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.
H A Morris L, M McCue P, Aurich C.Endometritis in the mare begins as a normal physiological inflammatory response to breeding that involves both a mechanical and immunological response pathway activated to rid the uterus of semen and bacteria. With successful resolution of this inflammation, the mare's uterus will provide a hospitable environment for the development of the semi-allogenic conceptus. If the mare fails to resolve this inflammatory response within 48 h of breeding, she will become susceptible to persistent breeding-induced endometritis (PBIE) which will have detrimental effects on her fertility. This condition can...
Yoshimura S, Koziy RV, Dickinson R, Moshynskyy I, McKenzie JA, Simko E, Bracamonte JL.While serum amyloid A (SAA) has been investigated as a potential marker for septic arthritis in horses, no study has reported on whether SAA can be used to detect eradication of joint infection. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate whether the eradication of joint infection in experimentally induced septic arthritis in horses can be detected using serum and synovial fluid SAA. A total of 17 horses were randomly assigned to 3 groups. A middle carpal joint of each horse was injected with saline (control group, = 3), lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (nonseptic synovitis group, = 6)...
Donati B, Fürst AE, Del Chicca F, Jackson MA. The aim of this study was to determine the indications for, and complications of, plate removal surgery in horses that underwent internal fixation of limb fractures. Methods: Medical records of horses presented to our hospital between 1990 and 2015 for the removal of plates after treatment of limb fractures were reviewed. Data collected at the time of initial presentation, including signalment, history, fracture features and treatment and information about the indications, timing and complications of implant removal were reviewed. Results: The most common bones involved were the ulna ...
Karam B, Hines S, Skipper L, Pusterla N.Serum amyloid A (SAA) is considered a major acute phase protein (APP) in horses. Serum amyloid A stall-side assays are commercially available to assess the inflammatory response of patients with various infectious and noninfectious conditions. The objective of this study was to determine the analytical performance of a new point-of-care (POC) assay for the measurement of SAA in whole blood and plasma of horses. One hundred and sixty blood samples were collected from 60 horses at various time points after immunization with an equine core vaccine. Analytical validation of the SAA POC assay inclu...
Millar BC, Moore JE.Steam disinfection has become established as a trusted method of microbial decontamination; however, there have been no reports on the use of this technology to disinfect equipment used in collection of semen in artificial insemination practice. Hence, it was the aim of this study to examine the survival of Taylorella asinigenitalis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Klebsiella pneumoniae venereal bacterial pathogens using domestic steam disinfection. Sixteen bacterial pathogens from three genera Taylorella, Pseudomonas, and Klebsiella each at an inoculum density of approximately 1.5 × 107 colony-...
Arroyo LG, Rossi L, Santos BP, Gomez DE, Surette MG, Costa MC.The aim of this study was to compare the mucosal and luminal content microbiota of the cecum and colon of healthy and diarrheic horses. Marked differences in the richness and in the community composition between the mucosal and luminal microbiota of the cecum and large colon of horses with colitis were observed. Microbial dysbiosis occurs in horses with colitis at different levels of the intestinal tract, and microbiota composition is different between the mucosa and luminal content of diarrheic horses. The changes in some key taxa associated with dysbiosis in the equine intestinal microbiota,...
Tanaka Y, Adilbish A, Koyama K, Bayasgalan MO, Horiuchi N, Uranbileg N, Watanabe K, Purevdorj B, Gurdorj S, Banzragch B, Badgar B, Suganuma K....Dourine is a deadly protozoan disease in equids caused by infection with Trypanosoma equiperdum. Neurological signs in the later stage of infection may be caused by peripheral polyneuritis and related axonal degeneration. This neuritis involves T lymphocytes, B lymphocytes, and macrophages, and is observed in cases without obvious neurological signs. However, the pathogenesis of neuritis remains unclear. We identified M2 macrophages and CD8 T cells as the predominant phenotypes in neuritis of dourine-affected horses with or without neurological signs. In contrast, the populations of M1 macroph...
Gerhard AP, Krücken J, Heitlinger E, Janssen IJI, Basiaga M, Kornaś S, Beier C, Nielsen MK, Davis RE, Wang J, von Samson-Himmelstjerna G.P-glycoproteins (Pgp) have been proposed as contributors to the widespread macrocyclic lactone (ML) resistance in several nematode species including a major pathogen of foals, Parascaris univalens. Using new and available RNA-seq data, ten different genomic loci encoding Pgps were identified and characterized by transcriptome-guided RT-PCRs and Sanger sequencing. Phylogenetic analysis revealed an ascarid-specific Pgp lineage, Pgp-18, as well as two paralogues of Pgp-11 and Pgp-16. Comparative gene expression analyses in P. univalens and Caenorhabditis elegans show that the intestine is the maj...
Salem SE, Abd El-Ghany AM, Hamad MH, Abdelaal AM, Elsheikh HA, Hamid AA, Saud MA, Daniels SP, Ras R.Anthelmintic resistance is commonly reported in horse populations in developed countries, but evidence in some working horse populations is either lacking or inconclusive. Objective: To estimate prevalence of GI nematode infections in working horses in Egypt and to evaluate strongyle resistance to ivermectin, doramectin and fenbendazole. Methods: Cross-sectional study. Methods: Faecal egg count was performed on 644 working horses from 2 provinces in Egypt. A short questionnaire about horse signalment and worming history was completed for each horse. Horses identified with ≥50 strongyle type ...
Ohta M, Bannai H, Nemoto M, Kambayashi Y, Tamura N, Tsujimura K.An inactivated equine influenza virus (EIV) vaccine and a live equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) vaccine are usually administered concurrently to Thoroughbred racehorses in Japan. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether concurrent administration of an inactivated EIV vaccine and a live EHV-1 vaccine in Thoroughbred racehorses influences the antibody response against EIV. We compared the antibody response against EIV in horses administered both vaccines on the same day (Group A; n = 27) and the response in horses administered an inactivated EIV vaccine first and then a live EHV-1 v...
Cain JL, Slusarewicz P, Rutledge MH, McVey MR, Wielgus KM, Zynda HM, Wehling LM, Scare JA, Steuer AE, Nielsen MK.Fecal egg counts are the cornerstone of equine parasite control programs. Previous work led to the development of an automated, image-analysis-based parasite egg counting system. The system has been further developed to include an automated reagent dispenser unit and a custom camera (CC) unit that generates higher resolution images, as well as a particle shape analysis (PSA) algorithm and machine learning (ML) algorithm. The first aim of this study was to conduct a comprehensive comparison of method precision between the original smartphone (SP) unit with the PSA algorithm, CC/PSA, CC/ML, and ...
El-Deeb W, Fayez M, Elsohaby I, Mkrtchyan HV, Alhaider A.Clostridium difficile (CD) is considered a major health care problem both in developing and developed countries; frequently reported to be associated with enterocolitis and diarrhea in horses and other animals. In this study, we examined acute phase response (APR), cytokines response, neopterin (NP) procalcitonin (PCT) production and oxidative stress condition in horses and foals with C. difficile-induced enterocolitis (CDIE) and evaluated the effectiveness of these parameters as biomarkers for the disease. A total of 407 Arabian horses in 35 stables were examined between January 2017 to Decem...
Mousa WM, Abdel-Wahab AM, El-Gameel Sohila M, Mahdy OA.Cystic echinococcosis is an important cosmopolitan parasitic zoonosis that causes public health and economic problems in Egypt. The present study was undertaken to identify genotypes of hydatid cyst (HC) DNA isolated from different animal isolates and to identify the genotype of secondary hydatid cysts (HCs) developed in rabbits experimentally infected with camel HC for detection of any genetic mutation. In the present study, we extracted DNA from the germinal layers of 8 HCs collected from 3 camels, 1 cattle, 1 sheep and 3 donkeys in addition to 3 secondary HCs collected from rabbits experime...
C Bergeron C, Allano M, Cluzel C, Doré M, Sauvé F.This case report describes the clinical and histopathological findings of an infection caused by equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) in a horse showing respiratory signs and a papular, crusted and ulcerative dermatitis involving mucosae. This diagnosis was supported by real-time PCR positive for EHV-1 on nasal swabs and tissues. Cet article décrit les données cliniques et histopathologiques d’une infection due à EHV-1 (equine herpesvirus - 1) chez un cheval présentant des signes respiratoires et une dermatite papuleuse, croûteuse et ulcérative s’étendant aux muqueuses. Le diagnostic a ét...
Smith DR, Schmaljohn CS, Badger C, Ostrowski K, Zeng X, Grimes SD, Rayner JO.Venezuelan, eastern, and western equine encephalitis viruses (VEEV, EEEV, and WEEV) are mosquito-borne viruses in the Americas that cause central nervous system (CNS) disease in humans and equids. In this study, we directly characterized the pathogenesis of VEEV, EEEV, and WEEV in cynomolgus macaques following subcutaneous exposure because this route more closely mimics natural infection via mosquito transmission or by an accidental needle stick. Our results highlight how EEEV is significantly more pathogenic compared to VEEV similarly to what is observed in humans. Interestingly, EEEV appears...
Al-Kass Z, Guo Y, Vinnere Pettersson O, Niazi A, Morrell JM.Bacteria colonize stallion semen during collection and processing which may cause disease in inseminated females or negatively affect sperm quality during storage prior to insemination. Antibiotics are added to semen extenders to control the growth of these bacteria but may induce antimicrobial resistance. Research into alternatives to antibiotics for this purpose requires knowledge of which bacteria are present in semen. Not all bacteria in semen, however, can be identified by conventional microbiological techniques. The objectives of the study were to: i) determine which bacteria are present...
Peters-Kennedy J, Lange CE, Ortved K.Aural plaques are associated with and thought to be caused by one or more Equus caballus papillomaviruses (EcPV). Aural plaques have not previously been reported to be associated with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Objective: To describe a horse with aural plaques and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) on the right pinna. Methods: A 28-year-old thoroughbred gelding presented for multiple plaques and a mass on the right pinna. Methods: Pinnal resection, histopathological investigation, multiple conventional PCRs for papillomavirus DNA and Sanger sequencing were performed. Results: Multiple, raised, ...
Oliveira SN, Andrade LRP, Silva LFMC, Araujo EAB, Rayashi RM, Segabinazzi LGTM, Alvarenga MA, Dell'Aqua CP, Dell'Aqua JA, Papa FO.Treatments for seminal vesiculitis have poor outcomes in stallions; thus, the development of alternative strategies is warranted. This study aimed to evaluate fractionated semen collection as a method to restore the fertility of stallions diagnosed with seminal vesiculitis. Eighteen ejaculates from six stallions (three ejaculates/stallion) diagnosed with seminal vesiculitis were harvested in fractions, as follows: Fraction A (FA), the first two jets; Fraction B (FB), the third and fourth jets; and Fraction C (FC), the fifth and remaining jets of the ejaculate. All fractions were subject to sta...
Vissani MA, Perglione CO, Zabal O, Alvarez G, Thiry E, Barrandeguy M, Parreño V.Equid alphaherpesvirus 3 (EHV-3) is the etiological agent of equine coital exanthema (ECE). Because no vaccines or antiviral therapies are available, prevention consists of clinical examination of mares and stallions before mating or semen collection and resting from breeding activities when lesions are present. However, this methodology does not identify subclinically infected animals. Ganciclovir is the most potent compound known to reduce EHV-3 replication. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of topical ganciclovir application to reduce EHV-3 replication in experimentally infected mar...
Tyson F, Dalesman S, Brophy PM, Morphew RM.Faecal egg counts (FECs) are the standard method of diagnosing the level of parasitic helminth egg shedding in horses and other grazing animals. Testing before treatment is an important factor in slowing the appearance of anthelmintic resistance in nematode parasites. The FECPAK, optimised for livestock, is reported to allow owners to perform FECs on their own animals without the need for a separate microscope or any specialist knowledge by tapping into remote expertise. However, the performance of the FECPAK has yet to be assessed for equids. Therefore, a comparison of the FECPAK (G2) method ...
Mahmoud MS, Kandil OM, Abu El-Ezz NT, Hendawy SHM, Elsawy BSM, Knowles DP, Bastos RG, Kappmeyer LS, Laughery JM, Alzan HF, Suarez CE.The tick-borne intra-erythrocytic apicomplexan Babesia caballi is one of the etiological agents of equine babesiosis, an economically important disease of equids in most tropical and subtropical areas of the world. Discovering candidate antigens for improved diagnostic tools and vaccines remains needed for controlling equine babesiosis. This study describes the B. caballi sbp4 (Bcsbp4) gene and protein (BcSBP4) and analyzes its antigenicity in infected equids. Methods: BLAST searches of an uncurated B. caballi assembly genome using the B. bovis SBP4 as a query were carried out, followed by PCR...
Veronesi F, Di Palma S, Gabrielli S, Morganti G, Milardi GL, Middleton B, Lepri E.The only species currently known to inhabit the fibers of skeletal and cardiac muscles in horses are , and . We describe herein the invasion of myofibers in a horse by , a sheep-specific species with low virulence in the original host. A hunter gelding was referred to a veterinary surgeon in Newmarket (UK). The anamnestic data reported that the horse had an initial history of swelling of the right forelimb with fluid on the front of the carpus and edema spreading up the forearm. Subsequently, 2 firm lumps were found on the left pectoral muscle adjacent to the axilla of the left forelimb. Hist...
Ellerbrock RE, Canisso IF, Larsen RJ, Garrett KS, Stewart MC, Herzog KK, Kersh ME, Moshage SG, Podico G, Lima FS, Childs BA.Recent studies have shown that fluoroquinolones, specifically, enrofloxacin and its active metabolite (ciprofloxacin), cross the equine placenta without causing gross or histological lesions in the first and third trimester fetuses or resulting foal. However, it is possible that in utero exposure to fluoroquinolones may cause subtle lesions not detectable by standard means; thus, a more in-depth assessment of potential toxicity is warranted. Objective: To use quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (qMRI), biomechanical testing, and chondrocyte gene expression to evaluate the limbs of foals ex...
Toishi Y, Tsunoda N, Kirisawa R.In 2017, two Thoroughbred stallions, A and B in Farms A and B, respectively, in Hokkaido in Japan showed clinical signs of equine coital exanthema (ECE). In 2020, stallion C in Farm B showed clinical signs of ECE. Eighteen mares were mated within five days before stallion A developed ECE. Ten mares that mated within 3 days before onset showed clinical signs of ECE on the external genitalia. Equine herpesvirus 3 (EHV-3) was isolated from vaginal swabs from three mares that mated within 2 days before onset. Swabs from 12 mares that mated within 4 days before onset were real-time PCR (rPCR)-posit...
Freeman SL, Ashton NM, Elce YA, Hammond A, Hollis AR, Quinn G.There are currently no evidence summaries on wounds in the horse. Objective: To develop evidence-based guidelines on wound management in the horse. Methods: Evidence review using the GRADE framework. Methods: Research questions were proposed by a panel of veterinarians, and developed into PICO format. Evidence in the veterinary literature was evaluated using the GRADE evidence-to-decision framework. Searches for human evidence summaries were conducted in the NICE, Cochrane and JBI databases. Final recommendations were based on both veterinary and human evidence. Conclusions: The research quest...
Kwok KY, Choi TLS, Kwok WH, Lau MY, Leung EMK, Leung GNW, Wong JKY, Wan TSM, Adrian FF, Prabhu A, Ho ENM.The use of bioactive peptides as a doping agent in both human and animal sports has become increasingly popular in recent years. As such, methods to control the misuse of bioactive peptides in equine sports have received attention. This paper describes a sensitive accurate mass method for the detection of 40 bioactive peptides and two non-peptide growth hormone secretagogues (< 2 kDa) at low pg/mL levels in horse urine using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC/HRMS). A simple mixed-mode cation exchange solid-phase extraction (SPE) cartridge was...
Tallmadge RL, Antczak DF, Felippe MJB.Host defenses against infection by viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites are critical to survival. It has been estimated that upwards of 7% of the coding genes of mammals function in immunity and inflammation. This high level of genomic investment in defense has resulted in an immune system characterized by extraordinary complexity and many levels of redundancy. Because so many genes are involved with immunity, there are many opportunities for mutations to arise that have negative effects. However, redundancy in the mammalian defense system and the adaptive nature of key immune mechanisms bu...
Edwards L, Finno CJ.Neurologic disease in horses can be particularly challenging to diagnose and treat. These diseases can result in economic losses, emotional distress to owners, and injury to the horse or handlers. To date, there are 5 neurologic diseases caused by known genetic mutations and several more are suspected to be heritable: lethal white foal syndrome, lavender foal syndrome, cerebellar abiotrophy, occipitoatlantoaxial malformation, and Friesian hydrocephalus. Genetic testing allows owners, breeders, and veterinarians to make informed decisions when selecting dams and sires for breeding or deciding t...
Dubey JP, Murata FHA, Cerqueira-Cézar CK, Kwok OCH.Toxoplasma gondii infections are common in humans and animals worldwide. The present review summarizes worldwide information on the prevalence of clinical and subclinical infections, epidemiology, and genetic diversity of T. gondii in horses, donkeys and other equids in the past decade. This review will be of interest to biologists, parasitologists, veterinarians, and public health workers.
McCollum WH, Little TV, Timoney PJ, Swerczek TW.Twelve geldings all became infected when inoculated intranasally with the KY-84 strain of equine arteritis virus (EAV), a strain previously shown to be capable of establishing the carrier state in the stallion. With the exception of one animal that showed no effects other than pyrexia, all of the geldings developed clinical signs characteristic of equine viral arteritis (EVA). The geldings were febrile for varying periods within the range of 2-10 days after inoculation. Viraemia occurred from day 2 onwards, for periods varying from 9 to at least 19 days. Nasal shedding of virus began 2-4 days ...
Sekizuka T, Niwa H, Kinoshita Y, Uchida-Fujii E, Inamine Y, Hashino M, Kuroda M.MRSA is a known pathogen that affects horses. We investigated an equine MRSA isolate for potential antimicrobial resistance genes, classified the staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) and identified the strain-specific dissemination in the horse community based on WGS. WGS, using short-read sequencing, and subsequent long-read sequencing by hybrid assembly, was conducted to obtain a complete genome sequence. Pairwise sequence alignment of relative SCCmec sequences and core-genome phylogenetic analysis were performed to highlight transmission routes of the SCCmec and MRSA strain-speci...
Venner M, Reinhold B, Beyerbach M, Feige K.The prophylactic application of azithromycin to prevent pulmonary abscesses in foals was evaluated on a stud with endemic Rhodococcus equi pneumonia. Forty-five foals served as untreated controls in two groups. Twenty-five foals were given azithromycin (10mg/kg) orally once daily for 4 weeks. The foals were examined once a week from birth to the age of 5 months. If clinical signs or leucocytosis were noted and pulmonary sonographic findings (diameter >10 mm) were observed, the diagnosis of abscessing pneumonia was made. The prevalence of pulmonary abscesses was similar in the control groups (3...
Olofsson TC, Butler É, Lindholm C, Nilson B, Michanek P, Vásquez A.In the global perspective of antibiotic resistance, it is urgent to find potent topical antibiotics for the use in human and animal infection. Healing of equine wounds, particularly in the limbs, is difficult due to hydrostatic factors and exposure to environmental contaminants, which can lead to heavy bio-burden/biofilm formation and sometimes to infection. Therefore, antibiotics are often prescribed. Recent studies have shown that honeybee-specific lactic acid bacteria (LAB), involved in honey production, and inhibit human wound pathogens. The aim of this pilot study was to investigate the e...
Tzipori S, Hayes J, Sims L, Withers M.Streptococcus durans was isolated from a foal with profuse watery diarrhea and caused a similar syndrome when inoculated into foals via the orogastric route. The most consistent and striking histological feature was the extensive colonization of the mucosal surface of the small intestine by S. durans. Associated mucosal changes were mild to modeate, and brush border lactase and alkaline phosphatase production were depressed. S. durans also induced acute diarrhea in young gnotobiotic piglets. Mucosal changes were mild and, as with foals, the mucosal surface of the small intestine was colonized ...
Dauparaitė E, Kupčinskas T, von Samson-Himmelstjerna G, Petkevičius S.With intensive use of anthelmintic drugs in recent decades, anthelmintic resistance (AR) in horse nematodes is becoming a growing issue in many countries. However, there is little available information about the parasites, treatment practices or AR in the horse population in Lithuania. The aim of this study was to assess the current situation of AR on horse farms in Lithuania. The study was conducted in 25 stables on horses with a strongyle faecal egg count (FEC) of ≥ 200 eggs per gram. A faecal egg count reduction test (FECRT) was performed on each farm after administration of ivermectin ...
Magnarelli LA, Flavell RA, Padula SJ, Anderson JF, Fikrig E.Serum samples from dogs and equids suspected of having canine or equine borreliosis, respectively, were analyzed in polyvalent enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) with whole-cell or recombinant antigens of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto. Purified preparations of recombinant antigens included outer surface protein A (OspA), OspB, OspC, OspE, OspF, and p41-G (a fragment of flagellin). Of the 36 dog sera that reacted positively to whole-cell antigen, 32 (88.9%) contained antibodies to one or more recombinant antigens. Reactivities to OspF (88.9% positive) and p41-G (75% positive) were...
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.
Kidd TJ, Gibson JS, Moss S, Greer RM, Cobbold RN, Wright JD, Ramsay KA, Grimwood K, Bell SC.Pseudomonas aeruginosa is associated with infectious endometritis in horses. Although infectious endometritis is often considered a venereal infection, there is relatively limited genotypic-based evidence to support this mode of transmission. The study sought to determine the relatedness between genital P. aeruginosa isolates collected from a limited geographical region using molecular strain typing. Enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus PCR typing was performed on 93 isolates collected between 2005 and 2009 from 2058 thoroughbred horses (including 18 stallions) at 66 studs. While P....
Takai S, Ohkura H, Watanabe Y, Tsubaki S.Quantitative aspects of fecal Rhodococcus (Corynebacterium) equi in newborn foals for 12 weeks after birth were investigated on two horse breeding farms. R. equi was found in the feces of foals during week 1 of life. The greatest numbers of R. equi were present in the feces of foals during the first 8 weeks of their lives, which coincides with the age when foals are most liable to be exposed to R. equi.
Jones SL, Maggi R, Shuler J, Alward A, Breitschwerdt EB.Bartonella spp. are emerging zoonotic agents that have been found in a wide variety of domestic animals and wildlife and cause a number of clinical syndromes. Bartonella sp. infection has been identified in a growing number of animal species, including cats, rodents, porpoises, and canids, but has not been reported in horses. Objective: To document the presence of Bartonella sp. in the blood of horses. Methods: One horse with chronic arthropathy and 1 horse with presumptive vasculitis. Methods: Blood samples were tested for the presence of Bartonella sp. by a combination of multiplex real-time...
Rüegg SR, Heinzmann D, Barbour AD, Torgerson PR.For the evaluation of the epidemiology of Theileria equi and Babesia caballi in a herd of 510 horses in SW Mongolia, several mathematical models of the transmission dynamics were constructed. Because the field data contain information on the presence of the parasite (determined by PCR) and the presence of antibodies (determined by IFAT), the models cater for maternal protection with antibodies, susceptible animals, infected animals and animals which have eliminated the parasite and also allow for age-dependent infection in susceptible animals. Maximum likelihood estimation procedures were used...
Nakajima H, Ushimi C.Antigenicity of purified equine infectious anemia (EIA) virus was examined by immunodiffusion against sera obtained from horses experimentally infected with EIA virus. The purified virus reacted with the infected horse serum, and virus-specific precipitating antibody was demonstrated. Furthermore, it was found that purified EIA virus reacted against the serum of horses infected with all strains of EIA virus which were antigenically different from one another. From the result, group-specific components of the virus rather than strain-specific ones were considered to be involved in the reaction....
Giudice E, Giannetto C, Furco V, Alongi A, Torina A.This study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of Anaplasma phagocytophilum infection in Equidae and investigate the possibility of exposure to the organism in Sicily (Southern Italy). During the study blood samples were collected in horses and donkeys housed in five of the nine provinces of Sicilian Island. Of 133 horses and 100 donkeys tested, respectively 9.0% and 6.0% were seroactive (IFAT) with A. phagocytophilum antigen. In only 4.7% of the horses, specific A. phagocytophilum DNA was recorded; in donkey, Anaplasma DNA was not found. Our results indicate a low prevalence of A. phag...
Isgren CM, Williams NJ, Fletcher OD, Timofte D, Newton RJ, Maddox TW, Clegg PD, Pinchbeck GL.Surveillance of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in horses is important to aid empirical treatment decisions and highlight emerging AMR threats. Objective: To describe the AMR patterns of common groups of bacteria from clinical submissions from horses in the UK during 2018, and to determine how this varies by sample site and type of submitting veterinary practice. Methods: Prospective observational study. Methods: All data on bacterial culture and subsequent antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) collected in 2018 from six large equine diagnostic laboratories were included. Resistance patter...
Balasuriya UB.Equine arteritis virus (EAV), the causative agent of equine viral arteritis (EVA), is a respiratory and reproductive disease that occurs throughout the world. EAV infection is highly species-specific and exclusively limited to members of the family Equidae, which includes horses, donkeys, mules, and zebras. EVA is an economically important disease and outbreaks could cause significant losses to the equine industry. The primary objective of this article is to summarize current understanding of EVA, specifically the disease, pathogenesis, epidemiology, host immune response, vaccination and treat...
Epe C, Ising-Volmer S, Stoye M.The results of the coproscopical examinations in horses, dogs, cats and hedgehogs between 1984 and 1991 are presented. In 9192 samples from horses 55.5% stages of strongylids, 4.0% of Parascaris equorum, 2.2% of anoplocephalids, 1.6% Strongyloides westeri, 0.7% of Oxyuris equi, 0.6% of Eimeria leuckarti, 0.2% of Fasciola hepatica and 0.04% of Dictyocaulus arnfieldi were found. In 48.0% of the 46 samples from donkeys eggs from strongylids were detected, in 17.4% larvae from Dictyocaulus arnfieldi, in 2.2% eggs from Strongyloides westeri, Parascaris equorum and oocysts from Eimeria leuckarti, re...
Claes F, Ilgekbayeva GD, Verloo D, Saidouldin TS, Geerts S, Buscher P, Goddeeris BM.In this study, we compared the complement fixation test (CFT), the horse complement fixation test (HCFT) and a card agglutination test for trypanosomosis (CATT/T. evansi) for the diagnosis of equine trypanosomosis in the Republic of Kazakhstan. Cohen's kappa test was used to evaluate the concordance between the three tests. Kappa scores for CFT versus HCFT and CATT are both 0.6165 (95% Confidence Interval CI 0.414--0.819) indicating a "substantial" agreement between CFT and HCFT or CATT, respectively. Kappa for HCFT versus CATT is 0.395 (CI 0.142--0.648) indicating a "fair" agreement between t...
Galuppi R, Piva S, Castagnetti C, Iacono E, Tanel S, Pallaver F, Fioravanti ML, Zanoni RG, Tampieri MP, Caffara M.The present study aims to evaluate the prevalence, pattern of spread and risk factors for the transmission of cryptosporidiosis in foals and mares hospitalized in a University Equine Perinatology Unit, where a new subtype family of Cryptosporidium horse genotype was described by Caffara et al. (2013). Mares (36) and foals (37) hospitalized during the 2012 foaling season were included. Multiple sampling from each animal was performed (a total of 305 stool samples were collected). One hundred and eleven environmental samples (gauze swabs) were also collected before and after the breeding season....
Höglund J, Ljungström BL, Nilsson O, Uggla A.A scolex antigen of the horse tapeworm Anoplocephala perfoliata containing at least 14 different proteins was employed in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for detection of antibodies to A. perfoliata in equine sera. The assay was applied to sera from 426 slaughtered horses with different numbers of worms and with varying degrees of intestinal lesions. As measured by the ELISA, there was a very strong effect on the antibody levels both from the number of tapeworms present and from the intestinal lesion score. However, considerable individual variation was observed between horses wit...
Marchetti B, Gault EA, Cortese MS, Yuan Z, Ellis SA, Nasir L, Campo MS.Bovine papillomavirus type 1 is one of the aetiological agents of equine sarcoids. The viral major oncoprotein E5 is expressed in virtually all sarcoids, sarcoid cell lines and in vitro-transformed equine fibroblasts. To ascertain whether E5 behaves in equine cells as it does in bovine cells, we introduced the E5 open reading frame into fetal equine fibroblasts (EqPalF). As observed in primary bovine fibroblasts (BoPalF), E5 by itself could not immortalize EqPalF and an immortalizing gene, such as human telomerase (hTERT/hT), was required for the cells to survive selection. The EqPalF-hT-1E5 c...
Silver IA, Brown PN, Goodship AE, Lanyon LE, McCullagh KG, Perry GC, Williams IF.This project was carried out over a five year period (1977 to 1981 inclusive) at the University of Bristol following discussion between the British Veterinary Association and the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons about the efficacy of, and ethical justification for, the practice of 'firing' (cautery). These discussions had been promoted by parliamentary questions but led to no firm conclusions because previously reported clinical investigations on specific treatments lacked adequate comparisons and controls and thus did not provide scientifically acceptable, statistically valid data. The pr...
Willoughby R, Ecker G, McKee S, Riddolls L, Vernaillen C, Dubovi E, Lein D, Mahony JB, Chernesky M, Nagy E.The response of horses exposed to three common respiratory viruses was studied by measuring tracheal mucociliary clearance rates in the trachea. Tracheal clearance rates (TCR) were determined before, during illness and following recovery in horses exposed to equine rhinovirus (ERhV-2), equine influenza virus (EIV) and equine herpesvirus (EHV-4) by means of lateral scintigraphs made following an injection of technetium-99m sulphide colloid into the tracheal lumen. In six horses exposed to ERhV-2, TCR remained within normal limits. Exposure to EIV resulted in reduced TCR in six of seven horses, ...
Trotz-Williams L, Physick-Sheard P, McFarlane H, Pearl DL, Martin SW, Peregrine AS.Infection with the tapeworm Anoplocephala perfoliata has been found to be associated with equine colic in horses in the United Kingdom. Using a matched case-control study design, data collected from 117 pairs of horses in Ontario were examined for evidence of associations between risk of colic and A. perfoliata infection, and between seropositivity to infection and management practices. Cases were horses in southern Ontario diagnosed with colic by local veterinarians, and control horses were from the same stables as cases and were matched by age, breed and gender where possible. Infection stat...
Wilkie BN.Effective resistance to respiratory tract infection depends principally on specific immunity on mucosal surfaces of the upper or lower respiratory tract. Respiratory tract immune response comprises antibody and cell-mediated systems and may be induced most readily by surface presentation of replicating agents but can result from parenteral or local presentation of highly immunogenic antigens. Upper and lower respiratory tract systems differ in immunologic competence, with the lungs having a greater inventory of protective mechanisms than the trachea or nose. Several effective vaccines have bee...
Cherry NA, Jones SL, Maggi RG, Davis JL, Breitschwerdt EB.Bartonella species bacteremia has been identified in numerous animal species. These bacteria cause, or have been associated with, a spectrum of clinical manifestations in dogs and human patients. The frequency of exposure to or infection with Bartonella spp. among healthy and sick horses has not been reported. Objective: To test healthy and sick horses and sick foals from the southeastern United States for serological, microbiological, and molecular evidence of Bartonella infection. Methods: Forty-seven healthy horses, 15 sick foals, 22 horses with musculoskeletal manifestations, and 8 horses ...
Wilsterman S, Soboll-Hussey G, Lunn DP, Ashton LV, Callan RJ, Hussey SB, Rao S, Goehring LS.Infection with equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) causes respiratory disease, late term abortions and equine herpesvirus myeloencephalitis (EHM) and remains an important problem in horses worldwide. Despite increasing outbreaks of EHM in recent years, our understanding of EHM pathogenesis is still limited except for the knowledge that a cell-associated viremia in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) is a critical link between primary respiratory EHV-1 infection and secondary complications such as late-term abortion or EHM. To address this question our objective was to identify which PBMC subpo...
Rolão N, Martins MJ, João A, Campino L.The present report describes the first case of equine leishmaniasis in Portugal. Leishmania infection was detected in one animal, which presented an ulcerated skin lesion. Diagnosis was based on serology by CIE, and parasite DNA detection by real-time PCR using a probe specific for L. infantum. This finding requests further leishmaniasis equine surveys in order to clarify the role of the horse as reservoir host in european endemic areas.
Moore JN, Garner HE, Shapland JE, Hatfield DG.Bacterial endotoxin injected intravenously into conscious ponies produced alterations in cardiopulmonary and gastrointestinal function. Specifically, tachypnoea, dyspnoea, hypoxaemia, colic, lactic acidosis and diarrhoea resulted from administration of 10 micrograms/kg Escherichia coli endotoxin. Pretreatment of the ponies with a potent prostaglandin synthetase inhibitor, flunixin meglumine, prevented these ill effects of endotoxin.
