Microbiology and horses explores the interactions between microorganisms and equine hosts, focusing on the role of bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other microbes in horse health and disease. This field examines the microbial flora present in various equine environments, including the gastrointestinal tract, skin, and respiratory system, and investigates how these microorganisms influence equine physiology and pathology. Research in this area includes studies on microbial infections that affect horses, the development of antimicrobial resistance, and the impact of probiotics and prebiotics on equine health. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that investigate the diversity, dynamics, and implications of microbial communities in horses, as well as the strategies for managing microbial-related diseases.
Theelen MJP, Luiken REC, Wagenaar JA, Sloet van Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan MM, Rossen JWA, Schaafstra FJWC, van Doorn DA, Zomer AL.Hospitalisation and antimicrobial treatment are common in horses and significantly impact the intestinal microbiota. Antimicrobial treatment might also increase levels of resistant bacteria in faeces, which could spread to other ecological compartments, such as the environment, other animals and humans. In this study, we aimed to characterise the short- and long-term effects of transportation, hospitalisation and trimethoprim-sulfadiazine (TMS) administration on the faecal microbiota and resistome of healthy equids. In a longitudinal experimental study design, in which the ponies served as the...
Rühl-Teichner J, Jacobmeyer L, Leidner U, Semmler T, Ewers C. is an opportunistic pathogen that causes severe infections in humans and animals, including horses. The occurrence of dominant international clones (ICs), frequent multidrug resistance, and the capability to form biofilms are considered major factors in the successful spread of in human and veterinary clinical environments. Since little is known about isolates from horses, we studied 78 equine isolates obtained from clinical samples between 2008 and 2020 for their antimicrobial resistance (AMR), clonal distribution, biofilm-associated genes (BAGs), and biofilm-forming capability. Based on ...
Rathbone P, Arango-Sabogal JC, De Mestre AM, Scott CJ.Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is important in equine reproduction, as antimicrobials have historically been widely used in the management of breeding mares. However, evidence of the characteristics of AMR in uterine isolates is limited in the UK. The objective of this retrospective study was therefore to describe temporal changes in AMR patterns of bacteria isolated from the endometrium of Thoroughbred broodmares in south-east England between 2014 and 2020. Endometrial swabs were processed for microbiology and antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST). For frequently isolated bacteria, chang...
Tang Z, Li X, Wang X, Zhang C, Zou L, Ren H, Liu W. () is one of the foremost pathogens responsible for diarrhea in foals. As antibiotic resistance increases, phages that specifically lyse bacteria are of great interest to us with regard to . In this study, a novel phage DCp1 was isolated from the sewage of a donkey farm. Phage DCp1 had a non-contractile short tail (40 nm in length) and a regular icosahedral head (46 nm in diameter). Whole-genome sequencing indicated that phage DCp1 had a linear double-stranded DNA genome with a total length of 18,555 bp and a G + C content of 28.2%. A total of 25 ORFs were identified in the genome, 6 of whic...
Carver C, Bruemmer J, Coleman S, Landolt G, Hess T.Laminitis associated with equine metabolic syndrome causes significant economic losses in the equine industry. Diets high in non-structural carbohydrates (NSC) have been linked to insulin resistance and laminitis in horses. Nutrigenomic studies analyzing the interaction of diets high in NSCs and gene expression regulating endogenous microRNAs (miRNA) are rare. This study's objectives were to determine whether miRNAs from dietary corn can be detected in equine serum and muscle and its impacts on endogenous miRNA. Twelve mares were blocked by age, body condition score, and weight and assigned to...
Ferreira PFA, Xavier JF, Nunes JF, Fonseca IP, de Mattos de Oliveira Coelho S, Soares de Souza MM, da Silva Coelho I.Livestock waste is widely used in agriculture. Although they provide benefits to the soil, and consequently to plants, they have the potential to contaminate the environment, as they contain pathogenic microorganisms and determinants of antimicrobial resistance, if not properly managed. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the effect of composting horse bedding and poultry litter in organic and conventional production systems on the occurrence of bacteria in the Enterobacteriales order and to identify their antimicrobial resistance profiles. Bacterial strains were isolated from Salmonella-Sh...
Elghandour MMMY, Maggiolino A, García EIC, Sánchez-Aparicio P, De Palo P, Ponce-Covarrubias JL, Pliego AB, Salem AZM.This review examines the available data regarding the positive effects of microencapsulated essential oils (EOs) on the nutrition, metabolism, and possibly the methane emission of horses. A literature review was conducted on the effect of microencapsulated (EOs) on the health of horses. The information comprises articles published in recent years in indexed journals. The results indicate that mixtures of microencapsulated EOs may be beneficial to equine health due to their antimicrobial and antioxidant activity, as well as their effects on enteric methane production, nutrient absorption, and i...
Alshahrani SH, Alameri AA, Kahar F, Alexis Ramírez-Coronel A, Fadhel Obaid R, Alsaikhan F, Zabibah RS, Qasim QA, Altalbawy FMA, Fakri Mustafa Y....Recently in vivo and in vitro studies have provided evidence establishing the significance of microRNAs (miRNAs) in both physiological and pathological conditions. In this regard, the role of miRNA-128 (miR-128) in health and diseases has been found, and its critical regulatory role in the context of some viral diseases has been recently identified. For instance, it has been found that miR-128 can serve as an antiviral mediator and significantly limit the replication and dissemination of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). Besides, it has been noted that poliovirus receptor-related 4 ...
MacNicol JL, Renwick S, Ganobis CM, Allen-Vercoe E, Weese JS, Pearson W.The microbes that reside within the equine hindgut create a complex and dynamic ecosystem. The equine hindgut microbiota is intimately associated with health and, as such, represents an area which can be beneficially modified. Synbiotics, supplements that combine probiotic micro-organisms with prebiotic ingredients, are a potential means of influencing the hindgut microbiota to promote health and prevent disease. The objective of the current study was to evaluate the influence of an equine probiotic/prebiotic supplement on characteristics of the microbiota and metabolite production in vitro. E...
Nwobi OC, Anyanwu MU, Jaja IF, Nwankwo IO, Okolo CC, Nwobi CA, Ezenduka EV, Oguttu JW.Staphylococcus aureus was isolated from a total of 360 nasal and groin skin swabs from 180 systematic randomly-selected horses slaughtered for meat at Obollo-Afor, Enugu State, Southeast Nigeria and antimicrobial, methicillin and heavy metal resistance profile and virulence potentials of the isolates established. Baird-Parker agar with egg yolk tellurite was used for S. aureus isolation. S. aureus isolates were confirmed biochemically and serologically using a specific S. aureus Staphytect Plus™ latex agglutination test kit. The antimicrobial resistance profile, methicillin, vancomycin and i...
Marshall K, Marsella R.Previous studies documented antibiotic resistance in horses but did not focus on skin specifically. We investigated antibiotic resistance and correlations between resistance patterns in skin infections. Records from 2009 to 2019 were searched for Staphylococcal infection and susceptibility results. Seventy-seven cases were included. Organisms identified were S. aureus (48/77), S. pseudintermedius (7/77), non-hemolytic Staphylococcus (8/77), beta-hemolytic Staphylococcus (6/77), and other species (8/77). Samples included pyoderma (36/77), wounds (10/77), abscesses (15/77), incision sites (5/77)...
Loublier C, Taminiau B, Heinen J, Lecoq L, Amory H, Daube G, Cesarini C.Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has been used empirically for decades in equine medicine to treat intestinal dysbiosis but evidence-based information is scarce. This in vitro study aimed at assessing the effect of a commonly used pre-FMT processing method on the bacterial composition and viability of the fecal filtrate. Three samples of fresh equine manure (T0) were processed identically: the initial manure was mixed with 1 L of lukewarm water and chopped using an immersion blender to obtain a mixture (T1), which was left uncovered during 30 min (T2) and percolated through a sieve to ob...
Muhonen S, Julliand V.Racing events challenge the fluid balance of athletic horses. The equine large intestine functions as a fluid reservoir, since the properties of dietary forage fibre affect the digesta water content and the milieu of this ecosystem. This study aimed to investigate the effect of grass maturity and legume forage on the faecal water-holding capacity (WHC) and microbial ecosystem, and the fluid balance and body weight (BW) of French trotters in race training. Six geldings were offered three diets with different fibre compositions: concentrate and late-harvested mature grass haylage (35:65 energy r...
Li C, Li X, Guo R, Ni W, Liu K, Liu Z, Dai J, Xu Y, Abduriyim S, Wu Z, Zeng Y, Lei B, Zhang Y, Wang Y, Zeng W, Zhang Q, Chen C, Qiao J, Liu C, Hu S.As a domesticated species vital to humans, horses are raised worldwide as a source of mechanical energy for sports, leisure, food production, and transportation. The gut microbiota plays an important role in the health, diseases, athletic performance, and behaviour of horses. Here, using approximately 2.2 Tb of metagenomic sequencing data from gut samples from 242 horses, including 110 samples from the caecum and 132 samples from the rectum (faeces), we assembled 4142 microbial metagenome-assembled genomes (MAG), 4015 (96.93%) of which appear to correspond to new species. From long-read data, ...
Wunderlich G, Bull M, Ross T, Rose M, Chapman B.The equine gastrointestinal tract is a self-sufficient fermentation system, housing a complex microbial consortium that acts synergistically and independently to break down complex lignocellulolytic material that enters the equine gut. Despite being strict herbivores, equids such as horses and zebras lack the diversity of enzymes needed to completely break down plant tissue, instead relying on their resident microbes to carry out fibrolysis to yield vital energy sources such as short chain fatty acids. The bulk of equine digestion occurs in the large intestine, where digesta is fermented for 3...
Tang L, Yan L, Jia H, Xiong Y, Ma X, Chu H, Sun Z, Wang L, Shalitanati M, Li K, Hu D, Zhang D.Host-associated microbiota can significantly impact host fitness. Therefore, naturally occurring variations in microbiota may influence the health and persistence of their hosts. This finding is particularly important in reintroduced animals, as they typically experience habitat changes during translocations. However, little is known about how microbiomes are altered in response to conservation translocation. Here, we accessed the gut microbiome of Przewalski's horse (Equus przewalskii) populations in China from three nature reserves (i.e. Xinjiang Kalamaili Nature Reserve, KNR; Dunhuang Xihu ...
Bond S, McMullen C, Timsit E, Léguillette R.The lower respiratory tract microbiota of the horse is different in states of health and disease, but the bacterial and fungal composition of the healthy respiratory tract of the horse has not been studied in detail. Objective: The respiratory tract environment contains distinct niche microbiotas, which decrease in species richness at more distal sampling locations. Objective: Characterize the bacterial and fungal microbiotas along the upper and lower respiratory tract of the horse. Methods: Healthy Argentinian Thoroughbred horses (n = 11) from the same client-owned herd. Methods: Prospectiv...
Vigolo V, Gautier C, Falomo ME, Aurich C.The use of microfluidic technology is increasing in artificial reproduction technologies: With a small amount of semen, it allows for the selection of sperm with the best characteristics of kinetics, morphology and chromatin integrity. The ZyMot Multi (850 μl) is the most popular device of ZyMot Fertility Inc. To date, it was proven to be a valid instrument for sperm selection for in vitro fertilization and intracytoplasmic sperm injection in men. The aim of this study was to test the efficacy of the ZyMot Multi (850 μl) for stallion semen. Frozen-thawed semen from 15 stallions that were...
Padoan E, Ferraresso S, Pegolo S, Barnini C, Castagnaro M, Bargelloni L.Mild equine asthma (MEA) and severe equine asthma (SEA) are two of the most frequent equine airway inflammatory diseases, but knowledge about their pathogenesis is limited. The goal of this study was to investigate gene expression differences in the respiratory tract of MEA- and SEA-affected horses and their relationship with clinical signs. Methods: Clinical examination and endoscopy were performed in 8 SEA- and 10 MEA-affected horses and 7 healthy controls. Cytological and microbiological analyses of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid were performed. Gene expression profiling of BAL fluid wa...
Perricone V, Sandrini S, Irshad N, Comi M, Lecchi C, Savoini G, Agazzi A.To support the overall health of horses, it is essential to maintain an optimal gut health (GH) status, which encompasses several physiological and functional aspects, including the balance and functionality of intestinal microbial populations and, accordingly, the effective digestion and absorption of nutrients. Numerous biotic and abiotic stressors can lead to an imbalance of GH, such as the quality of forages and the composition of diet, e.g., the inclusion of high energy-dense feeds to meet the energy requirements of performance horses. To support the digestive function and the intestinal ...
Hisey EA, Martins BC, Donnelly CG, Cassano JM, Katzman SA, Murphy CJ, Thomasy SM, Leonard BC.This study aimed to define the antimicrobial peptide (AMP) expression pattern of the equine ocular surface and amniotic membrane using a targeted qPCR approach and 3'Tag-sequencing. It will serve as a reference for future studies of ocular surface innate immunity and amniotic membrane therapies. Methods: A targeted qPCR approach was used to investigate the presence of orthologs for three of the most highly expressed beta-defensins (DEFB1, DEFB4B, and DEFB103A) of the human ocular surface and amniotic membrane in equine corneal epithelium, conjunctiva, and amniotic membrane. 3'Tag-sequencing wa...
Zakia LS, MacNicol JL, Borges AS, Yu S, Boerlin P, Gomez DE, Surette MG, Arroyo LG.This study compared the prevalence of C. innocuum DNA in the feces of healthy horses and horses with acute colitis. C. innocuum was identified in 22% (15/68) of colitis cases and 18% (12/68) of healthy horses (p = 0.416).
Steward SK, McKee HM, Watson AM, Salman MD, Hassel DM.Colic remains the number one cause of mortality in horses, and large colon displacement including colonic volvulus is one of the leading causes for equine hospitalization and surgery. Currently, there is not an adequate model to study the pathophysiology of this condition. The objective of this proof-of-concept study was to determine if subserosal implantation of bioinert microchips in the large intestine would be detectable by a RFID (radio-frequency identification) receiver when the implanted microchips were adjacent to the body wall, thus identifying the location of the colon within the abd...
Goni JI, Hendrix K, Kritchevsky J.It is important to determine if a horse is shedding Salmonella spp., but a complete culture series can be cost prohibitive. Objective: Determine the optimal pooling technique to maintain high sensitivity of Salmonella spp. culture using spiked samples, and then demonstrate the efficacy of this protocol on clinical submissions. Objective: Pooled fecal samples are as sensitive as 5 individual cultures for the detection of Salmonella shedding. Methods: A single Salmonella-negative horse from the university herd, and 19 hospitalized horses. Methods: Salmonella-free fecal samples were spiked with d...
Wongtawan T, Narinthorn R, Sontigun N, Sansamur C, Petcharat Y, Fungwithaya P, Saengsawang P, Blackall PJ, Thomrongsuwannakij T.Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a significant threat to global health and development. Inappropriate antimicrobial drug use in animals cause AMR, and most studies focus on livestock because of the widespread use of antimicrobial medicines. There is a lack of studies on sports animals and AMR issues. This study aimed to characterize the AMR profile of E. coli found in sports animals (fighting cocks, fighting bulls, and sport horses) and soils from their environment. Unassigned: Bacterial isolation and identification were conducted to identify E. coli isolates recovered from fresh feces that w...
Li XB, Huang XX, Li Q, Li XY, Li JH, Li C, He LJ, Jing HX, Yang KL.Compared with the stomach of ruminant cattle, the stomach of horse is small and mainly for chemical digestion, but the microorganisms in the stomach play an important role in maintaining the homeostasis of the internal environment. Due to the complexity of the microbes in the stomach, little is known about the diversity and structure of bacteria in the equine stomach. Grains are the main energy source for plant-eating livestock and energy is derived through enzymatic hydrolysis of grains into glucose or their microbial fermentation into Volatile fatty acids (VFA). However, the mechanism throug...
Bass LG, Peña-Álvarez P, Hidalgo-Dittel JD, Robles-Herrera FD, Cappella-Flores PM, Zúñiga-Cortés DS, Olivares RWI.Sarcina spp. is a Gram-positive, coccoid microorganism that forms tetrads or octets, and is observed with a characteristic "bundle" arrangement. The most recognized species are Sarcina ventriculi and Sarcina maxima. It has been described as part of the normal microbiota in horses and cats, but it has also been linked to abomasal bloat in goats, lambs, and calves, although its causality has not been proven yet. This work presents the case of a 3-months-old female horse that died of generalized tympanism. Macroscopic findings showed mild cyanosis and abundant gas in the lumen of the stomach, and...
Malaluang P, Wilén E, Frosth S, Lindahl J, Hansson I, Morrell JM.Antibiotics are added to semen extenders in insemination doses but their effect on the vaginal microbiota of the inseminated female is unknown. The objectives of this study were to define the equine vaginal microbiota and its antimicrobial resistance, and to determine whether it changes after exposure to antibiotics in semen extenders. Vaginal swabs were taken prior to sham-insemination (day 0), and again on days 3, 7, and 14 after insemination. Isolated bacteria were identified by MALDI-TOF and tested for antimicrobial susceptibility by microdilution. The bacteria isolated from the vagina dif...
Thomson P, Pareja J, Núñez A, Santibáñez R, Castro R.Culture-independent techniques have made it possible to expand the knowledge about the composition of bacterial communities present in the healthy uterus and their role in health and disease, mainly in humans. However, in animals like mares, there is a dearth of information regarding this area. To narrow this knowledge gap, the objective of this study was to identify and characterize the composition and function of the uterine microbiome of a group of Chilean purebred mares (CPM), an equine breed with the oldest genealogical record in South America and an economical important reproductive indu...
Cain JL, Norris JK, Ripley NE, Suri P, Finnerty CA, Gravatte HS, Nielsen MK.Parasitic nematodes, including large roundworms colloquially known as ascarids, affect the health and well-being of livestock animals worldwide. The equine ascarids, Parascaris spp., are important parasites of juvenile horses and the first ascarids to develop widespread anthelmintic resistance. The microbiota has been shown to be an important factor in the fitness of many organisms, including parasitic nematodes, where endosymbiotic Wolbachia have been exploited for treatment of filariasis in humans. Methods: This study used short-read 16S rRNA sequences and Illumina sequencing to characterize...
Osawa S, Furuse K, Watanabe I.To determine the distribution pattern of ribonucleic acid (RNA) coliphages (classified by serological groups I through IV) in animal sources, we isolated RNA phages from (i) feces samples from domestic animals (cows, pigs, horses, and fowls), some other animals in a zoological garden, and humans, (ii) the gastrointestinal contents of cows and pigs, and (iii) sewage samples from treatment plants in slaughter houses. These samples were then analyzed serologically. The concentration of RNA phages in the first and second kinds of material was fairly low (10 to 10(3) plaque-forming units per origin...
Stewart HL, Pitta D, Indugu N, Vecchiarelli B, Engiles JB, Southwood LL.OBJECTIVE To characterize the fecal microbiota of horses and to investigate alterations in that microbiota on the basis of sample collection site (rectum vs stall floor), sample location within the fecal ball (center vs surface), and duration of environmental exposure (collection time). ANIMALS 6 healthy adult mixed-breed mares. PROCEDURES From each horse, feces were collected from the rectum and placed on a straw-bedded stall floor. A fecal ball was selected for analysis immediately after removal from the rectum and at 0 (immediately), 2, 6, 12, and 24 hours after placement on the stall floor...
Kulikov E, Kropinski AM, Golomidova A, Lingohr E, Govorun V, Serebryakova M, Prokhorov N, Letarova M, Manykin A, Strotskaya A, Letarov A.Lytic coliphage vB_EcoP_G7C and several other highly related isolates were obtained repeatedly from the samples of horse feces held in the same stable thus representing a component of the normal indigenous intestinal communities in this population of animals. The genome of G7C consists of 71,759 bp with terminal repeats of about 1160 bp, yielding approximately 73 kbp packed DNA size. Seventy-eight potential open reading frames, most of them unique to N4-like viruses, were identified and annotated. The overall layout of functional gene groups was close to that of the original N4 phage, with som...
Apostolakos I, Franz E, van Hoek AHAM, Florijn A, Veenman C, Sloet-van Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan MM, Dierikx C, van Duijkeren E.To investigate the occurrence and characteristics of ESBL/AmpC-producing Escherichia coli in faecal samples from horses at one equine clinic in the Netherlands. A total of 91 horses, including residents and patients, were sampled. ESBL/AmpC-producing E. coli were identified by a combination disc diffusion test. Phylogenetic groups and MLST were determined. ESBL/AmpC genes were analysed using PCR and sequencing. Plasmids were characterized by transformation and PCR-based replicon typing. Subtyping of plasmids was done by plasmid MLST. At least one E. coli isolate with a confirmed ESBL/AmpC gene...
Su S, Zhao Y, Liu Z, Liu G, Du M, Wu J, Bai D, Li B, Bou G, Zhang X, Dugarjaviin M.The intestinal microbiota plays an important role in the health and metabolism of the host. Next-generation sequencing technology has enabled the characterization of the gut microbiota of several animal species. We analyzed the intestinal microbiota in six different parts of the gastrointestinal tracts (GITs) of five Mongolian horses by sequencing the 16S rRNA gene V3-V4 hypervariable region. All horses were kept in the natural habitat of the Inner Mongolia grassland. Significant differences were observed among the microbiota compositions of the distinct GIT regions. In addition, while the mic...
Gold JJ, Heath IB, Bauchop T.Vegetative and reproductive stages of Caecomyces equi gen. nov., sp. nov. isolated from the horse caecum were examined by light and electron microscopy. This organism, which is similar to isolates known as Sphaeromonas communis, produces uniflagellate, uninucleate zoospores whose perikinetosomal structures, i.e. circumflagellar ring, spur, struts and scoop, are similar in many respects to those described in species of Neocallimastix. Microtubular roots extend basally from the spur and associate with hydrogenosomes and the nucleus. Another group of microtubules radiates laterally in a fan-shape...
Harlow BE, Lawrence LM, Hayes SH, Crum A, Flythe MD.Starch from corn is less susceptible to equine small intestinal digestion than starch from oats, and starch that reaches the hindgut can be utilized by the microbiota. The objective of the current study was to examine the effects of starch source on equine fecal microbiota. Thirty horses were assigned to treatments: control (hay only), HC (high corn), HO (high oats), LC (low corn), LO (low oats), and LW (low pelleted wheat middlings). Horses received an all-forage diet (2 wk; d -14 to d -1) before the treatment diets (2 wk; d 1 to 14). Starch was introduced gradually so that horses received 50...
Higuera A, Herrera G, Jimenez P, García-Corredor D, Pulido-Medellín M, Bulla-Castañeda DM, Pinilla JC, Moreno-Pérez DA, Maloney JG, Santín M.... is frequently reported in fecal samples from animals and humans worldwide, and a variety of subtypes (STs) have been observed in wild and domestic animals. In Colombia, few studies have focused on the transmission dynamics and epidemiological importance of in animals. In this study, we characterized the frequency and subtypes of in fecal samples of domestic animals including pigs, minipigs, cows, dogs, horses, goats, sheep, and llama from three departments of Colombia. Of the 118 fecal samples included in this study 81.4% ( = 96) were positive for using a PCR that amplifies a fragment of t...
Ciscotto P, Machado de Avila RA, Coelho EA, Oliveira J, Diniz CG, Farías LM, de Carvalho MA, Maria WS, Sanchez EF, Borges A, Chávez-Olórtegui C.Venoms from the bee Apis mellifera, the caterpillar Lonomia achelous, the spiders Lycosa sp. and Phoneutria nigriventer, the scorpions Tityus bahiensis and Tityus serrulatus, and the snakes Bothrops alternatus, Bothrops jararaca, Bothrops jararacussu, Bothrops moojeni, Bothrops neuwiedi, Crotalus durissus terrificus, and Lachesis muta were assayed (800mug/mL) for activity against Staphylococcus aureus. Venoms from B. jararaca and B. jararacussu showed the highest S. aureus growth inhibition and also against other Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. To characterize the microbicidal compon...
Risseti RM, Zastempowska E, Twarużek M, Lassa H, Pantoja JCF, de Vargas APC, Guerra ST, Bolaños CAD, de Paula CL, Alves AC, Colhado BS....Trueperella pyogenes is an opportunistic pathogen that causes diverse pyogenic infections in livestock. The genes that encode the exotoxin pyolysin (plo) and other putative factors that promote adhesion of pathogen to host cells (fimbriae fimA, fimC, fimE, fimG, neuraminidases nanH, nanP, and collagen-binding protein cbpA) have been associated with virulence, particularly in mastitis and uterus infections of dairy cows. However, the role of these virulence markers in the pathogenicity of the agent in domestic animals infections still is incompletely understood. The genes plo, fimA, fimC, fimE,...
Harris SR, Robinson C, Steward KF, Webb KS, Paillot R, Parkhill J, Holden MT, Waller AS.Strangles, the most frequently diagnosed infectious disease of horses worldwide, is caused by Streptococcus equi. Despite its prevalence, the global diversity and mechanisms underlying the evolution of S. equi as a host-restricted pathogen remain poorly understood. Here, we define the global population structure of this important pathogen and reveal a population replacement in the late 19th or early 20th Century. Our data reveal a dynamic genome that continues to mutate and decay, but also to amplify and acquire genes despite the organism having lost its natural competence and become host-rest...
Båverud V, Johansson SK, Aspan A.Strangles is a contagious equine disease caused by Streptococcus equi subsp. equi. In this study, clinical strains of S. equi (n=24) and Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus (n=24) were genetically characterized by sequencing of the 16S rRNA and sodA genes in order to devise a real-time PCR system that can detect S. equi and S. zooepidemicus and distinguish between them. Sequencing demonstrated that all S. equi strains had the same 16S rRNA sequence, whereas S. zooepidemicus strains could be divided into subgroups. One of these (n=12 strains) had 16S rRNA sequences almost identical with the...
Deng L, Li W, Zhong Z, Gong C, Liu X, Huang X, Xiao L, Zhao R, Wang W, Feng F, Zhang Y, Hu Y, Fu H, He M, Zhang Y, Wu K, Peng G.Enterocytozoon bieneusi is one of the most prevalent causative species of diarrhea and enteric diseases in various hosts. E. bieneusi has been identified in humans, mammals, birds, rodents and reptiles in China, but few studies have reported E. bieneusi in horses. Therefore, the present study was conducted to assess the prevalence, molecular characteristics and zoonotic potential of E. bieneusi among horses in southwestern China. Three hundred and thirty-three fecal specimens were collected from horses on five farms in the Sichuan and Yunnan provinces of southwestern China. The prevalence of E...
Kadlec K, Schwarz S.In the BfT-GermVet monitoring study, 417 Escherichia coli isolates collected during 2004-06 in Germany from various disease conditions of pigs (n = 87), horses (n = 102) or cats/dogs (n = 228) were investigated for their susceptibility to 24 antimicrobial agents. This study dealt with the identification of integron-associated resistance genes among these isolates. Methods: Class 1 and class 2 integrons were detected by PCR. The variable parts of the integrons were cloned and sequenced. Transformation and conjugation experiments were conducted to confirm a plasmid location of the integrons. Res...
McKinney CA, Bedenice D, Pacheco AP, Oliveira BCM, Paradis MR, Mazan M, Widmer G.Fecal microbial transplantation (FMT) is empirically implemented in horses with colitis to facilitate resolution of diarrhea. The purpose of this study was to assess FMT as a clinical treatment and modulator of fecal microbiota in hospitalized horses with colitis. A total of 22 horses with moderate to severe diarrhea, consistent with a diagnosis of colitis, were enrolled at two referral hospitals (L1: n = 12; L2: n = 10). FMT was performed in all 12 patients on 3 consecutive days at L1, while treatment at L2 consisted of standard care without FMT. Manure was collected once daily for 4 days fro...
Dolejska M, Villa L, Minoia M, Guardabassi L, Carattoli A.To determine the structure of two multidrug-resistant IncHI1 plasmids carrying blaCTX-M-1 in Escherichia coli isolates disseminated in an equine clinic in the Czech Republic. Methods: A complete nucleotide sequencing of 239 kb IncHI1 (pEQ1) and 287 kb IncHI1/X1 (pEQ2) plasmids was performed using the 454-Genome Sequencer FLX system. The sequences were compared using bioinformatic tools with other sequenced IncHI1 plasmids. Results: A comparative analysis of pEQ1 and pEQ2 identified high nucleotide identity with the IncHI1 type 2 plasmids. A novel 24 kb module containing an operon involved in ...
Pacholewska A, Mach N, Mata X, Vaiman A, Schibler L, Barrey E, Gerber V.MiRNAs regulate multiple genes at the post-transcriptional level and therefore play an important role in many biological processes. It has been suggested that miRNA exported outside the cells contribute to inter-cellular communication. Consequently, circulating miRNAs are of particular interest and are promising biomarkers for many diseases. The number of miRNAs annotated in the horse genome is much lower compared to model organisms like human and mouse. We therefore aimed to identify novel equine miRNAs for tissue types and breed in serum. We analysed 71 small RNA-seq libraries derived from n...
Massacci FR, Clark A, Ruet A, Lansade L, Costa M, Mach N.Understanding gut microbiota similarities and differences across breeds in horses has the potential to advance approaches aimed at personalized microbial modifications, particularly those involved in improving sport athletic performance. Here, we explore whether faecal microbiota composition based on faecal 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing varies across six different sport breeds at two time points 8 months apart within a cohort of 189 healthy horses cared for under similar conditions. Lusitano horses presented the smallest and Hanoverians the greatest bacterial diversity. We found subtle bu...
Johns IC, Baxter K, Booler H, Hicks C, Menzies-Gow N.To describe the bacterial and fungal flora of the normal conjunctiva of horses in the UK; to determine the effect of horse age, sex, geographic location, and housing on this flora; and to determine the most appropriate antimicrobial drug(s) for prophylactic treatment of corneal ulcers. Methods: A total of 60 adult healthy horses were studied. Methods: Swabs of the conjunctiva were obtained from 60 horses housed in two locations within the UK. Specimens were cultured for aerobic bacteria and fungi, and sensitivity against six ophthalmic antimicrobials assessed. The effect of age, sex, location ...
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,...
Mackie RI, Wilkins CA.Samples from the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum, as well as from the cecum and colon, were obtained from 11 mature grass-fed horses. Viable counts of total culturable and proteolytic bacteria were made on habitat-simulating media containing 40% clarified ruminal fluid. The mean pHs in the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum were 6.32, 7.10, and 7.47, respectively; the mean pH decreased to 6.7 in the hindgut. The acetate concentration increased along the length of the small intestine and was the only volatile fatty acid present in this gut segment. Molar proportions of acetate, propionate, and butyrate ...
Santín M, Vecino JA, Fayer R.This is the first report of Enterocytozoon bieneusi in an equid species. Feces from 195 horses from 4 locations in Colombia were examined for E. bieneusi by polymerase chain reaction. Of these, 21 horses (10.8%) were found positive for E. bieneusi . The prevalence of E. bieneusi in horses 1 yr of age (2.5%). No significant differences in prevalence were observed between male (13.7%) and female horses (9%). Sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer region of the SSUrRNA locus identified 3 genotypes. Two genotypes appear to be unique to horses and were named Horse 1 and Horse 2. A third geno...
Hartel PG, Summer JD, Hill JL, Collins JV, Entry JA, Segars WI.Several genotypic methods have been developed for determining the host origin of fecal bacteria in contaminated waters. Some of these methods rely on a host origin database to identify environmental isolates. It is not well understood to what degree these host origin isolates are geographically variable (i.e., cosmopolitan or endemic). This is important because a geographically limited host origin database may or may not be universally applicable. The objective of our study was to use one genotypic method, ribotyping, to determine the geographic variability of the fecal bacterium, Escherichia ...
Lüthje P, Schwarz S.In this study, erythromycin- and/or clindamycin-resistant isolates among 248 coagulase-positive and coagulase-variable staphylococci and 500 streptococci, collected all over Germany during 2004-2006 in the resistance monitoring program BfT-GermVet, were investigated for their genetic basis of macrolide and/or lincosamide resistance. Staphylococci were sampled from various disease conditions of dogs/cats or pigs, whereas streptococci were from dogs/cats, pigs or horses. Resistant staphylococci were further identified biochemically to species and subspecies level and tested for the resistance ge...
Mann S, Williams JM, Treffry A, Harrison PM.The structural and magnetic properties of the iron-cores of reconstituted horse spleen ferritin and Azotobacter vinelandii bacterioferritin have been investigated by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, electron diffraction and Mossbauer spectroscopy. The structural properties of native horse spleen ferritin, native Az. vinelandii, and native and reconstituted Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacterioferritins have also been determined. Reconstitution in the absence of inorganic phosphate at pH 7.0 showed sigmoidal behaviour in each protein but was approximately 30% faster in initial rate f...
Zhao S, McDermott PF, White DG, Qaiyumi S, Friedman SL, Abbott JW, Glenn A, Ayers SL, Post KW, Fales WH, Wilson RB, Reggiardo C, Walker RD.Three hundred and eighty Salmonella isolates recovered from animal diagnostic samples obtained from four state veterinary diagnostic laboratories (AZ, NC, MO, and TN) between 2002 and 2003 were tested for antimicrobial susceptibilities and further characterized for bla(CMY) beta-lactamase genes, class 1 integrons and genetic relatedness using PFGE. Forty-seven serovars were identified, the most common being S. Typhimurium (26%), S. Heidelberg (9%), S, Dublin (8%), S. Newport (8%), S. Derby (7%), and S. Choleraesuis (7%). Three hundred and thirteen (82%) isolates were resistant to at least one ...
Roberts MM, Oroszlan S.Capsids of equine infectious anemia virus have been isolated as cone-shaped particles 60 x 120 nm in size. Detergent treatment of whole virus followed by two cycles of rate-zonal centrifugation in Ficoll produces these capsids in a yield of approximately 10%. The major protein components are the gag-encoded p11 nucleocapsid protein and p26 capsid protein, which are present in equimolar amounts. Substantial cleavage of p11 to p6 and p4 can be observed under conditions where the viral protease packaged in the capsid is enzymatically active.
Medina-Torres CE, Weese JS, Staempfli HR.Fecal samples were collected to establish the apparent prevalence of Clostridium difficile shedding in Standardbred and Thoroughbred racehorses housed at 4 racetracks and 2 breeding facilities, and in horses admitted to a referral large animal clinic. Forty-one (7.59%) of 540 racetrack horses, seven (5.83%) of 120 breeding farm horses, and four (4.88%) out of 82 horses admitted to the referral clinic were culture-positive for C. difficile. An overall fecal culture prevalence of 7.01% for C. difficile was identified in 742 fecal samples. PCR-ribotyping and toxin gene identification was performe...
Kinoshita Y, Niwa H, Uchida-Fujii E, Nukada T.Microbial communities are commonly studied by using amplicon sequencing of part of the 16S rRNA gene. Sequencing of the full-length 16S rRNA gene can provide higher taxonomic resolution and accuracy. To obtain even higher taxonomic resolution, with as few false-positives as possible, we assessed a method using long amplicon sequencing targeting the rRNA operon combined with a CCMetagen pipeline. Taxonomic assignment had > 90% accuracy at the species level in a mock sample and at the family level in equine fecal samples, generating similar taxonomic composition as shotgun sequencing. The...
Orpin CG.Microscopic examination of horse caecum contents revealed vegetative growth of phycomycete fungi on particles of digesta, and uniflagellated cells similar to fungal zoospores in the liquid phase. Three morphologically distinct isolates of strictly anaerobic phycomycete fungi were obtained from the caecum contents and cultured in vitro. Two of the isolates were able to utilize a wide range of plant carbohydrates for growth, including alpha-cellulose, xylan and particulate starch, and extensively digested water-insoluble plant tissues.
