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Topic:Infectious Disease
Infectious diseases in horses encompass a range of illnesses caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi, or parasites. These diseases can affect various systems within the equine body, leading to symptoms that range from mild discomfort to severe systemic illness. Common infectious diseases in horses include equine influenza, strangles, equine herpesvirus, and West Nile virus. These diseases can be transmitted through direct contact with infected animals, contaminated surfaces, or vectors such as insects. Understanding the mechanisms of transmission, pathogenesis, and immune response is essential for effective prevention and control. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the epidemiology, diagnosis, treatment, and management of infectious diseases in horses.
Managing Salmonella in equine populations. Infection control is achieved through all efforts used to prevent the introduction and limit the spread of contagious pathogens within a facility or population, with the goal of eliminating sources of potentially pathogenic microorganisms and to disrupt infectious disease transmission. Congregating animals from multiple sources, as occurs at veterinary hospitals, racetracks, equestrian events, and boarding and training facilities, increases the risk for transmission of infectious diseases such as salmonella. There is a recognizable standard of practice for infection control and due effort must...
Rhodococcus equi foal pneumonia. Pneumonia caused by Rhodococcus equi is an important cause of disease and death in foals. This article reviews current knowledge of the epidemiology, clinical signs, diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and control of R equi pneumonia in foals.
Complete genome sequence of equid herpesvirus 3. Equid herpesvirus 3 (EHV-3) is a member of the subfamily Alphaherpesvirinae that causes equine coital exanthema. Here, we report the first complete genome sequence of EHV-3. The 151,601-nt genome encodes 76 distinct genes like other equine alphaherpesviruses, but genetically, EHV-3 is significantly more divergent.
Outbreaks of Vesicular stomatitis Alagoas virus in horses and cattle in northeastern Brazil. The current article describes outbreaks of vesicular stomatitis (VS) in horses and cattle in Paraiba and Rio Grande do Norte states, northeastern Brazil, between June and August 2013. The reported cases affected 15-20 horses and 6 cattle distributed over 6 small farms in 4 municipalities, but additional data indicated the involvement of a large number of animals on several farms. The disease was characterized by blisters; eruptive lesions in coronary bands, lips, mouth, and muzzle; salivation; claudication and loss of condition. Swollen lower limbs and lips, and ulcerated and erosive areas in ...
Hendra virus. Hendra virus infection of horses occurred sporadically between 1994 and 2010 as a result of spill-over from the viral reservoir in Australian mainland flying-foxes, and occasional onward transmission to people also followed from exposure to affected horses. An unprecedented number of outbreaks were recorded in 2011 leading to heightened community concern. Release of an inactivated subunit vaccine for horses against Hendra virus represents the first commercially available product that is focused on mitigating the impact of a Biosafety Level 4 pathogen. Through preventing the development of acut...
Seroprevalence and risk factors associated with Babesia caballi and Theileria equi infections in donkeys from Southern Italy. Equine piroplasmosis (EP) has been frequently described in donkeys in subtropical and tropical regions, but published data reflecting large scale surveys are very limited in Europe. The seroprevalence of Babesia caballi and Theileria equi was determined in a donkey population from Campania Region in Southern Italy using a commercial indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT), and the risk factors associated with the occurrence of the infection were assessed. Of 203 samples, the overall seroprevalence for EP was 57.1% (116/203), with 35.5% (72/203) for B. caballi and 44.3% (90/203) for T. equi. ...
Science in brief: Report on the first Havemeyer workshop on infectious diseases in working equids, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, November 2013. The working equid is of vital importance in many low-income countries
where horses, mules and donkeys are the primary means of transport and
traction. Notwithstanding basic husbandry and welfare needs, infectious
diseases compromise the health and welfare of these working animals,
which in turn threatens the livelihoods of the most vulnerable members
of society. A workshop on Infectious Diseases of Working Equids was held in
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in November 2013, attended by 35 participants
representing academia, nongovernmental organisations (NGOs),
governmental institutions and the ...
Ergot alkaloid intoxication in perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne): an emerging animal health concern in Ireland? Four primary mycotoxicosis have been reported in livestock caused by fungal infections of grasses or cereals by members of the Clavicipitaceae family. Ergotism (generally associated with grasses, rye, triticale and other grains) and fescue toxicosis (associated with tall fescue grass, Festuca arundinacea) are both caused by ergot alkaloids, and referred to as 'ergot alkaloid intoxication'. Ryegrass staggers (associated with perennial ryegrass Lolium perenne) is due to intoxication with an indole-diperpene, Lolitrem B, and metabolites. Fescue-associated oedema, recently described in Australia, ...
Genotyping of Burkholderia mallei from an outbreak of glanders in Bahrain suggests multiple introduction events. Glanders, caused by the gram-negative bacterium Burkholderia mallei, is a highly infectious zoonotic disease of solipeds causing severe disease in animals and men. Although eradicated from many Western countries, it recently emerged in Asia, the Middle-East, Africa, and South America. Due to its rareness, little is known about outbreak dynamics of the disease and its epidemiology. Results: We investigated a recent outbreak of glanders in Bahrain by applying high resolution genotyping (multiple locus variable number of tandem repeats, MLVA) and comparative whole genome sequencing to B. mallei i...
The distribution pattern of Halicephalobus gingivalis in a horse is suggestive of a haematogenous spread of the nematode. The majority of Halicephalobus gingivalis-infections in horses have been fatal and are usually not diagnosed before necropsy. Therefore, knowledge about the nematode and the pathogenesis of infection in horses is limited. This has resulted in an on-going discussion about the port of entry and subsequent dissemination of H. gingivalis within the host. The present case of H. gingivalis-infection in a horse was diagnosed ante mortem. Post mortem findings, the distribution pattern of H. gingivalis nematodes in the brain, a high prevalence of inflammation in close relation to blood vessels, and the...
Evidence of Toxoplasma gondii exposure among horses in Korea. The present study investigated the seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) antibodies by ELISA in horses reared in Korea. Serum samples were collected from 2009 through 2013 from 816 horses reared in Korea. Analysis was performed using a commercial toxoplasmosis ELISA kit to detect anti-T. gondii antibodies. Overall, 24 out of 816 horses (2.9%) were seropositive for T. gondii. The result was analyzed by age, gender, breed and region. Significant differences were observed according to breed and region (P<0.05). This is the first nationwide serological investigation of T. gondii in ho...
Characterization and outcome following excision of masses in the nictitating membranes of horses: 50 cases (1998-2012). To determine the histologic findings associated with masses in the nictitating membranes (third eyelids) of horses and to identify prognostic factors associated with recurrence and the outcome. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: 50 horses with masses in a third eyelid. Methods: Medical records of horses with partial or complete excision of a third eyelid and submission for histologic evaluation between September 1998 and November 2012 were reviewed. Horses were included if follow-up information for at least 1 year after surgery was available. Information regarding signalment and trea...
A Saint Louis encephalitis and Rocio virus serosurvey in Brazilian horses. Arboviruses are an important public health problem in Brazil, in especially flaviviruses, including the Saint Louis encephalitis virus (SLEV) and the Rocio virus (ROCV), are especially problematic. These viruses are transmitted to humans or other vertebrates through arthropod bites and may cause diseases with clinical manifestations that range from asymptomatic infection, viral hemorrhagic fever to encephalitis. Methods: A serological survey of horses from various regions of Brazil using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with recombinant SLEV domain III peptides and ROCV E protein a...
Serological investigation of transplacental infection with Neospora hughesi and Sarcocystis neurona in broodmares. 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...
The Australian Public is Still Vulnerable to Emerging Virulent Strains of West Nile Virus. The mosquito-borne West Nile virus (WNV) is responsible for outbreaks of viral encephalitis in humans and horses with particularly virulent strains causing recent outbreaks in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and North America. In Australia, a strain of WNV, Kunjin (WNVKUN), is endemic in the north and infection with this virus is generally asymptomatic. However, in early 2011, following extensive flooding, an unprecedented outbreak of WNVKUN encephalitis in horses occurred in South-Eastern Australia, resulting in more than 1,000 cases and a mortality of 10-15%. Despite widespread evidence of ...
Encephalitozoon cuniculi-Associated Equine Encephalitis: A Case Report. A case of encephalitis of unknown origin in the horse was investigated. Postmortem examination findings revealed a nonsuppurative granulomatous meningoencephalitis in the right hemisphere of the cerebral cortex. Testing for West Nile virus, equine herpes virus, equine infectious anemia, , , and were negative. The horse had a titer for , and sections from the affected area of the brain tested positive for the organism using both polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and immunohistochemistry. Amplicons generated using PCR were sequenced, and genotype II was identified. This is the first case of gen...
Acinetobacter gandensis sp. nov. isolated from horse and cattle. We previously reported the presence of an OXA-23 carbapenemase in an undescribed species of the genus Acinetobacter isolated from horse dung at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Belgium. Here we include six strains to corroborate the delineation of this taxon by phenotypic characterization, DNA-DNA hybridization, 16S rRNA gene and rpoB sequence analysis, % G+C determination, MALDI-TOF MS and fatty acid analysis. The nearly complete 16S rRNA gene sequence of strain UG 60467(T) showed the highest similarities with those of the type strains of Acinetobacter bouvetii (98.4 %)...
Rhodococcus equi (Prescottella equi) vaccines; the future of vaccine development. For decades researchers have been targeting prevention of Rhodococcus equi (Rhodococcus hoagui/Prescottella equi) by vaccination and the horse breeding industry has supported the ongoing efforts by researchers to develop a safe and cost effective vaccine to prevent disease in foals. Traditional vaccines including live, killed and attenuated (physical and chemical) vaccines have proved to be ineffective and more modern molecular-based vaccines including the DNA plasmid, genetically attenuated and subunit vaccines have provided inadequate protection of foals. Newer, bacterial vector vaccines hav...
Molecular and morphological comparison of two different types of Habronema muscae (Nematoda: Habronematidae) in horse. Habronema muscae is a spirurid nematode that undergoes developmental stages in the stomach of equids, causing chronic catarrhal gastritis. Despite preceding investigations have developed polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based assays for molecular diagnosis, we aimed to assess the applicability of cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) sequences to identify the H. muscae infection and to assess the level of intraspecific variations in this parasite obtained from affected horses in Southern Iran. According to the morphological characterizations, two different isolates of H. muscae were identified....
In vitro culture of Parascaris equorum larvae and initial investigation of parasite excretory-secretory products. Currently, diagnosis of Parascaris equorum infection in equids is limited to patent infections. The goals of this study were to culture P. equorum larvae in vitro and identify excretory-secretory (ES) products for prepatent diagnostic testing. Parascaris equorum L2/L3 larvae were hatched and cultured for up to 3 weeks for ES product collection. Fifth stage (L5) P. equorum were also cultured for ES product collection. Examination of ES fractions by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and silver stain revealed L2/L3 products ranging from 12-94 kDa and L5 products...
Epidemiology of West Nile disease in Europe and in the Mediterranean Basin from 2009 to 2013. West Nile virus (WNV) transmission has been confirmed in the last four years in Europe and in the Mediterranean Basin. An increasing concern towards West Nile disease (WND) has been observed due to the high number of human and animal cases reported in these areas confirming the importance of this zoonosis. A new epidemiological scenario is currently emerging: although new introductions of the virus from abroad are always possible, confirming the epidemiological role played by migratory birds, the infection endemisation in some European territories today is a reality supported by the constant r...
Hallmarks of hepatitis C virus in equine hepacivirus. Equine hepacivirus (EHcV) has been identified as a closely related homologue of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany, but not in Asian countries. In this study, we genetically and serologically screened 31 serum samples obtained from Japanese-born domestic horses for EHcV infection and subsequently identified 11 PCR-positive and 7 seropositive serum samples. We determined the full sequence of the EHcV genome, including the 3' untranslated region (UTR), which had previously not been completely revealed. The polyprotein of a Japanese EHcV strain showed ap...
An efficient genome sequencing method for equine influenza [H3N8] virus reveals a new polymorphism in the PA-X protein. H3N8 equine influenza virus (EIV) has caused disease outbreaks in horses across the world since its first isolation in 1963. However, unlike human, swine and avian influenza, there is relatively little sequence data available for this virus. The majority of published sequences are for the segment encoding haemagglutinin (HA), one of the two surface glycoproteins, making it difficult to study the evolution of the other gene segments and determine the level of reassortment occurring between sub-lineages. Methods: To facilitate the generation of full genome sequences for EIV, we developed a simpl...
Fibrinous pericarditis and pericardial effusion in three neonatal foals. Three foals, aged between 5 and 10 days, were presented for assessment of lethargy, abdominal pain and joint effusion. Fibrinous pericarditis and pericardial effusion (PE) were recognised in each foal and considered as sequelae to systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and suspected or confirmed septicaemia. Unassigned: Diagnosis of pericarditis was made in two foals by echocardiographic examination and analysis of pericardial fluid, and during postmortem examination of the third foal. In both of the foals that underwent pericardiocentesis, PE was an exudate, no bacteria were identifie...
Pathology of fatal lineage 1 and 2 West Nile virus infections in horses in South Africa. Since 2007, West Nile virus (WNV) has been reported in South African horses, causing severe neurological signs. All cases were of lineage 2, except for one case that clustered with lineage 1 viruses. In the present study, gross and microscopic lesions of six South African lineage 2-infected horses and the one lineage 1 case are described. Diagnoses were confirmed by real-time reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) of central nervous system (CNS) tissue and one by RT-PCR of a brain virus isolate. The CNS of all cases was negative by RT-PCR or immunohistochemistry (IHC) for Afr...
Serological study of Toxoplasma gondii infection in Turkoman horses in the North Khorasan Province, Iran. Toxoplasmosis is an important zoonotic disease with worldwide distribution. The infection is observed in an unusually wide range of warm-blooded animals, including most of the livestock and humans. Many studies have shown high prevalence of toxoplasmosis in man and animals in Iran. The present study was conducted to investigate the seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis in Turkoman horses in the North Khorasan Province. During 2011-2012, 100 blood samples from horses were collected and tested for antibodies against toxoplasmosis using indirect fluorescent antibody test. The seroprevalence of toxoplas...
