The topic of Public Health and horses encompasses the study of interactions between equine populations and human health systems. It involves examining the transmission of zoonotic diseases, which are diseases that can be transferred between animals and humans, as well as the role of horses in the epidemiology of such diseases. This field also considers the impact of equine-related activities on public health, including injuries and environmental effects. Research in this area often explores preventive measures, management strategies, and policies to mitigate health risks associated with horses. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that investigate the intersection of equine and public health, focusing on disease transmission, risk assessment, and health management strategies.
Taylor M, Agho K, Stevens G, Raphael B.This short report summarises data on the prevalence of high psychological distress in horse industry participants during the 2007 Australian equine influenza (EI) outbreak and the statistical analysis undertaken to identify the factors associated with this high psychological distress. In addition, follow-up data collected 1 year later are reported briefly.
Gilchrist P, Sergeant ES.Australia has the world's largest population of wild equids and equine influenza (EI) was confirmed on several properties in New South Wales (NSW) close to uncontrolled areas of land during the 2007 outbreak. Likelihood and risk management assessments were carried out to determine the risk of EI infection of the wild horse populations. The likelihood of spread to the wild horse population was determined to be extremely low, but the likelihood of spread from an established wild horse reservoir back to domestic horses was considered high. The most effective mechanism of control was determined to...
Webster WR.This section outlines the most important issues addressed in the management of the response in the two infected states, New South Wales and Queensland. There were differences in the management of the response between the states for logistic, geographic and organisation structural reasons. Issues included the use of control centres, information centres, the problems associated with the lack of trained staff to undertake all the roles, legislative issues, controls of horse movements, the availability of resources for adequate surveillance, the challenges of communication between disparate groups...
Sergeant ES, Wilson G.To quantify the probability of freedom from equine influenza (EI) in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, based on analysis of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing. Methods: Testing in the infected areas of NSW during the period 1 January to 30 April 2008. Results: Data from the random survey were collated and analysed to provide estimates of the probability of detecting EI if it was present at a prevalence ranging from 0.01% to 0.5%. The sensitivity estimates were then combined with a prior estimate of the probability of freedom in a simulation model, to estimate the posterior probability of ...
Ryan D.Outbreaks of equine influenza (EI) cause major disruption to the racing industry, resulting in cessation of racing until affected horses have recovered from the disease. The introduction of EI to a large population of Thoroughbred horses stabled at a Sydney racecourse provided the opportunity to observe clinical signs and monitor the spread of EI in this predominantly naïve population and to assist in determining an endpoint to infection spread to allow resumption of racing events.
Smyth GB, Dagley K.Anecdotally, some sections of the horse community were under the impression that there was a high mortality rate in horses in 2007 because of the EI epidemic. A survey of horse deaths in the Hunter Valley of New South Wales (NSW) in 2007 indicated that there were few infections and deaths attributable to equine influenza (EI) infections in foals, but other authors found a very high seroprevalence across all age classes. This study aimed to generate objective information on mortality and morbidity rates associated with EI in Australian horses during the 2007 epidemic.
Kung N, Mackenzie S, Pitt D, Robinson B, Perkins NR.An outbreak of equine influenza (EI) caused by influenza A H3N8 subtype virus occurred in the Australian states of Queensland and New South Wales in August 2007. Infection in the Australian horse population was associated with the introduction of infection by horses from overseas. The first case of EI in Queensland was detected on 25 August 2007 at an equestrian sporting event. Infection subsequently spread locally and to other clusters through horse movements prior to the implementation of an official standstill. There were five main clusters of infected properties during this outbreak and se...
Moloney BJ.This overview of the equine influenza (EI) epidemic as it occurred in two Australian states, New South Wales and Queensland, in 2007 describes the functions and activities of the epidemiology teams that were engaged during the outbreak and also identifies key features of the epidemiology of EI during the outbreak.
Paskin R.The equine influenza outbreak detected in August 2007 in New South Wales and Queensland did not enter Victoria, which was, however, considered at risk because of its sizable border with New South Wales. Accordingly, Victoria implemented a response plan to prevent disease entry and enable early detection of any disease. Horse movement restrictions, surveillance strategies and public awareness formed a large part of this response.
Scott-Orr H.The challenges faced in demonstrating Australia's freedom from equine influenza following the outbreak in 2007-08 and the responding strategy developed by the Proof of Freedom Working Group are presented.
Glanville RJ, Christie B.The equine influenza (EI) outbreak presented many challenges that required high-level coordination and decision making, as well as the development of new approaches for satisfactory and consistent resolution. This paper outlines the elements of the national coordination arrangements, preparatory arrangements in place prior to the outbreak that facilitated national coordination, and some of the issues faced and resolved in the response.
Watson J, Halpin K, Selleck P, Axell A, Bruce K, Hansson E, Hammond J, Daniels P, Jeggo M.Before 2007, equine influenza had never been diagnosed in Australia. On 22 August 2007, infection was confirmed in horses at Eastern Creek Animal Quarantine Station near Sydney. The virus subsequently isolated (A/equine/Sydney/2888-8/2007) was confirmed by sequence analysis of the haemagglutinin (HA) gene as an H3 virus of the variant American Florida lineage that is now referred to as Clade 1. The HA sequence of the virus was identical to that of a virus isolated from a contemporaneous outbreak in Japan and showed high homology to viruses circulating in North America.
Drury M.Participants in the 1- and 2-day Tamworth Dressage Club (TDC) annual dressage championships arrived in Moonbi, New South Wales (NSW) as reports of the equine influenza outbreak surfaced on 25 August 2007. Three horses who had attended a competition in Maitland the weekend before had been showing flu-like symptoms and the next day the site was declared a suspect premise. On 27 August, infection was confirmed and the site was placed in total quarantine. Although most participants had travelled long distances to compete and did not have provisions for them or their horses, the quarantine was not ...
Arthur RJ, Suann CJ.Three biosecurity and relief-and-recovery initiatives adopted by the NSW horse racing industries reduced the economic and social disruption caused by the disease and subsequent movement controls during the 2007 Australian equine influenza (EI) incursion. The first was the creation of biosecure horse training and racing precincts around the Sydney area to permit racing to continue with healthy horses. Infection was excluded for 3-5 weeks and race meetings were conducted safely during this period. The second was a vaccination program of racehorses at these and other precincts to maintain an ongo...
Wong D.The clinical signs of horses diagnosed with equine influenza (EI) at Centennial Parklands Equestrian Centre (CPEC) and the events surrounding their diagnosis are described. This was the site of the first case of EI diagnosed outside of the Eastern Creek Animal Quarantine Station. The clinical data demonstrate the rapid spread of the disease after a sufficient viral load had developed from the initial cases within CPEC.
Hoare R.The equine influenza (EI) outbreak occurred at the worst time of the year as far as the horse industry was concerned. All horse sports and horse breeds had events planned in the spring, including those relating to qualification for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. These were all disrupted and many were cancelled. The social and industry impacts were extensive, and included difficulties related to communication, animal welfare, vaccination, movement restrictions, economics, as well as the psychological stresses experienced by those involved, especially those for whom their primary source of inco...
Frazer JL, Perkins NR, Pitt D.During the 2007 equine influenza (EI) outbreak, infected horses were quarantined at Morgan Park Recreational Grounds (MPRG) near Warwick, Queensland. Some individuals caring for horses were reported to have made return journeys between MPRG and home properties containing other horses during the time there was active infection at MPRG. Objective: A retrospective cohort study to assess the biosecurity and hygiene measures undertaken and their outcomes. Methods: All individuals recorded as being responsible for caring for one or more horses at MPRG, and who were also recorded on entry and exit lo...
Garner MG, Cowled B, East IJ, Moloney BJ, Kung N.To use modelling and epidemiological analyses to assess the effectiveness of control strategies employed during the equine influenza outbreak and determine if early vaccination might have had a beneficial effect. Methods: Transmission of infection was modelled using stochastic, spatial simulation, based on data from 16 regions in New South Wales and Queensland over the first month of the outbreak. Results: The model accurately represented the spread of infection in both space and time and showed that vaccination strategies would have reduced new infections by ∼60% and reduced the size of the...
Happold J, Rubira R.This study included 10 large Thoroughbred horse studs in the upper Hunter Valley of New South Wales and in southeast Queensland, Australia. The aims were to describe the EI epidemic in studs in the Special Restricted Area (Purple Zone) of NSW, to estimate seroprevalence among different groups of horses on these studs and to look for evidence of exposure to EI virus in horses on 'vaccinated' studs in southeast Queensland that were thought to have remained free of infection. As serology results from Queensland suggest that vaccination may have reduced the sensitivity of clinical surveillance to ...
Perkins NR, Webster WR, Wright T, Denney I, Links I.At the time of the initial notification of the occurrence of equine influenza (EI) in Australia in August 2007, vaccination was restricted to horses for which it was an import requirement and only with the approval of the state or territory Chief Veterinary Officer. This paper describes the complexities involved in the selection of a vaccine and its distribution. A combination of ring, predictive and blanket vaccination was implemented during the response. The specific vaccination programs, including its use in buffer zones and for movement of horses, the performance of the vaccine, any advers...
Smyth GB, Dagley K, Tainsh J.We estimate and describe the financial costs of the equine influenza (EI) outbreak in Australia, including the costs of emergency response measures and lost income/assets to businesses, associations and private horse owners. Costs to associations, governments and industry are discussed. We identify a lack of reliable data about the financial costs of the EI outbreak to the non-racing sectors of the horse industry.
Bell IG, Drury-Klein C.To analyse horse event and horse movement registration data collected between September 2007 and December 2008 during the outbreak of equine influenza in New South Wales, Australia. Results: A total of 9356 events were registered, involving 504,382 horses and 242,952 riders. Registered horse movements totalled 224,084, involving 349,327 horses (excluding mobs) travelling 34.4 million km with an average of 154 km per journey. The number of recorded events and movements were low while movement controls were most stringent, then increased from December 2007 as restrictions were eased, to peak in ...
Kirkland PD.During the 2007 equine influenza (EI) outbreak in Australia, diagnostic laboratories and the use of appropriate tests played a pivotal role in the response to the crisis. This role began with the detection of EI virus in New South Wales (NSW) on the evening of 24 August 2007 and culminated in providing the final 'proof of freedom' from EI in March 2008. The tests that were used during the EI response were able to provide results quickly, and with high sensitivity and specificity. This section of the supplement describes the roles and functions of the Australian laboratories; tests used and the...
Dhand NK, Sergeant ES.The aim of this preliminary study was to estimate the proportions of seropositive horses on infected premises (IPs) in order to assess the attack risk of the disease. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to evaluate the differences in attack risks between enterprise sizes and predefined spatial clusters/regions. The average attack risk experienced during the outbreak was 96.88% (median 100%), but it differed according to the size of the enterprise and other geographic and demographic conditions. The highest attack risks were observed in the Dubbo cluster/region and the lowest in the Nar...
Brown L, Townsend W, Waltisbuhl D.The unique challenges that laboratories in Queensland and New South Wales faced during the response to the 2007 equine influenza outbreak and how these were managed are described.
Crispe E, Finlaison DS, Hurt AC, Kirkland PD.During the equine influenza (EI) outbreak, respiratory disease was observed in dogs that were in close proximity to infected horses. Investigations were undertaken to exclude influenza virus infection. Of the 23 dogs that were seropositive in tests using the influenza A/Sydney/2007 virus as the test antigen, 10 showed clinical signs. EI virus appeared to be readily transmitted to dogs that were held in close proximity to infected horses, but there was no evidence of lateral transmission of the virus to other dogs that did not have contact with or were not held in close proximity to horses.
Croft MG, Fraser GC, Gaul WN.A Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) was used to manage the laboratory data and support planning and field activities as part of the response to the equine influenza outbreak in Australia in 2007. The database structure of the LIMS and the system configurations that were made to best handle the laboratory implications of the disease response are discussed. The operational aspects of the LIMS and the related procedures used at the laboratory to process the increased sample throughput are reviewed, as is the interaction of the LIMS with other corporate systems used in the management...
Webster WR.In August 2007 equine influenza (EI) was diagnosed in Australia's horse population following the failure to contain infection in quarantine after the importation of one or more infected horses. The response had many unique features, and addressed financial, social, economic, human and animal health, trade and recovery issues. The outbreak and the associated control measures had a vast impact on individual horse owners, the horse industry and associated sectors in both infected and uninfected states.
Velineni S, Desoutter D, Perchec AM, Timoney JF.Streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus (Sz) is a tonsillar and mucosal commensal of healthy horses with the potential to cause opportunistic infections of the distal respiratory tract stressed by virus infection, transportation, training or high temperature. The invasive clone varies from horse to horse with little evidence of lateral transmission in the group. Tonsillar isolates are non-mucoid although primary isolates from opportunist lower respiratory tract infections may initially be mucoid. In this study, a novel stably mucoid Sz (SzNC) from a clonal epizootic of respiratory disease ...
Shmalberg J, Hill RC, Scott KC.Many Chinese herbs and herbal mixtures are fed to domestic animals for their reputed medicinal properties. These herbs could contribute to the intake of essential nutrients and toxic metals, but their composition is mostly unknown. The purpose of this study was to measure major nutrient (crude protein, crude fat, carbohydrate, fibre) and mineral (Ca, P, Mg, K, Na, Fe, Zn, Cu, Mn, Mo, S, Al, Cd, Ni, Pb) concentrations in samples of fourteen combination formulas labelled for veterinary use and commonly administered to horses and dogs. Three single herbs, Bupleurum chinense, Curcuma zedoaria and ...
Maciel JF, Gressler LT, da Silveira BP, Dotto E, Balzan C, Matter LB, Siqueira FM, de Vargas APC.Data about phylogenetic classification of Escherichia coli colonizing calves, lambs and foals are routinely neglected and restricted to outdated methodologies, even in the context of antimicrobial susceptibility (AS) testing. Thus, the aim of this study was to determine the phylogenetic diversity and the AS profile of E. coli colony-forming units (CFUs) from faecal samples of healthy animals. Five CFUs of E. coli were randomly selected from each faecal culture of calves (n = 13), foals (n = 13) and lambs (n = 13), totalizing 195 CFUs phylo-typed by quadruplex PCR. The AS profile of five ...
Osiyemi TI, Synge EM, Agbonlahor DE, Agbavwe R.Toxoplasma gondii antibodies were found in the sera of 22.86% of people in the Jos area of Plateau State, Nigeria. The incidence of antibodies in Nigerian food animals was 17.40%, the highest being in sheep (21.92%) and lowest in goats (13.88%). Cattle and horses were roughly equally infected--about 17.0%. The zoonotic potential of T. gondii in food animals is stressed and epidemiological factors are reviewed.
To determine the causes of horse-related injuries in a rural western community. Methods: Prospective identification of persons with horse-related injuries and retrospective interviews with patients or witnesses to determine causes. Methods: A small rural community in Alberta where the western style of riding predominates. Methods: All patients presenting to two family medicine clinics or to the Sundre General Hospital emergency department. Methods: Factors contributing to the injury as recalled by patients or witnesses, and characteristics of the persons, horses, and injuries. Results: Two thi...
Pauvolid-Corrêa A, Komar N.Current methods for detecting Flavivirus antibodies are enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) and neutralization tests, both of which require laboratories and trained staff. We evaluated the VectorTest™ West Nile Virus Antigen Assay in an inhibition platform (VecTest-inhibition assay [VIA]) as a simpler screening method for detecting antibodies for a variety of flaviviruses among a population of equines from Brazil. We found that the VIA is a field-deployable rapid method with 100% sensitivity and 64% specificity compared with blocking ELISA for the detection of group-specific Flavivir...
Yuen KY, Henning J, Eng MD, Wang ASW, Lenz MF, Caldwell KM, Coyle MP, Bielefeldt-Ohmann H.The increased frequency of extreme weather events due to climate change has complicated the epidemiological pattern of mosquito-borne diseases, as the host and vector dynamics shift to adapt. However, little is known about the seroprevalence of common mosquito-borne virus infections in horses in Australia. In this study, serological surveys for multiple alphaviruses were performed on samples taken from 622 horses across two horse populations (racehorses and horses residing on The University of Queensland (UQ) campus) in Queensland using the gold standard virus neutralization test. As is the ca...
San Miguel SF, Carleton Parker L, Adedokun OA, Burgess WD, Cipriani Davis KS, Blossom TD, Schneider JL, Mennonno AM, Ruhl JD, Veatch JH, Wackerly AJ....Workforce development strategies to educate, inform, and diversify the veterinary profession of the future must begin with children in elementary school. This article provides a description of the Fat Dogs and Coughing Horses program, which takes a multifaceted approach toward informing young students, beginning in first grade, about the interesting work and career opportunities available in the field of veterinary medicine. The program, a collaboration among Purdue University and Indiana public schools, is supported by a Science Education Partnership Award from the Office of Research Infrastr...
Williamson KM, Wheeler S, Kerr J, Bennett J, Freeman P, Kohlhagen J, Peel AJ, Eby P, Merritt T, Housen T, Dalton C, Durrheim DN.In June 2019 the first equine case of Hendra virus in the Hunter Valley, New South Wales, Australia was detected. An urgent human and animal health response took place, involving biosecurity measures, contact tracing, promotion of equine vaccinations and investigation of flying fox activity in the area. No human or additional animal cases occurred. Equine vaccination uptake increased by over 30-fold in the surrounding region in the three months following the case. Black flying fox and grey-headed flying fox species were detected in the Valley. The incident prompted review of Hendra virus resou...
Ketai LH, Temes RT, Deis JL, Allen NL, Wernly JA.To compare rodeo associated large animal injuries to large animal associated trauma from other aetiologies in order to determine whether mandatory protective head-gear during rodeo is warranted. Retrospective analysis related to injury involving large animal admissions between 1 January 1990 and 31 December 1995. The setting is at the University of New Mexico Health Science Center, a level 1 trauma centre. All patients admitted with Injury Severity Scores of 1 or higher following large animal associated injuries. There were 140 admissions for which mechanism of injury was known. Thirty-nine oc...
The Journal of traumaOctober 6, 1997
Volume 43, Issue 3 492-495 doi: 10.1097/00005373-199709000-00017
Temes RT, White JH, Ketai LH, Deis JL, Pett SB, Osler TM, Wernly JA.Head, face, and neck injuries (HFNI) occur during animal-related trauma. We compared patients with HFNI and without HFNI after animal-related injuries to determine the significance of these injuries. Methods: Retrospective review of admissions for animal injuries between January 1, 1990, and December 31, 1995, by age, gender, mechanism, animal, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score, Injury Severity Score (ISS), Abbreviated Injury Severity score for head and neck (AIS Head/Neck), AIS score for face (AIS Face), intensive care unit stay, hospitalization length, morbidity, and mortality. Results: There w...
Jaqueth AL, Hathaway M, Catalano DN, Linders NC, Mottet R, Martinson KL.Social media are an ever-present part of daily life and for researchers and may be a useful platform to increase potential participant pools for Web-based surveys. Although survey usage to evaluate practices in the equine community is not new, the use of social media to advertise and enhance the usage of Web-based surveys is novel. In 2018, the University of Minnesota (UMN) equine Extension program developed and administered two Web-based surveys through the UMN equine Extension Facebook page and monthly e-newsletter. Surveys focused on industry practices and motivating factors behind the usag...
Brosnahan MM.Medical humanities is a multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary field of study that has experienced explosive growth in the United States since the 1960s. Two key components of medical humanities include first, the use of literature, poetry, and visual arts in the education of medical students, and second, the representation or examination of medical culture by scholars in the humanities, arts, and social sciences such as literary and film creators, sociologists, and anthropologists. The American Association of Medical Colleges recently reported that as of 2018, approximately 94% of medical schoo...
Resende CF, Santos AMD, Filho PMS, de Souza PG, Issa MA, Filho MBC, Victor RM, Câmara RJF, Gonçalves GP, Lima JG, Maciel E Silva AG, Leite RC....Glanders and brucellosis are zoonotic infectious diseases that affect equids in several countries worldwide. On Marajó Island (Amazon region of Brazil), Marajoara and Puruca horses, which are well adapted to the climatic and territorial adversities of the region, play a fundamental role in the local economy and in the sociocultural lives of the population. However, these animals have undergone a drastic reduction in number, markedly due to precarious veterinary care, unknown causes of morbidity and mortality, and disordered crossing with other breeds introduced to the island. Thus, this study...
Buchanan FR, Cardenas TC, Leede E, Riley CJ, Brown LH, Teixeira PG, Aydelotte JD, Coopwood TB, Trust MD, Ali S, Brown CVR.Large animal-related injuries (LARI) are relatively uncommon, but, nevertheless, a public hazard. The objective of this study was to better understand LARI injury patterns and outcomes. Methods: We performed a retrospective review of the 2016 National Trauma Data Bank and used ICD-10 codes to identify patients injured by a large animal. The primary outcome was severe injury pattern, while secondary outcomes included mortality, hospital length of stay, ICU admission, and mechanical ventilation usage. Results: There were 6,662 LARI included in our analysis. Most LARI (66%) occurred while riding ...
Reck C, Menin Á, Pisetta NL, Batista F, Miletti LC.This study reports the first autochthonous "surra" outbreak in horses in the State of Santa Catarina, southern Brazil. Six horses with clinical suspicion of trypanosomosis had the natural infection by T. evansi confirmed by PCR and rapid serum agglutination test. Clinical, parasitological, and hematology evaluations were performed at initial observation (T0) and 90 days after (T1). At T0, all animals that tested positive for T. evansi in PCR presented with severe clinical signs and out of normal range hematological hematological (hematocrit, leukocytes, platelets, hemoglobin) and serum bioche...
Hessler C, Schilling B, Meenen NM, Lockemann U, Püschel K.Equitation is associated with a high rate of injuries and lethal accidents. The head is the most frequently concerned body part. Hence in the majority of the cases deaths results from head injuries. In this study injuries as well as causes of deaths were analyzed in 21 cases. Actual safety standards in equitation were appraised and suggestions for improvement were formulated. Methods: Between 1996 and 2008 21 equestrians suffered from a fatal accident in the greater area of Hamburg. In a retrospective analysis, equestrians' records which bases on the documentation of the institute of forensic ...
Kleiboeker SB, Loiacono CM, Rottinghaus A, Pue HL, Johnson GC.The North American West Nile virus (WNV) epizootic, which began in 1999, has caused significant morbidity and mortality in horses. Because experimental infection has failed to consistently produce encephalitis in inoculated horses, investigation of naturally occurring cases was used to optimize strategies for diagnosis of this disease. Although WNV RNA could be detected by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) performed on whole blood collected from both clinically affected horses and unaffected herdmates, the diagnostic sensitivity of this approach was low compared with IgM...
O'Connor S, Warrington G, Mb AM, Cullen S.Point-to-point racing may place jockeys at risk of serious injuries due to the high incidence of falls as previously reported. Despite many advances in health and safety strategies, the incidence of falls and injuries in point-to-point racing has not been reported since 2006. Objective: To provide a longitudinal analysis of the fall and injury incidence in point-to-point horse racing jockeys in Ireland from 2007 to 2015 and compare these findings with the previous literature. Methods: Descriptive epidemiologic study. Methods: All injuries that occurred due to a fall at every official point-to-...
Cole FL, Mellor DJ, Hodgson DR, Reid SW.The proportion of the horses, of both sexes and of different ages, breeds and levels of activity, owned by a stratified random sample of Australian owners, which had suffered one or more episodes of exertional rhabdomyolysis during the previous 12 months was determined. The proportion in the general population was 1.9 per cent, and horses which exercised were significantly more likely to have experienced the condition than horses which did not. There were significant differences between the sexes and between certain breeds and activity groups in the proportions of horses affected.
Mitchell CJ, Darsie RF, Monath TP, Sabattini MS, Daffner J.A large net trap was used to sample mosquito populations attracted to horses at three sites each in Santa Fe and Rio Negro Provinces, Argentina, during the austral summer of 1984. These provinces, as well as others in Argentina, were affected by a severe epizootic of western equine encephalitis (WEE) during 1982-83. Totals of 2,752 and 6,929 mosquitoes were collected in Santa Fe and Rio Negro Provinces during five and three trap nights, respectively. Culex mosquitoes of the subgenus Culex were predominant (45.8% of total) in the Santa Fe collections, although Aedes albifasciatus also was preva...
Valberg SJ, Finno CJ, Henry ML, Schott M, Velez-Irizarry D, Peng S, McKenzie EC, Petersen JL.Commercial genetic tests for type 2 polysaccharide storage myopathy (PSSM2) and myofibrillar myopathy (MFM) have not been validated by peer-review, and formal regulation of veterinary genetic testing is lacking. Objective: To compare genotype and allele frequencies of commercial test variants (P variants) in MYOT (P2; rs1138656462), FLNC (P3a; rs1139799323), FLNC (P3b; rs1142918816) and MYOZ3 (P4; rs1142544043) between Warmblood (WB) and Arabian (AR) horses diagnosed with PSSM2/MFM by muscle histopathology, and phenotyped breed-matched controls. To quantify variant frequency in public reposi...
Pinna A, Martins G, Hamond C, Medeiros MA, de Souza GN, Lilenbaum W.The objective was to investigate potential differences between two Leptospira serovars, host-adapted (Bratislava) and incidental (Copenhageni), in causing reproductive disorders in mares. From August 2009 to March 2011, 608 adult recipient mares from eight studs located in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, were screened for leptospirosis. These mares were 3-8 years of age, of various breeds, and were managed in a semiextensive system (embryo transfer centres). According to the reproductive history of these mares, the studs were categorised as Group A (357 mares: high prevalence of reprodu...
Keane DP, Little PB.Rabies, equine herpesvirus type I, and eastern and western encephalomyelitis viruses, known causes of equine neurological disease, are reviewed with emphasis on epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical signs, and diagnosis.Several arboviruses known to be active in Canada and capable of producing neurological disease in humans (Powassan, St. Louis encephalitis, snowshoe hare, and Jamestown Canyon viruses) are discussed as potential causes of encephalomyelitis in horses.
Moreira CJC, De Cicco NNT, Galdino TS, Feder D, Gonzalez MS, Miguel RB, Coura JR, Castro HC, Azambuja P, Atella GC, Ratcliffe NA, Mello CB.Chagas disease, infecting ca. 8 million people in Central and South America, is mediated by the protozoan parasite, Trypanosoma cruzi. The parasite is transmitted by the bite of blood sucking triatomine insects, such as Rhodnius prolixus, that had previously fed on parasite-infected vertebrate blood and voided their contaminated feces and urine into the wound. The stages of the parasite life cycle in both the insect vector and human host are well-known, but determinants of infection in the insect gut are complex and enigmatic. This paper examines the possible role of the R. prolixus gut agglut...
Pavlásek I, Hess L, Stehlík I, Stika V.The first occurrence of Giardia spp. in horses in the Czech Republic is reported. During preventive examination of 360 five-month up to 14-year horses from various parts of the region of Central Bohemia carried out from January 1993 to June 1994 in the parasitological laboratory of the State Veterinary Institute in Prague, the Giardia cysts were detected in the excrements of 18 (5%) horses, mostly 2-4 years of age, and in two foals 3 and 6 weeks old. During the period between March 1993 and June 1994, systematic and repeated observation was aimed at a group of 38 racing horses two up to four y...
Boyle AG, Rankin SC, D￮ LA, Morris D.Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is recognized as a cause of nosocomial infections in both human and veterinary medicine. Studies that examine the nasopharynx and guttural pouches of the horse as carriage sites for MRSA have not been reported. Objective: MRSA colonizes the nasopharynx and guttural pouch of horses. To determine the prevalence of MRSA in equine nasopharyngeal wash (NPW) and guttural pouch lavage (GPL) samples in a field population of horses. Methods: One hundred seventy-eight samples (123 NPW and 55 GPL) from 108 horses. Methods: Prospective study. Samples were...
Blangy-Letheule A, Vergnaud A, Dupas T, Rozec B, Lauzier B, Leroux AA.Sepsis is a life-threatening disease defined as an organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to an infection. Early diagnosis and prognosis of sepsis are necessary for specific and timely treatment. However, no predictive biomarkers or therapeutic targets are available yet, mainly due to the lack of a pertinent model. A better understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms associated with sepsis will allow for earlier and more appropriate management. For this purpose, experimental models of sepsis have been set up to decipher the progression and pathophysiology of human seps...
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 ...
Clausen PH, Gebreselassie G, Abditcho S, Mehlitz D, Staak C.A field study of horses was conducted in the province of Bale, Ethiopian highlands. A rapid questionnaire analysis indicated that dourine, known as "Dirressa", is a major health problem of equines in this area. A total of 121 horses suspected of dourine were examined by use of clinical, parasitological, serological and DNA based techniques. Incoordination of hindlegs (76%), swelling of external genitalia (48.8%) and emaciation (39.7%) were the most common clinical signs observed. Using the haematocrit centrifugation technique (HCT), no trypanosomes were detected in blood, genital washes or tis...
