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.
Subbiah M, Thirumalapura N, Thompson D, Kuchipudi SV, Jayarao B, Tewari D.Metagenomic sequencing of clinical diagnostic specimens has a potential for unbiased detection of infectious agents, diagnosis of polymicrobial infections and discovery of emerging pathogens. Herein, next generation sequencing (NGS)-based metagenomic approach was used to investigate the cause of illness in a subset of horses recruited for a tick-borne disease surveillance study during 2017-2019. Blood samples collected from 10 horses with suspected tick-borne infection and five apparently healthy horses were subjected to metagenomic analysis. Total genomic DNA extracted from the blood samples ...
Morgan JM, Galuppo LD.Management of fractures in the field starts with successful assessment and stabilization of the patient by the practitioner on the front lines. A careful examination is vital to succesful patient management. This includes identifying the fracture location and severity, evaluating skin integrity and potential contamination of the fracture, and treating any ongoing hemorrhage, hypovolemia or stress. Appropriate application of splints in the field will minimize ongoing tissue damage and improve patient comfort. This ultimately aids further assessment, facilitates referral, and improves opportunit...
Fouché N, Oesch S, Gerber V, Richter H, Howard J, Peters LM.Sorbitol dehydrogenase (SDH) activity is one of the most sensitive and specific markers for hepatocellular injury in horses, but its reported lability makes it impractical for use in many clinical settings. To date, stability of SDH in equine samples has only been evaluated in a limited number of studies in serum samples of horses with activities within reference intervals. The objective of the study was to determine pre-analytical stability of equine SDH activity in heparinized plasma stored at different temperatures for up to 72 h. Twenty client-owned horses admitted to a veterinary teaching...
Hardeman AM, Egenvall A, Serra Bragança FM, Koene MHW, Swagemakers JH, Roepstorff L, van Weeren R, Byström A.The increasing popularity of objective gait analysis makes application in prepurchase examinations (PPE) a logical next step. Therefore, there is a need to have more understanding of asymmetry during a PPE in horses described on clinical evaluation as subtly lame. Objective: The objective of this study is to objectively compare asymmetry in horses raising minor vet concerns in a PPE and in horses raising major vet concerns with that found in horses presented with subtle single-limb lameness, and to investigate the effect of age/discipline on the clinicians' interpretation of asymmetry on the c...
Dechant JE.Equine toxicologic emergencies are relatively uncommon but can cause significant morbidity and mortality in a group of comanaged horses. The field veterinarian's role is to triage the situation, as well as the individual animal. Individual patient stabilization should focus on support of essential organ functions, providing time for treatments to have an effect or for elimination of the toxicant. Decontamination procedures can follow patient stabilization, if appropriate. Antidotes are often not available or feasible for equine intoxications. The field veterinarian should emphasize triage and ...
Smanik LE, Stefanovski D, Reilly PT, Richardson DW.Type II distal phalanx (P3) fractures are a well-described cause of lameness in horses. Reports on outcome following internal fixation of type II P3 fractures are lacking, and with little emphasis on complications. Objective: To describe a technique for internal fixation of type II P3 fractures, and evaluate whether specific variables influenced post-operative complications or a horse's ability to return to work. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: Medical records of 51 horses with CT-guided internal fixation of type II P3 fractures were reviewed. Outcome data were acquired from race ...
Campbell MLH.Growing ethical concern about equestrian sport is reflected in publications by regulatory authorities, animal charities, and the lay press; and in government debate and social media. However, attempts by regulators and stakeholders to address ethical issues in equine sport have been discipline specific and ad hoc. Ethical frameworks can help stakeholders to make contextual decisions about what should or should not be done in a particular situation. However, when existing animal welfare frameworks and existing sports ethics frameworks are reviewed in this paper, it becomes clear that none provi...
Boyle AG.Respiratory distress in the horse and foal is an emergency. Managing equine respiratory distress in the field starts with appropriate assessment of the patient to determine whether the breathing obstruction stems from the upper or lower respiratory tract or is nonrespiratory in origin. From a thorough, but efficient, physical examination to point-of-care ultrasound and endoscopy, the veterinarian has many tools in the field to help diagnose the patient.
Leung YH, Kenéz Á, Grob AJ, Feige K, Warnken T.Sphingolipids modulate insulin sensitivity in mammals. Increased synthesis of ceramides is linked to decreased insulin sensitivity of tissues. Conversely, activation of the insulin signaling pathway can downregulate ceramide synthesis. Elucidating the association between sphingolipid metabolism and insulin response during oral glucose testing may help explain the pathophysiology of insulin dysregulation in horses. Objective: Horses with insulin dysregulation will have a plasma sphingolipid profile characterized by increased ceramide concentrations. The plasma sphingolipid profile will have dec...
Cabrera AMZ, Soto MJC, Aranzales JRM, Valencia NMC, Gutiérrez MPA.Information on performance indices in Paso horses is scarce. Field exercise tests are necessary to recreate the exertion that occurs during training and competition. To describe blood lactate concentrations and heart rates of untrained Colombian Paso horses (CPHs) in response to a field exercise test. A 30-minutes-long standardized field exercise test was carried out on 11 untrained adult CPHs of both sexes. Blood lactate concentration (BLConc) and heart rate (HR) were measured before, during each step of the test, and at recovery. The BLConc and HR were used to calculate the HR at which a BLC...
Johnson SA, Valdés-Martínez A, Turk PJ, Wayne McIlwraith C, Barrett MF, McGilvray KC, Frisbie DD.The range of diagnostic modalities available to evaluate superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) injury includes magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT) and ultrasonography (US). Direct, comprehensive comparison of multi-modality imaging characteristics to end-point data has not previously been performed using a model of tendinopathy but is required to obtain a better understanding of each modality's diagnostic capabilities. Objective: To compare CT, MRI and US evaluation to outcome measures for histologic, biochemical and biomechanical parameters using an equine surgical m...
Chen X, Zhao Y, Su L, Wang L, Ma X, Zhang B, Su Y.Strangles, which is caused by Streptococcus equi subspecies equi, is one of the most prevalent equine infectious diseases and poses heavy economic losses worldwide. Although various vaccines have been used for decades, they seemed to be sub-optimal to demonstrate effective protection, and the antigen component of vaccines against S. equi remains to be optimized. In the present study, three target antigens (M-like protein, α2-macroglobulin and IgG-binding protein, and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase) were selected and expressed. Mice were immunized and challenged, and their immune res...
Vermedal H, O'Leary JM, Fjordbakk CT, McAloon CG, Løkslett H, Stadsnes B, Fretheim-Kelly ZL, Strand E.The laryngeal tie-forward (LTF) procedure is commonly used to treat intermittent dorsal displacement of the soft palate (iDDSP). There is a wide range in reported efficacy of treating horses with and without a definitive diagnosis of iDDSP. Objective: To evaluate the racing performance of harness racehorses in which iDDSP had been definitely diagnosed and treated solely with the LTF procedure. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: Ninety-five harness racehorses were treated with LTF for confirmed iDDSP. A definite diagnosis of iDDSP was made with high-speed treadmill or overground endos...
Nielsen MK, Facison C, Scare JA, Martin AN, Gravatte HS, Steuer AE.Strongylus vulgaris is the most pathogenic intestinal helminth parasite infecting horses. The migrating larvae in the mesenteric blood vessels can cause non-strangulating intestinal infarctions, which have a guarded prognosis for survival. Infections are typically diagnosed by coproculture, but a PCR test is available in some countries. While it is ideal to test horses individually, many veterinarians and clients wish to pool samples to reduce workload and cost of the diagnostic method. The purpose of this study was to determine if pooling of fecal samples would negatively impact diagnostic pe...
Pedler C, Nath L, Agne GF, Hebart M, Franklin S.Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common performance-limiting arrhythmia of racehorses. A genetic contribution has been suggested in Standardbred racehorses but has not been investigated in Thoroughbreds. The objective of this study was to determine the heritability of AF in Thoroughbred racehorses. Methods: Horses racing between 2007 and 2019 in Hong Kong and Australia that had AF detected postrace via auscultation (n = 463 cases) were compared with five randomly selected racing contemporaries (n = 2,315 controls). The ASReml-R programme was used to fit an animal model to the AF data t...
Torres R, Hurtado C, Pérez-Macchi S, Bittencourt P, Freschi C, de Mello VVC, Machado RZ, André MR, Müller A.This study aimed to serologically and molecularly survey and in thoroughbred horses from racecourses in Chile. Additionally, the genetic diversity of the positive samples was assessed. A total of 286 thoroughbred horses from the Santiago and Valparaíso racecourses had their serum samples submitted to an ELISA for and , and 457 samples (from the Santiago, Valparaíso, and Concepción racecourses) were tested with nested PCRs for the 48 KDa rhoptry protein (RAP-1) and 18S rRNA genes. Selected RAP-1 and 18S positive products were sequenced to perform phylogenetic and haplotype analyses. An ...
Onyiche TE, Sivakumar T, Tuvshintulga B, Nugraha AB, Ahedor B, Mofokeng L, Luka J, Mohammed A, Mbaya AW, Biu AA, Yokoyama N, Thekisoe O.Equine piroplasmosis is caused by apicomplexan parasites, namely, and , which are transmitted to equids principally through ticks. To ascertain the exposure of equines to agents of equine piroplasms, we tested serum samples collected from horses (n = 272) and donkeys (n = 170) in North-Western Nigeria for the presence of antibodies against and using IFAT and ELISA. The seroprevalence of in the horses determined using IFAT and ELISA was 48.89% and 45.96%, respectively, while for , it was 6.3% and 0.4%, respectively. For , the seroprevalence based on IFAT and ELISA results in donkeys was...
Jiang Z, Chen JW, Haughan J, Stefanovski D, Soma LR, Robinson MA.Extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) is a treatment applied to musculoskeletal injuries in equine athletes to alleviate pain and accelerate healing. ESWT also causes acute tissue damage. Therefore, its ability to act as an analgesic and cause tissue damage potentially increases the risk of a catastrophic event if used shortly before a strenuous competition such as horseracing. While ESWT is prohibited by many racing jurisdictions within 10 days prior to competition, a test to detect whether a horse has received ESWT is needed. ESWT changes the protein levels of inflammatory mediators in bl...
Berreta A, Kopper JJ, Alexander TL, Kogan CJ, Burbick CR.Probiotics, by definition, are live micro-organisms and should remain viable when they reach the intended site of action which is typically the cecum and/or colon. In humans, probiotics often need enteric protection to survive transit through the proximal gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Typically, equine probiotics do not advertise enteric protection and to the author's knowledge the viability of equine probiotics after exposure to the proximal GI tract has not been evaluated. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of an in vitro simulation of the equine proximal GI tract on probi...
Silva ESM, Vaz IS, Rodrigues TS, Brandão FZ, Oquendo PS, Oquendo FMG, Beletti ME, Cuervo-Arango J.Uterocalin (P19) is a lipocalin protein that has binding activity for the provisioning of the embryo with lipids, including those essential for morphogenesis and pattern formation. Therefore, it is thought that P19 plays an important role in supporting the survival of the early embryo. Previous research has shown that the endometrium from acyclic mares expressed more P19 following a simulated long estrus: treatment of 8 mg of estradiol benzoate (EB) split over five consecutive days, followed by long-acting progesterone administration (LA-P4) 72 hours later, when compared to a single 2.5 mg EB ...
Dockalova H, Zeman L, Baholet D, Batik A, Skalickova S, Horky P.Milk thistle seeds contain a mixture of flavonoids known as silymarin, which consists of silybin, isosilybin, silychristine, and silydianin. Until now, there has been no evidence of monitoring the digestibility of silymarin complex in horses. The aim of the research was to evaluate the digestibility of silymarin complex and the effect of nutrient digestibility in horses. Different daily feed doses (FD) of milk thistle expeller (0 g, 100 g, 200 g, 400 g, 700 g) were administered to five mares kept under the same conditions and at the same feed rations. Digestibility of silymarin complex was mon...
Samoilowa S, Giessler KS, Torres CEM, Hussey GS, Allum A, Fux R, Jerke C, Kiupel M, Matiasek K, Sledge DG, Goehring LS.Equid herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) causes respiratory disease, abortion and myeloencephalopathy in horses worldwide. As member of the , latency is key to EHV-1 epidemiology. EHV-1 latent infection has been detected in the trigeminal ganglion (TG), respiratory associated lymphoid tissue (RALT) and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) but additional locations are likely. The aim of this study was to investigate the distribution of viral DNA throughout the equine body. Twenty-five horses divided into three groups were experimentally infected via intranasal instillation with one of three EHV-1 virus...
Akbari Shahkhosravi N, Gohari S, Komeili A, Burvill C, Davies H.Most simulation studies on equine hoof biomechanics employed linear elastic (LE) material models. However, the equine hoof wall's stress-strain relationship is nonlinear and varies with hydration level. Therefore, it is essential to investigate the accuracy of the LE model compared to more advanced material models, such as hyperelastic (HE) or viscoelastic models. The current research investigated performances of LE and three HE models (Mooney-Rivlin, Neo-Hookean, and Marlow) in describing equine hoof's mechanical behavior using finite element (FE) analysis. In the first attempt, a rectangular...
Spoormakers TJP, Graat EAM, Serra Bragança FM, Weeren PRV, Brommer H.Lameness assessment in horses is still predominantly performed using subjective methods. Visual assessment is known to have moderate to good intra-rater agreement but relatively poor inter-rater agreement. Little is known about inter- and intra-rater agreement on the evaluation of back motion, for which no objective measurement technique in a clinical setting is available thus far. To describe inter- and intra-rater agreement of visual evaluation of equine back mobility. Rater reliability study using a fully crossed design in which all horses are rated by all observers. This data is compared w...
Özçelik R, Remy-Wohlfender F, Küker S, Visschers V, Hadorn D, Dürr S.Animal owners' potential to observe and report clinical signs, as the persons with the closest contact to their animals, is an often neglected source of information in surveillance. Allowing community members other than health care professionals, such as animal owners, to report health events can contribute to close current surveillance gaps and enhance early detection. In the present study, we tested a community-based surveillance (CBS) approach in the equine community in Switzerland. We aimed at revealing the attitudes and intentions of equine owners toward reporting clinical signs by making...
Bryant B, Meehan LJ, Roberts V.Standing computed tomographic (CT) examination of the equine guttural pouch frequently reveals deviation of the midline septum. The significance of deviation is currently unknown. The aims of this retrospective, single-centre study were to determine the prevalence of deviation of the midline septum of the guttural pouch and determine whether there was an association between the presence and degree of deviation of the septum, and guttural pouch disease. Case records were reviewed, identifying 95 horses that had undergone a standing, sedated, head CT and guttural pouch endoscopy. The presence, l...
Boyde A.This review describes results obtained with tissue from prior studies of equine and human osteoarthritis (OA). The main methods considered are scanning electron microscopy, novel methods in light microscopy and X-ray Micro-tomography. The same samples have been re-utilised in several ways. The tissues described are hyaline articular cartilage (HAC; or substitutes), with its deep layer, articular calcified cartilage (ACC), whose deep surface is resorbed in cutting cone events to allow the deposition of subchondral bone (SCB). Multiple tidemarks are normal. Turnover at the osteochondral (ACC-HAC...
Liu J, Zhang Z, Bai A, Sha Y, Ma L, Qin S, Chen F, Qin S, Wu J.Feline parvovirus (FPV), a type of parvovirus prevalent worldwide, can cause foetal death and acute enteritis in adult cats with severe leukopenia, and yet there are no effective drugs to prevent or treat FPV. Here, the immune effects of two FPV vaccines on horses were compared. IgG was extracted from FPV-immunized horse sera. Equine F(ab') fragments were obtained from pepsin-digested IgG and then purified by protein-G column chromatography. The results showed that the inactivated FPV oil vaccine was more effective than the inactivated FPV propolis vaccine in helping healthy horses to produce ...
Issel CJ, Foil LD.There is no credible evidence that the lentivirus that causes equine infectious anaemia (EIA) replicates in invertebrates. The virus persistently infects its equid hosts and is often present in blood in significant quantities. Blood-feeding arthropods thus have the potential to transfer the virus between hosts, especially if their feeding on the first host is interrupted and immediately continued on a second host. The general details and dynamics of mechanical transmission are included in this paper, as this agent presents an excellent model. Mechanical transmission can be effectively controll...
Stover SM, Murray A.The California Postmortem Program studies disease surveillance, discovers new causes of death, and develops new diagnostic methods for disease detection. It also informs directions for research focused on elucidating the etiopathogenesis of, and risk factors for, catastrophic fractures and other causes of death. Because most fatal injuries seem to be the acute culmination of a more chronic process, intervention and prevention of injuries is possible with enhanced knowledge of the etiopathogenesis of injuries and risk factors for injuries. These advances also would facilitate development of man...
Dechant JE, Baxter GM, Frisbie DD, Trotter GW, McIlwraith CW.Osteoarthritis is a frequent sequela of joint disease, especially with severe injuries or if attempts at therapy are unsuccessful. Negative and positive effects of corticosteroid treatment of articular cartilage have been demonstrated by in vitro and in vivo studies. Objective: To assess the metabolic effects of varying dosages of methylprednisolone acetate (MPA) and triamcinolone acetonide (TA) on interleukin-1alpha (IL-1) conditioned equine cartilage explants. Our hypothesis was that lower dosages of corticosteroids would be less detrimental to cartilage metabolism than higher dosages. TA wo...
Frank N, Andrews FM, Sommardahl CS, Eiler H, Rohrbach BW, Donnell RL.A combined dexamethasone (DEX) suppression/thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) test (DEX/TRH test) has been developed to evaluate horses for presence of a pars intermedia pituitary adenoma (PIPA), but to the authors' knowledge, the accuracy of this test has not been previously determined. Objective: The sensitivity and specificity of the DEX/TRH test can be determined by comparing test results with histopathologic examination findings. Methods: Age of 42 horses of various breeds ranged from 2 to 33 years. Methods: Plasma cortisol concentration was measured before and 24 hours after IV administ...
Mosunic CB, Moore PA, Carmicheal KP, Chandler MJ, Vidyashankar A, Zhao Y, Roberts RE, Dietrich UM.To determine the effects of treatment with and without adjuvant radiation therapy on recurrence of ocular and adnexal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) at specific anatomic locations in horses. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: 91 horses. Methods: Medical records of horses with histologically confirmed ocular and adnexal SCC evaluated from 1985 to 2002 were reviewed. Sex, breed, age, type of treatment, location, and recurrence of SCC were recorded. Two treatment groups determined by recurrence of SCCs treated with and without adjuvant radiation therapy were established. Results: The anatomic ...
Tzipori S, Hayes J, Sims L, Withers M.Streptococcus durans was isolated from a foal with profuse watery diarrhea and caused a similar syndrome when inoculated into foals via the orogastric route. The most consistent and striking histological feature was the extensive colonization of the mucosal surface of the small intestine by S. durans. Associated mucosal changes were mild to modeate, and brush border lactase and alkaline phosphatase production were depressed. S. durans also induced acute diarrhea in young gnotobiotic piglets. Mucosal changes were mild and, as with foals, the mucosal surface of the small intestine was colonized ...
Thomas CM, Murray R, Sharif M.The purpose of this study was to investigate associations between the extent of chondrocyte apoptosis and expression of the articular cartilage (AC) extracellular matrix (ECM) molecules, cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) and fibronectin. Methods: Cartilage from four sites (when available) on equine left middle carpal joints (n = 12) were used. Expression of COMP and fibronectin was determined using specific polyclonal antibodies and a biotin-streptavidin/peroxidase method. The intensity of staining for matrix molecules was graded (none, mild, moderate, strong) in each cartilage zone. ...
Nyindo MB, Ristic M, Lewis GE, Huxsoll DL, Stephenson EH.Four ponies experimentally infected with Ehrlichia equi developed substantial cell-mediated immune responses, as measured by the leukocyte migration-inhibition test. Serum anti-E equi antibodies up to 1:1,280 were demonstrated by the indirect fluorescent antibody test. Cell-mediated immune responses returned to a base-line value by day 200 after primary inoculation, but serum antibody titers persisted for at least 300 days after inoculation. Two additional susceptible ponies, which were inoculated with convalescent blood or organ homogenates from ponies recovered from acute equine ehrlichiosis...
Cequier A, Sanz C, Rodellar C, Barrachina L.The differentiation ability of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) initially raised interest for treating musculoskeletal injuries in horses, but MSC paracrine activity has widened their scope for inflammatory and immune-mediated pathologies in both equine and human medicine. Furthermore, the similar etiopathogenesis of some diseases in both species has advanced the concept of "One Medicine, One Health". This article reviews the current knowledge on the use of MSCs for equine pathologies beyond the locomotor system, highlighting the value of the horse as translational model. Ophthalmologic and repro...
Muscat KE, Padalino B, Hartley CA, Ficorilli N, Celi P, Knight P, Raidal S, Gilkerson JR, Muscatello G.The risk of respiratory disease in the transported horse can increase as a consequence of immunosuppression and stress associated primarily with opportunistic bacterial proliferation and viral reactivation. This study examines the ecology of equid herpesviruses (EHV) in these horses, exploring reactivation and changes in infection and shedding associated with transport, and any potential contributions to transport-related respiratory disease. Twelve horses were subjected to an 8-h road-transport event. Antibodies to EHV-1 and EHV-4 were detected by ELISA in serum collected prior to, immediatel...
Thompson RE, Meyers MA, Pukazhenthi BS, Hollinshead FK.Reproductive diseases in mares are a significant cause of subfertility and profound economic loss in the equine industry. Utilizing a 3D in vitro cell culture system that recapitulates the in vivo physiology will reduce time, cost, and welfare concerns associated with in vivo reproductive research in mares. If this 3D model is combined with effective cryopreservation, reproductive research on mares can occur year-round, which is not currently possible in this seasonal species. Endometrial organoids, 3D in vitro cell clusters that exhibit in vivo uterine physiology, have been established in mic...
Stieger-Vanegas SM, Hanna AL.Computed tomography (CT) imaging of the head in equine patients is now commonly performed as CT scanners are more readily available. Head CT has proven valuable in evaluating spatially complex anatomic structures, where radiographic superimposition, or restricted access endoscopy or ultrasound, limit complete evaluation of the disease process. Head CT has been demonstrated to be incredibly valuable in the evaluation of dental and paranasal sinus disease, disease of the hyoid apparatus and ear, and in evaluation of skull trauma. CT is an excellent modality for assessment of both osseous and so...
Kuzmina TA, Kuzmin YI, Kharchenko VA.Experimental studies on the survival of infective stage larvae of horse strongyles and their ability to overwinter on pasture were carried out in central Ukraine (Poltavska oblast). Faecal pats (1.5 kg each) of naturally infected horses were placed on pasture, and samples of faeces and surrounding vegetation (10 g each) were collected each month, excluding the winter months, from November 2002 until April 2004. The number of infective third stage larvae was calculated in each sample and compared with that from the control faecal samples cultivated in the laboratory. In the control samples, the...
Tscheschlok L, Venner M, Steward K, Böse R, Riihimäki M, Pringle J.Streptococcus equi ssp. equi causes characteristic clinical signs that are most severe in young horses, including fever, purulent nasal discharge, and lymph node abscessation in the head region. Objective: Clinical, serologic, and microbiologic factors related to unexpectedly mild disease severity in a natural outbreak of strangles in immunologically naïve weanlings were investigated. Methods: One-hundred and twelve warmblood weanlings. Methods: Prospective longitudinal observational study of a natural outbreak of strangles. The entire cohort was examined at the peak of the outbreak by deep n...
Yasuda R, Kawano J, Onda H, Takagi M, Shimizu A, Anzai T.To determine patterns of methicillin-resistant staphylococci isolated from apparently healthy horses. Methods: 44 horses from 8 riding clubs in Japan. Methods: Methicill in-resistant staphylococci were isolated from the skin or nares, using a selective medium containing a beta-(symboric) lactam antibiotic, ceftizoxime. Clonality of isolates was determined by use of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Detection of mecA, mecl, and mecR1 genes was accomplished by use of polymerase chain reactions. Results: Of the 44 horses, 13 (29.5%) yielded 15 isolates of methicillin-resistant staphylococci. The ...
Marti E, Gerber V, Wilson AD, Lavoie JP, Horohov D, Crameri R, Lunn DP, Antczak D, Björnsdóttir S, Björnsdóttir TS, Cunningham F, Dérer M....Allergic diseases occur in most mammals, although some species such as humans, dogs and horses seem to be more prone to develop allergies than others. In horses, insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH), an allergic dermatitis caused by bites of midges, and recurrent airway obstruction (RAO), a hyperreactivity to stable born dust and allergens, are the two most prevalent allergic diseases. Allergic diseases involve the interaction of three major factors: (i) genetic constitution, (ii) exposure to allergens, and (iii) a dysregulation of the immune response determined by (i) and (ii). However, other e...
Oliver J, Lukacik G, Kramer LD, Backenson PB, Sherwood JA, Howard JJ.In New York State (NYS), Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) was first reported in a human in 1971, in horses in 1970, and in pheasants in 1952. Methods: Following work for the interval from 1970 to 1991, we identified cases in vertebrates from 1992 to 2012, through a passive surveillance system involving veterinarians in clinical practice, county health departments, and the Departments of Agriculture and Markets, Environmental Conservation, and Health, of the State of New York. Results: During an 11-year hiatus, from 1992 to 2002, no case in any vertebrate was observed. In a re-emergence, from ...
Guarino H, Castilho JG, Souto J, Oliveira Rde N, Carrieri ML, Kotait I.After 25 years without any reported cases of rabies in Uruguay, the northern region of the country experienced an epizootic of bovine paralytic rabies in October 2007. The outbreak affected bovines and equines, and the main source of infection was the bat Desmodus rotundus, the only hematophagous species in the country. From October 2007 to July 2008, 42 bovine, 3 equine and 120 chiropteran samples were submitted to the National Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory for rabies testing. A total of 12 samples (7 bovine, 2 equine and 3 from D. rotundus) were positive by the fluorescent antibody test, ...
Malone E, Ensink J, Turner T, Wilson J, Andrews F, Keegan K, Lumsden J.To determine if intravenous lidocaine is useful and safe as a treatment for equine ileus. Methods: Prospective double-blinded placebo-controlled trial. Methods: Horses (n = 32) with a diagnosis of postoperative ileus (POI) or enteritis and that had refluxed >20 L or had been refluxing for >24 hours. Methods: Refluxing horses were administered lidocaine (1.3 mg/kg intravenously [IV] as a bolus followed by a 0.05 mg/kg/min infusion) or saline (0.9% NaCl) solution placebo for 24 hours. Variables evaluated included volume and duration of reflux, time to 1st fecal passage, signs of pain, anal...
Hosaka Y, Kirisawa R, Ueda H, Yamaguchi M, Takehana K.Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptors (TNF-R)-mediated cell survival or apoptosis has been demonstrated in many cells, but little is known about survival or apoptotic signals via TNF-R1 in tendinocytes. In this study, we focused on four signaling factors, TNFalpha, TNF-R1, TNFR-associated factor2 (TRAF2) and caspase-3, in order to elucidate the signaling events in tendinocytes. Samples were obtained from normal, inflamed and scar-formed equine superficial digital flexor tendons. To detect these signaling factors, samples were subjected to immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis, and som...
Burkett-Cadena ND, Gibson J, Lauth M, Stenn T, Acevedo C, Xue RD, McNelly J, Northey E, Hassan HK, Fulcher A, Bingham AM, van Olphen J, van Olphen A....Zoonotic mosquito-borne viruses, such as the West Nile virus (WNV) and eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV), are major public health threats in the United States. Early detection of virus transmission and targeted vector management are critical to protect humans against these pathogens. Sentinel chickens and pool screening of mosquitoes, the most widely used methods of arbovirus early detection, have technical time-lags that compromise their early-detection value. The exploitation of sugar-feeding by trapped mosquitoes for arbovirus surveillance may represent a viable alternative to other ...
Ramzan PH, Palmer L.Musculoskeletal injury is the most common cause of lost training days in the young Thoroughbred horse in flat race training. To date, there has been little investigation of the regional patterns of injury frequently observed by clinicians in racehorse practice. The present study was conducted to determine incidence of musculoskeletal injuries in Thoroughbreds in training in Newmarket, United Kingdom. Veterinary records for all horses resident in three large (>100 horse) training yards were assessed for occurrence of significant musculoskeletal injury. A total of 248 injuries were recorded in 2...
Busk P, Jacobsen S, Martinussen T.To compare postoperative inflammatory responses in horses administered perioperative procaine penicillin and those not administered penicillin using acute phase protein serum amyloid A (SAA) as a marker of inflammation. Methods: Randomized clinical trial. Methods: Stallions (n=50) castrated under field conditions. Methods: SAA concentrations were determined on days 0, 3, and 8. Six horses were subsequently excluded because of elevated SAA concentrations on day 0. Of the remaining 50 horses, 26 were administered nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) therapy and 24 were administered NSAID ...
Ben Hassine T, Hammami S, Elghoul H, Ghram A.Two outbreaks of West Nile Fever (FWN) were observed in the Sahel of Tunisia in 1997 and 2003. Several cases of meningitis and meningoencephalitis have been described in humans during these two outbreaks. However, no animal or clinical findings or seroconversion have been detected despite a high seroprevalence in human beings found around the affected areas. Few data are available regarding the spreading of this virus in other parts of the country. The purpose of this study was to detect a possible WNV spread in horses in some areas of Tunisia considered to be at risk for WNV but which had not...
Bundgaard L, Jacobsen S, Sørensen MA, Sun Z, Deutsch EW, Moritz RL, Bendixen E.Progress in MS-based methods for veterinary research and diagnostics is lagging behind compared to the human research, and proteome data of domestic animals is still not well represented in open source data repositories. This is particularly true for the equine species. Here we present a first Equine PeptideAtlas encompassing high-resolution tandem MS analyses of 51 samples representing a selection of equine tissues and body fluids from healthy and diseased animals. The raw data were processed through the Trans-Proteomic Pipeline to yield high quality identification of proteins and peptides. T...
Kavak A, Lundeheim N, Aidnik M, Einarsson S.The standard procedure for assessing the breeding potential of a stallion includes the parameter total number of spermatozoa classified as morphologically normal. This study investigated sperm morphology of fresh semen in randomly chosen Estonian (E, n = 8) and Tori (T, n = 7) breed stallions with proven fertility. Two ejaculates were examined from each stallion. An aliquot from each ejaculate was fixed in 1 mL formol-saline immediately after collection and examined with phase-contrast microscope at a magnification 1000x for all types of morphological abnormalities. Furthermore smears were pre...
Linton RA, Young LE, Marlin DJ, Blissitt KJ, Brearley JC, Jonas MM, O'Brien TK, Linton NW, Band DM, Hollingworth C, Jones RS.To assess the suitability of lithium dilution as a method for measuring cardiac output in anesthetized horses, compared with thermodilution and transesophageal Doppler echocardiography. Methods: 6 horses (3 Thoroughbreds, 3 crossbreeds). Methods: Cardiac output was measured in 6 anesthetized horses as lithium dilution cardiac output (LiDCO), thermodilution cardiac output (TDCO), and transesophageal Doppler echocardiographic cardiac output (DopplerCO). For the LiDCO measurements, lithium chloride was administered i.v., and cardiac output was derived from the arterial lithium dilution curve. Sod...
