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.
Vosugh D, Nazem MN, Hooshmand AR.Among the different breeds of horses, Asil horses with a five thousand year history have played an important role in human life. This study was designed as a result of the lack of information about the normal radiographic anatomy of this breed. Methods: Radiography of the distal phalanx and associated soft tissue structures of the front feet of 10 healthy pure Iranian Arabian horses was performed on lateromedial radiographic projection to determine normal radiographic morphometry of this part. There were no problems in their limbs and in their history. Results: Obtained radiograph of each fron...
Stieler Stewart AL, Sanchez LC, Mallicote MF, Muniz AL, Westerterp MS, Burrow JA, MacKAY RJ.Erythromycin (ERY) induces anhidrosis in foals. Azithromycin (AZI) and clarithromycin (CLA), often combined with rifampicin (RIF), are commonly used to treat Rhodococcus equi infections, but effects on sweating have not been investigated. Objective: To determine the effects of AZI, CLA and RIF on sweat responses in normal foals. Methods: Each experiment was a blinded, duplicated, six foal × three period counterbalanced within subjects design (12 foals/experiment). Methods: Antimicrobials were given orally for 5 days. In Experiment 1, ERY, AZI and CLA were given. In Experiment 2, ERY, RIF and ...
Leśniak K, Williams J, Kuznik K, Douglas P.Variation in equine hoof conformation between farriery interventions lacks research, despite associations with distal limb injuries. This study aimed to determine linear and angular hoof variations pre- and post-farriery within a four to six week shoeing/trimming interval. Seventeen hoof and distal limb measurements were drawn from lateral and anterior digital photographs from 26 horses pre- and post-farriery. Most lateral view variables changed significantly. Reductions of the dorsal wall, and weight bearing and coronary band lengths resulted in an increased vertical orientation of the hoof. ...
Serrano-Rodríguez JM, Gómez-Díez M, Esgueva M, Castejón-Riber C, Mena-Bravo A, Priego-Capote F, Ayala N, Caballero JMS, Muñoz A.Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) properties of the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) benazeprilat have not been evaluated in horses. This study was designed to establish PK profiles for benazepril and benazeprilat after intravenous (IV) and oral (PO) administration of benazepril using a PK/PD model. This study also aims to determine the effects of benazeprilat on serum angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE), selecting the most appropriate dose that suppresses ACE activity. Six healthy horses in a crossover design received IV benazepril at 0.50mg/kg and PO at doses 0 (place...
Kimura Y, Aoki T, Chiba A, Nambo Y.Dystocia is often lethal for neonatal foals; however, its clinicopathological features remain largely unknown. We investigated the effect of dystocia on the foal blood profile. Venous blood samples were collected from 35 foals (5 Percheron and 30 crossbreds between Percheron, Belgian, and Breton heavy draft horses) at 0 hr, 1 hr, 12 hr and 1 day after birth. Dystocia was defined as prolonged labor >30 min with strong fetal traction with or without fetal displacement. The dystocia group (n=13) showed lower mean values for pH (P<0.01), bicarbonate (P<0.01), total carbon dioxide (P<0....
Barnett SE, Sellon DC, Hines MT, Seino KK, Knych HK.OBJECTIVE To determine the plasma pharmacokinetics and safety of 1% diclofenac sodium cream applied topically to neonatal foals every 12 hours for 7 days. ANIMALS Twelve 2- to 14-day old healthy Arabian and Arabian-pony cross neonatal foals. PROCEDURES A 1.27-cm strip of cream containing 7.3 mg of diclofenac sodium (n = 6 foals) or an equivalent amount of placebo cream (6 foals) was applied topically to a 5-cm square of shaved skin over the anterolateral aspect of the left tarsometatarsal region every 12 hours for 7 days. Physical examination, CBC, serum biochemistry, urinalysis, gastric endos...
Kuwano A, Niwa H, Arai K.To establish a new system to isolate keratolytic bacteria from the hoof wall cavity () of a racehorse, we invented the horn powder agar-translucency (HoPAT) test and horn zymography (HZ). Using routine bacteriological techniques and these methods, we isolated five strains of keratolytic soil bacteria, which were then identified by means of 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene sequencing analysis. The findings from the study on the horse suggested that Brevibacterium luteolum played the main role in the local fragility of the hoof, eventually forming a in coordination with four other strains of kerat...
Hiraga A, Sugano S.Although the total number of horses raised in Japan dramatically decreased after World War II, because draft horses were still used for farm work in paddy fields and on farms during the period of the 1950s and 1960s, a performance test for selecting better draft horses was needed. In order to determine the most suitable size of draft horses for Japanese farm conditions, the working power of horses weighing from 185 to 622 kg was evaluated by performing an endurance test, several kinds of working power tests, and maximum pulling power tests. Oxygen consumption during draft exercise was measured...
Te Moller NCR, van Weeren PR.The maintenance of joint homeostasis is integral to joint health. Knowledge of the influence of exercise on joint homeostasis is not only relevant for determining sustainable levels of equine athletic training, but also for the study of early development of osteoarthritis or cartilage repair in animal models. This review provides an overview of findings derived from in vivo studies and postmortem analyses investigating exercise effects on various joint tissue components in the horse, supplemented where appropriate with data from small animal models. The concept of joint homeostasis and possibl...
Adams RJ, Mathys DA, Mollenkopf DF, Whittle A, Daniels JB, Wittum TE.The emergence of bacterial resistance to carbapenem antibiotics is an urgent public health threat. Carbapenem drugs are a last resort treatment option for life-threatening infections. The frequent use of broad-spectrum antibiotics to treat hospitalized patients provides significant selection pressure favoring the emergence and dissemination of resistant organisms, including carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE). CREs have been reported in animal populations, but only rarely in horses. Our objective was to determine the prevalence of CRE in the environment of a referral equine specialty...
Lemes KM, Silva LA, Alonso MA, Celeghini ECC, Pugliesi G, Carvalho HF, Affonso FJ, Silva DF, Leite TG, de Arruda RP.Follicular development and deviation processes during the postpartum period are not completely known in horses. Thus, we aimed to study the characteristics of follicular dynamics and ovarian vascular perfusion during the postpartum period in mares that demonstrated estrous behavior and had early ( 0.1) was detected between the groups when the data were normalized for the days preceding the first postpartum ovulation (from D-7 to D-1). However, when the data were normalized to days postpartum, the dominant follicle was larger (P 25 mm diameter was greater (P 0.1) was detected between grou...
of surveillance testing, October to December 2016International disease occurrence in the fourth quarter of 2016These are among matters discussed in the most recent quarterly equine disease surveillance report, prepared by Defra, the Animal Health Trust and the British Equine Veterinary Association.
Apostolakos I, Franz E, van Hoek AHAM, Florijn A, Veenman C, Sloet-van Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan MM, Dierikx C, van Duijkeren E.To investigate the occurrence and characteristics of ESBL/AmpC-producing Escherichia coli in faecal samples from horses at one equine clinic in the Netherlands. A total of 91 horses, including residents and patients, were sampled. ESBL/AmpC-producing E. coli were identified by a combination disc diffusion test. Phylogenetic groups and MLST were determined. ESBL/AmpC genes were analysed using PCR and sequencing. Plasmids were characterized by transformation and PCR-based replicon typing. Subtyping of plasmids was done by plasmid MLST. At least one E. coli isolate with a confirmed ESBL/AmpC gene...
Sleeper MM.Heart disease can be defined as any abnormality of the heart whether it is a cardiac dysrhythmia or structural heart disease, either congenital or acquired. Heart failure occurs when a cardiac abnormality results in the inability of the heart to pump enough blood to meet the body's needs. Heart disease can be present without leading to heart failure. Heart failure, however, is a consequence of heart disease. There are 4 main areas where the clinician can intervene to improve cardiac output with heart failure: preload, afterload, myocardial contractility, and heart rate.
Guedes A.There has been great progress in the understanding of basic neurobiologic mechanisms of pain, but this body of knowledge has not yet translated into new and improved analgesics. Progress has been made regarding pain assessment in horses, but more work is needed until sensitive and accurate pain assessment tools are available for use in clinical practice. This review summarizes and updates the knowledge concerning the cornerstones of pain medicine (understand, assess, prevent, and treat). It highlights the importance of understanding pain mechanisms and expressions to enable a rational approach...
Cha ML, Costa LR.This article discusses the benefits and limitations of inhalation therapy in horses. Inhalation drug therapy delivers the drug directly to the airways, thereby achieving maximal drug concentrations at the target site. Inhalation therapy has the additional advantage of decreasing systemic side effects. Inhalation therapy in horses is delivered by the use of nebulizers or pressured metered dose inhalers. It also requires the use of a muzzle or nasal mask in horses. Drugs most commonly delivered through inhalation drug therapy in horses include bronchodilators, antiinflammatories, and antimicrobi...
Stanley SD, Moffitt K, Wiebe V.Equine practitioners should follow these recommendations when using compounded medications: (1) the decision must be veterinary driven, based on a valid veterinarian-client-patient relationship and on evidence-based medicine; (2) compliance with the Animal Medicinal Drug Use Clarification Act of 1994; and (3) use limited to (a) horses for which no other method or route of drug delivery is practical; (b) those drugs for which safety, efficacy, and stability have been demonstrated; or (c) disease conditions for which a quantifiable response to therapy or drug concentration can be monitored.
Zavoshti FR, Andrews FM.Equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS) is an umbrella term used to describe ulcers in the nonglandular squamous and glandular mucosa, terminal esophagus, and proximal duodenum. Gastric ulcers in the squamous and glandular regions occur more often than esophageal or duodenal ulcers and likely have a different pathogenesis. At present, omeprazole is accepted globally as the best pharmacologic therapy for both regions of the stomach; however, the addition of coating agents and synthetic prostaglandins could add to its effectiveness in treatment of EGUS. Dietary and environmental management are nece...
Magdesian KG.Neonatal foals are at high risk of developing sepsis, which can be life-threatening. Early antimicrobial use is a critical component of the treatment of sepsis. Because the neonatal foal has unique pharmacologic physiology, antimicrobial choice and dosing are often different than in adult horses. Broad-spectrum, bactericidal, and intravenous antimicrobials should be considered first-line therapy for septic foals. A combination of aminoglycoside and beta-lactam antimicrobial or third-generation cephalosporin is an excellent empirical first choice for treating septic foals, until culture and sus...
Maxwell LK.Since vaccination may not prevent disease, antiherpetic drugs have been investigated for the therapy of several equine herpesviruses. Drug efficacy has been assessed in horses with disease, but most evidence is in vitro, in other species, or empirical. Oral valacyclovir is most often administered in the therapy of equine herpesvirus type-1 (EHV-1) to protect adult horses from equine herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy, while oral acyclovir is frequently administered for EHV-5 infection in the therapy of equine multinodular pulmonary fibrosis. Other antiherpetic drugs are promising but require furt...
Weyer CT, Grewar JD, Burger P, Joone C, Lourens C, MacLachlan NJ, Guthrie AJ.African horse sickness (AHS) is a fatal disease of equids relevant to the global equine industry. Detection of AHS virus (AHSV) during outbreaks has become more rapid and efficient with the advent of group specific reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction (GS RT-qPCR) assays to detect AHSV nucleic acid. Use of GS RT-qPCR together with recently described type specific (TS RT-qPCR) assays cannot only expedite diagnosis of AHS but also facilitate further evaluation of the dynamics of AHSV infection in the equine host. A potential limitation to the application of these assays i...
Lang HM, Schnabel LV, Cassano JM, Fortier LA.Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are frequently delivered via needle injection for treatment of musculoskeletal injuries. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of needle diameter on the viability of MSCs. Methods: Equine bone marrow-derived MSCs from 5 horses were suspended in PBS, and held at room temperature for 7 hours to mimic shipping conditions. Two replicate samples for each needle size (20, 22, 23, or 25-gauge [ga]) were aspirated into a 3 mL syringe and re-injected into the holding vial 3 times, to reproduce the resuspension of cells prior to injection in clinical cases. C...
Agerholm JS, Pedersen HG, McEvoy FJ, Heegaard S.Knowledge of congenital malformations and their causes in horses is generally sparse. Such conditions require more scientific attention to improve their diagnostics and inform prevention strategies. Here, a unique syndrome of bilateral oblique facial clefts (meloschisis), rudimentary eyes and hydrocephalus is reported in an equine foetus spontaneously aborted at gestation day 224. The cause of abortion was considered to be intrauterine death caused by umbilical cord torsions and subsequent compromised blood flow, but the aetiology of the malformation could not be determined. A detailed history...
Wang J, Wen S, Zhao R, Qi J, Liu Z, Li W, An J, Wood C, Wang Y.The conjugation of small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) to the target protein, namely, SUMOylation, is involved in the regulation of many important biological events including host-pathogen interaction. Some viruses have evolved to exploit the host SUMOylation machinery to modify their own protein. Retroviral Gag protein plays critical roles in the viral life cycle. The HIV-1 p6 and the Moloney murine leukemia virus CA have been reported to be conjugated with SUMO. In this study, we report for the first time, to our knowledge, the covalent conjugation of equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) G...
Roquet I, Lane Easter J, Coomer RPC, Ezquerra LJ, Marsh CA, Trostle SS, Santschi EM.To describe the results of screw placement through subchondral lucencies (SCL) of the proximal radius in 8 horses. Methods: Retrospective clinical study. Methods: Horses with cubital SCL causing lameness (n=8). Methods: Medical record review and clinical follow-up. Results: Eight horses with SCL in the proximal radius causing lameness were treated with a screw placed across the lucency. The horses range in age from 1 to 20 years. In 4 of 8 horses, the lameness had been intermittently severe (apparent at the walk). Lameness was isolated to the cubital joint by intra-articular anesthesia in 5 ho...
Stefánsdóttir GJ, Gunnarsson V, Roepstorff L, Ragnarsson S, Jansson A.This study examined the effect of increasing BW ratio (BWR) between rider and horse, in the BWR range common for Icelandic horses (20% to 35%), on heart rate (HR), plasma lactate concentration (Lac), BWR at Lac 4 mmol/l (W4), breathing frequency (BF), rectal temperature (RT) and hematocrit (Hct) in Icelandic horses. In total, eight experienced school-horses were used in an incremental exercise test performed outdoors on an oval riding track and one rider rode all horses. The exercise test consisted of five phases (each 642 m) in tölt, a four-beat symmetrical gait, at a speed of 5.4±0.1 m/s (...
Beasley AM, Kotze AC, Allen K, Coleman GT.The macrocyclic lactone (ML) drugs are central to the control of equine strongyles but recent international reports raise concerns about reduced efficacy of these drugs against cyathostomins. The objectives of the present study were firstly, to evaluate the efficacy of ML drugs against cyathostomins on a cross-section of Australian horse farms, and secondly, to determine the egg reappearance period (ERP) following treatment of horses with MLs. A total of 419 horses on 43 properties were treated orally with ivermectin, abamectin or moxidectin, at recommended dose rates and drug efficacy was det...
Heliczer N, Mitchell K, Lorello O, Dauvillier J, Burger D, Schwarzwald CC, Navas de Solis C.A 20-year-old warmblood breeding stallion presented to a University practice for semen collection and evaluation was incidentally diagnosed with atrial fibrillation (AF). Electrocardiogram recordings during breeding revealed inappropriately rapid tachycardia and occasional ventricular premature depolarizations/aberrant ventricular conduction. Transvenous electrical cardioversion was performed. After successful cardioversion the horse displayed supraventricular ectopy and atrial contractile dysfunction and was administered sotalol hydrochloride in an attempt to decrease the risk of AF recurrenc...
Johnson PJ, Kreeger JM, Keeler M, Ganjam VK, Messer NT.In order better to evaluate the extent to which degradation of the lamellar basement membrane (LBM) by matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) occurs in equine laminitis, we determined the concentration of type IV collagen and laminin in normal and laminitic horses, using specific immunoassays. Blood samples were obtained from both the jugular and the cephalic veins of horses (n = 10) before and after the induction of acute alimentary laminitis by carbohydrate overload. Jugular and cephalic venous blood samples were also obtained from horses affected with naturally occurring laminitis (n = 16) and non...
Furusawa Y, Yamada S, Itai S, Sano M, Nakamura T, Yanaka M, Handa S, Mizuno T, Maeda K, Fukui M, Harada H, Kaneko MK, Kato Y.Podoplanin (PDPN), a type I transmembrane glycoprotein, is expressed in several body tissues, including podocytes of renal glomerulus, type I alveolar cells of lung, and lymphatic endothelial cells. PDPN activates platelet aggregation by binding to C-type lectin-like receptor-2 (CLEC-2) presented on platelets. Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against human-, mouse-, rat-, rabbit-, dog-, bovine-, and cat-PDPN have already been established. However, anti-horse PDPN mAbs have not yet been developed. In this study, we immunized mice with synthetic horse PDPN peptides and developed anti-horse PDPN mAbs...
Vandenput S, Votion D, Duvivier DH, Van Erck E, Anciaux N, Art T, Lekeux P.The aim of this study was to evaluate the respiratory function of horses affected with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) when maintained in a barn on wood shavings and fed grass silage for a period of 6 weeks. The mechanics of breathing, blood gas analysis and bronchial reactivity were examined on five horses with COPD at the end of the environment-controlled period (Period B) and the results compared with values obtained after 2 months at pasture (Period A) and after the onset of clinical signs of acute crisis (Period C). The results showed that clinical and functional parameters w...
Vianna MC, Horta MC, Sangioni LA, Cortez A, Soares RM, Mafra CL, Galvão MA, Labruna MB, Gennari SM.The present study investigated the infection by spotted fever rickettsia in an endemic area for Brazilian spotted fever (BSF; caused by Rickettsia rickettsii) in Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Human, canine and equine sera samples, and Amblyomma cajennense adult ticks collected in a rural area of Itabira City, Minas Gerais State were tested for rickettsial infection. Through Immunofluorescence Assay (IFA) we demonstrated the presence of antibodies anti-R. rickettsii in 8.2%, 81.3% and 100% of the human, canine and equine sera, respectively. None of the 356 tick specimens analyzed were positive fo...
Ekruth J, Gottschalk C, Ulrich S, Gareis M, Schwaiger K.Stachybotrys (S.) chartarum is a cellulolytic mould with the ability to produce highly cytotoxic macrocyclic trichothecenes. Two chemotypes are defined according to their ability to produce either atranones or satratoxins. S. chartarum has been well known as the causative agent of the lethal disease stachybotryotoxicosis in horses. Further investigations revealed that this disease is strictly correlated with the presence of macrocyclic trichothecenes. Furthermore, their occurrence in water-damaged buildings has been linked to adverse health effects such as the sick building syndrome. As the ch...
Abdrakhmanov SK, Mukhanbetkaliyev YY, Korennoy FI, Karatayev BS, Mukhanbetkaliyeva AA, Abdrakhmanova AS.An analysis of the anthrax epidemic situation among livestock animals in the Republic of Kazakhstan over the period 1933-2016 is presented. During this time, 4,064 anthrax outbreaks (mainly in cattle, small ruminants, pigs and horses) were recorded. They fall into five historical periods of increase and decrease in the annual anthrax incidence (1933-1953; 1954-1968; 1969-1983; 1984- 2001; and 2002-2016), which has been associated with changes in economic activity and veterinary surveillance. To evaluate the temporal trends of incidence variation for each of these time periods, the following me...
D'Anza E, Albarella S, Galdiero G, Tafuri S, Del Prete C, Cocchia N, Ciani F, Mastellone V, Pasolini MP, Carotenuto D, Selvaggi M, Ciotola F....The reproductive performances of livestock play an essential role in the economic management of the farm. The improvement of semen quantity and quality through the use of food supplements that lack substances which are forbidden in animal feeding, or that may have detrimental effects, is an important goal. Maca (Lepidium meyenii) is a plant that has been used for centuries in the Andes for nutrition and fertility enhancement in humans and animals. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of food supplementation of stallions with maca during the breeding season on spermatozoa parameter...
Rovira S, Muñoz A, Rodilla V.Scaling in biology is usually allometric, and therefore, the size of the heart may be expressed as a power function of body weight (BW). The present research analyses the echocardiographic measurements in 68 healthy Spanish foals weighed between 70 and 347kg in order to determine the correct scaling exponent for the allometric equation. The echocardiographic parameters measured were: left ventricular internal dimensions (LVID), free wall thickness (LVFWT), interventricular septum thickness (IVST) at systole (s) and diastole (d), EPSS (distance between the point E of the mitral valve and the in...
Chamorro CA, de Paz P, Sandoval J, Fernandez JG.The morphological characteristics of bovine and equine gustatory lingual papillae are compared by scanning electron microscopy. The fungiform papillae in the cow have a shape that corresponds to their name, while in the horse, they almost do not emerge from the surface of the tongue. These papillae show taste pores in both species. The vallate papillae, four times larger in the horse than in the cow, show a complex organization of papillae and secondary grooves in the horse. In the cow, they occur single and are surrounded by a thick annular pad of lingual mucosa. Taste pores have been observe...
Fonseca RG, Kenny DA, Hill EW, Katz LM.Few noninvasive measures associated with performance assessment are available for racehorse trainers. Evaluation of body composition of superior human sprinters has revealed a lower fat mass (FM), percentage (%) fat and greater fat-free mass (FFM), but to date there have been few studies evaluating this in racehorses. Objective: To determine the effects of age, gender and training on body composition and the relationship between body composition, physiological measurements and performance in Thoroughbred racehorses. Methods: At 2, 5 and 8 months of training, rump fat thickness (RFT) was ultras...
Scherer WF, Cupp EW, Lok JB, Brenner RJ, Ordonez JV.The minimal intestinal dose of an enzootic strain of Venezuelan encephalitis (VE) virus for Culex (Melanoconion) taeniopus mosquitoes caught at a marsh habitat of VE virus in Guatemala was less than five plaque forming units (pfu) of virus. Ingestion of this dose of virus in blood of viremic hamsters resulted in transmission of virus to other hamsters. This low intestinal threshold of an enzootic strain of VE virus indicates that the natural Guatemalan population of Cu. (Mel.) taeniopus can acquire VE virus from vertebrates that have viremia levels as low as 1,000-5,000 pfu/ml of blood, provid...
Fausto GC, Fausto MC, Vieira ÍS, Freitas SG, Carvalho LM, Oliveira IC, Silva EN, Campos AK, Araújo JV.Equine gastrointestinal nematodiosis contributes to the lower productivity of these animals. There are growing reports of the emergence of nematodes resistant to the drugs used for decades in anthelmintic treatments. An alternative to the emergence of resistance may be the use of nematophagous fungi as a complementary method of treatment. Therefore, the objective was to evaluate the effects of the use of the product Bioverm® as a carrier of Duddingtonia flagrans, on pasture contamination level and equine parasitic burden. Sixteen mares were used, divided into two groups, one control and one t...
Aklilu N, Batten C, Gelaye E, Jenberie S, Ayelet G, Wilson A, Belay A, Asfaw Y, Oura C, Maan S, Bachanek-Bankowska K, Mertens PP.African horse sickness (AHS) is associated with high morbidity and mortality in equids, especially horses. A retrospective analysis was carried out concerning 737 AHS outbreaks that occurred during 2007-2010 in Ethiopia. A total of ten outbreaks were investigated in the study period. All four forms of the disease (pulmonary, cardiac, horse sickness fever and the combined form) were observed, with the cardiac form being the most prevalent. Multiple African horse sickness virus serotypes (AHSV-2, AHSV-4, AHSV-6, AHSV-8 and AHSV-9) were detected by molecular methods (type-specific real-time RT-PC...
Pocurull DW, Gaines SA, Mercer HD.Salmonella cultures were obtained from outbreaks of animal disease from 37 states and 1 territory. They were screened for resistance to 11 antimicrobial drugs. Of the 1,251 strains studied, 935 were resistant to one or more of these agents. The three most common resistance patterns were ampicillin, dihydrostreptomycin, sulfamethoxypyridazine, tetracycline; ampicillin, dihydrostreptomycin, sulfamethoxypyridazine; dihydrostreptomycin, sulfamethoxypyridazine, tetracycline. Resistance transfer was demonstrated on 267 multiply resistant cultures, of which 181 were able to transfer all or part of th...
Jonsdottir S, Svansson V, Stefansdottir SB, Mäntylä E, Marti E, Torsteinsdottir S.Insect bite hypersensitivity is an immunoglobulin (Ig)E-mediated dermatitis of horses initiated by bites of midges of the genus Culicoides. Culicoides spp. are not indigenous to Iceland and the prevalence of insect bite hypersensitivity is much higher in horses born in Iceland and exported as compared to Icelandic horses born in a Culicoides rich environment. Immunotherapy is therefore needed. Objective: The aim of the study was to express an allergen from Culicoides in barley grain and investigate whether an immune response could be obtained in healthy Icelandic horses by oral treatment with ...
Fillion G, Beaudoin D, Rousselle JC, Jacob J.Glial cell membrane fractions were prepared using glial cells preparations isolated from horse brain striatum. [3H]5-HT binding was measured by the filtration technique and the adenylate cyclase activity determined by measuring the cAMP production using a radioimmunoassay. Serotonin binds to glial membrane fractions with an affinity corresponding to a dissociation constant Kd = nM. The corresponding site is serotoninergic specific: [3H]5-HT binding is inhibited by 5-HT agonists (5 OH NM-DMT, 5-MeOHT, 5-MeOH-DMT, NN-DMT) or antagonists (cinanserine, cyproheptadine, methysergide, LSD) and not (o...
Nevins M, Heinemann F, Janke UW, Lombardi T, Nisand D, Rocchietta I, Santoro G, Schupbach P, Kim DM.The objective of this proof-of-principle multicenter case series was to examine the bone regenerative potential of a newly introduced equine-derived bone mineral matrix (Equimatrix) to provide human sinus augmentation for the purpose of implant placement in the posterior maxilla. There were 10 patients requiring 12 maxillary sinus augmentations enrolled in this study. Histologic results at 6 months demonstrated abundant amounts of vital new bone in intimate contact with residual graft particles. Active bridging between residual graft particles with newly regenerated bone was routinely observed...
Wagner ML, Valberg SJ, Ames EG, Bauer MM, Wiseman JA, Penedo MC, Kinde H, Abbitt B, Mickelson JR.Glycogen Branching Enzyme Deficiency (GBED), a fatal condition recently identified in fetuses and neonatal foals of the Quarter Horse and Paint Horse lineages, is caused by a nonsense mutation in codon 34 of the GBE1 gene, which prevents the synthesis of a functional GBE protein and severely disrupts glycogen metabolism. The aims of this project were to determine the mutant GBE1 allele frequency in random samples from the major relevant horse breeds, as well as the frequency with which GBED is associated with abortion and early neonatal death using the tissue archives from veterinary diagnosti...
Ferreira-Dias G, Botelho M, Zagrajczuk A, Rebordão MR, Galvão AM, Bravo PP, Piotrowska-Tomala K, Szóstek AZ, Wiczkowski W, Piskula M, Fradinho MJ....Phytoestrogens exist in plants that are present in forages fed to horses. They may compete with 17-β estradiol and influence the estrous cycle. Therefore, the objective was to determine whether coumestrol from clover-mixed pastures is present in mare's plasma after their ingestion (experiment I), and when this phytoestrogen was present in mare's plasma after ingestion (experiment II). The effect of a long-term ingestion of phytoestrogens on estrous cycle disruption was assessed (experiment III; clinical case). Experiment I was carried out in nonpregnant anestrous and cyclic Lusitano mares (n ...
Agneessens J, Engelen S, Debever P, Vercruysse J.Over a period of one year, from December 1995 to November 1996, larvae of Gasterophilus intestinalis were found in 193 horse stomachs (58%) of 330 that were examined in two Belgian slaughter houses. When August is excluded, 62% of the stomachs had bot larvae. No other Gasterophilus species were identified. The monthly prevalence ranged from 9% in August to 75% in November and December. The mean intensity of bot larvae varied from 8 in August to 29 in March, and the majority of the horses (67%) harboured less than 50 larvae. Prevalences and intensities were not affected by age, but mares were m...
Battut I, Colchen S, Fieni F, Tainturier D, Bruyas JF.The purpose of this study was to evaluate the exact age when the equine embryo reaches the uterus. The time of ovulation was determined by hourly ultrasound examinations starting 32 h after an injection of crude equine pituitary gonadotrophin or human chorionic gonadotrophin, or after the first of 4 injections of buserelin. Nonsurgical uterine flushings were carried out 144 h (Day 6), 156 h (Day 6.5) or 168 h (Day 7) after ovulation. Induction of ovulation was attempted in 101 oestrous cycles and 61 of 101 mares (60.4%) ovulated 32-44 h post injection. Sixty embryo collections were performed w...
Bleumink-Pluym NM, van Dijk L, van Vliet AH, van der Giessen JW, van der Zeijst BA.The 16S ribosomal DNA sequence of Taylorella equigenitalis (formerly Haemophilus equigenitalis), the causative organism of contagious equine metritis, was determined. A phylogenetic analysis of this sequence revealed a phylogenetic position of T. equigenitalis in the beta subclass of the class Proteobacteria apart from the position of Haemophilus influenzae, which belongs to the gamma subclass of Proteobacteria. A close phylogenetic relationship among T. equigenitalis, Alcaligenes xylosoxidans, and Bordetella bronchiseptica was detected; Spirillum volutans and Chromobacterium fluviatile (Iodob...
Verwoerd DW.In the early colonial history of South Africa, horses played an important role, both in general transportation and in military operations. Frequent epidemics of African horsesickness (AHS) in the 18th century therefore severely affected the economy. The first scientific research on the disease was carried out by Alexander Edington (1892), the first government bacteriologist of the Cape Colony, who resolved the existing confusion that reigned and established its identity as a separate disease. Bluetongue (BT) was described for the first time by Duncan Hutcheon in 1880, although it was probably ...
Pashen RL, Allen WR.The effects of fetal gonadectomy on steroid production and the maintenance of pregnancy in the mare were studied. Removal of the fetal gonads resulted in an immediate fall in maternal plasma concentrations of conjugated and unconjugated oestrogens whereas progestagen levels remained unchanged. Hormone profiles in mares carrying sham-operated fetuses remained similar to those in unoperated control mares. Plasma levels of 13,14-dihydro-15-oxo-PGF-2 alpha (PGFM) were much lower, and uterine contractions weaker, during labour in mares carrying gonadectomized foals than in control mares. Pregnancy ...
Barrachina L, Remacha AR, Romero A, Zaragoza P, Vázquez FJ, Rodellar C.Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a promising treatment for equine musculoskeletal injuries because of their ability to regulate the inflammation and to differentiate into other cell types. Since interest in allogeneic therapy is rising, concerns about MSC immunogenicity need to be addressed. Differentiated MSCs from several species increase their expression of immunogenic molecules and induce alloresponses, but equine MSC immunogenic profile after differentiation has not been reported. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the gene expression of immunogenic markers in tri-lineage dif...
Prieto D, Hernández M, Rivera L, García-Sacristán A, Simonsen U.The distribution of neuropeptide Y (NPY)-immunoreactive (IR) nerves, as well as the functional effects of NPY and the Y1- and Y2-receptor agonists, [Leu31,Pro34]NPY and NPY(13-36), respectively, have been investigated in vitro in both visceral and arterial smooth muscle of the horse intravesical ureter. NPY-IR nerve fibres were widely distributed along the entire length of the ureter, although the intravesical part was the most richly innervated region, and the only one where NPY-IR ganglion cells were found. NPY (10(-7) M) did not affect either basal tone or spontaneous rhythmic contractions ...
Olguin-Perglione C, Barrandeguy ME.Equine influenza virus (EIV) is one of the most important respiratory pathogens of horses as outbreaks of the disease lead to significant economic losses worldwide. In this review, we summarize the information available on equine influenza (EI) in South America. In the region, the major events of EI occurred almost in the same period in the different countries, and the EIV isolated showed high genetic identity at the hemagglutinin gene level. It is highly likely that the continuous movement of horses, some of them subclinically infected, among South American countries, facilitated the spread o...
Hansen S, Sun L, Baptiste KE, Fjeldborg J, Horohov DW.Diseases of the lower airways represent some of the most common conditions affecting horses of all ages, but the type and severity tends to follow the horses' age. The age-related dysregulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines may, in part contribute to the development of the diseases. Therefore, we hypothesize that the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines increases with age. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cells from clinically healthy horses of different ages were used for the investigation. The cells were stimulated and the production of IFN-γ an...
