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.
Ho HSM, Farrington AF, Ho ENM, Wong WT.2-Hydroxyethyl salicylate (2HES), a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), is a medication to treat musculoskeletal injuries and inflammation swelling of humans and horses. Its misuse could affect the performance of horses and mask injuries, which could pose significant health risks. In horseracing, it is reported as an adverse finding once detected in competition. The metabolism of 2HES in either human or horse has not been reported, and therefore, little is known about its metabolic fate. This paper describes the in vivo metabolism of 2HES in horse with an objective to identify the mo...
Germann JA, O'Sullivan TL, Greer AL, Spence KL.This study aimed to describe implementation of biosecurity practices by Ontario horse owners and investigate whether biosecurity implementation was associated with horse-owner demographic characteristics and personality traits. Unassigned: A cross-sectional questionnaire was administered to a convenience sample of horse owners in Ontario to collect data on demographics, personality traits, risk comprehension, and biosecurity practices. Hierarchical cluster analysis was used to identify clusters of participants with shared personality traits, and univariable associations between clusters and de...
Di Lucrezia A, Scandurra A, Lotito D, Iervolino V, D'Aniello B, Mastellone V, Lombardi P, Pinelli C.In this study, we assessed the interspecific "social buffering effect" of humans on horses, exploring how human presence influences stress responses in horses in an unfamiliar environment using the "isolation paradigm." We examined nine Haflinger horses under two counterbalanced conditions: with a passive human stranger (social condition) or alone (isolation condition). Stress responses were assessed through cortisol measurements, heart rate monitoring, and behavioral observations. While cortisol levels significantly increased in both conditions, with no notable differences before and after th...
Ing ST, Pinard CL, James-Jenks EM, Leis ML.Our objective was to investigate the demographics and prevalence of ocular disease in a large referral population of horses in Ontario over a 10-year period. Unassigned: A retrospective analysis of medical records for 283 horses evaluated by Board-certified veterinary ophthalmologists at the Ontario Veterinary College (Guelph, Ontario) was conducted. Signalment and ocular disease were recorded. Unassigned: The 3 most common ocular abnormalities identified were uveitis (43.7%, 123 horses), ulcerative keratitis (42.0%, 119 horses), and cataract (25.1%, 71 horses). Uveitis was most often secondar...
Toy S, Black SR, Pastor AR, Whiteside DP.Acute phase proteins (APPs) are commonly used in domestic equine practice, where they rise rapidly in response to inflammation and decrease soon after resolution. This response provides useful information to identify, monitor, and prognosticate a variety of inflammatory conditions. Asian wild horses (Equus ferus przewalskii) are an endangered relative of the domestic horse, and APP reference intervals (RI) and clinical utility in this species are not well documented. This study used serum samples from clinically healthy Asian wild horses under managed care to establish RI for serum amyloid A (...
Jastrzębska E, Górecka-Bruzda A, Ogłuszka M, Lipka MS, Pawłowska A.This pilot study investigated the effects of massage therapy on stress indicators in recreational horses, focusing on salivary cortisol levels, heart rate and conflict behaviors. Five recreational horses were analyzed under two experimental conditions: without and with massage treatments before riding sessions. Saliva samples were collected at four specific intervals in each condition to measure cortisol concentrations using an ELISA test. Observations of behavioral indicators and heart-rate monitoring complemented the physiological data. The results revealed that massage significantly reduced...
Sun Y, Yu YT, Castillo XO, Anderson R, Wang M, Sun Q, Tallmadge R, Sams K, Reboul G, Zehr J, Brown J, Wang X, Marra N, Stanhope B, Grenier J....Fever of unknown origin (FUO) without a respiratory component is a frequent clinical presentation in horses. Multiple pathogens, both tick-borne and enteric, can be involved as etiologic agents. An additional potential mechanism is intestinal barrier dysfunction. This case-control study aimed to detect and associate microbial taxa in blood with disease state. Areas known for a high prevalence of tick-borne diseases in humans were chosen to survey horses with FUO, which was defined as fever of 101.5°F or higher with no signs of respiratory illness or other recognisable diseases. Blood samples ...
Asai Y, Tsunetoshi Y, Susa Y, Matsuzawa A, Miyazaki S, Itagaki Y, Yamamoto H, Kimura K, Kushiya H, Sato S, Okada N, Yamabuki T, Kato K, Kinoshita Y....Horse kicks are a rare cause of injury and tend to cause severe complications such as visceral organ injury. Traumatic duodenal injuries are associated with high mortality rates. Furthermore, their reconstructive procedures vary widely and require appropriate on-the-spot judgment by the surgeon. We experienced a case of blunt abdominal trauma with a complete transection of the first portion of the duodenum caused by a horse kick without any associated lesions. A good postoperative course was achieved by trimming the pyloric part of the stomach and performing an end-to-end anastomosis between t...
Yamaga T, Tagami M, Takeyama A, Kato F, Suzuki T, Tagami M, Tsuzuki N.Computed tomography (CT) offers high-resolution, three-dimensional imaging, making it particularly valuable for assessing complex structures, such as the head, especially when conventional radiography and endoscopy are insufficient for a definitive diagnosis. Herein, we present two cases of equine cranial disorders resulting from congenital malformations. In case 1, which had a dentigerous cyst, CT images confirmed the location of the ectopic tooth within the skull and a detailed fistula tube. In case 2, which had temporohyoid osteoarthropathy, CT examination revealed that the stylohyoid bone ...
Fujimoto R, Kuchida M, Ban-Tokuda T, Matsui H.The equine large intestine harbors a diverse array of symbiotic microorganisms. Disruptions in the gut microbiota can lead to various diseases in horses. Probiotics offer promising avenues for enhancing equine health and performance. However, commercial formulations lack robust scientific validation. This study aimed to isolate and identify Lactobacillaceae and Bifidobacterium spp. from horse feces to explore their potential as probiotics. Fecal samples from Thoroughbred horses were subjected to isolation procedures. Lactic acid-producing bacteria were isolated using specific media and identif...
Woods TDC, Dixon J, Fraser BSL, Melvaine C.Exploratory tenoscopy is considered the gold standard technique to identify intrathecal pathology of the equine carpal flexor tendon sheath (CFTS). Preoperative diagnosis allows for more precise prognostication and surgical planning, potentially associated with improved surgical outcomes. This prospective, descriptive, anatomical study aimed to describe the anatomy of the equine CFTS using noncontrast and contrast CT in clinically normal cadaver limbs. Ten pairs of equine forelimbs free of gross external abnormalities were examined from mid-antebrachium to distal metacarpus. Specimens initiall...
Yu R, Jusko WJ.This study assesses the pharmacokinetics (PK) of published methylprednisolone (MPL) data in horses following intra-articular (IA) administration of MPL acetate (MPA) and the associated adrenal suppression. The concentrations of MPL/MPA in synovial fluid, blood, and urine, as well as hydrocortisone (HC) in plasma, were digitized from multiple sources in the literature. A minimal physiologically based pharmacokinetic model and a linked indirect response model with a circadian rhythm baseline were applied. Concentrations of MPA in joints followed a triexponential decay, converting to MPL. The cle...
Wang T, Meng J, Wang J, Ren W, Yang X, Adina W, Bao Y, Zeng Y, Yao X.The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between blood lipid levels and the differences in cardiac structure and function of trained and untrained Yili horses as related to exercise performance. We utilized quantitative lipidomics technology to elucidate how the differences in lipid compounds in the blood influenced performance outcomes. Sixteen 18-month-old Yili horses were selected, ten of which received a 15-week training regimen, and six were kept as untrained controls. Cardiac structure and function were assessed by echocardiography, while plasma lipid metabolites were de...
Wagner B, Schnabel CL, Rollins A.Equine herpesvirus type-1 (EHV-1) enters through the upper respiratory tract (URT) and causes respiratory disease, abortions, and myeloencephalopathy in equids. Pre-existing immunity at the viral entry site, especially mucosal IgG4/7 antibodies, has recently been shown to correlate with protection from disease and incomplete viral replication at the URT. Here, we tested whether intramuscular (i.m.) vaccination with a commercial inactivated EHV-1/4 vaccine can induce mucosal antibodies (mucAbs) at the URT. Methods: Adult horses with complete EHV-1 vaccination and/or exposure histories were vacc...
Esselman AM, Johnson SA, Hague BA, Frisbie DD.(1) To evaluate the ability of western performance horses diagnosed with chondromalacia to return to performance; Specifically, the relationship between the grade of chondromalacia and the horses' ability to resume work; (2) To determine the impact of postoperative therapy on clinical outcomes. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: Horses (n = 34). Methods: Records of western performance horses with lameness localized to the stifle that underwent subsequent arthroscopy with chondromalacia as the most significant diagnosis were reviewed. Chondromalacia was surgeon-graded as slight, m...
de la Cuesta-Torrado M, Velloso Alvarez A, Santiago-Llorente I, Armengou L, Nieto F, Ríos J, Cruz-López F, Jose-Cunilleras E.Equine herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy (EHM) is a persistent threat to horses, with unclear risk factors and disease severity. Objective: To evaluate risk factors, effective reproduction rate (Rt), and long-term athletic outcomes of an EHM outbreak. Methods: Retrospective study of the 2021 EHM outbreak in Valencia, Spain, examining associations between risk factors (sex, age, breed, country of origin, and vaccination status) and case fatality rate, EHM development, and odds of returning to competition using odds ratios [95% CI] and Rt via the Robert Kochs Institute method. Results: Among 191 h...
Cuervo-Arango J, Necchi D, Clutton-Brock A, Profaska M, Crabtree J, Claes A.This retrospective clinical study describes different techniques for transvaginal follicle aspiration in mares and compares results from 5 different commercial ovum pick-up (OPU) clinics in which the same operator aspirated mares using different systems and equipment: Clinic 1 (n = 42 mares, two-operator OPU technique, double-lumen-echogenic-tip needle, and manual syringe-assisted flushing of follicles), Clinic 2 (n = 28 mares, single-operator-OPU-technique, double-lumen-echogenic-tip needle, infusion pump controlled by foot-pedal for follicle flushing), Clinic 3 (n = 18 mares, sin...
Spadari A, Saragoni G, Meistro F, Ralletti MV, Marzari F, Rinnovati R.This case report documents an unusual cheek tooth (CT) displacement in a 3-year-old Arabian filly. The horse was referred to the clinic for loss of appetite and right-sided facial deformity. At admission, an oral inspection was performed, followed by a dental radiographic examination. The radiographs showed a very oblique vertical angulation (135°) of the CT 106 compared to the other premolars (107 and 108 CTs) (40°). In consideration of the clinical and radiographic findings, surgical extraction of the 106 CT was indicated. Due to the unique positioning of the displaced tooth, traditional e...
Loos CMM, Urschel KL.Insulin dysregulation (ID) is a common metabolic disorder in horses, characterized by hyperinsulinemia and/or peripheral insulin resistance. The critical role of hyperinsulinemia in endocrinopathic laminitis has driven research into the insulinotropic effects of dietary nutrients and the reciprocal impact of ID on nutrient metabolism. The relationship between ID and carbohydrate metabolism has been extensively studied; however, the effects of ID on protein metabolism in horses remain largely unexplored. This review begins with an overview of the importance of insulin in the regulation of muscl...
Vall E, Blanchard M, Sib O, Cormary B, González-García E.In tropical regions, subject to significant fluctuations in feedstuffs, the body condition score (BCS) is a relevant indicator for monitoring body reserves status of farm animals. However, the most used BCS grids comes from temperate conditions and still not adapted for tropical species, which limits adoption and usefulness. The current work presents for the first time an original, low-cost, standardized BCS assessment system, suited to a large spectrum of tropical farm animals (zebu and/or crossbred cattle, buffaloes, camel, sheep, goats, horses and donkeys). Based on a rigorous set of unifor...
Mota-Rojas D, Whittaker AL, Bienboire-Frosini C, Buenhombre J, Mora-Medina P, Domínguez-Oliva A, Martínez-Burnes J, Hernández-Avalos I....Recognizing that nonhuman animals are sentient beings has increased interest in studying their emotional state. Similar to humans, research has shown that some nonhuman mammals can modify facial expressions by contraction/relaxation of facial muscles according to their affective state. From a neurophysiological perspective, emotions are processed in several brain structures, mainly from the limbic system, such as the hypothalamus, hypophysis, hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, and amygdala. The converged pathways between the amygdala, the motor cortex, and its projections to the facial nerve cont...
Holz N, Suárez J, Hetzel U, Rampazzo A, Stoppini R.A 15-year-old Swiss Warmblood gelding was presented to the ophthalmology service of Zurich University due to severe visual impairment. Ophthalmic and neurologic examinations were performed, raising suspicion of post-retinal blindness. Standing contrast computed tomography (CT) of the head revealed a partially calcified, soft tissue attenuating mass in the sphenopalatine sinus with concurrent compression of the optic nerves and chiasm. Differential diagnosis included neoplasia and granulomatous disease. The horse was euthanized, and the head was subsequently examined by magnetic resonance imagi...
Gorenberg EB, Slack J, Stefanovski D, Theiss D, Hopster K.Dobutamine is a first-line therapy for hypotension in anaesthetised horses, but the effects on haemodynamic parameters in standing and anaesthetised horses are not well studied. Objective: To investigate the effects of dobutamine in escalating dosages on haemodynamic performance in awake and anaesthetised horses. Methods: Randomised cross-over experimental study. Methods: Six healthy adult horses were enrolled, including both standing and isoflurane-anaesthetised experiments with 1-week washout. Heart rate, mean arterial pressure (MAP), central venous pressure, pulmonary arterial pressure, and...
Gutierrez SO, Kilcoyne I, Saldinger LK, Woodward L, Nieto JE.To determine if different methods of perfusate instillation influence synovial amikacin concentrations in the radiocarpal joint (RCJ) after IV regional limb perfusion (IVRLP). Unassigned: 6 healthy horses received an IVRLP using 2 different methods: (1) 2 g amikacin followed by 52 mL 0.9% NaCl (60 mL total; perfusate-A) and (2) 2 g amikacin diluted to 60 mL with 0.9% NaCl (perfusate-D). For both methods, the perfusion was administered over 5 minutes. Joint fluid from the RCJ was sampled at 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 minutes after instillation of the perfusate. Systemic concentrations of amikacin w...
Sadeddine R, Righi S, Saidani K, Benakhla A.Equine piroplasmosis (EP) is a tick-borne disease that affects equids and is caused by the parasites Theileria equi, Theileria haneyi and Babesia caballi. This disease leads to significant economic losses for the global equine industry. The current study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of Piroplasmida infections in equines from El Tarf, located in northeastern Algeria, and investigate the phylogenetic diversity within isolates obtained from infected equines in this study and between those from previous studies. Methods: A total of 120 blood samples were collected from equines in three municip...
Godoi APDS, Sobral GG, da Silva Vieira JC, Carneiro GF, Conceição FR, da Silva ER, Mendonça M.Equine rhodococcosis is caused by Rhodococcus equi, an intracellular coccobacillus whose main virulence factor is a plasmid that harbors genes encoding proteins from the Vap family, with the vapA gene being the most important in equine isolates. Furthermore, other factors observed in R. equi strains, such as antimicrobial resistance and biofilm production, may represent significant challenges in the treatment of affected animals. The objective of this study was to characterize four isolates of R. equi from foals in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil. All isolates were identified as R. equi throug...
Carvalho JRG, Sales NAA, Littiere TO, Costa GB, Castro CM, Polisel EEC, Orsi JB, Ramos GV, Santos IFC, Gobatto CA, Manchado-Gobatto FB, Ferraz GC.Several studies have explored alternatives to enhance the performance, health, and safety of sports horses. One promising method involves the use of vibrating platforms (VP), which offer passive exercise stimulation via mechanical oscillations distributed throughout the body. This type of exercise is referred to as whole-body vibration (WBV) and is an emerging strategy for accelerating muscle recovery. This study examined the dynamics of proteins responsible for transporting monocarboxylates (MCT1 and MCT4), and their relationship with lactatemia and acid-base balance in connection with WBV re...
Loublier C, Costa M, Taminiau B, Lecoq L, Daube G, Amory H, Cesarini C.Research on fecal microbiota changes during hospitalization of horses with colic is emerging. Objective: Describe changes of the fecal microbiota during hospitalization of horses with colic caused by inflammatory (INFL), simple (SIMPLE), and strangulated (STR) obstructions, and investigate associations with survival. Methods: Twenty-three horses with colic: 9 in INFL, 5 in STR, and 9 in SIMPLE groups. Seventeen horses survived, and 6 were euthanized. Methods: Prospective observational study. Fecal samples were collected on admission (D1), on days 3 (D3) and 5 (D5). Bacterial taxonomy profiling...
Nolen-Walston RD, Kulp JC, Stefanovski D, van Eps AW.Hyperinsulinemia is an important and treatable risk factor for laminitis in horses. Objective: Evaluate the Tosoh AIA-360 automated fluorescence enzyme immunoassay for the measurement of serum insulin concentrations in horses, and compare it to five other immunoassays for insulin quantification. Methods: One hundred serum samples from 83 horses were submitted for insulin measurement. Methods: The Tosoh AIA-360 was assessed against a reference assay (radioactive immunoassay; RIA). Using the same samples, TOS-FEIA, ELISA, and three chemiluminescent immunoassays (CLIA) were assessed for correlati...
Birch HL, Bailey JV, Bailey AJ, Goodship AE.Specific tendons show a high incidence of partial central core rupture which is preceded by degeneration. In the performance horse, the superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) is most often affected. We have described previously the molecular changes that are associated with degeneration in the central core region of the equine SDFT. The pathophysiological mechanism leading to change in synthetic activity of central zone cells in degenerated tendons is not known. In this study, we test the hypothesis that ageing results in matrix composition changes within the central zone of the SDFT. Extrac...
Dalla Costa E, Pascuzzo R, Leach MC, Dai F, Lebelt D, Vantini S, Minero M.Pain recognition is fundamental for safeguarding animal welfare. Facial expressions have been investigated in several species and grimace scales have been developed as pain assessment tool in many species including horses (HGS) and mice (MGS). This study is intended to progress the validation of grimace scales, by proposing a statistical approach to identify a classifier that can estimate the pain status of the animal based on Facial Action Units (FAUs) included in HGS and MGS. To achieve this aim, through a validity study, the relation between FAUs included in HGS and MGS and the real pain co...
Herteman N, Vargas A, Lavoie JP.Low-density neutrophils (LDNs) are a subset of neutrophils first described in the bloodstream upon pathological conditions, and recently, in the blood of healthy humans. LDNs may have an enhanced pro-inflammatory (low-density granulocytes, LDGs) or an immunosuppressive (Granulocytic myeloid-derived suppressor cells, G-MDSCs) profile. Whether these characteristics are specific to LDNs or related to disease states is unknown. Thus, we sought to investigate the properties of LDNs in both health and disease states, and to compare them to those of autologous normal-density neutrophils (NDNs). We st...
Murcia PR, Baillie GJ, Stack JC, Jervis C, Elton D, Mumford JA, Daly J, Kellam P, Grenfell BT, Holmes EC, Wood JL.Influenza A viruses are characterized by their ability to evade host immunity, even in vaccinated individuals. To determine how prior immunity shapes viral diversity in vivo, we studied the intra- and interhost evolution of equine influenza virus in vaccinated horses. Although the level and structure of genetic diversity were similar to those in naïve horses, intrahost bottlenecks may be more stringent in vaccinated animals, and mutations shared among horses often fall close to putative antigenic sites.
Lecollinet S, Pronost S, Coulpier M, Beck C, Gonzalez G, Leblond A, Tritz P.Neurological disorders represent an important sanitary and economic threat for the equine industry worldwide. Among nervous diseases, viral encephalitis is of growing concern, due to the emergence of arboviruses and to the high contagiosity of herpesvirus-infected horses. The nature, severity and duration of the clinical signs could be different depending on the etiological agent and its virulence. However, definite diagnosis generally requires the implementation of combinations of direct and/or indirect screening assays in specialized laboratories. The equine practitioner, involved in a missi...
Wong DM, Ruby RE, Dembek KA, Barr BS, Reuss SM, Magdesian KG, Olsen E, Burns T, Slovis NM, Wilkins PA.The original equine sepsis score provided a method of identifying foals with sepsis. New variables associated with sepsis have been evaluated, but the sepsis score has not been updated. Objective: To evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of 2 updated sepsis scores and the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) criteria in regard to detecting sepsis in foals. Methods: Two-hundred and seventy-three ill foals and 25 healthy control foals. Methods: Historical, physical examination, and clinicopathologic findings were used to calculate the original sepsis score and 2 updated sepsis score...
Herszberg B, Ramos-Barbón D, Tamaoka M, Martin JG, Lavoie JP.Increased airway smooth muscle mass is a prominent feature of asthmatic airway remodeling. Airway smooth muscle hyperplasia occurs in rodent models of experimental asthma, but the relevance of such finding to spontaneously occurring disease in large mammals is unknown. Objective: We examined horses with heaves, a naturally occurring equine asthma related to sensitization and exposure to moldy hay. We hypothesized that airway remodeling occurs in heaves and shares disease mechanisms with asthma. Methods: We quantified the airway smooth muscle mass and the numbers of proliferating and apoptotic ...
Fenger CK, Granstrom DE, Langemeier JL, Stamper S, Donahue JM, Patterson JS, Gajadhar AA, Marteniuk JV, Xiaomin Z, Dubey JP.Sarcocystis neurona is an apicomplexan that causes equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) in North and South America. Horses appear to be an aberrant host, because the merozoites continually divide in the central nervous system, without encysting. The natural host species has not previously been identified. The small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSURNA) gene of S. neurona was compared to those of Sarcocystis muris, Sarcocystis cruzi, Toxoplasma gondii, and Cryptosporidium parvum to identify a unique region suitable for a species-specific amplification primer. The S. neurona SSURNA primer was used ...
Harlow BE, Lawrence LM, Flythe MD.Antibiotics are important to equine medicine, but antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD) can lead to poor performance and even mortality. AAD is attributed to disruption of the hindgut microbiota, which permits proliferation of pathogenic microbes. The goal of this study was to evaluate the effects of common antibiotics on cellulolytic bacteria, lactobacilli, and AAD-associated pathogens in the feces of healthy horses. Fifteen horses were assigned to three treatment groups (blocked by age and sex): control (no antibiotics), trimethoprim-sulfadiazine (PO), or ceftiofur (IM). Fecal samples (n=8 pe...
Parkin TD, Clegg PD, French NP, Proudman CJ, Riggs CM, Singer ER, Webbon PM, Morgan KL.Considerable variation in the rates of equine fatality at different racecourses draws attention to probable risk factors at the level of course or race that might be partly responsible. Distal limb fractures are the most common cause of equine fatality on UK racecourses and identification of risk factors for such injuries and subsequent implementation of intervention strategies could significantly reduce the total number of racecourse fatalities. Objective: To identify race- and course-level risk factors for fatal distal limb fracture in Thoroughbreds on UK racecourses. Methods: A case-control...
Laurenza C, Ansart L, Portier K.A retrospective analysis was performed to determine mortality and morbidity rates for elective and emergency cases in an equine university teaching hospital. It investigated the effect of horse-, anesthetic-, timing, and clinician experience-related variables on anesthetic complications. In total, 1,161 horses undergoing general anesthesia between January 2012 and December 2016 were included in the study. Patient information and details of the anesthetic, recovery period and immediate complications were retrieved from an archival database. Statistical analysis of qualitative and quantitative f...
Smith KL, Allen GP, Branscum AJ, Frank Cook R, Vickers ML, Timoney PJ, Balasuriya UB.A panel of 426 archived EHV-1 isolates collected (1951-2006) from equine abortions was analyzed using a real-time Taq-Man((R)) allelic discrimination PCR assay. Based on previous findings, isolates possessing adenine at nucleotide position 2254 (A(2254)) in ORF30 were classified as having a non-neuropathogenic genotype and those with guanine at 2254 (G(2254)) were designated as the neuropathogenic genotype. The resultant data demonstrated that viruses with the neuropathogenic genotype existed in the 1950s and isolates with this genotype increased from 3.3% in the 1960s to 14.4% in the 1990s. T...
Librado P, Fages A, Gaunitz C, Leonardi M, Wagner S, Khan N, Hanghøj K, Alquraishi SA, Alfarhan AH, Al-Rasheid KA, Der Sarkissian C, Schubert M....The horse was domesticated only 5.5 KYA, thousands of years after dogs, cattle, pigs, sheep, and goats. The horse nonetheless represents the domestic animal that most impacted human history; providing us with rapid transportation, which has considerably changed the speed and magnitude of the circulation of goods and people, as well as their cultures and diseases. By revolutionizing warfare and agriculture, horses also deeply influenced the politico-economic trajectory of human societies. Reciprocally, human activities have circled back on the recent evolution of the horse, by creating hundreds...
Verma A, Artiushin S, Matsunaga J, Haake DA, Timoney JF.Recurrent uveitis as a sequela to Leptospira infection is the most common infectious cause of blindness and impaired vision of horses worldwide. Leptospiral proteins expressed during prolonged survival in the eyes of horses with lesions of chronic uveitis were identified by screening a phage library of Leptospira interrogans DNA fragments with eye fluids from uveitic horses. Inserts of reactive phages encoded several known leptospiral proteins and two novel putative lipoproteins, LruA and LruB. LruA was intrinsically labeled during incubation of L. interrogans in medium containing [14C]palmiti...
Reed SA, Johnson SE.Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) offer promise as therapeutic aids in the repair of tendon, ligament, and bone damage suffered by sport horses. The objective of the study was to identify and characterize stem-like cells from newborn foal umbilical cord blood (UCB). UCB was collected and MSC isolated using human reagents. The cells exhibit a fibroblast-like morphology and express the stem cell markers Oct4, SSEA-1, Tra1-60 and Tra1-81. Culture of the cells in tissue-specific differentiation media leads to the formation of cell types characteristic of mesodermal and endodermal origins. Chondrogenic...
Cacciò S, Cammà C, Onuma M, Severini C.A fragment of the beta-tubulin gene was polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplified from genomic DNAs of Babesia bovis, Babesia bigemina, Babesia divergens, Babesia major, Babesia caballi, Babesia equi, Babesia microti, Theileria annulata and Theileria sergenti. Single amplification products were obtained for each of these species, but the size of the amplicons varied from 310 to 460 bp. Sequence analysis revealed that this variation is due to the presence of a single intron, which ranged from 20 to 170 bp. The extensive genetic variability at the beta-tubulin locus has been exploited to develop...
Balasuriya UB, Carossino M.Equine arteritis virus (EAV) and porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) are the most economically important members of the family Arteriviridae. EAV and PRRSV cause reproductive and respiratory disease in equids and swine, respectively and constitute a significant economic burden to equine and swine industries around the world. Furthermore, they both cause abortion in pregnant animals and establish persistent infection in their natural hosts, which fosters viral shedding in semen leading to sexual transmission. The primary focus of this article is to provide an update on t...
Prow NA.West Nile virus (WNV) is a mosquito-borne virus responsible for outbreaks of viral encephalitis in humans and horses, with particularly virulent strains causing recent outbreaks of disease in Eastern Europe, the Middle East and North America. A strain of WNV, Kunjin (WNVKUN), is endemic in northern Australia and infection with this virus is generally asymptomatic. However in early 2011, an unprecedented outbreak of encephalitis in horses occurred in south-eastern Australia, resulting in mortality in approximately 10%-15% of infected horses. A WNV-like virus (WNVNSW2011) was isolated and found ...
England GC, Clarke KW, Goossens L.The sedative effects of a new alpha 2-adrenoceptor agonist, romifidine, were compared with those of xylazine and detomidine. Five horses were treated with two doses of romifidine (40 micrograms/kg body weight and 80 micrograms/kg body weight), two doses of detomidine (10 micrograms/kg body weight and 20 micrograms/kg body weight) and one dose of xylazine (1 mg/kg body weight) given by intravenous injection using a Latin-square design. The dose of 80 micrograms/kg romifidine appeared equipotent to 1 mg/kg xylazine and 20 micrograms/kg detomidine, although at these doses both xylazine and detomi...
Relf VE, Lester HE, Morgan ER, Hodgkinson JE, Matthews JB.Anthelmintic drugs have been applied indiscriminately to control horse nematodes for over 40 years. We undertook a comprehensive study to investigate efficacy of the four available broad-spectrum anthelmintic drugs on 16 Thoroughbred stud farms using the faecal egg count reduction test. Efficacy against strongyles was determined by calculating the percentage of reduction in faecal egg count between the group mean at Day 0 and Days 14-17 post-treatment and the 95% lower confidence intervals estimated by non-parametric bootstrapping. Individual strongyle faecal egg count reduction tests (n=429) ...
Donaldson MT, McDonnell SM, Schanbacher BJ, Lamb SV, McFarlane D, Beech J.The purpose of this study was to evaluate the variation in plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) concentration and dexamethasone suppression test (DST) results with season, age, and sex in healthy, pony mares (n=15) and pony stallions (n=14) living under semiferal conditions and horse mares (n=10) living at pasture. Plasma ACTH concentrations were measured in September 2002, and in January, May, and September 2003. DSTs were performed in January and September 2003. Plasma ACTH concentrations in September 2002 and September 2003 were similar and were significantly greater than in January an...
van Niekerk S, Human S, Williams J, van Wilpe E, Pretorius M, Swanepoel R, Venter M.Old World alphaviruses were identified in 52 of 623 horses with febrile or neurologic disease in South Africa. Five of 8 Sindbis virus infections were mild; 2 of 3 fatal cases involved co-infections. Of 44 Middelburg virus infections, 28 caused neurologic disease; 12 were fatal. Middelburg virus likely has zoonotic potential.
Walshe N, Duggan V, Cabrera-Rubio R, Crispie F, Cotter P, Feehan O, Mulcahy G.The interactions between parasitic helminths and gut microbiota are considered to be an important, although as yet incompletely understood, factor in the regulation of immunity, inflammation and a range of diseases. Infection with intestinal helminths is ubiquitous in grazing horses, with cyathostomins (about 50 species of which are recorded) predominating. Consequences of infection include both chronic effects, and an acute inflammatory syndrome, acute larval cyathostominosis, which sometimes follows removal of adult helminths by administration of anthelmintic drugs. The presence of cyathosto...
Dominguez M, Münstermann S, de Guindos I, Timoney P.An analysis of the factors leading to equine disease events was used to support the development of international recommendations for mitigating the risk of disease dissemination through sport horse movements (high health, high performance - 'HHP' horses). Objective: A review was undertaken to identify the factors resulting in equine disease events following international movement of horses to draw lessons in support of the development of international recommendations for the safe movements of a specific subpopulation of horses: the HHP sport horses. Methods: Systematic review carried out in ac...
Li C, Li X, Guo R, Ni W, Liu K, Liu Z, Dai J, Xu Y, Abduriyim S, Wu Z, Zeng Y, Lei B, Zhang Y, Wang Y, Zeng W, Zhang Q, Chen C, Qiao J, Liu C, Hu S.As a domesticated species vital to humans, horses are raised worldwide as a source of mechanical energy for sports, leisure, food production, and transportation. The gut microbiota plays an important role in the health, diseases, athletic performance, and behaviour of horses. Here, using approximately 2.2 Tb of metagenomic sequencing data from gut samples from 242 horses, including 110 samples from the caecum and 132 samples from the rectum (faeces), we assembled 4142 microbial metagenome-assembled genomes (MAG), 4015 (96.93%) of which appear to correspond to new species. From long-read data, ...
Hillyer MH, Taylor FG, Proudman CJ, Edwards GB, Smith JE, French NP.A case control study was performed to identify risk factors for colic caused by simple colonic obstruction and distension (SCOD) in the horse. Case horses were recruited from 2 veterinary school clinics. Control horses were population based and matched by time of year. A number of risk factors were considered in the following areas: general carer and premises information; exercise information; husbandry information (housing- and pasture-related); feeding information; breeding information; behavioural information; travel information; preventive medicine information and previous medical informat...
Van de Walle GR, Goupil R, Wishon C, Damiani A, Perkins GA, Osterrieder N.Epidemiological studies have shown that a single-nucleotide polymorphism in the equid herpesvirus type 1 DNA polymerase gene is associated with outbreaks of highly lethal neurological disease in horses. Reverse genetics experiments further demonstrated that a G(2254) A(2254) nucleotide mutation introduced in neurovirulent strain Ab4, which resulted in an asparagine for aspartic acid substitution (D(752) N(752)), rendered the virus nonneurovirulent in the equine. Here, we report that the nonneurovirulent strain equid herpesvirus type 1 strain NY03 caused lethal neurological disease in horses af...
Timoney PJ, McCollum WH, Roberts AW, Murphy TW.The chronic carrier state was virologically confirmed in 15 thoroughbred stallions naturally infected with equine arteritis virus based on the results of test matings and, or, isolations of the virus from semen. Carrier stallions were shown to shed equine arteritis virus in the semen for at least one to two years. Existence of a short-term or convalescent carrier state was also demonstrated in five additional stallions. The frequency of the long-term carrier state in stallions naturally infected with equine arteritis virus was 35 per cent; it varied considerably between groups of stallions on ...
Woodward EM, Christoffersen M, Campos J, Betancourt A, Horohov D, Scoggin KE, Squires EL, Troedsson MH.Transient endometritis after breeding is necessary for clearance of bacteria and spermatozoa; however, in a subpopulation of mares, the inflammation fails to resolve in a timely fashion. The objective of this study was to describe the uterine inflammatory response in mares susceptible or resistant to persistent breeding-induced endometritis (PBIE) during the first 24 h after induction of uterine inflammation.Twelve mares were classified as susceptible (nZ6) or resistant (nZ6) to PBIE. Mares were inseminated over five estrous cycles and endometrial biopsies were collected at one time point per ...
Delco ML, Goodale M, Talts JF, Pownder SL, Koff MF, Miller AD, Nixon B, Bonassar LJ, Lundgren-Åkerlund E, Fortier LA.Early intervention with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) after articular trauma has the potential to limit progression of focal lesions and prevent ongoing cartilage degeneration by modulating the joint environment and/or contributing to repair. Integrin α10β1 is the main collagen type II binding receptor on chondrocytes, and MSCs that are selected for high expression of the α10 subunit have improved chondrogenic potential. The ability of α10β1-selected (integrin α10high) MSCs to protect cartilage after injury has not been investigated. To investigate integrin α10high MSCs to prevent postt...
