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.
Hesselkilde E, Linz D, Saljic A, Carstensen H, Kutieleh R, Jespersen T, Sanders P, Buhl R.Three-dimensional electroanatomical mapping is of potential interest in equine cardiology to identify arrhythmia mechanisms, characterise electroanatomical substrates and guide ablation strategies. Objective: To describe three-dimensional electroanatomical mapping in standing horses. Methods: Research methodology, proof of concept study. Methods: Four Standardbred horses (2 geldings, 2 mares, median age 4.5 [4-9] years, mean bodyweight 485 [440-550] kg) were sedated and placed in stocks. Via the jugular vein, a high-density multipolar grid catheter (Advisor™ HD Grid Mapping Catheter with E...
Suliman Y, Becker F, Tuchscherer A, Wimmers K.Horses are seasonal breeders with a natural breeding season beginning in spring and extending through midsummer. In this study, quantitative and qualitative parameters of chilled stallion semen were compared between fertile and subfertile stallions and between the breeding and the non-breeding season. Semen quality parameters compared included ejaculate volume, sperm concentration, total sperm number, sperm morphology, and computer-assisted semen analysis (CASA)-derived sperm movement characteristics obtained from two groups of warmblood stallions ( ; four fertile stallions and four subfert...
Connelly C, Norton NA, Hurley DJ, Hart KA, Meichner K, Gogal RM.Peripheral blood is commonly sampled to assess the health status of human and veterinary patients. Venous blood collection is a minimally invasive procedure, and in the horse, the common collection site is the jugular vein. Post blood collection, sample processing for leukocyte enrichment can vary by research laboratory with the potential to yield different effects on the enriched cells and their function. The focus of the present study was to compare a common blood dilution-leukocyte enrichment technique using a Histopaque gradient medium (His) to a modified leukocyte buffy coat syringe-lymph...
Bastos CM, Rocha F, Cerqueira Â, Terroso D, Sequeira C, Tilley P.Clays are natural ingredients used to prepare therapeutic cataplasms suitable for topical application. The knowledge about these formulations and their preparations to be applied on humans and animals has been orally transmitted since ancient times. Several empirical methods using clays have demonstrated fast and effective results in the reduction of the inflammatory response and the formation of edemas in horse limbs. The use of traditional and alternative medicine, such as pelotherapy, is now becoming more popular in veterinarian medical practice, alone or combined with other therapies in ho...
Radtke AV, Goodale MB, Fortier LA. Platelet rich plasma (PRP) is used extensively in equine regenerative medicine. Differences in preparation protocols give rise to significant variability in the cellular composition of PRP making it very difficult to establish a standard of care in the field. This study aimed to optimize the preparation protocol for leukocyte-reduced PRP (P-PRP). Blood (100 mL) was collected from horses ( = 5) and divided into 2 purple top EDTA tubes and 6 (15 mL) double syringes with a final concentration of 10% acid citrate dextrose anticoagulant. Six double syringes were collected from each horse; PRP sam...
Mizobe F, Mori M, Nagata SI, Yamashita S, Okada J, Kusano K.Ever since 'One Health' concept was introduced in early 2000s, judicious use of antimicrobials by veterinarians has become an issue of great concern. Recently, findings of anti-inflammatory effects in certain types of antimicrobials have raised a subject for discussion among racing authorities. Regulatory framework of antimicrobials in racing should be based on best interest of horse welfare and doping control perspective, but basic data on prevalence of antimicrobials are lacking. Analysis of 100 postrace urinary samples collected from 10 Japanese racecourses by targeting 21 antimicrobials us...
Veres-Nyéki KO, Nyéki J, Bodó G, Spadavecchia C.Quantitative sensory testing methods are now standard in the evaluation of sensory function in man, while few normal equine values have been reported. Objective: The aim of this experimental study was (a) to define the tactile sensory, mechanical nociceptive and thermal nociceptive thresholds of the equine face; (b) to assess the effect of age, sex, stimulation site and shaving; (c) to evaluate the reliability of the methods and (d) to provide reference facial quantitative sensory testing values. Methods: Method description. Methods: Thirty-four healthy Warmblood horses were used in the study....
Page AE, Adam E, Stewart JC, Gonzales C, Barker V, Horohov DW.While the use of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to induce inflammation has been well described in the horse, the object of this study was to evaluate the effect of repeated intra-articular LPS injections and determine whether this method may be of use to assess changes in gene expression related to inflammation. Six mixed breed horses were utilized for this study, with three horses aged 10-17 years (older group) and three horses aged 3 years (younger group). One milliliter of phosphate-buffered saline containing 3 μg of LPS from Escherichia coli O111:B4 was aseptically injected into either the radi...
Szóstek-Mioduchowska AZ, Baclawska A, Rebordão MR, Ferreira-Dias G, Skarzynski DJ.An increasing number of studies have shown that prostaglandins (PGs) exert multiple regulatory actions in the processes associated to tissue remodeling and fibrosis. Extracellular matrix (ECM) turnover is mediated by matrix metallopeptidases (MMPs). The knowledge about the regulation of their expression in mare endometrium is still limited. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate whether: (i) profibrotic transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 modulates PG production in equine endometrium; and (ii) PGE and PGF modulate MMPs, their tissue inhibitors (TIMPs), and collagen 1 (COL1) expression...
Novello G, Podico G, Segabinazzi LGTM, Lima FS, Canisso IF.The objective of this study was to compare semen parameters and embryo recovery rates of cooled stallion semen extended with INRA 96 or BotuSemen Gold. In experiment 1, 45 ejaculates from nine mature stallions were collected, assessed, and equally split between both extenders and then extended to 50 million sperm/mL. Then, the extended semen was stored in three passive cooling containers (Equitainer, Equine Express II, and BotuFlex) for 48 hours. In experiment 2, the same ejaculates extended in experiment 1 were cushion-centrifuged, the supernatant was discarded, and the pellets were resuspend...
Onen EA.The aim of this study was to evaluate formalin-inactivated autovaccination to treat cutaneous papillomatosis and to perform molecular typing of the papillomavirus in four horses (two foals, one 3-year-old filly and a 5-year-old stallion). Methods: Histopathological slides of lesions were prepared and stained with haematoxylin and eosin (H&E) to establish a diagnosis that was based on observation koilocytosis, which is a pathognomonic cytopathic change that is associated with papillomatosis, using light microscopy. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and DNA sequencing were performed using the ...
Tartor YH, El-Naenaeey EY, Gharieb NM, Ali WS, Ammar AM.Strangles displays a major challenge to veterinary medicine worldwide. However, no data on Streptococcus equi subsp. equi (S. equi) M protein alleles have been reported so far from Arabian horses. We report here for the first time the S. equi SeM alleles causing strangles in Arabian horses, and the associated risk factors for the disease. Duplicate samples from one hundred Arabian horses with acute strangles in confirmed outbreaks and sporadic cases were analysed by phenotypic methods and multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting streptokinase precursor, seeI and sodA genes. PCR and ...
Jonsdottir S, Fettelschoss V, Olomski F, Talker SC, Mirkovitch J, Rhiner T, Birkmann K, Thoms F, Wagner B, Bachmann MF, Kündig TM, Marti E....： Insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH) is an eosinophilic allergic dermatitis of horses caused by type I/IVb reactions against mainly bites. The vaccination of IBH-affected horses with equine IL-5 coupled to the Cucumber mosaic virus-like particle (eIL-5-CuMV) induces IL-5-specific auto-antibodies, resulting in a significant reduction in eosinophil levels in blood and clinical signs. the preclinical and clinical safety of the eIL-5-CuMV vaccine. The B cell responses were assessed by longitudinal measurement of IL-5- and CuMV-specific IgG in the serum and plasma of vaccinated and unvaccinate...
Gáspárdy A, Renkó E, Somoskői B, Bába A, Cseh S.The objective of this study was to compare the efficiency of artificial insemination (AI) carried out with frozen and fresh, diluted and chilled semen under field conditions. One hundred and twenty-nine mares of different breeds were included in the study. Eighty-one out of the 107 mares inseminated with fresh, chilled semen got pregnant. Seven pregnant mares aborted and 74 foals were born. Out of the 22 mares inseminated with frozen semen, 17 mares got pregnant. Two mares out of the 17 pregnant mares aborted and finally 15 healthy foals were born. No difference was found between the two group...
Lauková A, Styková E, Kubašová I, Strompfová V, Gancarčíková S, Plachá I, Miltko R, Belzecki G, Valocký I, Pogány Simonová M.The effects of non-authochtonous Enterococcus faecium AL41 = CCM 8558, enterocin M-producing and probiotic strain were tested on the microbiota, phagocytic activity, hydrolytic enzymes, biochemical parameters and dry matter in horses based on its previous benefits demonstrated in other animals. E. faecium CCM 8558 sufficiently colonized the digestive tract of horses. At day 14, its counts reached 2.35 ± 0.70 CFU/g (log 10) on average. The identity of CCM 8558 was confirmed by means of PCR after its re-isolation from horse faeces. The inhibition activity of CCM 8558 was demonstrated a...
Mund SJK, Kawamura E, Awang-Junaidi AH, Campbell J, Wobeser B, MacPhee DJ, Honaramooz A, Barber S.Limb wounds on horses are often slow to heal and are prone to developing exuberant granulation tissue (EGT) and close primarily through epithelialization, which results in a cosmetically inferior and non-durable repair. In contrast, wounds on the body heal rapidly and primarily through contraction and rarely develop EGT. Intravenous (IV) multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are promising. They home and engraft to cutaneous wounds and promote healing in laboratory animals, but this has not been demonstrated in horses. Furthermore, the clinical safety of administering >1.00 × 108 alloge...
Satué K, Montesinos P, Muñoz A.In women and females of different species of laboratory animals, oestrogens stimulate the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) by increasing tissue and circulating levels of angiotensinogen and renin during the preovulatory period. Progesterone and cortisol compete with aldosterone for mineralocorticoid receptors, which results in increased Na+ reabsorption during the postovulatory period. The purpose of the current research was to analyse the relationship of oestradiol-17β, progesterone and cortisol with RAAS in 23 mares during an oestrous cycle. During the preovulatory period, signif...
Pallarols NB, Lamuraglia R, Guglielminetti A, Ortiz de Elguea MF, Carossino M, Funcia JP.Xylazine and remifentanil in constant rate infusion (CRI) could be used for sedation in horses without adverse effects. The objective was to evaluate behavioral and cardiopulmonary effects of an intravenous (IV) infusion of xylazine and remifentanil for sedation in horses. Xylazine (0.8 mg/kg IV) followed after 3 minutes by a CRI of xylazine and remifentanil (0.65 mg/kg/h and 6 μg/kg/h, respectively) was administered in 10 healthy horses for 60 minutes. Sedation, ataxia, and cardiopulmonary, hematological, and blood gases variables were evaluated. Heart rate decreased significantly durin...
Tamura N, Okano A, Kuroda T, Niwa H, Kusano K, Matsuda Y, Fukuda K, Mita H, Nagata S.To clarify the detailed pharmacokinetics (PK) of orally administered voriconazole in tear fluid (TF) of horses for evaluating the efficacy of voriconazole secreted into TF against equine keratomycosis. Methods: Five healthy Thoroughbred horses. Methods: Voriconazole was administrated through a nasogastric tube to each horse at a single dose of 4.0 mg/kg. TF and blood samples were collected before and periodically throughout the 24 hours after administration. Voriconazole concentrations in plasma and TF samples were analyzed using liquid chromatography-electrospray tandem-mass spectrometry. T...
Silveira BB, Souza EC, Dos Santos MDN, Porciuncula ML, Azevedo MDS, Duarte CA, de Carvalho AD, de Souza Junior P.Criollo horse breeding is an important economic activity in South America. Because of their athletic performance, these animals tend to show great incidence of musculoskeletal disorders, many of them diagnosed by means of perineural blocks. However, incorrect interpretation of these blocks may be due to anatomical differences in nerve distribution. The objective of this study was to describe the innervation of the digit region of thoracic limbs in Criollo horses, in order to improve the interpretation of tests for claudication diagnosis based on nerve block. Thirty thoracic limbs from Criollo ...
Léon A, Castagnet S, Maillard K, Paillot R, Giard JC.The present study described the evolution of antimicrobial resistance in equine pathogens isolated from 2016 to 2019. A collection of 7806 bacterial isolates were analysed for their in vitro antimicrobial susceptibility using the disk diffusion method. The most frequently isolated pathogens were group C Streptococci (27.0%), Escherichia coli (18.0%), Staphylococcus aureus (6.2%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (3.4%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (2.3%) and Enterobacter spp. (2.1%). The majority of these pathogens were isolated from the genital tract (45.1%, n = 3522). With the implementation of two French n...
Kalinowski M, Jarosz Ł, Grądzki Z.Rhodococcus equi is an opportunistic, intracellular saprophyte that causes severe pyogranulomatous pneumonia in foals. The bacterium displays in vitro susceptibility to many antibiotics. The highest efficacy against R. equi in vitro and in vivo is achieved by using a combination of rifampicin and macrolide antibiotics. Recent years have seen an upward trend in the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of rifampicin and erythromycin, suggesting increasing resistance of R. equi to these antibiotics. The aim of the study was to determine the antimicrobial activity of 24 selected antibiotics...
Won SY, Kim YC, Do K, Jeong BH.Prion disease is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder caused by a deleterious prion protein (PrP). However, prion disease has not been reported in horses during outbreaks of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) in various animals in the UK. In previous studies, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the prion protein gene () have been significantly associated with susceptibility to prion disease, and strong linkage disequilibrium (LD) between and prion-like protein gene () SNPs has been identified in prion disease-susceptible species. On the other hand, weak LD values have been r...
Tscharke M, Kind K, Kelly J, Kleemann D, Len J.Spontaneous nuclear maturation of mammalian oocytes can occur when physically removed from the ovarian follicle during in vitro oocyte maturation (IVM), largely because of a decrease in cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) concentration. Modulation of oocyte cAMP during IVM by using phosphodiesterase inhibitors has been shown to maintain elevated oocyte cAMP concentrations and control meiotic resumption of bovine and ovine oocytes. This study determined the effect of inclusion of isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX) during collection and the first 12 hours of incubation of equine oocytes on cAM...
Samy A, Elmetwally M, El-Khodery SA.The aim of the present study was to establish appropriate doses for both lidocaine hydrochloride (Hcl) and mepivacaine in intravenous regional analgesia (IVRA) and to assess their intraoperative and postoperative analgesic effects in horses with distal limb surgeries. A total of 55 draft horses were included in the present study. Six clinically healthy horses were selected randomly for establishing the doses of lidocaine Hcl and mepivacaine in IVRA in horse limbs. After selection, 32 horses suffered from various distal limb surgical affections were randomly allocated into three groups: thiopen...
Piotrowska-Tomala KK, Jonczyk AW, Skarzynski DJ, Szóstek-Mioduchowska AZ.Prostaglandins (PGs) play crucial roles in the regulation of the oestrus cycle and establishment of pregnancy in animals. Luteinizing hormone (LH) and ovarian steroids are involved in regulating endometrial PG production in many species. Their effects on PG production and associated pathways in the mare myometrium and endometrium are the subjects of our interest. This study aimed to evaluate the specific effects of LH and ovarian steroids on equine myometrial and endometrial tissues on (i) PGE and PGF secretion and (ii) transcription of genes encoding specific enzymes responsible for PG synthe...
d' Fonseca NMM, Gibson CME, van Doorn DA, de Ruijter-Villani M, Stout TAE, Roelfsema E.Overfeeding is associated with obesity and insulin dysregulation (ID), which are both risk factors for equine metabolic syndrome. How chronic overfeeding affects development of these factors is poorly understood. Objective: To examine the influence of long-term high-energy diet provision on body condition and ID. Methods: Eleven Shetland pony mares. Methods: In a 3-phase study, the high-energy group (n = 7) was fed 200% of net energy (NE) requirements (hay; concentrate: 36% sugar and starch, 13% fat) for 24 weeks, followed by 17 weeks hay-only feeding before resuming the high-energy diet (...
Cuervo-Arango J, Martín-Peláez MS, Claes AN.The echogenicity of the early CL undergoes obvious changes during the first 5 days of luteal development. This phenomenon could potentially be used to estimate the age of the CL in mares which have not been checked frequently for the diagnosis of ovulation. The objective of this retrospective study was to determine the accuracy of estimating the age of the early CL (Day 0 to Day 4; Day 0 = Day of ovulation) in recipient mares examined for the first time in the breeding season to be used in a commercial embryo transfer (ET) program. The post-transfer pregnancy rate and embryo loss of 28 recip...
Ferlazzo A, Cravana C, Fazio E, Medica P.The review discusses the hormonal changes during exercise stress. The exercise generally produces a rise of adrenaline (A), noradrenaline (NA), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), cortisol, glucagon, growth hormone, arginine vasopressine, etc., and a drop of insulin. The hormonal events during reestablishment of homeostasis due to exercise stress can be divided into a catabolic phase, with decreased tolerance of effort, and reversible biochemical, hormonal and immunological changes, and an anabolic phase, with a higher adaptive capacity, and enhanced performance. The two main hormonal axes act...
Satué K, Gardon JC, Muñoz A.The process of fibrin clot formation is a series of complex and well-regulated reactions involving blood vessels, platelets, procoagulant plasma proteins, natural inhibitors, and fibrinolytic enzymes. Vasculitis can be caused by a variety of different agents as bacteria, viruses, protozoal, rickettsial organisms, toxic, drugs, medications, and neoplasms. The most common cause of vasculitis is the purpura hemorrhagica, which is associated with exposure to Streptococcus equi ssp. equi or less commonly, equine influenza. Deficiencies or defects of the hemostatic components may result in bleeding ...
Garcia-Lopez JM, Provost PJ, Rush JE, Zicker SC, Burmaster H, Freeman LM.To determine the prevalence of hypomagnesemia and hypocalcemia in horses with surgical colic. Methods: 35 horses with surgically managed colic. Methods: Serum concentrations of total magnesium (tMg2+) and calcium (tCa2+), as well as ionized magnesium (iMg2+) and calcium (iCa2+) were analyzed before surgery and 1, 3, 5, and 7 days following surgery. A lead-II ECG and pertinent clinical data were also obtained at each time. Results: Preoperative serum tMg2+ and iMg2+ concentrations were below the reference range in 6 (17%) and 19 (54%) horses, respectively. Serum concentrations of tCa2+ and iCa2...
Kooijman LJ, Mapes SM, Pusterla N.Equine coronavirus (EqCoV) infection has been documented in most reports through quantitative qPCR analysis of feces and viral genome sequencing. Although qPCR is used to detect antigen during the acute disease phase, there is no equine-specific antibody test available to study EqCoV seroprevalence in various horse populations. We developed an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) targeting antibodies to the spike (S) protein of EqCoV and validated its use, using acute and convalescent sera from 83 adult horses involved in 6 outbreaks. The EqCoV S protein-based ELISA was able to reliably d...
van den Boom R, Wilmink JM, O'Kane S, Wood J, Ferguson MW.Wound healing in horses is often complicated by wound infection, exuberant granulation tissue, and hypertrophic scars, especially when wounds are located on the limbs. Wound healing in ponies is less problematic, characterized by a greater degree of wound contraction and a more intense initial inflammatory response. Because both processes are influenced by transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta), it was hypothesized that the better wound healing in ponies was associated with different TGF-beta profiles. A series of small wounds was created on the distal limbs and hindquarters of ponies and ...
Ortved KF, Nixon AJ.Damage to the articular cartilage surface is common in the equine athlete and, due to the poor intrinsic healing capabilities of cartilage, can lead to osteoarthritis (OA). Joint disease and OA are the leading cause of retirement in equine athletes and currently there are no effective treatments to stop the progression of OA. Several different cell-based strategies have been investigated to bolster the weak regenerative response of chondrocytes. Such techniques aim to restore the articular surface and prevent further joint degradation. Cell-based cartilage repair strategies include enhancement...
Slocombe JO.This review summarizes information on the clinical signs, gross and microscopic lesions associated with nematode and cestode infections and discusses the development of these conditions in the equine host.
Hitchens PL, Hill AE, Stover SM. The rate of catastrophic musculoskeletal injuries (CMI) in racehorses is high in the United States compared to other countries. Few modifiable risk factors related to lameness, medication, and surgery history have been identified. To detect management factors that increase risk of CMI by comparing medical histories between horses that sustained, and horses that did not sustain, a CMI. Case-control. Racehorse necropsy data (May 2012-June 2013) were obtained through the California Horse Racing Board Postmortem Program. Attending veterinarians of Thoroughbreds (TB) and Quarter Horses (QH) tha...
Knowles EJ, Elliott J, Harris PA, Chang YM, Menzies-Gow NJ.Quantifying risk factors for laminitis development requires improvement. Objective: To identify the most useful physical examination, metabolic and management factors to predict laminitis development in client-owned, nonlaminitic ponies. Methods: Prospective cohort study. Methods: Physical examination, metabolic and management data were collected from a pony cohort 6 monthly for up to 4 years. Ponies were monitored for the development of laminitis. Metabolic data included basal plasma concentrations of ACTH ([ACTH]), adiponectin ([adiponectin]), triglycerides and glucose. Serum insulin concen...
Badenhorst M, Page P, Ganswindt A, Laver P, Guthrie A, Schulman M.The prevalence of equine herpesvirus types-1 and -4 (EHV-1 and -4) in South African Thoroughbreds at auction sales is currently undefined. Commingling of young Thoroughbreds from various populations together with physiological stress related to their transport and confinement at a sales complex, may be associated with shedding and transmission of EHV-1 and -4. This prospective cohort study sampled 90 young Thoroughbreds consigned from eight farms, originating from three provinces representative of the South African Thoroughbred breeding demographic to a sales complex. Nasal swabs for quantitat...
Equine infectious anemia (EIA) is a viral disease, caused by the Equine Infectious Anemia virus (EIAV) belonging to the Retroviridae family, genus Lentivirus. Horses (or equids) infected with EIAV are lifelong carriers and they remain contagious for other horses even in the absence of clinical signs. So far, EIAV infection has been reported among horses in North and South America, France, Germany, Italy, Hungary and Romania, with no publication regarding the presence of EIAV in horses in Serbia. To determine the circulation of EIAV among, approximately, the 5000 horses of the Vojvodina region,...
Byron CR, DeWitt MR, Latouche EL, Davalos RV, Robertson JL.Irreversible electroporation is a proven ablation modality for local ablation of soft tissue tumors in animals and humans. However, the strong muscle contractions associated with the electrical impulses (duration, 50-100 μs) requires the use of general anesthesia and, in most situations, application of neuromuscular blockade. As such, this technology is not used in an outpatient setting for ablating common cutaneous tumors (e.g., squamous cell carcinoma or melanoma) in humans or animals. Recently, high-frequency irreversible electroporation (H-FIRE) technology has been developed to enable ele...
Serrano MG, Evans DL, Hodgson JL.The aim of this study was to investigate the heart rate and blood lactate responses to exercise in event horses in normal training, and to compare them to those encountered in eventing competition. It was hypothesised that the responses during exercise in the course of training for CCI*** events would be significantly different from those of the Cross-Country day. Heart rates and blood lactate concentrations were measured in 13 elite event horses after intense exercise sessions conducted during the late stages of preparation for CCI*** or CCI**** 3-day-event competition. Mean +/- s.d. heart ra...
Furrer E, Bilzer T, Stitz L, Planz O.Experimental Borna disease virus (BDV) infection of rats and natural infection of horses and sheep leads to severe central nervous system disease based on immunopathological pathways. The virus replicates slowly, and the cellular immune response results in immunopathology. CD8(+) T cells exert effector cell functions, and their activity results in the destruction of virus-infected cells. Previously, Oldach and colleagues (D. Oldach, M. C. Zink, J. M. Pyper, S. Herzog, R. Rott, O. Narayan, and J. E. Clements, Virology 206:426-434, 1995) have reported protection against Borna disease after inocu...
Bryant UK, Lyons ET, Bain FT, Hong CB.A 13-week-old Thoroughbred colt from central Kentucky was euthanized after an acute onset of ataxia, blindness, head tremors, leaning to the right, recumbency, and seizures. Microscopically, there was a verminous meningoencephalitis characterized by an eosinophilic and granulomatous inflammatory reaction primarily affecting the cerebellum. Dispersed within regions of inflammation were numerous cross and longitudinal sections of intact and degenerative small nematodes. The nematodes had dorsoflexed ovaries and ventroflexed vulvas, which are distinguishing features of Halicephalobus gingivalis. ...
Caminoto EH, Alves AL, Amorim RL, Thomassian A, Hussni CA, Nicoletti JL.To evaluate the effects of extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) on affected ligaments in the hind limbs of horses with experimentally induced suspensory ligament desmitis by use of ultrasonographic, ultrastructural, and immunocytochemical techniques. Methods: 10 horses. Methods: Suspensory ligament desmitis was induced in both hind limbs of each horse by use of 2 collagenase injections (administered 2 weeks apart) in each suspensory ligament. Two weeks after the second injection, the right hind limb of each horse was treated with ESWT (3 treatments at 3-week intervals); the left hind limb ...
Kumar K, Arshad SS, Selvarajah GT, Abu J, Toung OP, Abba Y, Yasmin AR, Bande F, Sharma R, Ong BL.Japanese encephalitis (JE) is a vector-borne zoonotic disease caused by the Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV). It causes encephalitis in human and horses, and may lead to reproductive failure in sows. The first human encephalitis case in Malaya (now Malaysia) was reported during World War II in a British prison in 1942. Later, encephalitis was observed among race horses in Singapore. In 1951, the first JEV was isolated from the brain of an encephalitis patient. The true storyline of JE exposure among humans and animals has not been documented in Malaysia. In some places such as Sarawak, JEV ha...
Jemmerson R, Margoliash E.Seven populations of site-specific antibodies were isolated from each of three sera of rabbits immunized against glutaraldehyde-polymerized horse cytochrome c. The antibodies were separated using an immunoadsorption scheme which employed the following cytochromes c: horse, beef, guanaco, rabbit, mouse testicular, pigeon, and the cyanogen-bromide cleaved fragment of the rabbit protein containing residues 1 to 65. The monovalent, antigen-binding fragments of the antibodies (Fab') gave 1:1 stoichiometries with native horse cytochrome c in fluorescence quenching assays. Cross-reactivities with het...
Butcher MT, Chase PB, Hermanson JW, Clark AN, Brunet NM, Bertram JE.Equine digital flexor muscles have independent tendons but a nearly identical mechanical relationship to the main joint they act upon. Yet these muscles have remarkable diversity in architecture, ranging from long, unipennate fibers ("short" compartment of DDF) to very short, multipennate fibers (SDF). To investigate the functional relevance of the form of the digital flexor muscles, fiber contractile properties were analyzed in the context of architecture differences and in vivo function during locomotion. Myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoform fiber type was studied, and in vitro motility assays w...
Traversa D, Kuzmina T, Kharchenko VA, Iorio R, Klei TR, Otranto D.This study investigated the genetic variability within Cylicocyclus nassatus (Nematoda, Strongylida, Cyathostominae) collected from different domestic and wild hosts (i.e. horse, donkey, Przewalskii horse, tarpan and Turkmen kulan) and localities in Europe and/or USA. The ribosomal Internal Transcribed Spacer 2 (ITS2) and the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) gene were PCR-amplified and sequences characterized from seventy individual parasitic specimens. While ITS2 displayed 0-0.6% variation rate among all individual adult specimens of C. nassatus examined, 22 different seque...
Daly JM, Sindle T, Tearle J, Barquero N, Newton JR, Corning S.Surveillance of equine influenza viruses has suggested that strains included in currently licensed vaccines are a poor match for those predominantly circulating in the field. Objective: To assess the ability of Duvaxyn IE-T Plus to provide cross protection against the newly evolved South Africa/4/03 (H3N8) strain of equine influenza virus. Methods: The vaccine efficacy was evaluated by challenge infection with influenza strain A/eq/South Africa/4/03 (H3N8) 2 weeks after a primary course of 2 vaccinations with Duvaxyn IE-T Plus given at a 4-week interval. The outcome of challenge in vaccinated ...
Irvine KL, Burt K, Hill AJ, Shaw S, Papasouliotis K.Equine pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) may be diagnosed by measuring baseline plasma adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH). The Immulite 1000 analyzer uses an automated chemiluminescence enzyme assay, previously validated for measuring equine ACTH. Recently, an automated bench-top immunoassay analyzer (AIA-360), designed for analytes in people, became available for veterinary use. Objective: Objectives were to evaluate analytic performance of the AIA immunoassay for measuring equine ACTH, and compare the results with those obtained by the Immulite. Methods: Adrenocorticotrophic horm...
Yang N, Mu MY, Yuan GM, Zhang GX, Li HK, He JB.Toxoplasma gondii is an important zoonotic pathogen infecting humans and almost all warm-blooded animals. The most common sources of human infection are ingestion of tissue cysts in raw or undercooked meat. However, limited information is available about T. gondii infection in horses and donkeys in China. In the present study, we report the seroprevalence of T. gondii infection in horses and donkeys in Liaoning province, northeastern China. Methods: Serum samples were collected from 711 and 738 slaughtered horses and donkeys, respectively, in 13 regions of Liaoning province. The modified agglu...
Muylle S, Simoens P, Lauwers H.In the present study the age-related morphological characteristics of 948 equine incisors were investigated. After extraction, total incisival length and root length were measured at the vestibular side of the teeth. Equine incisors reach their maximal length 2-3 years after eruption. Notwithstanding severe occlusal wear, this maximal length is maintained during most of the horses' life due to prolonged root formation. Root formation, at the rate of 2.5 mm per year, starts at the age of 5-6 years and continues until the age of 17. As the root of the incisor develops, its apical foramen narrows...
Finlay M, Yuan Z, Morgan IM, Campo MS, Nasir L.Bovine papillomavirus type 1 infects not only cattle but also equids and is a causative factor in the pathogenesis of commonly occurring equine sarcoid tumours. Whilst treatment of sarcoids is notoriously difficult, cisplatin has been shown to be one of the most effective treatment strategies for sarcoids. In this study we show that in equine fibroblasts, BPV-1 sensitises cells to cisplatin-induced and UVB-induced apoptosis, a known cofactor for papillomavirus associated disease, however BPV-1 transformed fibroblasts show increased clonogenic survival, which may potentially limit the therapeut...
Trösch M, Ringhofer M, Yamamoto S, Lemarchand J, Parias C, Lormant F, Lansade L.Inferring what others witnessed provides important benefits in social contexts, but evidence remains scarce in nonhuman animals. We investigated this ability in domestic horses by testing whether they could discriminate between two experimenters who differed in what they previously witnessed and decide whom to solicit when confronted with an unreachable food source based on that information. First, horses saw food being hidden in a closed bucket (impossible for them to open) in the presence of two experimenters who behaved identically but differed in their attention to the baiting process (the...
Crevier-Denoix N, Falala S, Holden-Douilly L, Camus M, Martino J, Ravary-Plumioen B, Vergari C, Desquilbet L, Denoix JM, Chateau H, Pourcelot P.The relationship between track surface properties and limb kinematics is poorly understood. Hoof orientation within the track surface has never been quantified under training conditions. Previously described kinematic and dynamic differences between leading and trailing forelimbs at the canter poorly correlate with epidemiological data regarding injuries. Objective: To compare joint kinematics and hoof orientation in the leading and trailing forelimbs of horses cantering on turf and on a synthetic surface. Methods: Noninvasive experimental study. Methods: The right forelimb of 5 horses was equ...
Wach-Gygax L, Burger D, Malama E, Bollwein H, Fleisch A, Jeannerat E, Thomas S, Schuler G, Janett F.In this study annual fluctuations of DNA fragmentation and quality of cold-stored equine sperm were evaluated. Ejaculates were collected weekly during one year from 15 stallions. Ejaculate volume, sperm concentration and total sperm count were determined and semen was then extended and cold-stored for 48 h. Sperm motility was evaluated by CASA before and after 24 as well as 48 h of cold storage. In addition, the percentages of sperm with intact plasma membrane and acrosome (PMAI %) and with low intracellular Ca2+ level were determined in cold-stored semen (24 h, 48 h). SCSA™ was performe...
Two closed horse herds (Old Lot 4 and Field 24), infected since 1966 with Population B small strongyles resistant to thiabendazole (TBZ) and phenothiazine (PTZ), were terminated in February, March, and May, 2005. At necropsy, only the large endoparasites were identified and counted. The number of horses on pasture was 14 (239 days of age to 23 years old) for Old Lot 4 and two (3 to 20 years old) for Field 24. The time of the last antiparasitic treatment, relative to the year (2005) of necropsy, was 26 years for Old Lot 4 and 9 years for Field 24 horses. Gasterophilus intestinalis third instars...
