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.
Martin EM, Till RL, Sheats MK, Jones SL.In many equine inflammatory disease states, neutrophil activities, such as adhesion, migration, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production become dysregulated. Dysregulated neutrophil activation causes tissue damage in horses with asthma, colitis, laminitis, and gastric glandular disease. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs do not adequately inhibit neutrophil inflammatory functions and can lead to dangerous adverse effects. Therefore, novel therapies that target mechanisms of neutrophil-mediated tissue damage are needed. One potential neutrophil-targeting therapeutic is the PGE1 analog, m...
Bani Hassan E, Mirams M, Mackie EJ, Whitton RC.To investigate the prevalence of microscopic subchondral bone injury in the distal metacarpi/tarsi of Thoroughbred racehorses and associations with recent and cumulative training history. Methods: Metacarpi/metatarsi were obtained from postmortem examination of Thoroughbred racehorses. The severity of palmar/plantar osteochondral disease (POD) was graded in forelimbs from 38 horses and in hindlimbs from a separate cohort of 45 horses. Forelimb samples were embedded in methyl methacrylate and examined using backscattered scanning electron microscopy. Microfracture density in the condylar subcho...
Schoster A.Intravenous catheterization is a necessity for continuous administration of intravenous fluids and for intermittent intravenous access to avoid discomfort and potential complications of repeated needle insertions into the vein. Intravenous catheterization is commonly performed and well tolerated in horses, but catheter associated complications have been reported. The most commonly reported complication is thrombophlebitis, but others such as venous air embolism, exsanguination and catheter fragmentation may also occur. This article aims to review clinical signs, pathogenesis, diagnosis, therap...
Ledbetter EC.Fungi are clinically important causes of ocular infections in the horse. Keratomycosis is the most common; however, a diverse range of mycotic infections, affecting numerous ocular tissues, may be encountered. Many equine mycoses are diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. Prompt and appropriate treatment is essential to minimize morbidity and reduce the likelihood of vision loss. Knowledge of the characteristics and properties of equine ophthalmology antifungal medications is essential to selecting an optimal treatment strategy, including selection of appropriate medication and effective admin...
Williamson AJ, Sims NA, Thomas CDL, Lee PVS, Stevenson MA, Whitton RC.Palmar/plantar osteochondral disease (POD) and third metacarpal/-tarsal condylar fractures are considered fatigue injuries of subchondral bone (SCB) and calcified cartilage due to repetitive high loads in racehorses. In combination with adaptive changes in SCB in response to race training, the accumulation of SCB fatigue is likely to result in changes of joint surface mechanical properties. Objective: To determine the spatial relationship and correlation of calcified articular surface biomechanical properties with SCB microstructure and training history in the distal palmar metacarpal condyle ...
Gomes RG, Silva CB, González SM, Oliveira RL, Max MC, Lisboa LA, Barreiros TRR, Santos MM, Sarapião FD, Gastal EL, Seneda MM.The effect of different concentrations of alpha lipoic acid (ALA) on the development and morphology of preantral follicles, as well as the proliferative activity of granulosa cells, was assessed after short-term culture. Ovaries (n = 5) of five seasonal anestrous mares were harvested in a local abattoir. At the laboratory, nine ovarian fragments (5 × 5 × 1 mm) from each animal were used. One fragment was immediately fixed in Bouin and subjected to histological and immunohistochemistry (proliferating cell nuclear antigen, PCNA) analyses (noncultured group; D0 = day 0). The other eigh...
Oreff GL, Tatz AJ, Dahan R, Segev G, Haberman S, Britzi M, Kelmer G.To determine the metacarpophalangeal joint fluid concentrations of ceftazidime administered via regional limb perfusion (RLP). Methods: Eight healthy horses. Methods: RLP was performed by injecting 2 g of ceftazidime and 60 mL of perfusate volume in the cephalic vein of standing, sedated horses. Serum and synovial fluid from the metacarpophalangeal joint were collected before perfusion and at 0.5, 2, 6, 12, 24 hours postperfusion. Ceftazidime concentrations were measured via liquid chromatography. Maximal concentration (C ), area under the curve (AUC), half-life of the drug (T ½), and the tim...
Adams MK, Lescun TB, Mechem AS, Johnson WR, Griffin TH, Main RP.OBJECTIVE To compare heat generation and mechanical bone damage for tapered and cylindrical transfixation pins during drilling, tapping, and pin insertion in equine third metacarpal bones. SAMPLE 16 pairs of cadaveric equine third metacarpal bones. PROCEDURES For cylindrical pin insertion, a 6.2-mm hole was drilled and tapped with a cylindrical tap, and then a standard 6.3-mm pin was inserted. For tapered pin insertion, a 6.0-mm hole was drilled, reamed with a tapered reamer, and tapped with a tapered tap, and then a 6.3-mm tapered pin was inserted. Paired t tests and 1-way ANOVAs were used to...
Maxwell LK, Bentz BG, Gilliam LL, Ritchey JW, Pusterla N, Eberle R, Holbrook TC, McFarlane D, Rezabek GB, Meinkoth J, Whitfield C, Goad CL, Allen GP.OBJECTIVE To determine whether prophylactic administration of valacyclovir hydrochloride versus initiation of treatment at the onset of fever would differentially protect horses from viral replication and clinical disease attributable to equine herpesvirus type-1 (EHV-1) infection. ANIMALS 18 aged mares. PROCEDURES Horses were randomly assigned to receive an oral placebo (control), treatment at detection of fever, or prophylactic treatment (initiated 1 day prior to viral challenge) and then inoculated intranasally with a neuropathogenic strain of EHV-1. Placebo or valacyclovir was administered...
Knych HK, Mama KR, Steffey EP, Stanley SD, Kass PH.OBJECTIVE To measure concentrations of trazodone and its major metabolite in plasma and urine after administration to healthy horses and concurrently assess selected physiologic and behavioral effects of the drug. ANIMALS 11 Thoroughbred horses enrolled in a fitness training program. PROCEDURES In a pilot investigation, 4 horses received trazodone IV (n = 2) or orally (2) to select a dose for the full study; 1 horse received a vehicle control treatment IV. For the full study, trazodone was initially administered IV (1.5 mg/kg) to 6 horses and subsequently given orally (4 mg/kg), with a 5-week ...
Nóbrega FS, Selim MB, Arana-Chavez VE, Correa L, Ferreira MP, Zoppa ALV.OBJECTIVE To evaluate the efficacy of castor oil polyurethane polymer with calcium carbonate for use in a unicortical ostectomy on the dorsal surface of the third metacarpal bone of horses. ANIMALS 6 adult horses. PROCEDURES A unicortical ostectomy was created on the dorsal surface of both third metacarpal bones of each horse. Castor bean (Ricinus communis) oil polyurethane polymer with calcium carbonate was implanted into the ostectomy on 1 limb, and the ostectomy of the contralateral limb was left unfilled and served as a control sample. Ostectomy sites were evaluated histologically 120 days...
Hall SE, Upton RMO, McLaughlin EA, Sutherland JM.The mare ovary is unique in its anatomical structure; however, the signalling pathways responsible for physiological processes, such as follicular activation, remain uncharacterised. This provided us with the impetus to explore whether signalling molecules from important folliculogenesis pathways, phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/AKT) and Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK/STAT), are conserved in the mare ovary. Messenger RNA expression of six genes important in follicle development was measured using quantitative polymerase chain reaction and pr...
Beerts C, Suls M, Broeckx SY, Seys B, Vandenberghe A, Declercq J, Duchateau L, Vidal MA, Spaas JH.Poor healing of tendon and ligament lesions often results in early retirement of sport horses. Therefore, regenerative therapies are being explored as potentially promising treatment for these injuries. In this study, an intralesional injection was performed with allogeneic tenogenically induced mesenchymal stem cells and platelet-rich plasma 5-6 days after diagnosis of suspensory ligament (SL) (n = 68) or superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) (n = 36) lesion. Clinical, lameness and ultrasonographic evaluation was performed at 6 and 12 weeks. Moreover, a survey was performed 12 ...
Schwab UE, Tallmadge RL, Matychak MB, Felippe MJB.OBJECTIVE To develop an in vitro system for differentiation of equine B cells from bone marrow hematopoietic progenitor cells on the basis of protocols for other species. SAMPLE Bone marrow aspirates aseptically obtained from 12 research horses. PROCEDURES Equine bone marrow CD34 cells were sorted by use of magnetic beads and cultured in medium supplemented with cytokines (recombinant human interleukin-7, equine interleukin-7, stem cell factor, and Fms-like tyrosine kinase-3), murine OP9 stromal cell preconditioned medium, and equine fetal bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cell preconditioned me...
Almeida S, Dorneles EMS, Diniz C, Abreu V, Sousa C, Alves J, Carneiro A, Bagano P, Spier S, Barh D, Lage AP, Figueiredo H, Azevedo V.Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis is classified into two biovars, nitrate-negative biovar Ovis which is the etiologic agent of caseous lymphadenitis in small ruminants and nitrate-positive biovar Equi, which causes abscesses and ulcerative lymphangitis in equines. The aim of this study was to develop a quadruplex PCR assay that would allow simultaneous detection and biovar-typing of C. pseudotuberculosis. Methods: In the present study, genomes of C. pseudotuberculosis strains were used to identify the genes involved in the nitrate reduction pathway to improve a species identification three-pr...
Raeside JI.The role of steroids in human medicine is well recognized, but the major contributions made by the large domestic animals as a source of material in the discovery, isolation, and determination of the structure of the steroid hormones is less well appreciated. After a brief reminder of the early efforts to obtain a reliable source of steroids for clinical use, the narrative here is to outline one example where success was ultimately achieved for estrogen replacement therapy. Whereas knowledge of the high concentrations of estrogens in urine of pregnant women and mares dates from the late 1920s,...
Agabou A, Ouchenane Z, Ngba Essebe C, Khemissi S, Chehboub MTE, Chehboub IB, Sotto A, Dunyach-Remy C, Lavigne JP.The spread of toxinogenic Staphylococcus aureus is a public health problem in Africa. The objectives of the study were to investigate the rate of S. aureus nasal carriage and molecular characteristics of these strains in livestock and humans in three Algerian provinces. Nasal samples were collected from camels, horses, cattle, sheep and monkeys, as well as humans in contact with them. S. aureus isolates were genotyped using DNA microarray. The rate of S. aureus nasal carriage varied between species: camels (53%), humans and monkeys (50%), sheep (44.2%), horses (15.2%) and cattle (15%). Nine me...
Leisinger CA, Medina V, Markle ML, Paccamonti DL, Pinto CRF.A novel in vivo model utilizing serial administrations of PGF2α to induce aluteal cycles in the mare was used to evaluate the effects of progesterone-deprivation on the morphology of in vivo preimplantation embryos. We hypothesized that equine embryos produced during induced aluteal cycles (AL) would be developmentally affected, characterized by earlier embryo stage at collection, smaller embryo diameter, and lower quality grade, compared with those collected on the same day post-ovulation from control cycles during diestrus (high progesterone; > 4 ng/mL). Seven cyclic mares with a median ...
Grosås S, Østevik L, Revold T, Ottesen N, Ropstad EO.A uveal leiomyosarcoma of a horse is reported. There are few published reports of intraocular tumors in horses. Intraocular tumors challenge animal welfare by causing uveitis, glaucoma, and loss of vision. Knowledge regarding treatment of intraocular tumors with globe preservation is sparse, and further investigations on this topic are required.
Kwiatkowska-Stenzel A, Witkowska D, Sowińska J, Stopyra A.The choice of bedding material affects the quality of air in a stable and, consequently, the respiratory health of horses and humans. The risk of respiratory problems can be mitigated by improving the quality of air in the stable. The choice of bedding material is particularly important in cold climate conditions where horses are kept indoors throughout the year. This study examined the impact of three bedding materials: straw (S), peat with shavings (PS), and crushed wood pellets (CWP). The investigated factors were air contamination, including dust contamination and microbial (bacterial and ...
Garcia-Duitama J, Chayer B, Garcia D, Goussard Y, Cloutier G.Erythrocyte aggregation is a non-specific marker of acute and chronic inflammation. Although it is usual to evaluate this phenomenon from blood samples analyzed in laboratory instruments, in vivo real-time assessment of aggregation is possible with spectral ultrasound techniques. However, variable blood flow can affect the interpretation of acoustic measures. Therefore, flow standardization is required. Two techniques of flow standardization were evaluated with porcine and equine blood samples in Couette flow. These techniques consisted in either stopping the flow or reducing it. Then, the se...
Barrett MF, Manchon PT, Hersman J, Kawcak CE.Injury to the proximal suspensory ligament is a common cause of lameness in cutting horses. Radiographic and ultrasonographic imaging of lesions responsible for lameness can provide ambiguous results. MRI provides the most comprehensive diagnostic imaging evaluation of lesions specifically affecting cutting horses. Objective: To describe the distribution and severity of bone and soft tissue lesions present in the proximal metacarpus of Quarter Horse cutting horses and to assess the impact of these lesions on return to competition. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: Retrospective anal...
Ortiz-Escribano N, Bogado Pascottini O, Woelders H, Vandenberghe L, De Schauwer C, Govaere J, Van den Abbeel E, Vullers T, Ververs C, Roels K....The success rate for vitrification of immature equine oocytes is low. Although vitrified-warmed oocytes are able to mature, further embryonic development appears to be compromised. Objective: The aim of this study was to compare two vitrification protocols, and to examine the effect of the number of layers of cumulus cells surrounding the oocyte during vitrification of immature equine oocytes. Methods: Experimental in vitro and in vivo trials. Methods: Immature equine oocytes were vitrified after a short exposure to high concentrations of cryoprotective agents (CPAs), or a long exposure to l...
Reiners JK, Rossdeutscher W, Hopster K, Kästner SBR.The use of pulse oximetry in horses is limited due to inadequate readings with conventional transmission sensor probes. Objective: The objectives of this study were to 1) develop an improved sensor design for horses to be used at an appropriate anatomical site, and 2) evaluate this design in an experimental study. Methods: In vivo experiment. Methods: A new sensor design for reflectance pulse oximetry at the buccal mucosa was developed. A conventional Nonin 2000SL sensor for transmission pulse oximetry was included into this design. Three different prototypes (N1, N2a, N2b) were constructed an...
Ohmura H, Jones JH.We investigated changes in heart rate (HR) and HR variability as a function of age in newborn foals to old Thoroughbred horses. Experiments were performed on a total of 83 healthy and clinically normal Thoroughbred horses. Resting HR decreased with age from birth. The relationship between age and HR fit the equation Y=48.2X(R=0.705); the relationship between age and HR for horses 0-7 years old fit the equation Y=44.1X(R=0.882). Seven-day-old horses had the highest HR values (106 ± 10.3 beat/min). The low frequency (LF) and high frequency (HF) powers increased with age in newborn to old horses...
Inui T, Yamada K, Itoh M, Yanagawa M, Higuchi T, Watanabe A, Imamura Y, Urabe M, Sasaki N.Temporohyoid osteoarthropathy (THO) is characterized by progressive osseous proliferation of the stylohyoid and petrous temporal bones. Generally, diagnosis is confirmed by guttural pouch endoscopy and skull radiography. In the present case, computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were performed in a 6-month-old Thoroughbred foal showing signs of head tilt and unilateral ear droop, consistent with the presence of a vestibular disease and unilateral facial paralysis. CT revealed bony fusion and proliferation of the right temporohyoid joint, while MRI revealed that otitis m...
Byron CR, Trahan RA.Osteoarthritis (OA) is a ubiquitous disease affecting many horses. The disease causes chronic pain and decreased performance for patients and great cost to owners for diagnosis and treatment. The most common treatments include systemic non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and intra-articular injection of corticosteroids. There is excellent support for the palliative pain relief these treatments provide; however, they do not arrest progression and may in some instances hasten advancement of disease. Orthobiologic treatments have been investigated as potential OA treatments that may not only am...
Vienenkötter J, Siudak K, Stallenberger L, Herden C.Being confronted with a case series of renal neoplasia in several horses which was in striking divergence to literature data, we recognized the need of a retrospective study to assess the presence of renal neoplasms in horses. Methods: Anamnestic animal data, necropsy findings and results of histological and immunohistochemical examinations from 2010 through 2015 were collected and evaluated regarding renal neoplasia. Results: Data from postmortem examinations of 1069 horses revealed 20 horses with renal tumors constituting a prevalence of 1.87 %. Primary renal neoplasms built the majority o...
Veronesi F, Fioretti DP, Genchi C.A study was carried out to assess the field efficacy of moxidectin (MOX) against Parascaris equorum in foals. A total of 70 foals from 2 Italian thoroughbred (Farms 1 and 2) stud farms and one trotter stud farm (Farm 3), aged 3-5 months and with faecal egg counts (FEC) f>or=300 eggs per gram (EPG) were included in the study. On each farm, foals were divided into 2 groups (of 10, 8 and 10 foals, respectively) and treated with either moxidectin (MOX, 400 mcg/kg b.w.) or ivermectin (IVM, 200 mcg/kg b.w.) on day 0 and examined for faecal count reduction (FECR) on day 14. Five, 4 and 5 foals, re...
Dunnett M, Harris RC, Orme CE.A simple, robust and reproducible analytical method for the determination of phosphocreatine (PCr), creatine (Cr) and creatinine (Cn) in equine skeletal muscle is presented. The technique used isocratic reverse-phase ion-pairing high-performance liquid chromatography. Neutralized perchloric acid extracts of equine muscle biopsies were analysed and the values obtained were compared with determinations from an established enzymic procedure. Good resolution of all three metabolites was achieved within a retention time of less than 11 min. Linearity for each metabolite within the concentration ran...
Gaffar FR, Franssen FF, de Vries E.Babesia bovis infections have only been observed in bovine species in contrast to Babesia divergens that also can infect humans, sheep and rodents. Using an in vitro assay that assesses invasion of erythrocytes by free merozoites after a 1-h incubation period, it was shown that specificity is not determined by host-specific interactions associated with invasion. Human erythrocytes were invaded more efficiently than bovine erythrocytes whereas erythrocytes of sheep, pigs and horses were invaded only slightly less efficiently. In contrast, goat erythrocytes were refractory to efficient invasion....
Tang YD, Zhang X, Na L, Wang XF, Fu LH, Zhu CH, Wang X, Zhou JH.Equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) is a member of the genus Lentivirus of the family Retroviridae. Horses are the most susceptible equids to EIAV infection and are therefore the primary hosts of this virus. In contrast, infected donkeys do not develop clinically active equine infectious anemia (EIA). This phenomenon is similar to what has been observed with HIV-1, which fails to induce AIDS in non-human primates. Interestingly, Shen et al. developed a donkey-tropic pathogenic virus strain (EIAVDV117, DV117) by serially passaging a horse-tropic pathogenic strain, EIAVLN40 (LN40), in donkeys....
Lavoie JP, Lefebvre-Lavoie J, Leclere M, Lavoie-Lamoureux A, Chamberland A, Laprise C, Lussier J.Gene expression analyses are used to investigate signaling pathways involved in diseases. In asthma, they have been primarily derived from the analysis of bronchial biopsies harvested from mild to moderate asthmatic subjects and controls. Due to ethical considerations, there is currently limited information on the transcriptome profile of the peripheral lung tissues in asthma. Objective: To identify genes contributing to chronic inflammation and remodeling in the peripheral lung tissue of horses with heaves, a naturally occurring asthma-like condition. Methods: Eleven adult horses (6 heaves-af...
Herdan CL, Acke E, Dicken M, Archer RM, Forsyth SF, Gee EK, Pauwels FE.Three Thoroughbred horses, a 6-week-old filly (Case 1), a 15-year-old broodmare (Case 2) and a yearling filly (Case 3), sustained synovial sepsis secondary to trauma. Results: Case 1 presented with a heel bulb laceration communicating with the distal interphalangeal joint. Arthroscopic lavage was performed and treatment commenced using systemic and local broad spectrum antimicrobial drugs. A pure growth of multi-drug-resistant (MDR) Enterococcus gallinarum was cultured from samples of synovium and joint fluid. Antimicrobial treatment was changed according to the susceptibility results. Respons...
Marsh AE, Barr BC, Madigan J, Lakritz J, Conrad PA.To identify Sarcocystis neurona-specific DNA sequences in the nuclear small subunit ribosomal RNA (nss-rRNA) gene that could be used to distinguish S neurona from other closely related protozoal parasites, and to evaluate a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, using broad based primers and a unique species-specific probe on CSF for detection of S neurona in equids. Methods: Sequencing of the nuclear small subunit ribosomal RNA gene from a new S neurona isolate (UCD 1) was performed. The sequence was compared with that of other closely related Sarcocystidae parasites. From this sequence, conse...
Barrett EJ, Farlam J, Proudman CJ.Two hundred and thirty-three horses were screened for the presence of roundworms by faecal egg counts (FECs) and for tapeworms by an ELISA specific for antibodies to the immunodominant 12 kDa and 13 kDa tapeworms antigen. The 62 horses were found to be infected with both parasites were treated with a combination of 0.2 mg/kg ivermectin and 1.5 mg/kg praziquantel. The treatment suppressed the median FEC of the horses to zero for 10 weeks and significantly reduced their anti-12/13 kDa antibody levels. The estimated risk of tapeworm-associated colic in these horses was halved by 12 weeks after th...
Hopster K, Hopster-Iversen C, Geburek F, Rohn K, Kästner SB.The aim of this study was to assess the effect of duration of anaesthesia and concentration of isoflurane on global perfusion as well as intestinal microperfusion and oxygenation. Nine Warmblood horses were premedicated with xylazine; anaesthesia was induced with midazolam and ketamine, and maintained with isoflurane. Horses were ventilated to normocapnia. During 7 h of anaesthesia, mean arterial blood pressures (MAP), heart rate, central venous pressure, pulmonary artery pressure, expiratory isoflurane concentration (ETIso) and cardiac output using lithium dilution were measured; cardiac in...
Haltmayer E, Schwendenwein I, Licka TF.Injuries penetrating synovial structures are common in equine practice and often result in septic synovitis. Significantly increased plasma levels of serum amyloid A (SAA) have been found in various infectious conditions in horses including wounds and septic arthritis. Plasma SAA levels were found to decrease rapidly once the infectious stimulus was eliminated. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the usefulness of serial measurements of plasma SAA as a monitoring tool for the response to treatment of horses presented with injuries penetrating synovial structures. In the current...
Zeman P, Jahn P.Anaplasma phagocytophilum is a tick-borne rickettsial pathogen that has measurable genetic heterogeneity across its geographical range and reservoir spectrum. In the present study, publicly available sequences of the genes that have prevailingly been used for typing A. phagocytophilum were analysed to identify the segments giving the highest resolution with respect to the predictability of host and geographical provenances of the strains. Selected partial sequences of 16S rRNA, groL, msp4 and ank genes were then employed in a tentative multilocus typing scheme used to characterize the strains ...
West HJ.In horses with hepatic necrosis, lipidosis, neoplasia and cirrhosis, progression of the disease was studied by serial measurements of total serum bile acid concentrations and of plasma glutamate dehydrogenase (GD) and gamma glutamyl transferase (gamma GT) and by liver biopsy. Plasma ammonia concentrations were significantly elevated compared to clinically normal horses, but such changes were not always accompanied by a decline in plasma urea concentration. A fall in plasma glucose concentration carried a guarded prognosis. These were all invaluable aids in early diagnosis and throughout the di...
Bauer A, Hiemesch T, Jagannathan V, Neuditschko M, Bachmann I, Rieder S, Mikko S, Penedo MC, Tarasova N, Vitková M, Sirtori N, Roccabianca P, Leeb T....Naked foal syndrome (NFS) is a genodermatosis in the Akhal-Teke horse breed. We provide the first scientific description of this phenotype. Affected horses have almost no hair and show a mild ichthyosis. So far, all known NFS affected horses died between a few weeks and 3 yr of age. It is not clear whether a specific pathology caused the premature deaths. NFS is inherited as a monogenic autosomal recessive trait. We mapped the disease causing genetic variant to two segments on chromosomes 7 and 27 in the equine genome. Whole genome sequencing of two affected horses, two obligate carriers, and...
Yamanaka T, Nemoto M, Bannai H, Tsujimura K, Matsumura T, Kokado H, Gildea S, Cullinane A.Equine influenza (EI) vaccine has been widely used. However, the causative EI virus (H3N8) undergoes continuous antigenic drift, and the vaccine strains must be periodically reviewed and if necessary, updated to maintain vaccine efficacy against circulating viruses. In 2016, the Japanese vaccine was updated by replacing the old viruses with the Florida sub-lineage Clade (Fc) 2 virus, A/equine/Yokohama/aq13/2010 (Y10). We investigated the virus neutralization (VN) antibody response to Fc2 viruses currently circulating in Europe, after booster or primary immunization with the new vaccine. These ...
Schaefer RJ, McCue ME.High-quality genomic tools have been integral in understanding genomic architecture and function in the modern-day horse. The equine genetics community has a long tradition of pooling resources to develop genomic tools. Since the equine genome was sequenced in 2006, several iterations of high throughput genotyping arrays have been developed and released, enabling rapid and cost-effective genotyping. This review highlights the design considerations of each iteration, focusing on data available during development and outlining considerations in selecting the genetic variants included on each arr...
Klohonatz KM, Coleman SJ, Cameron AD, Hess AM, Reed KJ, Canovas A, Medrano JF, Islas-Trejo AD, Kalbfleisch T, Bouma GJ, Bruemmer JE.Maternal recognition of pregnancy (MRP) in the mare is not well defined. In a non-pregnant mare, prostaglandin F (PGF) is released on day 14 post-ovulation (PO) to cause luteal regression, resulting in loss of progesterone production. Equine MRP occurs prior to day 14 to halt PGF production. Studies have failed to identify a gene candidate for MRP, so attention has turned to small, non-coding RNAs. The objective of this study was to evaluate small RNA (<200 nucleotides) content in endometrium during MRP. Mares were used in a cross-over design with each having a pregnant and non-mated cycle. Ea...
Tavela Ade O, de Araújo JV, Braga FR, da Silveira WF, Dornelas e Silva VH, Carretta Júnior M, Borges LA, Araujo JM, Benjamin Ldos A, Carvalho GR....The predatory nematophagous fungi have been used as an alternative control of gastrointestinal nematodes of domestic animals in natural and laboratory conditions. However, it is unclear if the association of some of these species could bring some kind of advantage, from a biological standpoint. In this context, this study consisted of two tests in vitro: in assay A, the assessment of the viability of the association of pellets in sodium alginate matrix containing the fungus Duddingtonia flagrans (AC001) and Monacrosporium thaumasium (NF34) and its predatory activity on infective larvae (L3) of...
Bermúdez C S, Zaldívar Y, Domínguez A L, Hernández M, de Antinori MEB, Krawczak FS.Rickettsia amblyommatis is widely distributed in the Americas, and has been reported to infect different species of ticks within its distribution. In Panama, R. amblyommatis is the most common Rickettsia and its presence was molecularly detected in nine species of ticks and one flea species. This work described the isolation of R. amblyommatis in Vero cells by shell vial technique, from Amblyomma mixtum ticks collected from a captive tapir from Gamboa (Colon province), and a horse from El Valle de Antón (Cocle province). These represent the first isolations of R. amblyommatis in Panama.
Orard M, Hue E, Couroucé A, Bizon-Mercier C, Toquet MP, Moore-Colyer M, Couëtil L, Pronost S, Paillot R, Demoor M, Richard EA.Avoidance of antigenic stimuli was found to significantly reverse airway obstruction of horses with severe equine asthma (sEA). To date, no published study investigated the influence of steaming hay on lower airway condition of sEA-affected horses. The objectives were to determine the clinical, cytological and cytokine respiratory responses of both sEA and control (CTL) horses experimentally exposed to steamed or dry hay. Results: A cohort of 6 sEA horses and 6 CTL horses was involved in this field study. On day 0, both groups were fed with steamed hay for 5 consecutive days, followed by a was...
Hanlon DW, Stevenson M, Evans MJ, Firth EC.The objective of this study was to utilise multivariable statistical methods appropriate for clustered data to identify mare-related explanatory variables that significantly affected the reproductive performance of Thoroughbred mares in the Waikato region of New Zealand. In addition, we aimed to determine the relative contribution of the mare, stallion and stud farm to reproductive performance. Methods: A prospective cohort study was performed involving five stud farms in the Waikato region of New Zealand during three consecutive breeding seasons (2006-2008). A total of 1,482 individual mares ...
Afridi MJK, Mian AH, Saqib M, Abbas G, Ali J, Mansoor MK, Sial AUR, Rasheed I, Hussain MH. is a tick borne protozoan parasite which causes piroplasmosis among equines worldwide. The present study was aimed to determine seroprevalence of in donkeys, horses, and mules from two equine populated districts (Peshawar and Charsadda) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), Pakistan. Methods: A total of 393 equine (195 horses, 194 donkeys and 4 mules) serum samples were collected from five and four randomly selected localities in Charsadda (n = 193) and Peshawar (n = 200), respectively. The presence of antibodies to was determined using a commercially available competitive enzyme-linked immunosorben...
MacKay AV, McOnie RC, Riddell LP, Robinson KA.Extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) research has prioritized mechanism of action and efficacy. Data regarding frequency of use and clinical opinion are not available. A web-based survey was offered to members of the American Association of Equine Practitioners; 144 responses were obtained. Frequency of ESWT use by respondents was as follows: daily by 8.3% (12/144), at least once weekly by 36.8% (53/144), at least once per month by 22.9% (33/144), less than once per month by 19.4% (28/144), and never by 12.5% (18/144) of respondents. The most common reason for use was to treat ligamentous ...
Anagha G, Gulati BR, Riyesh T, Virmani N.Equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV1) is a common pathogen of horses that causes upper respiratory tract disease, abortion, neonatal death and neurological disease. The neurological form of disease is called equine herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy (EHM). During the past decade, the incidence of EHM has been on the rise in Europe, North America, Australia and Asia. Some EHV1 isolates causing EHM exhibit a single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the DNA polymerase gene (ORF30) at position 2254 (A to G). Further, based on polymorphism in the ORF68, EHV1 isolates have been classified into different groups. T...
Johnson GP, Lloyd AT, O'Farrelly C, Meade KG, Fair S.?-defensins are small cationic proteins with potent immunoregulatory and antimicrobial activity. The number of genes encoding these peptides varies significantly between and within species but they have not been extensively characterised in the horse. Here, we describe a systematic search of the Equus caballus genome that identified a cluster of novel ?-defensin genes on Chromosome 22, which is homologous to a cluster on bovine Chromosome 13. Close genomic matches were found for orthologs of 13 of the bovine genes, which were named equine ?-defensins (eBD) 115, eBD116, eBD117, eBD119, eBD120, ...
Brighton C, Olsen E, Pfau T.Standalone 'low-cost' inertial measurement units (IMUs) could facilitate large-scale studies into establishing minimal important differences (MID) for orthopaedic deficits (lameness) in horses. We investigated accuracy and limits of agreement (LoA) after correction of magnitude-dependent differences of a standalone 6 degree-of-freedom IMU compared with an established IMU-based gait analysis system (MTx) in six horses for two anatomical landmarks (sacrum and sternum). Established symmetry measures were calculated from vertical displacement: symmetry index (SI), difference between minima (MinDif...
Firth EC, Delahunt J, Wichtel JW, Birch HL, Goodship AE.This study was performed to test the hypothesis that a localised bone hypertrophy could occur within the subchondral cancellous architecture of the third and radial carpal bones. Using 2 levels of controlled and defined exercise, it was observed that a high intensity treadmill exercise protocol resulted in functional adaptation of the carpal bones. The increase in trabecular thickening and density was seen to be localised to those regions underlying common sites of cartilage degradation, the interface of the thickened trabeculae with the normal architecture in the third carpal bone was coincid...
