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.
White NA, Flynn K.The purpose of the study was to assess the challenges faced by state animal health officials (SAHOs) when managing equine disease outbreaks. Methods: A survey was conducted to assess SAHOs' collaboration with horse owners and practicing veterinarians to provide biosecurity and infection disease control. It was sent to 180 email addresses listed in the Equine Disease Communication Center website database. The responses in each category for each question were tabulated and reported as a percentage. Results: There were 72 survey responses from 45 states. The number of states responding suggested ...
Jung H, Yoon M.Spermatogonial stem cells originate from gonocytes and undergo self-renewal and differentiation to generate mature spermatozoa via spermatogenesis in the seminiferous tubules of the testis in male mammals. Owing to the unique capacity of these cells, the spermatogonial stem cell transplantation technique, which enables the restoration of male fertility by transfer of germlines between donor and recipient males, has been developed. Thus, spermatogonial stem cell transplantation can be used as an important next-generation reproductive and breeding tool in livestock production. However, in large ...
Fairbanks EL, Daly JM, Tildesley MJ.Most mathematical models that assess the vectorial capacity of disease-transmitting insects typically focus on the influence of climatic factors to predict variations across different times and locations, or examine the impact of vector control interventions to forecast their potential effectiveness. We combine features of existing models to develop a novel model for vectorial capacity that considers both climate and vector control. This model considers how vector control tools affect vectors at each stage of their feeding cycle, and incorporates host availability and preference. Applying this...
Conduit S, Bowen M, Hallowell G, Pereira R, Rapezzano G, Redpath A.Equine primary iris cysts are usually incidental findings but, if associated with clinical signs, may require intervention. The use of laser (Nd:Yag or diode) has been reported but requires specialised equipment. Transcorneal aspiration has not been previously evaluated in the standing horse. To review outcomes of standing transcorneal aspiration of primary iris cysts (STAPIC) in horses. Horses were identified from electronic patient records from 2018 to 2024 across four collaborating centres. Clinical presentation and outcomes were identified and reported using descriptive statistics. Eightee...
Kabir A, Lamichhane B, Habib T, Adams A, El-Sheikh Ali H, Slovis NM, Troedsson MHT, Helmy YA.The equine industry holds substantial economic importance not only in the USA but worldwide. The occurrence of various infectious bacterial diseases in horses can lead to severe health issues, economic losses, and restrictions on horse movement and trade. Effective management and control of these diseases are therefore crucial for the growth and sustainability of the equine industry. While antibiotics constitute the primary treatment strategy for any bacterial infections in horses, developing resistance to clinically important antibiotics poses significant challenges to equine health and welfa...
Lomnicka I, Dubey S, Waller P, Vora D, Dirikolu L.The screening of drugs in plasma and urine often requires initial extraction (such as liquid-liquid extraction and solid-phase extraction) before the samples are submitted to instrumental analyses. These extraction procedures are often laborious and time-consuming. In this manuscript, a high-throughput automated assay based on liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) suitable for use as an initial testing procedure covering multiple classes of compounds prohibited in horse racing is described. The assay requires a 600-μL plasma aliquot, which is subjected to solid pha...
Giercuszkiewicz-Hecold B, Kulka M, Czopowicz M, Szarska E, Strzelec K, Grzeczka A, Graczyk S, Wiśniewska M, Jędrzejkowska Z, Rumińska A, Marycz K....This study aimed to evaluate the oral supplementation of astaxanthin (ATX) on inflammatory markers in 3-year-old Arabian racehorses. Despite the recognized antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of ATX observed in vitro in rodent models and in human athletes, the effects in equine subjects remain unknown. This study involved a controlled trial with 14 horses receiving either ATX (six horses) or a placebo (eight horses), monitored over four months of race training. Inflammatory cytokines: TNFα, IFNγ, IL-6, IL-10, and prostaglandin E (PGE), were measured monthly to assess the impact of A...
Cardona GC, Dahlgren LA, Byron CR, McKenzie HC, Werre SR, Bogers SH.The aim of the present study was to determine if a three-dimensional (3D)-printed instrument technique would improve lavage removal of plastic beads (guttural pouch [GP] chondroid mimics) through a dorsal pharyngeal recess (DPR) fenestration. We hypothesized that using a 3D-printed instrument placed through the DPR fenestration would remove more beads, reduce lavage time and incur less soft tissue damage than using a lavage tube control or instrument placement through the salpingopharyngeal ostium (SPO). Methods: Experimental cadaveric study. Methods: A total of 30 cadaveric equine heads. Meth...
Streng K, Hakze-van der Honing RW, Graham H, van Oort S, de Best PA, Abourashed A, van der Poel WHM.Zoonotic arboviruses (arthropod-borne) of the Orthoflavivirus genus, such as West Nile virus (WNV), Usutu virus (USUV) and Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), are emerging in Northwestern Europe and pose a threat to both human and animal health. In the Netherlands, passive symptomatic surveillance (notification of clinical cases) in horses is one of the main pillars for the early detection of WNV. For such passive surveillance to work properly, horse owners and veterinarians need to recognize symptoms and report suspected cases to the authorities. Currently, little is known about the seropre...
Maeda M, Abe M, Aoshima K, Kobayashi A, Fukushi H, Kimura T.Equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) causes respiratory diseases, abortion, and encephalomyelitis in horses. The EHV-1 immediate-early (IE) protein, essential for viral replication, is transactivated by the binding of a multiprotein complex including the open reading frame 12 (ORF12) and some host factors to the IE promoter region. Promoter-associated non-coding RNAs (pancRNAs), which are transcribed from bidirectional promoters, regulate the transcription of neighboring genes in mammals and pathogens. In this study, we identified a novel pancRNA transcribed from across the areas of the 5'-untranslate...
Usimaki A, Ciamillo SA, Barot D, Linardi RL, Engiles JB, Ortved KF.Autologous protein solution (APS) has been shown to decrease lameness in horses with osteoarthritis (OA). Synovitis is an early driver of OA, providing an opportunity to intervene in the progression of disease via intra-articular (IA) therapeutics. Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of a single IA APS injection in horses with interleukin-1β (IL-1β)-induced synovitis. We hypothesised that APS would decrease joint swelling and lameness, improve synovial fluid parameters and improve joint pathology scores in horses compared with untreated controls. Methods: Ra...
Bampidis V, Azimonti G, Bastos ML, Christensen H, Durjava M, Kouba M, López-Alonso M, López Puente S, Marcon F, Mayo B, Pechová A, Petkova M....Following a request from the European Commission, EFSA was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on the safety and efficacy of an essential oil obtained from the fruit of L. (celery seed oil), when used as a sensory additive in feed and water for drinking for all animal species. The EFSA Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (FEEDAP) Panel concluded that the use of celery seed oil is of no concern up to the following concentrations in complete feed: 1.6 mg/kg for chickens for fattening, 2.3 mg/kg for laying hens, 2.1 mg/kg for turkeys for fattening, 2.8 mg/kg for p...
Gould J, Wells M, de Linde Henriksen M, Gilger BC.To determine the causes, time to resolution, effect of therapeutics, and ocular sequelae of hyphema, fibrin, and/or vitreal hemorrhage in horses. Methods: 225 horses (219 eyes) who were diagnosed with hyphema, fibrin, and/or vitreal hemorrhage. Methods: Records were retrospectively reviewed for the horses. Signalment, ophthalmic examination findings, causes, treatments, and outcomes were evaluated. Results: Common causes of intraocular fibrin or hemorrhage were equine recurrent uveitis (42/219 horses), corneal stromal abscess (32/219 horses), corneal stromal ulcer (25/219 horses), and trauma (...
Grzyb J, Podstawski Z, Bulski K.Horses stay in different types of stables; especially during the cold season, they stay inside for most of the day. A stable is also a place where many people spend quite a lot of time either as employees who care for and train horses or as equine enthusiasts. Keeping horses in stables causes their constant exposure to high concentrations of particulate matter (PM) and molds in the air inside these facilities. The study was conducted in Udórz Stud Farm located in the southern region of Poland. It was carried out in two different types of stables: three runners and two box stables. The study c...
De Schryver M, Oosterlinck M.Perineural anesthesia of the tibial nerve can be performed ultrasound-guided or blindly, with the latter still being commonly used in equine practice due to practical constraints, despite its lower accuracy and hence, common failure to achieve desensitization. This may be associated with anatomical variations or inadequate landmarks for injection. To examine the course of the tibial nerve, document potential anatomical variations, and determine optimal landmarks for perineural injection, dissection was conducted along the medial aspect of the tibia in 10 paired cadaver hindlimbs. No anatomical...
Bertuglia A, Pallante M, Pagliara E, Valle D, Bergamini L, Bollo E, Bullone M, Riccio B.Tarsocrural osteochondrosis (OCD) is a developmental orthopedic disease commonly affecting young Standardbreds, with different fragment localization and size. Clinically, it is characterized by variable synovial effusion in the absence of lameness, whose determinants are ill-defined. We hypothesized that localization and physical characteristics of the osteochondral fragments like dimensions, multifragmentation, and instability influence joint effusion and correlate with synovial markers of cartilage degradation and inflammation. Clinical data, synovial fluid and intact osteochondral fragments...
Nowak M, Martin-Cirera A, Jenner F, Auer U.Pain assessment in horses presents a significant challenge due to their nonverbal nature and their tendency to conceal signs of discomfort in the presence of potential threats, including humans. Therefore, this study aimed to identify pain-associated behaviors amenable to automated AI-based detection in video recordings. Additionally, it sought to determine correlations between pain intensity and behavioral and postural parameters by analyzing factors such as time budgets, weight shifting, and unstable resting. The ultimate goal is to facilitate the development of AI-based quantitative tools f...
Martin F, Halvarsson P, Alm YH, Tydén E.Anthelmintic resistance is an increasing problem in many gastrointestinal parasites of grazing animals. Among these, the equine roundworm, Parascaris spp., has developed wide-spread resistance to macrocyclic lactones over the past decades. Additionally, there are recent observations of emerging treatment failure of both tetrahydropyrimidine and fenbendazole. Therefore, the aims of this study were to further investigate the occurrence of fenbendazole resistance on breeding farms and to explore potential management-related risk factors associated with resistance in Parascaris spp. in Sweden. Ele...
Olguin-Perglione C, Politzki R, Alvarez I, Ruiz V.The novel Equine Parvovirus-Hepatitis (EqPV-H) was first identified in the serum and liver of a horse that died of equine serum hepatitis, also known as Theiler's disease. Several reports in recent years strongly suggest that EqPV-H is the etiologic agent of Theiler's disease. Brazil is the only South American country where infection with this virus has been reported. This study investigated the presence of EqPV-H DNA in horse serum pools (n=51), commercial horse serum batches (n=5) and individual serum samples from donor horses (n=175) from Argentina. All serum samples were analyzed by quanti...
Peat FJ, Kawcak CE, McIlwraith CW, Berk JT, Keenan DP.Changes in the proximal sesamoid bones (sesamoids) and the insertional region of the adjacent suspensory ligament branch (branch) are of particular importance in young Thoroughbreds sold at public auction. Little is known about the prevalence of concurrent ultrasonographical branch change, relative to the various grades of radiological sesamoid appearance. Objective: To examine the existence of concurrent radiological and ultrasonographical findings in individual sesamoid-branch units in sales horses; to determine whether there are any radiological findings that are consistently accompanied by...
Fanelli D, Moroni R, Sala G, Melanie P, Tarabella I, Telleschi N, Maltinti S, Giorgi M, Barsotti G, Passamonti F, Marmorini P, Rota A, Camillo F....Two studies were conducted to evaluate the use of medical ozone (O) in commercial extenders for equine semen cryopreservation. In the first study (Study 1), 0, 5, and 15 µg/mL of O were added to diluents of refrigerated or frozen semen. Samples were evaluated for sperm kinematics at different time points for the chilled samples and after a thermoresistence test for the frozen/thawed samples. In the second study (Study 2), 0, 5, and 10 µg/mL of O were added to an antibiotic-free diluent for refrigerated semen for comparison with the control group in which semen was diluted in the same diluent...
Winther MF, Johnsson J, Madsen PK, Pihl TH, Paltrinieri S, Cerón JJ, Scavone D, Pardo-Marin L, Jacobsen S.Paraoxonase-1 (PON-1) has been suggested as a marker of inflammation and oxidative stress in horses and could potentially be used for prognostication in horses with colitis. Objective: Assessment of PON-1 in horses with colitis and comparison of two methods. Methods: Serum PON-1 was measured by two methods (paraoxon and p-nitrophenyl acetate) in 161 horses with colitis and 57 controls. Follow-up samples obtained during hospitalization were available from 106 horses with colitis. The two methods were compared. Results: Serum PON-1 was significantly lower in horses with colitis than in healthy h...
Marques CDP, da Silva BWS, Nogueira YVS, Bezerra TL, Borges-Silva W, Soares RM, Gondim LFP.Sarcocystis bertrami (synonym: Sarcocystis fayeri) is a coccidian parasite that infects horses and donkeys in several countries. Dogs are known as definitive hosts of the parasite, however, the patent period is not well defined, and S. bertrami shed by dogs has never been confirmed by molecular methods. Here we investigated the shedding of S. bertrami by experimentally infected dogs and examined the excreted parasites by morphological and molecular tools. Three dogs of small breeds (one Yorkshire terrier and two miniature Pinschers) were acquired with ages of 30 and 60 days and were exclusivel...
Allen K, King M, Anderson L, Mullan S.The ethics of equine sports medicine is a complex subject that is currently understudied. It combines veterinary ethics, sports ethics and associated regulation. Equine sports medicine may raise unique ethical issues and combines common ethical issues in ways distinct from other forms of veterinary medicine. Objective: The purpose of this research was to identify and describe ethical issues concerning United Kingdom (UK) veterinary surgeons arising within the practice of equine sports medicine. Methods: Survey. Methods: An online questionnaire was distributed to UK veterinary surgeons via vete...
Jobst ID, Zsoldos RR, Licka TF.Equine physiotherapy commonly includes basic exercises such as walking backward (BW) and voluntary lifting of single limbs (SLL), but trunk movements during these have not been studied. In order to compare the trunk kinematics during BW and SLL with forward walking (FW), nine horses were measured in FW, BW and during SLL triggered by tactile cue. Kinematics were obtained from skin markers captured by ten high-speed video cameras. Trunk angles were calculated in sagittal and horizontal planes from withers, dorsal to spinous processes of the 16th thoracic vertebra (T16), 2nd and 4th sacral verte...
Azizi S, Mazaheri-Khameneh R, Davoodi F, Gooran MM, Ghoreishi SS, Mozaffari N, Dalir-Naghadeh B.In this case report, we present an unusual clockwise torsion of left colon around mesenteric root in a 10-month-old Arab filly, highlighting the clinical presentation, diagnostic approach and successful surgical intervention. A 10-month-old Arab filly weighing approximately 250 kg was referred with signs of acute abdominal pain. The history revealed anorexia, restlessness and severe abdominal pain that had begun the previous day. The local practitioner had previously administered flunixin meglumine, an analgesic, but it proved ineffective in relieving the pain. Upon physical examination, the ...
Nath LC, Saljic A, Buhl R, Elliott A, La Gerche A, Ye C, Schmidt Royal H, Lundgren Virklund K, Agbaedeng TA, Stent A, Franklin S.Approximately 1-2 per 100,000 young athletes die from sudden cardiac death (SCD) and extreme exercise may be associated with myocardial scar and arrhythmias. Racehorses have a high prevalence of atrial fibrillation (AF) and SCD but the presence of myocardial scar and inflammation has not been evaluated. Cardiac tissues from the left (LAA) and right (RAA) atrial appendages, left ventricular anterior (LVAPM) and posterior (LVPPM) papillary muscles, and right side of the interventricular septum (IVS-R) were harvested from racehorses with sudden cardiac death (SCD, n = 16) or other fatal injur...
Uchida-Fujii E, Kato Y, Ueno T, Numasawa Y, Yusa S, Haga T.Equus caballus papillomavirus 2 (EcPV2) is known to cause genital neoplasms in horses. However, reports on EcPV2 in Japan and Asia are limited. Herein, we present the histopathological and virological findings of the first reported case of an EcPV2-associated penile mass in Japan. The patient was a 22-year-old stallion with a history of breeding in Japan and abroad. Histopathological examination contained RNA in situ hybridization targeting the E6/E7 region and an immunohistochemical approach, and whole-genome sequencing was conducted within the viral examination. Proliferating epidermal cells...
Leguillette R, McCrae P, Massie S, Filho SA, Bayly W, David F.Swimming has been used empirically for rehabilitation and conditioning of horses. However, due to challenges imposed by recording physiological parameters in water, the intensity of free swimming effort is unknown. Objective: Measure the physiological workload associated with untethered swimming in horses. Five fit Arabian endurance horses were assessed while swimming in a 100 m-long indoor pool. Horses were equipped with a modified ergospirometry facemask to measure oxygen consumption (V̇O) and ventilatory parameters (inspired/expired volumes, V, V; peak inspiratory/expiratory flows, PkV, P...
Egenvall A, Höglund OV, Hoffman R, Valle PS, Andersen PH, Lönnell C, Byström A, Bonnett BN.In recent years, prices for veterinary care have received considerable attention in mainstream media, yet scientific literature has not delved into actual figures. This study aims to elucidate veterinary care costs for dogs, cats, and horses across five countries [Sweden (SE), Norway (NO), Denmark (DK), United Kingdom (UK), and Ireland (IR, with limited data)] through web searches. Unassigned: Utilising online business directories, we located URLs featuring veterinary care prices in autumn 2022, and repeated tri-monthly five times. Vetpris.se (VP), a price comparison site for SE, NO, and DK, e...
Grilz-Seger G, Druml T, Neuditschko M, Dobretsberger M, Horna M, Brem G.The sample ascertainment bias due to complex population structures remains a major challenge in genome-wide investigations of complex traits. In this study we derived the high-resolution population structure and levels of autozygosity of 377 Lipizzan horses originating from five different European stud farms utilizing the SNP genotype information of the high density 700 k Affymetrix Axiom™ Equine genotyping array. Scanning the genome for overlapping runs of homozygosity (ROH) shared by more than 50% of horses, we identified homozygous regions (ROH islands) in order to investigate the gene ...
Freeman K, Woods E, Welsby S, Percival SL, Cochrane CA.Evidence of biofilms in human chronic wounds are thought to be responsible for preventing healing in a timely manner. However, biofilm evidence in horse wounds has not yet been documented. Consequently, this study aimed to determine whether biofilms could be detected in wounds, and to investigate the microbiology of chronic wounds in horses. Prior to analysis, wound surfaces were irrigated with 5 mL of sterile saline to remove debris. All wounds were swabbed twice (1 cm2 area) using sterile cotton-tipped swabs. In addition to this, 2 tissue biopsies were taken to investigate evidence of biofil...
Malalana F, Stylianides A, McGowan C.Equine recurrent uveitis (ERU) is a spontaneous disease characterised by repeated episodes of intraocular inflammation. The epidemiology of ERU has not been fully elucidated, but the condition appears to be much more common in horses than is recurrent uveitis in humans, especially in certain breeds and geographical regions. Both humans and horses show a similarly altered immune response and a marked autoimmune response as the primary disease pathophysiology. However, an inciting cause is not always clear. Potential inciting factors in horses include microbial agents such as Leptospira spp. Mic...
Pusterla N, Vin R, Leutenegger C, Mittel LD, Divers TJ.Equine coronavirus (ECoV) is an emerging virus associated clinically and epidemiologically with fever, depression, anorexia and less frequently colic and diarrhoea in adult horses. Sporadic cases and outbreaks have been reported with increased frequency since 2010 from Japan, the USA and more recently from Europe. A faeco-oral transmission route is suspected and clinical or asymptomatic infected horses appear to be responsible for direct and indirect transmission of ECoV. A presumptive clinical diagnosis of ECoV infection may be suggested by clinical presentation, haematological abnormalities ...
Deregt D, de Vries AA, Raamsman MJ, Elmgren LD, Rottier PJ.Monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) to equine arteritis virus (EAV) proteins were produced and characterized. The protein specificities of eight MAbs were determined definitively by immunoprecipitation of EAV proteins expressed from vaccinia virus recombinants (VVRs). Included were two new VVRs produced for this study, expressing the M and the GL proteins, respectively. Three MAbs were determined to be N-specific and five MAbs recognized the GL protein. One GL-specific MAb, 17F5, of the IgA class, efficiently neutralized EAV infectivity. In competitive binding assays (CBAs), the N-specific MAbs defin...
Carlson CS, Cullins LD, Meuten DJ.The objectives of this study were to determine in horses 1) the ages at which viable cartilage canal vessels are present in the articular-epiphyseal cartilage complex of three predilection sites and one nonpredilection site of osteochondrosis (OC), 2) the prevalence of lesions of OC in these sites, and 3) whether there was an association of lesions of OC with necrotic cartilage canal blood vessels. The medial femoral condyle, lateral femoral trochlear ridge, and distal ends of the tibia and proximal phalanx were examined grossly, microradiographically, and histologically in 35 horses 18 months...
Adney DR, Brown VR, Porter SM, Bielefeldt-Ohmann H, Hartwig AE, Bowen RA.The Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) was first recognized in 2012 and can cause severe disease in infected humans. Dromedary camels are the reservoir for the virus, although, other than nasal discharge, these animals do not display any overt clinical disease. Data from in vitro experiments suggest that other livestock such as sheep, goats, and horses might also contribute to viral transmission, although field data has not identified any seropositive animals. In order to understand if these animals could be infected, we challenged young goats and horses and adult sheep wi...
Soares SC, Trost E, Ramos RT, Carneiro AR, Santos AR, Pinto AC, Barbosa E, Aburjaile F, Ali A, Diniz CA, Hassan SS, Fiaux K, Guimarães LC....Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis is the causative agent of several veterinary diseases in a broad range of economically important hosts, which can vary from caseous lymphadenitis in sheep and goats (biovar ovis) to ulcerative lymphangitis in cattle and horses (biovar equi). Existing vaccines against C. pseudotuberculosis are mainly intended for small ruminants and, even in these hosts, they still present remarkable limitations. In this study, we present the complete genome sequence of C. pseudotuberculosis biovar equi strain 258, isolated from a horse with ulcerative lymphangitis. The genome...
Gildea S, Fitzpatrick DA, Cullinane A.Outbreaks of equine influenza (EI) in endemic populations cause disruption and economic loss. Objective: To identify (i) factors involved in the spread of EI (ii) virus strains responsible for outbreaks (iii) single radial haemolysis (SRH) antibody levels correlating with protection against current virus strains (iv) evidence of vaccination breakdown. Methods: RT-PCR, virus isolation and SRH were carried out on nasopharyngeal swabs and blood samples collected from horses, ponies and donkeys on affected premises. Data relating to 629 samples from 135 equidae were analysed. Conclusions: Outbreak...
Suire S, Stewart F, Beauchamp J, Kennedy MW.The equine conceptus is surrounded by a fibrous capsule that persists until about day 20 of pregnancy, whereupon the capsule is lost, the conceptus attaches to the endometrium and placentation proceeds. Before attachment, the endometrium secretes in abundance a protein of the lipocalin family, uterocalin. The cessation of secretion coincides with the end of the period during which the conceptus is enclosed in its capsule, suggesting that uterocalin is essential for the support of the embryo before direct contact between maternal and foetal tissues is established. Using recombinant protein and ...
Bogaert L, Martens A, Van Poucke M, Ducatelle R, De Cock H, Dewulf J, De Baere C, Peelman L, Gasthuys F.Bovine papillomavirus (BPV), the causative agent of papillomas in cattle, has been shown to play a major role in the pathogenesis of equine sarcoids in horses. BPV has also been detected occasionally in normal equine skin. In this study, presence and activity of BPV in normal skin and peripheral blood of 4 groups of horses were evaluated: sarcoid-affected horses, horses living in contact with sarcoid-affected horses, horses living in contact with papilloma-affected cattle and control horses. From each horse, 3 samples on 4 locations were collected: a swab of the intact skin surface and both a ...
Fetene E, Leta S, Regassa F, Büscher P.Trypanosomosis caused by Trypanosoma vivax is one of the diseases threatening the health and productivity of livestock in Africa and Latin America. Trypanosoma vivax is mainly transmitted by tsetse flies; however, the parasite has also acquired the ability to be transmitted mechanically by hematophagous dipterans. Understanding its distribution, host range and prevalence is a key step in local and global efforts to control the disease. Methods: The study was conducted according to the methodological recommendations of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRIS...
Suagee JK, Corl BA, Crisman MV, Pleasant RS, Thatcher CD, Geor RJ.Obesity and hyperinsulinemia increase the risk of laminitis in horses and ponies. In mares, obesity also has been associated with increased circulating concentrations of the proinflammatory cytokine, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α. The association of other proinflammatory cytokines with body condition score (BCS) and insulin requires further determination. Objective: Plasma concentrations of TNF, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and serum amyloid A (SAA) will positively correlate with BCS or insulin or both in horses. Furthermore, inflammatory protein concentrations will correlate with age and vari...
Otto IA, Levato R, Webb WR, Khan IM, Breugem CC, Malda J.Paramount for the generation of auricular structures of clinically-relevant size is the acquisition of a large number of cells maintaining an elastic cartilage phenotype, which is the key in producing a tissue capable of withstanding forces subjected to the auricle. Current regenerative medicine strategies utilize chondrocytes from various locations or mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs). However, the quality of neo-tissues resulting from these cell types is inadequate due to inefficient chondrogenic differentiation and endochondral ossification, respectively. Recently, a subpopulation of stem/pr...
Castagnetti C, Pirrone A, Mariella J, Mari G.The use of blood lactate concentration as an indicator of prognosis and disease severity has become a common practice in equine medicine, especially with the validation of handheld analyzers. However, few authors described lactate concentration in critically ill foals, and there are no published studies about the use of handheld analyzers in neonatal foals. In this study, for the first time in the equine neonate, we validated the Lactate Scout analyzer, both in healthy and in critically ill foals. The study also describes the normal range for blood lactate in 26 healthy neonatal foals during t...
Cook RF, Cook SJ, Li FL, Montelaro RC, Issel CJ.A single-tube reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) using a fluorogenic real-time PCR detection method is described for the quantitation of equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) RNA in the plasma of equids. To compensate for variations inherent in sample preparation a multiplex real-time RT-PCR system was developed that permitted the simultaneous calculation of the nucleic acid recovery rate along with the copy number of viral RNA molecules. Detection of EIAV RNA was linear from 10(9) to 10(1) molecules with intra- and inter-assay variability of less than 1% at 10(8), 10(6),...
Jacks SS, Giguère S, Nguyen A.The objective of this study was to determine in vitro activities of azithromycin (AZM), clarithromycin (CLR), and 20 other antimicrobial agents against Rhodococcus equi and other common equine bacterial pathogens. A total of 201 bacterial isolates from various equine clinical samples were examined. CLR was more active than AZM against R. equi, with MICs at which 90% of the isolates were inhibited of 0.12 and 1.0 micro g/ml, respectively. Other antimicrobial agents highly active against at least 90% of R. equi isolates in vitro included rifampin, gentamicin, and imipenem. Both AZM and CLR showe...
Mossel EC, Ledermann JP, Phillips AT, Borland EM, Powers AM, Olson KE.Western equine encephalitis virus (WEEV) is a naturally occurring recombinant virus derived from ancestral Sindbis and Eastern equine encephalitis viruses. We previously showed that infection by WEEV isolates McMillan (McM) and IMP-181 (IMP) results in high (∼90-100%) and low (0%) mortality, respectively, in outbred CD-1 mice when virus is delivered by either subcutaneous or aerosol routes. However, relatively little is known about specific virulence determinants of WEEV. We previously observed that IMP infected Culex tarsalis mosquitoes at a high rate (app. 80%) following ingestion of an in...
Salat J, Ruzek D.Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE), a disease caused by tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), represents a serious neural infection of humans in Europe and Asia. The main reservoir hosts of TBEV are ticks, rodents and insectivores, but domestic animals may also be infected with the virus. This review summarizes what is known about TBE in domestic species (e.g., dogs, horses), in which infection may manifest with clinical signs similar to those seen in severe human cases. We also focus on TBE in ruminants where TBE infections are typically asymptomatic and do not cause health problems in the infecte...
Luna D, Vásquez RA, Rojas M, Tadich TA.Appropriate interventions to improve working equine welfare should be proposed according to scientific evidence that arises from different geo-cultural contexts. This study aims to assess and compare the welfare status of working horses in two administrative regions of Chile and to determine how owners perceive their horses. Horses' welfare status was assessed through direct indicators (direct observation and clinical examination) and indirect indicators (an interview with the owner). Owners' perceptions of their horses were determined through a discourse analysis of their statements. In total...
Bingham AM, Burkett-Cadena ND, Hassan HK, McClure CJ, Unnasch TR.Studies investigating winter transmission of Eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV) were conducted in Hillsborough County, Florida. The virus was detected in Culiseta melanura and Anopheles quadrimaculatus in February 2012 and 2013, respectively. During the winter months, herons were the most important avian hosts for all mosquito species encountered. In collections carried out in the summer of 2011, blood meals taken from herons were still common, but less frequently encountered than in winter, with an increased frequency of mammalian- and reptile-derived meals observed in the summer. Four ...
Tozaki T, Sato F, Hill EW, Miyake T, Endo Y, Kakoi H, Gawahara H, Hirota K, Nakano Y, Nambo Y, Kurosawa M.Myostatin is a member of the transforming growth factor-β family with a key role in inhibition of muscle growth by negative regulation of both myoblast proliferation and differentiation. Recently, a genomic region on ECA18, which includes the MSTN gene, was identified as a candidate region influencing racing performance in Thoroughbreds. In this study, four SNPs on ECA18, g.65809482T>C, g.65868604G>T, g.66493737C>T, and g.66539967A>G, were genotyped in 91 Thoroughbred horses-in-training to evaluate the association between genotype and body composition traits, including body weight...
Grause JF, Ueti MW, Nelson JT, Knowles DP, Kappmeyer LS, Bunn TO.Theileria equi, one of the causative agents of equine piroplasmosis, is endemic in many regions of the world but is considered a 'foreign' animal disease in the USA. In an effort to prevent the importation of T. equi, stringent serological screening of horses is practiced prior to entry to the USA. Current regulatory options available where horses are found to be infected include permanent quarantine with or without chemotherapy, repatriation, or euthanasia. Chemotherapeutics that eliminate infection and subsequently transmission risk are critical in the management of infected horses. In this ...
Kummer M, Geyer H, Imboden I, Auer J, Lischer C.The understanding of the normal position of the third phalanx (P3) and the distal sesamoid bone in relation to the size and shape of the hoof capsule in sound horses is helpful in the diagnosis of equine foot lameness. Some measurements on radiographs used to define the position of the pedal bone within the hoof capsule are significantly influenced by hoof trimming and the height of the withers. In this study, the front hooves of 40 Warmblood horses were radiographed twice, eight weeks apart, both before and after their hooves were trimmed by an experienced farrier. Using the software programm...
Durham AC, Pillitteri CA, San Myint M, Valli VE.Lymphoma is the most common malignant neoplasm in the horse. Single case reports and small retrospective studies of equine lymphomas are reported infrequently in the literature. A wide range of clinical presentations, tumor subtypes, and outcomes have been described, and the diversity of the results demonstrates the need to better define lymphomas in horses. As part of an initiative of the Veterinary Cooperative Oncology Group, 203 cases of equine lymphoma have been gathered from 8 institutions. Hematoxylin and eosin slides from each case were reviewed and 187 cases were immunophenotyped and c...
Qi T, Guo W, Huang W, Dai L, Zhao L, Li H, Li X, Zhang X, Wang Y, Yan Y, He N, Xiang W.During the 2007 outbreak of equine influenza (EIV) in China, an influenza virus designated A/donkey/Xinjiang/5/2007 (donkey/Xinjiang/2007) was isolated from a symptomatic donkey in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China. To analyze the genetic evolution of the new isolate, the hemagglutinin (HA) gene of donkey/Xinjiang/2007 was amplified and sequenced. Sequence alignment, prediction of glycosylation sites and phylogenetic analysis of the HA1 protein of donkey/Xinjiang/2007 showed most similarity to the Florida sublineage clade 2 of the American lineage of equine influenza viruses. The HA1 seq...
Roberts MM, Oroszlan S.Capsids of equine infectious anemia virus have been isolated as cone-shaped particles 60 x 120 nm in size. Detergent treatment of whole virus followed by two cycles of rate-zonal centrifugation in Ficoll produces these capsids in a yield of approximately 10%. The major protein components are the gag-encoded p11 nucleocapsid protein and p26 capsid protein, which are present in equimolar amounts. Substantial cleavage of p11 to p6 and p4 can be observed under conditions where the viral protease packaged in the capsid is enzymatically active.
Medina-Torres CE, Weese JS, Staempfli HR.Fecal samples were collected to establish the apparent prevalence of Clostridium difficile shedding in Standardbred and Thoroughbred racehorses housed at 4 racetracks and 2 breeding facilities, and in horses admitted to a referral large animal clinic. Forty-one (7.59%) of 540 racetrack horses, seven (5.83%) of 120 breeding farm horses, and four (4.88%) out of 82 horses admitted to the referral clinic were culture-positive for C. difficile. An overall fecal culture prevalence of 7.01% for C. difficile was identified in 742 fecal samples. PCR-ribotyping and toxin gene identification was performe...
Gugjoo MB, Amarpal , Makhdoomi DM, Sharma GT.Properties like sustained multiplication and self-renewal, and homing and multilineage differentiation to undertake repair of the damaged tissues make stem cells the lifeline for any living system. Therefore, stem cell therapy is regarded to carry immense therapeutic potential. Though the dearth of understanding about the basic biological properties and pathways involved in therapeutic benefits currently limit the application of stem cells in humans as well as animals, there are innumerable reports that suggest clinical benefits of stem cell therapy in equine. Among various stem cell sources, ...
