Respiratory disease in horses encompasses a range of conditions affecting the respiratory system, including the upper and lower airways. These diseases can result from various etiologies such as infectious agents, environmental factors, or genetic predispositions. Common respiratory conditions in horses include equine asthma, equine influenza, and strangles. Clinical signs often associated with respiratory disease in horses include coughing, nasal discharge, and labored breathing. Diagnostic approaches may involve endoscopy, imaging, and laboratory tests to assess the function and health of the respiratory tract. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management of respiratory diseases in equine populations.
A 3-year-old Thoroughbred gelding was examined because of clinical signs of pneumonia and shock. Mucous membrane petechiation and ventral edema were observed and considered to be a result of vasculitis. Epidermal necrosis developed on the distal portions of the limbs. The horse had a persistent high fever that was unresponsive to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory treatment, and Staphylococcus aureus was isolated from a nasal swab specimen and 2 transtracheal wash fluid samples. Antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and supportive treatment resulted in clinical improvement. However, resolution of the ...
Equine arteritis virus (EAV) is the causative agent of equine viral arteritis (EVA), a respiratory and reproductive disease of equids. There has been significant recent progress in understanding the molecular biology of EAV and the pathogenesis of its infection in horses. In particular, the use of contemporary genomic techniques, along with the development and reverse genetic manipulation of infectious cDNA clones of several strains of EAV, has generated significant novel information regarding the basic molecular biology of the virus. Therefore, the objective of this review is to summarize cur...
The upper respiratory tract is a frequent cause of exercise intolerance in horses, particularly in racing horses. There are a myriad of laryngeal abnormalities that may restrict airflow at the rima glottidis. Careful endoscopic examination is a crucial part of the examination of any racing horse suffering from poor performance. There has recently been interest in spectrum analysis of respiratory sounds. It has been determined that laryngeal hemiplegia and dorsal displacement of the soft palate have unique sound patterns. Therefore, spectrum analysis of respiratory sounds may prove to be useful...
Pinnell E, Shoemaker S, Wang Y, Tang Y, Sellon D, Leguillette R, Gold J, Sanz M, Bayly WM.Environmental risk factors could contribute to the development of exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH) in racing Thoroughbreds. Objective: To identify environmental risk factors that might contribute to differences in EIPH prevalence and severity across 12 Thoroughbred racetracks in the United States. Methods: Eight hundred fifteen 2-year-old and 122 >2-year-old Thoroughbred racehorses. Methods: Prospective blinded observational study. Videoendoscopy was performed 30-60 min post-race. Three observers independently assigned an EIPH grade to each videorecording, and prevalence and sever...
Luedke LK.This comprehensive review outlines the anatomy, diagnostic methods, pathophysiology, treatment, and prognosis of common equine upper airway disorders. It discusses the structure and function of the larynx and pharynx, and details diagnostic tools such as endoscopy and ultrasound. Major conditions-recurrent laryngeal neuropathy, arytenoid chondropathy, epiglottic entrapment, dorsal displacement of the soft palate, and nasopharyngeal collapse-are described with emphasis on their etiology, clinical signs, and management options for optimizing performance outcomes.
Campilho R, Saraiva S, Chaves S, Quaresma M, Silva F, Pires I.An 8-month-old Lusitano filly (a young female horse) was referred with a five-day history of abdominal distension, respiratory distress, and hyporexia. Clinical and ultrasonographic examinations revealed ventral edema, anemia, leukocytosis, hypoalbuminemia, and bilateral pleural effusion. The filly subsequently developed progressive clinical deterioration, including persistent hyporexia, scant fecal output, and acute colic with nasogastric reflux, followed by sudden respiratory decompensation, collapse, and death. Post-mortem examination revealed a large, multilobulated abdominal mass involvin...
Bouverat VMA, Pradervand N, Wichert BA, Greim E, Dolf GJ, Gerber V.Hay quality is a key factor in equine respiratory health, with microbiological contaminants in inhaled organic dust posing significant risks. Sensory assessment has been used to evaluate hay hygiene, but its value to identify deficiencies remains unclear. This study aimed to explore the potential of sensory assessment to predict both particulate matter (PM) dust concentrations and microbiological contamination. Fifty hay samples were collected from horse owners and evaluated using a structured sensory examination, microbiological analyses, and dust concentration measurements obtained with the ...
Drespling J, Heelemann S, Strathmeyer S, Kühn H, Schwarz B, Mundhenk L.Equine asthma is a chronic, non-infectious inflammatory disease of the lower airways in horses, classified as mild to moderate (MEA) or severe (SEA). Its pathogenesis is not fully understood and is influenced by environmental and seasonal factors. In this cross-sectional study, seasonal effects on the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) metabolome were investigated in asthmatic and non-asthmatic horses. The metabolome of 230 BALF samples from horses across different seasons, classified as cytologically unremarkable (CUA), MEA, or SEA, was analyzed using proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectr...
Holmes CM, Babasyan S, Wagner B.Equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) is a high morbidity and mortality virus that impacts horse populations worldwide. As a respiratory virus, it enters through the upper respiratory tract (URT), where mucosal immunity plays a crucial role in preventing severe disease. In this study, flow cytometry was used to characterize the nasal leukocyte population during EHV-1 infection, and RNA sequencing of nasal secretions was employed to assess transcriptional markers of the mucosal immune response. Horses with distinct immune statuses were compared at four stages: pre-infection, early (day 1 and 3 post...
Siddoway AC, Van Zanten A, Verhoeven D, Wannemuehler MJ, Mallapragada SK, Narasimhan B.Influenza virus is a common source of respiratory illness and poses a major public health burden globally. Significant efforts have been dedicated towards developing and deploying effective vaccines. However, since being licensed in 1945, influenza vaccines have made limited progress and still suffer from several limitations, including suboptimal efficacy against variants. In this work, we report on two influenza A polyanhydride particle- and pentablock copolymer-based vaccine formulations intended for intranasal or subcutaneous administration. These nanovaccines are based on a newly discovere...
