Pathogens are microorganisms, such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites, that can cause disease in horses. These microorganisms interact with the equine immune system, often leading to a range of health issues that can affect individual horses or entire populations. Pathogens can be transmitted through various routes, including direct contact, vectors, or environmental exposure. Common equine pathogens include Streptococcus equi, Equine Herpesvirus, and Strongylus vulgaris. Understanding the interactions between equine hosts and pathogens is essential for disease prevention, management, and treatment. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the identification, transmission, and impact of pathogens on equine health.
Pusterla N, Leutenegger CM, Chae JS, Lutz H, Kimsey RB, Dumler JS, Madigan JE.This paper describes the kinetics of the human granulocytic ehrlichiosis agent in the blood of horses experimentally infected by intravenous inoculation with infected leukocytes and by infected ticks as evaluated by using a real-time quantitative PCR assay. The data obtained indicated differences in the period of incubation, duration of rickettsemia, and initial and maximal ehrlichial loads between the two routes of infection.
Etana D.Samples were collected from clinically infected carthorses in Awassa. Fungus species affecting the carthorses were identified. Eight genera of fungal groups were isolated from swabs and skin scrapes taken from symptomatic horses. These included Aspergillus spp., Histoplasma spp., Penicillium spp., Microsporum spp., Trichophyton spp., yeast cells of Candida spp., Cryptococcus spp. and Geotrichum spp. The most frequent isolates were from the genera Aspergillus (48%), Penicillium (39.2%) and Trichophyton (31.6%). Clinical findings are reported, the economic, zoonotic and pathogenetic importance o...
Galuppo LD, Pascoe JR, Jang SS, Willits NH, Greenman SL.To document natural bacterial flora on the ventral aspect of the equine abdomen, to compare 2 preparation techniques, and to identify potential risk factors that may contribute to incisional drainage. Methods: Prospective study. Methods: 53 horses undergoing exploratory celiotomy. Methods: Group-1 horses (n = 26) were prepared with povidone-iodine and alcohol. Group-2 horses (27) were prepared with a film-forming iodophor complex. Numbers of bacterial colony-forming units (CFU) were measured before and after surgical scrub, following skin closure, and after recovery from general anesthesia. Sw...
Cryz SJ.At the time the Swiss Serum and Vaccine Institute Berne (BERNA) was found in 1898, few vaccines or immune globulins were available. This short list included vaccines against cholera, typhoid fever, plague, smallpox and rabies and equine anti-tetanus and diphtheria immune globulins. Furthermore, their use was restricted due to limited production capacity, uncertainty regarding safety and no public health infrastructure to promote their utilization. Today, safe and effective vaccines exist for more than 30 infectious diseases while human hyperimmune globulins exist to treat or prevent rabies, te...
Zhang W, Auyong DB, Oaks JL, McGuire TC.Two defined cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) epitopes from equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV)-infected horses, equine leukocyte alloantigen (ELA)-A5.1-restricted epitope 18a, and ELA-A9-restricted epitope 28b-1 were evaluated for conservation among three wild-type EIAV strains. Epitope 18a variation occurred in all three wild-type EIAV strains, while epitope 28b-1 varied in one strain. Further, 12% amino acid changes occurred in the Gag proteins of a recently isolated wild-type strain, documenting a much greater Gag protein variation than previously reported. Evaluation of epitope 18a among two...
Love S, Murphy D, Mellor D.Cyathostomes are now the principle parasitic pathogen of the horse: a remarkable transformation during the last 25 years from virtual obscurity to focus of attention in equine parasitology. This rise to prominence coincides with the marked decrease in prevalence of large strongyle infections as a result of widespread use of modern anthelmintic compounds. On the basis that strongyle-associated diseases continue to commonly occur in the absence of these large strongyle species, clinical attention has turned to the pathogenicity of cyathostomes. Although many horses harbour burdens of tens of tho...
Brumbaugh GW, Sumano López H, Hoyas Sepúlveda ML.Each horse with laminitis is presented to the veterinarian at a different stage in progression of the condition and with varying severity. The pathogenic timing is often unknown and is difficult to determine. Because timing and severity are related to both the lesion's severity and responsiveness to treatment, these factors are critical to treatment selection and success. It is erroneous to assume that each horse with laminitis should receive each treatment. It is therefore important to ascertain as logically and objectively as possible the pathophysiological stage of development of each horse...
Harvey RG, Hunter PA.The use of the penicillins in veterinary dermatology is discussed. An outline is provided of the main penicillins used in the veterinary field. These include benzyl penicillin, penicillin V, ampicillin, amoxycillin, co-amoxiclav and oxacillin. An increase in β-lactamase production among strains of Staphylococcus intermedius, the principal canine pathogen in pyoderma, has been seen in recent years. Thus only those penicillins with resistance to β-lactamase (co-amoxiclav or isoxazolyl penicillins) are likely to be of value in treating canine pyoderma. However, feline, porcine and equine staphy...
Turell MJ.Experimental studies were undertaken to evaluate the vector competence of selected mosquito species [Aedes taeniorhynchus (Wiedemann), Culex declarator Dyar and Knab, and Mansonia titillans (Walker)] from northwestern Venezuela for the epizootic (IC) strain of Venezuelan equine encephalitis (VEE) virus that was responsible for the 1995 outbreak of VEE in this area. Ae. taeniorhynchus was highly susceptible to infection (94% of 35), and 89% had a disseminated infection. Virus-exposed Ae. taeniorhynchus that refed on susceptible hamsters readily transmitted virus, confirming that this species wa...
Anzai T, Timoney JF, Kuwamoto Y, Fujita Y, Wada R, Inoue T.The glossy non-encapsulated strain of Steptococcus equi, NCTC 9682, was compared with the matt strain Hidaka/95/2 which expresses a medium sized capsule and with the mucoid CF32 which expresses a large sized capsule in phagocytosis assays and for virulence in inoculated horses. The three strains, NCTC 9682, Hidaka /95/2 and CF32 produced 2.0, 3.1, and 5.3 mg/g wet cells respectively after 3 h incubation, but similar amounts of M-like proteins, cytotoxin and mitogen. NCTC 9682 showed no resistance to phagocytosis by equine neutrophils regardless of the presence of opsonin while strains Hidaka /...
Komar N, Dohm DJ, Turell MJ, Spielman A.To determine whether eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) virus infection in starlings may be more fulminant than in various native candidate reservoir birds, we compared their respective intensities and durations of viremia. Viremias are more intense and longer lasting in starlings than in robins and other birds. Starlings frequently die as their viremia begins to wane; other birds generally survive. Various Aedes as well as Culiseta melanura mosquitoes can acquire EEE viral infection from infected starlings under laboratory conditions. The reservoir competence of a bird is described as the prod...
House JK, Smith BP, Wildman TR, Carrigan MJ, Kamiya DY.To determine the prevalence of Salmonella infections in horses at necropsy. Methods: Cross-sectional prevalence survey. Methods: 102 horses. Methods: Mesenteric lymph nodes were collected from horses that were necropsied. Horses had died or were euthanatized because of severe disease or at the request of the owner. Twenty-eight of the horses were racehorses euthantized following acute catastrophic injuries on the racetrack. Mesenteric lymph nodes were submitted for Salmonella culture via direct plating of tissue specimens on MacConkey agar and by use of 4 enrichment culture techniques that use...
Tremaine WH, Clarke CJ, Dixon PM.Biopsies collected from 79 referred cases of equine sinonasal disease, including 27 horses with primary sinusitis, 10 with secondary dental sinusitis, 19 with sinus cysts, 11 with progressive ethmoid haematomata (PEH), 4 with false nostril epidermal inclusion cysts, 4 with sinonasal polyps, 3 with sinonasal mycosis and from 2 control animals were examined histologically. Observations were made on epithelial type and integrity, cellular inflammatory response, fibroplasia and presence of potential pathogens. Chronic inflammatory changes including mucosal thickening, ulceration and significant fi...
Rodríguez-Bertos A, Corchero J, Castaño M, Peña L, Luzón M, Gómez-Bautista M, Meana A.The pathological alterations caused by Anoplocephala perfoliata in the ileocaecal junction of 28 equids slaughtered in an abattoir in Madrid (Central Spain) are described. The lesions were scored in grades based on the intensity of the damage and were related to the tapeworm number observed. The first grade (grade I) of alterations consisted of a slight enteritis associated with focal erosions observed in 43% of parasitized animals with low parasitic burden (1-26 tapeworms). The second grade (grade II) was a focal pseudomembranous enteritis, present in the ileocaecal junctions of 36% infected ...
Donaldson MT, Palmer JE.To determine prevalence of clostridial enterotoxins in feces of horses with diarrhea and colic, and to determine whether an association exists between detection of clostridial enterotoxins in feces and development of diarrhea as a complication of colic. Methods: Prospective case series and case-control study. Methods: 174 horses with diarrhea, colic, or problems not related to the gastrointestinal tract. Methods: Horses were assigned to 1 of 4 groups: colic with diarrhea (group 1; n = 30); colic without diarrhea (group 2; 30); diarrhea without colic (group 3; 57); and control (group 4; 57). Fe...
Adams AP, Santschi EM, Mellencamp MA.A silver chloride-coated nylon wound dressing (Ag-WD) was evaluated in vitro for antimicrobial activity against five common equine wound pathogens. Methods: Bacterial susceptibility study. Methods: Equine wound pathogens: Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus, and Staphylococcus aureus. Methods: An inoculum of each pathogen was incubated directly with Ag-WD and quantitated after 24 to 48 hours of incubation. To determine if bactericidal activity of Ag-WD was contact dependent, an inoculum of E. coli and Staphylococcus aureu...
Akimenko ZA, Ofitserov VI, Shaprov VV, Iastrebov SI.Homogeneous (according to PAGE) capsid and surface viral proteins were isolated from concentrated purified suspensions of tick-borne encephalitis and Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis viruses by one-stage reversed-phase HPLC. The amino acid composition and the sequences of their N-terminal parts were determined.
Kappmeyer LS, Perryman LE, Hines SA, Baszler TV, Katz JB, Hennager SG, Knowles DP.A competitive-inhibition enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (cELISA) was developed for detection of equine antibodies specific for Babesia caballi. The assay used recombinant B. caballi rhoptry-associated protein 1 (RAP-1) and monoclonal antibody (MAb) 79/17.18.5, which is reactive with a peptide epitope of a native 60-kDa B. caballi antigen. The gene encoding the recombinant antigen was sequenced, and database analysis revealed that the gene product is a rhoptry-associated protein. Cloning and expression of a truncated copy of the gene demonstrated that MAb 79/17.18.5 reacts with the C-termina...
Lindsay DS, Dubey JP.Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) is a neurologic syndrome in horses from the Americas and is usually caused by infection with the apicomplexan parasite, Sarcocystis neurona. The activities of pyrimethamine, trimethoprim, sulfachloropyridazine, sulfadiazine, sulfadimethoxine, sulfamethoxazole, sulfamethazine, and sulfathiazole were examined against developing S. neurona merozoites in bovine turbinate cell cultures. A microtiter plate host cell lesion based assay was used to determine the effects of agents on developing merozoites. A cell culture flask assay was used to determine if sele...
Rebhun WC, Cho JO, Gaarder JE, Peek SF, Patten VH.Microscopic examination of Gram-stained tissue specimens collected from severe corneal ulcers in 2 horses revealed large gram-positive rods suggestive of Clostridium spp. Clostridium perfringens was isolated from specimens collected from horse 1; anaerobic organisms were not detected in specimens from horse 2. Aerobic bacterial culture revealed Aeromonas hydrophila and Enterobacter cloacae in specimens collected from horses 1 and 2, respectively. An insect exoskeleton was presumed to be the underlying cause of ulceration in horse 1. Cause of ulceration in horse 2 was not determined. Antibiotic...
Berg AL, Dörries R, Berg M.Borna disease virus (BDV) is a neurotropic agent with capacity to infect and cause neurological disease in a broad range of warmblooded hosts including horses, sheep, cattle, cats, and possibly also humans. The epidemiology of BDV is largely unknown. However, it is likely that subclinically infected animals may represent potential virus reservoirs. In two groups of Swedish racing horses, one clinically healthy and one consisting of horses with diffuse neurological signs, the BDV seroprevalence was 24.5% and 57.7%, respectively. BDV RNA was detected in peripheral blood mononuclear cells in 8 ou...
Cutler TJ, MacKay RJ, Ginn PE, Greiner EC, Porter R, Yowell CA, Dame JB.Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) is a debilitating neurologic disease of the horse. The causative agent. Sarcocystis neurona, has been suggested to be synonymous with Sarcocystis falcatula, implying a role for birds as intermediate hosts. To test this hypothesis, opossums (Didelphis virginiana) were fed muscles containing S. falcatula sarcocysts from naturally infected brown-headed cowbirds (Molothrus ater). Ten horses were tested extensively to ensure no previous exposure to S. neurona and were quarantined for 14 days, and then 5 of the horses were each administered 10(6) S. falcatula...
Rodriguez MH, Chavez B, Hernandez-Avila JE, Orozco A, Arredondo-Jimenez JI.Light and scanning electron microscopy were used to compare the eggs of Anopheles vestitipennis Dyar & Knab females collected from human and animal baits in 9 villages of southern Mexico. An. vestitipennis eggs are boat-shaped, with lateral floats extending the length of the egg. Both the deck and dorsal surface are covered with hexagonal and pentagonal chorionic cells that contain round tubercles in the cell field. Crowns that enclose 3-5 lobed tubercles are present at both egg poles. By light microscopy, the mean length/width ratio of eggs of females caught at human bait were statistical...
Morton AC, Baseggio N, Peters MA, Browning GF.Pulsed field gel electrophoresis of restriction endonuclease digested genomic DNA from a collection of clinical isolates of Rhodococcus equi was used to compare strain diversity on different Thoroughbred horse farms over time. Restricted diversity was found among the isolates tested, as the same strains were detected on multiple farms and in multiple years. Marked variation occurred in strain prevalence with some strains being represented by single isolates, and the most prevalent by 26 isolates. There were dominant strains on some farms and the prevalence of some strains differed between farm...
Krüger B, Siesenop U, Böhm KH.In 1993 and 1994 a highly increased occurrence of equine dermatophilosis was observed, and a study was initiated to determine phenotypic heterogeneity among 120 clinical isolates using biochemistry, antibiotic resistance profiles, membrane protein profiles and Western blotting. The biochemical examinations contained 1% equine serum in medium. Moreover, the API ZYM-test from bioMérieux was used. The biochemical reactions were suited to identify Dermatophilus congolensis but did not allow a differentiation among the various isolates. Antibiotic resistance in one or more isolates was observed ag...
Balebona MC, Andreu MJ, Bordas MA, Zorrilla I, Moriñigo MA, Borrego JJ.The in vivo and in vitro pathogenic activities of whole cells and extracellular products of Vibrio alginolyticus for cultured gilt-head sea bream were evaluated. The 50% lethal doses ranged from 5.4 x 10(4) to 1.0 x 10(6) CFU/g of body weight. The strains examined had the ability to adhere to skin, gill, and intestinal mucus of sea bream and to cultured cells of a chinook salmon embryo cell line. In addition, the in vitro ability of V. alginolyticus to adhere to mucus and skin cells of sea bream was demonstrated by scanning electron microscopy. The biological activities of extracellular produc...
Malmgren L, Olsson Engvall E, Engvall A, Albihn A.This study was initiated in order to investigate the bacterial flora of the stallion genital tract by taking consecutive samples from normal stallions in regular use. The objective was to determine whether any growth of potential pathogens, particularly P. aeruginosa and K. pneumoniae, in fresh semen and urethra was associated with the presence of inflammatory cells in the semen and whether bacterial growth had any effect on sperm morphology and pregnancy results. Sixteen stallions, only used for A.I., housed at 3 different commercial stud farms, were used. A wide variety of microorganisms was...
Ward CL, Wood JL, Houghton SB, Mumford JA, Chanter N.Seventy-three bacterial isolates from 65 horses with and without evidence of lower airway disease were identified to assess whether the association with disease was accounted for by a small or large number of species. Just over half (50.5 per cent were Actinobacillus equuli, 17.8 per cent were A suis-like, 11 per cent were Pasteurella pneumotropica, 8.2 per cent were A lignieresii, 6.8 per cent were P haemolytica and 5.5 per cent were P mairii. These results suggest that a range of Actinobacillus and Pasteurella species can be isolated from the lower airways of horses, with many of the isolate...
Müller F, Segerling M.Complement activity in the serum of eight species has been studied in two ways: by immobilization of sensitized with human or rabbit antibody and by haemolysis of sheep red cells sensitized with rabbit antibody. Serum of the pig, monkey and man was actively haemolytic but contained a heatlabile factor that immobilized unsensitized in the presence of guinea-pig complement and precluded the detection of immune immobilizing activity. Sera of other species, although without action on unsensitized treponemes, even with added guinea-pig complement, differed in their relative haemolytic and immobil...
Athanasiou LV, Katsogiannou EG, Tyrnenopoulou P, Gougoulis D, Apostolidis KN, Papadakis SM, Kokkinaki KCG, Papatsiros VG, Tsokana CN.Among the various zoonotic pathogens that infect horses, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Borrelia spp. and Leishmania spp. have gained scientific interest, and relevant molecular and serological studies in horses have been conducted worldwide. Moreover, human and veterinary medicine have extensively applied alternatives to serum diagnostic samples-such as saliva-for detecting pathogens or antibodies. In this study, we investigated the exposure of horses in Greece to A. phagocytophilum, B. burgdorferi, and L. infantum, and we assessed the diagnostic accuracy of saliva compared to serum in detecting ...
Braga PRC, Dos Santos CA, Bertani AMJ, Vieira T, Amarante AF, Reis AD, Sacchi CT, Camargo CH, Ribeiro MG, Borges AS, Tiba-Casas MR.This study reports the genomic characterization of the multidrug resistant Salmonella Newport strain 195_20 recovered from the diarrheic faeces of a foal in Brazil and co-harbouring the mcr-9, blaCMY-2 and qnrB19 antibiotic resistance genes. Bacterial isolate positive for mobile colistin resistance gene (mcr-9) was submitted to antimicrobial susceptibility testing by disk diffusion and broth microdilution for colistin and polymyxin B. The isolate was submitted to whole genome sequencing by Illumina technology and Nanopore Sequencing. Conjugation assays, plasmid sizes determined by S1-PFGE and ...
Schneider C, James K, Craig BW, Chappell DE, Vaala W, van Harreveld PD, Wright CA, Barnum S, Pusterla N.Equine rhinitis B virus is a lesser-known equine respiratory pathogen that is being detected with increasing frequency via a voluntary upper respiratory biosurveillance program in the United States. This program received 8684 nasal swab submissions during the years 2012-2023. The nasal swabs were submitted for qPCR testing for six common upper respiratory pathogens: Streptococcus equi subspecies equi (S. equi), equine influenza virus (EIV), equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1), equine herpesvirus type 4 (EHV-4), equine rhinitis A virus (ERAV), and equine rhinitis B virus (ERBV). The overall ERBV ...
Martineau M, Kokabi E, Taiebi A, Lefebvre S, Pradier S, Jaÿ M, Tardy F, Leon A.Mycoplasmas are pathogens involved in respiratory disorders of various animal hosts. In horses, Mycoplasma (M.) equirhinis is the species most frequently detected in clinical respiratory specimens, with a prevalence of 12-16%, but its clinical implication in equine respiratory disorders remains unclear. Here we screened 1948 clinical specimens for the presence of M. equirhinis. The samples were both tracheal washes (TW) and bronchoalveolar lavages (BAL) collected by veterinarians in France in day-to-day work between 2020 and 2022. The samples were associated with a standardized form that serve...
Medeiros PR, Figueiredo LS, de Melo UP, Mariz ALB, de Brito EL, Araújo IRDS, Silva ALDC, Costa MHDS, Ferreira C, Assis DB, da Silva CRM, de Souza AL....As the primary decision-maker about the health, nutrition, and well-being of their horses, owners' knowledge of correct management practices and clinical changes can potentially affect the immediate health of their horses, in addition to having an impact on the prevention of disease spread in the herd. The adoption of management practices to prevent the introduction and spread of pathogens depends on various factors, including demographics, awareness of the problem, perceived responsibility, previously held beliefs, and sociocultural norms. This study aimed to evaluate the health management pr...
Degroote RL, Schmalen A, Hauck SM, Deeg CA.The perception of circulating granulocytes as cells with a predetermined immune response mainly triggered by pathogens is evolving, recognizing their functional heterogeneity and adaptability, particularly within the neutrophil subset. The involvement of these cells in the pathophysiology of autoimmune uveitis has become increasingly clear, yet their exact role remains elusive. We used an equine model for autoimmune-mediated recurrent pan-uveitis to investigate early responses of granulocytes in different inflammatory environments. For this purpose, we performed differential proteomics on gran...
Olivo G, Zakia LS, Ribeiro MG, da Cunha MLRS, Riboli DFM, Mello PL, Teixeira NB, de Araújo CET, Oliveira-Filho JP, Borges AS.Staphylococci are well-known opportunistic pathogens associated with suppurative diseases in humans and animals. Antimicrobial resistance is an emergent threat to humans and animals worldwide. This study investigated the prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus spp. (MRS) in hospitalized horses and contacting personnel (veterinarians and staff), and assessed possible interspecies transmission in a teaching veterinary hospital. Nasal swabs from horses (n = 131) and humans (n = 35) were collected. The microorganisms were identified by traditional biochemical tests and genotypic methods...
Zu H, Sun R, Li J, Guo X, Wang M, Guo W, Wang X. subspecies () is the causative pathogen of strangles in horses, donkeys, and other equine animals. Strangles has spread globally and causes significant losses to the horse industry. In response to the urgent need for effective disease control, this study introduces a novel nucleic acid diagnostic method known as a real-time recombinase-assisted amplification (RAA) assay, developed based on the gene, for the rapid detection of nucleic acid. The real-time RAA method employs specifically designed probes and primers targeting the gene, enhancing the overall specificity and sensitivity of the ...
Rar V, Marchenko V, Suntsova O, Epikhina T, Tikunov A, Meltsov I, Fedorets V, Igolkina Y, Kozlova I, Tikunova N.Equine piroplasmosis (EP) is a global worldwide infection, which can lead to the death of animals. Despite the causative agents of EP being well studied, there are no data on the distribution and genetic characteristics of EP agents in any region of Russia. In this study, blood samples from 750 horses from Novosibirsk province, Irkutsk province, and Altai region of Russian Siberia were examined for the presence of EP agents. Theileria equi and Babesia caballi were detected in all examined regions, with mean prevalence rates of 60.4% and 7.2%, respectively. The identified pathogens were genetic...
Ramsay L, Eberhardt C, Schoster A.Reports of leptospirosis in horses are limited. Objective: To describe the clinical and diagnostic findings of acute systemic leptospirosis in horses. Methods: Eleven client-owned horses presented to an equine hospital because of acute onset of disease between 2015 and 2023. Methods: Retrospective case series. Horses diagnosed with leptospirosis by 1 or more of urine PCR, serologic microscopic agglutination test (MAT), and histopathology. Results: Common clinical signs included lethargy (10), anorexia (10), fever (9), tachypnea (9), abnormal lung sounds (9), and epistaxis (6). Acute kidney inj...
Oddsdóttir C, Sigurðardóttir ÓG, Friðriksdóttir V, Svansson V, Bragason BÞ, Björnsdóttir S.Cellulitis due to infection with clostridia has not been documented in horses in Iceland. However, clostridia are well-known pathogens in Icelandic sheep, which have traditionally shared grazing land with horses. Clostridial infections of equine muscle or subcutis following injection with medicinal products have been described in other countries but have never been reported in Iceland. In this case report, we present the first documented outbreak of subcutaneous clostridial infection in horses in Iceland following subcutaneous injection. Methods: In November 2022, 16 out of 32 horses, that som...
Szacawa E, Kozieł N, Brzezińska S, Augustynowicz-Kopeć E, Weiner M, Szulowski K, Krajewska-Wędzina M. is one of the most dangerous pathogens of both animals and humans. Bovine tuberculosis (BTB) is a disease caused by mycobacteria belonging to the complex (MTBC), which spreads mainly among domestic cattle but also to mammals other than cattle. The transmission of MTBC between different species requires research and epidemiological investigations to control its spread. When multiple species are a reservoir of infection, it poses a significant public health and veterinary concern. In this study, the diagnosis of alpaca, cattle, horses, dogs, a sheep and a cat from one farm suspected of bovine ...
Żychska M, Rzewuska M, Kizerwetter-Świda M, Chrobak-Chmiel D, Stefańska I, Kwiecień E, Witkowski L.The rise of antibiotic resistance is a global health crisis affecting human and veterinary medicine, highlighted within the One Health framework. Horses, classified as both meat and companion animals, play a crucial role in facilitating resistant bacteria spread to humans. Despite increased awareness and reduced antibiotic use in livestock, data on equine antibiotic use and resistance remain limited. This retrospective study examines antimicrobial resistance in 978 bacterial isolates from horses in Poland over 12 years (2010-2022), utilizing data from the Microbiological Diagnostic Laboratory ...
van Maanen K, van den Wollenberg L, de Haan T, Frippiat T.Monitoring infectious diseases is essential for safeguarding equine health and ensuring the sustainability of the horse industry. In 2019, the Royal Veterinary Association of the Netherlands (KNMvD) and Royal GD (GD Animal Health) launched SEIN (Surveillance of Equine Infectious diseases in the Netherlands), a voluntary surveillance system for laboratory-confirmed outbreaks of equid alphaherpesvirus 1 (EHV-1), equid alphaherpesvirus 4 (EHV-4), equine influenza virus (EIV), and subsp. . This retrospective study analyzed 364 confirmed outbreaks reported through SEIN between June 2019 and April ...
Hébert L, Froger D, Madeline A, Lecouturier F, Lemans C, Zientara S.Dourine is a sexually transmitted parasitic disease affecting equids. Its causative agent is referred to as and the prescribed serodiagnosis method is the complement fixation test (CFT). In the context of our European Reference Laboratory mandate for equine diseases (excluding African horse sickness), we organised dourine CFT inter-laboratory proficiency tests (ILPTs) in 2015, 2018 and 2022 to evaluate the performance of the European Union network of National Reference Laboratories (NRLs) for dourine. ILPT panels were composed of horse sera with or without antibodies against spp. originating...
Yun JU, Jung HS, Jung MJ, Song HS, Kim YB, Kim Y, Kim JG, Roh SW, Lee SH, Lee JS, Whon TW.Strain CBA3108 is a Gram-positive, non-spore-forming, obligately anaerobic bacterium isolated from horse faecal samples obtained in Jeju Island, Republic of Korea. The cells of CBA3108 are non-motile short rods that have been assessed as catalase-positive and oxidase-negative. Growth of the strain occurs under the following conditions: 25-45 °C (optimum, 35 °C); pH 6-9 (optimum, pH 6); and in the presence of 0-6 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 2%). Major fatty acids in the strain include C iso and C iso DMA, while major polar lipids include phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol and phosp...
Scholtz M, Guthrie AJ, Newton R, Schulman ML.Three bacteria extensively acknowledged as venereal pathogens with the potential to induce endometritis include Taylorella equigenitalis, the causative agent of contagious equine metritis (CEM), specific strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and certain capsule types of Klebsiella pneumoniae. The United Kingdom's Horserace Betting Levy Board recommends pre-breeding screening for these bacteria in their International Codes of Practice and >20 000 samples are tested per annum in the United Kingdom alone. While the pathogenesis and regulatory importance of CEM are well established, an evaluation...
Fortier C, El-Hage C, Normand C, Hue ES, Sutton G, Marcillaud-Pitel C, Jeffers K, Bamford N, Oden E, Paillot R, Hartley C, Gilkerson J, Pronost S.Reports of newly discovered equine hepatotropic flavi- and parvoviruses have emerged throughout the last decade in many countries, the discovery of which has stimulated a great deal of interest and clinical research. Although commonly detected in horses without signs of disease, equine parvovirus hepatitis (EqPV-H) and equine hepacivirus (EqHV) have been associated with liver disease, including following the administration of contaminated anti-toxin. Our aim was to determine whether EqPV-H and EqHV are present in Australian horses and whether EqPV-H was present in French horses and to examine ...
Atabek B, Zhyldyz A, Aitakin K, Rysbek N, Jailobek O, Ahedor B, Mumbi NNM, Ma Y, Otgonsuren D, Perera WPPSI, Guswanto A, Sivakumar T, Yokoyama N.Equine piroplasmosis is caused by Theileria equi and Babesia caballi, which are hemoprotozoan parasites. Understanding the epidemiology and genotypes of T. equi and B. caballi is crucial for developing effective control strategies in endemic countries. However, the endemic status of these two parasite species remains uncertain in Kyrgyzstan due to lack of surveys. Our study, therefore, aimed to detect T. equi and B. caballi infections in Kyrgyzstan and identify their genotypes. Blood samples were collected from 226 horses across all seven provinces of Kyrgyzstan, namely Chuy, Issyk-Kul, Naryn,...
Heun F, Meißner J, Schieder AK, Ohnesorge B, Busse C.To determine the minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) and effective contact time of four topical antiseptics-polyhexanide, povidone-iodine (PVP-I), hypochlorous acid (HOCl), and N-acetylcysteine (NAC)-against Pantoea agglomerans, a pathogen frequently isolated in equine ulcerative keratitis. Methods: Over a 17-month sampling period, clinical isolates were collected from horses with ulcerative keratitis. The most frequently isolated strain (Pantoea agglomerans, n = 14) was selected for in vitro analysis. Methods: All isolates were used to determine the MBCs of the four antiseptics. Eac...
Marcili A, Sousa IKF, Sousa RDS, Souza RA, Batista GF, Bosco VC, Santos TND, Farias BA, Miranda LM, Soares HS, Onófrio VC, Nieri-Bastos FA. Visceral leishmaniasis is a zoonosis distributed throughout Brazil and caused by the protozoan Leishmania infantum. The disease manifests in its visceral form, with dogs being the primary reservoir. Manaus is the largest city in the Brazilian Amazon region, and despite its significance, there are only documented cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis in humans. The aim of this study was to assess the occurrence of Leishmania infantum in horses in Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil. A total of 178 horses from 16 different properties within the city were sampled, and the specific molecular diagnosis was based...
Peng X, Wang X, Jian J, Zuo Q, Liu H, Wang Y, Su Y, Cao J, Jiang B, Shen Y.Cryptosporidium spp. and Enterocytozoon bieneusi are zoonotic pathogens with global distribution, infecting humans and various livestock. For yaks, Tibetan sheep and horses, the traditional grazing models still hold a main position. After these animals become infected, it not only hinders the development of animal husbandry but also increases the risk of Cryptosporidium spp. and E. bieneusi transmission between livestock and herdsmen. Methods: In the present study, a total of 750 fecal samples were collected from yaks, Tibetan sheep and horses in Shiqu County, Sichuan Province, from July to Au...
Chang YF, McDonough SP, Chang CF, Shin KS, Yen W, Divers T.A pony was vaccinated with recombinant OspA vaccine (rOspA) and then exposed 3 months later to Borrelia burgdorferi-infected ticks (Ixodes scapularis) collected in Westchester County, N.Y. At 2 weeks after tick exposure, the pony developed a high fever (105 degrees F). Buffy coat smears showed that 20% of neutrophils contained ehrlichial inclusion bodies (morulae). Flunixin Meglumine (1 g daily) was given for 2 days, and the body temperature returned to normal. PCR for ehrlichial DNA was performed on blood samples for 10 consecutive days beginning when the pony was first febrile. This pony was...
