Veterinary research in horses encompasses the study of diseases, health management, and medical treatments specific to equine species. This field investigates various aspects of horse health, including infectious diseases, metabolic disorders, and musculoskeletal conditions. Researchers focus on understanding the pathophysiology of equine ailments, developing diagnostic tools, and evaluating therapeutic interventions. The study of horse health also involves examining preventive measures such as vaccination protocols and nutritional management to promote overall well-being. This page collects peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the diverse areas of veterinary science related to horses, providing insights into disease mechanisms, treatment strategies, and advancements in equine healthcare.
Guerri G, Bandera L, Straticò P, Palozzo A, Di Nunzio L, Celani G, Varasano V, Vignoli M, Petrizzi L.Superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) injuries cause progressive loss of its mechanical properties. Two-dimensional shear wave elastography (2D-SWE) provides information about tissue stiffness. Objective: To determine the feasibility, repeatability, and reproducibility of 2D-SWE of healthy and pathological forelimb SDFT. Methods: Prospective observational cohort study. Methods: Horses were divided into a noninjured Group (H) and a Group with tendinopathy of the SDFT (P). 2D-SWE of both fore SDFTs was performed at three metacarpal levels (A, B, and C, from proximal to distal). Qualitative an...
Andrews KM, Berghaus LJ, Hart KA.Equine Asthma Syndrome (EAS) is a chronic inflammatory respiratory disease of adult horses. While dietary polyphenols have shown anti-inflammatory effects in human asthma, their use in equine asthma has not been studied. Objective: To evaluate the effects of a mixed polyphenol supplement on systemic and pulmonary inflammation, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cytology, and clinical respiratory signs in healthy and asthmatic horses. We hypothesized that polyphenol supplementation would decrease systemic and pulmonary inflammation in both healthy and asthmatic horses and would improve BAL cytology a...
Beeston TJ, Duncan JC, Pollock PJ.Surgical safety checklists have demonstrated a positive impact on post-surgical morbidity/mortality in human medicine, and likely have an equal benefit in veterinary medicine. To realise their advantages, they must be correctly and regularly used. A clinical audit was planned to assess this. Objective: To determine the compliance with the pre-procedural request form/surgical safety checklist in a large multi-disciplinary equine referral hospital. Methods: Retrospective full-cycle clinical audit. Methods: One hundred and forty-eight checklists (consisting of 23 sub-sections) were examined for c...
Cullen JN, Cieslak J, Petersen JL, Bellone RR, Finno CJ, Kalbfleisch TS, Calloe K, Capomaccio S, Cappelli K, Coleman SJ, Distl O, Durward-Akhurst SA....MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are essential regulators of gene expression, yet few comprehensive databases exist for miRNA expression in non-model species, limiting our ability to characterize their roles in gene regulation, development, and disease. Similarly, isomiRs - length and sequence isoforms of canonical miRNAs with potentially altered regulatory targets and functions - have received even less attention in non-model species, including the horse, leaving a critical gap in our understanding of their biological significance. To address these challenges, we developed an open-source, containerized pip...
Bozzola C, Sala G, Stancari G, Ferrucci F, Zucca E.Exercise-Induced Pulmonary Hemorrhage (EIPH) results from alveolar capillary stress failure after strenuous exercise, leading to bleeding and pulmonary inflammation. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) cytology is considered the gold standard for the assessment of airway inflammation; however, it is often considered more invasive compared to tracheal wash (TW). It has been demonstrated that TW is a reliable diagnostic tool that may substitute BALF to diagnose and grade the severity of EIPH in racehorses; however, no information about airway inflammation in EIPH-affected horses has been reporte...
Ajeebsanu MM, Koshy SA, Karakka Kal AK, Subhahar MB, Karatt TK, Philip M.Suzetrigine, a recently approved Na1.8 sodium channel blocker, shows strong potential in the treatment of neurological, psychiatric, and pain-related conditions. Its peripheral selectivity enables effective pain management while avoiding central nervous system complications and addiction risks linked to opioid use. Following FDA approval in January 2025, concerns have emerged regarding its possible misuse for performance enhancement in sports, highlighting the need for reliable detection tools in doping control. Methods: An analytical procedure was designed and validated to detect suzetrigine ...
Payette F, Kulp JC, Graves A, Janes J, Morrow J, Orr K, Reed S, Ruby R, Stefanovski D, Johnson AL.To measure and compare CSF cytokine concentrations among horses with equine neuroaxonal dystrophy (eNAD)/equine degenerative myeloencephalopathy (EDM), horses with cervical vertebral stenotic myelopathy (CVSM), and control horses and to evaluate for associations with clinical parameters. Unassigned: Banked equine CSF samples from horses with neurologic disease that underwent a complete neurologic examination and postmortem diagnosis confirmation of CVSM or eNAD/EDM or from control horses were included. Cytokines were measured with an equine-specific cytokine/chemokine magnetic bead multiplex p...
Cabaret J.Resistance to anthelmintics in gastrointestinal nematodes (GINs) is highly prevalent, as these parasites have been treated with anthelmintics for decades in ruminants and horses. Anthelmintics belong to different classes, each with a different mode of action. The most used are benzimidazoles and macrocyclic lactones and, to a lesser extent, levamisole and pyrantel in herbivores, as estimated from the literature. Combining these classes should be effective in controlling GIN. However, several farmers' practices tend to promote GIN resistance. Therefore, it is unclear whether the use of anthelmi...
Falsini A, Coppola C, Fiori A, Buonavoglia D, Marchi S, Montomoli E, Pellegrini F, Lanave G, Martella V, Camero M, Trombetta CM.Influenza D virus (IDV), belonging to the family, was first discovered in 2011 in pigs. Surveys in humans and animals have been carried out to decipher IDV ecology. In this seroepidemiological study, we investigated the circulation of IDV lineages across Italy in livestock and wildlife animals. A total of 1038 animal serum samples (from 246 bovines, 249 swine, 98 equines, and 445 wild boars) were tested using hemagglutination inhibition and virus neutralization assays. The results confirm bovines as the primary reservoir for IDV, with high seroprevalence for both D/660 (87%) and D/OK (80%) st...
Caure S, Miljak K, Dendaw P, Thesée L, Villedey E, Malinvaud A, Cousty M, Prié V, Horan K, Weller R.Effects of ground surface and hoof angles on equine cervical and thoracolumbosacral kinematics are poorly understood. However, the equine cervical and thoracolumbosacral areas present frequent lesions and he management of factors that might improve treatment and rehabilitation outcomes, such as ground surface and hoof angles, requires more investigation. Objective: Our objectives were to determine the influence of ground surface (asphalt versus sand) and a 3 degrees hind toe or heel elevation on cervical and thoracolumbosacral kinematics during walking and trotting. Methods: Six saddle horses ...
Freeman KD, Adams MN, Salinger AE, White NA, Barrett JG.Suspensory desmopathy is a frequently documented cause of lameness in performance horses; proximal suspensory desmopathy is the most frequent site of injury in dressage horses [...].
Massardi E, Gaudenzi G, Carra S, Oldani M, Rybinska I, Persani L, Vitale G.Cushing's disease (CD) is a rare neuroendocrine disorder caused by ACTH-secreting pituitary adenomas, presenting significant diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. Given the evolutionary conservation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, this review explores the translational value of spontaneous CD forms in dogs, horses, cats, small mammals, and rats, as well as of experimental models in mice, rats, and zebrafish. Dogs are the most studied, showing strong molecular and clinical similarities with human CD, making them valuable for preclinical drug and diagnostic research. While equine an...
Cequier A, Serrano MB, Soler-Monsó MT, Bernad E, Vázquez FJ, Vitoria A, Fuente S, Zaragoza P, Romero A, Rodellar C, Barrachina L.The allogeneic administration of equine mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) has numerous advantages over autologous therapy, but their interactions with the patient's immune system need to be further elucidated. These interactions can be influenced by factors such as the compatibility between donor-receptor for the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) and by the MHC expression levels, which can change under different conditions like inflammatory exposure and chondrogeneic differentiation. In this study, we evaluated the local immune response induced by chondrogeneically differentiated (MSC...
Taylor WTT, Delsol N, Oelze VM, Mitchell P, Stricker L, Lavin M, Ogundiran A, Hosek L, Barrón-Ortiz CI, Ojediran O, Quintero-Bisono D....Domestic equids were central to the initial colonization of the Atlantic coast of the Americas, a process partially chronicled by historical records. While Spanish colonists brought horses to the Caribbean decades earlier, settlement of the English colony at Jamestown, Virginia, was among the first dispersals of horses to the eastern seaboard. Archaeozoological analysis of identifiable domestic equid remains from two contexts associated with the initial occupation of Jamestown demonstrates intense processing and consumption of the first Jamestown horses during the "Starving Time" winter of 160...
Azócar-Aedo L, Meniconi G, Pino-Olguín C, Gallardo M.At a veterinary hospital in southern Chile, we conducted an epidemiological study involving domestic dogs, cats, and horses to determine the seropositivity for pathogenic spp., identify the infecting serogroups, measure antibody titers, and characterize seropositive animals by sex and age. None of the sampled animals showed clinical signs of leptospirosis. The microscopic agglutination test, using a panel of eight serogroups, was used for diagnosis. The seropositivity was 36.5% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 24.5-48.4) in dogs, 12.9% (95% CI = 2.6-23.1) in cats, and 45.2% (95% CI = 30.1-60.2...
Geibel MA, Kildal D, Geibel AM, Ott S.Dysfunctions and disorders of the craniomandibular system are accompanied by pathophysiological changes of muscle groups in the throat/neck and facial area, e.g., pain in the jaw and muscles of mastication and disturbance of occlusion, leading to teeth injury (loss of dental hard tissue, fractures/sensibility disorders, etc.). For muscular dysfunctions, even in the context of psychosomatic disorders and chronic stress, hippotherapy is particularly suitable, since it helps actively to relieve muscle tensions. In the current project we combined hippotherapy with progressive muscle relaxation (PM...
Dong-Ha L, Eun-Bee L, Jong-Pil S, Eun-Ju K.Despite routine vaccination, equine influenza outbreaks occur due to disparities of virus strains between vaccine and field, and immunity gaps between vaccinations. Objective: To evaluate whether a combination of adjuvants can enhance immune responses to equine influenza virus (EIV) vaccines. Methods: In vivo experimental study. Methods: Eight mixed-breed horses were immunised intramuscularly with a recombinant canarypox-based EIV vaccine, either alone or in combination with monophosphoryl lipid A (MPL) and polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (poly I:C). A single vaccine dose was administered, and...
Atayde MF, Vidondo B, Bruckmaier R, Freymond SB, Sieme H, Rey-Kaeser R, Burger D.In-hand breeding involving restraint methods is likely the most common practice in the horse breeding industry worldwide. However, welfare issues that arise from such management have not been investigated in detail. Objective: (1) To investigate whether the mares show increased stress responses during in-hand breeding using (a) a lip twitch and (b) hobbles. (2) To evaluate if the use of restraint methods influences the mare's expression of oestrous behaviour. Methods: Intra-individual cross-over design. Methods: Six Franches-Montagnes stallions and 10 warmblood mares were used in these experim...
Paganelli GC, Schott HC.Small intestinal (SI) distension and gastric reflux (GR) are common in horses with mechanical and functional ileus. Removal of GR results in fluid/ion losses. Objective: 1) Determine the capacity of healthy SI; 2) measure ion concentrations in normal SI fluid, GR, or fluid from SI undergoing resection. The authors hypothesized that Na and Cl concentrations would be lower and higher, respectively, in GR as compared to SI fluid from healthy horses, while there would be little difference in K concentration. Methods: Observational study: two to 15 meters of SI from 15 horses were distended with wa...
Uprety T, Durazo J, Paul L, Metiner K, Ruby R, Loynachan A, Janes J, Kenndy L, Cassone L, Molly E, Quick M, Morgan J, Beyhan S, Erol E.Neorickettsia risticii (N. risticii) is an obligatory intracellular bacterium that causes Potomac horse fever (PHF), a disease clinically characterized by diarrhea, pyrexia, and laminitis in horses. Although sporadic reports of N. risticii infection have been linked to abortion in mares, a detailed retrospective study, including genomic analysis of the pathogen from an aborted fetus, has not been published. This study examined 546 fecal samples from clinically ill horses (January 1, 2017-December 31, 2024) and 833 colon samples from aborted equine fetuses (September 20, 2018-December 31, 2024)...
Hegger A, Köhne M, Gerhauser I, Görgens A.A 19-year-old Oldenburg stallion was presented multiple times over the course of several months with recurrent colic signs. At each examination, an enlargement of the scrotum was noted, which could not be further specified by palpation and ultrasonographic examination. The increase in circumference was noted both on palpation and on inspection and the size remained unchanged throughout. No special findings were noted during the general examination and the special examination of the colic patient. A few months after the first onset of symptoms, a chicken egg-sized mass was palpated on the right...
Fehin B, Scott CJ, Arango-Sabogal JC, de Mestre AM, Mouncey R.To date, relationships between pre-covering endometrial swab cytology and bacteriology and fertility outcomes in Thoroughbred broodmares in the United Kingdom are unknown and could aid clinical decision making. Objective: To investigate associations between cytology and bacteriology findings from the last endometrial swab taken in the breeding season (15 February to 15 July) and live-foal rates (predicted mean probability of producing a live foal) in UK Thoroughbred broodmares. Methods: Retrospective cohort study. Methods: Endometrial cytology and bacteriology findings were extracted from labo...
Steensma MJ, Ducro BJ, Dibbits B, Doekes HP, van Schipstal JGC, Kalblfleisch T, Groenen MAM, Derks MFL.In horses, genetic diversity is predominantly observed between breeds, with little variation within breeds. The studbooks of the two largest horse populations in the Netherlands, the Dutch Warmblood horse and Friesian horse population, have ongoing conservation projects including collecting large-scale genotype and sequence data. The current reference genome, derived from a Thoroughbred horse can lead to bias in genetic analyses of other horse breeds. Therefore, the aim of this study was to create high-quality breed-specific reference genomes of Dutch Warmblood and Friesian horses. We performe...
Furukawa R, Tozaki T, Mizukami K, Iwasaki Y, Kawate K, Kikuchi M, Ishige T, Momozawa Y, Fukui E, Kakoi H.Thoroughbreds have been maintained as a closed breed for over 300 years since the crossbreeding between Arabian stallions and English mares. Despite interest in germline de novo mutations across species, their frequency in horses, particularly in Thoroughbreds, remains largely unexplored. Objective: This study aimed to identify de novo mutations in Thoroughbreds and estimate their frequency within a genetically closed population. Methods: We performed deep whole-genome sequencing (≥230× depth, 150 bp paired-end reads) and Sanger validation in a Thoroughbred trio (sire, dam, and foal). Reads...
Silva GLS, Curcio UA, Boufleur JA, Borges DGL, Nakatani MTM, Freitas MG, Borges FA, Faria FJC, Silva RHP, Franco GL.Anthelmintic resistance has led to the use of organic extracts as alternative methods of parasite control. Objective: The study aimed to assess the effects of Acacia mearnsii extract (tannin) on the control of cyathostomins in horses, both in vitro and in vivo. Methods: Thirty Pantaneiro horses naturally infected with cyathostomins were sourced from two distinct farms, designated as Farms A and B. At the start of the study, all third-stage larvae were cyathostomins, and an egg hatchability test (EHT) was performed using fecal samples from horses on both farms. Two randomized 28-day field studi...
Chaimbeul SF, Rodrigues NNP, Thurston DD, Scoggin KE, Janes J, Jacobs CA, MacLeod JN, Stone AV, Menarim BC.Synovitis resolution is critical for joint homeostasis and prevents the progression of osteoarthritis (OA). Treatments like NSAIDs and intra-articular corticosteroids relieve symptoms by blocking pro-inflammatory mediators, but also impair the production of pro-resolving mediators, contributing to the likelihood of chronic synovitis. PPARγ signaling is an essential mechanism of synovitis resolution, which is decreased in OA tissues. To evaluate the potential of PPARγ agonists to promote pro-resolving pathways, equine macrophages cultured in autologous, normal, or inflamed synovial fluid ( = ...
Koçali B, Ocak M, Şekerel BE.Animal allergens, particularly those from cats, dogs, and horses, are significant risk factors for the development of allergic diseases in childhood. Managing animal allergies requires allergen avoidance and, when this is not feasible, specific immunotherapy. Patient history remains the cornerstone of diagnosis, providing the foundation for diagnostic algorithms. Extract-based tests, such as skin prick tests and specific IgE measurements, are essential for confirmation and screening. However, traditional extract-based diagnostic methods have notable limitations, as they are unable to distingui...
Hosseini SH, Sharafi H, Emamjomeh A, Nasri F, Hosseini A, Mardani S, Moradi M.Postbiotics and parabiotics (PP) are innovative concepts in veterinary medicine that have garnered substantial interest owing to their unique properties and potential benefits. PP offers a promising alternative to live bacteria, demonstrating properties such as prebiotic, immunomodulatory, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticancer effects, while potentially mitigating some of the common challenges associated with live bacterial applications. PP products are manufactured and commercially employed in livestock, poultry, and pets. Moreover, postbiotic-based commercial products...
Tommasa SD, Raspe S, Farí G, Imperante A, Brehm W.Tendon and ligament injuries in equine athletes pose significant challenges, often leading to prolonged recovery, reduced performance, and increased risk of reinjury. Current treatment strategies, including conservative and surgical approaches, have shown limited success in fully restoring tendon integrity. Autologous blood derivatives, such as autologous conditioned serum (ACS), have emerged as potential regenerative therapies. However, the clinical efficacy of ACS in the treatment of equine tendinopathies remains under investigation. Unassigned: This study aimed to compare the clinical outco...
Valderrama-Martinez C, Packham A, Smith W, Mendoza-Flores JE, Zheng S, Chigerwe M, Plancarte M, Aleman M.Long-term freezing storage can alter the stability of proteins, thereby compromising accurate determination of indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) titers that support the diagnosis of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis. Objective: Assess the effect of long-term storage at -80°C on IFAT against S. neurona and N. hughesi in equine serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Methods: Paired serum and CSF (n = 46), and serum only (n = 25) samples. Methods: Prospective study of samples stored 6-12, 13-18, and 19-24 months. Comparing antibody titers across time points, McNemar and Wilcoxon...
Loeffler A, Pfeiffer DU, Lindsay JA, Soares Magalhães RJ, Lloyd DH.We investigated the prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) carriage in a convenience sample of purposely selected populations of dogs, cats and horses in the Greater London area. Swabs from carriage sites were pooled, enriched and processed by standard bacteriological methods. The presence of nuc and mecA was confirmed for MRSA. Risk factors were investigated among veterinary treatment group animals using exact logistic regression analysis. Twenty-six (1.53%) MRSA carriers were identified in the 1692 animals (15/704 dogs, 8/540 cats, 3/152 horses). Animals presenting ...
Davidson AH, Traub-Dargatz JL, Rodeheaver RM, Ostlund EN, Pedersen DD, Moorhead RG, Stricklin JB, Dewell RD, Roach SD, Long RE, Albers SJ, Callan RJ....To compare neutralizing antibody response between horses vaccinated against West Nile virus (WNV) and horses that survived naturally occurring infection. Methods: Cross-sectional observational study. Methods: 187 horses vaccinated with a killed WNV vaccine and 37 horses with confirmed clinical WNV infection. Methods: Serum was collected from vaccinated horses prior to and 4 to 6 weeks after completion of an initial vaccination series (2 doses) and 5 to 7 months later. Serum was collected from affected horses 4 to 6 weeks after laboratory diagnosis of infection and 5 to 7 months after the first...
Leathwick DM, Besier RB.In many countries the presence of anthelmintic resistance in nematodes of small ruminants, and in some cases also in those infecting cattle and horses, has become the status quo rather than the exception. It is clear that consideration of anthelmintic resistance, and its management, should be an integral component of anthelmintic use regardless of country or host species. Many years of research into understanding the development and management of anthelmintic resistance in nematodes of small ruminants has resulted in an array of strategies for minimising selection for resistance and for dealin...
Yang F, Fu B, O'Brien PC, Nie W, Ryder OA, Ferguson-Smith MA.We have made a complete set of painting probes for the domestic horse by degenerate oligonucleotide-primed PCR amplification of flow-sorted horse chromosomes. The horse probes, together with a full set of those available for human, were hybridized onto metaphase chromosomes of human, horse and mule. Based on the hybridization results, we have generated genome-wide comparative chromosome maps involving the domestic horse, donkey and human. These maps define the overall distribution and boundaries of evolutionarily conserved chromosomal segments in the three genomes. Our results shed further lig...
Labruna MB, Kerber CE, Ferreira F, Faccini JL, De Waal DT, Gennari SM.From December 1998 to March 1999, 40 stud farms were studied in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. During visits to farms, horses reared under grazing conditions were examined for the presence of ticks. On each farm visit, horse pastures were closely inspected and a questionnaire was given to the farm supervisor with the purpose of gaining information about ecological and management variables (independent variables) that could be associated with the presence and infestation levels of ticks on the farm (dependent variables). Three tick species were found during the study. Anocentor nitens, Amblyo...
Lovati AB, Corradetti B, Lange Consiglio A, Recordati C, Bonacina E, Bizzaro D, Cremonesi F.Mesenchymal stem cells have been recently investigated for their potential use in regenerative medicine. Population of adult stem cells were recently identified in human and lab animal tendons, but no detailed investigations have been made in the equine species. The aim of our study is to identify a progenitor cell population from tendon tissue (TSPCs) in the horse superficial digital flexor tendon that are able to be highly clonogenic, to grow fast and to differentiate in different induced cell lineages as well as bone marrow derived progenitor cells (BM-MSCs). The hypothesis that TSPCs posse...
How MJ, Zanker JM.The functional significance of the zebra coat stripe pattern is one of the oldest questions in evolutionary biology, having troubled scientists ever since Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace first disagreed on the subject. While different theories have been put forward to address this question, the idea that the stripes act to confuse or 'dazzle' observers remains one of the most plausible. However, the specific mechanisms by which this may operate have not been investigated in detail. In this paper, we investigate how motion of the zebra's high contrast stripes creates visual effects tha...
Goehring LS, Wagner B, Bigbie R, Hussey SB, Rao S, Morley PS, Lunn DP.Equine herpesvirus-1 is a cause of outbreaks of abortion and neurological disease. The pathogenesis of both these diseases depends on establishment of viremia. An experiment was performed to determine the protective efficacy of two commercially available vaccines used with an optimized 3-dose vaccination regime: a modified-live viral (MLV) and a high antigen load killed vaccine licensed for abortion control. The study design was a blinded, randomized challenge trial. Three groups of 8 yearling ponies received one of three treatments: MLV vaccine (Rhinomune, Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc....
Issel CJ, Horohov DW, Lea DF, Adams WV, Hagius SD, McManus JM, Allison AC, Montelaro RC.We report here on a series of vaccine trials to evaluate the effectiveness of an inactivated equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) whole-virus vaccine and of a subunit vaccine enriched in EIAV envelope glycoproteins. The inactivated vaccine protected 14 of 15 immunized ponies from infection after challenge with at least 10(5) 50% tissue culture-infective doses of the homologous prototype strain of EIAV. In contrast, it failed to prevent infection in any of 15 immunized ponies that were challenged with the heterologous PV strain. Levels of PV virus replication and the development of disease, ho...
Fridell RA, Partin KM, Carpenter S, Cullen BR.Several members of the lentivirus family of complex retroviruses have been shown to encode proteins that are functionally equivalent to the Rev posttranscriptional regulatory protein of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). Furthermore, the domain organization of HIV-1 Rev, featuring a highly basic N-terminal RNA binding domain and a leucin-rich C-terminal effector domain, has also been shown to be highly conserved among Rev proteins derived from not only the primate but also the ovine and caprine lentiviruses. Although it has therefore appeared highly probable that the lentivirus equin...
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Seo MG, Lee SH, VanBik D, Ouh IO, Yun SH, Choi E, Park YS, Lee SE, Kim JW, Cho GJ, Kwon OD, Kwak D.Coxiella burnetii and Coxiella-like bacteria (CLB) are genetically and ecologically distinct despite some genetic similarities. Furthermore, CLB are exceptionally diverse and widespread in ticks, but rarely detected in domestic animals. Since Coxiella bacteria can be transmitted from infected horses by inhalation or by coming in contact with ticks during activities such as horseback riding, it is necessary to study their prevalence. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first large-scale nationwide investigation of the prevalence of C. burnetii and CLB among horses reared in South Korea. O...
Luthersson N, Nielsen KH, Harris P, Parkin TD.The prevalence (up to 93% in Thoroughbred racehorses) and severity of equine gastric ulceration syndrome (EGUS) has been associated with type of training and differing management practices. However, there have been few studies to confirm these findings in nonracehorses in Europe. Objective: To investigate the prevalence of EGUS in a population of Danish horses, during winter when the horses had been housed and fed for at least 8 weeks and to analyse the influence of feed, work level and environment on the risk of EGUS of > or = grade 2 in severity. Methods: A total of 201 horses, not in active...
Hoffman RM, Boston RC, Stefanovski D, Kronfeld DS, Harris PA.Insulin resistance is considered a risk factor in obesity, laminitis, exertional rhabdomyolysis, and osteochondrosis. The objective was to use the minimal model to estimate glucose effectiveness (Sg) and insulin sensitivity (Si) in nonobese to obese horses initially adapted to forage only, then adapted to forage plus supplements rich in starch and sugar (SS) or fiber and fat (FF). Ten Thoroughbred geldings, with BCS of 5 (nonobese), 6 (moderately obese), and 7 to 8 (obese), were adapted to pasture and hay, allocated to two groups, and fed SS or FF in a switch-back design with 8 wk of adaptatio...
Steinbusch MM, Fang Y, Milner PI, Clegg PD, Young DA, Welting TJ, Peffers MJ.The development of effective treatments for the age-related disease osteoarthritis and the ability to predict disease progression has been hampered by the lack of biomarkers able to demonstrate the course of the disease. Profiling the expression patterns of small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) in joint ageing and OA may provide diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets. This study determined expression patterns of snoRNAs in joint ageing and OA and examined them as potential biomarkers. Using SnoRNASeq and real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) we demonstrate snoRNA expression levels in murine age...
Luchs A, da Costa AC, Cilli A, Komninakis SCV, Carmona RCC, Boen L, Morillo SG, Sabino EC, Timenetsky MDCST.In 2013, the equine-like G3P[8] DS-1-like rotavirus (RVA) strain emerged worldwide. In 2016, this strain was reported in northern Brazil. The aims of the study were to conduct a retrospective genetic investigation to identify the possible entry of these atypical strains in Brazil and to describe their distribution across a representative area of the country. From 2013 to 2017, a total of 4226 faecal samples were screened for RVA by ELISA, PAGE, RT-PCR and sequencing. G3P[8] represented 20.9 % (167/800) of all RVA-positive samples, further subdivided as equine-like G3P[8], DS-1-like (11.0 %...
Youngstrom DW, LaDow JE, Barrett JG.Tendons are frequently damaged and fail to regenerate, leading to pain, loss of function, and reduced quality of life. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) possess clinically useful tissue-regenerative properties and have been exploited for use in tendon tissue engineering and cell therapy. However, MSCs exhibit phenotypic heterogeneity based on the donor tissue used, and the efficacy of cell-based treatment modalities may be improved by optimizing cell source based on relative differentiation capacity. Equine MSCs were isolated from bone marrow (BM), adipose (AD), and tendon (TN), expanded in monola...
Doré M.Cyclooxygenase (COX; also known as prostaglandin endoperoxide synthase) is a key enzyme in the biochemical pathway leading to the synthesis of prostaglandins. A large amount of epidemiological and experimental evidence supports a role for COX-2, the inducible form of the enzyme, in human tumorigenesis, notably in colorectal cancer. COX-2 mediates this role through the production of PGE(2) that acts to inhibit apoptosis, promote cell proliferation, stimulate angiogenesis, and decrease immunity. Similarly, COX-2 is believed to be involved in the oncogenesis of some cancers in domestic animals. H...
Båverud V, Johansson SK, Aspan A.Strangles is a contagious equine disease caused by Streptococcus equi subsp. equi. In this study, clinical strains of S. equi (n=24) and Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus (n=24) were genetically characterized by sequencing of the 16S rRNA and sodA genes in order to devise a real-time PCR system that can detect S. equi and S. zooepidemicus and distinguish between them. Sequencing demonstrated that all S. equi strains had the same 16S rRNA sequence, whereas S. zooepidemicus strains could be divided into subgroups. One of these (n=12 strains) had 16S rRNA sequences almost identical with the...
Guardabassi L, Apley M, Olsen JE, Toutain PL, Weese S.Optimization of antimicrobial treatment is a cornerstone in the fight against antimicrobial resistance. Various national and international authorities and professional veterinary and farming associations have released generic guidelines on prudent antimicrobial use in animals. However, these generic guidelines need to be translated into a set of animal species- and disease-specific practice recommendations. This article focuses on prevention of antimicrobial resistance and its complex relationship with treatment efficacy, highlighting key situations where the current antimicrobial drug product...
Kappmeyer LS, Perryman LE, Hines SA, Baszler TV, Katz JB, Hennager SG, Knowles DP.A competitive-inhibition enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (cELISA) was developed for detection of equine antibodies specific for Babesia caballi. The assay used recombinant B. caballi rhoptry-associated protein 1 (RAP-1) and monoclonal antibody (MAb) 79/17.18.5, which is reactive with a peptide epitope of a native 60-kDa B. caballi antigen. The gene encoding the recombinant antigen was sequenced, and database analysis revealed that the gene product is a rhoptry-associated protein. Cloning and expression of a truncated copy of the gene demonstrated that MAb 79/17.18.5 reacts with the C-termina...
Jansen S, Heitmann A, Lühken R, Leggewie M, Helms M, Badusche M, Rossini G, Schmidt-Chanasit J, Tannich E.The continuous circulation of West Nile virus (WNV) in Central, South and East Europe and its recent detection in several dead birds and two horses in Germany highlights the need for information on WNV vector competence of mosquitoes from Central Europe. Therefore, three common Culex species (Culex pipiens biotype pipiens, Culex pipiens biotype molestus and Culex torrentium) from Germany were orally infected with WNV and kept at 18 °C, 21 °C, 24 °C or 27 °C for 14 or 21 days post infection (dpi). Thereafter viable WNV was present in the saliva in all tested taxa, but only at incubation tem...
Cormier A, Zhang PLC, Chalmers G, Weese JS, Deckert A, Mulvey M, McAllister T, Boerlin P.Historically, extended-spectrum cephalosporin resistance in bacteria from animals in Canada has been attributed to the SHV and CMY β-lactamase families. This pattern is beginning to change with the emergence of the bla gene family among Escherichia coli recovered from various animal species. Here we analyze and compare whole genome sequences of bla-positive E. coli isolates (n = 173) from dogs, chicken, swine, horses and beef cattle in Canada. Ten bla variants were identified with bla and bla being identified in most animal species. These variants occurred across many sequence types, sugg...
Nolte W, Thaller G, Kuehn C.The study of selection signatures helps to find genomic regions that have been under selective pressure and might host genes or variants that modulate important phenotypes. Such knowledge improves our understanding of how breeding programmes have shaped the genomes of livestock. In this study, 942 stallions were included from four, exemplarily chosen, German warmblood breeds with divergent historical and recent selection focus and different crossbreeding policies: Trakehner (N = 44), Holsteiner (N = 358), Hanoverian (N = 319) and Oldenburger (N = 221). Those breeds are nowadays bred for athlet...
Kirschvink N, de Moffarts B, Lekeux P.Since "free radical research" started in 1954, understanding the role of oxidants and antioxidants in physiological and pathological conditions has increased continuously. Oxidants are essentially generated by metabolic enzymes, inflammatory cells and mitochondrial electron leakage; they are indispensable for the cellular redox regulation and may, under certain conditions, have a pro-inflammatory stimulatory role. Endogenous and exogenous antioxidants counterbalance the oxidative processes and so maintain the oxidant/antioxidant equilibrium. Excessive oxidant generation or antioxidant insuffic...
Alicka M, Kornicka-Garbowska K, Kucharczyk K, Kępska M, Rӧcken M, Marycz K.Progressive loss of cell functionality caused by an age-related impairment in cell metabolism concerns not only mature specialized cells but also its progenitors, which significantly reduces their regenerative potential. Adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) are most commonly used in veterinary medicine as an alternative treatment option in ligaments and cartilage injuries, especially in case of high-value sport horses. Therefore, the main aim of this study was to identify the molecular alternations in ASCs derived from three age-matched horse groups: young ( 15 years old). ASCs were isolated ...
Boerlin P, Eugster S, Gaschen F, Straub R, Schawalder P.Acinetobacter baumannii, Enterococcus faecalis, Enterococcus faecium, and Staphylococcus intermedius isolates from infected surgical wounds and other types of infections in a veterinary teaching hospital were typed by pulsed field gel electrophoresis. A first cluster of infections with a multiresistant A. baumannii strain was observed in dogs and cats in 1998-1999. This strain disappeared after cleaning and disinfection of the companion animals intensive care unit. It was followed in 2000 by a second multiresistant strain, which caused another cluster of infections and was also transmitted to ...
Kydd JH, Townsend HG, Hannant D.Equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) is an alphaherpesvirus which infects horses, causing respiratory and neurological disease and abortion in pregnant mares. Latency is established in trigeminal ganglia and lymphocytes. Immunity to EHV-1 lasts between 3 and 6 months. Current vaccines, many of which contain inactivated virus, have reduced the incidence of abortion storms in pregnant mares but individual animals, which may be of high commercial value, remain susceptible to infection. The development of effective vaccines which stimulate both humoral and cellular immune responses remains a priority. Uti...
Dixon PM, Dacre I.Equine dentistry is a very important but until recently rather neglected area of equine practice, with many horses suffering from undiagnosed, painful dental disorders. A thorough clinical examination using a full mouth speculum is a pre-requisite to performing any equine dental procedure. Common incisor disorders include: prolonged retention of deciduous incisors, supernumerary incisors and overjet--the latter usually accompanied by cheek teeth (CT) overgrowths. Overjet can be surgically corrected, but perhaps should not be in breeding animals. In younger horses, traumatically fractured incis...
