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.
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 ...
Cassady KR, Minter LJ, Gruber EJ.Field veterinarians and researchers studying wild species, such as the southern white rhinoceros, often work in remote areas with limited access to standard laboratory equipment, hindering the ability to measure serum analytes.
Objectives: The first objective was to produce an inexpensive, manually operated centrifuge that could accept standard laboratory tubes by modifying a consumer-grade salad spinner with low-cost materials. The second objective was to compare biochemistry analysis results obtained from equine and southern white rhinoceros serum separated by traditional laboratory and m...
Lu H, Zhang W, Sun S, Mei Y, Zhao G, Yang K.Grazing is a common approach to rearing. We investigated the effects of supplementation during grazing on milk yield and composition, blood biochemistry, and fecal microflora in Yili horses. The control mares grazed normally, while those in groups I and II received 1 kg/d of concentrate and 1 kg/d of concentrate + 0.4 kg/d of coated FA, respectively. Milk volumes were significantly higher in groups I and II than in the control group, and among the previous two, milk volumes were significantly higher in group II than in group I. Milk fat, lactose, and protein levels were significantly higher in...
Claeys I, Van der Vekens E, Kümmerle J, de Preux M, Koch C.To develop a minimally invasive technique for placing a toggle construct across the coxofemoral joint of small equids using computer-assisted surgery. Methods: Experimental cadaveric study. Methods: Three pilot specimens: One donkey, one Shetland pony and one Warmblood foal. Six main study specimens: Three Shetland ponies, one American Miniature Horse, one Warmblood foal and one donkey. Methods: Experimental surgeries were performed on both coxofemoral joints of each cadaver. Using a minimally invasive surgical approach, 5.5 mm bone canals were drilled through the femur and acetabulum, trave...
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, the EFSA Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (FEEDAP) was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on the safety and efficacy of lemongrass oil obtained from the aerial parts of Cymbopogon flexuosus (Nees ex Steud.) Will. Watson when used as a sensory additive for all animal species. The FEEDAP Panel concluded that lemongrass oil is safe up to the maximum proposed use levels in complete feed of 125 mg/kg for salmonids; 100 mg/kg for sows and horses; 75 mg/kg for veal calves (milk replacer), cattle for fattening,...
Nocera I, Sorvillo B, Sgorbini M, Aliboni B, Citi S.Few studies have established the normal radiographic anatomical development of the donkey foal and, to date, no data are available for mules. Our aim was thus to evaluate the radiographic development of the fore digit and carpal joint in the mule foal from 0 to 3 months of age. Ten forelimbs of five healthy full-term mule foals were included. Radiographs of the fore digit lateromedial and dorsopalmar and the carpus dorsopalmar were performed weekly for the first month of age, and bi-monthly during the following two months. Fore digit growth plate closure times, morphological, angular, and line...
Sander J, Terhardt M, Janzen N, Renaud B, Kruse CJ, François AC, Wouters CP, Boemer F, Votion DM.Equine atypical myopathy is caused by hypoglycin A (HGA) and methylenecyclopropylglycine (MCPrG), the known protoxins of sycamore maple (Acer pseudoplatanus). Various tissues from five atypical myopathy cases were analyzed but only HGA was found. Whether deamination of MCPrG has already occurred in the intestine as the first stage of metabolization has not been investigated. Activation of the protoxins to methylenecyclopropylacetyl (MCPA)-CoA and methylenecyclopropylformyl (MCPF)-CoA, respectively, occurred mainly in the skeletal muscles, as evidenced by very high concentrations of MCPA-carnit...
Faivre C, Wong DM, Villarino NF, Court M, Gold JR.To determine the pharmacokinetics and clinical safety of acetaminophen after oral administration of 40 mg/kg q 12 hours or 60 mg/kg q 24 hours for 14 days. Methods: 12 healthy light-breed neonatal foals. Methods: 6 foals received acetaminophen at 40 mg/kg q 12 hours and 6 foals received 60 mg/kg q 24 hours for 14 days. The study dates were January 31 to April 15, 2023. Physical examinations were performed daily. Plasma disposition of acetaminophen was determined after the first, mid-point drug administration. Hematology and biochemistry analysis was performed before the study, day 7, and the l...
Oliver A, Wulster K, Stefanovski D, Spriet M, Ciamillo S, Ford M, Kulp J, van Eps A.Measure 18F-FDG uptake in digital tissues of healthy horses subjected to different ambulatory conditions between the time of injection and positron emission tomography (PET) scan acquisition. Methods: 8 healthy adult horses. Methods: Horses were walked (AMB) or tied in stalls (NONAMB) immediately after injection with ∼1.5 MBq/kg 18F-FDG until scan acquisition using a randomized crossover design. Steps were quantified using accelerometers. Standardized uptake values (SUV; mean and maximum) in digital tissues including the dorsal lamellae (proximal, middle, and distal), quarter lamellae (media...
Straticò P, Hattab J, Guerri G, Carluccio A, Bandera L, Celani G, Marruchella G, Varasano V, Petrizzi L.Owner complaints of estrus-related behavior in mares are a common cause of referral for laparoscopic ovariectomy. Granulosa cell tumors are a common neoplastic condition affecting the equine ovary, causing behavioral changes at rest and reduced performance. The reported success rate of ovariectomy in treating behavioral disorders is 64-86%. The aim of this study was to retrospectively evaluate the long-term follow-up of laparoscopic ovariectomy in mares in our case series, focusing on the owner's perspective of the behavior of the mares after surgery. In addition, the histopathological feature...
Matas Riera M, Cardenas Nadal M, Martínez-Sogues L, Ferrer L.Dermatological clinical signs have been seldom reported in the literature secondary to equine leishmaniasis. This case depicts the clinical signs, treatment, and outcome of a young horse with a pink, elevated lesion on the ventromedial quadrant of the cornea. A corneal cytology was performed and revealed the presence of leishmania amastigotes reaching the diagnosis of keratitis secondary to leishmania. Surgical resection was recommended but the owner declined the procedure, and the lesion was treated with a topical antimonial for 6 weeks. The lesion reduced remarkably during the first weeks ...
Hobbs K, Luethy D, Davis J, Mallicote M, Torcivia C, Kulp J, Stefanovski D, Futterman C, Cooper F, van Eps A.Trazodone, a serotonin receptor antagonist and reuptake inhibitor, might be a useful adjunctive treatment in the initial management of horses with acute laminitis if it minimizes ambulation or encourages recumbency. Objective: (1) Evaluate the effects of PO trazodone on ambulatory activity and recumbency in healthy horses; and (2) assess the pharmacokinetics of multiple PO doses of trazodone. Methods: In a randomized cross-over design, 8 healthy horses received placebo or trazodone at 2 doses (2.5 and 7.5 mg/kg) PO q12h for 48 hours with a 14-day washout period between treatments. Forelimb...
Liu L, Yu W, Cai K, Ma S, Wang Y, Ma Y, Zhao H. () is a zoonotic opportunistic pathogen that can cause life-threatening infections. The rapid evolution of multidrug-resistant and the fact that there is no currently licensed effective vaccine against warrant the need for vaccine development. Reverse vaccinology (RV), which involves screening a pathogen's entire genome and proteome using various web-based prediction tools, is considered one of the most effective approaches for identifying vaccine candidates. Here, we performed a pangenome analysis to determine the core proteins of . We then used the RV approach to examine the subcellular l...
Fox CB, Khandhar AP, Khuu L, Phan T, Kinsey R, Cordero D, Gutiérrez JM, León G.Enhancement of antivenom immune responses in horses through adjuvant technology improves antivenom production efficiency, but substantial local reactogenicity associated with some traditional veterinary adjuvants limits their usability. To explore modern adjuvant systems suitable for generating antivenom responses in horses, we first assessed their physicochemical compatibility with Bothrops asper snake venom. Liposome and nanoparticle aluminum adjuvants exhibited changes in particle size and phospholipid content after mixing with venom, whereas squalene emulsion-based adjuvants remained stabl...
Tanhauser SM, Yowell CA, Cutler TJ, Greiner EC, MacKay RJ, Dame JB.Studies designed to investigate the causative agent of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis and its life cycle have been hampered by the marked similarity of Sarcocystis neurona to other Sarcocystis spp. present in the same definitive host. Random-amplified polymorphic DNA techniques were used to amplify DNA from isolates of S. neurona and Sarcocystis falcatula. DNA sequence analysis of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products was then used to design PCR primers to amplify specific Sarcocystis spp. DNA products. The ribosomal RNA internal transcribed spacer was also amplified and compared betwee...
Textor J.Autologous biologic therapies such as platelet-rich plasma and autologous conditioned serum are in widespread clinical use to treat musculoskeletal pathology in horses. These substances exert a therapeutic effect through the provision of either anabolic or anti-catabolic factors, or a combination of both. This article discusses the history, experimental and clinical literature, and currently accepted preparation and usage strategies for both platelet-rich plasma and autologous conditioned serum.
Brinsko SP, Varner DD, Love CC, Blanchard TL, Day BC, Wilson ME.Eight stallions were used in 2 x 2 crossover study to determine if feeding a nutriceutical rich in docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) would improve semen quality. Stallions were randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups (n = 4 per group). Stallions were fed their normal diet (control) or their normal diet top-dressed with 250 g of a DHA-enriched nutriceutical. Feeding trials lasted for 14 week, after which a 14-week washout period was allowed and the treatment groups were reversed for another 14 week feeding trial. Feeding the nutriceutical resulted in a three-fold increase in semen DHA levels ...
Martin G, Plowright R, Chen C, Kault D, Selleck P, Skerratt LF.Hendra virus (HeV) is lethal to humans and horses, and little is known about its epidemiology. Biosecurity restrictions impede advances, particularly on understanding pathways of transmission. Quantifying the environmental survival of HeV can be used for making decisions and to infer transmission pathways. We estimated HeV survival with a Weibull distribution and calculated parameters from data generated in laboratory experiments. HeV survival rates based on air temperatures 24 h after excretion ranged from 2 to 10 % in summer and from 12 to 33 % in winter. Simulated survival across the distri...
Skedros JG, Su SC, Bloebaum RD.Artiodactyl and perissodactyl calcanei have been recently introduced as models for examining bone for mechanically mediated adaptation. We have reported substantial regional variations in cortical bone microstructure and mineral content within the same cross-section of mule deer calcanei. In part, these variations may be adaptations accommodating the customary presence of predominantly tension, compression, and shear strain modes in mutually exclusive cortical locations. Calcanei from skeletally mature horses, elk, and sheep were examined in order to corroborate these previous findings. From e...
Gérard N, Loiseau S, Duchamp G, Seguin F.Follicular development and ovulatory processes in mammals involve local biochemical changes as a result of substantial modifications in cellular metabolism, the most well known of which is steroid variation. In the present study, the intrafollicular variation of several other components was studied using proton nuclear magnetic resonance ((1)H NMR). This approach made it possible to demonstrate that the intrafollicular biochemical content changes during follicular growth and maturation. Follicular fluid was aspirated by ovarian puncture of the dominant follicle at various physiological stages ...
Dhondt KP, Horvat B.The Henipavirus genus contains two highly lethal viruses, the Hendra and Nipah viruses and one, recently discovered, apparently nonpathogenic member; Cedar virus. These three, negative-sense single-stranded RNA viruses, are hosted by fruit bats and use EphrinB2 receptors for entry into cells. The Hendra and Nipah viruses are zoonotic pathogens that emerged in the middle of 90s and have caused severe, and often fatal, neurologic and/or respiratory diseases in both humans and different animals; including spillover into equine and porcine species. Development of relevant models is critical for a ...
Rowland AL, Miller D, Berglund A, Schnabel LV, Levine GJ, Antczak DF, Watts AE.Allogeneic mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have been used clinically for decades, without cross-matching, on the assumption that they are immune-privileged. In the equine model, we demonstrate innate and adaptive immune responses after repeated intra-articular injection with major histocompatibility complex (MHC) mismatched allogeneic MSCs, but not MHC matched allogeneic or autologous MSCs. We document increased peri-articular edema and synovial effusion, increased synovial cytokine and chemokine concentrations, and development of donor-specific antibodies in mismatched recipients compared wi...
Geary TG, Sangster NC, Thompson DP.Research in anthelmintic pharmacology faces a grim future. The parent field of veterinary parasitology has seemingly been devalued by governments, universities and the animal industry in general. Primarily due to the success of the macrocyclic lactone anthelmintics in cattle, problems caused by helminth infections are widely perceived to be unimportant. The market for anthelmintics in other host species that are plagued by resistance, such as sheep and horses, is thought to be too small to sustain a discovery program in the animal health pharmaceutical industry. These attitudes are both alarmi...
Chevrier A, Kouao AS, Picard G, Hurtig MB, Buschmann MD.Microfracture repair tissue in young adult humans and in rabbit trochlea is frequently of higher quality than in corresponding ovine or horse models or in the rabbit medial femoral condyle (MFC). This may be related to differences in subchondral properties since repair is initiated from the bone. We tested the hypothesis that subchondral bone from rabbit trochlea and the human MFC are structurally similar. Trochlea and MFC samples from rabbit, sheep, and horse were micro-CT scanned and histoprocessed. Samples were also collected from normal and lesional areas of human MFC. The subchondral bone...
Hatanaka H, Iourin O, Rao Z, Fry E, Kingsman A, Stuart DI.The Gag polyprotein is key to the budding of retroviruses from host cells and is cleaved upon virion maturation, the N-terminal membrane-binding domain forming the matrix protein (MA). The 2.8-A resolution crystal structure of MA of equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV), a lentivirus, reveals that, despite showing no sequence similarity, more than half of the molecule can be superimposed on the MAs of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV). However, unlike the structures formed by HIV-1 and SIV MAs, the oligomerization state observed is not trimeric...
West Nile virus (WNV) is a member of the Japanese encephalitis serocomplex, which was first described in 1937 as neurotropic virus in Uganda in 1937. Subsequently, WNV was identified in the rest of the old-world and from 1999 in North America. Birds are the primary hosts, and WNV is maintained in a bird-mosquito-bird cycle, with pigs as amplifying hosts and humans and horses as incidental hosts. WNV transmission is warranted by mosquitoes, usually of the spp., with a tendency to spill over when mosquitoes' populations build up. Other types of transmissions have been described in endemic areas...
Komar N, Panella NA, Boyce E.We evaluated West Nile (WN) virus seroprevalence in healthy horses, dogs, and cats in New York City after an outbreak of human WN virus encephalitis in 1999. Two (3%) of 73 horses, 10 (5%) of 189 dogs, and none of 12 cats tested positive for WN virus-neutralizing antibodies. Domestic mammals should be evaluated as sentinels for local WN virus activity and predictors of the infection in humans.
Dei-Cas E, Brun-Pascaud M, Bille-Hansen V, Allaert A, Aliouat EM.As in vitro culture systems allowing to isolate Pneumocystis samples from patients or other mammal hosts are still not available, animal models have critical importance in Pneumocystis research. The parasite was reported in numerous mammals but P. carinii pneumonia (PCP) experimental models were essentially developed by using rats, mice, rabbits and ferrets. The rat treated with corticosteroids for 9-12 weeks is a useful PCP model. Like laboratory rats, conventional mice develop PCP after prolonged corticosteroid administration. The ferret (Mustela putorius furo) also develop PCP under cortico...
Young R, Taylor JE, Kurioka A, Becker M, Louis EJ, Rudenko G.African trypanosomes (including Trypanosoma brucei) are unicellular parasites which multiply in the mammalian bloodstream. T. brucei has about twenty telomeric bloodstream form Variant Surface Glycoprotein (VSG) expression sites (BESs), of which one is expressed at a time in a mutually exclusive fashion. BESs are polycistronic transcription units, containing a variety of families of expression site associated genes (ESAGs) in addition to the telomeric VSG. These polymorphic ESAG families are thought to play a role in parasite-host adaptation, and it has been proposed that ESAG diversity might ...
Balasuriya UB, Lee PY, Tiwari A, Skillman A, Nam B, Chambers TM, Tsai YL, Ma LJ, Yang PC, Chang HF, Wang HT.Equine influenza (EI) is an acute, highly contagious viral respiratory disease of equids. Currently, equine influenza virus (EIV) subtype H3N8 continues to be the most important respiratory pathogen of horses in many countries around the world. The need to achieve a rapid diagnosis and to implement effective quarantine and movement restrictions is critical in controlling the spread of EIV. In this study, a novel, inexpensive and user-friendly assay based on an insulated isothermal RT-PCR (iiRT-PCR) method on the POCKIT™, a field-deployable device, was described and validated for point-of-nee...
Kuzmina TA, Kharchenko VA, Starovir AI, Dvojnos GM.Communities of intestinal helminths in horses are commonly studied post mortem. The study objectives were here to examine the species composition of the strongylid community in brood horses in Ukraine after deworming with an aversectin drug Univerm. The site distribution of the strongylid species was analysed according to dynamics of their expulsion in faeces. Forty-four horses of different ages from Poltavska oblast (22 horses), Kyivska oblast (17 horses) and Sumska oblast (5 horses) of Ukraine were included in the study. Horses were treated with Univerm anthelmintic (0.2% aversectin) at a do...
Paillot R, Darby AC, Robinson C, Wright NL, Steward KF, Anderson E, Webb K, Holden MT, Efstratiou A, Broughton K, Jolley KA, Priestnall SL....The acquisition of superantigen-encoding genes by Streptococcus pyogenes has been associated with increased morbidity and mortality in humans, and the gain of four superantigens by Streptococcus equi is linked to the evolution of this host-restricted pathogen from an ancestral strain of the opportunistic pathogen Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus. A recent study determined that the culture supernatants of several S. equi subsp. zooepidemicus strains possessed mitogenic activity but lacked known superantigen-encoding genes. Here, we report the identification and activities of three novel ...
Sherman GB, Wolfe MW, Farmerie TA, Clay CM, Threadgill DS, Sharp DC, Nilson JH.Equine (e) CG and LH beta-subunits have identical amino acid sequences, including an extended carboxyl-terminal peptide (CTP). This suggests that unlike the corresponding human genes, the beta-subunits of eCG and eLH may be encoded by a single gene and share a common proximal promotor region. To explore this, we isolated and characterized the eLH/CG beta gene(s). Data from Southern analyses suggest that the eCG beta and eLH beta subunits are products of the same single copy gene (eLH/CG beta). Overlapping fragments of the eLH/CG beta gene and cDNA were amplified from equine genomic DNA and pit...
Wild TF.Paramyxoviruses have been implicated in both animal and human infections. Some viruses, such as Morbilliviruses are responsible for large-scale epidemics. However, there are limited observations of these viruses crossing the host species barrier in nature. In 1994, in Australia a fatal infection in horses and humans was identified to be caused by a new Paramyxovirus, Hendra virus (HeV), and in 1998 in Malaysia, a closely related virus, Nipah virus (NiV) was responsible for fatal infections in pigs and humans. These two viruses were sufficiently different from previously described Paramyxovirus...
Mayhew IG, Brown CM, Stowe HD, Trapp AL, Derksen FJ, Clement SF.Two horse farms, on which there was a high incidence of proven and suspected equine degenerative myeloencephalopathy (EDM), were studied. Symmetric ataxia and paresis, along with laryngeal adductor, cervicofacial, local cervical, and cutaneous trunci hyporeflexia, characterized the syndrome. Serum vitamin E concentration reflected a deficient state in affected and unaffected horses on both farms when compared with selected reference groups and with published values. A high incidence of the disease was evident in offspring of two particular sires on one farm. Vitamin E supplementation resulted ...
Vandenplas ML, Moore JN, Barton MH, Roussel AJ, Cohen ND.To determine concentrations of 2 acute-phase proteins (serum amyloid A [SAA] and lipopolysaccharide-binding protein [LBP]) in serum samples obtained from horses with colic and identify relationships among these acute-phase proteins and clinical data. Methods: 765 horses with naturally developing gastrointestinal tract diseases characterized by colic (ie, clinical signs indicative of abdominal pain) and 79 healthy control horses; all horses were examined at 2 university teaching hospitals. Methods: Serum concentrations of SAA and LBP were determined by immunoturbidometric and dot-blot assays, r...
Lester HE, Spanton J, Stratford CH, Bartley DJ, Morgan ER, Hodgkinson JE, Coumbe K, Mair T, Swan B, Lemon G, Cookson R, Matthews JB.Cyathostomins are considered to be the most important group of helminths to affect equids due to their high prevalence, potential pathogenicity and ability to develop anthelmintic resistance. Their control relies almost exclusively on frequent anthelmintic use. Currently, fenbendazole (FBZ), pyrantel embonate (PYR), ivermectin (IVM) and moxidectin (MOX) are licensed for use in horses in the UK. With no new anthelmintics likely to be licensed in the near future, it is essential that investigations into the efficacy of current anthelmintics in different locations are performed to help inform con...
Hurcombe SD, Toribio RE, Slovis N, Kohn CW, Refsal K, Saville W, Mudge MC.Sepsis is an important cause for neonatal foal mortality. The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPAA) responses to sepsis are well documented in critically ill humans, but limited data exist in foals. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the HPAA response to sepsis in foals, and to associate these endocrine changes with survival. Objective: Blood concentrations of arginine vasopressin (AVP), adrenocorticotropin hormone (ACTH), and cortisol will be higher in septic foals as compared with sick nonseptic and healthy foals. The magnitude of increase in hormone concentration will be negativ...
Walther B, Klein KS, Barton AK, Semmler T, Huber C, Merle R, Tedin K, Mitrach F, Lübke-Becker A, Gehlen H.Continuing introduction of multi-drug resistant, zoonotic pathogens such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in horse clinics challenges the biosafety of employees and animal patients. This study was aimed to determine the occurrence of mobile genetic elements facilitating survival in the early stages of invasive infection in different host species, including humans and horses, in MRSA carried by equine patients admitted to a large horse clinic. A total of 341 equine patients were investigated for carriage of MRSA by hygiene screening directly at hospital admission. MRSA were...
de Vos CJ, Hoek CA, Nodelijk G.African horse sickness (AHS) is a vector-borne viral disease of equines that is transmitted by Culicoides spp. and can have severe consequences for the horse industry in affected territories. A study was performed to assess the risk of introducing AHS virus (AHSV) into the Netherlands (P_AHS) by international equine movements. The goal of this study was to provide more insight into (a) the regions and equine species that contribute most to this risk, (b) the seasonal variation in this risk, and (c) the effectiveness of measures to prevent introduction of AHSV. Countries worldwide were grouped ...
Hyatt AD, Selleck PW.The ultrastructure of the equine morbillivirus (EMV) which was implicated in the death of one human and fourteen horses in Queensland, Australia during September 1994 and a 36 year old man from Queensland in October 1995 is described. The ultrastructure of the virus and the intracellular virus-specific structures are characteristic for the family Paramyxoviridae. Cytoplasmic nucleocapsids were observed within the infected cells monolayers, endothelial cells (lung) of infected horses and the neurons within the brain of the 36 year old Queensland man. Aggregates of smaller nucleocapsid-like stru...
Filannino A, Stout TA, Gadella BM, Sostaric E, Pizzi F, Colenbrander B, Dell'Aquila ME, Minervini F.The aim of this study was to investigate the in vitro effects of the Fusarium fungus-derived mycotoxin, zearalenone and its derivatives alpha-zearalenol and beta-zearalenol on motility parameters and the acrosome reaction of stallion sperm. Since the toxic effects of zearalenone and its derivatives are thought to result from their structural similarity to 17beta-estradiol, 17beta-estradiol was used as a positive control for 'estrogen-like' effects. Methods: Stallion spermatozoa were exposed in vitro to zearalenone, alpha-zearalenol, beta-zearalenol or 17beta-estradiol at concentrations ranging...
Dyson SJ, Murray R, Schramme MC.The diagnosis of foot-related lameness often remains elusive and it can be difficult to offer rational treatment, or to predict outcome. Objective: To describe the spectrum of injuries of the foot identified using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), to determine their relative prevalence among MRI diagnoses and to establish the long-term results of treatment. Methods: The MR images of horses examined from January 2001--December 2003 were reviewed. Horses were selected for MRI if the pain causing lameness was localised to the foot using perineural analgesia but any clinical, radiological or ultra...
