Veterinary medicine for horses encompasses the study and application of medical practices to diagnose, treat, and prevent diseases in equine species. This field involves a comprehensive understanding of equine anatomy, physiology, pathology, and pharmacology. Veterinary practitioners employ a range of diagnostic tools and therapeutic interventions to address health issues in horses, including lameness, gastrointestinal disorders, respiratory conditions, and infectious diseases. Preventative care, such as vaccination and deworming programs, is also a significant aspect of equine veterinary medicine. This page gathers peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore various aspects of veterinary medicine as it pertains to horses, including advancements in diagnostic techniques, treatment protocols, and preventive health strategies.
Verwilghen D, Easley J, Zwick T, Uhlhorn M, Grulke S, Simhofer H, Townsend N, Liyou O, Bodeus F, Zani DD, Vlaminck L, Pearce C, Staszyk C....Suture exostosis is an intriguing and not uncommon pathology that has to be included in the differential diagnosis for horses with swelling of the head. Although several singular case reports have been published, no large case series is available. The aim of this study is to report a multicentric retrospective collection of suture exostosis cases. Data concerning horses with suture exostosis in the facial region were collected retrospectively. Information regarding breed, age, gender, history, imaging findings, initiated treatment, response to treatment and follow up was recorded. One hundred ...
Long M, Dürnberger C, Jenner F, Kelemen Z, Auer U, Grimm H.Equine Quality of Life (QoL) is an important concern in decision making in veterinary medicine and is especially relevant for chronically ill or geriatric horses towards the end of their lives. To our knowledge, there is no currently available QoL assessment tool for chronically ill or geriatric horses that assesses equine QoL defined as the horse's evaluation of their life. However, tools exist to assess equine welfare in different contexts. Hence, the aims of this study were to analyse how equine welfare, QoL, well-being and happiness assessment tools label, define and operationalise the con...
Cota LO, Júnior OS, Oliveira APL, Paz CFR, Maróstica TP, Duarte PC, Leme FOP, Faleiros RR.Systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) is a common condition in horses with gastrointestinal disorders. If not prevented or controlled, SIRS promotes multiple organ dysfunctions that may culminate in serious disabilities or even death. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of Lithothamnion supplementation on systemic inflammatory response and organ function variables in horses undergoing oligofructose overload (OFO) intake. Twelve healthy horses were randomly divided into control and treated groups. The treated group received Lithothamnion (100 mg/kg bw PO BID) for 7 ...
Blanchard T, Fantinati M, Domange C, Priymenko N.The present report describes two novel cases of suspected intoxication with Galega officinalis in 6- and 21-year-old Arabian mares displaying acute respiratory signs. Both animals showed signs of pulmonary edema at physical examination, with the oldest of the two also manifesting severe dyspnea and foamy nasal discharge. The mares were grazing on the same meadow with hay available ad libitum. Botanical analysis of the latter showed traces of the toxic plant Galega officinalis (L.), which has been daily ingested at a dose of around 14 g of dry matter for three days. Based on the respiratory sig...
Yang F, Wu S, Yang W, Yu J, Liu B, Zeng S.To study the effects of exercise on donkey semen parameters, Dezhou donkey (Equus asinus) jackasses (n = 18) were assigned to three groups: control (CN, n = 6), 1-hour exercise (1 h EX, n = 6) and 2-hour exercise (2 h EX, n = 6) groups. They were exercised with a walking machine for 3 days/week for 8 weeks. Semen parameters and reproductive hormones were evaluated weekly. The heart rate, rectal temperature, blood haematology indexes, and the body condition score (BCS) were also measured. Results showed that the ejaculation volume increased while the sperm concentration decreased after ...
Göktaş EF, Kabil E, Yatanaslan L, Güneş E, Dirikolu L.Caffeine is a naturally occurring alkaloid and it is metabolized to paraxanthine, theophylline and theobromine. Analysis of caffeine and its metabolites is challenging since the metabolites theophylline and paraxanthine generate similar product and precursor ions. In this study, a new method was developed for the simultaneous analysis of caffeine, paraxanthine, theobromine and theophylline in horse urine using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Urine samples were treated using solid-phase extraction followed by the elution with dichloromethane-isopropanol (90:10) after the pH was ad...
Durán-Ferrer M, Villalba R, Fernández-Pacheco P, Tena-Tomás C, Jiménez-Clavero MÁ, Bouzada JA, Ruano MJ, Fernández-Pinero J, Arias M....This study described the clinical, virological, and serological responses of immunologically naïve and vaccinated horses to African horse sickness virus (AHSV) serotype 9. Naïve horses developed a clinical picture resembling the cardiac form of African horse sickness. This was characterized by inappetence, reduced activity, and hyperthermia leading to lethargy and immobility-recumbency by days 9-10 post-infection, an end-point criteria for euthanasia. After challenge, unvaccinated horses were viremic from days 3 or 4 post-infection till euthanasia, as detected by serogroup-specific (GS) real...
Smanik LE, Moser DK, Rothers KP, Hackett ES.Prospective clinical study of blood lactate concentration in horses undergoing colic surgery is needed to determine utility in outcome prediction. Objective: To evaluate venous lactate measurements in horses following colic surgery, including immediately after anesthetic recovery and daily throughout hospitalization, as well as to determine if lactate concentrations were significantly higher in horses that developed postoperative complications or did not survive to hospital discharge. Methods: Horses > 1 year of age undergoing surgery for colic and recovered from general anesthesia were sample...
Ortega-Ferrusola C, Gómez-Arrones V, Martín-Cano FE, Gil MC, Peña FJ, Gaitskell-Phillips G, Da Silva-Álvarez E.Ultrasound technology has led to new lines of research in equine reproduction, and it has helped to greatly improve clinical diagnosis and reproductive outcomes in equine practice. This review aims to discuss the potential clinical uses and new approaches of ultrasonography in equine reproduction. Doppler modalities are usually used to evaluate the vascularization of the follicles, corpus luteum (CL), and the uterus in the mare for diagnostic purposes. Inclusion of Doppler ultrasound in artificial insemination and embryo transfer programs could improve the reproductive outcome of these techniq...
Gfrerer L, Michel S, Fürst AE, Piskoty G, Weisse B, Montavon S, Jackson MA. The goal of this study was to generate mandibular fractures in three regions of the diastema using a metal impactor to simulate a kick from a horse and to determine the mean deceleration in the initial phase of the impact event, the maximum contact force, the impact energy necessary to create a fracture and the duration of the impact. Methods: Thirty heads of horses aged between 5 and 20 years and euthanatized for various reasons were used. The heads were attached to a steel bar at the occiput at an axial angle of 45 degrees so that the body of the mandible was positioned horizontally ...
Podico G, Canisso IF.This study aimed to assess the parameters of epididymal sperm harvested by retrograde flushing (RF) followed by slicing float-up (SF). Epididymides from donkeys (n = 18) and horses (n = 28) were subjected to RF with a freezing extender and then SF technique. The retrieved sperm after RF and SF was evaluated for volume, concentration, and total sperm and then cryopreserved separately. Post-thaw total motility (TM) and progressive motility (PM) were evaluated with CASA. Sperm membrane integrity (SMI) and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) were assessed with flow cytometry. Sperm concentratio...
Maulave J, Mascaró Triedo C, Portier K.To assess the reliability of a French version of the Horse Grimace Scale (HGSfv). Methods: Prospective, randomized, clinical study. Methods: The operated (OP) group included 13 horses undergoing elective surgery. The positive (PC) and negative control (NC) groups included seven colicking horses and eight exercising sport horses, respectively. Methods: Photographs were extracted from videos of the horses' heads. Videos were taken before and immediately after surgery in OP, on arrival of the horse in PC, and at rest in their stalls in NC. Pictures were evaluated by three anaesthetists [Diplomate...
Jacobs CC, O'Neil E, Prange T.To determine the ability of a commercial cryotherapy system (Game Ready Equine) to cool the metacarpal subcutaneous tissue and the superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) in horses. Methods: Experimental study. Methods: Six healthy adult horses. Methods: Thermocouples were implanted into the metacarpal subcutaneous tissues and the SDFT of six horses. Two treatments (cryotherapy or cryotherapy with 5-50 mmHg intermittent compression) were randomly assigned to forelimbs and performed for 20 minutes. Temperatures were compared to the target range of 10-19°C and between groups. Results: Only...
Fritsch H, Pereira FM, Costa EA, Fonseca V, Tosta S, Xavier J, Levy F, Oliveira C, Menezes G, Lima J, Santos L, Silva L, Nardy V, Astete MKG....During these past years, several studies have provided serological evidence regarding the circulation of West Nile virus (WNV) in Brazil. Despite some reports, much is still unknown regarding the genomic diversity and transmission dynamics of this virus in the country. Recently, genomic monitoring activities in horses revealed the circulation of WNV in several Brazilian regions. These findings on the paucity of genomic data reinforce the need for prompt investigation of WNV infection in horses, which may precede human cases of encephalitis in Brazil. Thus, in this study, we retrospectively scr...
Jiménez-Cabello L, Utrilla-Trigo S, Barreiro-Piñeiro N, Pose-Boirazian T, Martínez-Costas J, Marín-López A, Ortego J.Bluetongue virus (BTV) and African horse sickness virus (AHSV) are widespread arboviruses that cause important economic losses in the livestock and equine industries, respectively. In addition to these, another arthropod-transmitted orbivirus known as epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV) entails a major threat as there is a conducive landscape that nurtures its emergence in non-endemic countries. To date, only vaccinations with live attenuated or inactivated vaccines permit the control of these three viral diseases, although important drawbacks, e.g., low safety profile and effectiveness...
Janssen P, Tosi I, Hego A, Maréchal P, Marichal T, Radermecker C.Asthma encompasses a spectrum of heterogenous immune-mediated respiratory disorders sharing a similar clinical pattern characterized by cough, wheeze and exercise intolerance. In horses, equine asthma can be subdivided into severe or moderate asthma according to clinical symptoms and the extent of airway neutrophilic inflammation. While severe asthmatic horses are characterized by an elevated neutrophilic inflammation of the lower airways, cough, dyspnea at rest and high mucus secretion, horses with moderate asthma show a milder neutrophilic inflammation, exhibit intolerance to exercise but no...
Fabová Z, Tarko A, Harrath AH, Alwasel S, Kotwica J, Sirotkin AV.Influence of oil-related product toluene and herbal remedy puncturevine Tribulus terrestris L. (TT) on female reproduction is known. Yet, mechanisms of their action on ovaries in different species and potential protective effect of TT against adverse toluene action remain to be established. We studied the effect of toluene, TT, and their combination on ovarian granulosa cells from two mammalian species (cows and horses). Viability, markers of proliferation (PCNA) and apoptosis (bax), steroid hormones, IGF-I, oxytocin, and prostaglandin F (PGF) release were analyzed by trypan blue exclusion tes...
Migliorisi A, Hart K, Vaughn S, Austin S, Aldridge B, Wilkins P.To describe ascorbic acid (AA) concentrations, plasma antioxidant capacity (PAC) and markers of oxidative stress, as measured by derivatives of reactive oxygen metabolites (dROMs), in healthy foals at birth and during the first month of life. Methods: Venous blood samples were collected from healthy Standardbred (n = 13) and Quarter Horse (n = 10) foals. Plasma AA, PAC, and dROMs were assessed at 3 to 12 hours, 3 days, and 1, 2, and 4 weeks of age. Methods: AA was measured via high-performance liquid chromatography. PAC and dROMs were measured with a free radical analytical system. Comparisons...
AbouEl Ela NH, El Araby IE, Saleh AA, Abd El-Fattah AH, Hagag NM, Brooks SA, Radwan MA, Kalbfleisch T.Lavender foal syndrome (LFS) is a fatal hereditary condition that is inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern. This detrimental mutation is more common in Arabian foals of Egyptian origin than foals from other bloodlines. Heterozygous horses are carriers of the LFS trait and appear normal, while recessive homozygous foals died shortly after birth due to serious complications. In Egypt, in 2014, an Egyptian foal died after manifestations of neurological signs and abnormal coat colour as LFS signs. Therefore, it is important to identify LFS carriers in the population of Arabian horses in Egyp...
Fisher D, Schliewert EC, Hooijberg EH.An endogenous adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) concentration above the reference interval (RI) is commonly used as means for diagnosing equine pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID). Basal ACTH concentrations are highly dependent on photoperiod and RIs should be month- and location-specific. To date, no ACTH RIs have been specifically established for South Africa. This study aimed to determine geographically and seasonally relevant RIs for equine ACTH in the Gauteng province of South Africa. A longitudinal prospective study was conducted over twelve months to determine ACTH RIs for a r...
Colpitts J, McLoughlin PD, Poissant J.Understanding inbreeding and its impact on fitness and evolutionary potential is fundamental to species conservation and agriculture. Long stretches of homozygous genotypes, known as runs of homozygosity (ROH), result from inbreeding and their number and length can provide useful population-level information on inbreeding characteristics and locations of signatures of selection. However, the utility of ROH for conservation is limited for natural populations where baseline data and genomic tools are lacking. Comparing ROH metrics in recently feral vs. domestic populations of well understood spe...
Kondratjeva J, Julien F, Coutelier C, Humeau L, Moog F, Combarros D, Fourquaux I, Pressanti C, Delverdier M, Moore PF, Cadiergues MC.Cutaneous epitheliotropic T-cell lymphoma is a malignant tumour of the skin already reported in humans, dogs, cats, horses, and other species, but not previously in donkeys. The standard diagnosis is based on clinical, morphological and immunophenotypic data. Differentiation of malignant versus benign proliferation of lymphocytes is crucial; in ambiguous cases T-cell receptor gamma (TRG) molecular clonality should be tested. In the present paper, we report a case of mycosis fungoides diagnosed in a donkey whose diagnosis was based on clinical, histological and immunohistochemical aspects and a...
Rabbogliatti V, Amari M, Brioschi FA, Di Cesare F, Zani DD, De Zani D, Di Giancamillo M, Cagnardi P, Ravasio G.A balanced anaesthetic protocol is a common concept in modern veterinary anaesthesia and aims to maintain good intraoperative cardiopulmonary function. In horses, alpha-2-agonists produce sedation and analgesia and have been shown to reduce inhalational anaesthetic requirements when administered intravenously. Furthermore, these drugs can improve recovery quality. Preliminary investigations of subcutaneous dexmedetomidine administration in humans demonstrated a reduced haemodynamic impact if compared with the intravenous route suggesting that dexmedetomidine is adequately absorbed with both ad...
Christmann U, Page AE, Horohov DW, Adams AA, Chapman SE, Hancock CL, Emery AL, Poovey JR, Hagg C, Ortega Morales SM, Duncan AR, Morgan J, Couetil LL....To perform lipidomic analysis of surfactant and plasma from asthmatic and healthy horses. Methods: 30 horses with clinical signs of asthma and 30 age-matched control horses. Methods: Detailed history, physical examination, CBC, and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) cytologies were obtained. Asthmatic horses were grouped based on their BALF inflammatory profile: severe equine asthma (SEA), mild equine asthma with neutrophilic airway inflammation (MEA-N), or mild equine asthma with eosinophilic airway inflammation (MEA-E). Each asthma group was assigned its own age-matched control group. Lipid...
Stas EKL, Hermans H, Slenter IJM, Veraa S, Ensink JM.Iris cysts in horses are often asymptomatic and noticed incidentally. However, cysts can cause local corneal oedema and erratic behaviour like shying, decreased performance and head-shaking. Objective: To describe the use of diode laser as a noninvasive treatment option for iris cysts in the horse and to document factors influencing its efficacy, associated complications, long-term outcome and rate of recurrence. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: Case records of horses treated for iris cysts by diode laser at the Utrecht University Equine Clinic were reviewed between 2008 and 2020. ...
Senderska-Płonowska M, Siwińska N, Zak-Bochenek A, Rykała M, Słowikowska M, Madej JP, Kaleta-Kuratewicz K, Niedźwiedź A.Obesity is a common problem in horses. The associations between obesity and equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) and between EMS and laminitis are known. However, there is a lack of data on whether obesity itself can affect hoof lamellae. Forelimbs and blood from 12 draft horses (six obese and six lean) from a slaughterhouse were acquired. To exclude laminitis and EMS horses, insulin concentration was measured, and hooves were radiographed. Histological evaluation was performed. The shape of the primary and secondary epidermal lamellae (PEL and SEL) was evaluated, and the length of the keratinized ...
Colombo I, Podico G, Rudolf-Vegas A, Bauersachs S, Canisso IF.Progesterone is pivotal to maintain pregnancy in the first trimester and low concentration ( .05). Multiple ovulations were associated with greater progesterone concentration and luteal tissue area (P = .0001). There was a moderate positive association between the number of ovulations and luteal tissue area (r = 0.54; P = .0001). The lack of change in the progesterone concentration and luteal tissue area between bred and non-bred mares suggests that horse seminal plasma does not affect luteal function in mares. As all mares had progesterone above 4 ng/mL after 5-days post-ovulation; it i...
Quéré E, Chahory S.Painful eye conditions are a therapeutic challenge in horses. Subpalpebral lavage (SPL) treatment systems allow topical aqueous medications to be conveniently, safely, and frequently administered to the ocular surface. The aim of this retrospective study was to describe the outcomes and the complications associated with the location of the SPL treatment systems, in the superior or inferior eyelid in horses in a university practice. Clinical records of all horses admitted to the National Veterinary School of Alfort between January 2004 and October 2021, in which a SPL treatment system was used ...
Ward J, Hovey A, Brownlee K.Across mental health professionals, there is growing interest in the field of Equine-Assisted Therapy (EAT). Preliminary evidence suggests EAT is beneficial for a wide spectrum of client populations. EAT programs may be based on groundwork alone, where participants interact with the horses from the ground only, or they may incorporate mounted activities. It remains unclear whether mounted activities add therapeutic benefits to the EAT experience for participants. This scoping review explored whether mounted activities, specifically where the client rides the horse, contribute to distinct thera...
Hunyadi L, Chigerwe M, Sundman E.SAA is a commonly used biomarker for measuring acute inflammation in equine practice, and the administration of prophylactic plasma to foals is a routine practice in large breeding farms. Despite this, limited information is available on the values of SAA in healthy or sick neonatal foals following this common procedure. A prospective study was conducted with 31 foals from a veterinary hospital in Texas in one year. Enrolled foals were part of a foaling program, where a prophylactic hyperimmunized plasma was administered 12 h after birth. Blood was collected for SAA measurements at birth and ...
Grandi G, Molinari G, Tittarelli M, Sassera D, Kramer LH.Babesia caballi and Theileria equi are the causative agents of equine piroplasmosis. In this epidemiological study, 294 horses reared in a rural area of northern Italy were studied. During January 2008-January 2009, blood samples were taken for serology (indirect fluorescent antibody test) and for polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Data on the geographical area, sex, and age were collected for statistical analysis of risk factors associated with infection. A seroprevalence of 8.5% was found: 8.2% of the animals were positive for anti-T. equi antibodies and 0.3% for anti-B. caballi antibodies. No...
Antczak DF, Bright SM, Remick LH, Bauman BE.A genetic system controlling lymphocyte alloantigens of the horse is described. Alloantisera to paternal histocompatibility antigens induced as a result of pregnancy in mares were used in an antibody-mediated complement-dependent microcytotoxicity assay to define 15 Equine Leukocyte Antigen (ELA) specificities using cluster analysis. In this study 369 sera were screened for alloantibody using lymphocytes from 10 randomly selected, unrelated horses. A high proportion (83%) of these sera were found to be positive for antibody to lymphocyte alloantigens. After initial cluster analysis, 120 of the...
Crabb BS, MacPherson CM, Reubel GH, Browning GF, Studdert MJ, Drummer HE.We describe a type-specific ELISA, which distinguishes antibody to equine herpesvirus 4 (EHV4; equine rhinopneumonitis) and EHV1 (equine abortion virus) thereby identifying horses that have been infected with either or both of these antigenically related viruses. The antigens used are parts of the EHV4 and EHV1 glycoprotein G (gG) homologues expressed in E. coli as fusion proteins [Crabb and Studdert, 1993: J Virol 67: 6332-6338). The expressed proteins comprise corresponding regions of the gG molecules that are highly divergent and encompass strong, typespecific epitopes. Plasma samples from ...
Kraft SL, Gavin P.This article discusses how cross-sectional imaging methods such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging can provide unique and diagnostically important information in situations where radiography or diagnostic ultrasound have been unrewarding.
Gerber V, Tessier C, Marti E.Genetic predispositions for guttural pouch tympany, recurrent laryngeal neuropathy and recurrent airway obstruction (RAO) are well documented. There is also evidence that exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage and infectious diseases of the respiratory tract in horses have a genetic component. The clinical expression of equine respiratory diseases with a genetic basis results from complex interactions between the environment and the genetic make-up of each individual horse. The genetic effects are likely to be due to variations in several genes, i.e. they are polygenic. It is therefore unlikel...
Ding Q, Bramble L, Yuzbasiyan-Gurkan V, Bell T, Meek K.Previously, spontaneous genetic immunodeficiencies in mice, Arabian foals, and recently in Jack Russell terriers have been ascribed to defects in DNA-PKcs (catalytic subunit of the DNA dependent protein kinase) expression. In severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) foals, a 5 bp deletion at codon 9480 results in a frameshift and a 967 amino acid deletion from the C terminus (including the entire PI3 kinase domain) and an unstable mutant protein. In SCID mice, a single base pair mutation results in a premature stop codon and deletion of 83 amino acids; as in SCID foals, the mutant protein is un...
Cissell DD, Wisner ER, Textor J, Mohr FC, Scrivani PV, Théon AP.The computed tomography (CT) features of tumors involving the nasal cavity and/or paranasal sinuses of 15 horses were reviewed. The 15 tumors included five neuroendocrine tumors/neuroblastomas, two undifferentiated carcinomas, two myxosarcomas, and one each of nasal adenocarcinoma, hemangiosarcoma, chondroblastic osteosarcoma, anaplastic sarcoma, myxoma, and ossifying fibroma. All tumors except the ossifying fibroma were iso- or hypoattenuating relative to masseter muscle. Thirteen of the fifteen tumors exhibited moderate or marked osteolysis of adjacent cortical bone and 14/15 were characteri...
Celeste CJ, Deschesne K, Riley CB, Theoret CL.To map skin temperature kinetics, and by extension skin blood flow throughout normal or abnormal repair of full-thickness cutaneous wounds created on the horse body and limb, using infrared thermography. Methods: Experimental. Methods: Standardbreds (n = 6), aged 3-4 years. Methods: Three cutaneous wounds were created on the dorsolateral surface of each metacarpus and on the lateral thoracic wall. Thoracic skin wounds and those on 1 randomly chosen forelimb healed by second intention without a bandage, whereas contralateral limb wounds were bandaged to induce formation of exuberant granulation...
Clode AB, Davis JL, Salmon J, Michau TM, Gilger BC.To determine penetration of topically and orally administered voriconazole into ocular tissues and evaluate concentrations of the drug in blood and signs of toxicosis after topical application in horses. Methods: 11 healthy adult horses. Methods: Each eye in 6 horses was treated with a single concentration (0.5%, 1.0%, or 3.0%) of a topically administered voriconazole solution every 4 hours for 7 doses. Anterior chamber paracentesis was performed and plasma samples were collected after application of the final dose. Voriconazole concentrations in aqueous humor (AH) and plasma were measured via...
Holopainen JT, Brama PA, Halmesmäki E, Harjula T, Tuukkanen J, van Weeren PR, Helminen HJ, Hyttinen MM.The effects of growth and maturation on the mineral deposition and the collagen framework of equine subchondral bone (SCB) were studied. Methods: Osteochondral specimens (diameter 6 mm) from the left metacarpophalangeal joint of 5-(n=8), 11-(n=8) and 18-month-old (n=6) horses were investigated at two differently loaded sites (Site 1 (S1): intermittent peak loading; Site 2 (S2): habitual loading). The SCB mineral density (BMD) was measured with peripheral quantitative computer tomography (pQCT), and the data were adjusted against the volume fraction (Vv) of the bone extracellular matrix (ECM). ...
Groves MD, Crouch B, Coombs GW, Jordan D, Pang S, Barton MD, Giffard P, Abraham S, Trott DJ.This work investigated the molecular epidemiology and antimicrobial resistance of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolated from veterinarians in Australia in 2009. The collection (n = 44) was subjected to extensive molecular typing (MLST, spa, SCCmec, dru, PFGE, virulence and antimicrobial resistance genotyping) and antimicrobial resistance phenotyping by disk diffusion. MRSA was isolated from Australian veterinarians representing various occupational emphases. The isolate collection was dominated by MRSA strains belonging to clonal complex (CC) 8 and multilocus sequence typ...
Yamanaka T, Tsujimura K, Kondo T, Yasuda W, Okada A, Noda K, Okumura T, Matsumura T.Japanese encephalitis (JE) developed in an unvaccinated half-bred horse kept in Tottori Prefecture, Japan. The animal showed ataxia with pyrexia and low appetite, and ultimately died. A viral strain was isolated from the cerebrum of the horse and was identified as JE virus (JEV) by RT-PCR using JEV specific primers. The isolated JEV was classified into genotype I by nucleotide sequence analysis of the viral envelope gene. We believe that this is the first report of the genotype I strain being isolated from a horse.
Fehr JE, Trotter GW, Oxford JT, Hart DA.To determine relative amounts of mRNA expression of aggrecan, type-II collagen, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) 1, and MMP3 in articular cartilage and synovial membrane samples from healthy equine joints and joints with osteoarthritis (OA) and to compare results of Northern blot hybridization with results of a reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay. Methods: Articular cartilage samples from 8 pairs of joints (1 with OA and 1 healthy) from 6 horses and synovial membrane samples from 6 pairs of joints from 5 horses. Methods: RNA was extracted from samples by use of a modif...
Dávila AM, Silva RA.Animal trypanosome species of economical importance in South America include T. vivax and T. evansi. Both species are described in Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, French Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela. In Argentina and Guyana, only T. evansi and T. vivax are found, respectively. Our studies on T. vivax indicated that the parasite was spreading around 1.3 km per day in Bolivia. We found severe leukopenia in bovines from Pantanal (Brazil) and the Department of Santa Cruz (Bolivia). Because it can cause immunosuppression, the importance of trypanosomiasis control in ensuring success of vaccinat...
Karlström A, Jacobsson K, Flock M, Flock JI, Guss B.Strangles is a serious disease in horses caused by Streptococcus equi subspecies equi. In this study, genes encoding putative extracellular proteins in this subspecies have been identified using signal sequence phage display. Among these, one showed similarities to the SclB protein, a member of the collagen-like proteins of Streptococcus pyogenes. The novel gene denoted sclC encodes a protein, SclC, of 302 amino acids, containing typical features found in cell wall-anchored proteins in Gram-positive bacteria. Based on similarities to the S. pyogenes collagen-like proteins the mature SclC prote...
Archer DC, Pinchbeck GL, Proudman CJ, Clough HE.Colic is an important cause of mortality and morbidity in domesticated horses yet many questions about this condition remain to be answered. One such question is: does season have an effect on the occurrence of colic? Time-series analysis provides a rigorous statistical approach to this question but until now, to our knowledge, it has not been used in this context. Traditional time-series modelling approaches have limited applicability in the case of relatively rare diseases, such as specific types of equine colic. In this paper we present a modelling approach that respects the discrete nature...
Bolam CJ, Hurtig MB, Cruz A, McEwen BJ.To study osteoarthritis in the equine medial femorotibial (MFT) joint after a single traumatic injury. Methods: 10 mature horses. Methods: In vitro explant cultures were used to determine injury threshold for stifle joint cartilage. Contusive impacts were applied to the medial femoral condyle (MFC), and horses were followed for 84 (n = 5) and 180 days (5). Synovial fluid samples were collected every 14 days for determination of sulphated glycosaminoglycan (sGAG) concentrations. Radiographic and lameness evaluations were performed. Gross and histologic descriptions, and immunohistochemistry, ca...
Gildea S, Garvey M, Lyons P, Lyons R, Gahan J, Walsh C, Cullinane A.Equine influenza (EI) outbreaks occurred on 19 premises in Ireland during 2014. Disease affected thoroughbred (TB) and non-TB horses/ponies on a variety of premises including four racing yards. Initial clinical signs presented on 16 premises within a two-month period. Extensive field investigations were undertaken, and the diagnostic effectiveness of a TaqMan RT-PCR assay was demonstrated in regularly-vaccinated and sub-clinically-affected horses. Epidemiological data and repeat clinical samples were collected from 305 horses, of which 40% were reported as clinically affected, 39% were identif...
Nebbia C, Ceppa L, Dacasto M, Nachtmann C, Carletti M.The oxidative metabolism of monensin, an ionophore antibiotic extensively used in veterinary practice as a coccidiostat and a growth promoter, was studied in hepatic microsomal preparations from horses, pigs, broiler chicks, cattle and rats. As assayed by the measurement of the amount of the released formaldehyde, the rate of monensin O-demethylation was nearly of the same order of magnitude in all species, but total monensin metabolism, which was estimated by measuring the rate of substrate disappearance by a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method, was highest in cattle, interme...
Keggan A, Freer H, Rollins A, Wagner B.Horses have 11 immunoglobulin isotypes: IgM, IgD, IgA, IgE, and seven IgG subclasses designated as IgG1-IgG7, each of which are distinguished by separate genes encoding the constant heavy chain regions. Immunoglobulin (Ig) isotypes have different functions during the immune response and pathogen-specific isotypes can be used as indicators for immunity and protection from disease. In addition to existing monoclonal antibodies to various equine Igs, quantification of the individual isotypes requires pure isotype standards. In this report, we describe a fusion between X63-Ag8.653 mouse myeloma ce...
Freeman DA, Weber JA, Geary RT, Woods GL.The objectives of this study were 1) to determine the time of embryo transport through the mare oviduct, 2) to determine whether equine embryos increase in diameter prior to the time of oviductal transport, and 3) to assess the stage of equine embryonic development at the time of oviductal transport. The time of oviductal transport (interval from ovulation to uterine entry) was estimated by collecting embryos from the mare oviduct or uterus at 2-hour intervals from 120 to 168 h postovulation. The time of oviductal transport was 130 to 142 h, since 9 9 embryos were located in the oviduct from 1...
Postel A, Cavalleri JM, Pfaender S, Walter S, Steinmann E, Fischer N, Feige K, Haas L, Becher P.Novel viruses belonging to the genera Hepacivirus and Pegivirus have recently been discovered in horses and other animal species. Viral genomes of non-primate hepaciviruses (NPHV), equine pegivirus 1 (EPgV 1) and Theiler's disease associated virus (TDAV) were detected in a horse serum routinely used for cell culture propagation in our laboratory. Therefore, a study was carried out to further investigate the presence of these human Hepatitis C virus (HCV) related viruses in equine serum based products used in veterinary medicine and for research and to characterize the viral genomes. Without ex...
Azarpeykan S, Dittmer KE, Gee EK, Marshall JC, Wallace J, Elder P, Acke E, Thompson KG.The aims of the study were to determine the effect of season and blanketing on vitamin D synthesis in horses and examine the interaction between vitamin D and other analytes involved in calcium homeostasis. Twenty-one healthy horses at pasture were included; 5 were covered with standard horse blankets including neck rugs. Blood samples were collected for 13 mo and analyzed for 25-hydroxyvitamin D2 (25OHD2) and 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25OHD3), 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25[OH]2D), ionized calcium (iCa), total calcium (tCa), phosphorus (P), total magnesium (tMg), and parathyroid hormone (PTH). Gr...
O'Connor S, Warrington G, McGoldrick A, Cullen S. Professional horse racing is considered a high-risk sport, yet the last analysis of fall and injury incidence in this sport in Ireland was completed between 1999 and 2006. Objective: To provide an updated analysis of the fall and injury incidence in professional flat and jump horse racing in Ireland from 2011 through 2015, compare it with the previous analysis, and detail the specific types and locations of injuries. Methods: Descriptive epidemiology study. Methods: A medical doctor recorded all injuries that occurred at every official flat and jump race meeting for the 2011 th...
Père MC.Several general features of nutrient uptake and utilisation by foetuses are similar among mammalian species. Nevertheless, there are also differences linked mainly to differences in placental permeability. Glucose and lactate are the main energetic substrates of the foetus. In normal conditions, the oxidation of carbohydrates accounts for about 75, 60 and 50% of oxygen uptake in the foetal pig, foal and lamb, respectively, and acetate accounts for about 10% in ruminants. Acidic amino acids are synthesised by the foetus, whereas neutral and basic amino acids are transported from the placenta. A...
Whitlock MR, Whitlock J, Johnston B.A retrospective study of horse riding injuries in Berkshire was undertaken over a one year period from November 1983. The information was obtained from the Ambulance Service, the Jockey Club and the St. John Ambulance Brigade. There was a total of 103 injured persons with no deaths. Information from the Jockey Club was compared with the other two groups, the former sustaining more limb injuries and the latter more head injuries. A questionnaire was sent to all 42 ambulance patients. Thirty-eight had radiographs taken, 16 of which showed a fracture. Forty-one were wearing some form of hard hat,...
Lulla V, Lulla A, Wernike K, Aebischer A, Beer M, Roy P.African horse sickness virus (AHSV), an orbivirus in the Reoviridae family with nine different serotypes, causes devastating disease in equids. The virion particle is composed of seven proteins organized in three concentric layers, an outer layer made of VP2 and VP5, a middle layer made of VP7, and inner layer made of VP3 that encloses a replicase complex of VP1, VP4, and VP6 and a genome of 10 double-stranded RNA segments. In this study, we sought to develop highly efficacious candidate vaccines against all AHSV serotypes, taking into account not only immunogenic and safety properties but als...
Goodman LB, Wimer C, Dubovi EJ, Gold C, Wagner B.Equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) induces a variety of disease manifestations, including respiratory disease, abortions, and myeloencephalopathy. Several vaccines are commercially available but could not previously be distinguished by serologic testing from infection with EHV-1 (or the closely related EHV-4). Currently available vaccines are not reliably protective against the severe manifestations of the disease, including fatal myeloencephalopathy. We determined immunological parameters that can differentiate vaccinated from previously infected animals by comparing humoral and cellular EHV-1-spec...
Kawcak CE, Frisbie DD, McIlwraith CW, Werpy NM, Park RD.To evaluate the use of a combination of avocado and soybean unsaponifiable (ASU) extracts for the treatment of experimentally induced osteoarthritis in horses. Methods: 16 horses. Methods: Osteoarthritis was induced via osteochondral fragmentation in 1 middle carpal joint of each horse; the other joint underwent a sham operation. Horses were randomly allocated to receive oral treatment with ASU extracts (1:2 [avocado-to-soybean] ratio mixed in 6 mL of molasses; n = 8) or molasses (6 mL) alone (placebo treatment; 8) once daily from days 0 to 70. Lameness, response to joint flexion, synovial eff...
Raabe O, Shell K, Würtz A, Reich CM, Wenisch S, Arnhold S.Adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ADSCs) represent a promising subpopulation of adult stem cells for tissue engineering applications in veterinary medicine. In this study we focused on the morphological and molecular biological properties of the ADSCs. The expression of stem cell markers Oct4, Nanog and the surface markers CD90 and CD105 were detected using RT-PCR. ADSCs showed a proliferative potential and were capable of adipogenic and osteogenic differentiation. Expression of Alkaline phosphatase (AP), phosphoprotein (SPP1), Runx2 and osteocalcin (OC) mRNA were positive in osteogenic linea...
