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.
Crane SA, Ziemer EL, Sweeney CR.Thirty-eight tracheobronchial aspirates (TBA) were collected from twenty 1 to 6-month-old foals, which were free of clinical signs of respiratory tract or other infectious disease. We collected TBA from 9 of the foals 3 times when they were approximately 8, 16, and 24 weeks old. Aspirates were examined cytologically after staining with modified Wright-Giemsa, Gram, toluidine blue, and prussian blue stains. Aerobic bacterial culturing was performed on all aspirates. Of the 20 initial TBA, 4 (20%) were normal cytologically on the basis of previously defined criteria for TBA from clinically norma...
Snyder JR, Tyler WS, Pascoe JR, Olander HJ, Bleifer DR, Hinds DM, Neves JW.Microvascular circulation of the ascending colon in healthy horses was studied using microangiography, light microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. The pelvic flexure with 30 cm of ventral and dorsal colon attached was removed from 14 adult horses immediately after horses were euthanatized. The lumen was flushed with warm water, and this section of the ascending colon was placed in a 37-C bath of isotonic NaCl. In sections from 8 horses, colic vessels were perfused with a radio-opaque medium for microangiography. After angiographic evaluation, tissue sections were prepared for light mic...
Dintinger T, Gaillard JL, Moslemi S, Zwain I, Silberzahn P.The ability of equine and human placental microsomes to aromatize testosterone and 19-nortestosterone was studied. When 3 microM [1 beta,2 beta-3H]testosterone was used as substrate, the specific activity of equine placental microsomal aromatase was 2.5 times higher than that of the human microsomal enzyme. Although 19-nortestosterone was aromatized 67 times more rapidly by equine than by human aromatase, we found that equine aromatase exhibited a markedly weaker affinity for this substrate than did the human enzyme. Competitive inhibition of testosterone aromatization by 19-nortestosterone oc...
Schlater LK, Brenner DJ, Steigerwalt AG, Moss CW, Lambert MA, Packer RA.The name Pasteurella caballi is proposed for a group of organisms represented by 29 strains isolated from respiratory and other infections in horses. P. caballi strains are gram-negative, oxidase-positive, nonmotile, fermentative rods with the key characteristics of the genus Pasteurella. These strains differed from other Pasteurella species in that all were aerogenic and catalase negative, and some strains produced acid from myo-inositol and L-rhamnose. The levels of DNA relatedness of 28 P. caballi strains with labeled DNA from the proposed type strain averaged 91 and 85% (hydroxyapatite met...
Hartung J, Klinckmann G, Adrian U.Dust in horse barns is assumed to contribute to pulmonary disease, it is attempted to reduce the airborne dust by soaking or sprinkling the hay before feeding. Both means cause considerable efforts and increase the relative humidity of the air. This is why a commercial dust-binding agent (Revesto pur) was used in a pilot investigation which was carried out during 2 weeks - one week for control and one week using the agent - in a private horse barn where three horses were regularly stable. The airborne dust was measured by a continuously working instrument. Once a day (7.00 a.m.) the number of ...
Klebanoff SJ, Agosti JM, Jörg A, Waltersdorph AM.Stimulated eosinophils release cytotoxic granule constituents, including eosinophil peroxidase (EPO) and a group of granule basic proteins (GBP). EPO reacts with H2O2 formed by the respiratory burst and a halide to form cytotoxic oxidants. The relative potency of the EPO-H2O2-halide system and the GBP is considered here. Horse eosinophils were induced to degranulate, the degranulation products were separated by chromatography on Sephadex G-50 and comparable volumes of the column fractions were tested for toxicity to Escherichia coli and the schistosomula of Schistosoma mansoni in the presence ...
LeBlanc MM, Asbury AC, Lyle SK.Uterine response to inoculation with Streptococcus zooepidemicus organisms, 51Cr-labeled 15-microns microspheres, and charcoal was evaluated in 9 mares (4 resistant and 5 susceptible to endometritis) to determine mechanical and cellular clearance rates during the early postovulatory period. Mares were inoculated at estrus prior to ovulation during estrous cycles 1, 3, and 5. Uterine swab specimens for aerobic and anaerobic bacteriologic culture and serum for progesterone determination were obtained on postovulation day 3 during estrous cycle 1, on the day of ovulation during estrous cycle 3, a...
Hüthwohl H, Weiss R, Schmeer N, Schliesser T.Classification based on biochemical characteristics of 389 strains of plasma-coagulase-negative (plc-) staphylococci isolated from the genital tract of mares and stallions resulted in the following distribution of species: St. sciuri 130 (33.4%), St. equorum 42 (10.8%), St. xylosus 16 (4.1%), St. epidermidis 35 (9.0%), St. simulans 24 (6.2%), St. haemolyticus 33 (8.5%), St. warneri 18 (4.6%), St. lentus 12 (3.1%), St. hyicus 11 (2.8%). Strains of St. cohnii, St. capitis, St. gallinarum, St. saprophyticus and St. hominis have only been found sporadically (a. 1%). 48 (12.3%) strains could not be...
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.
Shadomy HJ, Dixon DM.An unusual fungus, probably traumatically introduced into the eye of a horse while grazing, was studied on various mycological media. Upon examination of colonies the organism produced bulbils and clearly exhibited the characteristics of a new species of Papulaspora, P. equi Shadomy & Dixon.
Zander R, Flachowsky G, Schubert R, Gruhn K.The nylon-bag method was applied for determination of the rumen degradation of dry matter and nitrogen of 15N-labelled wheat straw. For the experiment 4 wethers fitted with a rumen cannula were used. The bags containing 15N straw were introduced into the rumen and withdrawn 3, 6 or 12 h after incubation. In a second experiment the apparent 15N-digestibility of the same straw was determined in wether and pony. The dry matter disappearance varied between 6 and 23%. For 15N-labelled straw the disappearance of 15N was higher than that of total N. 12 h after incubation 71% of 15N and only 25% of to...
ter Laak EA, Fennema G, Jaartsveld FH.Contagious Equine Metritis (CEM) was detected in the Netherlands for the first time in 1987. A total number of five mares (Dutch saddle-horse) were infected in three separate outbreaks. The origin of the infection could not be determined in any of the cases. As the isolates of the causal organism, Taylorella equigenitalis, showed auto-agglutination, diagnosis was difficult. Therefore, an indirect immune fluorescence test as used to diagnose the second isolate. Five strains were isolated, which all were resistant to streptomycin. The prevalence of CEM since 1981 is summarised. The importance of...
Holland RE, Sriranganathan N, DuPont L.Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli was isolated from a 3-day-old foal with diarrhea. The isolate was distinguished from nonpathogenic E coli by determining the presence of pili and enterotoxin production. A standard slide agglutination test was performed, using pooled antisera that contained antibodies against K99 and F41 pilus antigens, K87 capsular antigen, and 0101 somatic antigen. Agglutination of the antisera occurred in the presence of the isolate. Piliation was verified by use of negative-contrast electron microscopy. Further, the isolate produced a heat-labile enterotoxin-like antigen th...
Schlater LR.Thirteen strains of a gram-negative, fermentative bacterium that produced gas from glucose were isolated from horses with a variety of clinical conditions. The morphological and biochemical characteristics of this bacterium are similar to those described for the family Pasteurellaceae. These strains appear to constitute a new taxon within the genus Pasteurella; however, the final taxonomic position of this group depends upon more detailed genetic studies. Case histories indicate that this bacterium may be a primary respiratory pathogen and may play a secondary role in various other disease con...
Antal A, Szabó I, Vajda G, Antal VD, Polner A, Totth B, Szollár I, Stipkovits L.Clinical, microbiological, haematological, and immunological investigations were carried out in mares and their foals of 2 studs. A considerable number of foals fell ill with pneumonia, the mortality rate was high. Mycoplasmas were mostly isolated from nasal swabs and from the lungs. The isolation rate of bacteria was lower. Serum IgG concentration was reduced in the diseased or dead foals compared to that of healthy animals, the data stress in importance of IgG in the development of respiratory diseases also in foals.
Al-Izzi SA, Al-Bassam LS.Pseudomonas mallei was isolated from pus samples obtained from 34 mallein-positive horses. The isolates were subjected to in vitro sensitivity test using 16 different antimicrobial discs. All isolates (34) were sensitive to sulfamethizole, gentamycin, tetracycline, sulfathiazole, kanamycin, tobramycin, streptomycin and a combination of trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole while none of them were sensitive to cephalothin, colistin, ampicillin, penicillin and nitrofurantoin. Rifapicin, chloramphenicol and carbenicillin were effective against 32, 26 and 18 isolates respectively. The minimum inhibito...
Ebisawa I, Takayanagi M, Kigawa M.Clostridium tetani was isolated from human and animal stools at the following rates [95% confidence interval (CI)]: Human, 0% (1.5-0); horse, 1% (5-0); cow in cowshed, 4% (10-1); cow in pasture, 8.3% (17-1), calf in pasture, 0% (7-0); dog, 2% (11-0) and sheep in pasture, 25% (44-14). Quantification of C. tetani in 16 animal stools positive for the bacillus was impossible in most cases, as the number of tetanus bacilli present was not large enough for this purpose. Contaminating anaerobic and facultative anaerobic bacteria in human and animal stools, i.e., C. perfringens and Streptococcus sp., ...
Pycock JF, Allen WE.The neutrophil is involved in the defence of the mare's uterus against micro-organisms. The ability of Streptococcus zooepidemicus and its growth products to induce shape changes or directional locomotion (chemotaxis) of equine neutrophils was investigated; no effect was found.
Blancquaert AM, Colgan SP, Bruyninckx WJ.Although equine neutrophils did not respond towards formylated methionyl peptides, Streptococcus faecalis culture supernatant caused an in vitro stimulation of equine neutrophil motility when measured by an under-agarose assay. The migration of neutrophils towards the culture supernatant increased sigmoidally with the logarithmic concentration of the culture supernatant in the chemoattractant wells. The streptococcal culture supernatant was chemokinetic because it stimulated the random motility of the phagocytes. Because granulocytes migrated further towards the supernatant than could be expla...
Allen D, Korthuis RJ, Clark ES.Microvascular permeability characteristics were evaluated in digits of 7 adult horses. After capillaries were isolated and an extracorporeal perfusion circuit for the digit was established, a lymphatic vessel draining the distal portion of the phalangeal region was cannulated at the level of the coronary band. Venous pressure was increased in a stepwise manner, and lymph flow, lymph protein concentration (Cl), and plasma protein concentration (Cp) were determined after measured variables were allowed to reach steady state. Lymph-to-plasma protein concentration ratios (Cl/Cp) and lymph and plas...
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 ...
Valentin-Weigand P, Chhatwal GS, Blobel H.Adherence of Streptococcus dysgalactiae isolates from cattle and S equi isolates from horses to their respective host epithelial cells was compared with the adherence of S pyogenes to human epithelial cells. The adherence was quantitatively determined by use of fluorescein-labeled streptococci. All 3 streptococcal species adhered selectively to their respective host cells. The mechanism of adherence was evaluated by binding studies with adhesive plasma protein, fibronectin. Although all 3 streptococcal species bound fibronectin, S dysgalactiae and S equi interacted preferentially with a 210-ki...
Goodson J, Tyznik WJ, Cline JH, Dehority BA.Microbial numbers, pH, fluid volume, and turnover rate in the pony cecum were measured during an abrupt change from an all-forage to an all-concentrate diet, both fed at maintenance energy levels. Concentrate feeding resulted in increased (P less than 0.01) numbers of total viable anaerobic bacteria. The numbers of organisms growing on selective starch medium increased (P less than 0.01) when concentrate was fed, while numbers on xylan and pectin media decreased (P less than 0.025). Seven days after the diet change to concentrate, the number of bacteria growing on lactate medium increased (P l...
Traub-Dargatz JL, McKinnon AO, Bruyninckx WJ, Thrall MA, Jones RL, Blancquaert AM.Four bronchoalveolar lavages were performed sequentially on 9 control and 8 transport-stressed female horses. Alterations in results of fluid cytologic analyses, microbial content, and phagocyte function of recovered pulmonary macrophages in all horses were determined. Seemingly, absolute and relative increase in the number of inflammatory cells detected in the second bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of control horses was the result of irritation of the first lavage. This increased response was not observed in transport-stressed horses until 5 days after transport (third lavage; 10 days after init...
Ihrke PJ, Wong A, Stannard AA, Vivrette SL.The fungal flora of the hair and underlying skin from 2 sites was examined qualitatively in 20 horses free of skin or ocular disease. Fungi were isolated from both the hair and the underlying skin of all 20 horses. Twenty-two genera regarded commonly as saprophytes were identified and an additional 2 fungi resembled the perfect state of the cutaneous pathogenic genera Microsporum and Trichophyton. Cladosporium spp, Penicillium spp, and Rhizopus spp were the most frequently isolated saprophytes. In general, similar fungi were isolated from the hair and underlying skin, and differences were not ...
Dart AJ, Snyder JR, Harmon FA.The microvascular circulation of the descending colon was studied in 5 adult horses, using microangiography and light microscopy combined with gross studies and scanning electron microscopy of vascular replicas. After heparinization, horses were euthanatized, and 3 segments of the descending colon and its mesentery containing 1 vascular arcade were removed from each horse. The fecal balls were gently massaged from the lumen, and the blood was flushed free of the circulation with isotonic NaCl. In 5 segments, the vascular system was injected with a modified radiopaque medium and evaluated radio...
Hoffman AM, Viel L, Prescott JF.Despite the high incidence of distal respiratory tract infection of undetermined cause on farms, to our knowledge, the microbiologic effects of conventional antimicrobial treatment for this condition have not been studied. We evaluated the possible pathogenic role of bacterial isolates from the distal airways of foals with clinical respiratory tract disease, by correlating changes in their numbers (increase or decrease) with clinical, endoscopic, and pulmonary cytologic signs of disease resolution during treatment with antimicrobial drugs. We also determined qualitative changes in in vitro ant...
Hoffman AM, Viel L, Staempfli HR, Muckle CA, Yager JA.One indication for referral of horses to veterinary hospitals is for diagnosis of the microbiologic cause of pneumonia, particularly when the initial treatment fails. Although endoscopic methods have long been available for microbiologic sample collection, accuracy of these methods under these conditions have not been studied in detail. We compared the bacteria isolated from samples obtained by bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) with those obtained by protected catheter brush (PCB) from foals with unilateral pneumonia induced by inoculation with Klebsiella pneumoniae. As part of previously described...
Scherbarth R, Pózvári M, Heilkenbrinker T, Mumme J.From 1972 to 1991, presecretion on an average of 183 stallions per year had been examined. Facultatively pathogenic germs were ascertained in 13.5% of the samples. However, the portion showed considerable annual fluctuation, as did the percentage of the different kinds of germs. In most of the cases, only minimal growth had been observed in culture. Except for the total percentage, these results are contradictory to those we found during the examination of cervical swabs of mares. In order to ascertain the importance of the respective results and to render possible a correct interpretation, th...
Allen D, Korthuis RJ, Clark ES.Microvascular permeability characteristics were evaluated in digits of 7 adult horses. After capillaries were isolated and an extracorporeal perfusion circuit for the digit was established, a lymphatic vessel draining the distal portion of the phalangeal region was cannulated at the level of the coronary band. Venous pressure was increased in a stepwise manner, and lymph flow, lymph protein concentration (Cl), and plasma protein concentration (Cp) were determined after measured variables were allowed to reach steady state. Lymph-to-plasma protein concentration ratios (Cl/Cp) and lymph and plas...
Sertich PL, Watson ED.Twelve mares were allowed to foal naturally, after which they were monitored to study uterine involution. Starting on day 3 after parturition, the internal genital tract was examined per rectum manually and ultrasonographically every other day for changes in uterine characteristics and ovarian activity. By day 5, gravid and nongravid uterine horns were similar in size, and by day 7, uterine fluid was absent. On day 7 after parturition, endometrial biopsy samples were obtained for histologic evaluation, and uterine swab specimens were obtained for microbiologic culture. Uterine swab specimens f...
Mohammed R, Nader SM, Hamza DA, Sabry MA.Cryptococcosis is an opportunistic mycozoonosis of global significance in a wide variety of host species. In equines, cryptococcosis is uncommon, and sporadic cases have been reported with rhinitis, sinusitis, pneumonia, and meningitis. Cryptococcus spp. represents a potential risk for immunosuppressed and healthy persons. In Egypt, epidemiological data on cryptococcal infection in horses are limited. The current study was carried out to investigate the occurrence of Cryptococcus spp. in horses and its possible role in the epidemiology of such disease in Egypt. A total of 223 samples was colle...
LeBlanc MM, Asbury AC, Lyle SK.Uterine response to inoculation with Streptococcus zooepidemicus organisms, 51Cr-labeled 15-microns microspheres, and charcoal was evaluated in 9 mares (4 resistant and 5 susceptible to endometritis) to determine mechanical and cellular clearance rates during the early postovulatory period. Mares were inoculated at estrus prior to ovulation during estrous cycles 1, 3, and 5. Uterine swab specimens for aerobic and anaerobic bacteriologic culture and serum for progesterone determination were obtained on postovulation day 3 during estrous cycle 1, on the day of ovulation during estrous cycle 3, a...
Büchi S, Waelchli RO, Corboz L, Gygax AP, Wälti RJ.In the mare, natural breeding is associated with bacterial contamination of the reproductive tract. The purpose of this study was to examine postcoital bacterial contamination and the resulting inflammatory response of the uterus. Uterine swabs for bacteriological and cytological examination were obtained from 80 mares. Each mare was sampled once between 4 and 69 hours postbreeding. In mares which did not conceive, sampling was repeated at the following estrus. The findings were compared with those obtained prior to breeding and correlated with the breeding outcome. Bacteria were cultured from...
Page SW.The use of chloramphenicol in the horse is now prohibited as horses are classified as food-producing animals. However, chloramphenicol has until recently been widely available for oral, intramuscular or intravenous administration. A critical appraisal of the published literature on the use of chloramphenicol in the horse clearly demonstrates that there are sound pharmacokinetic and microbiological reasons for concluding that chloramphenicol is not an appropriate antibiotic for systemic use. The short half-life of chloramphenicol in the horse, together with the broad range of minimum inhibitory...
Lee JY, Kang TY, Lee YD, Shin TK.The binding specificities of various lectins, such as the Dolichos biflorus agglutinin (DBA), soybean agglutinin (SBA), and the Bandeiraea simplicifolia BS-1 (Isolectin B4), Triticum vulgaris (WGA), Arachis hypogaea (PNA), and Ulex europaeus (UEA-I) lectins, were studied in the vomeronasal organ of the horse. The microvilli of the vomeronasal sensory epithelium were positive for DBA, SBA, Isolectin B4, WGA, PNA, and UEA-I. The receptor cells showed intense reactivity for DBA and WGA. Lectins were not detected in the supporting cells or basal cells. The Jacobson's glands were positive for WGA a...
Wong SS, Ngan AH, Riggs CM, Teng JL, Choi GK, Poon RW, Hui JJ, Low FJ, Luk A, Yuen KY.The newly described brittle tail syndrome causes weakening and breakage of the tail hair of horses. Extensive mycological and molecular studies showed that a novel fungus Equicapillimyces hongkongensis gen. nov., sp. nov. is the most likely cause of this syndrome. It is a septate branching hyaline mould which grows optimally at 30°C, requires nicotinic acid but is inhibited by cycloheximide, and specifically infects horse hair. Hyphae fill the core of infected hair shafts with short-necked structures resembling ascomata containing banana-shaped septate ascospore-like structures perforating th...
Jørgensen RJ, Andersen S.Between 10 and 25% of the Dictyocaulus arnfieldi larvae excreted in faeces from a naturally infected donkey were harvested as infective stages from faecal cultures by means of Pilobolus fungi. The faeces were collected between 24 and 56 hours after drenching the donor animal with Pilobolus spores and kept at 16 +/- 2 degrees C. Most larvae were collected between the 5th and the 8th day of culturing during which period fructification and sporangium discharge also peaked. The sporangia and the adhering larvae were collected in Petri dishes inserted between the faecal mass and a light source. All...
Larsen M, Nansen P, Henriksen SA, Wolstrup J, Grønvold J, Zorn A, Wedø E.This study was undertaken to examine the potential of the nematode-trapping microfungus Duddingtonia flagrans to survive passage through the gastrointestinal tract of horses and subsequently to destroy free-living stages of cyathostomes in faecal cultures. Three different oral dose levels were tested, two horses being used for each level. Faeces were collected twice daily and the numbers of parasite eggs per gram of faeces were determined. The numbers of infective third stage larvae which developed in faecal cultures were determined after the cultures had been incubated for 2 weeks at 24 degre...
Apprich V, Spergser J, Rosengarten R, Stanek C.The effects of two dermatophytes (Microsporum gypseum and Trichophyton mentagrophytes) and four moulds (Scopulariopsis brevicaulis, Alternaria alternata, Geotrichum candidum and Penicillium spp.) on living keratinocyte cultures were examined in vitro using primary human keratinocytes. Rates of apoptosis of infected cells were determined using a colorimetric TUNEL system which detects the characteristic nuclear DNA fragmentation of apoptotic cells. The cytotoxicity of the individual fungi was tested by quantitatively measuring cytosolic enzyme lactate dehydrogenase, released upon cell lysis, in...
Timoney JF.An R antigen of the group C streptococcus S. equi that cross reacts with a similar antigen of S. zooepidemicus has been identified and characterized. It is acid, heat and trypsin resistant, but pepsin sensitive and has an isoelectric point of 4.8. The amino acids in highest concentration are glutamic, aspartic, alanine, leucine, and valine. Bacterial components released in a French Press contain large amounts of R antigen, which is present also in culture supernatants and acid extracts. It has a molecular weight of about 82,000. Trypsin extraction of cells yields molecules of predominantly 56,...
Gürelli G, Lyons ET, Kesbiç FI.Species composition and distribution of hindgut ciliates were investigated in the feces of 20 thoroughbred mares in Kentucky, USA. Thirty-three species and six morphotypes belonging to 21 genera were identified. The average density of hindgut ciliates in mares was 13.5 ± 13.7 × 104 cells ml-1, whereas mean number of ciliate species per host was 14.4 ± 5.3. Bundleia nana, B. elongata, B. piriformis, Blepharoconus hemiciliatus, Holophryoides ovalis, H. macrotricha, Blepharoprosthium polytrichum, Prorodonopsis coli, Paraisotrichopsis composita, Blepharocorys microcorys, and Ochoterenaia append...
Grünig G, Von Fellenberg R, Maier R, Corboz L.Seventeen out of 21 horses had pulmonary microbial organisms which reached considerable numbers in seven cases. Elastase-producing microorganisms from the environment (Streptomyces species and to a lesser extent Bacillus species) constituted 22 per cent to 99 per cent (mean 79 per cent) of the total growth. There was a considerable number of microorganisms with in vitro-produced elastases which were not or only slightly affected by horse serum. There was no correlation between numbers of organisms and pulmonary histopathological findings thus the significance of these microorganisms in the pat...
Ekici S, Ozmen O.The active roles of microribonucleic acids (miRNAs) in gene regulation have made miRNAs a key point for the scientific world in the study of physiological processes. Although saliva includes the largest number of miRNAs, there is no miRNA study in saliva on horses has been found. Our study is the first study on miRNAs isolation from saliva in horses. In the present study, saliva was studied in Arabian racehorses to better understand the molecular mechanisms of expression levels that are effective in lipid metabolism of miRNAs and their target genes during the race. Identification of lipid meta...
Steward KF, Harrison T, Robinson C, Slater J, Maskell DJ, Harris SR, Holden MTG, Waller AS.Opportunistic pathogens must adapt to and survive in a wide range of complex ecosystems. Streptococcus zooepidemicus is an opportunistic pathogen of horses and many other animals, including humans. The assembly of different surface architecture phenotypes from one genotype is likely to be crucial to the successful exploitation of such an opportunistic lifestyle. Construction of a series of mutants revealed that a serine recombinase, PinR, inverts 114 bp of the promoter of SZO_08560, which is bordered by GTAGACTTTA and TAAAGTCTAC inverted repeats. Inversion acts as a switch, controlling the tra...
Antal A, Szabó I, Vajda G, Antal VD, Polner A, Totth B, Szollár I, Stipkovits L.Clinical, microbiological, haematological, and immunological investigations were carried out in mares and their foals of 2 studs. A considerable number of foals fell ill with pneumonia, the mortality rate was high. Mycoplasmas were mostly isolated from nasal swabs and from the lungs. The isolation rate of bacteria was lower. Serum IgG concentration was reduced in the diseased or dead foals compared to that of healthy animals, the data stress in importance of IgG in the development of respiratory diseases also in foals.
Hartung J, Klinckmann G, Adrian U.Dust in horse barns is assumed to contribute to pulmonary disease, it is attempted to reduce the airborne dust by soaking or sprinkling the hay before feeding. Both means cause considerable efforts and increase the relative humidity of the air. This is why a commercial dust-binding agent (Revesto pur) was used in a pilot investigation which was carried out during 2 weeks - one week for control and one week using the agent - in a private horse barn where three horses were regularly stable. The airborne dust was measured by a continuously working instrument. Once a day (7.00 a.m.) the number of ...
Shams Eldin HE, Kirchhoff H.Tracheal swabs were taken from 25 horses with respiratory diseases and investigated for mycoplasmas using three different media. Mycoplasmas could be isolated from 5 horses. The isolates were characterized by serological and biochemical methods. Four isolates could be identified as Mycoplasma equirhinis. The fifth isolate could not be typed. It did not react with antisera against mycoplasmas found in the respiratory tract of horses and its biochemical characteristics were different from the mycoplasmas described so far. It may represent a new species.
Iida A, Saito H, Amao A, Fujita T, Kato A, Ueda F.A nutritional supplement containing salacinol (NSS) was administered to Thoroughbred foals daily beginning 21 days after birth, and clinical signs and intestinal microbiota were analyzed. The average number of days for which foals exhibited a fever between 21 and 110 days after birth was determined. The number of days was significantly reduced, by approximately 1/3, in the NSS group compared with the control group. Furthermore, improved weight gain was observed in the NSS group compared with the control group. By analyzing the intestinal microbiota, it was determined that the ratio of Clostrid...
Doerffel A, Reinert A, Böttcher D, Winter K, Brehm W, Gittel C.Complications associated with indwelling intravenous catheters vary from minor to severe. Changes in tissue architecture and vein structure may be detectable prior to clinical alterations. The aim of the study was to characterize and compare changes in a catheterized vein and surrounding tissue by clinical and ultrasonographic examination. Microbiological infestation of catheter specimens was assessed. Methods: In this prospective, observational, clinical study 55 horses with an indwelling intravenous catheter have been included. Subsequent to catheter placement, vein and surrounding tissue we...
The Journal of protozoologyNovember 1, 1981
Volume 28, Issue 4 400-405 doi: 10.1111/j.1550-7408.1981.tb05310.x
Sundermann CA, Paulin JJ.Allantosoma intestinalis, a suctorian ciliate isolated from the intestine of the horse, was studied utilizing light and electron optical methods. These small sausage-shaped organisms have a varying number of tentacles (between one and 14) located at each extremity of the body. The microtubular axoneme of each tentacle in cross-section consists of two files of microtubules arranged in a daisy-like configuration. Haptocysts occur in the tentacle shaft, abutted to the plasma membrane of the knob of the tentacle, and in the cell body. The haptocysts are bottle-shaped, with prominent annular striat...
Guimarães T, Miranda C, Pinto M, Silva E, Damásio L, Costa AL, Correia MJ, Duarte JC, Cosinha C, Lopes G, Thompson G, Rocha A.A possible role of breeding activities in the composition of the microbial population in stallions' external genitalia (EG) and the relationship between micro-organisms colonizing the skin of the abdomen and the ones colonizing the EG have not been studied. In experiment 1, EG microbiological samples were collected from 41 stallions used for both natural cover and semen collection (BST) and from 18 non-breeding stallions (NBST). A higher (p < 0.05) frequency of isolation of potentially pathogenic species was found for BST. Age did not influence number of micro-organism species isolated both in...
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-...
Hébert L, Cauchard J, Doligez P, Quitard L, Laugier C, Petry S.There is great concern about the potential pathogen contamination of horse manure compost spread in the same fields horses graze in. To ensure that pathogen destruction occurs, temperatures need to be sufficiently high during composting. Here, we investigated the survival rate of two marker organisms, Rhodococcus equi and Parascaris equorum eggs, exposed to temperatures potentially encountered during horse manure composting. Our results show that the time required to achieve a 1 log10 reduction in R. equi population (D-value) are 17.1 h (+/-1.47) at 45 degrees C, 8.6 h (+/-0.28) at 50 degrees ...
