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.
Bhaskaran S, Jay CM, Berghman LR, Wagner GG, Waghela SD.Bovine colibacillosis caused by enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) is a worldwide problem. Adhesion of ETEC to intestinal cell receptors mediated by the surface protein F5 fimbriae is the initial step in the establishment of colibacillosis. Prevention of ETEC F5(+) adhesion to enterocytes protects newborn calves against collibacillosis. On the enterocytes, the F5 fimbriae bind to a ganglioside that is also found on horse red blood cells. Thus, the presence of F5 fimbriae induces haemagglutination, which is useful as an indicator in a functional assay system. In this study, recombinant ant...
Egenvall A, Penell JC, Bonnett BN, Olson P, Pringle J.The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential usefulness of the database maintained by the Swedish insurance company Agria for providing disease statistics on Swedish horses. The demography of the horses insured for veterinary care during the period 1997 to 2000 was recorded and the incidence of morbidity, defined as horses that required veterinary care that cost more than the policy excess, was calculated. Yearly incidences were calculated for horses that required veterinary care at least once, first overall, and then for horses with complete insurance, by sex, age, breed group, breed, ...
Spiridonov SI, Gontarenko IA, Mukusheva MK, Fesenko SV, Semioshkina NA.The paper describes mathematical models for 137Cs behavior in the organism of horses and sheep pasturing on the bording area to the testing area "Ground Zero" of the Semipalatinsk Test Site. The models are parameterized on the base of the data from an experiment with the breeds of animals now commonly encountered within the Semipalatinsk Test Site. The predictive calculations with the models devised have shown that 137Cs concentrations in milk of horses and sheep pasturingon the testing area to "Ground Zero" can exceed the adopted standards during a long period of time.
Alberti A, Zobba R, Chessa B, Addis MF, Sparagano O, Pinna Parpaglia ML, C뻝u T, Pintori G, Pittau M.The presence of Anaplasma phagocytophilum, a tick-transmitted zoonotic pathogen, was investigated in Sardinia using a molecular approach. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that Sardinian strains are genetically distinct from the two lineages previously described in Europe and are closely related to strains isolated in different areas of the United States.
Fernández-Bellon H, Solano-Gallego L, Bardagí M, Alberola J, Ramis A, Ferrer L.Leishmania infantum infection has recently been described in horses in Europe. We report the results of a study on the immune response to L. infantum in horses living in an area endemic for leishmaniosis in NE Spain. Two ELISAs using protein A and anti-horse IgG conjugates were adapted to measure specific antibodies to L. infantum in horse sera. A lymphocyte proliferation assay (LPA) of peripheral blood mononuclear cells to L. infantum antigen was also performed to detect specific cellular immune response to Leishmania. Anti-L. infantum antibodies were detected in the serum of 16 of the horses...
Newton AM, Nielsen AM.The literature contains many studies on the types of injuries sustained in horseback riding incidents. Most advocate the use of equestrian helmets to prevent head trauma. However, information is limited on other specific prevention strategies. Methods: A 4-year, retrospective, and prospective review of medical records pertaining to horse-related injuries in a southwestern Colorado hospital yielded a sample of 85 patients who had been injured while riding or tending to horses. In addition to the record review, patients were interviewed during ED discharge, inpatient treatment, or in a follow-up...
Dauphin G, Zientara S.West Nile virus, a flavivirus transmitted by mosquitoes, has been intensively studied since a few years because of epidemics/epizootics it has caused the last ten years, in particular around the Mediterranean basin and on the North-American continent. This virus mainly circulates in birds ; migrating bird species disseminate the virus while resident species could play a role in viral cycle amplification. A large number of mammal, amphibian and reptile species can also be infected. This virus can cause a lethal disease in humans and horses. For this reason, an active and/or passive surveillance...
Rosskopf U, Noeske K, Werner E.The bacterium Clostridium (C.) tetani is an ubiquitous pathogen. This anaerobic, gram-positive bacterium can form spores and can be found in the whole environment. It enters the body via injuries of the skin and wounds where it releases the neurotoxin "tetanospasmin" (= tetanus toxin). The animals most susceptible to tetanus infection are horses and sheep. Only active immunisation by tetanus vaccine provides effective protection against tetanus intoxication. The marketing authorisation requirements stipulate that efficacy of tetanus vaccines ad us. vet. must be demonstrated in all target anima...
Fitzgibbon JE, Sagripanti JL.The development of a method in macroarray format for the identification of alphaviruses and orthopoxviruses in samples of concern in biodefense is reported. Capture oligonucleotides designed to bind generic members of the orthopox- or alphavirus families and a collection of additional oligonucleotides to bind specifically nucleic acids from five individual alphaviruses, including Venezuelan equine encephalitis, or DNA from each of four orthopoxviruses, including variola virus (VAR) were deposited onto nylon membranes. Hybridization of digoxigenin labeled PCR products to the macroarray produced...
Simonen-Jokinen T, Maisi P, Tervahartiala T, McGorum B, Pirie S, Sorsa T.Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are involved in tissue destruction in allergic airway diseases. We studied the ability of various allergenic substances to directly activate recombinant 92kDa proMMP-9. The substances included hay dust suspension (HDS) and its components (supernatant, particulate matter and wash fluid of particulate matter), storage mite extract and two Aspergillus fumigatus extracts. The allergen suspensions were incubated in vitro with proMMP-9. After incubation the conversion of proMMP-9 to 10kDa lower active forms were studied using gelatin zymography and Western immunoblot...
Nardoni S, Mancianti F, Sgorbini M, Taccini F, Corazza M.Fungal agents are responsible for a variety of respiratory diseases both in humans and animals. The nature and seasonal variations of fungi have been investigated in many environments with wide ranging results. The aims of the present report were (i) to evaluate the quality and magnitude of exposure to airborne fungi in three differently structured equine stalls (open air, partially and completely enclosed buildings) during a one-year period, using an air sampling technique and (ii) to compare the distribution and frequency of fungal species, with regards to these different environments. Air s...
Neubauer H, Sprague LD, Zacharia R, Tomaso H, Al Dahouk S, Wernery R, Wernery U, Scholz HC.Burkholderia mallei causes glanders or farcy in solipeds, a disease that must be reported to the OIE (Office International des Epizooties, Paris, France). The number of reported outbreaks has increased steadily during the last decade. Serodiagnosis is hampered by the considerable number of false-positives and -negatives of the internationally prescribed tests. The major problem leading to low sensitivity and specificity of complement fixation test (CFT) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) has been linked to the test antigens currently used, i.e. crude preparations of whole cells. Fut...
Ward MP.Since first being detected in New York in 1999, West Nile virus (WNV) has spread throughout the United States and more than 20,000 cases of equine WNV encephalomyelitis have been reported. A spatial model of disease occurrence was developed, using data from an outbreak of serologically confirmed disease in an unvaccinated population of horses at 108 locations in northern Indiana between 3 August and 17 October 2002. Daily maximum temperature data were recorded at meteorological stations surrounding the study area. The distribution of the total number of degree-days elapsing between July 4 and ...
Naudé TW, Gerber R, Smith RJ, Botha CJ.Datura poisoning of horses is extensively reviewed. An outbreak of intractable impaction colic affecting 18 of 83 horses was stopped by withdrawing dried tef hay contaminated with young Datura plants. The dried, botanically identified Datura stramonium and D. ferox contained respectively 0.15% mass/mass (m/m) hyoscyamine as well as 0.16% m/m hyoscine (scopolamine) and only hyoscine at a concentration of 0.11% m/m. Immature, unidentifiable plants resembling D. stramonium, contained 0.14% m/m and 0.12% m/m of the 2 respective tropane alkaloids. The outbreak was characterised by protracted and re...
Konishi E, Shoda M, Kondo T.Recent reductions in numbers of human and equine Japanese encephalitis (JE) cases in Japan have seen calls to end JE vaccination. Here, we analyzed yearly variations of natural JE virus activity, using sera collected serially in 1998-2003 from racehorses residing in Ibaraki and Shiga prefectures, both located in central Japan. A total of 208 sera from 24 individuals in Ibaraki and 259 from 27 in Shiga were examined for antibodies to JE virus nonstructural 1 (NS1) protein, a marker of natural infection. The natural infection rate in epizootic seasons, which was determined by a significant incre...
Lam KH, Ellis TM, Williams DT, Lunt RA, Daniels PW, Watkins KL, Riggs CM.A horse in Hong Kong that had been vaccinated against Japanese encephalitis suffered a pyrexic episode that culminated in a hyperexcitable state and self-inflicted trauma. Japanese encephalitis was diagnosed on the basis of clinical, pathological and serological observations, and confirmed by the detection of genomic sequences of the virus in spinal cord tissue. Phylogenetic analyses of E gene and NS5-3'UTR sequences revealed divergent clustering of these segments with previously described genotypes, suggesting the possibility that the horse might have been infected with a recombinant between ...
de la Fuente J, Torina A, Caracappa S, Tumino G, Furlá R, Almazán C, Kocan KM.Although Anaplasma marginale was known to be endemic in Italy, the diversity of Anaplasma spp. from this area have not been characterized. In this study, the prevalence of Anaplasma spp. antibodies in randomly selected farm animals collected on the island of Sicily was determined by use of a MSP5 cELISA for Anaplasma spp. and an immunofluorescence test specific for Anaplasma phagocytophilum. Genetic variation among strains of Anaplasma spp. from animals and ticks was characterized using the A. marginale msp1alpha and the Anaplasma spp. msp4 genes. Eight species of ticks were collected and test...
Müntener CR, Gassner B, Demuth DC, Althaus FR, Zwahlen R.We received 62 reports of suspected adverse events (SARs) for the year 2004. Their number and repartition according to affected animals and active substances were comparable with the previous year. The distributors or manufacturers submitted most of the declarations, but the proportion submitted by practicing veterinarians is slowly growing. 72% of the declarations dealt with adverse reactions in small animals (cats and dogs), followed by cattle and horses. Antiparasitics, anti-inflammatory drugs and immunologicals were the most frequently mentioned therapeutic classes, which are listed here a...
Gingrich JB, Williams GM.Paucity of data on host-feeding patterns and behavior of 43 mosquito species that are reported as suspected West Nile virus (WN) vectors has limited full evaluation of their vectorial capacity. Recent studies addressing this issue need additional confirmation and should also be expanded to include collections of species or subpopulations attracted to humans. We used 4 types of collection methods to collect mosquitoes, including omnidirectional Fay-Prince traps, Centers for Disease Control-type light traps, gravid traps, and human-landing collections. Mosquitoes were collected during 2 full WN ...
Dunowska M, Meers J, Wilks CR.To report the first isolation of equine herpesvirus 5 (EHV-5) in New Zealand as part of a study of equine respiratory viruses in New Zealand. Methods: Nasal swabs and peripheral blood leukocytes were collected from 114 foals and adult horses, inoculated on to equine fetal kidney, rabbit kidney and Vero cell lines and observed for cytopathic effect. EHV-5 isolates were identified using an EHV-5 specific polymerase chain reaction. All samples positive for EHV-5 were also checked for the presence of EHV-2, EHV-1 or EHV-4 DNA using published type-specific primers. The polymerase chain reaction res...
Airaksinen S, Heiskanen ML, Heinonen-Tanski H, Laitinen J, Laitinen S, Linnainmaa M, Rautiala S.Respiratory exposure to organic dust induces chronic pulmonary diseases both in farmers and horses. The aim of this study was to examine the variation of dustiness and hygiene quality of peat moss bedding. Materials studied were weakly decomposed sphagnum peat (A), weakly decomposed sphagnum peat warmed up in storage (> 30 degrees C) (B) and two more decomposed few-flowered sedge peats (C and D). The geometric mean of mesophilic fungi, thermotolerant fungi and thermophilic actinomycetes were determined from the material. Samples of inhalable dust and endotoxins were collected with IOM samplers...
O'Mahony R, Abbott Y, Leonard FC, Markey BK, Quinn PJ, Pollock PJ, Fanning S, Rossney AS.Reports of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in animals have become more frequent in recent years. This paper documents the recovery of MRSA from animals with respiratory, urinary tract or wound infection and from animals subjected to surgical procedures following treatment in one veterinary hospital and 16 private veterinary clinics in different geographical locations throughout Ireland. MRSA was recovered from 25 animals comprising 14 dogs, eight horses, one cat, one rabbit and a seal, and also from 10 attendant veterinary personnel. Clinical susceptibility testing suggested...
Lefrançois T, Blitvich BJ, Pradel J, Molia S, Vachiéry N, Pallavicini G, Marlenee NL, Zientara S, Petitclerc M, Martinez D.We conducted extensive surveillance for West Nile virus infection in equines and chickens in Guadeloupe in 2003-2004. We showed a high seroprevalence in equines in 2003 related to biome, followed by a major decrease in virus circulation in 2004. No human or equine cases were reported during the study.
Krcmar S, Hribar LJ, Kopi M.The attraction of female tabanids to Malaise traps and canopy traps baited with aged horse urine, 1-octen-3-ol, or a combination of aged horse urine and acetone was studied in the Kopacki rit Nature Park in Eastern Croatia. Malaise traps captured very few tabanids relative to canopy traps. The number of females of Tabanus tergestinus and Haematopotapluvialis collected from 1-octen-3-ol baited canopy traps differed significantly from traps baited with aged horse urine. However, the number of females of Tabanus bromius, Atylotus loewianus, and Tabanus maculicornis collected from canopy traps bai...
Wood JL, Kelly L, Cardwell JM, Park AW.The transmission of contagious equine metritis (CEM) on stud farms in Britain, Ireland and other European countries is prevented by following the recommendations in the Horserace Betting Levy Board's Code of Practice on CEM. A quantitative risk assessment was undertaken to estimate the likely impact of removing the recommendation, from the 2002 code, to culture endometrial or cervical swabs microaerophilically for the presence of Taylorella equigenitalis, the causative organism. The scientific literature was reviewed for evidence about the anatomical distribution of T. equigenitalis at differe...
Takai S, Sengee S, Madarame H, Hatori F, Yasuoka K, Ochirel E, Sasaki Y, Kakuda T, Tsubaki S, Bandi N, Sodnomdarjaa R.In native Mongolian horses, the incidence and distribution of Rhodococcus equi are poorly understood. One hundred and fourteen equine fecal samples and 71 soil samples were collected from the camp sites of 26 nomadic families located in three areas less than 100 km from Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Five fecal samples were also collected from foals of Przewalski's Horses introduced into the Hustai National Park, Mongolia. No R. equi was isolated from the Mongolian horses or the soil samples. However, three colonies of R. equi were isolated from two fecal samples collected from foals of Przewalski's H...
Zheng J, Guo JG, Wang XF, Zhu HQ.To study the relationship between the livestock trade and schistosomiasis transmission and to provide an evidence for making a strategy of schistosomiasis control in mountainous areas. Methods: A retrospective survey and analysis was conducted to investigate the prevalence of schistosomiasis in both humans and livestock (cattle, horses, mules, donkeys and pigs), and the number and migration of livestock in Weishan County, Yunnan Province in 1980-1991. Results: A positive correlation was found between the infection rate of residents and the numbers of livestock migration (R = 0.9151, P < 0.0...
Wang Y, Zhang LP, Li J, Li DD, Zhang Q, Li C.The aim of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of Babesia caballi and Theileria equi in horses imported into Shanghai port. Between 2018 and 2019, 344 horse sera samples were collected and tested for B. caballi and T. equi, using commercially available kits. Only one B. caballi seropositive sample was detected. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a B. caballi seropositive in imported horses at Shanghai port, which reflects the importance of monitoring piroplasmosis seroprevalence in imported horses.
Karamalla ST, Gubran AI, Adam IA, Abdalla TM, Sinada RO, Haroun EM, Aradaib IE.African horse sickness virus (AHSV) is an infectious non contagious insect-transmitted double-stranded (ds) RNA orbivirus of the family Reoviridae. AHSV causes an often fatal hemorrhagic infection with high mortality among selected breeds of Arabian horses. This study was conducted to avail some information with regard to the prevalence and associated risk factors of AHSV among ecotype breeds of horses in central Sudan. Methods: Sera were collected from 320 horses, which were selected randomly from four localities and employed in the study. A competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (cELI...
Pal M.A total of 257 samples (from 51 cattle, 43 buffalo, 32 goats, 25 dogs, 23 horses, 14 fowl, 9 camels, 7 rabbits, 5 donkeys, 4 antelopes, 3 pigs, 2 monkeys, 1 bear and 38 humans, all with cutaneous disorders) were examined for the presence of Dermatophilus congolensis using standard microbiological techniques. Dermatophilus was identified in 14 specimens (5.45%) both by direct microscopy and by cultural isolation of the pathogen from cutaneous specimens. The infection was recorded in 2 humans, 6 cattle, 3 buffalo, 1 goat, 1 horse and 1 antelope. A history of trauma to the skin was evident in 6 o...
Singh BR.Sixty-nine vaginal swabs and 138 rectal swabs collected from 195 equids were analysed for the presence of thermotolerant bacteria, that is, bacteria surviving at 60+/-0.1 degrees C for one hour. Thermotolerant Escherichia coli, Enterobacter species, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus species and Pseudomonas species were isolated from 41, 16, nine, three and three of the 138 rectal swabs, respectively; seven of the E coli and two of the Enterobacter species isolates survived pasteurisation at 63.8+/-0.1 degrees C for 30 minutes. All except three E coli, two Enterobacter species and one Proteus spec...
Spinaci M, Nerozzi C, Mislei B, Blanco-Prieto O, Mari G, Galeati G, Bucci D.The growing and widespread use of glyphosate-based herbicides (GBHs) has raised an intense public debate about the impact of environmental contamination on animal and human health, including male fertility. The aim of this study was to deepen the impact of glyphosate (Gly) and GBHs on mammalian sperm investigating the effect of in vitro exposure of stallion spermatozoa to Gly and to its commercial formulation Roundup® (R). Spermatozoa were incubated at 37 °C with different Gly or R concentrations (from 0.5 to 720 μg/mL Gly or R at the same Gly-equivalent concentrations). After 1 h of in...
Sajid M, Ahmad MU, Khan MA, Anjum MA, Mushtaq MH.The present study was an attempt to elucidate the seroprevalence of equine influenza virus (H3N8) in two geographically distinct regions of Pakistan where vaccination is not routinely practiced. Methods: A total number of 315 animals of family Equidae were included in the survey. Blood samples and nasal swabs were collected from the same animal and analyzed through ELISA and Hemagglutination Inhibition. Results: The seroprevalence for EIV was 10 and 8.39 in districts under study. Out of 29 ELISA positive sera, 7 (24.1 %) showed antibodies against H1 and 22 (75.9 %) showed against H3 of influen...
Hitchens PL, Ryan K, Koch SI, Scollay MC, Peterson ML.Jockey injuries in North American racing are not well understood. The types and severity of injuries as well as exposure need to be better characterized in order to reduce risk. We consider existing data sources and the opportunity to combine this data with a new data collection effort to better understand and potentially reduce risk to riders. Using a two-phase approach, data appears to be available which would allow useful information on jockey injuries that could inform efforts for risk reduction quickly and with modest resources. Initial successes can help to develop support for a more com...
Schemann K, Gillespie JA, Toribio JA, Ward MP, Dhand NK.Rapid, evidence-based decision-making is critical during a disease outbreak response; however, compliance by stakeholders is necessary to ensure that such decisions are effective - especially if the response depends on voluntary action. This mixed method study evaluated technical policy decision-making processes during the 2007 outbreak of equine influenza in Australia by identifying and analysing the stakeholder network involved and the factors driving policy decision-making. The study started with a review of the outbreak literature and published policy documents. This identified six policy ...
Sellers RF, Maarouf AR.Cases of western equine encephalitis in horses in 1987 in western USA and Manitoba, Canada were examined by backward trajectory analysis of winds. Culex tarsalis mosquitoes infected with western equine encephalitis virus could have been carried on southerly winds from Texas and Oklahoma to northern USA and from there to Manitoba. The presence of the Polar front over North Dakota and Minnesota at the end of July would have led to the landing of Cx. tarsalis in Montana and Wisconsin and prevented further carriage into Manitoba. Temperatures in southern Texas during the winter months (average dai...
Sherman J, Mitchell WR, Martin SW, Thorsen J, Ingram DG.The outbreaks of upper respiratory tract infections in horses at Standardbred racetracks were investigated over a three year period. The most serious epidemics of respiratory disease occurred in the winter and spring seasons. Both influenza viruses and equine herpesvirus 1 were shown to be present in the horse population. The herpesvirus was associated with respiratory disease particularly in the winter but the equine influenza viruses apparently were responsible for the major epidemics of respiratory disease at these tracks. Younger horses, two or three years of age, were particularly suscept...
Rossi TM, Milwid RM, Moore A, O'Sullivan TL, Greer AL.Infectious respiratory disease is a common cause of morbidity among racehorses. Quantification of contact patterns in training facilities could help inform disease prevention strategies. The study objectives were to: i) describe the contact network among horses, locations, and humans at a Standardbred horse training facility in Ontario; ii) describe the characteristics of highly influential individuals; and iii) investigate how management changes alter the network metrics and discuss the potential implications for disease transmission. Proximity loggers detected contacts among horses, staff, a...
Mahlobo-Shwabede SIC, Zishiri OT, Thekisoe OMM, Bakkes D, Bohloa L, Molomo M, Makalo MJR, Mahloane GR, Mtshali MS.A total of 3311 tick specimens were randomly collected from domestic animals including cattle, sheep, goats, horses, donkeys, and dogs from Lesotho districts namely, Berea, Butha-Buthe, Leribe, Mafeteng, Maseru, Mohale's Hoek, Mokhotlong, Qacha's Nek, Quthing and Thaba Tseka. Tick species were identified morphologically and verified by amplification and sequencing of the CO1 and 18S rRNA genes. Nine species were identified under different genera namely, Haemaphysalis elliptica 0.1% (n = 2), Hyalomma rufipes 2.6% (n = 87), Hy. truncatum 1.2% (n = 41), Otobius megnini 13.6% (n = 451), Rh...
Sato W, Sukmawinata E, Uemura R, Kanda T, Kusano K, Kambayashi Y, Sato T, Ishikawa Y, Toya R, Sueyoshi M.In this study, we investigated the occurrence of antimicrobial resistance in commensal Escherichia coli isolated from healthy Thoroughbred (TB) racehorses in Japan. A total of 212 fecal samples were individually collected from TB racehorses from March 2017 to August 2018 at Japan Racing Association training centers. E. coli was isolated by using selective agar media, deoxycholate-hydrogen sulfide-lactose (DHL) and eosin methylene blue (EMB). A total of 417 E. coli isolates were examined against 10 antimicrobial agents by using the broth microdilution method. The 417 E. coli isolates were phylo...
Black P, Douglas I, Field H.Hendra virus was first described in 1994 in Australia, causally associated with a cluster of fatal equine and human cases at a thoroughbred racing stable in the Brisbane suburb of Hendra. This year marks the twentieth anniversary of the identification of pteropid bats (flying-foxes) as the natural host of the virus, and it is timely to reflect on a pivotal meeting of an eclectic group of scientists in that process. They included animal and public health experts, environmental scientists, veterinary and horse industry representatives, and wildlife experts. The task was to review and prioritise ...
da Costa Pimenta J, Saavedra MJ, da Silva GJ, Cotovio M.Many emergent pathogenic agents are cross-transmitted from animals to humans. Horses are considered as potential reservoirs of commensal, zoonotic, and multidrug-resistant bacteria. Equine bites could lead to infections caused by these agents, considering equine species as a public health concern. The more it is known about the equine oral microbiota the best secondary problems created by their commensal flora can be controlled. There are very few reports of , a zoonotic and opportunistic bacterium, both in human and veterinary medicine. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the Gram-negativ...
Hifumi T, Akioka K, Tanaka T, Miyoshi N.Alveolar echinococcosis, which is caused by a larval-stage infection of Echinococcus multilocularis, is a zoonosis with public health importance. Recently, alveolar echinococcosis in slaughtered horses has been reported in Japan and Poland. In terms of public health, a highly sensitive and specific diagnostic method is essential for early detection during meat inspection. In this study, the loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay was developed and validated to target the mitochondrial cytochrome b (cob) gene of E. multilocularis. Forty-one hepatic solid nodules obtained from each h...
Scott CJ, de Mestre AM, Verheyen KL, Arango-Sabogal JC.The overall aim of this work was to identify the potential impact of misclassification errors associated with routine screening and diagnostic testing for endometritis in mares. Using Bayesian latent class models (BLCM), specific objectives were to: 1) estimate the diagnostic accuracy of cytology and culture of endometrial swab samples to detect endometritis in mares; 2) assess the impact of different cytology thresholds on test accuracy and misclassification costs; and 3) assess the sensitivity (Se) and specificity (Sp) of a diagnostic strategy including both tests interpreted in series and p...
Gaíva e Silva L, Borges AM, Villalobos EM, Lara Mdo C, Cunha EM, de Oliveira AC, Braga IA, Aguiar DM.The prevalence of antibodies against Equine Influenza Virus (EIV) was determined in 529 equines living on ranches in the municipality of Poconé, Pantanal area of Brazil, by means of the hemagglutination inhibition test, using subtype H3N8 as antigen. The distribution and possible association among positive animal and ranches were evaluated by the chi-square test, spatial autoregressive and multiple linear regression models. The prevalence of antibodies against EIV was estimated at 45.2% (95% CI 30.2 - 61.1%) with titers ranging from 20 to 1,280 HAU. Seropositive equines were found on 92.0% of...
Peckle M, Pires MS, Dos Santos TM, Roier ECR, da Silva CB, Vilela JAR, Paulino PG, Santos HA, Massard CL.The epidemiological aspects of Babesia caballi infection were evaluated in 516 horse samples from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The presence and infestation level of ticks on horses, breed conditions, and animal management were evaluated on each farm through an epidemiological questionnaire. The gene that codes for rhoptry-associated protein-1 (RAP-1) of B. caballi was amplified by nested PCR (nPCR). Among the horses sampled, 17.2% (n = 89/516) presented B. caballi DNA. The characterized samples showed 99-100% similarity with other isolates of B. caballi based on the RAP-1 gene, available in GenBa...
Turner JW, Rutberg AT.There are only two nonlethal approaches with which to manage wildlife populations: remove excess individuals or decrease reproductive rates. In the case of wild horse management, the latter has already been shown to be a more humane and less costly approach. Contraception has been known for many years to be effective in wild horses with regard to both fertility and population alteration. Field testing under real-world management situations is a critical aspect of wildlife contraception assessment. Field testing also requires documentation to justify eventual large-scale use of fertility contro...
Chang LY, Chang SM, Andrews L, Saeedi O.Hippotherapy has recently emerged as a horse-based rehabilitative therapy to improve balance, coordination, and strength in patients with a wide range of medical conditions. Although several studies have demonstrated its effectiveness in restoring balance and gait in patients who have suffered cerebrovascular accidents (CVA), few studies have reported on adverse events associated with the treatment. Methods: This case report describes a female post-stroke patient who fell from a horse during a hippotherapy session. She suffered a closed right zygomaticomaxillary complex fracture and ruptured g...
Gibson MJ, Roca Fraga FJ, Bolwell CF, Gee EK, Rogers CW.The objective of this study was to describe the incident and non-incident reporting of harness racing in New Zealand, the primary injury and reporting outcomes, and to examine horse- and race-level variables associated with the odds of these outcomes. Retrospective stipendiary stewards' reports of race day events during the 2015/16 to 2016/17 racing seasons were examined. The number of incident and non-incident events and binomial exact 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated per 1000 horse starts. Most reports were for non-incidents and an examination was requested for poor performance ...
Crews HM, Dean JR, Ebdon L, Massey RC.The speciation of cadmium in retail pig kidney has been examined by size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) coupled directly to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Approximately 35% of the cadmium from uncooked kidney was soluble after aqueous extraction at pH 8 and SEC - ICP-MS revealed three discrete peaks whose retention times corresponded to estimated relative molecular masses of 1.2 x 10(6), 7.0 x 10(4) and 6 x 10(3)-9 x 10(3). In the cooked kidney, 35% of the Cd was soluble and was all associated with a peak of a relative molecular mass (Mr) of 6 x 10(3)-9 x 10(3). After s...
Issel CJ, McManus JM, Hagius SD, Foil LD, Adams WV, Montelaro RC.Equine infectious anemia has been managed in most countries by the imposition of testing and quarantine regulations. In the United States, about 700,000 of the more than 7,000,000 horses are tested annually. As long as the status of greater than 90% of the horse population remains unknown and horses are transported and congregate in a relatively unrestricted manner, EIA will continue to exact its toll. Therefore, it is incumbent on the scientific community to continue to develop and refine practical and sensitive diagnostic tests for EIA which will be used in an expanding market, to reduce the...
Yoon JH, Kim B, Choi BS, Park SY, Kwag HS, Kim IA, Jeong JY.Here, we present a case of lung cancer in a 48-year-old male horse trainer. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first such case report to include an exposure assessment of respirable crystalline silica (RCS) as a quartz. The trainer had no family history of lung cancer. Although he had a 15 pack/year cigarette-smoking history, he had stopped smoking 12 years prior to his diagnosis. For the past 23 years, he had performed longeing, and trained 7-12 horses per day on longeing arena surfaces covered by recycled sands, the same surfaces used in race tracks. We investigated his workplace RCS ...
Seo HJ, Truong AT, Kim KH, Lim JY, Min S, Kim HC, Yoo MS, Yoon SS, Klein TA, Cho YS.The horse industry has grown rapidly as a leisure industry in the Republic of Korea (ROK) in parallel with an increased demand for equestrian activities. As a result, there has been an increase in horse breeding and equestrian population and potential exposure to ticks and their associated pathogens. To provide a better understanding of the potential disease risks of veterinary and medical importance, a study was conducted to determine the geographical distribution and diversity of ticks collected from horses and vegetation associated with horse racetracks/ranches throughout the ROK. This incl...
Sevcik C, Díaz P, D'Suze G.Specific immunoassays were developed to detect anti-horse, anti-chicken and anti-bovine immunoglobulins in human IgG preparations. Three samples of 5% human IgG for intravenous use ("Inmunoglobulina G Endovenosa al 5%"(trade mark), Quimbiotec CA), were studied. All samples were produced from pools of >2500 plasma units from different donors. One sample was produced from an only Venezuelan plasma pool (2660 donors) and the other two were produced from a 1:1 blend of Venezuelan and Canadian plasma pools. The amounts of human IgG detected were 0.017 (0.015,0.020) mg/ml (n=18) against horse IgG...
Sharma D, Gupta S, Sethi K, Kumar S, Kumar R.Trypanosoma evansi, a hemoflagellate protozoan parasite, causes wasting disease called surra in wide range of animals. Although the organism has been reported from various parts of India, data generated from organized epidemiological study is still in infancy in majority states of India. In the present study, livestock of Himachal Pradesh, India, was targeted for epidemiological investigation of T. evansi infections. A total of 440 equines and 444 cattle serum samples were collected from four agro-climatic zones. Furthermore, serum samples of 280 buffaloes from three different agro-climatic zo...
Halsey LG, Bryce CM.What is the central question of this study? Do available comparative data provide empirical evidence that humans are adapted to endurance running at high ambient temperatures? What is the main finding and its importance? Comparing the results of races that pit man against horse, we find that ambient temperature on race day has less deleterious effects on running speed in humans than it does on their quadrupedal adversary. This is evidence that humans are adapted for endurance running at high ambient temperatures. We debate whether this supports the hypothesis that early man was evolutionarily ...
