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.
Ohnuma A, Tozaki T, Kikuchi M, Ishige T, Kakoi H, Hirota KI, Takahashi Y, Nagata SI.To ensure fair competition and sports integrity, gene doping is prohibited in horseracing and equine sports. One gene doping method is by administering exogenous genes, called transgenes, to postnatal animals. Although several transgene detection methods have been developed for horses, many are unsuitable for multiplex detection. In this proof-of-concept study, we developed a highly sensitive and multiplex transgene detection method using multiple πCode with identification patterns printed on the surface. The following steps were employed: (1) multiplex polymerase chain reaction amplification...
Pearson GB, Ysebaert MP, Papa B, Reesink HL.This article, as part of the Currents in One Health series, reviews the current state of diagnostics for synovial sepsis. Synovial sepsis is a condition that affects veterinary and human medicine and requires coordinated efforts from both parties, as well as environmental considerations to accurately diagnose and preserve effective treatments. The article discusses best practices to identify the causative agent in septic synovitis, trends in bacterial identification and antimicrobial resistance patterns across common bacterial species, and a one-health perspective to optimize diagnostics acros...
Elata A, Galon EM, Moumouni PFA, Ybanez RHD, Mossaad E, Salces CB, Bajenting GP, Ybanez AP, Xuan X, Inoue N, Suganuma K.Animal trypanosomosis is one of the most important parasitic diseases significantly affecting the Philippine economy. It is considered by the government to be the second most important disease of livestock after fasciolosis. A PCR-based molecular survey for trypanosomes in different animals in Bohol, Philippines, was performed to assess the prevalence of trypanosomosis in the area during the rainy and dry season. Methods: A total of 269 blood samples were collected in two batches in rainy and dry season from different animal species in Ubay Stock Farm in Ubay, Bohol, the Philippines, including...
Rohlf CM, Garcia TC, Marsh LJ, Acutt EV, le Jeune SS, Stover SM.During the stance phase of equine locomotion, ground reaction forces are exerted on the hoof, leading first to rapid deceleration ("braking") and later to acceleration ("propulsion") as the hoof leaves the ground. Excessive hoof deceleration has been identified as a risk factor for musculoskeletal injury and may be influenced by arena surface properties. Therefore, our objective was to evaluate the effect of arena surface type (dirt, synthetic) on hoof translation of the leading and trailing forelimbs during jump takeoff and landing. Solar hoof angle, displacement, velocity, and deceleration w...
Fugazzola M, Nissinen MT, Jäntti J, Tuppurainen J, Plomp S, Te Moller N, Mäkelä JTA, van Weeren R.Strategies for articular cartilage repair need to take into account topographical differences in tissue composition and architecture to achieve durable functional outcome. These have not yet been investigated in the equine stifle. Objective: To analyse the biochemical composition and architecture of three differently loaded areas of the equine stifle. We hypothesise that site differences correlate with the biomechanical characteristics of the cartilage. Methods: Ex vivo study. Methods: Thirty osteochondral plugs per location were harvested from the lateral trochlear ridge (LTR), the distal int...
Murray R, Fisher M, Fairfax V, MacKechnie-Guire R.The association between rider-saddle interaction and horse kinematics has been little studied. It was hypothesized that differences in a thigh block design would influence (a) rider-saddle interface pressures, (b) rider kinematics, and (c) equine limb/spinal kinematics. Eighteen elite sport horses/riders were trotted using correctly fitted dressage saddles with thigh blocks S (vertical face) and F (deformable face). Contact area, mean, and peak pressure between rider and saddle were determined using an on-saddle pressure mat. Spherical markers allowed for the measurement of horse/rider kinemat...
Springer S, Mihatsch DI, Grimm H, Jenner F.Equine veterinarians face a range of challenges when attending competition horses. Athletic goals may significantly impact veterinary decision making, and the veterinarian's work can be complicated by reputational considerations and rival opinions during an assessment of whether a horse is "fit to compete". Using an online questionnaire, we found that the majority of German, Austrian and Swiss equine veterinarians (N = 172) surveyed agreed that the owners of competition horses are more likely than owners of leisure horses to approach them with clear treatment ideas, and that the former have hi...
Onder Z, Yildirim A, Duzlu O, Ciloglu A, Yetismis G, Karabulut F, Inci A.This study was conducted to determine single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and the benzimidazole (BZ) resistance in strongyle nematode egg populations in horses using molecular techniques. A total of 200 fecal samples were collected from horses in 26 farms in two provinces (Kayseri and Nevşehir) of the Central Anatolia Region of Türkiye between May and August 2022. The flotation method was used to detect strongyle nematode eggs in the fecal samples of the horses. Afterward, strongyle nematode eggs were collected, and the allele-specific polymerase chain reaction (AS-PCR) technique was used...
Himebaugh NE, Robertson JB, Weninger K, Gilger BC, Ekesten B, Oh A.The aim of this study was to assess the transmission of the ultraviolet (UV) radiation (200-400 nm) through intact enucleated globes of different species (dogs, cats, pigs, rabbits, horses, and humans) using spectrophotometry. Globes of cats (n = 6), dogs (n = 18), pigs (n = 10), rabbits (n = 6), horses (n = 10), and humans (n = 4) were analyzed. A 5-10 mm circular area of sclera and choroid from the posterior aspect of the globe was removed under a surgical microscope, leaving the retina intact in all species except the horse. Glass coverslips were added in horses and rabbits du...
Topp AK, Springer A, Mischke R, Rieder J, Feige K, Ganter M, Nagel-Kohl U, Nordhoff M, Boelke M, Becker S, Pachnicke S, Schunack B, Dobler G, Strube C.Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) is a tick-transmitted flavivirus, which can infect humans and animals, sometimes even with a fatal outcome. Since many decades, TBEV is endemic in southern Germany, while only sporadic occurrence has been noted in northern parts of the country so far. Nevertheless, autochthonous human clinical cases are increasing in the federal state of Lower Saxony in north-western Germany, and several natural foci of TBEV transmission have recently been detected in this federal state. In order to shed more light on the current distribution of TBEV in Lower Saxony, the pr...
Shapter FM, Granados-Soler JL, Stewart AJ, Bertin FR, Allavena R.Crofton weed (Ageratina adenophora) is a global and highly invasive weed, with ingestion causing severe respiratory disease in horses, leading to irreversible and untreatable pulmonary fibrosis and oedema. While reports of equine pneumotoxicity remain common in Australia and New Zealand, equine pneumotoxicity may be underdiagnosed in other countries where Crofton weed is endemic but poorly differentiated. The pathogenesis of Crofton weed toxicity following ingestion has been well described in a number of different animal models, including rodents, rabbits, and goats. However, induced toxicity ...
Martins AV, Coelho AL, Corrêa LL, Ribeiro MS, Lobão LF, Palmer JPS, Moura LC, Molento MB, Barbosa ADS.The frequency of gastrointestinal parasites with an emphasis on Strongylus vulgaris was investigated among the Brazilian Pony breed kept on farms in the municipality of Teresópolis, state of Rio de Janeiro. Fecal samples were collected in three stud farms: A (n= 22 animals), B (n= 3), and C (n= 2). Fecal samples were subjected to the quantitative Mini-FLOTAC technique, using three different solutions, and to qualitative techniques. The parasite prevalence was found to be 81.4%. Eggs from strongylids were identified in 74% of the ponies. Eggs of Parascaris spp. were detected in 22.7% of the an...
Munsterman AS, VanderBroek AR, Kottwitz JJ, Watson VE.To compare a novel suture loop method for intestinal biopsies (SLB) with a two-layer, hand-sutured biopsy (HSB) technique in equine small and large intestines. Methods: Experimental, randomized, ex vivo study. Methods: Eight healthy adult horses. Methods: The duodenum, aboral jejunum, and ventral and dorsal large colon were harvested after euthanasia and divided into three sections each. The sections were randomized to SLB, HSB, or control (C, no biopsy) groups. Tissue samples were excised after placement of a suture loop formed by a 4S Roeder knot and oversewn with a Cushing pattern using bar...
Zúñiga MP, Badillo E, Abalos P, Valencia ED, Marín P, Escudero E, Galecio JS.Rhodococcus equi is responsible for foal pneumonia worldwide, with a significant economic impact on the production and breeding of horses. In Chile, the first case was reported in 2000, and since then, its incidence has been increasing. Distinctive characteristics of R. equi as an intracellular pathogen in macrophages, emergence of virulence plasmids encoding surface lipoprotein antigens, and appearance of antibiotic resistance against macrolides and rifampicin have significantly complicated the treatment of R. equi pneumonia in foals. Therefore, in vitro susceptibility studies of first-line a...
Peat FJ, Kawcak CE, McIlwraith CW, Keenan DP, Berk JT, Mork DS.Subchondral lucencies (SCLs) in the distal aspect of the medial femoral condyle (MFC) of young Thoroughbred horses are a source of controversy on presale radiographs. There is limited scientific evidence regarding the risk of progression and impact on future racing performance. Objective: To (1) identify the prevalence of MFC SCLs on sales repository radiographs in yearling and 2-year-old Thoroughbreds; (2) identify any association between grade of MFC SCL and future racing performance and (3) monitor changes in MFC SCL grades between yearling and 2-year-old sales. Methods: Prospective cohort ...
Lazić S, Savić S, Petrović T, Lazić G, Žekić M, Drobnjak D, Lupulović D.The paper presents the findings of specific antibodies in the blood sera of donkeys against the following viruses: equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV), African horse sickness virus (AHSV), equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1), equine influenza virus subtype H3N8 (EIV) and equine arteritis virus (EAV). The analyses were conducted during the year 2022. From a total of 199 donkeys bred in "Zasavica", blood was sampled from 53 animals (2 male donkeys and 51 female donkeys), aged 3 to 10 years. Specific antibodies against EIAV were not detected in any of the tested animals using the agar-gel immunod...
McLean AK, Falt T, Abdelfattah EM, Middlebrooks B, Gretler S, Spier S, Turoff D, Navas Gonzalez FJ, Knych HK.Recent approval of transdermal flunixin meglumine (FM) (Banamine®) in cattle has opened the door for the drug's potential application in other species. Transdermal FM could provide a safe and effective form of pain relief in donkeys. In order to evaluate the pharmacokinetics and effects of FM on anti-inflammatory biomarkers in donkeys, a three-way crossover study design was employed. In total, 6 healthy donkeys were administered transdermal (TD) FM at a dosage of 3.3 mg/kg, and oral (PO) and intravenous (IV) doses of 1.1 mg/kg body weight. Blood samples were collected over 96 h to determine t...
Atai T, Ozmaie S, Anoushepour A.This research was performed to compare the effects of prednisolone and fluorometholone on intraocular pressure (IOP) and Schirmer tear test (STT) in the normal equine eye. Sixteen normal mares aged between 6 and 10 years were used for this study. Horses were randomly assigned to two groups. Eight horses in the first group received 0.2 mL of topical 1% prednisolone in one eye and the contralateral eye was used as control (0.2 mL of saline was instilled). The second group received 0.2 mL of 0.1% fluorometholone in a randomly selected eye and the contralateral eye served as control and received 0...
Vincelette AR, Renders E, Scott KM, Falkingham PL, Janis CM.The traditional story of the evolution of the horse (family Equidae) has been in large part about the evolution of their feet. How did modern horses come to have a single toe (digit III), with the hoof bearing a characteristic V-shaped keratinous frog on the sole, and what happened to the other digits? While it has long been known that the proximal portions of digits II and IV are retained as the splint bones, a recent hypothesis suggested that the distal portion of these digits have also been retained as part of the frog, drawing upon the famous Laetoli footprints of the tridactyl (three-toed...
Huggins L, Norris J, Conley A, Dini P.Abnormal or undesired mare behaviours are often assumed to be associated with ovarian abnormalities. Objective: We aimed to determine the incidence of abnormal behaviours and their association with concentrations of one or more ovarian hormones associated with a granulosa cell tumour (GCT). Methods: Retrospective descriptive. Methods: A total of 2914 hormonal profile samples submitted with the words behave, behaviour, or behaving in the submission history were analysed. The association between reported abnormal behaviours and concentrations of testosterone, anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), inhib...
Jaimes-Dueñez J, Jiménez-Leaño Á, Enrique-Niño S, Arias-Landazábal N, Bedoya-Ríos M, Rangel-Pachón D.Piroplasmosis and trypanosomiasis are debilitating diseases of great economic impact on the equine industry of Latin America. Considering the lack of studies in the northeastern part of Colombia, this study aimed to determine the epidemiological, clinical and genetic features associated with infection of the Babesia, Theileria, and Trypanosoma species in horses from this geographical area. Two hundred and eighty horses from the Arauca, Meta, and Santander departments were molecularly analyzed for infection with Babesia caballi, Theileria equi, Trypanosoma evansi, and Trypanosoma vivax. Further...
Di Cesare F, Negro V, Ravasio G, Villa R, Draghi S, Cagnardi P.Gabapentin is an anticonvulsant drug, which presents an established clinical efficacy in human patients for the management of refractory partial seizures, secondarily generalized tonic-clonic seizures, and for the control of chronic neuropathic pain. Gabapentin was synthesized as a structural analogue of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA, with GABA-mimetic effects, able to cross the blood-brain barrier. In veterinary medicine, is extra-label used in combination with other treatments to control seizures when other drugs are no longer effective or become toxic or for neuropathic pain treatmen...
Greening L, Allen S, McBride S.Sleep disturbance is observed across species, resulting in neurocognitive dysfunction and poor impulse control/regulation of negative emotion. Understanding animal sleep disturbance is thus important to understand how environmental factors influence animal sleep and day-to-day welfare. Self-reporting tools for sleep disturbance are commonly used in human research to determine sleep quality, that cannot be transferred to non-verbal animal species research. Human research has, however, successfully used frequency of awakenings to create an objective measurement of sleep quality. The aim of this ...
Stevens KA, Caruso JC, Fallahi AKM, Patiño JM.Since initial reports suggesting primary tendon repair as possible and even desirable emerged in the 1960s, significant advancements in the understanding of flexor tendon anatomy, biology, mechanisms of response to injury, and methods of repair, have been made. Recent research highlights enhanced improvements in operative techniques and rehabilitative care that have made primary flexor tendon repair a preferred operative approach for lacerations and can successfully achieve a reliable flexor tendon repair site, optimizing digital motion. The formative goals of surgical treatment for lacerated ...
Aguilar-Lazcano CA, Espinosa-Curiel IE, Ríos-Martínez JA, Madera-Ramírez FA, Pérez-Espinosa H.The development of technology, such as the Internet of Things and artificial intelligence, has significantly advanced many fields of study. Animal research is no exception, as these technologies have enabled data collection through various sensing devices. Advanced computer systems equipped with artificial intelligence capabilities can process these data, allowing researchers to identify significant behaviors related to the detection of illnesses, discerning the emotional state of the animals, and even recognizing individual animal identities. This review includes articles in the English langu...
Jackson K, Kelty E.Equine peripheral caries is a common condition characterized by demineralization and degradation of the clinical crown of equine cheek teeth. The condition can cause significant pain and morbidity, particularly in severe cases. Recent studies indicate that the condition is driven by environmental conditions within the mouth, as only the clinical crown of the tooth is affected (the reserve crown below the gingival margin remains unaffected). It is hypothesized that peripheral caries is driven by changes in oral pH, with risk factors for the condition including the intake of high-sugar feeds (oa...
Lamkin I, Pugliese B, Nystrom J, Fubini SL, Knickelbein KE.To describe the successful restoration of superior eyelid function in a horse following traumatic avulsion using an advancement flap blepharoplasty and subdermal hyaluronic acid filler. Methods: A 21-year-old American Paint Horse stallion who was attacked by a fellow stallion resulting in numerous traumatic injuries including avulsion of approximately 75% of the left superior eyelid. Methods: With standing sedation and locoregional anesthesia, the superior eyelid wound was debrided and an advancement flap blepharoplasty (H-plasty) and temporary tarsorrhaphy were performed. Routine healing of t...
Reisbig NA, Pifko J, Lanovaz JL, Weishaupt MA, Carmalt JL.Although the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is the major contact point between the reins in the riders' hand, the bit in the mouth, and the rest of the horse under saddle, the role of inflammation of this joint on equine locomotion and rein tension is unknown. Unassigned: To determine the effect of acute TMJ inflammation on rein-tension and horse movement when horses were long-reined on a treadmill. Unassigned: A randomized, controlled, cross-over design. Unassigned: Five horses were trained by one clinician to walk and trot on a treadmill wearing long-reining equipment instrumented with a rein...
Nielsen MK, Leathwick DM, Sauermann CW.Over the past three decades, equine strongylid egg reappearance periods (ERPs) have shortened substantially for macrocyclic lactone anthelmintics. The ERPs of ivermectin and moxidectin were originally reported in the 8-10 and 12-16 week ranges, respectively, but several recent studies have found them to be around 4-5 weeks for both actives. This loss of several weeks of suppressed strongylid egg output could have substantial implications for parasite control. This study made use of a computer simulation model to evaluate the impact of shortened ERPs on the anthelmintic performance of ivermecti...
Erasha AM, Nazih M, Ali S, Alsafy M, El-Gendy S, Sayed RKA.A significant extent of researches in veterinary study have been focused on dental structure; however, there are scanty ones on the orientation and identification of their cusps. Therefore, the present article aimed to spot a light on arrangement pattern of dental cusps in the camel as a folivorous and graminivorous animal. This study was conducted on eight heads of adult, healthy camel of both sexes, collected from slaughter houses. To perform exact orientation of cusps of molar teeth, additional radiological and CT scans were performed on the mandible as a landmark that should facilitate the...
Kriek NP, Kellerman TS, Marasas WF.An isolate of Fusarium verticillioides (MRC826) that induced experimental leukoencephalomalacia, also caused acute toxicity when fed to pigs and administered per rumen fistula to sheep. Pigs developed severe pulmonary oedema while sheep manifested severe nephrosis and hepatosis. A less toxic isolate (F. verticillioides MRC602), fed to baboons, resulted in acute congestive heart failure or hepatic cirrhosis, depending on the dose. Both isolates were toxic to rats and caused similar lesions, namely, hepatic cirrhosis and intraventricular cardiac thrombosis.
Rossdale PD, Hopes R, Digby NJ, offord K.An epidemiological study of wastage among racehorses was conducted in 1982 and 1983 among six stables, five of which were in Newmarket. The basis of the survey was the inability of horses to take part in cantering exercise as a result of injury or disease. The greatest number of days lost to training was caused by lameness (67.6 per cent) and respiratory problems (20.5 per cent). Conditions of the foot (19 pe cent), muscle (18 per cent), carpus (14 per cent), fetlock joints (14 per cent), tendons (10 per cent) and sore shins (9 per cent) were the major reasons for training days being lost in 1...
Pirie RS.Recurrent airway obstruction is a widely recognised airway disorder, characterised by hypersensitivity-mediated neutrophilic airway inflammation and lower airway obstruction in a subpopulation of horses when exposed to suboptimal environments high in airborne organic dust. Over the past decade, numerous studies have further advanced our understanding of different aspects of the disease. These include clarification of the important inhaled airborne agents responsible for disease induction, improving our understanding of the underlying genetic basis of disease susceptibility and unveiling the fu...
Cheevers WP, McGuire TC.Equine infectious anemia (EIA) is a chronic, relapsing infectious disease of horses caused by a nononcogenic retrovirus. Virus persists in infected animals for life and can be reliably detected by serologic tests that measure levels of antibody to the major structural protein of the virus. Periodic virus replication in macrophages leads to an immunologically mediated acute disease characterized primarily by severe anemia. Recrudescence of acute EIA is the result of antigenic variation of the surface glycoprotein of EIA virus. The frequency and severity of clinical episodes of EIA decrease in m...
Lyons S, Kapoor A, Sharp C, Schneider BS, Wolfe ND, Culshaw G, Corcoran B, McGorum BC, Simmonds P.Although the origin of hepatitis C virus infections in humans remains undetermined, a close homolog of this virus, termed canine hepacivirus (CHV) and found in respiratory secretions of dogs, provides evidence for a wider distribution of hepaciviruses in mammals. We determined frequencies of active infection among dogs and other mammals in the United Kingdom. Samples from dogs (46 respiratory, 99 plasma, 45 autopsy samples) were CHV negative by PCR. Screening of 362 samples from cats, horses, donkeys, rodents, and pigs identified 3 (2%) positive samples from 142 horses. These samples were gene...
Lomas AJ, Ryan CN, Sorushanova A, Shologu N, Sideri AI, Tsioli V, Fthenakis GC, Tzora A, Skoufos I, Quinlan LR, O'Laighin G, Mullen AM, Kelly JL....Tendon injuries represent a significant clinical burden on healthcare systems worldwide. As the human population ages and the life expectancy increases, tendon injuries will become more prevalent, especially among young individuals with long life ahead of them. Advancements in engineering, chemistry and biology have made available an array of three-dimensional scaffold-based intervention strategies, natural or synthetic in origin. Further, functionalisation strategies, based on biophysical, biochemical and biological cues, offer control over cellular functions; localisation and sustained relea...
Harr KE, Flatland B, Nabity M, Freeman KP.As all laboratory equipment ages and contains components that may degrade with time, initial and periodically scheduled performance assessment is required to verify accurate and precise results over the life of the instrument. As veterinary patients may present to general practitioners and then to referral hospitals (both of which may each perform in-clinic laboratory analyses using different instruments), and given that general practitioners may send samples to reference laboratories, there is a need for comparability of results across instruments and methods. Allowable total error (TEa ) is ...
Shin EK, Perryman LE, Meek K.The equine SCID defect is more severe than its murine counterpart in that SCID foals are incapable of forming either coding or signal joints, whereas SCID mice manifest normal signal joint formation. To determine the basis of this difference and whether DNA-dependent kinase, catalytic subunit (DNA-PK(CS)), is involved in signal joint formation, equine DNA-PK(CS) transcripts were cloned and sequenced from normal and SCID cell lines. In the mutant allele, a frame-shift mutation truncates the protein N terminal of the domain with homology to the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase family resulting in c...
Marycz K, Kornicka K, Marędziak M, Golonka P, Nicpoń J.Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ASC) hold great promise in the treatment of many disorders including musculoskeletal system, cardiovascular and/or endocrine diseases. However, the cytophysiological condition of cells, used for engraftment seems to be fundamental factor that might determine the effectiveness of clinical therapy. In this study we investigated growth kinetics, senescence, accumulation of oxidative stress factors, mitochondrial biogenesis, autophagy and osteogenic differentiation potential of ASC isolated from horses suffered from equine metabolic syndrome (EMS). We demons...
Couëtil LL, Hoffman AM, Hodgson J, Buechner-Maxwell V, Viel L, Wood JL, Lavoie JP.The purpose of this consensus statement is to provide a review of current knowledge and opinions concerning inflammatory airway disease (IAD) and to help practitioners differentiate IAD from heaves (or recurrent airway obstruction; RAO) and other inflammatory respiratory diseases of horses.
Morgan M.Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is increasing worldwide. Occasionally, animals are colonized or infected incidentally with human strains. Recently, however, new strains of MRSA emerging from within the animal kingdom, particularly in pigs, are causing human infection. MRSA has been reported in species as diverse as companion animals, horses and pigs, through to chinchillas, bats and parrots. In contrast, whereas strains of community-associated MRSA, the majority of which carry genes encoding Panton-Valentine leucocidin, are spreading rapidly in human populations, only sporad...
Oladunni FS, Horohov DW, Chambers TM.Equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) is one of the most important and prevalent viral pathogens of horses and a major threat to the equine industry throughout most of the world. EHV-1 primarily causes respiratory disease but viral spread to distant organs enables the development of more severe sequelae; abortion and neurologic disease. The virus can also undergo latency during which viral genes are minimally expressed, and reactivate to produce lytic infection at any time. Recently, there has been a trend of increasing numbers of outbreaks of a devastating form of EHV-1, equine herpesviral myeloenceph...
Smith RK, Birch HL, Goodman S, Heinegård D, Goodship AE.Strain-induced tendinopathy is a common injury in both human and equine athletes, with increasing incidence associated with greater involvement in sport and an increasingly aged population. This paper reviews our studies on the abundant non-collagenous protein, cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP), in equine tendons. Its variation between tendon type and site, age and exercise has provided an insight into how age and exercise influence tendon growth and maturation. Tendons can be broadly divided into two types, reflecting their different matrix composition and function: the energy-storin...
Radcliffe CH, Flaminio MJ, Fortier LA.Mesenchymal progenitor cells (MPCs) are often characterized using surface markers after expansion and treatment in culture. There are no studies directly comparing gene and protein markers in undifferentiated samples during the very early phases of culture. The goal of this study was to evaluate temporal gene and protein expression changes during establishment of equine MPC cultures. Bone marrow aspirate was obtained from 35 horses and processed by density gradient centrifugation. In freshly isolated bone marrow, mononuclear cells had variable expression of CD44, CD11a/CD18, CD90, and CD45RB c...
Wilson AM, McGuigan MP, Su A, van Den Bogert AJ.The muscular work of galloping in horses is halved by storing and returning elastic strain energy in spring-like muscle-tendon units.These make the legs act like a child's pogo stick that is tuned to stretch and recoil at 2.5 strides per second. This mechanism is optimized by unique musculoskeletal adaptations: the digital flexor muscles have extremely short fibres and significant passive properties, whereas the tendons are very long and span several joints. Length change occurs by a stretching of the spring-like digital flexor tendons rather than through energetically expensive length changes...
Cantile C, Di Guardo G, Eleni C, Arispici M.West Nile (WN) virus infection is a mosquito-borne flavivirosis endemic in Africa and Asia. Clinical disease is usually rare and mild and only in a few cases the infection causes encephalomyelitis in horses, fever and meningoencephalitis in man. We report here the clinical and pathological findings in an epidemic of the disease involving 14 horses from Tuscany, Italy. All cases were observed from August to October 1998. Affected horses showed ataxia, weakness paresis of the hindlimbs and, in 6 cases, there was paraparesis progressing to tetraplegia and recumbency within 2 to 9 days. Eight anim...
Bhoora R, Franssen L, Oosthuizen MC, Guthrie AJ, Zweygarth E, Penzhorn BL, Jongejan F, Collins NE.A molecular epidemiological survey of the protozoal parasites that cause equine piroplasmosis was conducted using samples collected from horses and zebra from different geographical locations in South Africa. A total of 488 samples were tested for the presence of Theileria equi and/or Babesia caballi using the reverse line blot hybridization assay. Ten percent of the samples hybridized to the Theileria/Babesia genus-specific probe and not to the B. caballi or T. equi species-specific probes, suggesting the presence of a novel species or genotype. The small subunit of rRNA gene (18S; approximat...
Rodriguez C, Taminiau B, Brévers B, Avesani V, Van Broeck J, Leroux A, Gallot M, Bruwier A, Amory H, Delmée M, Daube G.The equine faecal microbiota is very complex and remains largely unknown, while interspecies interactions have an important contribution to animal health. Clostridium difficile has been identified as an important cause of diarrhoea in horses. This study provides further information on the nature of the bacterial communities present in horses developing an episode of diarrhoea. The prevalence of C. difficile in hospitalised horses at the time of admission is also reported. Results: Bacterial diversity of the gut microbiota in diarrhoea is lower than that in non-diarrhoeic horses in terms of spe...
von Bargen K, Haas A.The soil actinomycete Rhodococcus equi is a pulmonary pathogen of young horses and AIDS patients. As a facultative intracellular bacterium, R. equi survives and multiplies in macrophages and establishes its specific niche inside the host cell. Recent research into chromosomal virulence factors and into the role of virulence plasmids in infection and host tropism has presented novel aspects of R. equi infection biology and pathogenicity. This review will focus on new findings in R. equi biology, the trafficking of R. equi-containing vacuoles inside host cells, factors involved in virulence and ...
Lafont R, Dinan L.Ecdysteroids are widely used as inducers for gene-switch systems based on insect ecdysteroid receptors and genes of interest placed under the control of ecdysteroid-response elements. We review here these systems, which are currently mainly used in vitro with cultured cells in order to analyse the role of a wide array of genes, but which are expected to represent the basis for future gene therapy strategies. Such developments raise several questions, which are addressed in detail. First, the metabolic fate of ecdysteroids in mammals, including humans, is only poorly known, and the rapid catabo...
Peffers MJ, Thorpe CT, Collins JA, Eong R, Wei TK, Screen HR, Clegg PD.Energy storing tendons, such as the human Achilles and equine superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT), are highly prone to injury, the incidence of which increases with aging. The cellular and molecular mechanisms that result in increased injury in aged tendons are not well established but are thought to result in altered matrix turnover. However, little attempt has been made to fully characterize the tendon proteome nor determine how the abundance of specific tendon proteins changes with aging and/or injury. The aim of this study was, therefore, to assess the protein profile of normal SDFTs ...
Brosnahan MM, Paradis MR.To describe the demographic and clinical characteristics of a population of geriatric horses. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: 467 horses that were > or = 20 years of age. Methods: Medical records of 539 geriatric horses that were evaluated at a university large animal hospital between 1989 and 1999 were reviewed. Data collected included signalment, reason for evaluation, specific diagnoses, surgical procedures, inpatient or outpatient care, duration of hospitalization, and outcome. Results: 467 horses met the criteria for inclusion in the study. Horses that were > or = 20 years of age c...
Kurien BT, Everds NE, Scofield RH.Animal urine collection is a vital part of veterinary practice for ascertaining animal health and in scientific investigations for assessing the results of experimental manipulations. Untainted animal urine collection is very challenging, especially with small rodents, and is an almost impossible task under conditions of microgravity. The fundamental aspects of urine collection are: (1) ease of collection, (2) quality of sample, (3) prevention of contamination, (4) severity of procedures used, (5) levels of pain caused to the animal and (6) refinement of methods to reduce stress, pain or distr...
Marędziak M, Marycz K, Lewandowski D, Siudzińska A, Śmieszek A.The aim of this work study was to evaluate the cytophysiological activity of equine adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) cultured under conditions of static magnetic field. Investigated cells were exposed to a static magnetic field (MF) with the intensity of 0.5 T. In order to investigate the effects of magnetic field on stem cell signaling, the localization and density and content of microvesicles (MVs) as well as morphology, ultrastructure, and proliferation rate of equine ASCs were evaluated. Results showed that potential of equine adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells was accelerated when ma...
Carrade DD, Affolter VK, Outerbridge CA, Watson JL, Galuppo LD, Buerchler S, Kumar V, Walker NJ, Borjesson DL.BACKGROUND AIMS. The use of allogeneic mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) to treat acute equine lesions would greatly expand equine cellular therapy options; however, the safety and antigenicity of these cells have not been well-studied. We hypothesized that equine allogeneic umbilical cord tissue (UCT)-derived MSC would not elicit acute graft rejection or a delayed-type hypersensitivity response when injected intradermally. METHODS. Six Quarterhorse yearlings received 12 intradermal injections (autologous MSC, allogeneic MSC, positive control and negative control, in triplicate) followed by the sam...
Richter PJ, Kimsey RB, Madigan JE, Barlough JE, Dumler JS, Brooks DL.Ehrlichia equi, a rickettsia described from horses in California 30 yr ago, causes equine granulocytic ehrlichiosis throughout the Americas and possibly Europe. Here, we report experimental transmission of E. equi from infected to susceptible horses through bites of western blacklegged ticks, Ixodes pacificus (Cooley & Kohls). In preliminary field studies, only I. pacificus consistently infested horses and vegetation at 3 locations with contemporary cases of equine ehrlichosis, and in particular, I. pacificus was the only species found attached to all of the infected horses. Exposure to bites ...
Thorpe CT, Peffers MJ, Simpson D, Halliwell E, Screen HR, Clegg PD.Tendon is a simple aligned fibre composite, consisting of collagen-rich fascicles surrounded by a softer interfascicular matrix (IFM). The composition and interactions between these material phases are fundamental in ensuring tissue mechanics meet functional requirements. However the IFM is poorly defined, therefore tendon structure-function relationships are incompletely understood. We hypothesised that the IFM has a more complex proteome, with faster turnover than the fascicular matrix (FM). Using laser-capture microdissection and mass spectrometry, we demonstrate that the IFM contains more ...
van der Meulen KM, Pensaert MB, Nauwynck HJ.West Nile virus (WNV), an arthropod-borne virus belonging to the family Flaviviridae, had been recognized in Africa, Asia and the south of Europe for many decades. Only recently, it has been associated with an increasing number of outbreaks of encephalitis in humans and equines as well as an increasing number of infections in vertebrates of a wide variety of species. In this article, the data available on the incidence of WNV in vertebrates are reviewed. Moreover, the role of vertebrates in the transmission of WNV, the control of WNV infections in veterinary medicine as well as future perspect...
Rizzo C, Napoli C, Venturi G, Pupella S, Lombardini L, Calistri P, Monaco F, Cagarelli R, Angelini P, Bellini R, Tamba M, Piatti A, Russo F, Palù G....In Italy a national Plan for the surveillance of imported and autochthonous human vector-borne diseases (chikungunya, dengue, Zika virus disease and West Nile virus (WNV) disease) that integrates human and veterinary (animals and vectors) surveillance, is issued and revised annually according with the observed epidemiological changes. Here we describe results of the WNV integrated veterinary and human surveillance systems in Italy from 2008 to 2015. A real time data exchange protocol is in place between the surveillance systems to rapidly identify occurrence of human and animal cases and to de...
