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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.
Detection of antibodies against equine herpesvirus types 1 and 4 by using recombinant protein derived from an immunodominant region of glycoprotein B. The N-terminal fragment comprising residues +1 to +50 (gB1-50) of equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) glycoprotein B was expressed as a glutathione S-transferase fusion protein in Escherichia coli. Recombinant gB1-50 (rgB1-50) was recognized in immunoblots by sera from rabbits immunized with EHV-1 and by convalescent-phase sera from horses with natural EHV-1 infections. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for monitoring antibody levels against EHV-1 was developed by using rgB1-50, and its specificity was assessed with a panel of reference antisera against other equine viruses. A specifi...
Hoary alyssum (Berteroa incana) toxicity in a herd of broodmare horses. A herd of pregnant horses exposed to hoary alyssum through ingested hay developed acute and severe gastrointestinal toxicity accompanied by intravascular hemolysis. Postmortem lesions were consistent with these signs. Three horses had late-term abortions.
Characteristics of Escherichia coli isolated from septic foals. Fifteen Escherichia coli isolates from the blood and tissue of foals with septicemia were compared with 15 from the feces of clinically normal horses. Comparisons were made with respect to survival in normal equine serum, production of aerobactin, and production of hemolysin. Isolates from the blood and tissues of septic foals were more likely to be resistant to equine serum than were isolates from feces of clinically normal horses. There were minimal differences between the isolates with respect to aerobactin and hemolysin production, almost all being nonhemolytic and aerobactin negative. Ser...
The genome of equine herpesvirus type 2 harbors an interleukin 10 (IL10)-like gene. A gene was identified within the DNA sequences of the EcoRI DNA fragment N (4.3 kbp) of the genome of equine herpesvirus type 2 (EHV-2) coding for a protein (179 amino acid residues) homologous to the cytokine synthesis inhibitory factor (CSIF; interleukin 10) of the human and mouse, and to the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) protein BCRF1. This finding is further significant evidence that the interleukin 10 (IL-10) and/or IL-10-like gene can indeed be present in the genomes of members of the herpesviral family.
[Simple diaphragmatic eventration (false diaphragmatic hernia) as the cause of a fatally progressing colic in a horse]. The pathology of a horse is described, in which thoracic trauma with costal fracture and a small diaphragmatic defect later led to entrapment of small intestine in the thorax.
[Effect of a paramunity inducer on the incidence of diseases and the plasma cortisol content in Thoroughbred foals before and after weaning]. The effect of the prophylactic application of the paramunity inducer Baypamun on the incidence of diseases among foals (n = 63) in four Thoroughbred studs was evaluated. In a blind study, 38 of the foals received 2 ml of Baypamun intramuscularly while 25 of the foals received a placebo at six and four days before weaning and on the fifth day post-weaning. During the observation period of three weeks, beginning with the first and ending ten days after the last application, 7.9% of the foals treated with Baypamun (3 out of 38) suffered from respiratory infections compared to 24% of the foals tre...
Antibody responses of Japanese horses to influenza viruses in the past few years. A total of 305 horse sera collected in the Hidaka district of Hokkaido in the years 1988-90 were tested for the presence of hemagglutination-inhibition (HI) antibodies to A/equine/Newmarket/1/77 (H7N7), A/equine/Tokyo/2/71 (H3N8) and A/equine/Kentucky/1/81 (H3N8, Kentucky) strains of equine influenza (EI) virus. Antibodies to the 3 strains were detected in hardly of the 45 sera from 2-years-old horses which were collected before vaccination. Many of the 51 horses, after vaccination with inactivated EI virus, had HI antibodies to the 3 strains in 37 to 88 per cent. However, the number of positi...
Inhibitory effects of horse serum on immunoassay of horse ferritin. The effects of horse serum on the immunoassay of horse ferritin were investigated using two sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) systems. In System A, affinity-purified antibody to horse spleen ferritin and its conjugate with alkaline phosphatase were used as the first and second antibodies, respectively. In System B, whole antiserum and its conjugate with the enzyme were used. The recoveries of horse spleen ferritin added to horse sera were very low in either system (50-71% in System A; 42-79% in System B). However, heat treatment of the sera at 75 degrees C for 15 min improved ...
Analysis of multiple mRNAs from pathogenic equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) in an acutely infected horse reveals a novel protein, Ttm, derived from the carboxy terminus of the EIAV transmembrane protein. Transcription of pathogenic equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) in an acutely infected horse was examined by using the polymerase chain reaction and nucleotide sequencing. Four spliced transcripts were identified in liver tissue, in contrast to the multiplicity of alternatively spliced messages reported for in vitro-propagated human immunodeficiency virus, simian immunodeficiency virus, and, to a lesser extent, EIAV. Nucleotide sequence analysis demonstrated that three of these mRNAs encode known viral proteins: the envelope precursor, the product of the S2 open reading frame, and the regula...
Rhodococcus equi infection in foals: a report of an outbreak on a thoroughbred stud in Zimbabwe. Twenty-four foals were confirmed to be infected with Rhodococcus equi on a private stud in Zimbabwe over a two-year period. Six mares had foals which were affected in each of the two years. All the foals were febrile and early cases were detected by this pyrexia. Bronchopneumonia was only clinically detectable in advanced cases. In spite of energetic hygiene measures relating to pasture and housing management, the incidence was higher in the second year (23 per cent of foals born) than in the first (15 per cent of foals born). The mean age of the foals was significantly greater in the second y...
Choledocholithiasis attributable to a foreign body in a horse. Cholelithiasis is the most common cause of biliary obstruction in horses. Proposed mechanisms include ascariasis, biliary stasis, ascending biliary infection, and changes in bile composition. In this horse, a foreign body acted as the nidus for bile-salt deposition and ascending cholangitis. Clinical signs (intermittent abdominal pain, icterus, and pyrexia) in conjunction with high serum activity of enzymes indicative of obstructive biliary disease led to a tentative diagnosis of cholelithiasis. Ultrasonography was used to confirm the diagnosis. Postmortem examination revealed a 7-cm wooden st...
Echinococcus granulosus hydatid cysts in the livers of two horses. No abstract available
Clostridium difficile associated with typhlocolitis in an adult horse. No abstract available
[Biological and parasitic variations in horses infested and reinfested by Trichinella spiralis]. Seven mares were infected with 20,000 Trichinella spiralis larvae; 2 of them were reinfected 22 wk later with the same amount of larvae. The course of infection in horses was assessed by serology (ELISA), biochemistry (aldolase activity), parasitology and histopathology. In each animal, infection was followed by a significant rise in specific antibody titers culminating at 5-10 wk post-infection (pi) and decreasing thereafter. Reinfection was followed by a slight rise in antibody levels. Aldolase activity increased during the first infection, but was not modified by reinfection. The parasite b...
Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis: antigen analysis of cultured Sarcocystis neurona merozoites. Antigens of cultured Sarcocystis neurona merozoites were examined using immunoblot analysis. Blotted proteins were probed with S. cruzi, S. muris, and S. neurona antisera produced in rabbits, S. fayeri (pre- and post-infection) and S. neurona (pre- and post-inoculation) sera produced in horses, immune sera from 7 histologically confirmed cases of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM), and pre-suckle serum from a newborn foal. Eight proteins, 70, 24, 23.5, 22.5, 13, 11, 10.5, and 10 Kd, were detected only by S. neurona antiserum and/or immune serum from EPM-affected horses. Equine sera were ...
A comparison of ELISA, FAST-ELISA and gel diffusion tests for detecting antibody to equine infectious anaemia virus. Sera of sixteen horses with clinical signs of EIA from six different outbreaks and sera of 100 uninfected horses were used to validate an ELISA for EIA diagnosis. The antigen used was a recombinant protein derived from the amino-terminal portion of the transmembrane envelope protein of EIA (gp45). Reactivity between positive and negative sera could be clearly distinguished. Comparison with the traditional agar gel immunodiffusion test (commonly called the Coggins test) showed that the ELISA was superior in sensitivity. Comparison of this ELISA with the FAST-ELISA system showed that the latter ...
Detection of humoral antigen and antibody by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in horses with experimentally induced Ehrlichia equi infection. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect antigen in plasma and antibody in serum of 3 horses inoculated with Ehrlichia equi. Clinical signs, including rectal temperature, were correlated with the antigen and antibody detection. ELISA was very efficient in detection of serum antibody. Antigen detection using monoclonal antibodies to E. equi and ELISA should be considered as a diagnostic method.
Electropherotypes, serotypes, and subgroups of equine rotaviruses isolated in Japan. Electropherotypes (ET), serotypes, and subgroups of equine rotaviruses isolated from foals in Japan were determined. The ETs of 136 isolates from 1981 through to 1991 were divided into six groups: ET-A-ET-F. The ET-A, -B, -C, -D, -E, and -F were present in 3, 1, 121, 9, 1, and 1 strains, respectively. Representative viruses of ET-A, -B, -C, and -D were identified as serotype G3. Viruses of ET-E and -F were identified as serotypes G 10 and G 5, respectively. The four representative viruses of serotype G 3 did not belong to either subgroup I or II. The two viruses of serotypes G 5 and G 10 belon...
[The occurrence and significance of enterotoxin-producing Clostridium perfringens strains in the intestinal tract of horses]. 100 faecal samples from clinically healthy horses of different age groups and feeding habits, 50 samples of faeces from horses suffering from enteropathy accompanied by diarrhoea and small and/or large intestine from 25 horses that had died after an intestinal disease were examined for the presence of Clostridium (Cl.) perfringens. The frequency with which Cl. perfringens was detected was 22% in clinically healthy horses, 32% in horses with diarrhoea and 52% in the dead horses. In two faecal samples from the horses with diarrhoea the microbial count of Cl. perfringens was ca. 10(6) cfu/g faece...
High prevalence of serum antibodies to equine infectious anemia virus reverse transcriptase. The immunogenicity of the equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) reverse transcriptase (RT) was examined by immunoblot assay with recombinant EIAV RT. All of the 19 sera from EIAV-infected horses tested contained antibodies that recognized EIAV RT and directly inhibited the polymerase activity of the enzyme. An examination of sera obtained sequentially from two experimentally infected animals revealed that anti-RT antibodies arise early in infection and increase in level. The appearance of the antibodies correlated with progression toward the asymptomatic period of infection.
[Hemolytic properties of bacteria belonging to the Acinetobacter genus]. Direct and intermediate hemolytic activity of 526 strains of Acinetobacter was investigated. Their ability to produce lipase and lecithinase was also studied. Measurements were performed parallely on human, horse, sheep and bovine erythrocytes. Direct hemolytic activity was exhibited by 16% of tested strains (17 out of 24 strains of A. haemolyticus). Human, sheep and bovine erythrocytes were useful for testing the hemolytic activity of Acinetobacter. The hemolysis was occurring faster and was visible more frequently during incubation at 37 degrees C. Indirect hemolytic activity was observed in...
Laboratory transmission of eastern equine encephalomyelitis virus to chickens by chicken mites (Acari: Dermanyssidae). Pools of adult female chicken mites, Dermanyssus gallinae (De Geer), were allowed to feed on chicks that had been inoculated with eastern equine encephalomyelitis (EEE) virus and that had a viremia level of 10(6.2)-10(6.6) plaque-forming units per milliliter of blood. Virus remained detectable by plaque assay in samples of these mites for 30 d after the infectious blood meal. Virus was not recovered from any of 151 progeny of virus-exposed female mites. Mites that had fed on viremic chicks were allowed to feed on naive chicks 3, 7, 11, 15, or 30 d later. EEE virus was transmitted to chicks by ...
Characterization of African horsesickness virus serotype 4-induced polypeptides in Vero cells and their reactivity in Western immunoblotting. The structural and non-structural proteins induced by African horsesickness virus serotype 4 (AHSV-4) in infected Vero cells were analysed by SDS-PAGE. Twenty-two virus-induced polypeptides were detected in infected cells by comparison with the polypeptides of mock-infected cells, of which four major (VP2, VP3, VP5 and VP7) and three minor (VP1, VP4 and VP6) structural proteins and four non-structural proteins (P58, P48, P21 and P20) were shown to be virus-coded, as deduced from electrophoretic and antigenic studies of purified virions and infected cells. The proteins that elicit the major ant...
DNA of bovine papillomavirus type 1 and 2 in equine sarcoids: PCR detection and direct sequencing. Nucleotide sequences of bovine papillomavirus (BPV) DNA amplified by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) from samples of equine sarcoid skin tumours were determined. All naturally occurring sarcoids (n = 58 tumours from 32 horses and 2 donkeys) contained BPV-DNA. All but 3 of the genome fragments belonged to the BPV type 1 strain (BPV-1); the remaining were BPV type 2. Similar results were obtained with cutaneous bovine papillomas used as controls (n = 20). One of the horses, carrying 2 sarcoids, was particularly interesting; one tumour contained BPV-1 DNA whilst the other sarcoid yielded BPV-...
An immunohistological study of the uterus of mares following experimental infection by equid herpesvirus 1. Twelve Welsh Mountain pony mares in late gestation were infected intranasally with EHV-1 (AB4 isolate) at dose rates from 10(3) to 10(7.3) TCID50. This resulted in 3 cases of paresis, at Days 9, 10 and 12 after inoculation, and 5 abortions, at Days 6, 9, 18, 19 and 20. Euthanasia was performed between Days 6 and 21, with collection of uterine specimens for histopathology, virus isolation and immunoperoxidase staining from the pregnant horn, non-pregnant horn and body. EHV-1 replication in endometrial vessels was detected as early as Day 6 and was maximal at Days 9-11, when widespread thrombois...
Etiology and pathology of equine placentitis. Placentas from aborted, stillborn, and premature foals were examined during the 1988 and 1989 foaling seasons, and 236 of 954 (24.7%) had placentitis. Microorganisms associated with placentitis were isolated or demonstrated from 162 of 236 (68.6%) placentitis cases. Leptospira spp. and a nocardioform actinomycete were 2 important, newly emerging bacteria associated with equine placentitis. Major pathogens identified in decreasing order were Streptococcus zooepidemicus, Leptospira spp., Escherichia coli, a nocardioform actinomycete, fungi, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Streptococcus equisimilis, Ente...
[The use of ELISA and indirect immunofluorescence technics for the rapid detection of eastern equine encephalomyelitis]. We present the results attained in the identification of Eastern equine encephalomyelitis virus isolations in Vero and XL-2 cell systems, using a double-antibody ELISA technique and the indirect immunofluorescence method. The results attained through these two techniques coincided by 100% with identification through neutralization. With the former, the virus was detected within 6-8 hours after inoculation. Better results were attained with XL-2 cells.
[The importance of Lyme borreliosis in veterinary medicine]. A study of literature concerning Lyme borreliosis related to animals was done. In the research work the epidemiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment of horses, cattle and dogs affected with Lyme borreliosis have been discussed. The clinical signs of Lyme borreliosis in horses are: chronic weight loss, sporadic lameness, laminitis, low grade fever, swollen joints, muscle tenderness and anterior uvetitis. In addition to these clinical sings, neurological sings such as depression, behavioral changes, dysphagia and encephalitis can be seen in chronic cases. Cattle affected with acute Lyme b...
Pathogenic studies and antigenic and sequence comparisons of A/equine/Alaska/1/91 (H3N8) influenza virus. An influenza virus, A/equine/Alaska/1/91 (H3N8), was isolated from horses from Alaska with an acute respiratory infection. Pathogenic and serologic studies revealed that this virus is similar to previously isolated equine H3N8 influenza viruses. Antigenic analyses utilizing hemagglutination inhibition and neuraminidase inhibition assays indicated an antigenic drift from the prototype equine H3N8 influenza virus, A/equine/Miami/1/63. Partial sequence analysis of the A/equine/Alaska influenza virus indicated that each of 8 gene sequences are of equine origin.
