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.
Haq I, Durrani AZ, Khan MS, Mushtaq MH, Ahmad I.Antimicrobial resistance results in selective colonization in animals. In the present study, 447 diarrheic foals (235 horse foals, 165 donkey foals and 47 mule foal) were selected from Lahore and Sahiwal districts of Punjab, Pakistan. Fresh fecal and blood samples from diarrheic foals were collected for isolation and confirmation of Salmonella Polymerase chain reaction. Results revealed that 50 (11.25%) foals (horse n=29, donkey n=12 and mule n=9) were positive. Fifty Salmonella enterica isolates belonging to 7 serovars S. Paratyphi B (15), S. Saintpaul (7), S. Newport (6), S. Typhimu-rium (11...
Knubben-Schweizer G, Pfister K.Anthelmintic resistance of gastrointestinal nematodes in small ruminants, but also in cattle and horses, is now found worldwide. The reason for increasing anthelmintic resistance is, in particular, the extensive use of all the anthelmintic agents available on the market. A non-targeted use leads to the selection of naturally occurring resistance genes within parasite populations. The most practical method for evaluating the efficacy of an anthelmintic is the fecal egg-count reduction test. To reduce the rate of anthelmintic resistance development, the available active substances must be applie...
Björnsdóttir S, Harris SR, Svansson V, Gunnarsson E, Sigurðardóttir ÓG, Gammeljord K, Steward KF, Newton JR, Robinson C, Charbonneau ARL....Iceland is free of the major infectious diseases of horses. However, in 2010 an epidemic of respiratory disease of unknown cause spread through the country's native horse population of 77,000. Microbiological investigations ruled out known viral agents but identified the opportunistic pathogen subsp. () in diseased animals. We sequenced the genomes of 257 isolates of to differentiate epidemic from endemic strains. We found that although multiple endemic clones of were present, one particular clone, sequence type 209 (ST209), was likely to have been responsible for the epidemic. Concurrent ...
Rash A.During the summer months, there will be increased movement and, therefore, increased mixing of the horse population, leading to a higher risk of disease transmission and subsequent clinical cases. It is important that both vets and owners remain vigilant for equine influenza infection. Here, Adam Rash, of the Animal Health Trust, discusses the diagnosis of this disease.
Ghori MT, Khan MS, Khan JA, Rabbani M, Shabbir MZ, Chaudhry HR, Ali MA, Muhammad J, Elschner MC, Jayarao BM.Glanders is an infectious and contagious bacterial disease of equines. A little is known about its seroprevalence and risk factors in working equines in countries where the disease is endemic. Also, there are no reports on prevalence of the disease in areas where there is a prior evidence of Burkholderia (B.) mallei detection in soil. A cross-sectional study was conducted in selected districts (n=09) of Punjab province of Pakistan during 2014-2015. A total of 1008 serum samples were screened for detection of antibodies to B. mallei with complement fixation test followed by western blot. The ov...
More S, Bøtner A, Butterworth A, Calistri P, Depner K, Edwards S, Garin-Bastuji B, Good M, Gortázar Schmidt C, Michel V, Miranda MA, Nielsen SS....Equine encephalomyelitis (Eastern and Western) has been assessed according to the criteria of the Animal Health Law (AHL), in particular criteria of Article 7 on disease profile and impacts, Article 5 on the eligibility of equine encephalomyelitis (Eastern and Western) to be listed, Article 9 for the categorisation of equine encephalomyelitis (Eastern and Western) according to disease prevention and control rules as in Annex IV, and Article 8 on the list of animal species related to equine encephalomyelitis (Eastern and Western). The assessment has been performed following a methodology compos...
Khan A, Mushtaq MH, Ahmad MUD, Nazir J, Farooqi SH, Khan A.A widespread epidemic of equine influenza (EI) occurred in nonvaccinated equine population across multiple districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province of Pakistan during 2015-2016. An epidemiological surveillance study was conducted from Oct 2015 to April 2016 to investigate the outbreak. EI virus strains were isolated in embryonated eggs from suspected equines swab samples and were subjected to genome sequencing using M13 tagged segment specific primers. Phylogenetic analyses of the nucleotide sequences were concluded using Geneious. Haemagglutinin (HA), Neuraminidase (NA), Matrix (M) and nucleo...
Popescu S, Diugan EA.The aim of this observational study was to investigate if a relationship exists between the calculated overall individual welfare score (as an indicator of the welfare quality) and the neutrophil:lymphocyte (N:L) ratio (as a stress indicator) in working (draught) and reproduction horses (breeding stallions and broodmares), in two different seasons. The welfare of the horses was assessed by a protocol which included health and behavioural parameters. An individual welfare score was computed, the total and differential WBC count was established and the N:L ratio was calculated for each of the 14...
Correia L, Martins G, Lilenbaum W.Leptospirosis is a relevant zoonosis that affects the reproductive performance of livestock, impairing the economy. Few studies have demonstrated the effects of vaccination against leptospirosis on naturally exposed horses. This study aimed to detect anti-Leptospira inhibitory antibodies in horses after vaccination. A total of 54 mares were studied using Growth Inhibition Test (GIT) in three moments. The present results demonstrate the usefulness of GIT for confirming inhibitory effects of specific antibody production. Results have also demonstrated that vaccination positively influenced on th...
Zhang Y, Chahan B, Liu S, Song R, Li Y, Huercha , Guo Q, Wu H, Zhu Y.In order to found the epidemiological situation of T. equi in the horse herds in Ili Prefecture of Xinjiang Province, 723 blood samples collected from 4 counties and districts were test for T. equi through microscopic detection and Polymerase chain Reaction (PCR). In the result, we found that the 295 of 723 blood samples (40.8%) were positive for T. equi infection. The results showed that the choosed counties have a varying degrees infection. To our knowledge, this is the first time that we detected T. equi infection using the molecular techniques from Ili in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous region.
Johansen CA, Williams SH, Melville LF, Nicholson J, Hall RA, Bielefeldt-Ohmann H, Prow NA, Chidlow GR, Wong S, Sinha R, Williams DT, Lipkin WI....In northern Western Australia in 2011 and 2012, surveillance detected a novel arbovirus in mosquitoes. Genetic and phenotypic analyses confirmed that the new flavivirus, named Fitzroy River virus, is related to Sepik virus and Wesselsbron virus, in the yellow fever virus group. Most (81%) isolates came from Aedes normanensis mosquitoes, providing circumstantial evidence of the probable vector. In cell culture, Fitzroy River virus replicated in mosquito (C6/36), mammalian (Vero, PSEK, and BSR), and avian (DF-1) cells. It also infected intraperitoneally inoculated weanling mice and caused mild c...
Tremelling AM, Marley RA, Marley MB, Woofter CM, Docherty C, Salvator AE, Muakkassa FF.Many Americans sustain large animal-related injuries (LARIs) from blunt trauma. We compare the injuries and management of LARI in our region of the United States with those of motor vehicle crashes (MVCs). Methods: A 15-year retrospective study of trauma patients with LARI matched to MVC controls by Injury Severity Score (ISS), age, and sex was conducted. Values were statistically compared, and differences were considered statistically significant at P < .05. Results: There were 156 LARI cases, of which 87% were related to horses, 8% to bulls, and the remainder to deer, mules, bison, cows, ...
Mitlehner W, Mitlehner HC.A horse allergic rider completed 60 riding lessons on Curly Horses within six months. This rider has become clinically tolerant to normal horse breeds within this time. This case may indicate that riding and brushing ABCR Curly Horses after 60 riding hours facilitates tolerance induction. Our data indicate that this could be a valid alternative to the common recommendation to strictly avoid horse riding. Eine pferdeallergische Reiterin erhielt 60 Reitstunden auf „Curly Horses“ innerhalb von 6 Monaten. Die Reiterin tolerierte die Allergenexposition mit Pferden anderer Rassen innerhalb diese...
Tarav M, Tokunaga M, Kondo T, Kato-Mori Y, Hoshino B, Dorj U, Hagiwara K.The objectives of our research on equine piroplasmosis were to clarify the prevalence of the piroplasms Babesia caballi and Theileria equi among reintroduced Przewalski's horses (takhi, Equus ferus przewalskii) in comparison with horses (Equus caballus) of nomads from around Hustai National Park in Mongolia and to determine the mortality among takhi during 2012 to 2015. The prevalence of T. equi was high in 2014 at 80% among nomadic horses and 84% among takhi. We found no evidence of B. caballi infection among takhi. A homology comparison of the 18S rRNA base sequence of T. equi showed the sam...
Lemoine DS, Tate BJ, Lacombe JA, Hood TC.Some of the more popular sporting activities for those living in rural areas include equestrian activities such as rodeo events and horseback riding. The lack of helmet use poses a concern for those who participate in these activities due to the risk of sustaining a traumatic brain injury (TBI) and ultimately having a negative effect on their future. A retrospective cohort study was conducted at a trauma center comparing the data on animal-riding patients and their use or lack of use of headgear and incidence of TBI. Of the patients identified, 16.2% sustained a head injury, ranking TBI fourth...
Carvallo FR, Uzal FA, Diab SS, Hill AE, Arthur RM.Respiratory diseases have a major impact on racehorses in training and are often cited as the second most common reason of horses failing to perform. Cases were submitted by the California Horse Racing Board to the California Animal Health and Food Safety laboratory for postmortem examination between January 1, 2005 and December 31, 2014. We determined the demographics of racehorses with fatal pneumonia, characterized the pathologic findings in animals with a postmortem diagnosis of respiratory infection, and determined the most significant pathogens associated with lower respiratory tract dis...
Bártová E, Sedlák K, Kobédová K, Budíková M, Joel Atuman Y, Kamani J.Neospora spp. and Toxoplasma gondii are considered to be a globally distributed parasites affecting wide range of warm-blooded animals. Neosporosis has caused clinical illness in horses and consumption of horse meat has been epidemiologically linked to clinical toxoplasmosis in humans. This study was conducted to determine Neospora spp. and T. gondii antibodies and risk factors of infection in horses and donkeys from three states of Nigeria. A total of 144 samples were collected from clinically healthy animals (120 horses and 24 donkeys). The sera were tested for antibodies to Neospora spp. an...
Cardinale E, Bernard C, Lecollinet S, Rakotoharinome VM, Ravaomanana J, Roger M, Olive MM, Meenowa D, Jaumally MR, Melanie J, Héraud JM, Zientara S....The circulation of West Nile virus (WNV) in horses was investigated in the Southwest Indian ocean. In 2010, blood samples were collected from a total of 303 horses originating from Madagascar, Mauritius, Reunion and the Seychelles and tested for WNV-specific antibodies. An overall seroprevalence of 27.39% was detected in the Indian Ocean with the highest WNV antibody prevalence of 46.22% (95% CI: [37.4-55.2%]) in Madagascar. The age and origin of the horses were found to be associated with the WNV infection risk. This paper presents the first seroprevalence study investigating WN fever in hors...
Wylie CE, McManus P, McDonald C, Jorgensen S, McGreevy P.Monitoring racehorse fatality and associated jockey falls provides benchmarks for intervention strategies. The aims of this study were to describe the incidence of and reasons for fatalities in Thoroughbred horses during flat races in the Australian Capital Territory and New South Wales (NSW), Australia, and to describe reported jockey falls and injuries associated with racehorse fatalities. A cohort study identified all racehorse fatalities reported through Racing NSW for the 2009-2010 to 2013-2014 racing seasons. Risks of racehorse fatality, fatal musculoskeletal injury, spontaneous death (a...
Edwards RA, Riley CB, Howe L, Burrows EA, Riley KT, Frellstedt L.To investigate the efficacy of an alcohol gel-based hand antisepsis protocol compared with a traditional chlorhexidine-based protocol under conditions of routine clinical contamination, and following heavy faecal contamination. Methods: Twelve adult participants were recruited and on four separate days completed a hand sanitation protocol using a chlorhexidine scrub or an alcohol-based gel, with hands that were grossly clean but contaminated or with faecal contamination. Bacterial samples were obtained from participants' hands before sanitation, immediately after and then 2 hours later. All sa...
Boyle AG, Rankin SC, D○ LA, Morris D.Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is recognized as a cause of nosocomial infections in both human and veterinary medicine. Studies that examine the nasopharynx and guttural pouches of the horse as carriage sites for MRSA have not been reported. Objective: MRSA colonizes the nasopharynx and guttural pouch of horses. To determine the prevalence of MRSA in equine nasopharyngeal wash (NPW) and guttural pouch lavage (GPL) samples in a field population of horses. Methods: One hundred seventy-eight samples (123 NPW and 55 GPL) from 108 horses. Methods: Prospective study. Samples were...
Laabassi F, Hue E, Fortier C, Morilland E, Legrand L, Hans A, Pronost S.An episode of acute equine respiratory infection was reported in western Algeria (Tiaret province) between February and March 2011, affecting a large population of horses. Nasal swabs (n=100) were taken from horses aged between 1 and 27 years, presenting with cough and mucopurulent nasal discharge. The prevalence of equine respiratory virus infections was examined using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). One, or more, of four equine respiratory viruses were detected in the nasal swabs of 90 of 100 horses (90%) and the detection rate of equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1), equine herp...
Tirosh-Levy S, Gürbilek SE, Tel OY, Keskin O, Steinman A.Rhodococcus equi is a common cause of pneumonia in foals and has extensive clinical, economic and possibly zoonotic consequences. This bacterium survives well in the environment and may be considered as normal flora of adult horses. Certain strains of this bacterium are extremely virulent in foals, and early identification and intervention is crucial for prognosis. Rhodococcus equi is endemic in many parts of the world and occasionally isolated in Israel. This study was designed to evaluate R. equi seroprevalence in adult horses in Israel to indirectly indicate the potential level of exposure ...
Bolfa P, Jeon I, Loftis A, Leslie T, Marchi S, Sithole F, Beck C, Lecollinet S, Zientara S, Hans A, Issel CJ.Equines in the West Indies are used for recreational purposes, tourism industry, racing and agriculture or can be found in feral populations. Little is known in the Caribbean basin about the prevalence of some major equine infectious diseases, some with zoonotic potential, listed as reportable by the OIE. Our objective was to study the prevalence of antibodies for West Nile Virus (WNV), Equine Herpes Virus-1 and 4 (EHV-1 and EHV-4), Equine Influenza (EI), Equine Viral Arteritis (EVA) and Equine Infectious Anemia Virus (EIAV) using a retrospective serological convenience study. We used 180 equi...
Goyen KA, Wright JD, Cunneen A, Henning J.Hendra virus is a zoonotic paramyxovirus, which causes severe respiratory and neurological disease in horses and humans. Since 2012, the Hendra virus sub-unit G vaccine has been available for horse vaccination in Australia. Uptake of the vaccine has been limited and spill-over events of Hendra virus infection in horses continue to occur. We conducted an online, questionnaire-based cross-sectional study of 376 horse owners belonging to a variety of different equestrian clubs in Queensland, Australia, to identify risk factors for non-vaccination against Hendra virus. A total of 43.1% (N = 162) o...
Spence KL, O'Sullivan TL, Poljak Z, Greer AL.Identifying the contact structure within a population of horses attending a competition is an important element towards understanding the potential for the spread of equine pathogens as the horses subsequently travel from location to location. However, there is limited information in Ontario, Canada to quantify contact patterns of horses. The objective of this study was to describe the network of potential contacts associated with an equestrian show to determine how this network structure may influence potential disease transmission. Results: This was a descriptive study of horses attending an...
Popot MA, Ho ENM, Stojiljkovic N, Bagilet F, Remy P, Maciejewski P, Loup B, Chan GHM, Hargrave S, Arthur RM, Russo C, White J, Hincks P, Pearce C....Cobalt is an essential mineral micronutrient and is regularly present in equine nutritional and feed supplements. Therefore, cobalt is naturally present at low concentrations in biological samples. The administration of cobalt chloride is considered to be blood doping and is thus prohibited. To control the misuse of cobalt, it was mandatory to establish an international threshold for cobalt in plasma and/or in urine. To achieve this goal, an international collaboration, consisting of an interlaboratory comparison between 5 laboratories for the urine study and 8 laboratories for the plasma stud...
Hemida MG, Perera RAPM, Chu DKW, Ko RLW, Alnaeem AA, Peiris M.West Nile virus (WNV) is an important emerging zoonotic arbovirus giving rise to clinical syndromes of varying severity in humans and horses. Culex mosquitoes are the main vector. Although WNV has been reported in many countries in the Middle East and Asia, little is known about its prevalence in equine populations in the Arabian Peninsula. We have carried out a serological study on 200 horses to assess WNV infection in the Eastern and Central regions of Saudi Arabia in 2013-2015. Sera were tested for the presence of WNV antibodies in parallel using a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent ass...
Hall BG, Faunce W.The genes for utilization of cellobiose are normally cryptic in both laboratory strains and natural isolates of Escherichia coli. A survey of natural isolates of E. coli reveals that functional genes for cellobiose utilization, while rare, are present. The fraction of E. coli that utilized cellobiose ranged from less than 0.01% in human fecal samples to 7% in fecal samples obtained from horses. Samples obtained from sheep, cows, dogs, and pigs contained 0.1 to 0.5% cellobiose-positive E. coli. Neither the previously identified cel genes nor the bgl genes from E. coli K-12 were expressed during...
Takai S, Fujimori T, Katsuzaki K, Tsubaki S.Quantitative culture of R. equi in the feces of dams and foals, in the air of the stalls and in the soil of the paddocks was carried out on three horse-breeding farms during the foaling season. The isolation rates of R. equi from the feces of dams from the 3 farms suddenly increased to approximately 80% at the end of March, when the snow in the paddocks finished melting, and remained at that level during April and May. The mean number of R. equi and the isolation rate of R. equi from the feces of dams on the farms were investigated for 5 weeks before and 5 weeks after delivery. During the 10 w...
Cárdenas NC, Galvis JOA, Farinati AA, Grisi-Filho JHH, Diehl GN, Machado G.Glanders is a highly infectious zoonotic disease caused by Burkholderia mallei. The transmission of B. mallei occurs mainly by direct contact, and horses are the natural reservoir. Therefore, the identification of infection sources within horse populations and animal movements is critical to enhance disease control. Here, we analysed the dynamics of horse movements from 2014 to 2016 using network analysis in order to understand the flow of animals in two hierarchical levels, municipalities and farms. The municipality-level network was used to investigate both community clustering and the bala...
DuBois C, Hambly Odame H, Haley DB, Merkies K.The diversity of sectors that comprise the equine industry makes reaching a consensus regarding welfare issues a challenge. To allow for productive discussion, equine professionals (n = 34) chosen to represent the diverse specializations from across Canada were surveyed using the Delphi technique-a survey technique employing multiple, iterative "rounds" to consolidate viewpoints-to gather and consolidate information regarding areas of welfare concern in the Canadian equine industry. Only participants who completed the prior round could participate in subsequent rounds. In the first round, resp...
Barba M, Stewart AJ, Passler T, Wooldridge AA, van Santen E, Chamorro MF, Cattley RC, Hathcock T, Hogsette JA, Hu XP.The route of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis infection in horses remains undetermined, but transmission by insects is suspected. Objective: To investigate house flies (Musca domestica L.) as vectors of C. pseudotuberculosis transmission in horses. Methods: Eight healthy, adult ponies. Methods: Randomized, controlled, blinded prospective study. Ten wounds were created in the pectoral region where cages for flies were attached. Three ponies were directly inoculated with C. pseudotuberculosis. Four ponies were exposed for 24 hours to 20 hours C. pseudotuberculosis-inoculated flies. One negativ...
Davidson SB, Blostein PA, Schrotenboer A, Sloffer CA, VandenBerg SL.The size, speed, and unpredictable nature of horses present a significant risk for injury in all equine-related activities. Objective: We sought to examine the mechanism, severity, frequency, body regions affected, surgical requirements, rehabilitation needs, safety equipment utilization, and outcomes of equine-related injured patients. Methods: Records of inpatients who sustained an equine-related injury from 2002-2011 with International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision codes E828 and E906 were retrospectively reviewed for pertinent data. Results: Ninety patients, 70% female, age (m...
Colavita G, Amadoro C, Rossi F, Fantuz F, Salimei E.Today the interest toward horse (Equus caballus) and donkey (Equus asinus) milk for human consumption is receiving a renewed attention because of its particular composition, hypoallergenicity, and nutraceutical properties. The realistic perspective of global use of this aliment in balanced diets, especially for infancy and geriatrics, poses the need for a more in depth knowledge on milk hygiene and on the health status of dairy animals, as a prerequisite of consumers' safety. The aim of this paper was to review the available literature on the health and hygiene parameters as well as on the pot...
Chipangura JK, Chetty T, Kgoete M, Naidoo V.The continuous increase in prevalence of antimicrobial resistant bacteria presents a significant public health problem and is an indicator that antimicrobial prudent usage guidelines are not being followed, especially in developing countries. Despite trends being available from numerous countries, there is little published for South Africa. This study was aimed at estimating the prevalence and trends of antimicrobial resistance from bacterial isolates from equine clinical samples submitted for culture and susceptibility testing to the veterinary bacteriology laboratory of the University of Pre...
Kern-Godal A, Brenna IH, Arnevik EA, Ravndal E.Inclusion of horse-assisted therapy (HAT) in substance use disorder (SUD) treatment is rarely reported. Our previous studies show improved treatment retention and the importance of the patient-horse relationship. This qualitative study used thematic analysis, within a social constructionist framework, to explore how eight patients experienced contextual aspects of HAT's contribution to their SUD treatment. Participants described HAT as a "break from usual treatment". However, four interrelated aspects of this experience, namely "change of focus", "activity", "identity", and "motivation," sugge...
Lakos A, Kőrösi A, Földvári G.Tick-borne lymphadenopathy (TIBOLA) is an emerging infection caused by Rickettsia slovaca. We describe here the seasonal, age and gender characteristics as well as the association with horse contact as risk factors for acquiring TIBOLA in comparison with another, more frequent tick-borne disease, Lyme borreliosis.We analysed a dataset of 855 patients diagnosed with either Lyme (n = 805) or TIBOLA (n = 50) disease using Fisher's exact tests and generalized linear models. Then we performed a matched case-control study in which all TIBOLA patients were paired with one Lyme patient matching in age...
Pena GA, Pereyra CM, Armando MR, Chiacchiera SM, Magnoli CE, Orlando JL, Dalcero AM, Rosa CA, Cavaglieri LR.To evaluate gliotoxin production by Aspergillus fumigatus strains isolated from feedstuff intended for domestic animals and pets, and to determine the amount of gliotoxin in these substrates. Results: A total of 150 feedstuff samples were collected. They were composed of 30 samples each of five different feed types (pigs, poultry, cattle, horse and pets). Aspergillus fumigatus gliotoxin production ability and gliotoxin presence in feedstuff was determined by HPLC. Aspergillus fumigatus strains were isolated from all of the tested samples. Strains from cattle, horses and pet food were able to p...
Meana A, Pato NF, Martín R, Mateos A, Pérez-García J, Luzón M.An epidemiological study on equine cestodosis was carried out in central Spain. A total of 372 digestive tracts from equids slaughtered in abattoirs located in central Spain were studied from November 2001 to May 2004. Anoplocephala perfoliata was detected in 24% of the animals and Anoplocephala magna in 18%. Individual tapeworm burden was from 1 to 491 tapeworms for A. perfoliata and from 1 to 64 tapeworms for A. magna. Low tapeworm burdens (less than 30 cestodes) predominated significantly (p<0.01) in all seasons for both species. Seasonal prevalence of infection by A. perfoliata was signifi...
Glaser A.Before the introduction of the West Nile virus (WNV) into the United States of America (USA) in 1999, conditions in North America were ideal for an arboviral epidemic. Such factors as the large, susceptible and non-immune animal and human populations, the presence of competent vectors, increasing international travel and commerce, existing methods for rapid dissemination and an ill-prepared animal and public health infrastructure all combined to create the essential elements for a severe animal and public health crisis--the 'perfect microbial storm'. The introduction of WNV into New York City ...
Watts DM, LeDuc JW, Bailey CL, Dalrymple JM, Gargan TP.Serological data accumulated during the past decade indicated that a variety of feral and domestic animals of the Delaware-Maryland-Virginia (DelMarVa) Peninsula were infected with Jamestown Canyon (JC) and/or Keystone (KEY) viruses (Bunyaviridae, California serogroup). Neutralizing (N) antibody to JC virus was most prevalent in white-tailed deer, sika deer, cottontail rabbits and horses. KEY virus N antibody was detected most frequently in gray squirrels and domestic goats. N antibody indicative of past infection by one or both viruses also was found in raccoons, horses and humans. JC and/or ...
Kameke D, Kampen H, Walther D.Culicoides Latreille, 1809 midge species are the putative vectors of Bluetongue virus (BTV) and Schmallenberg virus (SBV) in Europe. To gain a better understanding of the epidemiology of the diseases, basic knowledge about the overwintering of the vectors is needed. Therefore, we investigated culicoid activity in relation to air temperature at livestock stables during late winter and spring season. Ceratopogonids were captured weekly indoors and outdoors on three cattle farms, three horse farms and one sheep farm in the federal state of Brandenburg, Germany between January and May, 2015 by BG-...
Daly J, Daas A, Behr-Gross ME.In 2004, the Office International des Epizooties (OIE) Expert Surveillance Panel on equine influenza recommended that the American lineage component (H3N8) of equine influenza vaccines (A/eq/Newmarket/1/93-like) be updated to an A/eq/South Africa/4/03-like virus. As a consequence the common European Pharmacopoeia (Ph. Eur.) - OIE reference for equine influenza subtype 2 American-like antiserum had to be complemented by an antiserum raised in horses against an A/eq/South Africa/4/03 strain. An international collaborative study run by the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines (EDQM) ...
Odontsetseg N, Uuganbayar D, Tserendorj Sh, Adiyasuren Z.The prevalence of animal rabies differs in each area of Mongolia. Wolves (Canis lupus Linnaeus, 1758), foxes ( Vulpes vulpes Linnaeus, 1758), corsac foxes (Vulpes corsac Linnaeus, 1768) and manuls (Felis manul Pallas, 1778) are considered to be the infective wild animals in natural foci. Amongst livestock, cattle have had the most rabies cases, followed by camels, sheep, goats and horses. The peak prevalence of animal rabies occurred in the 1970s. Dundgovi Province had the highest incidence during that period. The number of rabies cases in animals decreased during the 1980s. This may have been...
de Lagarde M, Fairbrother JM, Arsenault J.Although antimicrobial resistance is an increasing threat in equine medicine, molecular and epidemiological data remain limited in North America. We assessed the prevalence of, and risk factors for, shedding multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) and/or AmpC β-lactamase-producing in healthy horses in Quebec, Canada. We collected fecal samples in 225 healthy adult horses from 32 premises. A questionnaire on facility management and horse medical history was completed for each horse. Indicator (without enrichment) and specific (following enrichment with ceftriaxone)...
May FJ, Clark DC, Pham K, Diviney SM, Williams DT, Field EJ, Kuno G, Chang GJ, Cheah WY, Setoh YX, Prow NA, Hobson-Peters J, Hall RA.The Kokobera virus group comprises mosquito-borne flaviviruses that cluster together phylogenetically. These viruses are unique to Australia and Papua New Guinea, and have been associated with a mild polyarticular disease in humans. Recent isolation of genetically diverse viruses within this group has prompted analysis of their genetic and phenotypic relationships. Phylogenetic analysis based on complete ORF, the envelope gene or the NS5/3' untranslated region supported the separation of the group into distinct species: Kokobera virus (KOKV), Stratford virus, New Mapoon virus, MK7979 and TS527...
Wozniak A, Dowda HE, Tolson MW, Karabatsos N, Vaughan DR, Turner PE, Ortiz DI, Wills W.Arboviruses isolated and identified from mosquitoes in South Carolina (USA) are described, including new state records for eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEE), St. Louis encephalitis virus (SLE), Flanders virus, Tensaw virus (TEN), and a variant of Jamestown Canyon virus (JC). Mosquitoes were collected at 52 locations in 30 of 46 South Carolina counties beginning in June 1996, and ending in October 1998, and tested for arboviruses. Of 1,329 mosquito pools tested by virus isolation (85,806 mosquitoes representing 34 mosquito species or complexes), 15 pools were positive. Virus isolations in...
Pendry P, Carr AM, Smith AN, Roeter SM.There is growing evidence that promoting social competence in youth is an effective strategy to prevent mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders in adulthood. Research suggests that programs delivered in collaboration with schools are particularly effective when they target social and emotional skill building, utilize an interactive instructional style, provide opportunities for youth participation and self-direction, and include explicit attempts to enhance youth social competence. A relatively new but popular approach that incorporates these characteristics is human animal interaction, wh...
Chae JS, Pusterla N, Johnson E, Derock E, Lawler SP, Madigan JE.We provide evidence of Ehrlichia risticii Holland, the agent of Potomac horse fever, in trematode stages found in aquatic insects collected from a pasture stream in northern California, using nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification and sequence analyses of the 16S rRNA, 51 kDa major antigen and groEL heat shock protein genes. E. risticii was detected in metacercariae found in the immatures and adults of the following insects: caddisflies (Trichoptera), mayflies (Ephemeroptera), damselflies (Odonata, Zygoptera), dragonflies (Odonata, Anisoptera), and stoneflies (Plecoptera). The pr...
Grimmer NM, Gimbar RP, Bursua A, Patel M.The literature regarding rhabdomyolysis secondary to illicit drug use is sparse. Clenbuterol is a bronchodilator approved for veterinary use, which in high doses can increase protein deposition and lipolysis similarly to anabolic steroids, and is thereby abused for bodybuilding and weight loss effects. Clenbuterol has previously been described in case reports to be cardiotoxic, with patient presentations similar to overdoses of sympathomimetic substances, but reports of rhabdomyolysis are limited to a single case series in horses. Methods: We report the first case of rhabdomyolysis secondary t...
Ward MP, Couëtil LL.To estimate the association between climate and airborne pollen and fungal factors and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in horses. Methods: Data from 1,444 horses with a diagnosis of COPD. Methods: The Veterinary Medical Database was used to identify records of horses admitted to veterinary teaching hospitals in the United States and Canada between 1990 and 1999. Rainfall, mean minimum and maximum temperature, and maximum monthly pollen and fungal spore (mold) counts recorded at the city closest to where the hospital is located were identified for each month data were reported to t...
Chung YS, Song JW, Kim DH, Shin S, Park YK, Yang SJ, Lim SK, Park KT, Park YH.Limited information is available regarding horse-associated antimicrobial resistant (AR) Escherichia (E.) coli. This study was designed to evaluate the frequency and characterize the pattern of AR E. coli from healthy horse-associated samples. A total of 143 E. coli (4.6%) were isolated from 3,078 samples collected from three national racetracks and 14 private horse-riding courses in Korea. Thirty of the E. coli isolates (21%) showed antimicrobial resistance to at least one antimicrobial agent, and four of the AR E. coli (13.3%) were defined as multi-drug resistance. Most of the AR E. coli har...
Babrak L, Lin A, Stanker LH, McGarvey J, Hnasko R.Potent Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) represent a threat to public health and safety. Botulism is a disease caused by BoNT intoxication that results in muscle paralysis that can be fatal. Sensitive assays capable of detecting BoNTs from different substrates and settings are essential to limit foodborne contamination and morbidity. In this report, we describe a rapid 96-well microfluidic double sandwich immunoassay for the sensitive detection of BoNT-A from animal sera. This BoNT microfluidic assay requires only 5 μL of serum, provides results in 75 min using a standard fluorescence microplate ...
Dargatz DA, Traub-Dargatz JL.Nosocomial infections are a serious threat to optimum patient care. In addition, nosocomial infections can have far-reaching consequences for the hospital personnel and the financial aspects of the hospital. Nosocomial infections with Salmonella spp have been described among hospitalized equine populations more frequently than any other agent. Salmonella spp associated with hospitalized equids often possess more antimicrobial resistance determinants than do Salmonella spp isolated from healthy horses in the general population. There is little evidence to suggest that resistant salmonellae are ...
Reisen WK, Hardy JL, Presser SB, Chiles RE.The vector competence of Culex tarsalis Coquillett from the Coachella Valley of California for western equine encephalomyelitis (WEE) and St. Louis encephalitis (SLE) viruses was monitored monthly from February to November 1993. The concentration of WEE virus required to infect 50% of the females increased during summer coincidentally with ambient temperature and was highest during July. Transmission rates of WEE virus were high during March, low during May-June, and high again during July-September. Females expressed both mesenteronal escape and salivary gland barriers limiting WEE virus diss...
Zolfaghari Emameh R, Purmonen S, Sukura A, Parkkila S.Foodborne parasites are a source of human parasitic infection. Zoonotic infections of humans arise from a variety of domestic and wild animals, including sheep, goats, cattle, camels, horses, pigs, boars, bears, felines, canids, amphibians, reptiles, poultry, and aquatic animals such as fishes and shrimp. Therefore, the implementation of efficient, accessible, and controllable inspection policies for livestock, fisheries, slaughterhouses, and meat processing and packaging companies is highly recommended. In addition, more attention should be paid to the education of auditors from the quality c...