Topic:Public Health
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.
The prevalence of serum antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii in Ontario mammals. The prevalence of seropositive reactions to Toxoplasma gondii was studied in farm animals, companion animals, wild rodents and birds. Of the animals tested, 17% of cattle, 65% of sheep, 45% of pigs, 9% of horses, 33% of dogs and 20% of cats were seropositive by the Sabin-Feldman dye test. In addition 11% of mice (Mus musculus), 5% of deer mice (Peromyscus), 3% of rats (Rattus norvegicus) and less than 2% of sparrows (Passer domestcus) were seropositive. All samples from short-tailed field mice (Microtus pennsylvanicus), squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis), chipmunks (Tamias striatus), meadow jump...
Occurrence and distribution of western equine encephalomyelitis in Florida. Research and surveillance programs relating to the occurrence and distribution of western equine encephalomyelitis virus in Florida, conducted between 1955 and 1976, suggest that the virus is (1) an endemic arbordae, (2) transmitted in a continuous cycle throughout the year by Culiseta melanura mosquitoes, and (3) restricted to fresh water swamps and waterways in central, north, and northwest Florida.
Eastern equine encephalitis in Massachusetts, 1957-1976. A prospective study centered upon analyses of mosquitoes. Reappearance of eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) in Massachusetts residents in the 1970's provided an opportunity to assess the predictive value of data on rainfall, EEE in horses, and carriage of EEE virus (EEEV) by mosquitoes, factors which had been studied annually since the last EEE outbreak in 1955-1956. The cycle of multiple cases during 1973-1975 started in a second consecutive year of rainfall that exceeded the annual mean by more than 20 cm, conditions recapitulating the 1955-1956 experience. In 1973, widespread EEE fatalities in horses presaged human cases, another recapitulation of...
Prevalence and epizootiology of equine salmonellosis. Feces from 1,451 horses entering a veterinary hospital over a 13-month period were cultured for salmonella. A total of 46 horses (3.2%) yielded 1 or more salmonella-positive fecal cultures. Twenty horses were found to be excreting salmonella in the feces on admission, and 5 of these later had severe diarrhea associated with enteric salmonellosis. Abdominal surgery and other severe stresses were associated with all cases of severe enteric salmonellosis. Serotypes of salmonella isolated included Salmonella agona (15), S anatum (14), S typhimurium (7), S typhimurium var copenhagen (4), S infantis...
Role of horse flies in transmission of wquine infectious anemia from carrier ponies. Equine infectious anemia virus was transmitted from an acutely ill and an inapparently infected pony to uninfected ponies by the interrupted feeding of horse flies (tabanids). Transmission from acutely ill ponies was not accomplished following: (1) the interrupted feeding of a single horse fly, (2) bites of horse flies that had fed on an acutely affected pony 24 hours earlier, (3) bites of horse flies that had oviposited after feeding on an acutely affected pony, or (4) the inoculation of larval material derived from horse flies that had fed to repletion. It was concluded that horse fly transm...
[Immunodiffusion serologic study of equine infectious anemia in the Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina]. Twenty seven per cent of 238 serum samples obtained from horses with clinical diagnosis were positive for the immunodifusion test, while 17% of the 452 sera obtained from asintomatic horses were positive. Twenty one per cent of the 870 sera studied were positive.
Antibodies to Akabane virus in Australia. Neutralising antibody to Akabane virus was shown to develop in cattle in northern Australia throughout the year and also on the east coast of New South Wales in the summer during 1975/1976. Other species found to have antibody to Akabane virus were buffaloes, horses, camels and sheep, but no antibody was found in domestic chickens, ducks, wallabies or man. The biting midge Culicoides brevitarsis has been detected in all the major areas where antibody was demonstrated in this study.
Equine leptospirosis with some clinical observations. In a serologic survey on equine leptospirosis in Egypt, the following incidences of leptospiral serosensitivity were found: 1. Hospitalised horses 65/113 (57.5 %). 2. Hospitalised donkeys 90/125 (72.0 %). 3. Apparently healthy horses 21/72 (29.1 %). Sera of these animals were mostly reacting to serotypes butembo, pomona, icterohemorragiae, and grippotyphosa. Equine in Egypt are close animals to humans and may constitute a potential source of leptospiral infection. From the clinical point of view, it is very possible that ocular, hoof lesions and icterus in equines would be expected with leptos...
The long search for the causes of congenital malformations in mammals. The history of teratology is reviewed. Methods available for causing malformations in mammals by subtle changes in the environment during pregnancy are discussed. A table is provided in which the commoner teratogens are listed. Methods are described by means of which the activity of some common teratogens may be opposed. The occurrence at Battle Creek, Michigan, USA, of a chemical agent dangerous to health, life and development of all mammals is described. This gives an indication that injury and death to all mammals, as in the Sevaso disaster, including teratogenesis may be expected to be a f...
A survey of biting flies attacking equines in three states of the southwestern United States, 1972. A survey of biting flies in the southwestern United States resulted in the recovery of 34 species as they attacked equines. The geographic distribution of each species at 15 sites and the abundance of attacking flies were used to determine that 22 species commonly attack equines. Culicoides variipennis (Coquillett) was the most common species collected; it was recovered at 12 sites and comprised the highest percentage (29.8%) of the total survey catch for all species collected. The next 2 most common species were Psorophora columbiae (Dyar & Knab) and Aedes vexans (Meigen). C. variipennis was ...
Serologic survey of leptospiral antibodies in horses in California. A serologic survey was made of the prevalence of common leptospiral infections in horses in California. A total of 465 serums were tested, using the microscopic agglutination method, against 5 leptospiral serotypes: Leptospira pomona, Leptospira icterohaemorrhagiae, Leptospira canicola, Leptospira grippotyphosa, and Leptospira hardjo. Of the serums tested, 127 (27.30%) were positive against 1 or more of the leptospires, with percentage distribution among the reactors as follows: L pomona, 12.47%; L icterohaemorrhagiae, 10.32%; L canicola, 3.22%; L grippotyphosa, 0.86%; and L hardjo, 0.43%. The...
Inactivation of equine infectious anemia virus by chemical disinfectants. Twelve chemicals and commercial disinfectants were tested for inactivation of equine infectious anemia virus. In the presence of 10% bovine serum, all chemicals inactivated 4 log10 (based on 0.1 ml) of the virus within 5 minutes at 23 C. A reduction of at least 4 log10 was observed when the virus was exposed for 1 minute to substituted phenolic disinfectants (3 commercial preparations and sodium orthophenylphenate), halogen derivatives (iodophor and sodium hypochlorite), chlorhexidine, and 70% ethanol. Sodium hydroxide (5%), 2% formalin, and 2% glutaraldehyde were slower to inactivate the viru...