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.
Birhanu H, Fikru R, Said M, Kidane W, Gebrehiwot T, Hagos A, Alemu T, Dawit T, Berkvens D, Goddeeris BM, Büscher P.African animal trypanosomosis, transmitted cyclically by tsetse flies or mechanically by other biting flies, causes serious inflictions to livestock health. This study investigates the extent of non-tsetse transmitted animal trypanosomosis (NTTAT) by Trypanosoma (T.) evansi and T. vivax in domestic animals in the tsetse-free regions of Northern Ethiopia, Afar and Tigray. Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted on 754 dromedary camels, 493 cattle, 264 goats, 181 sheep, 84 donkeys, 25 horses and 10 mules. The microhaematocrit centrifugation technique was used as parasitological test. Plas...
Larson KR, Heil GL, Chambers TM, Capuano A, White SK, Gray GC.Equine influenza virus (EIV) is considered enzootic in North America and experimental studies have documented human EIV infections. Methods: This cross-sectional study examined 94 horse-exposed and 34 non-exposed controls for serological evidence of EIV infection. Sera were evaluated for antibodies against three EIV and two human H3N2 viruses using microneutralization (MN), neuraminidase inhibition (NI), enzyme-linked lectin (ELLA), and hemagglutination inhibition (HI) serological assays. Risk factor analyses were conducted using logistic regression and proportional odds modeling. Results: The...
Gill Harris reports from this year's National Equine Forum, where one of the main themes was the horse industry and government. The forum, held in London on March 5, was attended by more than 200 people with a connection to the equestrian industry. Lord de Mauley, parliamentary undersecretary of state for natural environment and science at Defra, set the course of the proceedings.
Woodger K, Stone EA.This article seeks to examine the history of equine surgery at the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC) in the context of the changing horse economy during the first half of the 20th century. We argue that despite the transition to livestock medicine, public health and small animal practice, the horse, especially as a surgical topic, retained a (diminished) place at OVC due to the lucrative new recreational equine market, the deep links between horses and veterinary medicine, and the equine focus for nearly half a century of Dr. W.J.R. Fowler, the College's primary surgical instructor.
Laabassi F, Amelot G, Laugier C, Zientara S, Nasri AM, Hans A.In order to determine the prevalence of equine viral arteritis in Algeria, 268 sera from non-vaccinated horses were collected from the western and eastern regions. Serological analysis of the sera, which were collected from 2009 to 2011, was performed using the virus neutralisation test, as described by the World Organisation for Animal Health. Overall, 20 sera (7.46%) were seropositive, 152 (56.71%) were negative and 96 sera (35.82%) were cytotoxic. Equine arteritis virus (EAV) seroprevalence was significantly higher in the western region (Tiaret) than in the eastern region (Barika and El-Eul...
Mir IA, Kumar B, Taku A, Bhardwaj RK, Bhat MA, Badroo GA.The present study was conducted to determine the prevalence of Rhodococcus equi infection in equines of Jammu and Kashmir, India, and evaluate the zoonotic threat posed by this organism to equine owners and tourists. One hundred and forty-one samples (98 samples from adult animals ≥5 years old and 43 samples from foals less than 6 months old) were collected in duplicate from nasopharyngeal tract of equines for isolation and direct PCR. A total of 12 isolates of R. equi were recovered, of which 9 were from foals and 3 from adult animals. Therefore, the present study recorded prevalence rates ...
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...
Galuppi R, Piva S, Castagnetti C, Iacono E, Tanel S, Pallaver F, Fioravanti ML, Zanoni RG, Tampieri MP, Caffara M.The present study aims to evaluate the prevalence, pattern of spread and risk factors for the transmission of cryptosporidiosis in foals and mares hospitalized in a University Equine Perinatology Unit, where a new subtype family of Cryptosporidium horse genotype was described by Caffara et al. (2013). Mares (36) and foals (37) hospitalized during the 2012 foaling season were included. Multiple sampling from each animal was performed (a total of 305 stool samples were collected). One hundred and eleven environmental samples (gauze swabs) were also collected before and after the breeding season....
Passantino A, Giannetto C, Passantino L, Piccione G.The Council of Europe's activities in the field of animal welfare are particularly noteworthy and comprise the elaboration of several norms for the protection of animals. Concerning the specific European Directive, Regulations or Convention for the protection of animals, the Authors underline the missing of specifics recommendations concerning the welfare of sport horses and especially of trotters. Guidelines are reported by regulation of equestrian sports. The paper's purpose is to give practical elements to individuate the welfare state and to promote a clear regulation on welfare, care and ...
Ferra B, Holec-Gąsior L, Kur J.Toxoplasma gondii infects all warm-blooded animals including humans, causing serious public health problems and great economic loss in the animal husbandry. Commonly used serological tests for diagnosis of toxoplasmosis involve preparation of whole Toxoplasma lysate antigen (TLA) from tachyzoites. The production of this antigen is associated with high costs and lengthy preparation and the possibility of staff infection. There are also some difficulties in the standardization of such tests. One approach in order to improve the diagnosis of T. gondii infection is to use recombinant chimeric anti...
Martin-Alonso A, Abreu-Yanes E, Feliu C, Mas-Coma S, Bargues MD, Valladares B, Foronda P.The nematode Angiostrongylus cantonensis is the causative agent of human angiostrongyliasis, the main clinical manifestation of which is eosinophilic meningitis. Although this parasite has been found recently in its definitive rat host in Tenerife (Canary Islands, Spain), showing a widespread distribution over the north-east part of the island, there are no available data regarding which snail and/or slug species are acting as intermediate hosts on this island. Consequently, the objective of this work was to determine the possible role of three mollusc species, Plutonia lamarckii, Cornu aspers...
Scantlebury CE, Zerfu A, Pinchbeck GP, Reed K, Gebreab F, Aklilu N, Mideksa K, Christley R.Epizootic lymphangitis (EZL) is reported to have a significant impact upon livelihoods within resource-poor settings. This study used a participatory approach to explore peoples' experiences of EZL and examine the perceived impact of disease, owner knowledge and understanding of EZL, lay management of disease and, attitudes and strategies towards disease prevention. Focus-group discussions were held with 358 cart-horse owners and drivers recruited from 7 towns attended by SPANA (Society for the protection of animals abroad) mobile veterinary clinics and 2 unexposed towns where no SPANA clinics...
Sule WF, Oluwayelu DO, Adedokun RA, Rufai N, McCracken F, Mansfield KL, Johnson N.To investigate exposure of Nigerian horses to West Nile virus (WNV), we determined the seroprevalence rate of anti-WNV antibody in a cohort of 145 horses. Serum samples were collected from three locations in southwestern Nigeria between October, 2011, and July, 2012. The horses were asymptomatic and unvaccinated against WNV at the time of sampling. All sera were tested using a competition enzyme-linked immmunosorbent assay (ELISA) and by an immunoglobulin M (IgM)-specific ELISA. High rates of anti-WNV antibody prevalence were observed in all locations with a mean level of 90.3% (95% confidence...
Niczyporuk JS, Samorek-Salamonowicz E, Lecollinet S, Pancewicz SA, Kozdruń W, Czekaj H.Serum samples of 474 wild birds, 378 horses, and 42 humans with meningitis and lymphocytic meningitis were collected between 2010 and 2014 from different areas of Poland. West Nile virus (WNV) antibodies were detected using competition enzyme linked immunosorbent assays: ELISA-1 ID Screen West Nile Competition, IDvet, ELISA-2 ID Screen West Nile IgM Capture, and ELISA-3 Ingezim West Nile Compac. The antibodies were found in 63 (13.29%) out of 474 wild bird serum samples and in one (0.26%) out of 378 horse serum samples. Fourteen (33.33%) out of 42 sera from patients were positive against WNV a...
Sapsutthipas S, Leong PK, Akesowan S, Pratanaphon R, Tan NH, Ratanabanangkoon K.Snake envenomation has been estimated to affect 1.8 million people annually with about 94,000 deaths mostly in poor tropical countries. Specific antivenoms are the only rational and effective therapy for these cases. Efforts are being made to produce effective, affordable and sufficient antivenoms for these victims. The immunization process, which has rarely been described in detail, is one step that needs to be rigorously studied and improved especially with regard to the production of polyspecific antisera. The polyspecific nature of therapeutic antivenom could obviate the need to identify t...
Abe N, Matsubara K.The Cryptosporidium horse genotype, a zoonotic protozoan parasite first found in a Prezewalski wild horse, has not been found in any other mammal but calves, horses, and humans. Hedgehogs, popular exotic pet animals in Japan, are a reservoir of two zoonotic Cryptosporidum: C. parvum and C. erinacei (previously known as the hedgehog genotype). Recently, after finding Cryptosporidium infection in a four-toed hedgehog (Atelerix albiventris), we identified the isolate genetically as the Cryptosporidium horse genotype. Its subtype (VIbA13) was the same as that of an isolate from a pet shop employee...
Silva LG, Genteluci GL, Corrêa de Mattos M, Glatthardt T, Sá Figueiredo AM, Ferreira-Carvalho BT.Streptococcus dysgalactiae subsp. equisimilis (SDSE) isolates are the most common group C streptococci in humans and reports of invasive infections associated with SDSE have been increasing. Molecular epidemiology studies are an important strategy to trace the emergence and spread of possible well-fit bacterial pathogens of humans and animals. In this work, we analysed the antimicrobial and clonal profiles of 115 SDSE infection and colonization isolates of human and equine origin. PFGE revealed the spread of two main clusters: clone A (57.4%) and clone A (26.1%). Remarkably, two isolates from ...
Bengis RG, Frean J.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...
Barton AJ, Prow NA, Hall RA, Kidd L, Bielefeldt-Ohmann H.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 ...
Amat JP, Hendrikx P, Tapprest J, Leblond A, Dufour B.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...
Page PC, Labuschagne K, Venter GJ, Schoeman JP, Guthrie AJ.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...
Baig B, Mehta T, Khalid N, Chhabra L.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...
Schmidt B, Mayr J, Fasching G, Nöres H.The rate of pediatric equestrian injuries is relatively low, but the severity of injuries is greater than in many other pediatric sport activities. In a 4-year period the charts of 109 patients up through the age of 15 years, who were admitted for equestrian-related injuries were reviewed. Falls from horses are the most frequent cause of injuries and responsible for their anatomic localization and type of injury. In our study the upper extremity was the most common (38%) area injured and head injuries comprised the second largest group with 36%. Forty percent of all injuries were fractures, 72...
Cawley A, Keen B, Tou K, Elbourne M, Keledjian J.The concept of biomarker measurements in the form of a ratio has not been explored in detail. This is surprising considering the current and future potential for biomarkers incorporating endogenous reference compounds (ERCs) in a range of fields. A selection of these relating to clinical and forensic applications, human antidoping, equine antidoping and veterinary residues are discussed.
Cruz F, Fores P, Ireland J, Moreno MA, Newton R.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...
Yim VW, Yeung JH, Mak PS, Graham CA, Lai PB, Rainer TH.Professional horse riding-related injuries have not been studied before in Hong Kong, although horse racing takes place very regularly in the territory. In addition, the equestrian events of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games will come to Hong Kong. This study analysed the pattern of horse-related injury among patients who presented to a trauma centre in a teaching hospital in Hong Kong. Methods: Information from the trauma centre database was analysed retrospectively. The database includes trauma patients who had sustained potentially severe injuries that warranted initial assessment and resuscit...
Timoney P.More than 800 premises in eight states in the USA have recently reported cases of vesicular stomatitis in their horses. Here, Peter Timoney, of the Gluck Equine Research Center in Kentucky, discusses this zoonotic disease in more detail.
Pusterla N, Tamez-Trevino E, White A, Vangeem J, Packham A, Conrad PA, Kass P.Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis is a commonly diagnosed neurological disease of horses in North America and is caused by infection with Sarcocystis neurona or Neospora hughesi. The aim of this study was to compare prevalence factors among horses seropositive or seronegative to N. hughesi and/or S. neurona. A total of 3123 submissions were included in the study, with horses originating from 49 States. Thirty-eight animals from 21 States tested seropositive for N. hughesi only, 840 horses from 40 States were seropositive for S. neurona only, 25 horses from 14 States were seropositive for both...
Pusterla N, Kalscheur M, Peters D, Bidwell L, Holtz S, Barnum S, Lawton K, Morrissey M, Schumacher S.Little information is presently available regarding the frequency of the silent shedders of respiratory viruses in healthy sport horses and their impact on environmental contamination. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the detection frequency of selected respiratory pathogens in nasal secretions and environmental stall samples of sport horses attending a multi-week equestrian event during the summer months. Six out of fifteen tents were randomly selected for the study with approximately 20 horse/stall pairs being sampled on a weekly basis. Following weekly collection for a to...
Hashimoto VY, Gonçalves DD, Silva FG, Oliveira RC, Alves LA, Reichmann P, Muller EE, Freitas JC.A total of 320 horses were studied in this paper, both male and female, between two and 17 years of age, which were used for traction of wagons in the urban area of the municipality of Londrina (PR). These animals were kept, after their daily work, in abandoned areas or plots, in the outskirts of the urban area of the city. When these animals were attended by the veterinarians, between 1996 and 2005, none of them presented symptoms suggesting leptospirosis. The most frequent reasons for the visit were loss of weight, unwillingness for work, parasitism, laminess, and wounds. Microscopic Seroagg...
Herholz C, Füssel AE, Timoney P, Schwermer H, Bruckner L, Leadon D.The past 10-20 years have seen exponential growth in the volume of trade in horses and equine germplasm; and the extent of global horse movements has increased significantly in the last 4 years. In preparing for the transport of elite Olympic horses to Hong Kong in 2008, it will be very important to be as fully informed as possible of the disease situation in both the exporting and importing country, import and re-entry requirements, as well as having a vaccination strategy to protect against particular diseases. In this context the review describes the equine vector-borne disease situation in...
Harris PA.Equine feeding and stable management practices for horses kept in the UK vary greatly and it is probable that almost any permutation of regimen could be found somewhere. Unfortunately, there is uncertainty about the number of horses in the UK and very limited data are available on the ways horses are being fed and managed. This paper reviews some of the information that is available and provides an outline of some of the factors influencing the practices used. To a certain extent, the way UK horses are fed and managed primarily reflects the purpose for which they are kept (e.g. racing Thorough...
Mejdell CM, Jørgensen GH, Rehn T, Fremstad K, Keeling L, Bøe KE.The risk of injuries is of major concern when keeping horses in groups and there is a need for a system to record external injuries in a standardised and simple way. The objective of this study, therefore, was to develop and validate a system for injury recording in horses and to test its reliability and feasibility under field conditions. Methods: Injuries were classified into five categories according to severity. The scoring system was tested for intra- and inter-observer agreement as well as agreement with a 'golden standard' (diagnosis established by a veterinarian). The scoring was done ...
Moreno SA, Concepción JL, Nava M, Molinari J.In Venezuela, horses are indispensable for extensive cattle raising, and extensive cattle raising prevails in all regions. This determines the numerical relationship between horses and cattle (r = 0.93) to be relatively constant nationwide. At regional level, the average extension of cattle ranches varies greatly. However, in relation to the area covered by pastures, the numbers of horses (r = 0.95) and cattle (r = 0.93) are relatively uniform nationwide. Water buffalo occupy small fractions of the territory; therefore, their numbers are related to the area of pastures less strongl...
Hessler C, Eckert V, Meiners J, Jürgens C, Reicke B, Matthes G, Ekkernkamp A, Püschel K.Horse riding is associated with a high rate of injuries. The possibilities of prevention are limited because of deficient knowledge about the causes and mechanisms of equine-related accidents. In the present study 198 equine-related accidents were analyzed and based on these data risk groups were identified and guidelines to improve safety in horse riding were formulated. Methods: In this 2-center study the accidents of 169 riders over a period of 12 months were analyzed. Data on equine-related patterns of injury and the resulting treatment were collated from the clinical records. Additionally...
De-Simone SG, Napoleão-Pêgo P, Teixeira-Pinto LA, Melgarejo AR, Aguiar AS, Provance DW.The presence of whole horse IgG in therapeutic snake antivenom preparations of high purity is a contamination that can cause IgE-mediated allergic reactions in patients. In this study, the immunodominant IgE and IgG-binding epitopes in horse heavy chain IgG3 were mapped using arrays of overlapping peptides synthesized directly onto activated cellulose membranes. Pooled human sera from patients with and without horse antivenom allergies were used to probe the membrane. We have demonstrated that, for both cases, individuals produce antibodies to epitopes of sequential amino acids of horse heavy ...
Roellig DM, Fang QQ.Anaplasma phagocytophilum is a vector-borne, obligate intracellular bacterium that invades the neutrophils and eosinophils of infected individuals, causing granulocytic anaplasmosis. Equine cases have previously been reported in the United States from California, Florida, and Connecticut, but limited surveillance studies in the Southeast have been conducted. The objective of this study was to determine A. phagocytophilum prevalence in Ixodes scapularis ticks at southeastern U.S. horse-inhabited sites to evaluate the potential risk for equine exposure to A. phagocytophilum-infected ticks in the...
Sissons JH, Blakemore E, Shafi H, Skotny N, Lloyd DM.Children with autism typically experience difficulties interacting socially with others when compared to their non-autistic peers. Establishing how effective interventions are for improving social functioning is important to help inform what should be offered to children with autism. This study reviewed how effective interventions that involved interaction with a live animal, known as animal-assisted interventions, are in improving social functioning in children with autism. A systematic search of the evidence on this topic found nine studies, which were explored for the effectiveness of anima...
Englund L, Pringle J.Dogs and horses are transported within the European Union for a number of reasons. The transport per se may cause physical problems, exemplified by hyperthermia in dogs and pleuropneumonia in horses, and the stress may reactivate latent infections such as canine herpesvirus-1 and equine herpesvirus-1. Preventive treatments are vital to protect dogs from ticks and mosquitoes transmitting their potentially lethal infectious agents, such as Leishmania donovani infantum, Babesia canis, Ehrlichia canis, and Dirofilaria immitis. However, records show that the travelling dogs are not fully protected ...
Schoster A, van Spijk JN, Damborg P, Moodley A, Kirchgaessner C, Hartnack S, Schmitt S.Fourth-generation cephalosporins can select for extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae in horses, but it is unknown to what extent this occurs compared to penicillin/gentamicin combination treatment. The objective was to evaluate the effect of different antimicrobial treatments on faecal shedding and diversity of ESBL-producing Escherichia coli (ESBL-EC) in horses. Upon hospital admission, 86 horses in need of antimicrobial treatment or prophylaxis were randomly allocated to receive penicillin and gentamicin (PG) or cefquinome (CEF). Untreated horses were included a...
Ziegler U, Skrypnyk A, Keller M, Staubach C, Bezymennyi M, Damiani AM, Osterrieder N, Groschup MH.West Nile virus (WNV) is a mosquito-borne virus of global importance. Over the last two decades, it has been responsible for significant numbers of cases of illness in humans and animals in many parts of the world. In Ukraine, WNV infections in humans and birds were first reported more than 25 years ago, yet the current epidemiological status is quite unclear. In this study, serum samples from over 300 equines were collected and screened in order to detect current WNV activity in Ukraine with the goal to estimate the risk of infection for humans and horses. Sera were tested by enzyme-linked im...
Bernhang AM, Winslett G.In brief: It has always been assumed that participants in equestrian sports are at high risk of serious injury and that minor injuries are common. This study of American Horse Shows Association and United States Pony Clubs horse shows tried to determine if shows are as safe as or safer than other sports, what the accident rate is for horse shows, if any factors influence the accident rate, and what types of accidents and injuries occur. There were 290 reported injuries and two deaths in the 984 responding shows. The accident rate per entry was 0.0003. There was no statistically significant rel...
Kang OD, Yun YM.The present study aims to confirm the influence of a horse-riding lesson program (HRLP) on the stress level of horses and riders by respectively analyzing their salivary cortisol concentration. Twenty-four healthy horses and 23 riders participated in this study. The horses were randomly classified into two groups for the horse riding lesson program: Class 1 (for the beginner lesson) and Class 2 (for the intermediate lesson). The Class 1 group consisted of 12 horses and 12 riders, while the Class 2 group consisted of 12 horses and 11 riders. Salivettes cotton wool swabs were used for saliva col...
Dallap Schaer BL, Aceto H, Caruso MA, Brace MA.Colic has been associated with shedding of Salmonella. Horses with salmonellosis typically develop diarrhea, fever, and leukopenia. Overlooking additional predictors may result in failure to detect shedding horses and increase environmental contamination. Objective: Evaluate associations between signalment and clinicopathologic data during early hospitalization and Salmonella shedding in horses treated for acute colic. Methods: Horses with acute colic admitted to a referral hospital. A total of 59 horses shedding Salmonella compared to 108 Salmonella-negative horses. Methods: Retrospective cas...
Quinlivan M, Maxwell G, Lyons P, Arkins S, Cullinane A.Equine rhinitis viruses (ERV) cause respiratory disease and loss of performance in horses. It has been suggested that the economic significance of these viruses may have been underestimated due to insensitive methods of detection. Objective: To develop a sensitive, rapid, real-time RT-PCR (rRT-PCR) assay suitable for the routine diagnosis and epidemiological surveillance of the A and B variants of ERV. Methods: TaqMan primer probe sets for ERAV and ERBV were designed from conserved regions of the 5' UTR of the ERV genome. Over 400 samples from both clinically affected and asymptomatic horses w...
Einhorn L, Hofstetter G, Brandt S, Hainisch EK, Fukuda I, Kusano K, Scheynius A, Mittermann I, Resch-Marat Y, Vrtala S, Valenta R, Marti E, Rhyner C....Companion animals are also affected by IgE-mediated allergies, but the eliciting molecules are largely unknown. We aimed at refining an allergen microarray to explore sensitization in horses and compare it to the human IgE reactivity profiles. Methods: Custom-designed allergen microarray was produced on the basis of the ImmunoCAP ISAC technology containing 131 allergens. Sera from 51 horses derived from Europe or Japan were tested for specific IgE reactivity. The included horse patients were diagnosed for eczema due to insect bite hypersensitivity, chronic coughing, recurrent airway obstructio...
Allison K, Taylor NM, Wilsmore AJ, Garforth C.An online survey was conducted to establish horse owners' beliefs, attitudes and practices relating to the use of anthelmintic drugs. Out of a total of 574 respondents, 89 per cent described themselves as 'leisure riders', most of whom took part in a variety of activities including eventing, show jumping, dressage, hunter trials, hunting, driving, endurance and showing. Overall, respondents were generally aware and concerned about the issue of anthelmintic resistance. Less than 60 per cent of all respondents were comfortable with their existing anthelmintic programme, and 25 per cent would lik...
Awosile BB, Heider LC, Saab ME, McClure JT.This study determined the antimicrobial susceptibility patterns and trends for selected bacteria isolated from horses using diagnostic data from the Atlantic Veterinary College Diagnostic Services Bacteriology Laboratory, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island over a 20-year period. subsp. and were the most commonly isolated bacteria over the study period. Clinical samples were most frequently submitted from respiratory and reproductive systems. Most bacterial isolates were susceptible to ceftiofur. Resistance was most common in Gram-negative enteric bacteria, while streptococci were frequentl...
Venturini C, Bowring B, Partridge SR, Ben Zakour NL, Fajardo-Lubian A, Lopez Ayala A, Qin J, Totsika M, van Galen G, Norris J, Iredell J.The global epidemiology of multidrug resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae, a serious threat to both animal and human health, is dominated by the spread of pathogenic clones, each separately evolving via acquisition of transferable antibiotic resistance or niche-specific virulence determinants. In horses, K. pneumoniae infection can lead to severe respiratory illness. Here, we characterized multiple isolates recovered from bronchial aspirates of a mare with pneumonia refractory to antibiotics. First, we used a combination of standard microbiology, bacteriophage cross-susceptibility and antibiotic re...
Suniga PAP, Mantovani C, Santos MG, Rieger JSG, Gaspar EB, Dos Santos FL, Mota RA, Chaves KP, Egito AA, Filho JCO, Nassar AFC, Dos Santos LR....Glanders is a contagious disease of equids caused by the Gram-negative bacterium Burkholderia mallei. In Brazil, the disease is considered to be reemerging and has been expanding, with records of equids with positive serology in most of the federative units. However, there are few reports describing the genotypic detection of the agent. This study demonstrated the detection of B. mallei by species-specific PCR directly from tissues or from bacterial cultures, followed by amplicon sequencing in equids (equines, mules, and asinines) with positive serology for glanders in all five geographic regi...
Bino E, Lauková A, Ščerbová J, Kubašová I, Kandričáková A, Strompfová V, Miltko R, Belzecki G.The intestinal microbiota has enormous impact on the health and performance of horses. Staphylococci belong in the phylum Firmicutes, and their occurrence, especially of methicillin-resistant strains and species, has been reported in horses previously. Moreover, biofilm formation is one of the virulence factors; it has been not completely studied in fecal coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) from horses. Therefore, this study was focused on biofilm formation by various species of fecal CoNS from horses because it has been never reported before. In addition, their antibiotic profile was test...
Wells D, Krecek RC.Structured interviews using a questionnaire were conducted to gather information on socioeconomic aspects, health, nutrition, breeding and management of working equids in 3 study areas of Moretele 1 near Hammanskraal, North West Province, South Africa. The questionnaire addressed questions about the role of animals with a focus on donkeys used for work in these areas. Extension and animal health officers and donkey owners participated. The analysis highlights the use of donkeys for transport of water, wood and people; that ticks, wounds and harness sores are the conditions reported most freque...
