease were examined by ELISA and by inoculation onto baby hamster kidney cell cultures. Of 10 brain samples from which virus was isolated in the cell culture bioassay, all were correctly identified as containing EEE virus antigen by ELISA. None of the remaining 6 specimens, without detectable infectious EEE virus, contained det...
De Lange V, Chiers K, Lefère L, Cools M, Ververs C, Govaere J.Two unilateral cryptorchid stallions were referred to the clinic because of chronic debilitating condition with emaciation. Rectal examination, and ultrasound and gross examination revealed in both animals an abdominal mass, caudally of the kidney, and multiple nodules spread over the abdomen. Histologic analysis revealed an intra-abdominal malignant seminoma with intraperitoneal and renal metastasis. Interestingly, a seminoma was also present in the descended testis of the draught horse.
Parma AE, Cerone SI, Sansinanea SA, Ghezzi M.C3 was detected bound in vivo to the opaque cornea of horses inoculated with killed Leptospira interrogans. Employing epithelial corneal cells isolated from a monolayer in tissue culture, we proved that C3 is fixed in vitro to the intact cell surface after incubation with a fresh equine anti-Leptospira serum. These findings, in addition to the infiltration of cornea with neutrophils and lymphocytes, may explain the mechanisms of tissue damage in recurrent uveitis of horses with leptospirosis.
Gaffin SL, Wells M, Jordan JP.Death in humans from ionising radiation overexposure in the 3-8 Gy (300-800 rad) range is in part due to the toxaemia caused by the entry of gram-negative bacteria and/or their lipopolysaccharide toxin (LPS) into the blood circulation through the walls of partially denuded gut. Anti-LPS hyperimmune equine plasma was evaluated for its ability to lower irradiation-induced lethality. Mice were irradiated with 6.3 Gy (630 rad) and six days later received equine Anti-LPS hyperimmune plasma, control plasma or saline. Mortalities in the three groups were 58%, 92% and 79% (p less than 0.01) respective...
Nasir L, McFarlane ST, Torrontegui BO, Reid SW.Papillomaviral DNA has been identified in peripheral blood cells of both cattle and humans with and without associated disease and it has been suggested that such cells may act as sites of viral latency. In order to investigate the possibility of latent papillomaviral infection in the aetiopathogenesis of the equine sarcoid, peripheral blood derived DNA samples from 20 healthy and 34 sarcoid-affected donkeys were subject to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using papillomaviral specific primers. Analysis of blood derived DNA samples failed to demonstrate the presence of papillomaviral DNA in any...
Machtinger ET, Geden CJ.House flies (Musca domestica L.) and stable flies (Stomoxys calcitrans (L.)) (Diptera: Muscidae) are common pests in equine and cattle facilities. Pupal parasitoids, primarily in the genera Spalangia and Muscidifurax (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae), can be purchased for biological control of these flies. However, little is known about the host-habitat preferences associated with host-seeking by these parasitoids. The preferences of two Spalangia and two Muscidifurax species to odors associated with house fly hosts in equine and bovine manure were investigated in the laboratory using a Y-tube olfac...
Cullimore AM, Lester GD, Swindells KL.A 7-year-old Thoroughbred gelding presented with muscle fasciculation, reluctance to move, profuse sweating, tachycardia, tachypnoea and a localised, unilateral swelling on the muzzle. History and physical examination were suggestive of snake envenomation. Methods: A sandwich ELISA for the detection of snake venom was performed on serum and urine samples. Results: The test performed on urine confirmed a diagnosis of tiger snake envenomation. Conclusions: The response to treatment with antivenom and supportive medical therapy was excellent.
Daniels A, Pezzanite LM, Griffenhagen GM, Hendrickson DA.The frequency of surgical site infection (SSI) following orthopaedic implant placement in horses has been reported but not compared with respect to specific antibiotic protocols administered. To determine factors associated with SSI in horses undergoing proximal interphalangeal joint (PIPJ) arthrodesis including perioperative antibiotic protocols. Records were evaluated (2010-2019), and horses undergoing PIPJ arthrodesis were identified. Patient signalment, supervising surgeon, reason for surgery, limb, implants placed, anaesthetic time, duration casting/coaptation postoperatively, antibiotic ...
Ceusters JD, Serteyn DA, Minguet G, de la Rebière de Pouyade G, Romainville J, Deby-Dupont GP, Mouithys-Mickalad AA, Franck TJ.Horses are particularly sensitive and exposed to excessive inflammatory responses evolving toward an important stimulation of polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs). The aim of this work was to stimulate equine neutrophils in whole blood and to evaluate their response by measuring the release of total and active myeloperoxidase (MPO) and total elastase, considered as markers of neutrophil stimulation and degranulation. Because of the critical importance of the concomitant presence of LPS and TNF-α in equine pathological situations, we combined these two natural mediators to stimulate PMN and co...
Dávila AM, Souza SS, Campos C, Silva RA.Since little information is available on the epizootiological status of Trypanosoma evansi in South America and particularly Brazil, we evaluated equine serum samples collected in 1993, 1994, 1995 and 1997 for the presence of antibodies against this trypanosome species. Our study shows corroborative evidence about the correlation among high T. evansi seroprevalence and the rainy season in the Pantanal, Brazil. The higher seroprevalence was 79.2% in horses from a ranch located in the Nhecolândia sub-region in 1994 and the lower 5.8% in animals from the same ranch in 1997. No seroprevalence was...
Hatch C, McCaughey WJ, O'Brien JJ.During the months October-May inclusive 90-8% of horses slaughtered at an abattoir near Dublin and 66-9% of those at an abattoir near Belfast were infected with Gasterophilus intestinalis; 28-6% of horses at the former abattoir harboured G nasalis while none of the horses examined at the latter abattoir was found to be infected with this species.
Donahue JM.Eighty-seven of 283 isolates of salmonellae recovered from horses in Kentucky by the Livestock Disease Diagnostic Center from July 1, 1980 through June 30, 1984 were Salmonella agona. No isolations of S agona were made from Jan 1, 1972 through June 30, 1980. Salmonella agona was isolated from horses on 56 farms and most of the isolations were made in the spring. All age classes of horses were involved. Clinical forms of salmonellosis observed were diarrhea, septicemia, infertility, and abortion. Antibiotic susceptibilities were determined for 83 of the 87 isolates, and 79 were resistant to mul...
Zhang K, Zhou R, Huang H, Ma W, Qi Y, Li B, Zhang D, Li K, Chu H.The aim of this study was to identify the aggregation sites and transmission characteristics of Gasterophilus pecorum, the dominant pathogen of endangered equines in desert steppe. Therefore, we tested with a four-arm olfactometer the olfactory response of the G. pecorum adults to the odors that have a great impact on their life cycle, and also investigated the occurrence sites of the adults in the area where the Przewalski's horse (Equus przewalskii) roam frequently during the peak period of G. pecorum infection. The results of four-directional olfactory test showed that the fresh horse feces...
Thein P.During the last 2 years different equine herpesviruses serotype 1 strains have been isolated from cases of paretic or paralytic disease among horses in the Federal Republic of Germany. In this paper the available information is collated and briefly reviewed. A short description of the symptoms and the possible mechanism of the pathogenesis are given.
Parlevliet JM, Bleumink-Pluym NM, Houwers DJ, Remmen JL, Sluijter FJ, Colenbrander B.Contagious equine metritis (CEM) is a sexually transmissible disease in mares. Although the disease is commonly diagnosed by culturing the causative bacterium Taylorella equigenitalis (T. equigenitalis) . false negative results do occur. A recently developed Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) assay, however, appeared to be much more sensitive, with initial results indicating an unexpected high incidence of the agent in selected horses. In this study, samples from 107 randomly selected mares with no clinical signs of CEM submitted for conventional culture were all negative for T. equigenitalis . b...
Pusterla N, Mackie S, Packham A, Conrad PA.The aim of the present study was to investigate the likelihood of transplacental transmission of Neospora hughesi and Sarcocystis neurona in foals, born from seropositive mares. Three broodmares with persistent N. hughesi infection gave birth to eight healthy foals over a period of 7 years. These foals were seropositive to N. hughesi prior to colostrum ingestion, with titers ranging between 640 and 20,480, measured by indirect fluorescence antibody test (IFAT). Of 174 foals born at another farm to mares with a high seroprevalence to S. neurona, only one (with a pre-colostrum antibody tit...
Mathewson JJ, Simpson RB, Roush DA.Six isolations of Salmonella krefeld were made from clinical veterinary specimens. These isolates were multiply resistant to several antimicrobial agents commonly used to treat salmonellosis.
Delfiol DJ, Oliveira-Filho JP, Casalecchi FL, Kievitsbosch T, Hussni CA, Riet-Correa F, Araujo JP, Borges AS.In Brazil, coffee (Coffea arabica) husks are reused in several ways due to their abundance, including as stall bedding. However, field veterinarians have reported that horses become intoxicated after ingesting the coffee husks that are used as bedding. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether coffee husk consumption causes intoxication in horses. Six horses fed coast cross hay ad libitum were given access to coffee husks and excitability, restlessness, involuntary muscle tremors, chewing movements and constant tremors of the lips and tongue, excessive sweating and increased respirat...
Lapointe JM, Céleste C, Villeneuve A.An adult quarter horse mare was presented with acute colic and fever. Physical examination and abdominocentesis showed septic peritonitis, and the mare was euthanatized. Necropsy and histopathologic examination revealed a focal partial perforation of the right ventral colon, which contained a single bot fly larva, identified as a third-instar larva of Gasterophilus intestinalis. This larva was embedded deep within the muscularis and the submucosa. Although bot fly larvae are known to attach to aberrant sites within the digestive tract, this is the first known report of deep penetration of the ...
Benson JA, Dawson FL, Durrant DS, Edwards PT, Powell DG.A serum agglutination and antiglobulin test is described for the detection of antibodies to the contagious equine metritis organism. A provisional interpretation of the test is proposed and using this interpretation the results of 66 such tests are discussed.
Mair TS, Taylor FG, Brown PJ.Two horses affected by chronic, intermittent colic were found, at post-mortem examination, to have localized annular thickening of a segment of the duodenum. Histological examination of the lesion in both cases revealed a tumour composed of bundles of oval or spindle-shaped cells that stained as muscle with van Gieson stain. The histological diagnosis was leiomyosarcoma. The tumour had caused partial bowel obstruction in both horses.
Vail KJ, Stranahan LW, Richardson LM, Yanchik AE, Arnold CE, Porter BF, Wiener DJ.Mycobacterial infections in horses are uncommon, but are caused most frequently by Mycobacterium bovis of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex or Mycobacterium avium of the M. avium complex. Disease caused by Mycobacterium intracellulare, the second most common species within the M. avium complex, has not been reported in horses to date. Mycobacteriosis in horses most often presents as enteric, pulmonary or, rarely, systemic disease. Here we report a case of M. intracellulare infection in a horse presenting as a granulomatous nasal mass.
Srivastava SK, Barnum DA.Streptococcus equi was found to adhere to tongue, cheek and nasal epithelial cells of ponies, in vitro. Maximum adherence was observed at pH 7.5 after one hour of incubation of bacteria with epithelial cells. This adherence was more on epithelial cells from adult animals than from foals. Streptococci exposed to heat (60 degrees C for 10 min) or treated with pepsin or trypsin showed a reduced adherence, whereas an increase occurred on treatment with hyaluronidase. Antibodies against whole S. equi cells or M-like protein blocked the adherence, whereas antibodies against group-specific carbohydra...
Cohen ND, Carter GK.Persistent thrombocytopenia was detected in a horse with equine infectious anemia (EIA). The thrombocytopenia was considered to be immune-mediated, developing secondary to infection with EIA virus. Epistaxis, petechial hemorrhages, subcutaneous hematomas, and edema resolved after treatment with corticosteroids; however, the owners requested that the mare by euthanatized because of infection with EIA virus. Although clinical signs attributable to immune-mediated thrombocytopenia may resolve with appropriate treatment, horses with immune-mediated thrombocytopenia secondary to EIA have a guarded ...
Thorsteinsdóttir L, Torsteinsdóttir S, Svansson V.Due to the slow growth of equine gammaherpesviruses, isolation of these viruses requires cells that can be propagated long term and show clear cytopathy following infection. Equine cell lines with extended lifespan were established from primary cells originating from equine fetal kidney and lung by transfecting the cells with the retroviral vector LXSN116E6E7 containing the human papilloma virus oncogenes 16 E6 and E7. The transfected equine kidney cell line and equine lung cell line can be propagated for more than 40 passages, whereas the corresponding primary cells only for 10-12 passages. T...
Owen R, Fullerton JN, Tizard IR, Lumsden JH, Barnum DA.Clinical, bacteriological, serological and haematological observations were made on 13 adult ponies orally inoculated with Salmonella typhimurium. The results were compared to two control ponies and four others infected by accidental transmission. The clinical responses in inoculated ponies included pyrexia lasting four days and neutropaenia during the first five days after inoculation followed by a neutrophilia. Pyrexia and neutropaenia was associated with maximal shedding of organisms in the rectal faeces. Changes in the character of the faeces occurred between one and two days after inocula...
Warda FF, Ahmed HES, Shafik NG, Mikhael CA, Abd-ElAziz HMG, Mohammed WA, Shosha EA.Equine herpesvirus-1 infection in horses causes a wide range of manifestations affecting the respiratory tract. The virus can cause serious economic losses through sporadic abortion in pregnant mares, perinatal death, respiratory disease in young foals. This study was designed to prepare inactivated equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) vaccine using both 0.005 M binary ethylenimine (BEI) and 0.0006% formaldehyde (FA) to decrease the use of BEI and provide a good immunological response. The efficacy, safety, and duration of immunity of the prepared inactivated EHV-1 vaccine were evaluated. Methods: The...
Hennig GE, Kraus BH, Fister R, King VL, Steckel RR, Kirker-Head CA.To determine for equine hooves the normal resident aerobic bacterial population and the efficacy of 2 methods of disinfection. Study Design-Measurement of total bacterial, gram-positive bacterial, and gram-negative bacterial surface populations from the frog, sole, and hoof wall after each step of 2 different preoperative surgical disinfection techniques. Methods: Six adult horses. Methods: Hoof wall, sole, and frog samples were collected for quantitative bacteriology before, during, and after 2 multistep antiseptic preparation techniques: Method A-6-minute scrub with povidone-iodine soap, fol...
