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.
Sauermann CW, Leathwick DM, Lieffering M, Nielsen MK.Climate change is likely to influence livestock production by increasing the prevalence of diseases, including parasites. The traditional practice of controlling nematodes in livestock by the application of anthelmintics is, however, increasingly compromised by the development of resistance to these drugs in parasite populations. This study used a previously developed simulation model of the entire equine cyathostomin lifecycle to investigate the effect a changing climate would have on the development of anthelmintic resistance. Climate data from six General Circulation Models based on four di...
Díaz-Sánchez AA, Chilton NB, Roblejo-Arias L, Fonseca-Rodríguez O, Marrero-Perera R, Diyes CP, Yunik MEM, Lobo-Rivero E, Corona-González B.Spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsiae are obligatory intracellular bacteria that cause disease in humans and other animals. Ixodid ticks are the principal vectors of SFG rickettsiae. The present study aimed to determine the prevalence and species identity of SFG rickettsiae in ticks and horses from urban and rural areas of western Cuba using PCR assays. Tick samples, collected from 79 horses, consisted of 14 Amblyomma mixtum adults, 111 Dermacentor nitens adults and 19 pools of D. nitens nymphs (2-5 individuals/pool). The PCR results revealed the presence of Rickettsia spp. in 64% of the A. mi...
Ryan KD, Brodine J, Pothast J, McGoldrick A.Horseracing is among the most popular and increasingly lucrative industry sports in the nation. The average jockey must control a thoroughbred horse 10 times their weight that may act unpredictably whether at rest or full gallop resulting in falls, kicks, or even biting injuries. Despite the risks, jockeys do not have access to the same quality of medical care that is standard in similarly profitable sports organizations. Beyond the mental and physical demands of training and performance endured by any professional athlete, jockeys are confronted with health challenges unique to their sport. I...
Taylor K, Thomas S, Mendez D, Chicken C, Carrick J, Heller J, Durrheim D.Employees in the equine industry are at occupational risk of zoonoses such as Hendra virus and equine chlamydiosis through exposure to infected materials. This study aimed to gain a deeper understanding of the views and experiences of employees, and the key drivers of infection control and personal biosecurity (PB) practices in the Thoroughbred breeding industry. Methods: An exploratory qualitative study was conducted in 2018 in New South Wales, Australia using interviews (9) and small group discussions (7). The 29 participants included veterinarians, veterinary nurses, foaling staff, stud man...
Selim A, Khater H.Equine piroplasmosis (EP) is caused by Theileria equi and/or Babesia caballi and has economic importance particularly in equines reared in poor management systems. This study is based on cELISA test to study the seroprevalence of EP among 370 horses and 150 donkeys in four Governorates north Egypt. Additionally, its risk factors were studied for the first time. The seroprevalence rates 36.5 %, 20 %, and 5.6 % for T. equi, B. caballi, and mixed infections, respectively. The highest antibody levels against T. equi were detected in Kafr ElSheikh (40 %) and Giza (40.1 %) Governorates, whereas thos...
Fenner K, Dashper K, Wilkins C, Serpell J, McLean A, Wilson B, McGreevy P.Over the last decade, equitation scientists have increasingly relied on online survey tools to gather information on horse training, management, behaviour and other equine-related subjects. With a detailed knowledge of their animals, horse owners and riders are ideally placed to contribute to research but are sometimes reluctant to engage with and devote time to surveys. The current article reveals, through consultation with stakeholder groups, the potential of a range of motivational items to boost horse-owner participation. A short, three-question inquiry was developed to rank respondents' (...
Vasco ACCM, Dubeux JCB, Wallau MO, Wickens CL, Warren LK.This study used an online survey to gather information on forage utilization and pasture management practices implemented on horse farms in Florida. We hypothesized that pastures were inadequately managed and underutilized, resulting in greater reliance on hay. Data from 80 complete responses were submitted to descriptive analysis and Fisher's exact test. Significantly associated variables were also evaluated using multiple correspondence analysis. The primary function of the facility most reported was recreational horse use (62%). Nearly all operations (n = 79) had pasture available, with 57...
Laroucau K, Aaziz R, Vorimore F, Varghese K, Deshayes T, Bertin C, Delannoy S, Sami AM, Al Batel M, El Shorbagy M, Almutawaa KAW, Alanezi SJ....Glanders is a contagious zoonotic disease caused by Burkholderia mallei. Following the detection of glanders positive horses using the OIE complement fixation test, the tissues of two horses were analysed by PCR. While PCR systems targeting the Burkholderia pseudomallei complex gave positive signals, the species-specific PCR systems targeting B. mallei (fliP-IS407A) and B. pseudomallei (orf11)-the OIE recommended targets-resulted in negative signals. However, the presence of B. mallei in these tissues was confirmed with a recently described B. mallei-specific real-time PCR system and genot...
Tapia D, Sanchez-Villamil JI, Torres AG.Burkholderia mallei (Bm) is a facultative intracellular pathogen and the etiological agent of glanders, a highly infectious zoonotic disease occurring in equines and humans. The intrinsic resistance to antibiotics, lack of specific therapy, high mortality, and history as a biothreat agent, prompt the need of a safe and effective vaccine. However, the limited knowledge of protective Bm-specific antigens has hampered the development of a vaccine. Further, the use of antigen-delivery systems that enhance antigen immunogenicity and elicit robust antigen-specific immune responses has been limited a...
van Rijn PA, Maris-Veldhuis MA, Grobler M, Wright IM, Erasmus BJ, Maartens LH, Potgieter CA.African horse sickness virus (AHSV) is a virus species in the genus Orbivirus of the family Reoviridae causing African Horse Sickness (AHS) in equids with a mortality of about 95% in naïve horses. AHS causes serious losses in developing countries where horses play a central role in draft power and transportation. There are nine AHSV serotypes inducing no or low cross-neutralizing antibodies. AHSV is spread by biting Culicoides midges. AHS is endemic in sub-Saharan Africa, and a serious threat outside Africa, since Culicoides species in moderate climate conditions are spreading the closely rel...
Mera Y Sierra R, Neira G, Bargues MD, Cuervo PF, Artigas P, Logarzo L, Cortiñas G, Ibaceta DEJ, Lopez Garrido A, Bisutti E, Mas-Coma S.Fascioliasis is a zoonotic disease caused by liver flukes transmitted by freshwater lymnaeid snails. Donkey and horse reservoir roles have been highlighted in human endemic areas. Liver fluke infection in mules has received very limited research. Their role in disease transmission, epidemiological importance and Fasciola hepatica pathogenicity are studied for the first time. Prevalence was 39.5% in 81 mules from Aconcagua, and 24.4% in 127 from Uspallata, in high-altitude areas of Mendoza province, Argentina. A mean amount of 101,242 eggs/mule/day is estimated. Lymnaeids from Uspallata proved ...
Tahoun A, Elnafarawy HK, Elmahallawy EK, Abdelhady A, Rizk AM, El-Sharkawy H, Youssef MA, El-Khodery S, Ibrahim HMM.Diagnosis and treatment of ocular fungal infection in equine seems very challenging for owners and clinicians. The present study aimed to identify and characterize fungal species isolated from the eyes of clinically healthy and diseased equines (N = 100) from Dakahlia Governorate, Egypt. The work also involved morphological and molecular characterization of the major fungal species. In addition, correlations between the occurrence of isolated fungi and some of the potential risk factors were also investigated. Interestingly, the prevalence rate of ocular mycosis in all examined equines in the ...
Abigail McGlennon of the Animal Health Trust and Andrea Vilela of the Redwings Horse Sanctuary describe the creation and impact of a new initiative to tackle strangles in UK horses.
Guerrero-Carvajal F, Bravo-Barriga D, Martín-Cuervo M, Aguilera-Sepúlveda P, Ferraguti M, Jiménez-Clavero MÁ, Llorente F, Alonso JM, Frontera E.West Nile virus (WNV) is a mosquito-borne emerging virus in Europe with capacity to cause neurological complications such as encephalitis or meningoencephalitis in humans, birds or equids. In Spain, WNV is actively circulating in mosquitoes, birds and horses in different regions, but never has been deeply studied in Extremadura. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the seroprevalence of WNV in equids of those areas and to analyse the risk factors associated with exposure to the virus. A total of 199 out of 725 equids presented antibodies against WNV by competition ELISA (27.45%), w...
Rossi SL, Russell-Lodrigue KE, Plante KS, Bergren NA, Gorchakov R, Roy CJ, Weaver SC.Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV) is a re-emerging virus of human, agriculture, and bioweapon threat importance. No FDA-approved treatment is available to combat Venezuelan equine encephalitis in humans, prompting the need to create a vaccine that is safe, efficacious, and cannot be replicated in the mosquito vector. Here we describe the use of a serotype ID VEEV (ZPC-738) vaccine with an internal ribosome entry site (IRES) to alter gene expression patterns. This ZPC/IRES vaccine was genetically engineered in two ways based on the position of the IRES insertion to create a vaccine th...
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...
Rodríguez M, Joseph S, Pfeffer M, Raghavan R, Wernery U.African horse sickness (AHS) is a serious viral disease of equids resulting in the deaths of many equids in sub-Saharan Africa that has been recognized for centuries. This has significant economic impact on the horse industry, despite the good husbandry practices. Currently, prevention and control of the disease is based on administration of live attenuated vaccines and control of the arthropod vectors. Results: A total of 29 horses in 2 groups, were vaccinated. Eighteen horses in Group 1 were further divided into 9 subgroups of 2 horses each, were individually immunised with one of 1 to 9 AHS...
Collado-Mateo D, Lavín-Pérez AM, Fuentes García JP, García-Gordillo MÁ, Villafaina S.Background and objectives: Chronic pain is a complex global public health problem that affects the health status, quality of life, activities of daily living, and different work-related variables. Riding a horse may lead to some benefits in chronic pain patients through the improvement of postural control and other biopsychosocial processes. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effects of horse riding (with real or simulated horses) on chronic pain. Materials and methods: A systematic literature search was carried out in accordance with PRISMA guidelines in...
Bakhshi H, Beck C, Lecollinet S, Monier M, Mousson L, Zakeri S, Raz A, Arzamani K, Nourani L, Dinparast-Djadid N, Failloux AB.Recent expansion of arboviruses such as West Nile (WNV), Usutu (USUV), and tick-borne encephalitis (TBEV) over their natural range of distribution needs strengthening their surveillance. As common viral vertebrate hosts, birds and horses deserve special attention with routine serological surveillance. Here, we estimated the seroprevalence of WNV, USUV and TBEV in 160 migrating/resident birds and 60 horses sampled in Mazandaran, Golestan, North Khorasan, Kordestan provinces and Golestan province of Iran respectively. ELISA results showed that of 220 collected samples, 32 samples (14.54%), inclu...
Bergmann IM.The idea of what is natural has particular relevance in the thoroughbred racing and breeding discourse. It guides breeding regulations; influences how the thoroughbreds' behaviour is perceived and has implications for husbandry, handling, training and racing practices. This study investigates how key industry and animal advocacy informants based in the US, Australia and the UK conceptualise naturalness within the context of common racing practices that potentially impact the horses' welfare. The informants were interviewed using semi-structured interviewing and photo-elicitation. Four common i...
Sukmawinata E, Sato W, Uemura R, Kanda T, Kusano K, Kambayashi Y, Sato T, Ishikawa Y, Toya R, Sueyoshi M.In this study, the occurrence of antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) enterococci was evaluated in Thoroughbred (TB) racehorses in Japan. Fecal samples were collected from 212 healthy TB racehorses at the Miho and Ritto Training Centers of the Japan Racing Association from March 2017 to August 2018. Isolation and identification were performed by enterococcus selective medium and confirmed to the species using MALDI-TOF MS. Enterococcus faecium and E. faecalis isolates were subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility test against 11 antimicrobials by minimum inhibitory concentration based on recommenda...
Akter R, Stent AW, Sansom FM, Gilkerson JR, Burden C, Devlin JM, Legione AR, El-Hage CM.Chlamydia psittaci was detected by PCR in the lung and equine foetal membranes of two aborted equine foetuses and one weak foal from two different studs in Victoria, Australia. The abortions occurred in September 2019 in two mares sharing a paddock northeast of Melbourne. The weak foal was born in October 2019 in a similar geographical region and died soon after birth despite receiving veterinary care. The detection of C. psittaci DNA in the lung and equine foetal membranes of the aborted or weak foals and the absence of any other factors that are commonly associated with abortion or neonatal ...
Carrera JP, Pittí Y, Molares-Martínez JC, Casal E, Pereyra-Elias R, Saenz L, Guerrero I, Galué J, Rodriguez-Alvarez F, Jackman C, Pascale JM....Human cases of Madariaga virus (MADV) infection were first detected during an outbreak in 2010 in eastern Panama, where Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV) also circulates. Little is known about the long-term consequences of either alphavirus infection. Methods: A follow-up study of the 2010 outbreak was undertaken in 2015. An additional survey was carried out 2 weeks after a separate 2017 alphavirus outbreak in a neighboring population in eastern Panama. Serological studies and statistical analyses were undertaken in both populations. Results: Among the originally alphavirus-seronegat...
How MJ, Gonzales D, Irwin A, Caro T.Of all hypotheses advanced for why zebras have stripes, avoidance of biting fly attack receives by far the most support, yet the mechanisms by which stripes thwart landings are not yet understood. A logical and popular hypothesis is that stripes interfere with optic flow patterns needed by flying insects to execute controlled landings. This could occur through disrupting the radial symmetry of optic flow via the aperture effect (i.e. generation of false motion cues by straight edges), or through spatio-temporal aliasing (i.e. misregistration of repeated features) of evenly spaced stripes. By r...
Hussain A, Jamil T, Tareen AM, Melzer F, Hussain MH, Khan I, Saqib M, Zohaib A, Hussain R, Ahmad W, Iqbal M, Neubauer H.Brucellosis is an important zoonosis worldwide. Equines are susceptible to the infection when in close contact with infected animals. The objective of our study was to update the existing knowledge and detect and differentiate the causative agent of brucellosis in breeding equines in Punjab, Pakistan. A cross-sectional study was designed to evaluate the occurrence and etiology of the infection in the equine population in three districts. A total of 448 equine sera were collected from three prefectures viz. Sahiwal, Khanewal, and Okara of the Punjab Province of Pakistan. Ninety-six (21.4%) samp...
Diallo AA, Souley MM, Issa Ibrahim A, Alassane A, Issa R, Gagara H, Yaou B, Issiakou A, Diop M, Ba Diouf RO, Lo FT, Lo MM, Bakhoum T, Sylla M....Since November 2018, several countries in West and Central Africa have reported mortalities in donkeys and horses. Specifically, more than 66,000 horses and donkeys have succumbed to disease in Burkina Faso, Chad, Cameroon, The Gambia, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, and Senegal. Strangles caused by Streptococcus equi subsp equi, African Horse Sickness (AHS) virus, and Equine influenza virus (EIV) were all suspected as potential causative agents. This study reports the identification of EIV in field samples collected in Niger and Senegal. Phylogenetic analysis of the hemagglutinin and neuraminida...
Shittu I, Meseko CA, Sulaiman LP, Inuwa B, Mustapha M, Zakariya PS, Muhammad AA, Muhammad U, Atuman YJ, Barde IJ, Zecchin B, Quaranta EG, Shamaki D....In December 2018, suspected outbreaks of equine influenza (EI) were observed in donkeys in Sokoto State, in the extreme northwest of Nigeria bordering the Republic of the Niger. Equine influenza virus (EIV) subtype H3N8 was the etiologic agent identified in the outbreaks using real-time RT-qPCR and sequencing of both the partial haemagglutinin (HA) gene and the complete genome. Since then the H3N8 virus spread to 7 of the 19 northern states of Nigeria, where it affected both donkeys and horses. Phylogenetic analysis of the partial and complete HA gene revealed the closest nucleotide similarity...
Prow NA, Hewlett EK, Faddy HM, Coiacetto F, Wang W, Cox T, Hall RA, Bielefeldt-Ohmann H.The mosquito-borne West Nile virus (WNV) is responsible for outbreaks of viral encephalitis in humans and horses with particularly virulent strains causing recent outbreaks in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and North America. In Australia, a strain of WNV, Kunjin (WNVKUN), is endemic in the north and infection with this virus is generally asymptomatic. However, in early 2011, following extensive flooding, an unprecedented outbreak of WNVKUN encephalitis in horses occurred in South-Eastern Australia, resulting in more than 1,000 cases and a mortality of 10-15%. Despite widespread evidence of ...
Elbers AR, Meiswinkel R.Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) host preferences and attack rates were quantified in early summer at a dairy farm in the Netherlands using livestock tethered at pasture. Midges were aspirated hourly over seven consecutive hours (17:00-23:00) from a dairy cow, a Shetland pony, and a sheep and correspondingly yielded seventeen, thirteen, and nine species. Of the 14,181 midges obtained, approximately 95% belonged to the C. obsoletus complex, C. dewulfi, C. chiopterus, and C. punctatus that together include all proven or potential vectors for arboviral diseases in livestock in northwestern E...
Amusategui I, Sainz A, Tesouro MA.A total of 1,098 serum samples were analyzed against Anaplasma phagocytophilum by immunofluorescent antibody (IFA) test. These serum samples belonged to four different populations distributed throughout two provinces of Galicia (Ourense and Pontevedra) located in northwestern Spain: bovine population (456 samples); ovine population (389 samples); caprine population (207 samples); and equine population (46 serum samples, all from Pontevedra). The seroprevalence against A. phagocytophilum within the bovine population was 3.07%. On the other hand, two of 389 (0.51%) sheep and one of 207 (0.48%) g...
Science (New York, N.Y.)May 26, 1975
Volume 188, Issue 4189 738-740 doi: 10.1126/science.1168366
Carter CD, Kimbrough RD, Liddle JA, Cline RE, Zack MM, Barthel WF, Koehler RE, Phillips PE.Tetrachlorodibenzodioxin was identified as the apparent cause of an outbreak of poisoning in humans, horses, and other animals. Exposure was related to the spraying of contaminated waste oil on riding arenas for dust control. The contamination resulted from improper disposal of a toxic industrial waste. The pathologic effects and chemical identification of tetrachlorodibenzodioxin are described.
Petroski RJ, Powell RG, Clay K.Stipa robusta (= Stipa vaseyi) is a perennial grass found in certain areas of the southwestern United States. It is commonly known as sleepygrass, as horses that ingest this grass may become profoundly somnolent or stuporous for periods of time lasting up to several days. In an attempt to determine the active principle(s), fractionation of a methanolic extract of sleepygrass infected with an Acremonium endophyte has yielded lysergic acid amide (20 micrograms/g dry wt), isolysergic amide (8), 8-hydroxylsergic acid amide (0.3), ergonovine (7), chanoclavine-I (15), and N-formylloline (18). Relate...
Küper AM, Merle R.During the last years, the philosophy of relationship-centered care gained increasing attention in veterinary medicine. Relationship-centered care is based on a joint venture between pet owner and veterinarians and therefore offers the opportunity to satisfy the pet owners' need for participation in medical decision-making and to provide the best care for the patient. Although research on relationship-centered care in the veterinary consultation is still limited, the available findings suggest that the characteristics of relationship-centered care reflect the pet owners' expectations on satisf...
Deng L, Li W, Zhong Z, Gong C, Cao X, Song Y, Wang W, Huang X, Liu X, Hu Y, Fu H, He M, Wang Y, Zhang Y, Wu K, Peng G.A total of 333 fecal specimens from horses in southwestern China were genotyped based on analysis of the small subunit rRNA (SSU rRNA) gene. Cryptosporidium hominis and Cryptosporidium andersoni were identified in 2 and 4 stool specimens, respectively. The identification of C. hominis was confirmed by sequence analysis of the 70-kDa heat shock protein (HSP70) and oocyst wall protein (COWP) genes. Subtyping analysis of the 60-kDa glycoprotein (GP60) gene sequence of C. hominis revealed a new rare subtype Id, named IdA15; only three Id isolates have been reported in humans to date. Multilocus ...
Albright JD, Mohammed HO, Heleski CR, Wickens CL, Houpt KA.Crib-biting is an equine stereotype that may result in diseases such as colic. Certain breeds and management factors have been associated. Objective: To determine: breed prevalence of crib-biting in US horses; the likelihood that one horse learns to crib-bite from another; and owner perceptions of causal factors. Methods: An initial postal survey queried the number and breed of crib-biting horses and if a horse began after being exposed to a horse with this habit. In a follow-up survey, a volunteer subset of owners was asked the number of affected and nonaffected horses of each breed and the e...
Shittu I, Meseko CA, Sulaiman LP, Inuwa B, Mustapha M, Zakariya PS, Muhammad AA, Muhammad U, Atuman YJ, Barde IJ, Zecchin B, Quaranta EG, Shamaki D....In December 2018, suspected outbreaks of equine influenza (EI) were observed in donkeys in Sokoto State, in the extreme northwest of Nigeria bordering the Republic of the Niger. Equine influenza virus (EIV) subtype H3N8 was the etiologic agent identified in the outbreaks using real-time RT-qPCR and sequencing of both the partial haemagglutinin (HA) gene and the complete genome. Since then the H3N8 virus spread to 7 of the 19 northern states of Nigeria, where it affected both donkeys and horses. Phylogenetic analysis of the partial and complete HA gene revealed the closest nucleotide similarity...
Massanyi P, Stawarz R, Halo M, Formicki G, Lukac N, Cupka P, Schwarcz P, Kovacik A, Tusimova E, Kovacik J.Environmental pollution results in serious health hazards to animals and blood analysis serves as a good alternative for health status assessment. The target of this study was to analyze the concentration of selected metals in equine blood, to analyze the blood parameters and to find possible correlations. Blood samples were collected from the vena jugularis of healthy adult horses. The highest concentration of all elements was found in whole blood (Cu 3.84 ± 0.90 mg L(-1); Cd = 0.81 ± 0.90 mg L(-1); Zn 26.67 ± 14.12 mg L(-1); Pb 9.33 ± 5.76 mg L(-1)). Higher concentrations of copper, ...
Ragona G, Corrias F, Benedetti M, Paladini M, Salari F, Altomonte L, Martini M.This study presents an investigation of Amiata donkey health and quality of milk for human consumption. Thirty-one lactating dairy jennies were examined. The following samples were collected: faecal samples from the rectum of animals for parasitological examination; cervical swabs for the detection of bacteria causing reproductive disorders; and blood samples for serological diagnosis of main zoonotic (Brucella spp., Leptospira spp.) and donkey abortion agents (Brucella spp., Leptospira spp., Salmonella abortus equi, Equine viral arterithis virus, Equine herpesvirus type 1). In addition, indiv...
Lloyd S, Smith J, Connan RM, Hatcher MA, Hedges TR, Humphrey DJ, Jones AC.One hundred and fifty horse owners, primarily private owners and riding schools, replied to a questionnaire concerning the practices they used to control parasites. Twenty-seven had experienced a parasite problem. Faecal samples from 188 horses selected at random showed that worm control practices were generally successful; however, many owners were not following recommendations for slowing the development of resistant parasites. In 1996, 86 per cent of the owners were using either three or two classes of anthelmintic a year, and they used a median of six doses with a range from one to 11. App...
Sigg L, Gerber V, Gottstein B, Doherr MG, Frey CF.In Switzerland, the prevalence and incidence of equine piroplasma parasite (EPP) infections are unknown. In order to obtain a first insight into the prevalence, a representative sample of 689 sera of horses from Switzerland was serologically tested for the presence of antibodies directed against T. equi and B. caballi using the Indirect Fluorescence Antibody Test (IFAT). A total of 50 (7.3%) horses were seropositive for EPP: overall, the seroprevalence of T. equi was significantly higher than that of B. caballi (p=0.002). The seropositivities in indigenous horses (animals bred and raised in Sw...
Yildirim Y, Yilmaz V, Kirmizigul AH.The herpesviruses infections in equides are caused by five different serotypes of viruses, belonging to family Herpesviridae. The goal of this study was to conduct a seroepidemiological investigation of equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) and type 4 (EHV-4) in horses and donkeys raised in two provinces and their villages in northeastern Turkey. A total of 666 samples from 423 horses and 243 donkeys that were not immunized against these infections were tested with ELISA. While 52.48% of tested horse sera was found to carry specific antibodies to EHV-1, 83.69% of these serums were found to carry s...
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...
Shnaiderman-Torban A, Paitan Y, Arielly H, Kondratyeva K, Tirosh-Levy S, Abells-Sutton G, Navon-Venezia S, Steinman A.Extended-spectrum β-lactamase Enterobacteriaceae (ESBL-E) have been investigated in adult horses, but not in foals. We aimed to determine shedding and infection in neonatal foals and mares. Rectal swabs were sampled from mare and foal pairs on admission and on the 3rd day of hospitalization; enriched, plated, and bacteria were verified for ESBL production. Identification and antibiotic susceptibility profiles were determined (Vitek2). Genotyping was performed by multilocus sequence typing (MLST). Genes were identified by PCR and Sanger sequencing. Medical data were analyzed for risk factors (...
Wollanke B, Gerhards H, Ackermann K.Uveitis is a sight-threatening eye disease in equids known worldwide that leads to considerable pain and suffering. By far the most common type of uveitis in Germany and neighboring countries is classical equine recurrent uveitis (ERU), which is caused by chronic intraocular leptospiral infection and is the main cause of infectious uveitis in horses. Other infectious causes are extremely rare and are usually clinically distinguishable from ERU. ERU can be treated very effectively by vitreous cavity lavage (vitrectomy). For proper indications of this demanding surgery, it is necessary to differ...
Souza CE, Camargo LB, Pinter A, Donalisio MR.Equines play a role in the epidemiology of Brazilian spotted fever (BSF) since they are a primary host for the tick Amblyomma sculptum. We studied the seroprevalence for three species of Rickettsia in equines in four endemic (with human cases) and in four non-endemic areas (no human cases) in the Piracicaba River Basin, São Paulo, Brazil. A serological survey of 504 equines was performed: around 63 animals were sampled in each area and tested through indirect immunofluorescence assay for R. rickettsii, R. parkeri, and R. bellii in 2012-2013. Blood samples were seropositive for 183 equines (36...
Kerber CE, Labruna MB, Ferreira F, De Waal DT, Knowles DP, Gennari SM.Serum samples were collected from 582 horses from 40 stud farms in the State of São Paulo and tick (Acari: Ixodidae) infestations were evaluated on them. Serum samples were subjected to the complement fixation test (CFT) and a competitive inhibition ELISA (cELISA) for Babesia caballi and Theileria equi. Logistic regression analyses were performed to construct multivariate models that could explain the dependent variable (horses positive for B. caballi or T. equi) as a function of the independent variables (presence or abundance of each one of the tick species found on the farms). A higher ove...
Roqueplo C, Halos L, Cabre O, Davoust B.Samples (serum or meat juice) collected from 205 animals in New Caledonia in April 2009 were tested for antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii by ELISA using the multi-species ID Screen® Toxoplasmosis Indirect kit (IDVET, Montpellier). Antibodies to T. gondii were detected in 2% (1/49) of the pigs, in 3.3% (1/30) of the cattle, in 13.8% (4/29) of Rusa deers, in 16% (4/25) of the horses, in 32.8% (21/64) of the dogs, and in 50% (4/8) of cats. Statistically, no significant difference was observed between T. gondii seroprevalence and age or sex. No survey on the prevalence of T. gondii in anima...
Alonso-Padilla J, Loza-Rubio E, Escribano-Romero E, Córdoba L, Cuevas S, Mejía F, Calderón R, Milián F, Travassos Da Rosa A, Weaver SC....West Nile virus (WNV) was probably introduced in southern and northern Mexico from the USA in two independent events. Since then, WNV activity has been reported in several Mexican states bordering the USA and the Gulf of Mexico, but disease manifestations seen there in humans and equids are quite different to those observed in the USA. We have analysed WNV seroprevalence in asymptomatic, unvaccinated equids from two Mexican states where no data had been previously recorded. WNV IgG antibodies were detected in 31.6% (91/288) of equine sera from Chiapas and Puebla states (53.3% and 8.0%, respect...
Dayaram A, Seeber PA, Greenwood AD.Equine herpesviruses (EHV) are a major health concern for domestic and wild equids and represent one of the most economically important disease agents of horses. Most known EHVs are transmitted directly between individuals as a result of direct exposure to exudates and aerosols. However, accumulating evidence suggests that environmental transmission may play a role including air, water, and fomites. Here, we reviewed studies on environmental stability and transmission of EHVs, which may influence viral dynamics and the use of environmental samples for monitoring EHV shedding.
Jung BY, Lee KW, Ha TY.Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease of global importance, and has a worldwide distribution. The present study aimed to determine leptospiral seroprevalence in clinically healthy racing horses from all three racecourses in Korea. Serum samples from 1,226 racing horses were examined using a microscopic agglutination test to detect the presence of antibodies against 18 Leptospira serovars. Of the tested samples, 307 (25.0%) were found to be positive. The distribution of seroprevalence differed significantly by racecourse (P=0.004); the Jeju course had the highest incidence (31.1%), followed by th...
Raidal SL, Love DN, Bailey GD.Tracheal mucociliary clearance was determined in horses by measuring the rostrad transport of the radiopharmaceutical 99mtechnetium-sulphur colloid following deposition on the tracheal epithelium by intratracheal injection. The effects of head position (head elevated to normal standing position vs head lowered) and of accumulated purulent secretions on tracheal mucociliary clearance were evaluated for the first time in the horse. In normal horses tracheal mucociliary clearance was greatly accelerated by lowering the head so that the cranial trachea was lower than the caudal trachea. Horses con...
Holly EA, Bracci PM, Mueller BA, Preston-Martin S.Nineteen counties from San Francisco and Los Angeles, California and Seattle, Washington were the United States sites for a large population-based case-control study of childhood brain tumors (CBTs), sponsored by the National Cancer Institute. CBT patients who were 1 year and were first on a farm when they were < 6 months of age also had increased risk for CBTs (OR = 3.9, 95% CI = 1.2-13). A somewhat increased risk for CBTs was found for children of mothers who ever had worked on livestock farms compared with mothers who never had worked on a farm (OR = 7.4, 95% CI = 0.86-64, based on five...
West Nile virus (WNV) is one of the most widely distributed (re-)emerging arboviruses. In Croatia, acute WNV infections as well as seropositivity were detected in humans, horses, birds and poultry. Although serologic evidence of WNV human infections dates back to the 1970s, no clinical cases were reported until 2012. WNV outbreaks, as well as sporadic infections, were continuously recorded in continental Croatian counties from 2012 to 2018. In addition, acute asymptomatic infections (IgM antibodies) in horses have been regularly notified in continental regions since 2012, while seropositive ho...
Snow WF, Wacher TJ, Rawlings P.The prevalence of trypanosome infections in Djallonké sheep and West African Dwarf goats at different sites in The Gambia showed a significant, positive correlation with contemporary assessments of tsetse challenge. A similar correlation was observed in village N'Dama cattle which showed comparable prevalence values in the same areas. Trypanosome prevalences also tended to be higher in horses and donkeys in areas with high tsetse challenge compared with sites with relatively few flies. A ranking of the numbers of tsetse blood-meals from cattle, small ruminants and equines (1:0.06: > 0.03) ...
Mulatti P, Bonfanti L, Capelli G, Capello K, Lorenzetto M, Terregino C, Monaco F, Ferri G, Marangon S.Since 2008, West Nile Virus (WNV) has expanded its range in several Italian regions, and its yearly recurrence suggests the virus may have become endemic in some areas. In 2011, a new plan based also on the detection of IgM antibodies was implemented in the north-eastern Italian regions of Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia, aiming to early detect WNV infections in areas where the virus had already circulated during the previous summers, and in adjacent zones. From July to November 2011, 1880 sera from 521 equine premises were screened by a commercial IgM capture ELISA. Mosquitoes were captured ...
Chambers TM.Equine influenza virus (EIV) is a common respiratory pathogen of horses and other equids in most parts of the world. EIV are Type A influenza viruses and two subtypes are known: H3N8 and H7N7. Both are believed to have evolved from avian influenza virus ancestors. The H3N8 subtype circulates widely, but the H7N7 subtype is thought to be extinct. The clinical disease in horses, caused by either subtype, is an upper respiratory infection of varying severity depending upon the immune status of the individual animal. It is not normally life-threatening in itself except in very young foals; however...
Miyoshi S, Sasahara K, Akamatsu S, Rahman MM, Katsu T, Tomochika K, Shinoda S.Vibrio mimicus is a causative agent of human gastroenteritis. This pathogen secretes a pore-forming toxin, V. mimicus hemolysin (VMH), which causes hemolysis by three sequential steps: binding to an erythrocyte membrane, formation of a transmembrane pore, and disruption of the cell membrane. VMH with a molecular mass of 63 kDa was purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation and column chromatography with phenyl Sepharose HP and Superose 6 HR. The hemolytic reaction induced by VMH continued up to disruption of all erythrocytes in the assay system. Moreover, VMH that bound preliminarily to erythr...
