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Topic:Public Health
The topic of Public Health and horses encompasses the study of interactions between equine populations and human health systems. It involves examining the transmission of zoonotic diseases, which are diseases that can be transferred between animals and humans, as well as the role of horses in the epidemiology of such diseases. This field also considers the impact of equine-related activities on public health, including injuries and environmental effects. Research in this area often explores preventive measures, management strategies, and policies to mitigate health risks associated with horses. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that investigate the intersection of equine and public health, focusing on disease transmission, risk assessment, and health management strategies.
Anthrax as an example of the One Health concept. Anthrax is a peracute, acute or subacute multispecies bacterial infection that occurs on many continents. It is one of the oldest infectious diseases known; the biblical fifth and sixth plagues (Exodus chapters 7 to 9) that affected first livestock and then humans were probably anthrax. From the earliest historical records until development of an effective vaccine midway through the 20th Century, anthrax was one of the foremost causes of uncontrolled mortality in cattle, sheep, goats, horses and pigs, with 'spill over' into humans, worldwide. With the development of the Sterne spore vaccine, a...
A case of Murray Valley encephalitis in a 2-year-old Australian Stock Horse in south-east Queensland. This report summarises the findings from a case of naturally-occurring Murray Valley encephalitis in a 2-year-old filly presenting with acute onset of depression and weakness. Serum samples tested at the onset of clinical signs were negative for Hendra and Kunjin virus antibodies, but positive for Murray Valley encephalitis virus (MVEV) using IgM-capture ELISA (1 : 300 dilution). A virus neutralisation assay performed 4 weeks later confirmed a titre of 1 : 160. Sera collected in the weeks preceding neurological signs returned a negative titre for MVEV 2 weeks prior followed by a titre ...
Comparative evaluation of three surveillance systems for infectious equine diseases in France and implications for future synergies. It is necessary to assess surveillance systems for infectious animal diseases to ensure they meet their objectives and provide high-quality health information. Each system is generally dedicated to one disease and often comprises various components. In many animal industries, several surveillance systems are implemented separately even if they are based on similar components. This lack of synergy may prevent optimal surveillance. The purpose of this study was to assess several surveillance systems within the same industry using the semi-quantitative OASIS method and to compare the results of t...
Efficacy of alphacypermethrin-treated high density polyethylene mesh applied to jet stalls housing horses against Culicoides biting midges in South Africa. The efficacy of alphacypermethrin-treated high density polyethylene (HDPE) mesh applied to jet stalls against Culicoides biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) was determined by mechanical aspiration of midges from horses and using Onderstepoort 220 V downdraught black light traps in four blocks of a 3 × 2 randomised design under South African field conditions. The alphacypermethrin-treated HDPE mesh applied to the stall significantly (P = 0.008) reduced the number of Culicoides midges, predominantly Culicoides (Avaritia) imicola Kieffer, mechanically aspirated from horses housed in the sta...
Eastern equine encephalitis: a classical case. We present the case of a 40-year-old man with rapidly deteriorating acute meningoencephalitis, finally diagnosed as eastern equine encephalitis (EEE). The course and timing in this patient are quite characteristic. EEE is an arthropod borneviral illness in which the mosquito serves as the vector. It is amongst the most severe of the arbovirus encephalitides and has a high mortality and morbidity. In nonfatal cases, residual neurological deficits are often severe and permanent. North American lineage of EEE is mainly found in the northeast especially along the coastal areas. EEE is primarily fo...
An outbreak of Arthroderma vanbreuseghemii dermatophytosis at a veterinary school associated with an infected horse. We report a case of an outbreak of inflammatory dermatophytoses caused by Arthroderma vanbreuseghemii (formally Trichophyton mentagrophytes pro parte) that involved an infected horse, the owner and at least 20 students, staff and stablemen at a veterinary school in Bern (Switzerland) that presented highly inflammatory dermatitis of the body and the face. Transmission from human to human was also recorded as one patient was the partner of an infected person. Both the phenotypic characteristics and ITS sequence of the dermatophytes isolated from the horse and patients were identical, consistent ...
Hendra virus survival does not explain spillover patterns and implicates relatively direct transmission routes from flying foxes to horses. Hendra virus (HeV) is lethal to humans and horses, and little is known about its epidemiology. Biosecurity restrictions impede advances, particularly on understanding pathways of transmission. Quantifying the environmental survival of HeV can be used for making decisions and to infer transmission pathways. We estimated HeV survival with a Weibull distribution and calculated parameters from data generated in laboratory experiments. HeV survival rates based on air temperatures 24 h after excretion ranged from 2 to 10 % in summer and from 12 to 33 % in winter. Simulated survival across the distri...
Gasterophilosis in horses in Sardinia (Italy): effect of meteorological variables on adult egg-laying activity and presence of larvae in the digestive tract, and update of species. Gasterophilus larvae are common obligate parasites of the digestive tract of the equids. Horses become infected with this parasite by ingesting the larvae hatched from eggs laid by the female flies. In this study carried out monthly, we (i) counted the Gasterophilus eggs deposited by female flies on the coat of 30 grazing horses, (ii) counted and identified the Gasterophilus larvae retrieved from the digestive tract of 128 slaughtered horses, and (iii) compared these results to meteorological data. Eggs were deposited on all monitored horses, and were present from October to January and from M...
Freedom from equine infectious anaemia virus infection in Spanish Purebred horses. No cases of equine infectious anaemia (EIA) have been reported in Spain since 1983. Factors that could increase the risk of reintroducing equine infectious anaemia virus (EIAV) into Spain include the recent occurrence of the disease in Europe and the absence of compulsory serological testing before importation into Spain. Objective: Given the importance of the Spanish Purebred (SP) horse breeding industry in Spain, the aim of this cross-sectional study was to provide evidence of freedom from EIAV in SP stud farms in Central Spain. Methods: Serum samples from 555 SP horses, collected between Se...
An update on Sarcocystis neurona infections in animals and equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM). Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) is a serious disease of horses, and its management continues to be a challenge for veterinarians. The protozoan Sarcocystis neurona is most commonly associated with EPM. S. neurona has emerged as a common cause of mortality in marine mammals, especially sea otters (Enhydra lutris). EPM-like illness has also been recorded in several other mammals, including domestic dogs and cats. This paper updates S. neurona and EPM information from the last 15 years on the advances regarding life cycle, molecular biology, epidemiology, clinical signs, diagnosis, treat...
Emergence of Equine West Nile Encephalitis in Central Macedonia, Greece, 2010. During the summer of 2010, an outbreak of West Nile virus (WNV) infections attributed to a lineage 2 WNV strain was reported among humans and horses in Central Macedonia, Northern Greece. Here, the clinical and laboratory investigation of horses that showed severe neurological signs due to WNV infection is being described. Specifically, between August and September 2010, 17 horses with neurological signs were detected. WNV infection was confirmed in all 17 clinical cases by applying laboratory testing. The duration of WNV-specific IgM antibodies in sera obtained from seven of the clinically af...
Occurrence of antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii and its isolation and genotyping in donkeys, mules, and horses in Brazil. The occurrence of antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii was determined in donkeys, mules, and horses from different regions of Brazil. Serum samples from 304 donkeys (67.11%), 118 horses (26.05%), and 31 mules (6.84%) were analyzed by means of the indirect fluorescent antibody test (cutoff=64). Antibodies against T. gondii were detected in 129 equids (28.47%) (82 donkeys, 32 horses, and 15 mules). Tissue samples from 19 seropositive and 50 seronegative animals were obtained in order to isolate the parasite by means of mouse bioassay, and T. gondii was isolated from a donkey. Through genotypic c...
Neutralising antibodies for Mayaro virus in Pantanal, Brazil. The Pantanal hosts diverse wildlife species and therefore is a hotspot for arbovirus studies in South America. A serosurvey for Mayaro virus (MAYV), eastern (EEEV), western (WEEV) and Venezuelan (VEEV) equine encephalitis viruses was conducted with 237 sheep, 87 free-ranging caimans and 748 equids, including 37 collected from a ranch where a neurologic disorder outbreak had been recently reported. Sera were tested for specific viral antibodies using plaque-reduction neutralisation test. From a total of 748 equids, of which 264 were immunised with vaccine composed of EEEV and WEEV and 484 had n...
Outbreak of henipavirus infection, Philippines, 2014. During 2014, henipavirus infection caused severe illness among humans and horses in southern Philippines; fatality rates among humans were high. Horse-to-human and human-to-human transmission occurred. The most likely source of horse infection was fruit bats. Ongoing surveillance is needed for rapid diagnosis, risk factor investigation, control measure implementation, and further virus characterization.
Trends in antimicrobial resistance in equine bacterial isolates: 1999-2012. This study aimed to identify changing antimicrobial resistance patterns in isolates commonly obtained from equine clinical submissions. Laboratory records from 1999 to 2012 were searched for equine samples from which Escherichia coli or Streptococcus species was isolated. Susceptibility to enrofloxacin, ceftiofur, gentamicin, penicillin G, trimethoprim sulfamethoxazole (TMPS) and tetracyclines was noted. Isolates were divided into those identified between 1999 and 2004 (Early) and between 2007 and 2012 (Late). The proportion of isolates resistant to each antimicrobial and multiple drug-resista...
[Alimentary intake of opioid alkaloids by horses. Hazards due to poppy-containing feeds]. Opioid alkaloids were identified in the urine of horses during an anti-doping control and in a case of intoxication. In both cases, it was suspected that the horses had ingested poppy-contaminated feed. To verify this suspicion, possible opioid alkaloid sources in Germany were identified through a literature research. Additionally, the contaminated feed was botanically and chemically analysed. The results indicated that both cases were most probably caused by the poppy in the feed. This highlights the previously underestimated risk of an intake of poppy-contaminated feed in horses. Recommendat...
Rickettsial Infection in Animals, Humans and Ticks in Paulicéia, Brazil. A previous study in Paulicéia Municipality, south-eastern Brazil, reported 9.7% of the Amblyomma triste ticks to be infected by Rickettsia parkeri, a bacterial pathogen that causes spotted fever in humans. These A. triste ticks were shown to be associated with marsh areas, where the marsh deer Blastocerus dichotomus is a primary host for this tick species. During 2008-2009, blood serum samples were collected from 140 horses, 41 dogs, 5 opossums (Didelphis albiventris) and 26 humans in farms from Pauliceia Municipality. Ticks were collected from these animals, from vegetation and from addition...
Biology of Trypanosoma (Trypanozoon) evansi in experimental heterologous mammalian hosts. Trypanosoma (Trypanozoon) evansi is a causative agent of the dreadful mammalian disease trypanosomiasis or 'Surra' and carried as a latent parasite in domestic cattle but occasionally proves fatal when transmitted to horses and camel. Sporadic outbreak of 'Surra' to different animals (beside their natural hosts) reminds that T. evansi may be zoonotic, as their close relative cause sleeping sickness to human being. This haemoflagellate is mechanically transmitted by horse fly and its effect on different host varies depending on certain factors including the effectiveness of transmission by mech...
Microsporidia and Cryptosporidium in horses and donkeys in Algeria: detection of a novel Cryptosporidium hominis subtype family (Ik) in a horse. A total of 219 and 124 individual fecal samples of horses and donkeys, respectively, were screened for the presence of Cryptosporidium spp., Encephalitozoon spp., and Enterocytozoon bieneusi DNA by genus-specific nested PCR. Isolates were genotyped by sequence analysis of SSU rRNA, GP60, TRAP-C1, COWP, and HSP70 loci in Cryptosporidium, and the ITS region in microsporidia. Cryptosporidium spp. was detected on 3/18 horse farms and 1/15 farms where donkeys were kept. Overall, five (2.3%) horse and two (1.6%) donkey specimens were PCR positive for Cryptosporidium. Genotyping at SSU and GP60 loci ...
Update on Streptococcus equi subsp equi infections. There are few diseases that ignite as much fervor among horse owners as strangles. Streptococcus equi subsp equi (strangles) infections frequently require the treating veterinarian to manage not only the clinical cases but also the biosecurity and provision of information to all involved parties. Although the disease is typically characterized by low mortality and high morbidity, restrictions of horse movement that result from appropriate quarantine procedures often frustrate the involved parties. The aims of this article are to provide clinically relevant information for diagnosis, treatment,...
Demographics of natural oral infection of mosquitos by Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus. The within-host diversity of virus populations can be drastically limited during between-host transmission, with primary infection of hosts representing a major constraint to diversity maintenance. However, there is an extreme paucity of quantitative data on the demographic changes experienced by virus populations during primary infection. Here, the multiplicity of cellular infection (MOI) and population bottlenecks were quantified during primary mosquito infection by Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus, an arbovirus causing neurological disease in humans and equids.
Voluntary surveillance program for equine influenza virus in the United States from 2010 to 2013. Recent surveillance studies for equine respiratory viruses have shown that equine influenza virus (EIV) continues to be a prevalent respiratory virus of equids throughout the United States and Europe. Objective: To gain a better understanding of the prevalence and epidemiology of EIV shed by horses, mules and donkeys in the United States from March 2010 to November 2013. Methods: 2,605 equids. Methods: Nasal secretions from index cases with acute onset of respiratory disease were tested by qPCR for EIV. Multilevel logistic regression was used to model the association between EIV status and pre...
Pathways for entry of livestock arboviruses into Great Britain: assessing the strength of evidence. The emergence of bluetongue virus and Schmallenberg virus in Great Britain (GB) during the last decade has highlighted the need for understanding the relative importance of the various pathways of the entry of livestock arboviruses so as to help focus surveillance and mitigation. This study summarizes what is known for the main routes of entry and assesses the strength of the current evidence for and against. Entry through infected arthropod vectors is considered at the level of each life cycle stage for tick-, biting midge- and mosquito-borne viruses, and while there is evidence that this cou...
In vitro metabolism studies of desoxy-methyltestosterone (DMT) and its five analogues, and in vivo metabolism of desoxy-vinyltestosterone (DVT) in horses. The positive findings of norbolethone in 2002 and tetrahydrogestrinone in 2003 in human athlete samples confirmed that designer steroids were indeed being abused in human sports. In 2005, an addition to the family of designer steroids called 'Madol' [also known as desoxy-methyltestosterone (DMT)] was seized by government officials at the US-Canadian border. Two years later, a positive finding of DMT was reported in a mixed martial arts athlete's sample. It is not uncommon that doping agents used in human sports would likewise be abused in equine sports. Designer steroids would, therefore, pose...
Risk factors associated with the transmission of Brazilian spotted fever in the Piracicaba river basin, State of São Paulo, Brazil. Brazilian spotted fever (BSF) is a disease transmitted by ticks for which the etiological agent is Rickettsia rickettsii. The present essay evaluates the risk factors associated with the transmission of cases of BSF in the time period between 2003 and 2013 in the Piracicaba river basin, state of São Paulo. Methods: This essay presents a retrospective study to identify the factors associated with the transmission of cases of BSF among all suspected cases identified by the System for Epidemiological Surveillance of São Paulo (CVE). After the description of temporal distribution (onset of sympt...
Elimination of schistosomiasis japonica from formerly endemic areas in mountainous regions of southern China using a praziquantel regimen. Schistosomiasis japonica is a major public health problem in China. Domestic animals play a major role in the transmission of Schistosoma japonicum to humans. To better understand the epidemiology of schistosomiasis japonica in domestic animals in the mountainous areas of China, we performed a 5-year longitudinal study of schistosomiasis in cattle and horses in Yunnan Province from 2009 to 2013. We also performed a concurrent drug-based intervention study in three settlement groups in Yunnan Province aimed at developing an effective means of controlling transmission in this region. The prevale...
Candida tropicalis isolates obtained from veterinary sources show resistance to azoles and produce virulence factors. Candida tropicalis has been associated with invasive candidiasis, being the first or second most common non-Candida albicans Candida species isolated in humans with candidemia and candiduria, as well as being frequently isolated from healthy animals. This study aimed to characterize C. tropicalis isolates (n = 64) obtained from several animal species regarding antifungal susceptibility and production of virulence factors. The isolates were obtained from the microbiota of healthy animals (goats, n = 25; sheep, n = 6; psittacines, n = 14; rheas, n = 6; horses, n = 2; sirenians, n = 5; shrimp, n ...
