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.
Jeppesen A, Eyers R, Evans D, Ward MP, Quain A.Jumps racing is a form of Thoroughbred horse racing that involves hurdles and steeples and typically longer distances, and heavier weights compared with flat racing, which does not incorporate obstacles. In Australia, jumps racing is carried out only in Victoria, one of eight states and territories. The continuation of jumps racing is contentious due to the higher risk of fatalities, falls and injuries for horses, compared with flat racing. While measures have been introduced by the industry to improve the safety of riders and horses, the rates of fatalities, falls and injuries in horses parti...
Wang T, Li S, Hu X, Geng Y, Chen L, Liu W, Zhao J, Tian W, Wang C, Li Y, Li L.Equid alphaherpesvirus 8 (EqHV-8) is one of the most economically important viruses that is known to cause severe respiratory disease, abortion, and neurological syndromes in equines. However, no effective vaccines or therapeutic agents are available to control EqHV-8 infection. Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) is an antioxidant defense enzyme that displays significant cytoprotective effects against different viral infections. However, the literature on the function of HO-1 during EqHV-8 infection is little. We explored the effects of HO-1 on EqHV-8 infection and revealed its potential mechanisms. Our ...
McCrae P, Spong H, Mahnam A, Bashura Y, Pearson W.Several skin preparation techniques are used in electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring of horses. The objective of this study was to determine which methods produce the greatest signal quality using textile electrodes and standard silver/silver chloride (Ag/AgCl) electrodes. Electrocardiogram data were collected using textile and Ag/AgCl electrodes simultaneously for 4 skin preparation techniques in 6 horses. The effects of skin preparation (cleansing with isopropyl alcohol, with or without shaving the hair) and the effects of the application of a conductive gel were assessed using metrics of sign...
Worku A, Molla W, Kenubih A, Gizaw D, Muluneh A, Admassu B, Ejo M, Dagnaw GG, Bitew AB, Fentahun T, Getnet K, Dejene H, Berrie K, Ibrahim SM....This study aimed to estimate the prevalence, determine the distribution, and identify the epidemiological risk factors of EHV-1/-4 infections in selected districts of Northwest Amhara Region. 460 serum samples were collected from equines using multistage cluster sampling technique, and a competitive Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (cELISA) was performed. Various risk factors for the occurrence of EHV-1/-4 were considered. Statistical analysis was performed using R version 4.3.1. 65.9% (303) equids were tested positive for antibodies against EHV-1/-4. Based on district, the highest prevalence...
Raza A, Ijaz M, Mehmood K, Ahmed A, Javed MU, Anwaar F, Rasheed H, Ghumman NZ.Theileria equi is 1 of the emerging and prevailing tick-borne hemoprotozoans adversely affecting the equids worldwide, including Pakistan. The current study aimed to investigate the prevalence and molecular characterization of T. equi in working horses (n = 194), the comparative efficacy of different diagnostic tests, associated risk factors, and hematobiochemical analysis. The blood samples of horses were subjected to microscopic examination, cELISA, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and the results revealed a prevalence of 9.79, 21.13, and 13.40%, respectively, for T. equi in working horse...
Williams ZJ, Pezzanite LM, Hendrickson DA.Skin grafting is a simple technique that can be performed by equine practitioners to improve cosmetic outcomes in wounds with large skin defects that would not heal functionally or cosmetically with standard wound therapy interventions. Successful skin grafting is not difficult but relies upon appropriate preparation of the wound bed and effective immobilisation of the grafted area after skin graft placement. Prior to grafting, the wound bed should be treated with a moist wound healing dressing to prepare the granulation tissue bed to receive the graft. For best results, skin grafts should be ...
Anderson HC, Warner SF, Ripley NE, Nielsen MK.Tapeworm infection in horses can cause serious health concerns, and recent data have documented treatment failures in the most common species, Anoplocephala perfoliata. The threat of anthelmintic resistance in A. perfoliata is of particular concern because of poor diagnostic performance of standard egg counting techniques for detecting this parasite. This study compared the performance of three diagnostic techniques 1) Mini-FLOTAC, 2) Cornell-Wisconsin, and 3) Proudman and Edwards used to detect and quantify A. perfoliata eggs in naturally infected horses. Eighteen adult female horses from the...
Pelzel-McCluskey AM.Vesicular stomatitis (VS) is a vector-borne livestock disease caused by either VS New Jersey virus or VS Indiana virus. The disease circulates endemically in northern South America, Central America, and Mexico and only occasionally causes outbreaks in the United States. During the past 20 years, VS outbreaks in the southwestern and Rocky Mountain regions occurred periodically with incursion years followed by virus overwintering and subsequent expansion outbreak years. Regulatory response by animal health officials prevents spread from lesioned animals and manages trade impacts. Recent US outb...
Goehring L, Dorman DC, Osterrieder K, Burgess BA, Dougherty K, Gross P, Neinast C, Pusterla N, Soboll-Hussey G, Lunn DP.Equine herpes virus type 1 (EHV-1) infection in horses is associated with upper respiratory disease, neurological disease, abortions, and neonatal death. Objective: Does pharmacological therapy decrease either the incidence or severity of disease or infection caused by EHV-1 in domesticated horses? Methods: A systematic review was preformed searching AGRICOLA, CAB Abstracts, Cochrane, PubMed, Web of Science, and WHO Global Health Index Medicus Regional Databases to identify articles published before February 15, 2021. Selection criteria were original research reports published in peer reviewed...
Higgins C, Cohen ND, Slovis N, Boersma M, Gaonkar PP, Golden DR, Huber L.Antimicrobial residues excreted in the environment following antimicrobial treatment enhance resistant microbial communities in the environment and have long-term effects on the selection and maintenance of antimicrobial resistance genes (AMRGs). In this study, we focused on understanding the impact of antimicrobial use on antimicrobial residue pollution and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in the environment of horse-breeding farms. is an ideal microbe to study these associations because it lives naturally in the soil, exchanges AMRGs with other bacteria in the environment, and can cause disea...
Kim EY, Lee EJ, Kim RE, Kil TY, Kim MK.Amniotic fluid mesenchymal stem cells (AF-MSCs), which can be obtained from fetal tissue, reportedly have self-renewal capacity and multi-lineage differentiation potential. The aim of this study was to identify the biological characteristics of AF-MSCs and evaluate their stability and safety in long-term culture. To confirm the biological characteristics of AF-MSCs, morphology, proliferation capacity, karyotype, differentiation capacity, gene expression level, and immunophenotype were analyzed after isolating AF-MSCs from equine amniotic fluid. AF-MSCs were differentiated into adipocytes, chon...
Bello K, Lorch G, Papich MG, Kim K, Toribio RE, Yan L, Xie Z, Hill K, Phelps MA.Additional immunomodulatory treatment is needed for the management of immune-mediated disease in horses. Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) is an immunomodulatory agent used in human and veterinary medicine for the prevention of graft rejection and the management of autoimmune diseases. Few studies exist investigating the pharmacokinetics of MMF in horses. The aim of this study was to evaluate the pharmacokinetics of a single dose of MMF in healthy horses in the fed vs. fasted state. Six healthy Standardbred mares were administered MMF 10 mg/kg by a nasogastric (NG) tube in a fed and fasted state. ...
Hamad MH, Islam SI, Jitsamai W, Chinkangsadarn T, Naraporn D, Ouisuwan S, Taweethavonsawat P.The indiscriminate use of anthelmintics to control parasitic nematodes in horses has led to the emergence of anthelmintic resistance worldwide. However, there are no data available on using ivermectin for treating strongyle infections within domesticated horses in Thailand. Therefore, this study aimed to use the fecal egg count reduction (FECR) test to determine the strongylid egg reappearance period (ERP). Additionally, the nemabiome metabarcoding approach is incorporated to study patterns of strongyle species infection following ivermectin treatment. The study results indicate that, although...
Kang M, Lee S, Seo JP, Lee EB, Ahn D, Shin J, Paik YK, Jo D.The use of the FDA-approved osteoinductive growth factor BMP2 is widespread for bone regeneration. However, its clinical application has been hindered by limitations in cell permeability and a short half-life in circulation. To address this issue, we have developed a modified version of BMP2, referred to as Cell Permeable (CP)-BMP2, which possesses improved cell permeability. CP-BMP2 incorporates an advanced macromolecular transduction domain (aMTD) to facilitate transfer across the plasma membrane, a solubilization domain, and recombinant human BMP2. Compared to traditional rhBMP2, CP-BMP2 ex...
Julia M, Felippe B.The clinical manifestation of recurrent fevers and infections alerts the clinician to the possibility of an underlying immunodeficiency. Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) in the horse is a rare late-onset, non-familial immunologic disorder of B cell depletion and/or dysfunction with resultant inadequate antibody production. The most common clinical presentations in horses with CVID are recurrent upper and/or lower respiratory infections, meningitis and/or ataxia, cholangiohepatitis, infectious colitis, infectious dermatitis, and severe gastrointestinal parasitism. Immune-mediated and lym...
Ali AAH, Abdallah F, Shemies OA, Kotb G, Nafea MR.Equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) is a major cause of abortion and respiratory disease. Equine herpesvirus type 4 (EHV-4), on the other hand, is exclusively associated with respiratory disease in horse populations worldwide, particularly in Egypt and Arabian countries. Unassigned: This study aims to investigate the circulation of EHV-1 and EHV-4 in the Arabian horse population through molecular detection and genetic characterization of EHV-1 and/or EHV-4 that may threaten the stability of horse industry. Unassigned: A total of 80 samples including 50 nasal swabs, 10 vaginal swabs and 20 whole ...
Hüttl J, Reitt K, Meli ML, Meili T, Bönzli E, Pineroli B, Ginders J, Schoster A, Jones S, Tyson GB, Hosie MJ, Pusterla N, Wernike K....Horses and cattle have shown low susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2, and there is no evidence of experimental intraspecies transmission. Nonetheless, seropositive horses in the US and seropositive cattle in Germany and Italy have been reported. The current study investigated the prevalence of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in horses and cattle in Switzerland. In total, 1940 serum and plasma samples from 1110 horses and 830 cattle were screened with a species-specific ELISA based on the SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain (RBD) and, in the case of suspect positive results, a surrogate virus neutralizat...
Oliveira Orsi R, Zaluski R, de Barros LC, Barraviera B, Pimenta DC, Ferreira Junior RS.Africanized bees have spread across the Americas since 1956 and consequently resulted in human and animal deaths attributed to massive attacks related to exposure from Argentina to the USA. In Brazil, more than 100,000 accidents were registered in the last 5 years with a total of 303 deaths. To treat such massive attacks, Brazilian researchers developed the first specific antivenom against Africanized honey bee sting exposure. This unique product, the first of its kind in the world, has been safely tested in 20 patients during a Phase 2 clinical trial. To develop the antivenom, a standardize...
Schilling M, Dunkel B, Floyd T, Hicks D, Nunez A, Steinbach F, Folly AJ, Johnson N.We report fatal West Nile virus (WNV) infection in a 7-year-old mare returning to the United Kingdom from Spain. Case timeline and clustering of virus sequence with recent WNV isolates suggest that transmission occurred in Andalusía, Spain. Our findings highlight the importance of vaccination for horses traveling to WNV-endemic regions.
Girma T, Chala G, Mekibib B.Epizootic lymphangitis is an infectious and chronically debilitating disease of the equines. Histoplasma capsulatum var. farciminosum, a thermally dimorphic fungi, is the causative agent for the disease. In Ethiopia, the disease significantly affects carthorses, posing threats to animal welfare, and resulting in substantial economic losses. Limited availability of widely accessible antifungals in addition to the chronic nature of the disease is the major challenge against management of epizootic lymphangitis. This study aimed to assess the in vitro efficacy of specific local medicinal plant ex...
Faghihzadeh Gorji F, Sadr S, Eshrati H, Borji H.Worldwide, equines are affected by equine filariosis, an endemic vector-borne disease caused by heterogenous parasitic nematodes. The main objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of filarial infection among horses in the North and Northeast of Iran. Between October 2021 and July 2022, 145 equine blood samples were investigated, of which 49 cases were from the northeast and 96 were from the north of Iran. Blood samples were taken for microfilariae using Knott's method. Out of 145 blood samples, only 2 cases (1.37%) from northern Iran were positive for microfilaria of , and no po...
Tuomisto L, Virtanen J, Kegler K, Levanov L, Sukura A, Sironen T, Kareskoski M.Squamous cell carcinoma is the most common genital, ocular and gastric tumour in horses. Equus caballus papillomavirus type 2 (EcPV2) DNA has been detected in several studies in equine penile squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) and precursor lesions providing evidence of a causal role of EcPV2 in equine genital SCCs. Recently, EcPV2 E6/E7 nucleic acids were also detected in equine gastric SCCs, but further studies are required to determine the role of EcPV2 infection in the pathogenesis of gastric SCC. EcPV2 nucleic acids have been rarely described in ocular SCCs and precursor lesions. To investig...
Qasem B, Dąbrowska A, Króliczewski J, Łyczko J, Marycz K.Equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) is a significant global health concern in veterinary medicine. There is increasing interest in utilizing molecular agents to modulate hepatocyte function for potential clinical applications. Recent studies have shown promising results in inhibiting protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP1B) to maintain cell function in various models. In this study, we investigated the effects of the inhibitor Trodusquemine (MSI-1436) on equine hepatic progenitor cells (HPCs) under lipotoxic conditions. We examined proliferative activity, glucose uptake, and mitochondrial morphogenesi...
Bond S, Léguillette R.Nebulized administration of dexamethasone on cytokine regulation in horses with moderate asthma has not been investigated. Objective: To investigate the changes in expression of inflammatory cytokine mRNA after nebulized administration of dexamethasone treatment of horses with moderate asthma. Methods: Horses with naturally occurring moderate asthma (n = 16) and healthy control horses (n = 4). All horses were kept in a dusty environment during the study. Methods: Prospective, parallel, randomized, controlled, blinded clinical trial. Blood endogenous cortisol, tracheal mucus, and bronch...
Palmisano M, Kulp J, Bender S, Stefanovski D, Robinson M, Johnson A.Eight-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), a biomarker of oxidative damage evaluated in human neurodegenerative disease, has potential to correlate with postmortem diagnosis of neuroaxonal dystrophy/degenerative myeloencephalopathy (NAD/DM) in horses. Objective: We hypothesized that 8-OHdG will be higher in CSF and serum from NAD/DM horses compared with horses with other neurologic diseases (CVSM, EPM) and a control group of neurologically normal horses. We also hypothesized that 8-OHdG will be higher in CSF compared with serum from NAD/DM horses. Methods: Fifty client-owned horses with postmor...
Michotte M, Raes E, Oosterlinck M.The diagnostic value of plain radiography for diagnosing synovial penetration in limb wounds near synovial structures has not been determined. Objective: To assess diagnostic accuracy of plain radiography to identify synovial penetration in horses with traumatic limb wounds. Methods: Retrospective case study. Methods: Case records of horses presented to the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of Ghent University (2011-2021) with limb wounds near synovial structures were categorised in groups with and without synovial penetration using results of synovial fluid analysis and surgical findings. Plain ...
Bierau J, Cruz AM, Koch C, Manso-Diaz G, Büttner K, Staszyk C, Röcken M.Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) is regarded as a convenient and suitable alternative to conventional computed tomography. However, in the horse, the quality of obtained data sets needs to be evaluated. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare the visibility and accessibility of clinically relevant anatomical structures displayed in CBCT and conventional multidetector computed tomography (MDCT). Unassigned: Twenty-nine limbs from horses euthanized for reasons unrelated to this study were used. Native and intraarticular contrast scans of the fetlock (CBCT vs. MDCT) were performed. Th...
Li J, Sánchez-García R.This paper provides an overview of the Chinese equestrian policy documents and regulations from 1978 to 2022. While the horse business is shifting from traditional to leisure and sport pattern in China, through the analysis of the policies and regulations. Unassigned: This paper aims to provide a concise overview of the government's policies which growth of equestrian sports in China over the past four decades (since 1978). Unassigned: Under the guidance of Whitemore and Knafl's 5-step approach to policy analysis, a systematic analysis of policy content, context, and governance processes is co...
Eichler F, Ehrle A, Machnik M, Jensen KC, Wagner S, Baudisch N, Bolk J, Pötzsch M, Thevis M, Bäumer W, Lischer C, Wiegard M.As a remedy against stress and anxiety, cannabidiol (CBD) products are of increasing interest in veterinary medicine. Limited data is available describing the actual effectiveness of CBD in horses. The aim of this study (part 2 of 2) was to analyze stress parameters via behavioral observation, heart rate monitoring and assessment of blood and saliva cortisol levels in healthy horses treated repeatedly with a CBD containing paste. Twelve horses were randomly assigned to a treatment or a control group. Two pastes were orally administered in a double-blinded study design, one paste containing CBD...
Giguère S, Berghaus LJ, Willingham-Lane JM.Pneumonia caused by remains an important cause of disease and death in foals. The combination of a macrolide (erythromycin, azithromycin, or clarithromycin) with rifampin has been the recommended treatment for foals with clinical signs of infection caused by since the early 1980s with, until recently, only rare reports of resistance. Resistance to macrolides and rifampin in isolates of cultured from horses is increasing, with isolates resistant to all macrolides and rifampin now being cultured from up to 40% of infected foals at some farms. This text reviews the available data regarding ant...
Clabough DL, Gebhard D, Flaherty MT, Whetter LE, Perry ST, Coggins L, Fuller FJ.An adult horse infected with a virulent, cell culture-adapted strain of equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) developed cyclical thrombocytopenia in which the nadir of platelet counts coincided with peak febrile responses. In order to investigate the mechanism of thrombocytopenia during acute febrile episodes, four adult horses were experimentally infected with the wild-type Wyoming strain of EIAV. Platelet counts decreased from baseline as rectal temperature increased. Serum reverse transcriptase activity increased above background levels in all horses, coincident with increase in rectal temp...
Robinson NE, Karmaus W, Holcombe SJ, Carr EA, Derksen FJ.Although subclinical airway inflammation is thought to be common in horses, there is little information on its prevalence and none on risk factors. Objective: To determine the prevalence and risk factors for an increased number of inflammatory cells and for mucus accumulation in the trachea of pleasure horses. Methods: Horses (n = 266) in stables (n = 21) in Michigan were examined endoscopically, once in winter and once in summer 2004. Visible tracheal mucoid secretions were graded 0-5 and inflammatory cell numbers counted in a tracheal lavage sample. Information collected about each horse inc...
Nielsen MK, Steuer AE, Anderson HP, Gavriliuc S, Carpenter AB, Redman EM, Gilleard JS, Reinemeyer CR, Poissant J.Macrocyclic lactones have been the most widely used drugs for equine parasite control during the past four decades. Unlike ivermectin, moxidectin exhibits efficacy against encysted cyathostomin larvae, and is reported to have persistent efficacy with substantially longer egg reappearance periods. However, shortened egg reappearance periods have been reported recently for both macrocyclic lactones, and these findings have raised several questions: (i) are egg reappearance period patterns different after ivermectin or moxidectin treatment? (ii) Are shortened egg reappearance periods associated w...
Barr BS, Waldridge BM, Morresey PR, Reed SM, Clark C, Belgrave R, Donecker JM, Weigel DJ.Although antimicrobial-associated diarrhoea (AAD) is the most frequently observed adverse effect of antimicrobial therapy in horses, few multicentred studies on the prevalence of AAD have been performed. Objective: To determine the prevalence of AAD in horses that developed diarrhoea after antimicrobial treatment for nondiarrhoeic conditions and identify the antimicrobials used. Methods: The 2009 database of 3 referral hospitals was searched to identify nonhospitalised horses (weanling age or older) treated with antimicrobials for nongastrointestinal conditions. Horses with these criteria that...
Ribeiro MG, de Morais ABC, Alves AC, Bolaños CAD, de Paula CL, Portilho FVR, de Nardi Júnior G, Lara GHB, de Souza Araújo Martins L, Moraes LS....Klebsiella species, particularly K. pneumoniae, are well-known opportunistic enterobacteria related to complexity of clinical infections in humans and animals, commonly refractory to conventional therapy. The domestic animals may represent a source of the pathogenic and multidrug-resistant Klebsiella species to humans. Nevertheless, most studies involving Klebsiella-induced infections in domestic animals are restricted to case reports or outbreaks. We retrospectively investigated selected epidemiological data, clinical aspects, and in vitro susceptibility pattern of 697 non-repetitive Klebsiel...
Witzel DA, Smith EL, Wilson RD, Aguirre GD.Electroretinographic studies of myctalopic Appaloosa horses demonstrated photopic and scotopic abnormalities similar to those in humans with congenital stationary night blindness (CSNB) of the Schubert-Bornschein type. The phototopic abnormalities consisted of reduced b-wave amplitudes and slower than normal b-wave implict time. The dark-adapted ERG's consisted of a simple negative potential; the scotopic b-wave was nonrecordable. However, a normal c-wave was present in the dark-adapted response. Histologic studies demonstrated no structural abnormalities that could explain the functional defe...
Ishihara A, Reed SM, Rajala-Schultz PJ, Robertson JT, Bertone AL.To evaluate use of kinetic gait analysis for detection, quantification, and differentiation of hind limb lameness and spinal ataxia in horses. Methods: Prospective clinical study. Methods: 36 horses. Procedures-Kinetic gait analysis with a force plate was performed for 12 clinically normal horses, 12 horses with hind limb lameness, and 12 horses with spinal ataxia. Kinetic variables were compared among groups, correlated to subjective grading, and used to build predictive models to assess the accuracy of discrimination. Results: Subsets of kinetic variables were characteristically altered in a...
Negussie H, Gizaw D, Tessema TS, Nauwynck HJ.Although equine herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy (EHM) is a sporadic and relatively uncommon manifestation of equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1), it has the potential for causing devastating outbreaks in horses. Up till now, there were no reported EHM outbreaks in donkeys and mules. This study describes the isolation and molecular characterization of EHV-1 from clinically EHM-affected horses (n = 6), mules (n = 3) and donkeys (n = 82) in Ethiopia during outbreaks from May 2011 to December 2013. The incidence of EHM cases was higher from April to mid-June. EHM in donkeys was more severe and deat...
Velie BD, Shrestha M, Franҫois L, Schurink A, Tesfayonas YG, Stinckens A, Blott S, Ducro BJ, Mikko S, Thomas R, Swinburne JE, Sundqvist M....While susceptibility to hypersensitive reactions is a common problem amongst humans and animals alike, the population structure of certain animal species and breeds provides a more advantageous route to better understanding the biology underpinning these conditions. The current study uses Exmoor ponies, a highly inbred breed of horse known to frequently suffer from insect bite hypersensitivity, to identify genomic regions associated with a type I and type IV hypersensitive reaction. A total of 110 cases and 170 controls were genotyped on the 670K Axiom Equine Genotyping Array. Quality control ...
Stout TA, Allen WR.Between at least day 9 and day 16 after ovulation the spherical equine conceptus migrates continuously throughout the uterine lumen, propelled by peristaltic myometrial contractions. This unusually long period of intrauterine movement ensures that the conceptus delivers its anti-luteolytic signal to the entire endometrium to achieve luteostasis. The present experiment tested the hypothesis that prostaglandins stimulate the myometrial contractions that result in the migration of the conceptus. Serial ultrasonographic examinations of the uteri of eight mares performed during 2 h periods between ...
Ludwig EK, Brandon Wiese R, Graham MR, Tyler AJ, Settlage JM, Werre SR, Petersson-Wolfe CS, Kanevsky-Mullarky I, Dahlgren LA.To investigate the serum and synovial fluid serum amyloid A (SAA) response in equine models of synovitis and septic arthritis and to compare handheld and validated immunoturbidometric assays for SAA quantification. Methods: Controlled, experimental study. Methods: Healthy adult horses (n = 9). Methods: Synovitis (n = 4) and septic arthritis (n = 5) were induced using lipopolysaccharide and Staphylococcus aureus, respectively, and serial serum and synovial fluid samples were collected. Serial synovial fluid cytology was performed for both models and synovial fluid from the septic ar...
Löfstedt J.White muscle disease (nutritional myodegeneration) of foals is a peracute to subacute myodegenerative disease affecting skeletal and cardiac muscle. It is caused by a dietary deficiency of selenium and vitamin E, usually in association with predisposing factors such as a high intake of dietary unsaturated fats or unaccustomed exercise. White muscle disease has been observed in foals from birth to 1 year of age, particularly those foals born to dams fed selenium-deficient diets, during gestation. The disease in foals may present as an acute, fulminant syndrome, which is rapidly fatal, or a suba...
Lagutina I, Lazzari G, Duchi R, Colleoni S, Ponderato N, Turini P, Crotti G, Galli C.The objective of the present work was to investigate and clarify the factors affecting the efficiency of somatic cell nuclear transfer (NT) in the horse, including embryo reconstruction, in vitro culture to the blastocyst stage, embryo transfer, pregnancy monitoring and production of offspring. Matured oocytes, with zona pellucida or after zona removal, were fused to cumulus cells, granulosa cells, and fetal and adult fibroblasts, and fused couplets were cultured in vitro. Blastocyst development to Day 8 varied significantly among donor cells (from 1.3% to 16%, P < 0.05). In total, 137 nuclear...
Otten N, von Tscharner C, Lazary S, Antczak DF, Gerber H.Nucleotide sequences of bovine papillomavirus (BPV) DNA amplified by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) from samples of equine sarcoid skin tumours were determined. All naturally occurring sarcoids (n = 58 tumours from 32 horses and 2 donkeys) contained BPV-DNA. All but 3 of the genome fragments belonged to the BPV type 1 strain (BPV-1); the remaining were BPV type 2. Similar results were obtained with cutaneous bovine papillomas used as controls (n = 20). One of the horses, carrying 2 sarcoids, was particularly interesting; one tumour contained BPV-1 DNA whilst the other sarcoid yielded BPV-...
Teyssèdre S, Dupuis MC, Guérin G, Schibler L, Denoix JM, Elsen JM, Ricard A.A genome-wide association study for osteochondrosis (OC) in French Trotter horses was carried out to detect QTL using genotype data from the Illumina EquineSNP50 BeadChip assay. Analysis data came from 161 sire families of French Trotter horses with 525 progeny and family sizes ranging from 1 to 20. Genotypes were available for progeny (n = 525) and sires with at least 2 progeny (n = 98). Radiographic data were obtained from progeny using at least 10 views to reveal OC. All radiographic findings were described by at least 2 veterinary experts in equine orthopedics, and severity indices (scores...
Potter SJ, Bamford NJ, Harris PA, Bailey SR.To determine the prevalence of obesity within a population of pleasure horses and ponies in Victoria, Australia, and to compare owners' perceptions of their animals' body condition with researchers' assessments. Methods: An observational study plus owner questionnaire. Methods: Ten Pony Club rallies in different regions of Victoria were attended. Information regarding 229 horses and ponies were obtained from owner questionnaires, and owners' perceptions of the current body condition of their animals were assessed using a visual analogue scale. Body condition score (BCS) was assessed by the res...
Skedros JG, Sorenson SM, Jenson NH.In cortical bone, basic multicellular units (BMUs) produce secondary osteons that mediate adaptations, including variations in their population densities and cross-sectional areas. Additional important BMU-related adaptations might include atypical secondary osteon morphologies (zoned, connected, drifting, elongated, multiple canal). These variants often reflect osteonal branching that enhances toughness by increasing interfacial (cement line) complexity. If these characteristics correlate with strain mode/magnitude-related parameters of habitual loading, then BMUs might produce adaptive diffe...
Rwambo PM, Issel CJ, Hussain KA, Montelaro RC.A neutralization escape mutant (A/1 E) of equine infectious anemia virus was isolated after 13 passages in cell culture in the presence of serum containing antibodies to type- and group-specific determinants of EIAV envelope glycoproteins. Loss of neutralization by the selecting serum correlated with loss of two epitopes in the major envelope glycoprotein gp90 of A/1 E which were present in a parallel variant isolated from a persistently infected pony.
van Loon G.Arrhythmias are common in horses. Sinus arrhythmia and first- and second-degree atrioventricular block are frequently found physiologic arrhythmias, but should immediately disappear after stress or exercise. Atrial premature depolarizations are usually not associated with poor performance, but are a potential trigger for atrial fibrillation. Atrial fibrillation results in an abnormal ventricular response during exercise and poses a risk for collapse in some horses. This arrhythmia can usually be treated by quinidine sulfate or transvenous electrical cardioversion. Ventricular premature depolar...
Bragança FM, Bosch S, Voskamp JP, Marin-Perianu M, Van der Zwaag BJ, Vernooij JCM, van Weeren PR, Back W.Inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensor-based techniques are becoming more popular in horses as a tool for objective locomotor assessment. Objective: To describe, evaluate and validate a method of stride detection and quantification at walk and trot using distal limb mounted IMU sensors. Methods: Prospective validation study comparing IMU sensors and motion capture with force plate data. Methods: A total of seven Warmblood horses equipped with metacarpal/metatarsal IMU sensors and reflective markers for motion capture were hand walked and trotted over a force plate. Using four custom built algo...
Armstrong SK, Woodgate RG, Gough S, Heller J, Sangster NC, Hughes KJ.This study was performed to estimate the prevalence of patent Parascaris equorum infections and determine the efficacy of ivermectin, pyrantel and fenbendazole against P. equorum infection in foals on farms in southern Australia. Foals aged >3 months on five farms in the south-western slopes region of New South Wales were used. Faeces were collected from each foal and foals with a P. equorum faecal egg count (FEC) of >100 eggs per gram (EPG) were used to measure anthelmintic efficacy using the FEC reduction (FECR) test, after random allocation to a control group or an ivermectin, pyrante...
Marycz K, Kornicka K, Irwin-Houston JM, Weiss C.Endocrine disorders have become more and more frequently diagnosed in humans and animals. In horses, equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) is characterized by insulin resistance, hyperleptinemia, hyperinsulinemia, inflammation and usually by pathological obesity. Due to an increased inflammatory response in the adipose tissue, cytophysiological properties of adipose derived stem cells (ASC) have been impaired, which strongly limits their therapeutic potential. Excessive accumulation of reactive oxygen species, mitochondria deterioration and accelerated ageing of those cells affect their multipotency...
Latson KM, Nieto JE, Beldomenico PM, Snyder JR.The most common cause of death as a direct result of colic is acute circulatory failure secondary to intestinal ischaemia. Early and accurate recognition of ischaemic bowel is essential to decrease complications and increase survival. Blood to peritoneal lactate values have been evaluated as a prognostic indicator, but lactate values characterised by type of lesion have not been reported. Objective: Plasma and peritoneal lactate values are higher in horses with intestinal ischaemia secondary to a strangulating obstruction (ISSO). Methods: Venous blood and peritoneal fluid were collected sequen...
Spirito F, Charlesworth A, Linder K, Ortonne JP, Baird J, Meneguzzi G.Recent achievements in the genetic correction of keratinocytes isolated from patients with junctional epidermolysis bullosa have paved the way to a gene therapy approach for the disease. Because gene therapy protocols require preclinical validation in animals, we have characterized spontaneous animal models of junctional epidermolysis bullosa. In this study we have elucidated the genetic basis of the hereditary junctional mechanobullous disease in the Belgian horse, a condition characterized by blistering of the skin and mouth epithelia, and exungulation (loss of the hoof). Immunofluorescence ...
Sandmeyer LS, Breaux CB, Archer S, Grahn BH.To determine the prevalence of congenital stationary night blindness (CSNB) in Appaloosa horses in western Canada, investigate the association with the leopard complex of white spotting patterns, and further characterize the clinical and electroretinographic aspects of CSNB in the Appaloosa. Methods: Three groups of 10 Appaloosas were studied based on coat patterns suggestive of LpLp, Lplp, and lplp genotype. Methods: Neurophthalmic examination, slit-lamp biomicroscopy, indirect ophthalmoscopy, measurement of corneal diameter, streak retinoscopy, scotopic and photopic full-field and flicker ER...
Laval K, Poelaert KCK, Van Cleemput J, Zhao J, Vandekerckhove AP, Gryspeerdt AC, Garré B, van der Meulen K, Baghi HB, Dubale HN, Zarak I....Equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) is an alphaherpesvirus related to pseudorabies virus (PRV) and varicella-zoster virus (VZV). This virus is one of the major pathogens affecting horses worldwide. EHV-1 is responsible for respiratory disorders, abortion, neonatal foal death and equine herpes myeloencephalopathy (EHM). Over the last decade, EHV-1 has received growing attention due to the frequent outbreaks of abortions and/or EHM causing serious economical losses to the horse industry worldwide. To date, there are no effective antiviral drugs and current vaccines do not provide full protection a...
Laus F, Spaterna A, Faillace V, Veronesi F, Ravagnan S, Beribé F, Cerquetella M, Meligrana M, Tesei B.Interest in the welfare and diseases of donkeys is constantly increasing in several countries. Despite this, clinical research into donkeys needs to be in continual development since they show different reactions compared to horses in many conditions, including infectious diseases, and need specific clinical and therapeutic approaches. No reports are currently available on clinical and clinical pathology data regarding donkeys with natural piroplasms infection. Results: Venous blood samples were taken from one hundred and thirty eight donkeys and underwent indirect fluorescent antibody test (I...
de Heus P, Kolodziejek J, Camp JV, Dimmel K, Bagó Z, Hubálek Z, van den Hoven R, Cavalleri JV, Nowotny N.We report details of the first seven equine cases of confirmed West Nile neuroinvasive disease in Austria. The cases presented during summer and autumn of 2016 (n = 2), 2017 (n = 3) and 2018 (n = 2). All horses showed gait abnormalities and 6 of 7 horses exhibited fasciculations and/or tremors, and we provide video recordings of these. Three horses also showed cranial nerve involvement. Following rapid improvement, three horses were discharged. Four horses were euthanized due to the severity of clinical signs and subjected to neuropathological examination. West Nile virus (WNV) lineage 2...
Sears K, Knowles D, Dinkel K, Mshelia PW, Onzere C, Silva M, Fry L.Control of , the primary cause of equine theileriosis, is largely reliant on acaracide use and chemosterilization with imidocarb dipropionate (ID). However, it is currently unknown if ID is effective against , the recently identified second causative agent of equine theileriosis, or if the drug maintains effectiveness against in the presence of co-infection. The purpose of this study was to address these questions using ID treatment of the following three groups of horses: (1) five infected horses; (2) three - infected horses; and (3) three - infected horses. Clearance was first evaluated u...
