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.
Tenbroeck C, Hurst EW, Traub E.Equine encephalomyelitis of the eastern type is a disease of the late summer and fall and cases are found in greatest numbers near salt marshes. The epidemiological findings are against its transmission by contact and favor the view that it is insect borne. Although virus can be demonstrated in the blood of infected horses it is present for a relatively short time, and the possibility that the disease is not primarily an infection of horses but that it is transmitted to them from another host is considered.
Jones FS.The lower nasal mucosa and the pharynx of thirty eastern and twenty-three western horses have been examined for streptococci. Eight of the eastern horses carried non-hemolytic streptococci on the nasal mucosa. From the pharynx of six, non-hepiolytic streptococci were cultivated. The throats of eighteen contained strains of the hemolytic type. The nasal mucosa of the eastern horses failed to show hemolytic streptococci. Eight western horses carried non-hemolytic streptococci in the nasal passage; eight also harbored the hemolytic type. Twenty-two strains were isolated from the pharynx. Eleven w...
Wadsworth AB, Kirkbride MB.Horses immunized to Type I pneumococci developed serum, 0.1 cc. of which protected against 0.5 cc. of a virulent culture, 0.000001 cc. of which killed mice in less than 40 hours. Protective tests of serum from horses immunized to Type II organisms varied, 0.1 cc. protecting, however, in certain instances against 0.1 and 0.01 cc. of virulent homologous culture. Types I and II sera obtained in our experiments with culture sediment and whole culture did not vary markedly for a given type and corresponded closely in their protective titer with samples of sera received from The Rockefeller Institut...
Equine rabies is a sporadic but highly fatal zoonotic disease. The disease persists in wildlife populations throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, and other parts of the world. It remains a threat to all domestic species, including the horse. This article reports recent advances in the molecular virology of the rabies virus and its pathogenesis, and it also reviews the history, clinical signs, diagnostic tests, vaccination protocols, and postexposure management recommendations for the equine species.
Vesicular stomatitis is an infrequent yet important vesicular disease of cattle, horses, and swine. Periodic outbreaks of this disease in the United States have caused economic losses in cattle herds because of decreased production, movement restrictions, and trade embargoes. Vesicular stomatitis causes clinical signs indistinguishable from those of foot-and-mouth disease. It is of utmost importance that appropriate samples are collected from clinical cases of vesicular disease in cattle and swine so a rapid laboratory diagnosis can be made.
Turcotte GK, O'Sullivan TL, Spence KL, Winder CB, Greer AL.Horses may travel for a variety of reasons, leading to potential exposure to pathogens. Typically, these movements are bidirectional with horses returning to their home facility, therefore also risking pathogen exposure to resident horses at home facilities. The Canadian National Farm and Facility Level Biosecurity Standard for the Equine Sector was designed to outline best practices for managing biosecurity at equestrian facilities, however, there is a gap between the implementation of these recommendations and the day-to-day operations of equestrian facilities. This study aimed to explore th...
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 ...
Tian Y, Su Y, Jiang X, Su L, Zhang B, Lv F.The zoonotic pathogen subspecies (SEZ) frequently colonizes equines harmlessly but can occasionally cause disease or cross species barriers. Currently, growing evidence suggests SEZ can lead to severe clinical manifestations in horses and other animals, posing a threat to human and companion animal health. In this study, we sequenced the complete genome of the SEZ strain HT321, a novel sequence type 420 isolated from a donkey with a respiratory infection in China. Subsequently, we conducted comparative genomics, core genome single nucleotide polymorphisms (cgSNP), phylogenetic analysis multi...
Main SC, Ivey JLZ, Strickland LG, Rhinehart JD, Sun X.Land-Grant Institutions and Cooperative Extension Services seek to disseminate information to the public; however, Extension agents differ in areas of expertise, leaving some counties with minimal ability to provide 4-H horse project members with sufficient content knowledge while agents in other counties are more well versed in equine-specific areas. Results from the 2021 and 2023 Tennessee regional and 2022 Eastern National 4-H Hippology contests were used to determine areas of knowledge deficiency. Nutrition, tack, selection, health, and breeds were categories identified as areas in which 4...
Firdausy LW, Fikri F, Wicaksono AP, Çalışkan H, Purnama MTE.Trypanosomiasis is a vector-borne parasitic disease with significant implications for animal health and rural livelihoods in Indonesia. Despite surveillance efforts, comprehensive national-level estimates of its prevalence in domesticated animals remain lacking. This study aimed to synthesize the pooled prevalence of trypanosomiasis across Indonesian provinces, identify contributing factors, and assess trends over time using a systematic review and meta-analysis. Unassigned: A systematic search was conducted in seven electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, Cochrane...
Abbas I, Ahmed F, Muqaddas H, Alberti A, Varcasia A, Sedda L.Climate change can cause spatio-temporal shifts in the epidemiology of various vector borne pathogens, especially in vulnerable areas such as the Mediterranean Basin (MB). Among these pathogens, the West Nile virus (WNV) became endemic in the region. This systematic review and meta-analysis study summarizes WNV epidemiology, molecular characteristics, and surveillance in various MB countries, relying on data and scientific articles on WNV published during 2010-2023. The number of published articles varied across the three MB subregions: Southern Europe (n = 153), North Africa (n = 33), and...
Payette-Stroman A, Ross Y, Ma X, Boutelle C, Holschbach C, Blanton JD, Wallace R.Rabies in livestock in the United States (US) poses a significant public health concern due to the potential for human exposure and economic losses to producers. Understanding the epidemiology of rabies in livestock supports broader One Health goals by enhancing early detection of viral incursions and protecting both animal and human health. This study assessed the epidemiology of rabies in livestock in the US from 2012 to 2021 using surveillance data reported to the National Rabies Surveillance System. A sensitivity analysis was conducted to estimate economic losses, including livestock value...
Akinniyi OO, Lawal TR, Rufai N, Jolayemi KO, Amaje J.African horse sickness (AHS) is endemic in Nigeria. Despite this, little is known about the perspective of horse handlers in Nigeria regarding AHS. The study aimed to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions (KAP) of horse handlers in Southwest Nigeria regarding AHS. A cross-sectional survey study was conducted, which involved convenient sampling of 131 horse handlers in Lagos and Oyo States by February - April 2024. The pre-validated questionnaires were administered via face-to-face interviews, covering demographics, knowledge of AHS transmission, clinical signs, prevention and cont...
Hoxha I, Xhekaj B, Muja-Bajraktari N, Sekulin K, Unterköfler MS, Schlamadinger L, Situmorang T, Fuehrer HP, Obwaller AG, Camp JV, Walochnik J....West Nile virus (WNV, family Flaviviridae) is the most geographically widespread arbovirus affecting humans. It circulates between wild birds and mosquitoes, while humans and horses are dead-end hosts. In recent years, several outbreaks have been reported from European countries, including the Balkan Peninsula. In the Republic of Kosovo, a southern Balkan country, data on WNV are scarce, and neither mosquito monitoring nor WNV surveillance is established. To address this gap, we aimed to assess a first monitoring approach that should set the basis and support future large-scale activities in t...
Zhang XX, Huang X, Li XQ, Wang ZY, Jiang Y, Jiao X, Li Q, Wang J, Zhong FG.Salmonella enterica serovar Kentucky ST198 has been increasingly reported in diverse sources worldwide, emerging as a globally epidemic clone. In this study, we aim to characterise the first isolated S. Kentucky ST198 strain from a horse in China. Methods: Twelve faecal samples were collected from horses at a farm in Shihezi, Xinjiang Province, China, and investigated for the presence of Salmonella. The minimum inhibitory concentrations of 15 antimicrobial agents were determined using the broth microdilution method. The whole genome of Sal140 was sequenced using the Illumina Hiseq platform and...
McCarthy J, Cameron-Whytock HA, Bennet ED.Thoroughbred racing is a major industry, and in recent years, public concerns about equine safety have become more prominent, particularly in relation to on-track injuries and fatalities. This has challenged the industry's social licence to operate (SLO). Objective: To investigate and elucidate how UK and Irish racing stakeholders perceive risks to racehorses on race day and how those risks should be managed. Methods: Qualitative analysis of stakeholder perspectives using a constructionist approach. Methods: Twelve stakeholders from veterinary, communication and regulatory sectors within racin...
Crisman EC, Furr M, Ramachandran A.To determine the seroprevalence of Francisella tularensis in horses in Oklahoma and to describe factors associated with seropositivity. Unassigned: In this observational study, 238 frozen equine serum samples were tested for F tularensis by microagglutination assay (MAT). Samples were collected from 36 of 77 Oklahoma counties from 2021 through 2023. Exclusion criteria included insufficient sample quantity, cross-reactivity to Brucella abortus, and county outside of Oklahoma. The Fisher exact test was used to compare the proportion of positive tests by year, river basin, and topographic region....
Arshad A, Reif AH, Cavalleri JV, Desvars-Larrive A.Equids serve diverse roles in contemporary society. Their use as companion animals, in sports, transportation, and food production brings them into close contact with humans, creating potential zoonotic risks. This review had two objectives: (i) to catalogue zoonotic pathogens detected in equids across Central Europe, and (ii) to analyse research trends and collaborations in equid zoonosis studies within the region. We conducted a systematic literature search following PRISMA guidelines to identify publications on naturally occurring zoonotic pathogens in equids from nine countries: Austria, t...
Dachraoui K, Ben Osman R, Ben Slama S, Sayadi A, Maachach Y, Trifi M, Labidi I, Lachheb J, Badr C, Larbi I, Zhioua E.A total of 20 horses belonging to the Pasteur Institute of Tunis used for the production of therapeutic serum antiscorpion venom were tested for the presence of antibodies anti-West Nile virus (WNV) during the 2023 outbreak of West Nile disease that affected humans and horses in Tunisia. Of the 20 samples tested in November 2023 by enzyme-linked immuno-sorbent assay (ELISA), five were positive, leading to a seroprevalence of 25%. Since the number of horses is not substantial, all samples were tested also by virus microneutralization test (MNT) using the Tunisian strain of WNV lineage 1 isolate...
Loder RT, Walker AL, Blakemore LC. Equestrian activities can result in spine injuries. Most studies are from single centers, and none use a national database. It was the purpose of this study to describe the demographics, injury mechanisms, and types of equestrian-associated spinal injuries using a US national ED database. The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System database was queried for equestrian-related spine injuries from 2000-2023. ED disposition was categorized as discharged or not discharged. Statistical analyses accounted for the weighted, stratified nature of the data to obtain national estimates. There we...
McGlennon AA, Verheyen KL, Newton JR, van Tonder A, Wilson H, Parkhill J, de Brauwere N, Frosth S, Waller AS.Strangles (Streptococcus equi infection) remains endemic in the UK, with ~300 laboratory diagnoses annually. Sub-clinically infected long-term carriers are considered a key driver of endemicity. Analysing genomes of circulating strains could provide valuable transmission insights of this pathogen. Objective: To determine the population structure and diversity of UK S. equi isolates and to model transmission using epidemiological and whole genome sequencing data. Methods: Retrospective cross-sectional epidemiological and genomic surveillance. Methods: A dated phylogenetic tree derived from 511â...
Firdausy LW, Fikri F, Wicaksono AP, Çalışkan H, Purnama MTE.Equine infectious anemia (EIA) is a lentiviral disease affecting members of the Equidae family, with global distribution and significant implications for animal health and biosecurity. Despite numerous individual reports, a comprehensive synthesis of its global prevalence and risk factors remains lacking. This study aimed to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate the global prevalence of EIA, identify diagnostic trends, and evaluate factors associated with heterogeneity across studies. Unassigned: A systematic search was conducted in six major databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web ...
Ghielmetti G, Stevens MJA, Schmitt S, Kittl S, Cernela N, Biggel M, Schulthess B, Keller PM, Schrenzel J, Stephan R.Rhodococcus equi is an intracellular bacterial pathogen that can cause infections in various hosts, including humans and animals. Host-associated virulence plasmids have been identified as key contributors to the pathogenicity of R. equi and potentially play a role in determining the host tropism of the bacteria. The investigation of additional clinical and environmental isolates is likely to provide novel insights into the population structure, infection pathways, and drug resistance of this important pathogen. We combined whole-genome sequencing and antimicrobial-susceptibility testing of 37...
Douglas M, Williams J, Randle H.Recent research has highlighted the detrimental impact of an ill-fitting saddle on equine health, welfare and performance. A correctly fitting saddle may not fit if positioned incorrectly. Objective: This study assessed riders' ability to visually evaluate saddle position and examine factors that influenced accuracy of assessment. Methods: Survey participants were provided with photographs of a series of saddles on horses obtained from the lateral aspect of the left side of the horse. Saddles were either correctly positioned (n = 5), too far forward (n = 5) or too far back (n = 2). This was in...
Smith R, Perkins E, Pinchbeck G, Ireland J.Poor pain management in horses is a welfare concern. The 'diagnosis' of pain cannot be separated from the broader set of interactions through which it emerges. The interactions that take place during veterinary consultations shape the ways in which, or whether, pain management is discussed. Objective: To understand owners' and veterinarians' decision making in relation to chronic pain and its management. Methods: Qualitative ethnographic study. Methods: Data were collected from four veterinary practices in Great Britain between May 2023 and April 2024. Around 200 h of ethnographic observatio...
Silva VVD, Leite DPSBM, Gonçalves LMT, Oliveira PRF, Junior JWP, Mota RA.Glanders, caused by Burkholderia mallei, is a zoonotic disease with profound socioeconomic and public health implications, affecting equines and humans. This study investigated glanders cases in Brazil from 2006 to 2023 to identify persistent clusters and analyze temporal trends, providing a foundation for the formulation of effective control policies. Official data were obtained from the National Animal Health Information System (SIZ) and Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), encompassing case notifications and equine population statistics by state and year. The incidence ri...
Imandar M, Javadi A, Abdollahpour G, Mahale PRS, Qanbari A, Mirzaalimohammadi M, Taherkhani E, Olfatifar M, Nikkhahi F, Eslahi AV, Badri M.Leptospirosis, a global zoonotic disease caused by pathogenic Leptospira spp., poses significant health risks to both animals and humans. This study aimed to assess the seroprevalence of antibodies against Leptospira interrogans serovars in stabled horses in Qazvin province, Northwest Iran. From January 2023 to April 2024, a total of 83 blood samples were collected from asymptomatic horses using the microscopic agglutination test (MAT). Results indicated a seroprevalence of 40.96% (95% CI: 31-52), with notable variations among regions: 38.89% (95% CI: 27-52) in Qazvin, 38.46% (95% CI: 18-64) i...
Saraiva MMS, Rodrigues HLS, Benevides VP, de Leon CMCG, Santos SCL, Stipp DT, Givisiez PEN, Vieira RFC, Oliveira CJB. () is a major cause of opportunistic infections in humans and animals, leading to severe systemic diseases. The rise of MDR strains associated with animal carriage poses significant health challenges, underscoring the need to investigate animal-derived . Objective: This study examined the genotypic relatedness and phenotypic profiles of antimicrobial resistance in . , previously sampled from nostril swabs of healthy horses from two geographically distant Brazilian states (Northeast and South), separated by over 3700 km. The study also sought to confirm the presence of methicillin-resistant (M...
Kholik K, Sukri A, Priscilia Riwu KH, Ayu IW, Dewi IN.The transmission of () containing virulent genes from animals to humans and the environment poses significant public health challenges. This study aimed to detect the virulence factor of the () in isolated from the feces of apparently healthy horses in the island of Sumbawa, Indonesia. The study utilized 52 fecal samples from a total horse population of 283, calculated using the disease detection formula. Fresh feces were collected immediately after excretion and placed in buffered peptone water for subsequent analysis. The samples were then isolated on eosin methylene blue media and identi...
Picanço EMB, Assis FFV, Peleja PL, Sousa ABB, Barrêto Júnior RA, Lima RF, Neves KAL, Minervino AHH.This study aimed to determine the prevalence of antibodies against equine brucellosis in three distinct equid groups (farm animal, urban carthorse, and sport horse) in Western Pará, Brazil, and to identify associated risk factors. A cross-sectional study, involving 75 farms across 14 municipalities, sampled 1069 equids composed of urban carthorses and sport horses. Serum samples were tested for antibodies against spp. using the buffered acidified plate antigen (BAPA) test for screening, followed by the serum agglutination in tubes with 2-mercaptoethanol (2-ME) for confirmation. Univariate an...
Diptera-borne diseases pose a major threat to global health, and their distribution is constantly changing due to climate change, globalization, and environmental changes. To improve the knowledge of dipteran species and their distribution in equine facilities, CDC-UV and oviposition traps were placed, and the dipping technique was performed in 16 equestrian centers of Northwest (NW) Spain (Galicia and Castilla y León Autonomous Communities) between July and November 2023. A questionnaire was distributed among the horse owners to obtain additional information. Four genera of culicids, (51.8%...
Żmudzki J, Ostrowska M, Arent Z, Frant M, Kochanowski M, Nowak A, Zębek S, Kalinowski D, Podgórska K.Leptospirosis in horses is associated with various clinical signs, potentially leading to fatal outcomes. Additionally, the disease may pose a zoonotic risk to individuals involved in handling infected animals. Implementing a serological monitoring programme in the equine population is one of the key tools used to reduce the risk of transmission of Leptospira infections to humans. Objective: To provide new insights into the seroprevalence of leptospirosis in domestic horses in Poland. Methods: Serological monitoring program. Methods: Data were collected from serological surveys of horse serum ...
Loder RT, Walker AL, Blakemore LC.IntroductionAmputations and avulsion injuries due to horse-associated activity are rare, yet they can result in significant impairment. The purpose of this study was to further investigate such injuries using a national emergency department database.MethodsThe US National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) was used to identify horse-associated amputation and avulsion injuries occurring between 2000-2023. Demographic data of age, sex, and injury details were collected.ResultsThere were 34,091 emergency department visits for equine-associated injuries, with 120 (0.35%) due to amputati...
