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.
Cullen JN, Cieslak J, Petersen JL, Bellone RR, Finno CJ, Kalbfleisch TS, Calloe K, Capomaccio S, Cappelli K, Coleman SJ, Distl O, Durward-Akhurst SA....MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are essential regulators of gene expression, yet few comprehensive databases exist for miRNA expression in non-model species, limiting our ability to characterize their roles in gene regulation, development, and disease. Similarly, isomiRs - length and sequence isoforms of canonical miRNAs with potentially altered regulatory targets and functions - have received even less attention in non-model species, including the horse, leaving a critical gap in our understanding of their biological significance. To address these challenges, we developed an open-source, containerized pip...
Gutierrez SO, Garcia-Lopez JM, Chope KB, Levine DG, Ortved K, Brown KA.To describe the clinical and ultrasonographic findings in horses with desmopathy of the abaxial palmar/plantar ligament (APL) of the proximal interphalangeal joint and the prevalence of concurrent musculoskeletal injuries in the pastern and foot. Unassigned: Horses presenting to New Bolton Center between March 2017 and November 2022 with an age ranging from 5 to 20 years that underwent lameness evaluation in which lameness was localized to the distal limb and had an ultrasonographic diagnosis of APL desmopathy. Unassigned: Horses included were those that (1) presented for a lameness examinatio...
Falsini A, Coppola C, Fiori A, Buonavoglia D, Marchi S, Montomoli E, Pellegrini F, Lanave G, Martella V, Camero M, Trombetta CM.Influenza D virus (IDV), belonging to the family, was first discovered in 2011 in pigs. Surveys in humans and animals have been carried out to decipher IDV ecology. In this seroepidemiological study, we investigated the circulation of IDV lineages across Italy in livestock and wildlife animals. A total of 1038 animal serum samples (from 246 bovines, 249 swine, 98 equines, and 445 wild boars) were tested using hemagglutination inhibition and virus neutralization assays. The results confirm bovines as the primary reservoir for IDV, with high seroprevalence for both D/660 (87%) and D/OK (80%) st...
Bozzola C, Sala G, Stancari G, Ferrucci F, Zucca E.Exercise-Induced Pulmonary Hemorrhage (EIPH) results from alveolar capillary stress failure after strenuous exercise, leading to bleeding and pulmonary inflammation. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) cytology is considered the gold standard for the assessment of airway inflammation; however, it is often considered more invasive compared to tracheal wash (TW). It has been demonstrated that TW is a reliable diagnostic tool that may substitute BALF to diagnose and grade the severity of EIPH in racehorses; however, no information about airway inflammation in EIPH-affected horses has been reporte...
Cabaret J.Resistance to anthelmintics in gastrointestinal nematodes (GINs) is highly prevalent, as these parasites have been treated with anthelmintics for decades in ruminants and horses. Anthelmintics belong to different classes, each with a different mode of action. The most used are benzimidazoles and macrocyclic lactones and, to a lesser extent, levamisole and pyrantel in herbivores, as estimated from the literature. Combining these classes should be effective in controlling GIN. However, several farmers' practices tend to promote GIN resistance. Therefore, it is unclear whether the use of anthelmi...
Plotsker NM, Taylor R, Coffin HR, Beatty A, Newbold G, Knickelbein KE.To describe the clinical and histologic features of a sarcoid arising from the medial caruncle with spread to the third eyelid of a horse. Methods: A 20-year-old Quarter Horse gelding. Methods: An incisional biopsy of the medial caruncle mass was initially performed, with histopathology suggesting a sarcoid or other spindle cell neoplasm. The mass grew rapidly following the biopsy, expanding to affect the third eyelid and adjacent superior palpebral conjunctiva. A complete third eyelid and medial caruncle excision with resection of affected palpebral conjunctiva and adjunctive cryotherapy was ...
Massardi E, Gaudenzi G, Carra S, Oldani M, Rybinska I, Persani L, Vitale G.Cushing's disease (CD) is a rare neuroendocrine disorder caused by ACTH-secreting pituitary adenomas, presenting significant diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. Given the evolutionary conservation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, this review explores the translational value of spontaneous CD forms in dogs, horses, cats, small mammals, and rats, as well as of experimental models in mice, rats, and zebrafish. Dogs are the most studied, showing strong molecular and clinical similarities with human CD, making them valuable for preclinical drug and diagnostic research. While equine an...
Yeomans A, Martinkovich D, O'Brien T, O'Neill H, Carpenter R, Georgetti M, Cramp P.Standing fracture repair has become established as an acceptable technique with a good long-term prognosis. However, no study has compared racing outcomes with case-matched controls. Objective: To compare racing outcomes between a large dataset of horses undergoing standing fracture repair against case-matched controls. Methods: Retrospective case-matched controlled comparative study. Methods: Thoroughbred racehorses undergoing standing repair of distal limb fracture(s) over 10 years (2012-2022) at five hospital centres across North America and Europe were included. Data retrieved included...
Freeman KD, Adams MN, Salinger AE, White NA, Barrett JG.Suspensory desmopathy is a frequently documented cause of lameness in performance horses; proximal suspensory desmopathy is the most frequent site of injury in dressage horses [...].
Caure S, Miljak K, Dendaw P, Thesée L, Villedey E, Malinvaud A, Cousty M, Prié V, Horan K, Weller R.Effects of ground surface and hoof angles on equine cervical and thoracolumbosacral kinematics are poorly understood. However, the equine cervical and thoracolumbosacral areas present frequent lesions and he management of factors that might improve treatment and rehabilitation outcomes, such as ground surface and hoof angles, requires more investigation. Objective: Our objectives were to determine the influence of ground surface (asphalt versus sand) and a 3 degrees hind toe or heel elevation on cervical and thoracolumbosacral kinematics during walking and trotting. Methods: Six saddle horses ...
Harder J, Fürst AE, Montavon PM, Montavon S, Bakony M, Lanyi K.Calcium dobesilate has recently been used for treating lameness in horses because it enhances microvascular processes and reduces intraosseous pressure. Lameness caused by disorders in bone metabolism and increased intraosseous pressure, such as navicular disease, osseous cyst-like lesions and pedal bone oedema, are commonly treated with rest, anti-inflammatory agents and surgery. Calcium dobesilate has the potential to influence the pathophysiology of these diseases, thereby improving healing. To determine whether calcium dobesilate and its acting agent calcium 2,5-dihydroxybenzene sulfonate ...
Norman AJ, Turner CM, Manfredi JM.Sedation is important for safe equine dental procedures, but it is unknown if there is a higher risk of sedation causing hypothermia in procedures performed during cold months. The authors hypothesize that sedation for a dental procedure will significantly decrease rectal body temperature in cold as compared to warm ambient temperatures. Adult equids ( = 246), from a private equine dentistry practice, that underwent dental equilibration, were selected for the study. Each horse's weight was estimated and sedation was administered intravenously (0.01 mg/kg detomidine and 0.01 mg/kg butor...
Geibel MA, Kildal D, Geibel AM, Ott S.Dysfunctions and disorders of the craniomandibular system are accompanied by pathophysiological changes of muscle groups in the throat/neck and facial area, e.g., pain in the jaw and muscles of mastication and disturbance of occlusion, leading to teeth injury (loss of dental hard tissue, fractures/sensibility disorders, etc.). For muscular dysfunctions, even in the context of psychosomatic disorders and chronic stress, hippotherapy is particularly suitable, since it helps actively to relieve muscle tensions. In the current project we combined hippotherapy with progressive muscle relaxation (PM...
Hardefeldt L, Thomas K, Page S, Norris J, Browning G, El Hage C, Stewart A, Gilkerson J, Muscatello G, Verwilghen D, van Galen G, Bauquier J....The growing problem of antimicrobial resistance also affects equine veterinarians with increasing frequency. Antimicrobial stewardship and responsible prescribing are essential for a future in which effective antimicrobials are available, as it is unlikely that new antimicrobials will become available for use in horses. While antimicrobials are commonly used to treat equine infections, complications with therapy are also relatively common. Antimicrobial-associated diarrhoea, immune-mediated diseases, and nephrotoxicity have been reported as sequelae of antimicrobial therapy in equine practice....
Azócar-Aedo L, Meniconi G, Pino-Olguín C, Gallardo M.At a veterinary hospital in southern Chile, we conducted an epidemiological study involving domestic dogs, cats, and horses to determine the seropositivity for pathogenic spp., identify the infecting serogroups, measure antibody titers, and characterize seropositive animals by sex and age. None of the sampled animals showed clinical signs of leptospirosis. The microscopic agglutination test, using a panel of eight serogroups, was used for diagnosis. The seropositivity was 36.5% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 24.5-48.4) in dogs, 12.9% (95% CI = 2.6-23.1) in cats, and 45.2% (95% CI = 30.1-60.2...
Cequier A, Serrano MB, Soler-Monsó MT, Bernad E, Vázquez FJ, Vitoria A, Fuente S, Zaragoza P, Romero A, Rodellar C, Barrachina L.The allogeneic administration of equine mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) has numerous advantages over autologous therapy, but their interactions with the patient's immune system need to be further elucidated. These interactions can be influenced by factors such as the compatibility between donor-receptor for the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) and by the MHC expression levels, which can change under different conditions like inflammatory exposure and chondrogeneic differentiation. In this study, we evaluated the local immune response induced by chondrogeneically differentiated (MSC...
Paganelli GC, Schott HC.Small intestinal (SI) distension and gastric reflux (GR) are common in horses with mechanical and functional ileus. Removal of GR results in fluid/ion losses. Objective: 1) Determine the capacity of healthy SI; 2) measure ion concentrations in normal SI fluid, GR, or fluid from SI undergoing resection. The authors hypothesized that Na and Cl concentrations would be lower and higher, respectively, in GR as compared to SI fluid from healthy horses, while there would be little difference in K concentration. Methods: Observational study: two to 15 meters of SI from 15 horses were distended with wa...
Dong-Ha L, Eun-Bee L, Jong-Pil S, Eun-Ju K.Despite routine vaccination, equine influenza outbreaks occur due to disparities of virus strains between vaccine and field, and immunity gaps between vaccinations. Objective: To evaluate whether a combination of adjuvants can enhance immune responses to equine influenza virus (EIV) vaccines. Methods: In vivo experimental study. Methods: Eight mixed-breed horses were immunised intramuscularly with a recombinant canarypox-based EIV vaccine, either alone or in combination with monophosphoryl lipid A (MPL) and polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (poly I:C). A single vaccine dose was administered, and...
Hegger A, Köhne M, Gerhauser I, Görgens A.A 19-year-old Oldenburg stallion was presented multiple times over the course of several months with recurrent colic signs. At each examination, an enlargement of the scrotum was noted, which could not be further specified by palpation and ultrasonographic examination. The increase in circumference was noted both on palpation and on inspection and the size remained unchanged throughout. No special findings were noted during the general examination and the special examination of the colic patient. A few months after the first onset of symptoms, a chicken egg-sized mass was palpated on the right...
Fehin B, Scott CJ, Arango-Sabogal JC, de Mestre AM, Mouncey R.To date, relationships between pre-covering endometrial swab cytology and bacteriology and fertility outcomes in Thoroughbred broodmares in the United Kingdom are unknown and could aid clinical decision making. Objective: To investigate associations between cytology and bacteriology findings from the last endometrial swab taken in the breeding season (15 February to 15 July) and live-foal rates (predicted mean probability of producing a live foal) in UK Thoroughbred broodmares. Methods: Retrospective cohort study. Methods: Endometrial cytology and bacteriology findings were extracted from labo...
Muñoz AM, Cribb N.Minimally invasive laparoscopic surgical techniques are desirable in horses and other equids. A new approach called "modified single incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS) for equine cryptorchidectomy" is described, along with the postoperative outcomes of 10 equids. A SILS Port device (Covidien) was placed a 30- to 40-millimeter incision in combination with 1 or 2 15-millimeter para-inguinal incisions to exteriorize the intra-abdominal testicles. Ten animals, 2 bilateral abdominal cryptorchid horses and 8 unilateral abdominal cryptorchid equids, underwent cryptorchidectomy using the SILS tech...
Darby S, DeNotta S, Gomez DE.This report describes a case of ivermectin toxicosis in a 4-day-old thoroughbred colt successfully treated with intravenous lipid emulsion (ILE) without complications. This case supports the use of ILE as a safe and effective therapy for the management of lipophilic drug toxicosis in foals. Key clinical message: Ivermectin toxicosis, though rare in equine neonates, can occur following accidental overdose and induces severe neurologic signs. In this case, ILE administration resulted in rapid neurologic improvement and complete recovery without adverse effects, supporting its use as a safe and e...
Hosseini SH, Sharafi H, Emamjomeh A, Nasri F, Hosseini A, Mardani S, Moradi M.Postbiotics and parabiotics (PP) are innovative concepts in veterinary medicine that have garnered substantial interest owing to their unique properties and potential benefits. PP offers a promising alternative to live bacteria, demonstrating properties such as prebiotic, immunomodulatory, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticancer effects, while potentially mitigating some of the common challenges associated with live bacterial applications. PP products are manufactured and commercially employed in livestock, poultry, and pets. Moreover, postbiotic-based commercial products...
Koçali B, Ocak M, Şekerel BE.Animal allergens, particularly those from cats, dogs, and horses, are significant risk factors for the development of allergic diseases in childhood. Managing animal allergies requires allergen avoidance and, when this is not feasible, specific immunotherapy. Patient history remains the cornerstone of diagnosis, providing the foundation for diagnostic algorithms. Extract-based tests, such as skin prick tests and specific IgE measurements, are essential for confirmation and screening. However, traditional extract-based diagnostic methods have notable limitations, as they are unable to distingui...
Silva GLS, Curcio UA, Boufleur JA, Borges DGL, Nakatani MTM, Freitas MG, Borges FA, Faria FJC, Silva RHP, Franco GL.Anthelmintic resistance has led to the use of organic extracts as alternative methods of parasite control. Objective: The study aimed to assess the effects of Acacia mearnsii extract (tannin) on the control of cyathostomins in horses, both in vitro and in vivo. Methods: Thirty Pantaneiro horses naturally infected with cyathostomins were sourced from two distinct farms, designated as Farms A and B. At the start of the study, all third-stage larvae were cyathostomins, and an egg hatchability test (EHT) was performed using fecal samples from horses on both farms. Two randomized 28-day field studi...
Alfatlawy HJ. in Arabian mares poses a significant reproductive challenge, necessitating proper pathogen identification and antimicrobial susceptibility determination. Unassigned: To investigate the prevalence of intrauterine pathogens and their antimicrobial susceptibility patterns in Arabian mares with postbreeding endometritis. Unassigned: Seventeen Arabian mares were examined clinically and ultrasonographically. Uterine swabs were collected for bacterial isolation and antimicrobial susceptibility testing. Unassigned: Clinical endometritis was detected in 29.4% of the mares. Ultrasonographic examination...
Tommasa SD, Raspe S, Farí G, Imperante A, Brehm W.Tendon and ligament injuries in equine athletes pose significant challenges, often leading to prolonged recovery, reduced performance, and increased risk of reinjury. Current treatment strategies, including conservative and surgical approaches, have shown limited success in fully restoring tendon integrity. Autologous blood derivatives, such as autologous conditioned serum (ACS), have emerged as potential regenerative therapies. However, the clinical efficacy of ACS in the treatment of equine tendinopathies remains under investigation. Unassigned: This study aimed to compare the clinical outco...
Valderrama-Martinez C, Packham A, Smith W, Mendoza-Flores JE, Zheng S, Chigerwe M, Plancarte M, Aleman M.Long-term freezing storage can alter the stability of proteins, thereby compromising accurate determination of indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) titers that support the diagnosis of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis. Objective: Assess the effect of long-term storage at -80°C on IFAT against S. neurona and N. hughesi in equine serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Methods: Paired serum and CSF (n = 46), and serum only (n = 25) samples. Methods: Prospective study of samples stored 6-12, 13-18, and 19-24 months. Comparing antibody titers across time points, McNemar and Wilcoxon...
Ceriotti S, Clark-Price S, Cole R, Kramer A, Sandey M, Mora M.This case describes a 15-year-old Thoroughbred mare with fistulous withers that progressed to vertebral osteomyelitis and spinal epidural abscess (SEA), a severe complication that has yet to be reported. Initially treated with antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medication, the mare developed acute hindlimb ataxia and spastic paresis, suggesting spinal cord compression at T3-L3. Diagnostic imaging revealed vertebral fractures and abscessation, but vertebral canal involvement could not be confirmed. Despite aggressive medical therapy, including antimicrobials, corticosteroids, and neuroprotective...
Marlin D, Randell O, Mayhew E, Blake R.The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of girth design and girth tension; six horses regularly ridden were used. Each horse underwent four experimental sessions in an unbalanced Latin-square design with two girth tensions (8 kg or 16 kg) and two girth designs (straight girth (S) or anatomical girth (A)). Pressure between the saddle and the horse was measured at 100 Hz with a pressure mat (0.5 sensels per cm). Notably, 2D limb kinematics were determined from anatomical markers placed on the fore and hindlimbs. Video was collected at 240 fps. There was no significant effect of girth...
Wood JL, Newton JR, Chanter N, Mumford JA.Respiratory disease is important in horses, particularly in young Thoroughbred racehorses, and inflammation that is detected in the trachea and bronchi (termed inflammatory airway disease [IAD]) is more significant in this population in terms of impact and frequency than other presentations of respiratory disease. IAD, which is characterized by neutrophilic inflammation, mild clinical signs, and accumulation of mucus in the trachea, may be multifactorial, possibly involving infections and environmental and immunological factors, and its etiology remains unclear. This 3-year longitudinal study ...
Wood W, Alm K, Benjamin J, Thomas L, Anderson D, Pohl L, Kane M. To recommend (1) the adoption of optimal terminology for referring to services in the United States that incorporate horses and other equines to benefit people, and (2) the discontinuation of especially problematic terminology. A diverse multidisciplinary consortium of individuals, including representatives of relevant national organizations, participated in an inclusive, systematic, and comprehensive 2-year consensus-building process. Twelve specific types of services were identified that relate to one of three broad areas of professional work: therapy, learning, or horsemanship. Related t...
Ross PF, Rice LG, Plattner RD, Osweiler GD, Wilson TM, Owens DL, Nelson HA, Richard JL.Ninety-eight samples of feeds associated with 44 cases of equine leukoencephalomalacia (ELEM) and 83 samples of feed associated with 42 cases of a porcine pulmonary edema syndrome (PPE) were analyzed for fumonisin B1 (FB1). For comparison purposes, 51 feed samples not associated with PPE or ELEM were also analyzed. Feed associated with ELEM contained FB1 ranging from less than 1 microgram/g to 126 micrograms/g with 75% of the cases having at least 1 sample above 10 micrograms/g. Feeds associated with PPE ranged from less than 1 microgram/g to 330 micrograms/g with 71% of the cases having at le...
Hoagwood KE, Acri M, Morrissey M, Peth-Pierce R.To systematically review experimental evidence about animal-assisted therapies (AAT) for children or adolescents with or at risk for mental health conditions, we reviewed all experimental AAT studies published between 2000-2015, and compared studies by animal type, intervention, and outcomes. Methods: Studies were included if used therapeutically for children and adolescents (≤21 years) with or at risk for a mental health problem; used random assignment or a waitlist comparison/control group; and included child-specific outcome data. Of 1,535 studies, 24 met inclusion criteria. Results: Of 2...
Lampe JF, Andre J.This study has shown that domestic horses are capable of cross-modal recognition of familiar humans. It was demonstrated that horses are able to discriminate between the voices of a familiar and an unfamiliar human without seeing or smelling them at the same moment. Conversely, they were able to discriminate the same persons when only exposed to their visual and olfactory cues, without being stimulated by their voices. A cross-modal expectancy violation setup was employed; subjects were exposed both to trials with incongruent auditory and visual/olfactory identity cues and trials with congruen...
Hotchkiss JW, Reid SW, Christley RM.Information is scarce as to how horses are kept and managed in the general horse population of Great Britain. Objective: To characterise the demographics of horses in Great Britain and assess their care (with particular reference to the respiratory system). Methods: Horse owners were surveyed using a self-administered postal questionnaire. These owners were selected randomly, following geographical stratification, using 2-stage cluster sampling of veterinary practices and their clients. Results: The overall response proportion to the survey was 68.2%. An investigation of nonresponse bias detec...
Begg LM, O'Sullivan CB.To report the prevalence and distribution of gastric ulceration within a group of racehorses and to describe the endoscopic appearance of gastric antrum and pyloric ulceration. Methods: Retrospective clinical study. Methods: Medical records from gastroscopic examinations of 345 racehorses (331 Thoroughbreds and 14 Standardbreds) were reviewed. Prevalence, distribution and severity of gastric ulcers were recorded. Lesions involving the squamous mucosa and the glandular mucosa of the antrum and pylorus were graded and compared. Results: Gastric ulceration was found in 86% of racehorses. The squa...
Ben Hassine T, De Massis F, Calistri P, Savini G, BelHaj Mohamed B, Ranen A, Di Gennaro A, Sghaier S, Hammami S.In the last fifteen years, West Nile Virus (WNV) has dramatically expanded its geographic range and is now considered the most widespread arbovirus in the world. In Tunisia, West Nile Fever (WNF) outbreaks were reported in humans in 1997, 2003 and 2012. Usutu Virus (USUV), which is a 'new' emerging Flavivirus antigenically close to WNV, has never been reported in Tunisia. A serological investigation in 284 equids was conducted in 2012 in the southern west region of the country to assess the presence and prevalence of the WNV and USUV infection. Of the 284 samples tested by competitive enzyme-l...
Murphy BD, Martinuk SD.Cells from the chorionic girdle of the equine trophoblast invade the maternal endometrium at day 36 of gestation and become established as secretory elements known as the endometrial cups. These structures, which persist for 40-60 days, produce a gonadotropin which can be found in circulation until about day 130 of gestation. This glycoprotein has been identified in the horse and the donkey, with the former having received much better characterization. It consists of 2 noncovalently linked peptide chains; an alpha-subunit of 96 amino acids, which is common to that found in other horse glycopro...
Vengust M, Anderson ME, Rousseau J, Weese JS.To evaluate the prevalence of methicillin-resistant staphylococcal (MRS) colonization in clinically normal dogs and horses in the community. Results: Three hundred clinically normal horses and 200 clinically normal dogs were enrolled. One nasal swab was collected from each horse. Two swabs were taken from each dog: (i) from an anterior nare, and (ii) a combination of the perineal area and 0.5 cm into the anus. Enrichment cultures were performed. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was not identified. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus intermedius (MRSI) was isolated from the n...
The Journal of nutritionMay 22, 2007
Volume 137, Issue 6 Suppl 2 1626S-1641S doi: 10.1093/jn/137.6.1626S
Ball RO, Urschel KL, Pencharz PB.Differences in lysine and arginine requirements among various species such as omnivores (humans, pigs, rats, dogs), carnivores (cats), herbivores (rabbits, horses), ruminants (cattle), poultry, and fish, are covered in detail in this article. Although lysine is classified as an indispensable amino acid across species, the classification of arginine as either an indispensable or dispensable amino acid is more ambiguous because of differences among species in rates of de novo arginine synthesis. Because lysine is most often the limiting amino acid in the diet, its requirement has been extensivel...
van der Geize R, Grommen AW, Hessels GI, Jacobs AA, Dijkhuizen L.Rhodococcus equi causes fatal pyogranulomatous pneumonia in foals and immunocompromised animals and humans. Despite its importance, there is currently no effective vaccine against the disease. The actinobacteria R. equi and the human pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis are related, and both cause pulmonary diseases. Recently, we have shown that essential steps in the cholesterol catabolic pathway are involved in the pathogenicity of M. tuberculosis. Bioinformatic analysis revealed the presence of a similar cholesterol catabolic gene cluster in R. equi. Orthologs of predicted M. tuberculosis vi...
Watts AE, Millar NL, Platt J, Kitson SM, Akbar M, Rech R, Griffin J, Pool R, Hughes T, McInnes IB, Gilchrist DS.Tendon injuries (tendinopathies) are common in human and equine athletes and characterized by dysregulated collagen matrix, resulting in tendon damage. We have previously demonstrated a functional role for microRNA29a (miR29a) as a post-transcriptional regulator of collagen 3 expression in murine and human tendon injury. Given the translational potential, we designed a randomized, blinded trial to evaluate the potential of a miR29a replacement therapy as a therapeutic option to treat tendinopathy in an equine model that closely mimics human disease. Tendon injury was induced in the superficial...
Binder AK, Rodriguez KF, Hamilton KJ, Stockton PS, Reed CE, Korach KS.Determining the spatial and temporal expression of genes involved in the ovulatory pathway is critical for the understanding of the role of each estrogen receptor in the modulation of folliculogenesis and ovulation. Estrogen receptor (ER)-β is highly expressed in ovarian granulosa cells, and mice lacking ER-β are subfertile due to inefficient ovulation. Previous work has focused on isolated granulosa cells or cultured follicles and, although informative, provides confounding results due to the heterogeneous cell types present including granulosa and theca cells and oocytes and exposure to in...
Ueti MW, Palmer GH, Scoles GA, Kappmeyer LS, Knowles DP.Tick-borne pathogens may be transmitted intrastadially and transstadially within a single vector generation as well as vertically between generations. Understanding the mode and relative efficiency of this transmission is required for infection control. In this study, we established that adult male Rhipicephalus microplus ticks efficiently acquire the protozoal pathogen Babesia equi during acute and persistent infections and transmit it intrastadially to naïve horses. Although the level of parasitemia during acquisition feeding affected the efficiency of the initial tick infection, infected t...
Ostlund EN, Crom RL, Pedersen DD, Johnson DJ, Williams WO, Schmitt BJ.After the 1999 outbreak of West Nile (WN) encephalitis in New York horses, a case definition was developed that specified the clinical signs, coupled with laboratory test results, required to classify cases of WN encephalitis in equines as either probable or confirmed. In 2000, 60 horses from seven states met the criteria for a confirmed case. The cumulative experience from clinical observations and diagnostic testing during the 1999 and 2000 outbreaks of WN encephalitis in horses will contribute to further refinement of diagnostic criteria.
Cohen ND.A prospective study was conducted to describe the causes of and farm management factors associated with disease and death in a population of foals in Texas. Data from 2,468 foals at 167 farms were provided by veterinarians for all 12 months during 1991. Among 2,468 foals, 116 deaths were reported (4.7%). Pneumonia was the most commonly reported cause of death, followed by septicemia. When considered as a group, musculoskeletal disorders (traumatic, infectious, or deforming problems) represented the most common cause of all reported deaths. Daily risk of death was greatest during the first 7 da...
Marx C, Silveira MD, Beyer Nardi N.Mesenchymal stem cells, considered one of the most promising cell types for therapeutic applications due to their capacity to secrete regenerative bioactive molecules, are present in all tissues. Stem cells derived from the adipose tissue have been increasingly used for cell therapy in humans and animals, both as freshly isolated, stromal vascular fraction (SVF) cells, or as cultivated adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs). ASCs have been characterized in different animal species for proliferation, differentiation potential, immunophenotype, gene expression, and potential for tissue engineering. W...
Weatherman S, Feldmann H, de Wit E.The genus Henipavirus has expanded rapidly in geographic range, number of species, and host range. Hendra and Nipah virus are two henipaviruses known to cause severe disease in humans with a high case-fatality rate. Pteropid spp. bats are the natural reservoir of Hendra and Nipah virus. From these bats, virus can be transmitted to an amplifying host, horses and pigs, and from these hosts to humans, or the virus can be transmitted directly to humans. Although the main route of shedding varies between host species, close contact is required for transmission in all hosts. Understanding the transm...
Ricco S, Renzi S, Del Bue M, Conti V, Merli E, Ramoni R, Lucarelli E, Gnudi G, Ferrari M, Grolli S.Overstrain tendonitis are common pathologies in the sport horses. Therapeutic approaches to tendon healing do not always result in a satisfactory anatomical and functional repair, and healed tendon is often characterized by functional impairment and high risk of reinjury. Recently, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and platelet rich plasma (PRP) have been proposed as novel therapeutic treatments to improve the tendon repair process. MSCs are multipotent, easy to culture and being originated from adult donors do not pose ethical issues. To date, autologous MSCs have been investigated mainly in the ...
Gilbertie JM, Schnabel LV, Hickok NJ, Jacob ME, Conlon BP, Shapiro IM, Parvizi J, Schaer TP.Bacterial invasion of synovial joints, as in infectious or septic arthritis, can be difficult to treat in both veterinary and human clinical practice. Biofilms, in the form of free-floating clumps or aggregates, are involved with the pathogenesis of infectious arthritis and periprosthetic joint infection (PJI). Infection of a joint containing an orthopedic implant can additionally complicate these infections due to the presence of adherent biofilms. Because of these biofilm phenotypes, bacteria within these infected joints show increased antimicrobial tolerance even at high antibiotic concentr...
Rekant SI, Lyons MA, Pacheco JM, Arzt J, Rodriguez LL.Abnormal body temperature is a major indicator of disease; infrared thermography (IRT) can assess changes in body surface temperature quickly and remotely. This technology can be applied to a myriad of diseases of various etiologies across a wide range of host species in veterinary medicine. It is used to monitor the physiologic status of individual animals, such as measuring feed efficiency or diagnosing pregnancy. Infrared thermography has applications in the assessment of animal welfare, and has been used to detect soring in horses and monitor stress responses. This review addresses the var...
Paillot R, Hannant D, Kydd JH, Daly JM.Equine influenza virus is a leading cause of respiratory disease in the horse. Equine influenza vaccines containing inactivated virus were first developed in the 1960s. Despite their intensive use, equine influenza outbreaks still continue to occur and therefore new strategies of vaccination are necessary to improve vaccine efficacy. Numerous methods of vaccination have been evaluated and commercialised in the horse, the most recent being the cold-adapted influenza virus and poxvirus-based vaccines. As a large animal model, the horse is also a useful species in which to evaluate the potential ...
Hoffman AM.Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) is a method for the recovery of respiratory secretions that line the peripheral airways and alveoli. Overall, BAL is considered very safe and sufficiently sensitive to detect inflammation at the cytologic level. The good correlation between BAL differential cell counts and exercise-induced hypoxemia or lactic acidosis, airway obstruction, or airway responsiveness attests to the relevance of BAL cytology to the structure and function of the equine airways. Thus, an important advantage of BAL over tracheal wash cytology is that BAL cytology relates well to the clinic...
Feary DJ, Hassel DM.Enteritis and colitis remain challenging and life-threatening diseases despite many recent advances. Successful treatment is largely dependent on early recognition and directed therapy, which is facilitated by obtaining a complete history and physical examination. A number of new therapies and methods of monitoring critically ill patients have become integral components of treatment success. The critical monitoring of equine foals and adults continues to be an exciting and emerging field.
Williams KJ, Maes R, Del Piero F, Lim A, Wise A, Bolin DC, Caswell J, Jackson C, Robinson NE, Derksen F, Scott MA, Uhal BD, Li X, Youssef SA, Bolin SR.Pulmonary fibrosis and interstitial lung disease are poorly understood in horses; the causes of such conditions are rarely identified. Equine herpesvirus 5 (EHV-5) is a gamma-herpesvirus of horses that has not been associated with disease in horses. Pathologic and virologic findings from 24 horses with progressive nodular fibrotic lung disease associated with EHV-5 infection are described and compared with 23 age-matched control animals. Gross lesions consisted of multiple nodules of fibrosis throughout the lungs. Histologically, there was marked interstitial fibrosis, often with preservation ...
Klein C, Scoggin KE, Ealy AD, Troedsson MH.Establishment and maintenance of pregnancy are critically dependent on embryo-maternal communication during the preimplantation period. To gain new insights into this complex process in the horse, transcriptional profiling of Day 13.5 pregnant and cyclic endometrial tissue samples was carried out using custom-designed microarrays. Selected array data were validated using quantitative RT-PCR, and proteins of interest were localized using immunohistochemistry. One hundred and six transcripts were up-regulated, whereas 47 transcripts showed lower expression levels in pregnant mares, that is, were...
Saad MD, Hussein HA, Bashandy MM, Kamel HH, Earhart KC, Fryauff DJ, Younan M, Mohamed AH.Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is an important cause of hepatitis among young Egyptian adults with high seroprevalence rates seen in both rural areas of the Nile Delta and in suburban Cairo. Because natural antibodies to HEV have been detected in animals and zoonotic transmission is postulated, we surveyed work horses in Cairo for evidence of HEV exposure and viremia. Sera from 200 Cairo work horses were tested by ELISA for the presence of IgG anti-HEV antibody revealed a seropositivity of 13%. Among 100 samples processed for detection of viral genome by means of nested polymerase chain reaction (N-P...
Galli C, Duchi R, Colleoni S, Lagutina I, Lazzari G.Assisted reproductive techniques developed for cattle in the last 25 years, like ovum pick up (OPU), intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), and somatic cell nuclear transfer, have been transferred and adapted to buffalo and horses. The successful clinical applications of these techniques require both the clinical skills specific to each animal species and an experienced laboratory team to support the in vitro phase of the work. In cattle, OPU can be considered a consolidated technology that is rapidly outpacing conventional superovulation for embryo transfer. In buffalo, OPU represents the ...
