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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.
African horse sickness outbreaks caused by multiple virus types in Ethiopia. African horse sickness (AHS) is associated with high morbidity and mortality in equids, especially horses. A retrospective analysis was carried out concerning 737 AHS outbreaks that occurred during 2007-2010 in Ethiopia. A total of ten outbreaks were investigated in the study period. All four forms of the disease (pulmonary, cardiac, horse sickness fever and the combined form) were observed, with the cardiac form being the most prevalent. Multiple African horse sickness virus serotypes (AHSV-2, AHSV-4, AHSV-6, AHSV-8 and AHSV-9) were detected by molecular methods (type-specific real-time RT-PC...
[New drugs for horses and production animals in 2011]. In 2011, three newly developed active pharmaceutical ingredients for horses and food producing animals were released on the German market for veterinary drug products. Two of these new products represent different drug classes of antibiotics, the polypeptide antibiotic Bacitracin (Bacivet™) and the macrolide antibiotic Clorsulon (Levatum®). The third product represents an anticestodal antiparasitic (Tildipirosin, Zuprevo®). Furthermore, three established veterinary active pharmaceutical ingredients were modified to allow their application for additional species. Thus the nonsteroidal anti-...
A major outbreak of Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus infections in free-range chickens is linked to horses. Infections of poultry due to Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus have been rare during the past decades and dissimilarities have been reported as to symptoms and lesions; likewise, the source of serious outbreaks has remained speculative. An outbreak affecting 11,000 free-range chickens at the age of 47 wk is reported. The outbreak manifested itself as acute at the onset and was followed by a chronic stage, resulting in some 80% mortality within 21 wk. Small-colony variants (SCVs) of S. equi subsp. zooepidemicus associated with the chronic phase are reported for the first time, and it is d...
Conjugal transfer of a virulence plasmid in the opportunistic intracellular actinomycete Rhodococcus equi. Rhodococcus equi is a facultative intracellular, Gram-positive, soilborne actinomycete which can cause severe pyogranulomatous pneumonia with abscessation in young horses (foals) and in immunocompromised people, such as persons with AIDS. All strains of R. equi isolated from foals and approximately a third isolated from humans contain a large, ~81-kb plasmid which is essential for the intramacrophage growth of the organism and for virulence in foals and murine in vivo model systems. We found that the entire virulence plasmid could be transferred from plasmid-containing strains of R. equi (dono...
Vectors and vector-borne diseases of horses. Most diseases of horses with zoonotic importance are transmitted by arthropods. The vectors belong to two very distantly related groups, the chelicerate Ixodidae (Acari = ticks) and the hexapod Diptera (true flies). Almost all relevant species are predestined for transmitting pathogens by their blood-sucking habits. Especially species of Diptera, one of the megadiverse orders of holometabolan insects (ca. 150.000 spp.), affect the health status and performance of horses during the grazing period in summer. The severity of pathological effect depends on the pathogen, but also on the group of ve...
Seroprevalence and risk factors of Trypanosoma evansi infection in horses in Peninsular Malaysia. A cross-sectional study was designed to assess the seroprevalence and risk factors associated with Trypanosoma evansi infection among horses, using a total of 527 blood samples obtained from eight states in Peninsular Malaysia. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data on risk factors associated with T. evansi seroprevalence. The overall seroprevalence detected by card agglutination test for T. evansi (CATT/T. evansi) was 13.90% (73/527, CI: 11.2-17.1%). Female and exogenous horses showed a higher risk in association with the disease seroprevalence compared to other groups. The major...
Bartonella spp. infection in healthy and sick horses and foals from the southeastern United States. Bartonella species bacteremia has been identified in numerous animal species. These bacteria cause, or have been associated with, a spectrum of clinical manifestations in dogs and human patients. The frequency of exposure to or infection with Bartonella spp. among healthy and sick horses has not been reported. Objective: To test healthy and sick horses and sick foals from the southeastern United States for serological, microbiological, and molecular evidence of Bartonella infection. Methods: Forty-seven healthy horses, 15 sick foals, 22 horses with musculoskeletal manifestations, and 8 horses ...
[Epidemiological aspects of West Nile virus infection in Morocco]. Morocco has undergone three outbreaks of West Nile fever. The first, in 1996, began with a case in a horse herd in Benslimane (central region) and spread to neighboring cities (in the central and northwestern regions). The next two outbreaks appeared after identical 7-year epidemiological latency periods (in 2003 and 2010) in the same area and season. The only human case, which was fatal, occurred during the 1996 outbreak. The West Nile virus strains circulating in Morocco are closely related to other western Mediterranean strains and are characterized by high virulence in horses.
The clinical significance of Nicoletella semolina in horses with respiratory disorders and a screening of the bacterial flora in the airways of horses. Nicoletella semolina, a member of the family Pasteurellaceae, can be isolated from the airways of horses with respiratory disorders. However, its role as a potential or opportunistic pathogen is not clear nor is its presence as part of the normal flora. We therefore investigated the presence and bacterial load of N. semolina in healthy and diseased horses. Samples from a healthy control group were compared with samples from the routine analysis of horses with a clinical history of respiratory disorders. A total of 1770 nose swabs and 1132 tracheal aspirate samples were analysed and subjected t...
Antimicrobial prescribing practice in UK equine veterinary practice. Antimicrobial use is known to select for the emergence of resistant strains of bacteria; therefore prudent use in both human and veterinary medicine is essential to preserve their efficacy. Objective: To characterise antimicrobial prescribing patterns in UK equine practice and evaluate factors associated with prescribing. Methods: A postal questionnaire including 4 clinical scenarios was sent to 740 veterinary surgeons that treat horses. Data were collected on the clinician, their practice and sources of information regarding antimicrobials and their use. Multivariable logistic regression anal...
The first report of Rickettsia spp. in Amblyomma nodosum in the State of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. Ticks are vectors of various pathogens, including Rickettsia spp., which are responsible for causing an emerging disease of global significance. In the present study, an epidemiological survey was performed to identify Rickettsia spp. of the spotted fever group (SFG) in ticks and wild hosts in a native forest adjacent to livestock farming activity. The ticks and blood were evaluated by a hemolymph test and by PCR using the primers CS78 and CS323, which target a partial sequence of the enzyme citrate synthase (gltA) gene. Positive samples by PCR were further tested with the primers Rr190.70p an...
Serological evidence of flaviviruses and alphaviruses in livestock and wildlife in Trinidad. Seroprevalence rates of selected arboviruses in animal populations in Trinidad were determined using serum samples collected between 2006 and 2009 from horses (n=506), cattle (n=163), sheep (n=198), goats (n=82), pigs (n=184), birds (n=140), rodents (n=116), and other vertebrates (n=23). The sera were screened for antibodies to West Nile virus (WNV), St. Louis encephalitis virus (SLEV), Ilheus virus (ILHV), Bussuquara virus (BSQV), Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV), eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV), and western equine encephalitis virus (WEEV), using hemagglutination inhibiti...
Diversity of seM in Streptococcus equi subsp. equi isolated from strangles outbreaks. Strangles is the main upper respiratory tract disease of horses. There are currently no studies on the changes in alleles of the M protein gene (seM) in Brazilian isolates of Streptococcus equi ssp. equi (S. equi). This study aimed to analyze and differentiate molecularly S. equi isolates from equine clinical specimens from southern Brazil, between 1994 and 2010. seM alleles were analyzed in 47 isolates of S. equi obtained from clinical cases of strangles (15 Thoroughbred horses, 29 Crioulo breed horses and three Brasileiro de Hipismo--BH). seM alleles characterization was performed by compari...
West Nile virus in north-eastern Italy, 2011: entomological and equine IgM-based surveillance to detect active virus circulation. Since 2008, West Nile Virus (WNV) has expanded its range in several Italian regions, and its yearly recurrence suggests the virus may have become endemic in some areas. In 2011, a new plan based also on the detection of IgM antibodies was implemented in the north-eastern Italian regions of Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia, aiming to early detect WNV infections in areas where the virus had already circulated during the previous summers, and in adjacent zones. From July to November 2011, 1880 sera from 521 equine premises were screened by a commercial IgM capture ELISA. Mosquitoes were captured ...
[Epidemiology of equestrian injuries in children]. Children increasingly participate in horseback riding, especially young girls, with more and more accidents during this activity. The severity of the injuries caused by horses seems to be higher than in other sports. Methods: In a retrospective study, we reviewed 303 accidents of children younger than 15 years of age during the past 13 years. Our study only investigated children who were hospitalized after their accident. Results: Eighty-two percent of the injured children were girls, but there was no difference between girls and boys in terms of severity. In most cases, children were hurt by ...
Antimicrobial resistance changes in enteric Escherichia coli of horses during hospitalisation: resistance profiling of isolates. The aim of this study was to determine whether hospitalisation of horses leads to increased antimicrobial resistance in equine faecal Escherichia coli isolates. E. coli were cultured from faecal samples of horses on admission and after 7 days of hospitalisation; antimicrobial susceptibility was determined for eight antimicrobial agents. Resistance profiles of E. coli isolates were grouped into clusters, which were analysed to determine resistance patterns. Resistance to 7/8 antimicrobial agents and multi-drug resistance (MDR; resistance to ≥3 antimicrobial classes) were significantly higher ...
Re-emergence of the apicomplexan Theileria equi in the United States: elimination of persistent infection and transmission risk. Arthropod-borne apicomplexan pathogens that cause asymptomatic persistent infections present a significant challenge due to their life-long transmission potential. Although anti-microbials have been used to ameliorate acute disease in animals and humans, chemotherapeutic efficacy for apicomplexan pathogen elimination from a persistently infected host and removal of transmission risk is largely unconfirmed. The recent re-emergence of the apicomplexan Theileria equi in U.S. horses prompted testing whether imidocarb dipropionate was able to eliminate T. equi from naturally infected horses and rem...
Accelerated vaccination schedule provides protective levels of antibody and complete herd immunity to equine influenza. During the 2007 Australian equine influenza (EI) outbreak, an accelerated primary course 14 day intervaccination schedule was proposed, but not widely implemented. Expert opinion was divided as to the efficacy of such a schedule given the lack of published data. This study determined the level and duration of humoral immunity following administration of a recombinant canarypox-vectored vaccine (ALVAC-EIV) with a primary intervaccination interval of 14 days and booster at 105 days. Objective: To examine whether protective levels of immunity of adequate duration were achieved following a primary...
Prevalence study in horses infected by Gasterophilus sp. in an eastern region of Poland. 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...
Prevalence of overconditioning in mature horses in southwest Virginia during the summer. The prevalence of obesity in horses in the eastern United States is not well documented. Objective: To determine body condition and risk factors for obesity in horses in Southwest Virginia during summer. Methods: A sample of 300 mature (4-20 years old), light breed horses (140 mares, 151 geldings, and 9 stallions) from the VMRCVM Equine Field Service practice equine database. The horses were from 114 farms and 138 owners. Methods: Horses were evaluated over a 60-day period in this cross-sectional, prospective study. A questionnaire was completed for each horse. Body condition score (BCS) was a...
