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.
Enriquez CK, Morrow JK, Graves A, Johnson A.Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) caused by Sarcocystis neurona remains an antemortem diagnostic challenge in some horses. Recent work suggested the use of real-time PCR (rtPCR) on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) as a promising diagnostic tool. Objective: To evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of S. neurona rtPCR on CSF for EPM diagnosis using horses with EPM and S. neurona-seropositive horses with other neurologic conditions. Methods: Ninety-nine horses with neurologic disease that underwent complete neurologic examination, CSF collection, and, if euthanized, necropsy including the cent...
Loubière C, Moreau P, Marine R, Hélie P, Jean D.The objectives of this study were to quantify lymphocytes and eosinophils in the mucosa of the duodenum and rectum in asthmatic horses. Asthmatic horses were evaluated in a symptomatic (after 6 weeks of exposure to moldy hay) and asymptomatic status (3 and 7 months after being fed alfalfa pellets [n = 4] or treated with inhaled fluticasone [6]). Duodenal and rectal biopsies were endoscopically (n = 4 to 6) taken in each horse. Eosinophils were counted on slides stained with hematoxylin, eosin, phloxine, and saffron, and immunohistochemistry was used to evaluate T and B lymphocytes using CD3 an...
Cantatore F, Pagliara E, Marcatili M, Bertuglia A.Obtaining a healthy wound environment that is conductive to healing in horses can be challenging. Negative-pressure wound therapy (NPWT) has been employed in humans to enhance wound healing for decades. The existing evidence for the effectiveness of NPWT remains uncertain in equine medicine. The aim of this review is to investigate NPWT applications and benefits in horses. A scoping review was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines for scoping reviews on three databases (PubMed, Web of Science-Thompson Reuters, and Wiley...
Laus F, Gialletti R, Bazzano M, Laghi L, Dini F, Marchegiani A.Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common cause of lameness in sport horses with a significant economic impact. The prevention of OA is crucial since no effective treatment is available. This study aimed to apply untargeted metabolomic analysis to investigate the differences in synovial fluid (SF) composition between healthy and OA-affected joints in horses. SF collected from healthy (n.8) and OA (n.11) horses was analyzed using H-NMR analysis. Metabolomic analysis allowed 55 different metabolites to be identified and quantified in SF samples. Nineteen metabolites were found to be differently concentrat...
Rogers LJ.The specialized functions of each hemisphere of the vertebrate brain are summarized together with the current evidence of lateralized behavior in farm and companion animals, as shown by the eye or ear used to attend and respond to stimuli. Forelimb preference is another manifestation of hemispheric lateralization, as shown by differences in behavior between left- and right-handed primates, left- and right-pawed dogs and cats, and left- and right-limb-preferring horses. Left-limb preference reflects right hemisphere use and is associated with negative cognitive bias. Positive cognitive bias is ...
Cox A, Stewart AJ.Insect Bite Hypersensitivity (IBH, Queensland itch, sweet itch, equine summer eczema) is the most common pruritic disease of horses. It is most often caused by sensitivity to the saliva of spp. of biting midges; however, it can also be caused by hypersensitivity to other insect species. The prevalence of IBH in horses is reported to be as high as 60% in some parts of the world. Due to the severe pruritus and effects of secondary self-trauma, IBH has animal welfare concerns, and there is currently no cure. Management of this condition is life-long, time consuming and costly. New grading system...
Patton ME, Andrews FM, Bogers SH, Wong D, McKenzie HC, Werre SR, Byron CR.Ileus is a common life-threatening problem in horses, and currently available treatments may be ineffective. The purpose of this study was to determine whether bit chewing, a form of sham feeding, decreases the gastric emptying time (GET), small intestinal transit time (SITT), and total orocecal transit time (OCTT) in clinically normal horses in a prospective crossover study. Nine healthy horses were acclimated and fed a standardized diet. Following 24 h of fasting, self-contained video endoscopy capsules and acetaminophen were administered into the stomach via a nasogastric tube. Each horse u...
Bertin FR, Frank N, Breuhaus BA, Schott HC, Kritchevsky JE.Equine thyroid disorders pose a diagnostic challenge in clinical practice because of the effects of nonthyroidal factors on the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis, and the horse's ability to tolerate wide fluctuations in thyroid hormone concentrations and survive without a thyroid gland. While benign thyroid tumours are common in older horses, other disorders like primary hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism in adult horses and congenital hypothyroidism in foals are rare. There is a common misunderstanding regarding hypothyroidism in adult horses, especially when associated with the clinical pro...
Antonioli ML, Canola PA, de Carvalho JRG, Fonseca MG, Ferraz GC.It is important to understand the effects of hoof trimming on hoof and limb conformation to maximize its benefits on the health of the appendicular skeleton of horses, thus promoting improvements in athletic performance and sporting longevity with regard to athletic horses. There is little information on possible changes in the angulation of the thoracic limb joints after hoof trimming and correlations between the angulation of the thoracic limb joints with hoof measurements. To that purpose, nineteen Mangalarga mares received routine hoof trimming. Visual recordings (photographs) were taken b...
Bohlman T, Waddell H, Schumaker B.The occurrence of zoonotic infections following an animal exposure continues to be an important consideration for all patients, especially those within agricultural communities. Streptococcus equi subspecies equi (S. equi subsp. equi) is a bacteria known to cause a common infection called 'Strangles' in horses. This article highlights a new case of pneumonia and bacteremia in a patient caused by S. equi subsp. equi following strangles exposure in a horse. Rarely has there been reported horse to human transmission of subsp. equi. Methods: A 70-year-old woman attended a rural emergency departmen...
Hoblick S, Denagamage TN, Morton AJ, McCarrel TM.Post-anaesthetic fever is a known complication of general anaesthesia, however, its incidence in horses undergoing elective magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is unknown. Objective: To determine the incidence of post-anaesthetic fever in horses undergoing elective orthopaedic MRI and determine whether prophylactic antimicrobial therapy would be associated with a reduction in the incidence of post-anaesthetic fever. We hypothesised that prophylactic antimicrobials would be associated with a reduction in the incidence of post-anaesthetic fever. Methods: Retrospective cross-sectional study. Methods...
Pozharskiy A, Abdrakhmanova A, Beishova I, Shamshidin A, Nametov A, Ulyanova T, Bekova G, Kikebayev N, Kovalchuk A, Ulyanov V, Turabayev A....Horses are traditionally used in Kazakhstan as a source of food and as working and saddle animals as well. Here, for the first time, microarray-based medium-density single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping of six traditionally defined types and breeds of indigenous Kazakh horses was conducted to reveal their genetic structure and find markers associated with animal size and weight. The results showed that the predefined separation between breeds and sampled populations was not supported by the molecular data. The lack of genetic variation between breeds and populations was revealed by t...
Frippiat T, Art T, Tosi I.Airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) and inflammation are both observed in human and equine asthma. The aim of this study was to assess the timeline and relationship of both features at the subclinical onset of severe equine asthma (SEA). First, the repeatability of the pulmonary function test (PFT) using impulse oscillometry system, and the methacholine bronchoprovocation test (BPT) were assessed at a 1-day interval on six SEA horses in clinical remission and six control horses. Then, clinical and ancillary tests were performed before and after a 1-week low-dust environmental challenge, including...
Latham E, Scherrer NM, Stefanovski D.To compare the measurement of intraocular pressure in horses with clinical ocular disease using three tonometry devices. Conclusions: All three tonometers showed strong agreement, however, the TonoVet and the TonoVet Plus carried the strongest agreement with the TonoVet Plus having slightly higher measurements overall compared with the TonoVet. Due to small variations between devices, it is recommended that the same device be used for serial measurements of intraocular pressure. However, all three devices are appropriate to use in horses presented for ophthalmic evaluation.
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 star anise oil from the fruit (without or with the presence of plant leaves) of Illicium verum Hook.f., when used as a sensory additive in feed and water for drinking for all animal species. For long-living and reproductive animals, the Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (FEEDAP) considered of low concern the use of the additive in complete feed at 0.6 mg/kg for laying hens and rabbits, 1.0 mg/kg for sows and dairy cows, 1.6 mg/kg f...
Hepworth-Warren KL, Estell K, Cowles B, Amodie D, Crisman M.Serum amyloid A (SAA) is a major acute phase protein in horses which could be a useful tool for assessing clinical response to treatment of bacterial pneumonia in adult horses.
Jondeau C, Guyonnet A, Losada A, Laloy E, Reyes-Gomez E, Le Dudal M, Chahory S.To describe a case of lipogranulomatous conjunctivitis in a horse. Methods: A client-owned 12-year-old Standardbred gelding presenting with chronic conjunctivitis and palpebral masses. Methods: Complete ophthalmic examination, surgical excision, histopathology, and bacterial culture of biopsy samples were performed. Results: Upper and lower eyelids of both eyes were affected, with multiple yellow-to-white nodules on the palpebral conjunctiva, adjacent to the eyelid margin. Nodule removal was achieved via partial tarsal plate excision. Histopathological examination revealed granulomatous inflam...
Amory H, Cesarini C, De Maré L, Loublier C, Moula N, Detilleux J, Saulmont M, Garigliany MM, Lecoq L.The objective of this retrospective study was to evaluate the clinical significance of fecal quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) results when taking the cycle threshold values (Ct) into account. The study included 120 qPCR-positive fecal samples obtained from 88 hospitalized horses over a 2-year period. The mean Ct of the qPCR test was evaluated in regard to (1) clinical outcome and (2) systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) status (no SIRS, moderate SIRS, or severe SIRS) of the sampled horses. An ROC analysis was performed to establish the optimal cut-off Ct valu...
El-Hage C, Legione A, Devlin J, Hughes K, Jenkins C, Gilkerson J. is an important zoonotic pathogen. Although primarily a pathogen of birds, from which infection can spillover into humans and other mammalian hosts, the importance of as a cause of equine reproductive loss and the risk of infection to humans in contact with infected horses are increasingly being recognised in Australia and elsewhere. Despite the risks to both human and equine health, infection in horses is incompletely understood. This study aimed to update and summarise cases of equine psittacosis in Australia in the period 2018-2022, thus addressing a knowledge gap relating to recent case...
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 from the leaves and twigs of Eucalyptus globulus Labill. (eucalyptus oil) when used as a sensory additive in feed and water for drinking for all animal species. The FEEDAP Panel concluded that the use of eucalyptus oil is safe at the following concentrations in complete feed: 12 mg/kg for chickens for fattening, 18 mg/kg for laying hens, 16 mg/kg for turkeys for fattening, 22 mg/kg for piglets, 26 mg/kg for pigs for fattening, 32 mg/kg for ...
Burns JJ, MacMillan KM, John E.Respiratory disease is common in the horse population and is often associated with poor performance in equine athletes. Despite their outstanding strength and aerobic capacity, little regard is given to draft horses and the respiratory disorders they may encounter when performing athletic activity. For this reason, the objectives of this study were: (1) to determine the prevalence of exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH), tracheal mucus (TM) and recurrent laryngeal hemiplegia (RLH) in a population of competitive draft pulling horses, and (2) to determine if there was an association betw...
Rule EK, Boyle AG, Stefanovski D, Anis E, Linton J, Lorello O.Equine granulocytic anaplasmosis (EGA) is a common disease in adult horses, but clinical disease in foals is rarely reported. The relationship between equine maternal and neonatal antibodies to Anaplasma phagocytophilum is unclear. Objective: That mares in an endemic region would be seropositive for A. phagocytophilum and that mare and foal serum IgG concentrations for A. phagocytophilum would correlate. Additionally, we hypothesized that foal IgG concentrations for A. phagocytophilum acquired by passive immunity would decline by 6 months of age. Methods: Twenty-two healthy mare-foal pairs. ...
Stefaniuk-Szmukier M, Piórkowska K, Ropka-Molik K.Equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) has become an important issue in modern veterinary medicine and is linked to the common, extremely painful, most-of-the-time performance-terminating hoof laminitis. The growing knowledge in the field of genetic background, inducing environmental factors, diagnosis, treatment and maintenance of affected equines led us to summarise the available information to be used not only for scientific purposes but for fieldwork. In horses, the clinical presentation of EMS includes: obesity or local fat deposition, bilateral lameness or hoof rings attributed to ongoing or pr...
Muñoz E, Castro M, Aguila L, Contreras MJ, Fuentes F, Arias ME, Felmer R.Sperm sexing is a technology that can generate great economic benefits in the animal production sector. Techniques such as sex-sorting promise over 90% accuracy in sperm sexing. However, for the correct standardization of the technique, some laboratory methodologies are required. The present manuscript describes in detail a standardized equine sperm sex-sorting protocol using an absolute qPCR-based methodology. Furthermore, the results of absolute qPCR were implemented and validated by generating equine/bovine heterologous embryos by intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) of presumably sexed ...
du Plessis N, Uys K, Buys T.Hippotherapy, an equine-assisted service, uses the movement of the horse as a treatment tool. Hippotherapy is often used by occupational therapists, physiotherapists, and speech and language pathologists. To optimise hippotherapy and facilitate the development of transdisciplinary hippotherapy practise guidelines, this scoping review identified novel hippotherapy concepts used during hippotherapy interventions for clients with spastic cerebral palsy.
Marshall-Gibson ME, Durham MG, Seabaugh KA, Moorman VJ, Ferris DJ.Back pain is a common complaint, clinical finding and performance limiting factor in sport horses. This study sought to gather current veterinary trends in the diagnosis, treatment and management of primary equine back pain in the United States. A 22 question survey was distributed electronically to equine practitioners through AAEP and ACVSMR listservs and through closed social media groups. The survey was open from April 20, 2022 to July 5, 2022. Responses were analyzed using Microsoft excel pivot tables. Ninety-seven survey responses were obtained and analyzed. Respondents reported the clin...
Lavado RA, Lewis J, Montgomery JB.Laminitis is a severely debilitating and life-threatening condition that occurs as a consequence of different primary triggering factors. Continuous digital hypothermia (CDH) is recommended in horses at risk of, or diagnosed with, acute laminitis due to its several physiological and biochemical alterations that may be positive for the prevention and early treatment of the condition, representing a low risk of adverse effects. Modulation of the inflammatory response, profound vasoconstriction, and prevention of tissue damage are the most notable protective effects of cryotherapy on the lamellae...
Amairia S, Jbeli M, Mrabet S, Jebabli LM, Gharbi M.Sarcocystis spp. and Toxoplasma gondii are two apicomplexan protozoa that infect a broad range of vertebrates, however, little is known about the infection of equids with these parasites. A total of 184 slaughtered equids from slaughterhouses of Bizerte and Tunis located in Northern Tunisia, were examined for meat infections with Sarcocystis spp. and T. gondii by PCR. The prevalence of infections with Sarcocystis spp. and T. gondii were 38% (95% CI: 31-45) and 39.7% (95% CI: 32.6-46.7), respectively. The highest prevalence of infection with Sarcocystis spp. was observed in donkeys (48.6%; 95%C...
Okolo CC, Emejuo NT, Udeagbala NG, Emeto UE, Ezema AS, Omeje OV, Nweze NE.Sample processing methods and storage time affect the outcome of biochemical analysis. Objectives: We aimed to assess the effects of dipotassium-ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (K2-EDTA) and lithium-heparin treatments and storage times on selected analytes in equine synovial fluid (SF). Conclusions: The analytes-except for TP-became unstable within a few hours postcollection. Lithium-heparin and K2-EDTA treatments significantly altered ALP, LDH, TNCCs, and pH but not the TP concentrations of equine SF. Studies establishing reference intervals for these analytes based on the anticoagulant used ...
Aleman M, Spier SJ, Wilson WD, Doherr M.To describe clinical manifestations of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis infection in horses and to evaluate diagnostic methods for identification of this disease. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: 538 horses with a diagnosis of C pseudotuberculosis infection. Results: Median age of horses with external abscesses was similar to that in horses with internal abscesses. Breed and sex did not appear to be associated with infection. Cases were detected during all 12 months; however, the disease was most common in the fall and early winter, with the highest incidence in September, Octobe...
Laval K, Favoreel HW, Poelaert KC, Van Cleemput J, Nauwynck HJ.Equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) is a main cause of respiratory disease, abortion, and encephalomyelopathy in horses. Monocytic cells (CD172a(+)) are the main carrier cells of EHV-1 during primary infection and are proposed to serve as a "Trojan horse" to facilitate the dissemination of EHV-1 to target organs. However, the mechanism by which EHV-1 is transferred from CD172a(+) cells to endothelial cells (EC) remains unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate EHV-1 transmission between these two cell types. We hypothesized that EHV-1 employs specific strategies to promote the adhesion o...
Kim LM, Morley PS, Traub-Dargatz JL, Salman MD, Gentry-Weeks C.To evaluate factors potentially associated with fecal Salmonella shedding among equine patients hospitalized for colic at a veterinary teaching hospital and to determine the effects of probiotic treatment on fecal Salmonella shedding and clinical signs. Methods: Longitudinal study and controlled trial. Methods: 246 equine colic patients. Methods: History and medical information were obtained from patient records. Fecal and environmental samples were submitted for aerobic bacterial culture for Salmonella enterica. Fifty-one patients were treated with a commercially available probiotic; 46 were ...
Prado AA, Favaron PO, da Silva LC, Baccarin RY, Miglino MA, Maria DA.Isolation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in equines, has been reported for different tissues including bone marrow, adipose, umbilical cord, peripheral blood, and yolk sac. In regard to the MSCs derived from synovial fluid (SF) or membrane (SM), there is data available for humans, dogs, pigs, goats and horses. Especially in equines, these cells have being considered promising candidates for articular regeneration. Herein, we established and characterized MSCs obtained from equine SF and SM. Samples were obtained during arthroscopy and cultured using MEM (Minimum Essential Medium). MSCs were ...
Båverud V, Gunnarsson A, Engvall EO, Franzén P, Egenvall A.A cross-sectional study was carried out to determine the seroprevalence of different serovars of Leptospira spp. and their association with clinical disease and host factors in Swedish horses. Methods: Sera from 2017 horses brought to equine clinics during 1997-98 were investigated. The sera were examined by microscopic agglutination test for the presence of antibodies against the following L. interrogans serovars: Bratislava strain Jez, Icterohaemorrhagiae strain Kantorowicz and Pomona strain Pomona and also L. kirschneri sv Grippotyphosa strain Duyster and L. borgpetersenii sv Sejroe strain ...
Seo MG, Lee SH, Ouh IO, Lee GH, Goo YK, Kim S, Kwon OD, Kwak D.Members of the genus Coxiella can be transmitted from ticks to humans during contact with animals; Coxiella may thus spread from the infected horses or ticks to humans. In this study, the presence of Coxiella burnetii and Coxiella-like endosymbionts (CLE) in ticks found on infested horses was determined using PCR and genotyping. A total of 213 ticks were randomly collected from 51 horses (4-5 ticks per horse) raised on Jeju Island, Korea, between 2009 and 2013. All ticks were morphologically identified as adult Haemaphysalis longicornis, a predominant tick species widespread in Korea. Based on...
Proudman CJ, Smith JE, Edwards GB, French NP.Postoperative complications and mortality can occur many weeks or months after colic surgery. We are interested in the long-term outcome of these cases. This study documents patterns of mortality and morbidity among 341 horses that recovered from colic surgery March 1998-August 2000. The progress of each horse was rigorously followed by periodic telephone and postal questionnaires. Event time data were recorded for each animal and a total of 321 horse years of survival, together with death from all causes, colic-related death and various postoperative complications. Postoperative survival (of ...
Sánchez A, Couëtil LL, Ward MP, Clark SP.Inflammatory Airway Disease (IAD), exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH), and upper airway obstruction (UAO) are common respiratory tract diseases that can decrease performance. The purpose of this retrospective study was to compare bronchoalveolar lavage fluid cytology and arterial blood gas analysis during a treadmill test by poorly performing racehorses presented to Purdue University. One hundred thirty-two horses with a history of poor performance were included in this study. Ten horses with no history or diagnosis of EIPH, IAD, or UAO served as controls. Horses were evaluated by rh...
Lehmann J, Ellenberger C, Hoffmann C, Bazer FW, Klug J, Allen WR, Sieme H, Schoon HA.The aim of the present study was to characterize the morpho-functional features of endometrosis in barren and foaling mares, using both conventional histopathological and immunohistochemical methods. Endometrial biopsy samples were collected during the physiological breeding season from 159 estrous, clinically healthy mares (mean age 12 years), and the quality and degree of endometrosis was histomorphologically defined. The mares were bred and those that foaled were put in the foaling group whereas those that did not foal were placed in the barren group. Foaling mares were then compared with b...
Murata D, Miyakoshi D, Hatazoe T, Miura N, Tokunaga S, Fujiki M, Nakayama K, Misumi K.Cartilage regeneration with cell therapy following arthroscopic surgery could be used in racehorses with intra-articular fractures (IAF) and osteochondritis dissecans (OCD). The aims of this study were to investigate the origin and multipotency of stromal cells in the synovial fluid (SF) of horses with intra-articular injury and synovitis, and to provide a new strategy for regeneration of lost articular cartilage. Mesenchymal stromal cells were isolated from SF of horses with IAF and OCD. Multipotency was analysed by RT-PCR for specific mRNAs and staining for production of specific extracellul...
Lazzari G, Colleoni S, Crotti G, Turini P, Fiorini G, Barandalla M, Landriscina L, Dolci G, Benedetti M, Duchi R, Galli C.Assisted reproduction technologies (ART) are well developed in humans and cattle and are gaining momentum also in the equine industry because of the fact that the mare does not respond to superovulation but can donate large numbers of oocytes through ovum pick up (OPU). After collection, the oocytes can be fertilized by intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) using a variety of stallion semen samples, even of poor quality, and the resulting embryos can establish high pregnancy rates after cryopreservation and transfer. The discoveries that equine oocytes can be held at room temperature without...
van Schie HT, Bakker EM, Jonker AM, van Weeren PR.To describe a method of computerized ultrasonographic tissue characterization that includes structures below the size limits of resolution in equine superficial digital flexor tendons. Methods: 2 damaged and 2 structurally normal superficial digital flexor tendons. Methods: Transverse ultrasonographic images were collected along the tendon long axis. Stability of echo pattern was quantified by means of variation in gray levels of each pixel in contiguous images and expressed as correlation, entropy, and waviness ratios. Results: Normal young and normal old tissues were characterized by high co...
There is a paucity of information regarding the association between common disorders and outcome over time in a large population of ill equine neonates. Objective: To describe the relative frequency of neonatal disorders in a large population of foals admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit, to determine the disorders and factors associated with nonsurvival and determine if the outcome of ill neonatal foals has improved over time. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: Cases were selected from equine neonatal (≤14 days of age) admissions between 1982 and 2008. Multivariable logistic regre...
Collobert-Laugier C, Hoste H, Sevin C, Dorchies P.Forty-two horses from Normandy (France) were examined post-mortem for small strongyle infections from October to March. In the positive horses, total worm numbers ranged from 234 to 90,247 (mean 11,297). Encysted larvae represented the major part of the total cyathostome burdens with a high percentage (83%) being early third stage larvae. They were mostly recovered from the caecum (48%) and ventral colon (40%) and were less present in the dorsal colon (12%). Adult cyathostomes were mainly located in the ventral colon (64%) and less frequently in the dorsal colon (27%) and caecum (9%). Twenty s...
Pauvolid-Corrêa A, Tavares FN, Costa EV, Burlandy FM, Murta M, Pellegrin AO, Nogueira MF, Silva EE.As in humans, sub-clinical infection by arboviruses in domestic animals is common; however, its detection only occurs during epizootics and the silent circulation of some arboviruses may remain undetected. The objective of the present paper was to assess the current circulation of arboviruses in the Nhecolândia sub-region of South Pantanal, Brazil. Sera from a total of 135 horses, of which 75 were immunized with bivalent vaccine composed of inactive Eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV) and Western equine encephalitis virus(WEEV) and 60 were unvaccinated, were submitted to thorough viral i...
Bukowska J, Szóstek-Mioduchowska AZ, Kopcewicz M, Walendzik K, Machcińska S, Gawrońska-Kozak B.Adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) isolated from domestic animals fulfill the qualitative criteria of mesenchymal stem cells, including the capacity to differentiate along multiple lineage pathways and to self-renew, as well as immunomodulatory capacities. Recent findings on human diseases derived from studying large animal models, have provided evidence that administration of autologous or allogenic ASCs can improve the process of healing. In a narrow group of large animals used in bioresearch studies, pigs and horses have been shown to be the best suited models for study of the wound healing ...
Hoet AE, Johnson A, Nava-Hoet RC, Bateman S, Hillier A, Dyce J, Gebreyes WA, Wittum TE.Concurrent to reports of zoonotic and nosocomial transmission of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in veterinary settings, recent evidence indicates that the environment in veterinary hospitals may be a potential source of MRSA. The present report is a cross-sectional study to determine the prevalence of MRSA on specific human and animal contact surfaces at a large veterinary hospital during a nonoutbreak period. A total of 156 samples were collected using Swiffers(®) or premoistened swabs from the small animal, equine, and food animal sections. MRSA was isolated and identifi...
Cobb R, Boeckh A.This article reviews the current knowledge of the use of moxidectin (MOX) in horses, including its mode of action, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties, efficacy, safety and resistance profile.Moxidectin is a second generation macrocyclic lactone (ML) with potent endectocide activity. It is used for parasite control in horses in an oral gel formulation. The principal mode of action of MOX and of other MLs is binding to gamma-aminobutyric (GABA) and glutamate-gated chloride channels. Moxidectin is different from other MLs in that it is a poor substrate for P-glycoproteins (P-gps) and ...
Vissani MA, Becerra ML, Olguín Perglione C, Tordoya MS, Miño S, Barrandeguy M.Infection with Equid Herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) leads to respiratory disease, abortion, and neurological disorders in horses. Molecular epidemiology studies have demonstrated that a single nucleotide polymorphism (A(2254)/G(2254)) in the genome region of the open reading frame 30 (ORF30), which results in an amino acid variation (N(752)/D(752)) of the EHV-1 DNA polymerase, is significantly associated with the neuropathogenic potential of naturally occurring strains. In order to estimate the prevalence of the EHV-1 neuropathogenic genotype in our country, we analyzed the ORF30 genome region of ...
Artursson K, Gunnarsson A, Wikström UB, Engvall EO.For diagnosis of equine granulocytic ehrlichiosis (EGE) serological testing of antibodies to Ehrlichia equi is frequently used. An elevated antibody level is often misinterpreted as confirmative of active infection and results in treatment with antibiotics. If only seropositivity is considered as the diagnostic criterium, many horses showing convalescence titres will be treated. This study was undertaken to obtain information about the kinetics of antibodies during the course of infection and, for this purpose, 45 horses with clinical signs of EGE and confirmed ehrlichiaemia were monitored ser...
Balasuriya UBR, Snijder EJ, Heidner HW, Zhang J, Zevenhoven-Dobbe JC, Boone JD, McCollum WH, Timoney PJ, MacLachlan NJ.Strains of Equine arteritis virus (EAV) differ in the severity of the disease that they induce in horses. Infectious cDNA clones are potentially useful for identification of genetic determinants of EAV virulence; to date, two clones have been derived from a cell culture-adapted variant of the original (Bucyrus) isolate of EAV, and it has previously been shown that recombinant virus derived from one of these (rEAV030) is attenuated in horses. A complete cDNA copy of the genome of the virulent Bucyrus strain of EAV has now been assembled into a plasmid vector. In contrast to rEAV030, recombinant...
Guidi E, Pradier S, Lebert I, Leblond A.Theileria equi (Laveran 1901) and Babesia caballi (Nuttall and Strickland 1910) are the causative agents of Equine Piroplasmosis (EP), a severe and problematic disease compromising international movement of horses. Infected horses usually become asymptomatic carriers and, for this reason, their movement across borders may become restricted. The aim of this study was to assess the seroprevalence of EP in Southern France and to evaluate risk factors associated with these parasites. In 2002, we performed a complement fixation test (CF) with blood samples from 443 horses stabled at 95 different fa...
Argo CM, Curtis GC, Grove-White D, Dugdale AH, Barfoot CF, Harris PA.Evidence-based, weight loss management advice is required to address equine obesity. Changes in body mass (BM), body condition score (BCS), heart (HG) and belly circumference (BG), direct (ultrasonographic) and indirect (D(2)O dilution, bioelectrical impedance analysis [BIA]) measures of body fat as well as indices of insulin resistance (IR) were monitored in 12 overweight (BCS ≥ 7/9) horses and ponies of mixed breed and gender for 16 weeks. Animals were randomly assigned to two groups (Group 1, n=6, BCS 7.6/9 ± 0.6, 489 ± 184.6 kg; Group 2, n=6, BCS 8.1/9 ± 0.6, 479 ± 191.5 kg). Daily d...
Armstrong PM, Andreadis TG.In the current review, we examine the regional history, ecology, and epidemiology of eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV) to investigate the major drivers of disease outbreaks in the northeastern United States. EEEV was first recognized as a public health threat during an outbreak in eastern Massachusetts in 1938, but historical evidence for equine epizootics date back to the 1800s. Since then, sporadic disease outbreaks have reoccurred in the Northeast with increasing frequency and northward expansion of human cases during the last 20 yr. Culiseta melanura (Coquillett) (Diptera: Culicidae...
Rocha T, Ellis WA, Montgomery J, Gilmore C, Regalla J, Brem S.A bacteriological survey of kidneys from 145 abattoir horses was performed, which resulted in the isolation of two Leptospira strains. The isolates were serologically typed as belonging to serogroups Australis and Pomona, and REA identified them as L. interrogans serovar Bratislava and L. kirschneri serovar Tsaratsovo, respectively. These are the first Leptospira isolates obtained from horses in Portugal and the Bratislava strain is the first serogroup Australis strain to be isolated in this country. The 145 horses were also serologically tested for leptospiral antibodies, and 37% had MAT titr...
Nordengrahn A, Merza M, Ros C, Lindholmc A, Palfl V, Hannant D, Belák S.Equineherpesvirustypes 2 and 5 (EHV-2andEHV-5)have a rather unclearpathogenicity and distribution within the equid population. In order to gain more information on the prevalence of these two viruses, type-specific PCR assays were developed to detect viral DNA in nasal specimens and in peripheral blood leukocytes (PBLs) of adult horses and foals from various regions of Europe, i.e. Sweden, Hungary and the United Kingdom. In adult horses, the prevalence of EHV-2 in PBLs was up to 68% in Sweden and 71% in the United Kingdom. EHV-2 DNA was detected in the PBLs from all the foals tested in all cou...
Horohov DW, Beadle RE, Mouch S, Pourciau SS.Acute and chronic inflammation of the airway remains an important health problem for equids. "Heaves" or recurrent airway obstruction (RAO) remains one of the most commonly diagnosed conditions affecting the lung of older horses in Europe and the United States. The typical clinical signs of RAO include non-productive coughing, serous nasal discharge, labored expiratory effort, and flaring of the nostrils. Auscultation of the lungs of the affected horse often reveals abnormal respiratory sounds, described as crackles and wheezes, throughout the area of the lung field. These clinical signs occur...
Anderson JR, Phelan MM, Clegg PD, Peffers MJ, Rubio-Martinez LM.Osteoarthritis (OA), osteochondrosis (OC), and synovial sepsis in horses cause loss of function and pain. Reliable biomarkers are required to achieve accurate and rapid diagnosis, with synovial fluid (SF) holding a unique source of biochemical information. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy allows global metabolite analysis of a small volume of SF, with minimal sample preprocessing using a noninvasive and nondestructive method. Equine SF metabolic profiles from both nonseptic joints (OA and OC) and septic joints were analyzed using 1D H NMR spectroscopy. Univariate and multivariate ...
Hobo S, Niwa H, Anzai T.In the present study, the concentrations of serum amyloid A and surfactant protein D in sera were measured to evaluate them for identification of the clinical condition of horses with bacterial pneumonia. The study utilized 185 clinically healthy control thoroughbreds and 9 thoroughbreds for experimental infectious study with S. zooepidemicus. Blood samples were collected from the 185 healthy control thoroughbreds. The 9 thoroughbreds were experimentally infected S. zooepidemicus using an endoscopic injection to a lung lobe and were then observed of clinical conditions. Blood samples were coll...
Corradetti B, Lange-Consiglio A, Barucca M, Cremonesi F, Bizzaro D.Umbilical cord matrix (UCM) has been recently proposed as an alternative source of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). The aim of this study was to isolate and characterize presumptive stem cells from intervascular and perivascular equine UCM and to obtain homogeneous subpopulations from both sites. Methods: Umbilical cords were processed for retrieval of MSCs. Unsieved cells from intervascular and perivascular portions were evaluated for cell cycle analysis and for immunophenotyping by flow cytometry. Cells from each site were separated into larger and smaller sieved populations using multi-dishes...
