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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.
Temporary suppression of cell-mediated immunity in standardbred horses with decreased athletic capacity. Eighty Standardbred horses, originating from 5 training campuses, with decreased athletic performance in association with symptoms such as intermittent fever and mild pharyngitis were examined. As control animals, 10 horses from a stable with normally performing horses were used. Virus isolation and clinico-chemical and serological tests were performed. Lymphocyte proliferation tests were carried out to evaluate the capacity of the cell-mediated immunity. In addition, a bioassay for equine type I interferon, as a marker for early viral infections, was established. No specific microbe could be ...
The Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin from equine isolates; its characterization, sequence and role in foal diarrhoea. During a survey of foal diarrhoea between 1991 and 1994, Clostridium perfringens was significantly associated with disease with 56% of cases infected [1]. The contribution of enterotoxigenic C. perfringens to this association, was assessed by use of the reverse passive latex agglutination test for enterotoxin (RPLA; Oxoid Unipath) and vero cell toxicity neutralized by antitoxin on stored faecal samples and sporulated faecal isolates of C. perfringens. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR1) based on the DNA sequence for the whole enterotoxin gene [2] yielded a fragment from an equine isolate of the a...
[Intraocular and serum antibody titers to Leptospira in 150 horses with equine recurrent uveitis (ERU) subjected to vitrectomy]. Between February 1993 and July 1997, 150 horses suffering from recurrent uveitis were subjected to parsplana vitrectomy. In these horses, antibody titers to Leptospira serovars were determined in serum samples and in samples from diluted vitreous collected during vitrectomy. Although the vitreous samples were diluted with 250 ml of balanced salt solution, in 86 of the 150 vitreous samples (= 57%) the antibody titers were higher than in the serum samples. Additionally, serum samples from 77 horses suffering from ERU, but which were not subjected to vitrectomy, and serum samples from 97 horses w...
Sporogony and experimental transmission of Babesia equi by Boophilus microplus. The development of Babesia equi in salivary glands of adult female Boophilus microplus was observed under a light microscope using semithin sections stained with toluidine blue. Engorged nymphs were obtained from splenectomized foals experimentally infected with B. equi. As adults, they were then fed on rabbits for 5 days and the salivary glands of manually collected individuals were removed at intervals of 24 h. Sporozoites were found in type III granular acini cells between the 2nd and 5th days following feeding on the rabbits. Sporoblasts and sporozoites were observed in the same or adjacen...
Affinity purification and characterization of a fibrinogen-binding protein complex which protects mice against lethal challenge with Streptococcus equi subsp. equi. Cell-wall-associated proteins from Streptococcus equi subsp. equi, the causative agent of strangles, were analysed with a view to identifying a potential protective antigen. Preparations of these proteins, isolated from mutanolysin extracts of cell walls, were shown to contain one major high-M(r) protein species (apparent M(r) 220,000 and 550,000 when analysed by SDS-PAGE and gel-filtration chromatography, respectively). The high-M(r) protein bound horse fibrinogen and was purified under non-denaturing conditions using fibrinogen affinity chromatography. The fibrinogen-binding protein (FgBP) r...
Viable Borrelia burgdorferi in the urine of two clinically normal horses. No abstract available
Evidence that surface proteins Sn14 and Sn16 of Sarcocystis neurona merozoites are involved in infection and immunity. Sarcocystis neurona is the etiologic agent of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM). Based on an analysis of 25,000 equine serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples, including samples from horses with neurologic signs typical of EPM or with histologically or parasitologically confirmed EPM, four major immunoblot band patterns have been identified. Twenty-three serum and CSF samples representing each of the four immunoblot patterns were selected from 220 samples from horses with neurologic signs resembling EPM and examined for inhibitory effects on the infectivity of S. neurona by an in vi...
Elimination of mucosal cyathostome larvae by five daily treatments with fenbendazole. The efficacy of five daily treatments with 7.5 mg fenbendazole/kg bodyweight against mucosal cyathostome larvae was evaluated in 20 12- and 24-month-old ponies with naturally acquired cyathostome infections. After three weeks communal grazing on infected pasture and six weeks indoors, one group of 10 ponies were treated. Six weeks later, both groups of ponies were humanely destroyed and their burdens of large intestinal cyathostome worms, including luminal parasites and mucosal larvae, were assessed. In the control animals approximately 7 per cent of the total worm burden was present in the gu...
Endotoxin treatment of equine infectious anaemia virus-infected horse macrophage cultures decreases production of infectious virus. Lentiviruses replicate in cells of the immune system, and activation of immune cells has been shown to modulate virus replication. To determine the effects of macrophage activation on replication of equine infectious anaemia virus (EIAV), primary horse macrophage cultures (HMCs) were established from 20 different horses, infected with an avirulent strain of EIAV, and stimulated with 5 microg/ml of bacterial endotoxin. Supernatants collected from HMCs were assayed for the presence of tumour necrosis factor (TNF-alpha) and for production of infectious virus. Results indicated that EIAV replicati...
Epidemiology of Anoplocephala perfoliata infection in foals on a stud farm in south-western Sweden. The egg output and humoral antibody response to scolex antigens of the equine tapeworm Anoplocephala perfoliata were monitored in naturally infected foals by an egg flotation/centrifugation method and an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The study was performed on a stud farm in south-western Sweden between May 1994 and April 1995. Sequential blood and faecal samples were taken from 21 foals during their first summer on pasture and until tapeworm eggs were detected. Results were expressed separately for 10 and 11 foals born before and after the end of April 1994, respectively...
CD8 dimer usage on alpha beta and gama delta T lymphocytes from equine lymphoid tissues. Eight murine monoclonal antibodies (mAb) were used to identify the equine CD8 alpha or CD8 beta chains and to define the expression of these chains on lymphocytes from various lymphoid tissues. CD8 alpha was a 39 kDa protein and CD8 beta was a 32 kDa protein. Both chains were expressed on most of the CD8+ T lymphocytes in the peripheral blood, spleen, thymus, mesenteric lymph nodes and ileal intraepithelial lymphocytes (IEL), however, in each lymphoid compartment a percentage of lymphocytes expressed only the CD8 alpha chain. The largest percentage of CD8 alpha alpha expressing T lymphocytes w...
Experimental cyathostome challenge of ponies maintained with or without benefit of daily pyrantel tartrate feed additive: comparison of parasite burdens, immunity and colonic pathology. Eighteen mixed-breed, naturally infected ponies ranging in age from 1 to 16 yr and four cyathostome-naïve ponies reared and maintained under parasite-free conditions ranging in age from 1 to 4 yr were used in this study. Naturally-infected ponies were treated with 1 dose of ivermectin (IVM) at 200 micrograms kg-1, followed by a 5-day regimen of oxibendazole (OBZ) at 20 mg kg-1 to remove existing cyathostome burdens; cyathostome-naïve control ponies were treated with IVM alone. The naturally infected ponies were matched on age and gender, then randomly assigned to one of three treatment group...
Results of quantitative cultures of urine by free catch and catheterization from healthy adult horses. Quantitative urine cultures were performed on 11 male and 11 female healthy adult horses. Urine was collected by free catch and catheterization using standard methods. Results showed that all samples collected by free catch contained less than 20,000 colony-forming units (CFU)/mL. All samples collected by catheterization contained 500 CFU/mL or less. A significant difference was found between collection methods (P < .005), with catheterization having less contamination. In samples collected by free catch, females had significantly greater contamination than did males (P < .03). Predomina...
Biological characterization of Rev variation in equine infectious anemia virus. Sequence analysis identified significant variation in the second exon of equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) rev. Functional analysis indicated that limited amino acid variation in Rev significantly altered the export activity of the protein but did not affect Rev-dependent alternative splicing. EIAV Rev can mediate export through two independent cis-acting Rev-responsive elements (RREs), and differences among Rev variants were more pronounced when both RREs were present. Variation in Rev may be an important mechanism for regulation of virus replication in vivo and may contribute to changes ...
Isolation of Actinobacillus equuli from the oral cavity of healthy horses and comparison of isolates by restriction enzyme digestion and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Swab samples were collected from the oral cavity of 174 horses in 10 farms and cultured selectively for Actinobacillus equuli. A. equuli could be isolated from 37% of all samples, varying between 12 and 88% in the different farms. Eight horses were sampled repeatedly for several days, with a variation in isolation frequency between 50 and 88%. Isolates were compared by restriction enzyme digestion and Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis. A high degree of strain variability was found within each horse population as well as some variability over time between strains isolated from the same horse.
Physical and serologic examinations of foals at 30 and 45 days of age for early diagnosis of Rhodococcus equi infection on endemically infected farms. To evaluate results of physical and serologic examinations of foals at 30 and 45 days of age on 3 types of farms with various prevalences of clinical disease (endemic, sporadic, none) caused by Rhodococcus equi and to determine whether evaluations were helpful in early diagnosis and control of the disease. Methods: Prospective cohort study. Methods: 144 foals at 30 and 45 days of age. Methods: During a 2-year period, 36 foals on farms at which R equi infection was endemic, 71 foals on farms at which the disease was sporadically detected, and 37 foals on farms without the disease were examined ...
Equine ulcerative keratomycosis: visual outcome and ocular survival in 39 cases (1987-1996). The medical records of 39 horses treated for ulcerative keratomycosis over a 10 year period were reviewed. Records were evaluated to determine the medical and/or surgical treatment protocol, visual outcome, globe survival and whether the outcome was influenced by the fungal species isolated. Stromal abscesses and iris prolapses caused by fungi were not included. Twenty of the horses underwent medical treatment only, and 19 horses had combined medical and surgical treatment. Most horses had been treated with topical antibiotics (n = 32) and atropine sulphate (n = 23) prior to referral; topical ...
Multisystemic, eosinophilic, epitheliotropic disease with intestinal lymphosarcoma in a horse. Multisystemic, eosinophilic, epitheliotropic disease and intestinal lymphosarcoma were diagnosed in a Paso Fino mare that presented with anorexia and weight loss. The stomach, ileum, cecum, colon, pancreas, and lungs were infiltrated by large numbers of eosinophils forming prominent eosinophilic granulomas, as well as lymphocytes and plasma cells. Two jejunal masses composed of solid sheets of neoplastic lymphocytes were present. In contrast to the regions of inflammation, the infiltrates in these masses did not contain plasma cells, eosinophils, and eosinophilic granulomas. Immunohistochemica...
Risk analysis of quarantine station performance: a case study of the importation of equine infectious anemia virus-infected horses into California. We examined the risk of importing and mistakenly releasing equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV)-infected horses into California. A computer simulation model was constructed to evaluate current and alternative quarantine station procedures; 150,000 iterations were performed to simulate 15 different scenarios of 10,000 horses imported into the state over a 14-year period. Simulation results showed that under current conditions of low EIAV prevalence in exporting countries, increasing the quarantine period would not decrease the number of EIAV-infected horses mistakenly released from quarantine....
Effect of synovial membrane infection in vitro on equine synoviocytes and chondrocytes. To determine the functional response of synovium to infection, and the influence of infected synovium on articular cartilage metabolism. Methods: Synovium and articular cartilage explants from the midcarpal and tarsocrural joints of adult horses. Methods: For experiment 1, synovium explants were incubated as follows: control--incubation in standard medium, infected (I)--incubation with Staphylococcus aureus, and infected-filtered (IF)--incubation with medium collected from the infected group and filtered (0.22-micron filter). Daily collected medium was assayed for interleukin 1 beta (IL-1 beta...
[Radiotherapy in veterinary medicine (review)]. A review of the latest literature concerning the present level of radiation therapy in veterinary medicine is given. In a general section physico-technical as well as biological fundamentals are discussed. In the special part of the paper indications for a radiation therapy of dogs, cats and horses are stated. In this respect the basis for a decision is the TNM-classification into different clinical stages according to the directions of the WHO. Tumors of the hemolymphatic system are very responsive to radiation therapy. While epithelial tumors are sensitive, tumors arising from the mesenchyma...
A syndrome of anaemia, immunodeficiency and peripheral ganglionopathy in Fell pony foals. Fell pony foals developed a syndrome of anaemia, immunodeficiency and peripheral ganglionopathy. They became ill in the second or third week, and died in the second or third month of life. Clinical and pathological investigations revealed severe anaemia associated with small numbers of late erythroid precursors in bone marrow, small thymi, an absence of secondary lymphoid follicles, a lack of plasma cells and neuronal chromatolysis involving trigeminal, cranial mesenteric and dorsal root ganglia. Some of the foals had cryptosporidial enteritis and adenoviral bronchopneumonia and pancreatitis. ...
Neonatal equine herpesvirus type 1 infection on a thoroughbred breeding farm. Of 17 foals born on a Thoroughbred breeding farm between March and April 1995, infection with equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) was associated with neonatal morbidity in 5 foals, 3 of which died or were euthanized. Morbidity and mortality were associated with pulmonary inflammation, and EHV-1 was identified in the lungs of the 3 foals that died. All neonatal EHV-1 infections occurred in foals of mares housed in the same pasture and barn. No other clinical manifestations of EHV-1 infection (e.g., abortion, neurologic disease, or respiratory disease) occurred during this outbreak. Three foals we...
Inhibition and inactivation of equine aromatase by steroidal and non-steroidal compounds. A comparison with human aromatase inhibition. In order to approach the detailed structure-function relationships of aromatase, we studied the inhibitory and inactivatory potencies of several steroidal androstenedione analogues (1: 4-hydroxyandrostenedione, 2: 4-acetoxyandrostenedione and 3: 7 alpha-(4'-amino)phenylthio-4-androstene-3, 17-dione) and non-steroidal imidazole derivatives (4: ketoconazole, 5: miconazole and 6: fadrozole) on equine aromatase in placental microsomes, a well established mammalian model. Human placental microsomes and the purified enzyme from equine testis were also used to compare inhibition by 1 and 2. In equine...
