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.
Edson D, Field H, McMichael L, Jordan D, Kung N, Mayer D, Smith C.Bats of the genus Pteropus (flying-foxes) are the natural host of Hendra virus (HeV) which periodically causes fatal disease in horses and humans in Australia. The increased urban presence of flying-foxes often provokes negative community sentiments because of reduced social amenity and concerns of HeV exposure risk, and has resulted in calls for the dispersal of urban flying-fox roosts. However, it has been hypothesised that disturbance of urban roosts may result in a stress-mediated increase in HeV infection in flying-foxes, and an increased spillover risk. We sought to examine the impact of...
Fall M, Fall AG, Seck MT, Bouyer J, Diarra M, Balenghien T, Garros C, Bakhoum MT, Faye O, Baldet T, Gimonneau G.Culicoides biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) are important vectors of arboviruses in Africa. Culicoides oxystoma has been recently recorded in the Niayes region of Senegal (West Africa) and its high abundance on horses suggests a potential implication in the transmission of the African horse sickness virus in this region. This species is also suspected to transmit bluetongue virus to imported breeds of sheep. Little information is available on the biology and ecology of Culicoides in Africa. Therefore, understanding the circadian host-seeking activity of this putative vector is of prima...
López RH, Soto SU, Gallego-Gómez JC.West Nile virus (WNV) is a member of the genus Flavivirus, and it is transmitted between Culex sp. mosquitoes and avian hosts. Equids and humans are commonly infected with WNV as dead-end hosts, and the signs and symptoms of infection range from mild illness to neurologic symptoms as encephalitis, meningitis and sometimes death. Previous phylogenetic studies have classified WNV into six genetically distinct lineages and provided valuable insight on WNV dispersal patterns within the Americas and its emergence in different geographic areas. In this study, we isolated, sequenced and genetically c...
Schvartz G, Epp T, Burgess HJ, Chilton NB, Armstrong JS, Lohmann KL.Passive surveillance of ticks on horses in Saskatchewan revealed that the horses were parasitized by 3 species, Dermacentor albipictus, D. andersoni, and D. variabilis. The nymphs and adults of D. albipictus occurred on horses earlier in the year than did adults of the 2 other species. Une surveillance passive des tiques chez des chevaux de la Saskatchewan a révélé que les chevaux étaient affectés par des parasites de trois espèces: et Les nymphes et les adultes de se présentaient chez les chevaux plus tôt dans l’année que les adultes des deux autres espèces.(Traduit par Isabel...
Cullen S, Donohoe A, McGoldrick A, McCaffrey N, Davenport C, Byrne B, Donaghy C, Tormey W, Smith D, Warrington G.The long-term health implications resulting from extreme and chronic weight cycling and the associated energy restricted lifestyle of a professional jockey remain unknown. The aim of the present study was to describe and evaluate the physiological and health characteristics of retired jockeys. Methods: Cross-sectional. Methods: Retired male jockeys (n=28; age 59±6yr; height 1.65±0.03m; body mass 73.7±10.9kg; BMI 26.9±3.8kgm(-2)) participated. Body composition (by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry; DXA), resting metabolic rate (RMR), glucose metabolism (by oral glucose tolerance test; OGTT),...
Belaunzaran X, Bessa RJ, Lavín P, Mantecón AR, Kramer JK, Aldai N.The consumption of horse-meat is currently not popular in most countries, but because of its availability and recognized nutritional value consumption is slowly increasing in several western European countries based on claims that it could be an alternative red meat. In this review, horse-meat production, trade and supply values have been summarized. In addition, the advantage of horse production is noted because of its lower methane emissions and increased uptake, particularly of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), which is based on its digestive physiology. Of particular interest in thi...
Bannai H, Nemoto M, Ochi A, Kikuchi T, Kobayashi M, Tsujimura K, Yamanaka T, Kondo T.To clarify the factors causing an outbreak in 2014 of Getah virus infection among racehorses at the Miho training center, Japan, we isolated virus strains and performed an epizootiological investigation of affected horses and related horse populations. Three Getah virus isolates were recovered from clinical samples, and one of them (14-I-605) was used in a virus-neutralizing test. Of the affected horses (n = 33), 20 (60.6%) were 2-year-olds. We investigated the histories of Getah virus vaccination of the affected horses and the whole population at the Miho training center. Among the 2-year-old...
Kostenko SA, Ermakova OV, Sushko SN, Fyedorova EV, Dzhus PP, Baschlykova LA, Kurylenko YF, Raskosha OV, Savin AO, Shaforost AS.We used cytogenetic analysis in the studies of the biological effects of a radiation factor of natural and artificial origin (under conditions ofthe 30-km exclusion zone ofthe Chernobyl experimental landfills in Ukraine, Belarus and Russia). The studies have been performed on various types of mammals: domestic animals--cows, pigs, horses and rodents--root voles, the Af mouse line, and yellow necked field mouse, bank voles. We found significant changes in the level of MN and chromosomal aberrations in the animals that were exposed to the conditions of chronic low-dose radiation for a long time ...
Abdel-Ghaffar F, Al-Quraishy S, Mehlhorn H.The present study had the aim to test the repellent potential of the compound icaridin = Saltidin® against the tick species Ixodes ricinus and Ixodes persulcatus using different formulations of the compound. Tests were done on backs of impregnated human hands, on impregnated linen cloth and versus impregnated dog hair. It was found that 1. Ixodes persulcatus-the common Eastern European, Russian Ixodes species is significantly sensitive to icaridin = Saltidin® as I. ricinus protecting for the test period of 5 h. This is an important finding, since I. persulcatus is the vector of agents of the...
Singh G, Singh NK, Singh H, Rath SS.A total of 311 equine faecal samples (190 horses and 121 mules) collected from six districts of Central Plain Zone, Punjab were examined using standard coprological methods. The results showed an overall prevalence of 27.33 % for strongyles with rare to mild type of infection as evident from egg per gram of faeces. In particular, amongst the examined samples, 17.90 % of horses and 42.14 % of mules were infected and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.01). Identification of the faecal culture harvested larval stages, showed 56 % and 46 % of horses and mules, respectively, ...
Hale D.West Nile Virus is the most frequent cause of arboviral disease in the United States. It was first identified in the United States in 1999. Since that time, each of the 48 contiguous states in the United States has seen the disease, and it has been found in 96% of the U.S. counties in infected humans, mosquitoes, birds, horses, or other mammals. Although most often the disease resolves on its own, patients can develop serious and life-threatening complications, and may need further monitoring and treatment. This article reviews the prevalence, transmission, signs and symptoms, complications, t...
Jakobsen L, Bortolaia V, Bielak E, Moodley A, Olsen SS, Hansen DS, Frimodt-Møller N, Guardabassi L, Hasman H.CTX-M-1 is a common extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) in Escherichia coli from animals and is often detected among human clinical isolates. The objective of this study was to investigate the epidemiological relationship between CTX-M-1-producing E. coli isolated from patients and animals in Denmark between 2006 and 2010. In total, 65 CTX-M-1-producing isolates from patients (n=22), pigs (n=21), cattle (n=4), organic poultry layers (n=3) and horses (n=15) were typed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Plasmids harbouring bla were characterised by S1 PFGE, PCR-based replicon typing, ...
Robin M, Archer D, McGowan C, Garros C, Gardès L, Baylis M.African horse sickness (AHS) is a vectorborne disease spread by Culicoides biting midges. The UK's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs currently suggests using topical deltamethrin for AHS control; however, no data are available regarding its efficacy in the horse. The aims of this study were to investigate the effect of topical deltamethrin on blood feeding by Culicoides on horses and to investigate which Culicoides species blood fed on horses. Three pairs of horses were placed in partially enclosed cages that allowed samples representing the Culicoides interacting with individ...
Swanberg JE, Clouser JM, Gan W, Mannino DM, Flunker JC.Latino workers are likely exposed to a variety of respiratory hazards in the horse barn, yet the potential impact of these exposures on respiratory health has not been investigated. Methods: Using a community-based sample of 225 Latino horse farmworkers we investigated the prevalence of upper and lower respiratory symptoms and occupational characteristics associated with them. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with respiratory symptomology. Results: Upper respiratory symptoms prevalence ranged from 24% to 45%. Half of workers reported lower respiratory s...
Perumal AN, Gunawardene YI, Dassanayake RS.Setaria digitata is a filarial parasite that causes fatal cerebrospinal nematodiasis in goats, sheep and horses, resulting in substantial economic losses in animal husbandry in the tropics. Due to its close resemblance to Wuchereria bancrofti, this nematode is also frequently used as a model organism to study human lymphatic filariasis. This review highlights numerous insights into the morphological, histological, biochemical, immunological and genetic aspects of S. digitata that have broadened our understanding towards the control and eradication of filarial diseases.
ten Kate CA, de Kooter TA, Kramer W.Each year 9,900 equestrians present at Accident and Emergency Departments, 40% of them 10-19 year old females. The most common horse-riding injuries are to the head, brain, neck and face, torso and extremities. Because of the relatively larger head, children more often fall on their head. Wearing a helmet gives considerable protection. Despite the common use of a helmet by horseback riders, serious head injury still occurs regularly. Further research into improvement of the protective function of the helmet is indicated. The current safety vest (body protector) does not significantly reduce th...
Amaya M, Keck F, Lindquist M, Voss K, Scavone L, Kehn-Hall K, Roberts B, Bailey C, Schmaljohn C, Narayanan A.Many viruses have been implicated in utilizing or modulating the Ubiquitin Proteasome System (UPS) to enhance viral multiplication and/or to sustain a persistent infection. The mosquito-borne Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV) belongs to the Togaviridae family and is an important biodefense pathogen and select agent. There are currently no approved vaccines or therapies for VEEV infections; therefore, it is imperative to identify novel targets for therapeutic development. We hypothesized that a functional UPS is required for efficient VEEV multiplication. We have shown that at non-tox...
Kostopoulou D, Casaert S, Tzanidakis N, van Doorn D, Demeler J, von Samson-Himmelstjerna G, Saratsis A, Voutzourakis N, Ehsan A, Doornaert T....Faecal samples were collected from foals between the age of 1 week and 6 months in Belgium, The Netherlands, Germany and Greece. A quantitative direct immunofluorescence assay based on the commercial MERIFLUOR Cryptosporidium/Giardia kit was performed to evaluate the presence of (oo) cysts. Parasite positive samples were genotyped, based on the 18S ribosomal DNA gene and the heat shock protein (HSP70) gene for Cryptosporidium and on the β-giardin gene and the triose phosphate isomerase (TPI) gene for Giardia. In total, 134 foals from Belgium, 44 foals from The Netherlands, 30 foals from Germa...
Vilibić-Čavlek T, Barbić Ljubo , Stevanović V, Mlinarić-Galinović G.Usutu virus (USUV) belongs to the family Flaviviridae, genus Flavivirus, Japanese encephalitis serocomplex. The virus was discovered in 1959 in South Africa and has emerged since 1996 causing epizootics with high avian mortality in Europe. The importance of USUV in humans is not fully understood. However, several human clinical cases of USUV infection described so far indicate the role of this virus as an antropozoonotic agent. In Croatia, serologic evidence of USUV was first documented in 2011 in two horses from Zagreb and Sisak-Moslavina County. In 2012, USUV neutralizing antibodies were fou...
Ryan AD, Gerberich SG, Alexander BH, Renier CM.Working with animals on agricultural operations is hazardous for youths. This study evaluated the associations between activities and injuries related to specific animal types. A case-control study within the Regional Rural Injury Study II included 425 youths (less than 20 years of age) with injuries related to their operation and 1,886 controls (randomly selected youths). Exposures of interest were collected for the months prior to injury events for cases and randomly selected months for controls, based on an injury incidence algorithm. Multivariate logistic regression characterized associati...
Dufour B, Hugot JP, Lepetz S, Le Bailly M.This paper focuses on the horse pinworm, Oxyuris equi, in archaeology during the Holocene period, and presents an overview of past published occurrences, early mentions in texts, and new data from our paleoparasitology research. This original compilation shows that the most ancient record of the horse pinworm dates to ca. 2500 years before present (ybp) in Central Asia and to ca. 2020 ybp in Western Europe. It also shows that the parasite is not detected on the American continent until contemporary periods. The role of European migrations from 1492 (Christopher Columbus) is discussed to explai...
Kudirkiene E, Welker M, Knudsen NR, Bojesen AM.Streptococcus equi includes very important animal and human pathogens. S. equi subsp. equi (SEE) is a highly pathogenic equine specific subspecies, while S. equi subsp. zooepidemicus (SEZ) and S. equi subsp. ruminatorum are opportunistic pathogens of various animal species and humans. Due to great phenotypic and sequence similarity between three subspecies their discrimination remains difficult. In this study, we aimed to design and validate a novel, Superspectra based, MALDI-TOF MS approach for reliable, rapid and cost-effective identification of SEE and SEZ, the most frequent S. equi subspec...
Nemoto M, Bannai H, Tsujimura K, Kobayashi M, Kikuchi T, Yamanaka T, Kondo T.An outbreak of Getah virus infection occurred among racehorses in Japan during September and October 2014. Of 49 febrile horses tested by reverse transcription PCR, 25 were positive for Getah virus. Viruses detected in 2014 were phylogenetically different from the virus isolated in Japan in 1978.
Schoster A, Staempfli HR, Abrahams M, Jalali M, Weese JS, Guardabassi L.Up to 60% of foals develop diarrhea within 6 months after birth. Preventive measures are limited but potentially probiotics could be used. Objective: To evaluate the effect of a newly designed probiotic on the incidence of foal diarrhea in a randomized field trial. Methods: Seventy-two healthy neonatal foals. Methods: Randomized, placebo-controlled field trial. Foals were administered a placebo or probiotic for 3 weeks and monitored for an additional week. A total of 3 fecal samples were taken from each foal at biweekly intervals. Statistical modeling was applied for comparison of incidence an...
Talafha AQ, Abutarbush SM, Rutley DL.This study aimed to determine the seroprevalence and to identify risk factors associated with Neospora spp. infection in horses in Jordan. Management related data were collected from each farm and individual horses. Sera from 227 horses from 5 of 6 climatic regions in Jordan were analyzed for the presence of antibodies to Neospora spp. by ELISA kit. The study was performed during spring of 2010. The association between seropositivity and risk factors was analyzed. A total of 7 (3%) of 227 sera had antibodies for Neospora spp. There was a significant regional difference (P=0.018) between the 5 ...
Lincoln VJ, Page PC, Kopp C, Mathis A, von Niederhäusern R, Burger D, Herholz C.Species belonging to the Culicoides complexes (Diptera, Ceratopogonidae), obsoletus and pulicaris, in Switzerland, are potential vectors of both bluetongue virus (BTV) and African horse sickness virus (AHSV). The epidemic of BTV in 2006 and 2007 in Europe has highlighted the risk of introduction and spread of vector-borne diseases in previously non-endemic areas. As a measure of prevention, as part of an integrated control programme in the event of an outbreak of African horse sickness (AHS), it is of utmost importance to prevent, or substantially reduce, contact between horses and Culicoides....
Walther B, Janssen T, Gehlen H, Vincze S, Borchers K, Wieler LH, Barton AK, Lübke-Becker A.With the rising importance of nosocomial infections in equine hospitals, increased efforts with regard to biosecurity and infection control are necessary. This even more since nosocomial infections are often associated with multi-drug resistant pathogens. Consequently, the implementation of targeted prevention programs is essential. Since nosocomial infections are usually multifactorial events, realization of only a single measure is rarely effective to overcome nosocomial spread in clinical practice. Equine patients may be colonized at admission with multi-drug resistant pathogens such as met...
Bourret V, Croville G, Mansuy JM, Mengelle C, Mariette J, Klopp C, Genthon C, Izopet J, Guérin JL.Recent in-depth genetic analyses of influenza A virus samples have revealed patterns of intra-host viral genetic variability in a variety of relevant systems. These have included laboratory infected poultry, horses, pigs, chicken eggs and swine respiratory cells, as well as naturally infected poultry and horses. In humans, next generation sequencing techniques have enabled the study of genetic variability at specific positions of the viral genome. The present study investigated how 454 pyrosequencing could help unravel intra-host genetic diversity patterns on the full-length viral hæmagglutin...
Bosco-Lauth AM, Panella NA, Root JJ, Gidlewski T, Lash RR, Harmon JR, Burkhalter KL, Godsey MS, Savage HM, Nicholson WL, Komar N, Brault AC.Heartland virus (HRTV; Bunyaviridae: Phlebovirus) has recently emerged as a causative agent of human disease characterized by thrombocytopenia and leukopenia in the United States. The lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum L.) has been implicated as a vector. To identify candidate vertebrate amplification hosts associated with enzootic maintenance of the virus, sera and ticks were sampled from 160 mammals (8 species) and 139 birds (26 species) captured near 2 human case residences in Andrew and Nodaway Counties in northwest Missouri. HRTV-specific neutralizing antibodies were identified in north...
Baragli P, Padalino B, Telatin A.Horses were domesticated 6000 years ago and since then different types of approaches have been developed to enhance the horse's wellbeing and the human-horse relationship. Even though horse training is an increasingly important research area and many articles have been published on the subject, equitation is still the sport with the highest rate of human injuries, and a significant percentage of horses are sold or slaughtered due to behavioral problems. One explanation for this data is that the human-horse relationship is complex and the communication between humans and horses has not yet been...
Coultous RM, Sutton DGM, Boden LA.Equine piroplasmosis (EP) is currently not endemic in the UK, despite a lack of formal surveillance and the presence of carrier horses in the equine population. Pathogen establishment would have significant welfare and economic impacts on the national equine industry, but the disease is often overlooked by UK practitioners. Objective: To assess the risk of disease entry, exposure and consequences to the UK equine population. Methods: Qualitative risk assessment. Methods: A qualitative risk assessment was constructed utilising the current World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) published fra...
Modrá H, Svobodová Z.This article reports the most frequent cases of poisoning in farm animals, horses, cats, dogs, wild animals, fish and honey-bees in the Czech Republic. At present, there are fewer cases of acute poisoning caused by high doses of toxic substances but there are more and more cases of chronic poisoning as a consequence of environmental pollution.
Denys M, Léon A, Robert C, Saulnier N, Josson-Schramme A, Legrand L, Wimel L, Maddens S, Pronost S. The growing interest in mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) in equine medicine, together with the development of MSC biobanking for allogeneic use, raises concerns about biosafety of such products. MSCs derived from umbilical cord (UC) carry an inherent risk of contamination by environmental conditions and vertical transmission of pathogens from broodmares. There is yet no report in the scientific literature about horses being contaminated by infected MSC products, and no consensus about systematic infectious screening of umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (UC-MSCs) to ensure micro...
Güçlü Z, Karaer Z, Babür C, Kiliç S.The aim of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in horses bred for sportive purposes in the province of Ankara. Sera collected from a total of 100 clinically healthy horses were tested for the presence of anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies using the Sabin-Feldman dye test and a seropositivity of 28% was found. The distribution of seropositivity among dilutions showed that 23 samples were positive at a dilution of 1:16 (82.1%), and 5 samples, positive at 1:64 (17.8%).
Pearson RA, Krecek RC.Problems have been identified in the delivery of extension messages about the maintenance of healthy and well-fed working animals. The different factors that need to be considered in developing effective disease control and prevention programmes for working oxen and equids including vector-borne diseases, helminth disease, and vaccination programmes have been reported and discussed and experiences in improving husbandry including footcare, harness, and worm management reported. Most draught animals are owned by people who lack the financial means to pay for or to access the information needed ...
Haas DJ, Dorneles EM, Spier SJ, Carroll SP, Edman J, Azevedo VA, Heinemann MB, Lage AP.Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis biovar Equi is an important pathogen of horses. It is increasing in frequency in the United States, and is responsible for various clinical forms of infection, including external abscesses, internal abscesses of the abdominal or thoracic cavities, and ulcerative lymphangitis. The host/pathogen factors dictating the form or severity of infection are currently unknown. Our recent investigations have shown that genotyping C. pseudotuberculosis isolates using enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus (ERIC)-PCR is useful for understanding the evolutionary g...
Graves A, Weaver RW, Entry J.The BIOLOG system was used to generate knowledge of enterococci populations found in fresh and dry manure of livestock (cattle (Bos taurus), horse (Equus caballus), and sheep (Ovis aires)). Six-hundred and forty Enterococcus isolates from the host sources were observed as a combined fresh manure unit and a combined dry manure unit, E. casseliflavus and E. mundtii were predominant in fresh manure (36% and 35%, respectively) as well as in dry manure (51% and 28%, respectively). The other species were found at a frequency of less than 10%. A chi-square test of the two most predominant Enterococcu...
Berxholi K, Ziegler U, Rexhepi A, Schmidt K, Mertens M, Korro K, Cuko A, Angenvoort J, Groschup MH.Serum samples collected from 167 equines of 12 districts in Albania were tested for West Nile virus-specific antibodies by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and virus neutralization assay, using WNV lineage 1 and 2. In addition, 95 bird serum samples from Albania and 29 horse samples from Kosovo were tested in ELISA. An overall seroprevalence rate of 22% was found in horses from Albania, whereas no specific antibodies were found in the equine samples from Kosovo and the bird samples. This is the first report indicating WNV infections in animals in Albania, and the first reported seroprevalence...
Nielsen MK.Formulating and disseminating recommendations for parasite control is a dynamic process that requires constant interaction between parasitology researchers and the end-users in the field. Any set of guidelines requires continuous evaluation of efficacy and possible adverse effects, and adjustments are invariably needed along the way. Experience with formulating guidelines for equine parasite control illustrates that end-users struggle with striking the balance between treating too little and too much.
Durward-Akhurst SA, Schultz NE, Norton EM, Rendahl AK, Besselink H, Behnisch PA, Brouwer A, Geor RJ, Mickelson JR, McCue ME.Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS) is characterized by abnormalities in insulin regulation, increased adiposity and laminitis, and has several similarities to human metabolic syndrome. A large amount of environmental variability in the EMS phenotype is not explained by commonly measured factors (diet, exercise, and season), suggesting that other environmental factors play a role in EMS development. Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are associated with metabolic syndrome and other endocrine abnormalities in humans. This led us to hypothesize that EDCs are detectable in horse plasma and play a ...
Bull KE, Allen KJ, Hodgkinson JE, Peachey LE.In recent years, resistance to the benzimidazole (BZ) and tetrahydropyrimidine (PYR) anthelmintics in global cyathostomin populations, has led to reliance on the macrocyclic lactone drugs (ML-of which ivermectin and moxidectin are licensed in horses) to control these parasites. Recently, the first confirmed case of resistance to both ivermectin (IVM) and moxidectin (MOX) was reported in the USA in yearlings imported from Ireland. This suggests that ML resistance in cyathostomins has emerged, and raises the possibility that regular movement of horses may result in rapid spread of ML resistant c...
Fall AG, Diaïté A, Etter E, Bouyer J, Ndiaye TD, Konaté L.Active catches of adult females of Aedes vexans arabiensis Patton, (Diptera: Culicidae) Patton by nets or aspirator, were conducted in 2003 and 2004 in the vegetation at the edge of temporary ponds in Barkedji, Senegalese Ferlo area. Two hundred and forty-one engorged females were captured, dissected and the gut content adsorbed on a Whatman filter paper and analysed using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique to determinate the bloodmeal origin. Results indicated that Ae v. arabiensis fed primarily on mammals, including horses (35.7% of the bloodmeals), but also on birds (10...
An outbreak of Venezuelan equine encephalitis (VEE) that began in northwestern Venezuela in April 1995 has spread westward to the Guajira peninsula and to Colombia (Figure 1), resulting in an estimated minimum of 13,000 cases in humans and an undetermined number of equine deaths. Governments of both countries have initiated efforts to control the spread of this outbreak by quarantining and vaccinating equines and applying insecticides. This report summarizes the ongoing investigation of the outbreak in Colombia.
Labrecque O, Sylvestre D, Messier S.Cryptococcus albidus is a saprophytic, encapsulated yeast usually found in air, both outdoor and indoor, and sometimes on human skin. It is not usually considered to be a primary pathogen. Most cryptococcal infections of humans and animals are caused by Cryptococcus neoformans. Several cases of C. albidus infection have been reported in humans over the past 20 years. In the veterinary literature, 2 equine cases have been described: genital infection and mycotic keratitis. The present report is the first documented case of C. albidus systemic infection in a dog. Veterinarians and diagnosticians...
Haigh L, Thompson K.Equestrian activities pose significant head injury risks to participants. Yet, helmet use is not mandatory in Australia outside of selected competitions. Awareness of technical countermeasures and the dangers of equestrian activities has not resulted in widespread adoption of simple precautionary behaviors like helmet use. Until the use of helmets whilst riding horses is legislated in Australia, there is an urgent need to improve voluntary use. To design effective injury prevention interventions, the factors affecting helmet use must first be understood. To add to current understandings of the...
Niedźwiedź A, Borowicz H, Nicpoń JM.A survey to determine current prevalence of Gasterophilus spp. (bot flies) in equids (n=400) at necropsy in slaughtered horses was conducted at the abattoir in Rawicz. The evaluation was performed according to sex, age, larval stages, severity of infestation and localization, respectively. Only Gasterophilus intestinalis and Gasterophilus nasalis were detected. The prevalence determined in the eastern part of Poland was of 47%. The high prevalence of this parasite infection in the Polish horse population confirms that Gasterophilosis spp. has to be taken into serious consideration and prophyla...
Barrett MW, Chalmers GA.To determine the exposure of free-ranging pronghorns (Antilocapra americana Ord) to selected pathogens, serum samples were obtained from 33 live-trapped animals from southwestern Saskatchewan in 1970, and from 26 and 51 animals from southeastern Alberta, in 1971 and 1972, respectively. Antibodies were found to the agents of parainfluenza 3, bovine virus diarrhea, eastern and western encephalomyelitis, infectious bovine rhinotracheitis and the chlamydial group. No serologic reactors were found to the agents of bluetongue, epizootic hemorrhagic disease, brucellosis, or leptospirosis (4 serotypes...
Parisi A, Caruso M, Normanno G, Latorre L, Miccolupo A, Fraccalvieri R, Intini F, Manginelli T, Santagada G.The epidemiology of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in horses and its zoonotic potential is poorly understood. The objective of this study is to provide data on the prevalence and genetic characteristics of MRSA isolated from horses on farms, at racecourses, and at slaughterhouses in Italy, using standard and molecular methods. In addition, we report the prevalence of MRSA in horse handlers. Among 388 horses tested by nasal swabs, 27 (7%) were positive for MRSA ST398 (t011, t899, t1255) and ST1 (t127). The prevalence of MRSA in horses tested at slaughterhouses was significan...
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...
Vesicular stomatitis is an infrequent yet important vesicular disease of cattle, horses, and swine. Periodic outbreaks of this disease in the United States have caused economic losses in cattle herds because of decreased production, movement restrictions, and trade embargoes. Vesicular stomatitis causes clinical signs indistinguishable from those of foot-and-mouth disease. It is of utmost importance that appropriate samples are collected from clinical cases of vesicular disease in cattle and swine so a rapid laboratory diagnosis can be made.
Arafa AA, Hedia RH, Ata NS, Ibrahim ES.Upper respiratory tract infections are common in horses and can be caused by a variety of pathogens, mainly subsp, which are a significant equine pathogen causing major health issues as well as financial losses to the equine industry. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of bacteria in equines in Egypt, and characterize vancomycin-resistant subsp phenotypically and genotypically. Methods: subsp was isolated from internal nares of horses. All strains were confirmed by polymerase chain reaction-based detection of genus-specific , A and I genes. Antibiotic susceptibility was determin...
Muwanga LC, Dove AF.We report the frequency with which horse riders with a significant head injury present to a large accident and emergency department. We have also recorded details about the use of headwear and conclude that horse-riding is associated with a serious risk of head injury and 'protective' headwear may not always protect.
Alberti A, Sparagano OA.Anaplasma phagocytophilum (A. phagocytophilum, formerly Ehrlichia phagocytophila) is a tick-borne pathogen responsible for tick-borne fever in ruminants, equine granulocytic ehrlichiosis (EGE) in horses, canine granulocytic ehrlichiosis (CGE) in dogs, and for human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (HGE). Human cases have been registered in many countries with a broad range of symptoms and pathogenicity. This article focused on Sardinia as the prevalence in humans was almost seven times higher than in the rest of Italy. To evaluate the risk, blood samples were collected from dogs and horses on the isl...