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.
ADAMS KM.The ciliate population of the large intestine of the horse shows large, daily variations. The ventral colon is the site where the ciliate fauna varies most. Two species, Cycloposthium edentatum and C. dentiferum, became established in the large intestine after passage through the stomach and small intestine. The introduction of new species into the ventral colon caused significant changes in the fauna of that part of the gut.
RANDALL CC, ORR MF, SCHELL FG.Intracellular organisms resembling Histoplasma capsulatum have been observed in apparently normal amnio-allantoic membrane and adult horse spleen maintained in tissue culture.
The significance of this finding and comparison with another fungus Cryptococcus jarciminosus is discussed.
Wadsworth AB, Kirkbride MB.Horses immunized to Type I pneumococci developed serum, 0.1 cc. of which protected against 0.5 cc. of a virulent culture, 0.000001 cc. of which killed mice in less than 40 hours. Protective tests of serum from horses immunized to Type II organisms varied, 0.1 cc. protecting, however, in certain instances against 0.1 and 0.01 cc. of virulent homologous culture. Types I and II sera obtained in our experiments with culture sediment and whole culture did not vary markedly for a given type and corresponded closely in their protective titer with samples of sera received from The Rockefeller Institut...
Wollstein M.The parameningococci of Dopter are culturally indistinguishable from true or normal meningococci, but serologically they exhibit differences as regards agglutination, opsonization, and complement deviation. Because of the variations and irregularities of serum reactions existing among otherwise normal strains of meningococci it does not seem either possible or desirable to separate the parameningococci into a strictly definite class. It appears desirable to consider them as constituting a special strain among meningococci not, however, wholly consistent in itself. The distinctions in serum rea...
Saraiva MMS, Rodrigues HLS, Benevides VP, de Leon CMCG, Santos SCL, Stipp DT, Givisiez PEN, Vieira RFC, Oliveira CJB. () is a major cause of opportunistic infections in humans and animals, leading to severe systemic diseases. The rise of MDR strains associated with animal carriage poses significant health challenges, underscoring the need to investigate animal-derived . Objective: This study examined the genotypic relatedness and phenotypic profiles of antimicrobial resistance in . , previously sampled from nostril swabs of healthy horses from two geographically distant Brazilian states (Northeast and South), separated by over 3700 km. The study also sought to confirm the presence of methicillin-resistant (M...
Kholik K, Sukri A, Priscilia Riwu KH, Ayu IW, Dewi IN.The transmission of () containing virulent genes from animals to humans and the environment poses significant public health challenges. This study aimed to detect the virulence factor of the () in isolated from the feces of apparently healthy horses in the island of Sumbawa, Indonesia. The study utilized 52 fecal samples from a total horse population of 283, calculated using the disease detection formula. Fresh feces were collected immediately after excretion and placed in buffered peptone water for subsequent analysis. The samples were then isolated on eosin methylene blue media and identi...
Mohamed E, Van Cleemput J, Şahin B, Van den Broeck W, Boyen F, Nauwynck H.The equine respiratory and reproductive tract microbiomes are complex and subject to constant fluctuations. Among the microbial inhabitants, subsp. (SEZ) is recognized as the dominant bacterium. It is an opportunistic pathogen that may occasionally lead to various types of infections. A key virulence factor of SEZ is the streptolysin S (SLS) toxin, which is responsible for the characteristic β-hemolysis on blood agar and tissue damage. Viruses and bacteria may interact and aggravate lesions and disease. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of an SLS-containing supernatant from SEZ on the...
Iduu NV, Raiford D, Cohen ND, Landrock KK, Wang C.We developed a fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based real-time PCR (qPCR) assay coupled with high-resolution melting (HRM) analysis to differentiate subsp. (SEE) from subsp. (SEZ), two closely related equine pathogens with distinct clinical implications. The assay targets a region of the 23S rRNA gene containing single-nucleotide polymorphisms that differentiate the subspecies. By combining subspecies-specific probes with melting temperature () analysis, the assay accurately distinguished SEE, SEZ, and mixed infections without the need for post-PCR processing. The entire work...
Segabinazzi L, Lisboa FP, Zutter B.Limited response to conventional therapies and rising antibiotic resistance emphasize the need for alternative treatments for infectious endometritis. A recent in vitro study showed promising antimicrobial activity of a commercial uterine cleaning sanitizer (UCS) against endometritis pathogens. However, its safety and efficacy in mares remain untested. Objective: This study aimed to assess the clinical safety of intrauterine infusion of UCS in reproductively sound mares. Methods: Exp. 1. Six healthy mares with endometrial biopsies classified as I or IIA had two intrauterine infusions of UCS pe...
Frontiers in geneticsJuly 18, 2025
Volume 16 1630614 doi: 10.3389/fgene.2025.1630614
Gong W, Ding W, Bou T, Shi L, Lin Y, Shi X, Li Z, Wu H, Dugarjaviin M, Bai D.Ferulic acid (FA), a natural antioxidant, has attracted considerable attention for its regulatory potential in skeletal muscle development, energy metabolism, and muscle fiber type transformation. Unassigned: This study established a research system based on Mongolian horse skeletal muscle satellite cells to elucidate the molecular basis by which ferulic acid regulates muscle fiber type transformation through a non-coding RNA interaction network. Unassigned: A total of 18 differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMIRs) and 128 differentially expressed lncRNAs (DELs) were identified through transcript...
Żmudzki J, Ostrowska M, Arent Z, Frant M, Kochanowski M, Nowak A, Zębek S, Kalinowski D, Podgórska K.Leptospirosis in horses is associated with various clinical signs, potentially leading to fatal outcomes. Additionally, the disease may pose a zoonotic risk to individuals involved in handling infected animals. Implementing a serological monitoring programme in the equine population is one of the key tools used to reduce the risk of transmission of Leptospira infections to humans. Objective: To provide new insights into the seroprevalence of leptospirosis in domestic horses in Poland. Methods: Serological monitoring program. Methods: Data were collected from serological surveys of horse serum ...
Symoens A, Gauthier ML, Paillette L, Allano M, Lavoie JP, Leclère M.This study aimed to document antimicrobial resistance patterns of bacteria frequently isolated at a referral equine hospital between 2020 and 2022 and to compare these results to those of studies carried out in previous decades at the same reference center. Unassigned: Using the Kirby-Bauer method, 340 tests were completed on bacterial isolates and compared to 233, 255, and 396 tests carried out in 1986 to 1988, 1996 to 1998, and 2007 to 2013, respectively. Data were analyzed with tests for trends, followed by pairwise Fisher tests and Bonferroni corrections. Unassigned: Increasing resistanc...
Ryu SH, Forbes E, Kim BS, Park KT.Five previously healthy horses in Korea, including a 19-year-old mixed-breed gelding, a 16-year-old mixed-breed mare, a 13-year-old Thoroughbred gelding, a 12-year-old Belgian warmblood mare, and a 12-year-old Andalusian mare, developed subcutaneous abscesses in the left neck after receiving intramuscular vaccination without prior skin disinfection. The vaccination used was Equivac® 2 in1, containing toxoid and cell-free extract. Within one week, the horses developed localised swelling and/or abscessation at the injection site. One case involved a ruptured abscess, while the others presente...
Kurras S, Knottenbelt D, Schmelz U, Schaal T, Tischendorf T, Fuchs R, Schorling T, Koene MHW.Dermatophytosis is a common fungal skin infection in horses, particularly affecting young and immunocompromised animals. Traditional treatments often involve antifungal medications with potential side effects. Here, we present a case report that evaluated the efficacy of cold atmospheric plasma-aerosol (CAP-A) as a standalone treatment for equine dermatophytosis. Unassigned: A 2-year-old Westphalian warmblood stallion presented with confirmed dermatophyte lesions restricted to the left side of the mouth which were treated with CAP-A. Treatment was administered 2 times daily for 12 consecutive ...
Wunderlich G, Bull M, McGilchrist N, Zhao C, Ross T, Rose M, Chapman B.The equine gut microbiome is a complex and dynamic ecosystem, housing a diverse consortium of bacteria and anaerobic fungi (AF) capable of breaking down complex plant matter and converting it into vital energy sources for their host. The aim of this study was to broaden our current understanding of bacterial and AF diversity in the equine hindgut and how it differs between cohorts and responds to dietary shifts. Results: Faecal samples were collected from 48 horses and the bacteriome and anaerobic mycobiome analysed using long-read amplicon sequencing. Samples were collected from racehorses (R...
Ganbaatar O, Batbaatar V, Kimura T, Ganzorig S, Tseren-Ochir EO, Suzuki Y, Takai S.ELISA antibody titers against Rhodococcus equi strain ATCC 6939 were measured in serum samples collected from 644 horses aged 1-21 years at 13 provinces and the capital of Mongolia, of which 631 (98%) samples showed values of approximately zero. The mean antibody titers in the 14 areas ranged from -0.08 to -0.01. Nine samples (1.4%) exhibited titers of 0.1-0.2, and surprisingly, four horses (0.6%) each aged 2, 5, 8, and 9 years demonstrated positive values in the range of 0.3-0.8. Considering the age resistance characteristic of this disease, the positive horses were hypothesized to exhibit no...
Salinas P, Vergara MA, Tapia D.Navicular syndrome (NS) is a chronic, degenerative condition of the equine thoracic limb that compromises the distal sesamoid bone (DSB) and associated structures responsible for stabilization and load absorption during locomotion. Although historically attributed to vascular alterations, its etiology is now recognized as biomechanical, characterized by chronic overload of the deep digital flexor tendon. Conventional diagnostic techniques-radiography, scintigraphy, and ultrasonography-lack the sensitivity and precision required to detect early microarchitectural alterations. This study aimed t...
Stöckle SD, Kannapin DA, Merle R, Lübke-Becker A, Gehlen H. The emergence and spread of multi-drug-resistant (MDR) bacteria pose a growing threat in veterinary medicine, particularly in equine hospitals. This study investigated the colonization and infection dynamics of horses undergoing emergency laparotomy with two distinct antibiotic protocols (single-shot versus 5-day protocol) during hospitalization. Nasal swabs and fecal samples were collected from 67 horses undergoing emergency laparotomy at clinic admission as well as on postoperative days 3 and 10. These were screened for multi-drug-resistant indicator pathogens. As multi-drug-resistant indi...
