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.
Szacawa E, Kozieł N, Brzezińska S, Augustynowicz-Kopeć E, Weiner M, Szulowski K, Krajewska-Wędzina M. is one of the most dangerous pathogens of both animals and humans. Bovine tuberculosis (BTB) is a disease caused by mycobacteria belonging to the complex (MTBC), which spreads mainly among domestic cattle but also to mammals other than cattle. The transmission of MTBC between different species requires research and epidemiological investigations to control its spread. When multiple species are a reservoir of infection, it poses a significant public health and veterinary concern. In this study, the diagnosis of alpaca, cattle, horses, dogs, a sheep and a cat from one farm suspected of bovine ...
Taylor PM, Gozalo-Marcilla M, Bettschart-Wolfensberger R, Redondo JI, Johnston GM.To present the essence of the presentation 'CEPEF - what we knew then and what we know now' given at the autumn meeting of the Association of Veterinary Anaesthetists in 2024, celebrating its 60th anniversary. Methods: (this is not a formal systematic review). PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar and the 4th Confidential Enquiry into Equine Perioperative Fatalities (CEPEF4). Search terms used: horse; pony; equine; anaesthesia; anesthesia; recovery; morbidity and mortality. Conclusions: It is well recognized that general anaesthesia carries a greater risk of mortality in horses than in other domestic...
Pinho APVB, Ferreira F, Fuck JJ, de Oliveira JP, Dias RA, Grisi-Filho JHH, Heinemann MB, Telles EO, Amaku M, Ferreira Neto JS.Considering that control strategies for Equine Infectious Anemia, based on the serological diagnosis of equids and the removal of positive animals, may not be optimal for developing countries with an absolute predominance of grade working animals, this study aimed to address this issue based on the epidemiological situation of the disease in Pará, a state in the Brazilian Amazon. Pará was divided into five regions, and within each region a pre-established number of farms were randomly selected. Within each farm, a pre-set number of animals were randomly selected and submitted to Agar Gel Imm...
Loftus L, Asher L, Leach M.Over the last twenty years the definition of good animal welfare has advanced from the 'absence of negative welfare states' to the aim of identifying the presence of positive welfare states; however, research on positive animal welfare is relatively new. Consequently, through expert consultation, this study aimed to synthesise knowledge regarding domesticated equine emotional state, specifically methods to induce and measure positive affective states, which could be of significant benefit to equine welfare across sectors. A Delphi consultation of experts in the field of equine behaviour, welfa...
Fernandes T, Uberti B, Robin M.Utrasonographic measurements of the abdominal viscera and the heart in growing Arabian foals have not been described. Objective: To establish normal intervals for ultrasonographic measurements of cardiac indices and abdominal viscera in growing Arabian foals from birth to 1 year of age. Methods: Prospective longitudinal descriptive study. Methods: Ultrasonographic images were captured from 15 foals every 3 months from 1 week to 1 year of age. During each examination, at least three images were obtained at each location and measurements were obtained using standardised ultrasonographic approa...
Cardinaux EM, Oltmanns H, Beineke A, Meißner J, Geburek F.Flexural limb deformities are a widespread condition in foals. Oxytetracycline is a common conservative treatment option with relaxing effects on the muscle-tendon-unit, potentially mediated through a matrix-metalloproteinase (MMP)-inhibitor mechanism. Its high therapeutic dose for this indication, potential negative side effects, and the guidelines for prudent use of antimicrobials make investigating alternatives desirable. In this study, the influence of substances with potentially similar mechanisms of action, however without antimicrobial properties, on viability and proliferation of juven...
Connysson M, Jansson A.It is generally accepted that plasma muscle enzyme activity of creatine kinase (CK) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) may increase in racehorses after exercise and racing, indicating muscle fibre damage and/or increased leakage from muscle fibres. However, other studies suggest that starch intake might influence plasma muscle enzyme activity reported postexercise. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of different starch allowances on plasma muscle enzyme activity in Standardbred trotters in professional training. Seventy-six horses from five professional trainers were sampled pre- and po...
Reinthaler B, Gabner S, Apprich V, Jehle M, Licka T.Equine hoof canker is a chronic proliferative condition of the hoof tissues that is often time-consuming and frustrating to treat. After surgical debridement, topical application of cisplatin (cis-Diamindichlorplatin II) has been reported, requiring repeatedly handling this hazardous substance during bandage changes. Alternatively, intraarterial application of cisplatin could be used, similar to the treatment of some human neoplastic diseases. As the side effects of such a treatment are currently unknown, evaluation of associated risks is necessary before treating live horses. Thus, forelimbs ...
Ostmeier M, Schellenberger F, Troillet A, Scharner D.Mouth specula with incisor bite plates shift the pressure from all teeth exclusively to the incisors in the opening phase which leads to increased forces on dental, osseous, and soft tissue structures of the horse's head. The potentially pathological character of these forces is described clinically by single reports of maxilla and mandible fractures occurring during the use of opened mouth specula. This study describes these forces on incisor teeth in horses during odontoplasty of cheek teeth under sedation. Measurements were documented using a modified "Günther" mouth speculum fitted with a...
Ciamillo SA, Bills KW, Gassert TM, Richardson DW, Brown KA, Stefanovski D, Ortved KF.Stress-induced bone injury can lead to catastrophic injuries in Thoroughbred racehorses. Accumulation of high-speed exercise can increase the risk of subchondral bone injury. Objective: To investigate the effect of high-speed exercise on the subchondral bone of the metacarpo-metatarsophalangeal (MCP/MTP) joints using standing cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) in young racing Thoroughbreds. Methods: Observational cohort study. Methods: Forty-one 2-year-old Thoroughbred racehorses during their first year of training were evaluated at 0, 6 and 12 months. Horses were evaluated for lameness an...
Cantatore F, Marcatili M, Giacchi A, Stephenson R, Withers J.Morel-Lavallée lesions (MLLs) are post-traumatic, closed, degloving injuries observed in humans and cats. Morel-Lavallée lesions have never been reported in horses. An 8-year-old Warmblood gelding used for dressage presented with a large swelling on the craniomedial aspect of the stifle that did not respond to conservative treatment. Ultrasonography revealed a large anechogenic fluid-filled cavity with a well-defined capsule. Standing endoscopic examination revealed separation between the deep crural fascia, vastus medialis muscle and skin. Cytology of the fluid collected demonstrated a lymp...
Milczek-Haduch D, Żmigrodzka M, Witkowska-Piłaszewicz O.Significant systemic metabolic benefits result from even a single exercise session by activating multiple metabolic and signaling pathways within the organism. Among these mechanisms, extracellular vesicles (EVs) play a critical role by delivering their molecular cargo to neighboring or distant cells, thereby influencing cellular metabolism and function. As research progresses, EVs represent an exciting frontier in exercise science and fitness adaptation processes. There is increasing interest in understanding the physiology of EVs as signaling particles and their use as minimally invasive dia...
Bouquet A, Nicol C, Knowles EJ, Schofield I, Menzies-Gow NJ.Clinical signs of pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) are frequently mistaken for 'normal' ageing and may not be optimally assessed. Objective quality of life (QoL) assessment could improve clinical decision-making. Objective: To develop an owner-reported health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) assessment tool for equines with PPID. To assess factors associated with HRQoL scores. Methods: Quantitative, cross-sectional study. Methods: HRQoL tool development followed a standard psychometric process of item (any aspect of PPID and its management that could impact QoL) identification (foll...
Pádua GT, Tavares MA, de Lima NJ, Paula WVF, Dos Santos GC, Neves LC, Bittencourt RBM, Paludo RLDR, Cardoso ERN, da Silva BBF, Pádua BR....This study sought to investigate the presence of anti- spp. antibodies in georeferenced serum samples from equids across all regions of the state of Goiás, while also presenting variables that indicate risk factors for the circulation of rickettsiae, and evaluating the presence of rickettsial DNA in ticks collected from equids and the surrounding environment in the municipalities of Uruaçu and Porangatu, located in the northern region of the state. A total of 1156 equid serum samples provided by the Goiás Agricultural Defense Agency (Agrodefesa) were analyzed for antibodies against 4 antig...
Tagliavia C, Pietra M, Salamanca G, De Silva M, Canova M, Cacchione S, Castagnetti C, Bombardi C, Grandis A.Endoscopy of the guttural pouches in neonatal foals occasionally reveals atypical aspects in the course of the extracranial internal carotid arteries (ICAs) that are hardly seen in adult horses. While in veterinary medicine the data available on the presence of these anomalies in domestic mammals are limited and incomplete, in human medicine the morphological aspects of the ICAs have been the subject of extensive studies. Anomalies in the course and geometry of ICAs are commonly defined as dolichoarteriopathies, and should be classified as tortuous, kinked or coiled. To document whether the an...
Volding DM, Flores-Ahlschwede P, Cramer MJ, Landrock KK, Sayre KC, Welsh TH, Bordin AI, Piccione J, Cohen ND.To determine the effects of transfusion of Rhodococcus equi hyperimmune plasma (REHIP) on serum electrolyte and protein concentrations in neonatal foals. Unassigned: A prospective observational study of 355 privately owned Thoroughbred foals from 13 farms in New York and cross-sectional study of REHIP samples. Blood was collected immediately before and after transfusion of either 1 or 2 L of REHIP to foals, and serum samples were separated and frozen until tested for concentrations of sodium (Na), potassium (K), chloride (Cl), total protein (TP), albumin, and globulins. Samples (n = 90) of REH...
Battistin L, Moya LFA, Ferreira LVO, Braz AMM, Carvalho M, Golim MA, Amorim RM.Cell-based therapy using mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) shows promise for treating several diseases due to their anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties. To enhance the therapeutic potential of MSCs, in vitro priming strategies have been explored. Cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychoactive compound derived from cannabis, may influence MSC proliferation, differentiation, and immunomodulatory properties. This study evaluates the immunomodulatory potential of equine adipose tissue-derived MSCs (EqAT-MSCs) primed with a CBD-rich cannabis extract. EqAT-MSCs (P3) were primed with CBD concentrati...
Two new quantitative methods for the determination of four stress-related hormones (cortisol, cortisone, dehydroepiandrosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate) in horse hair and sheep wool by liquid chromatography coupled with hybrid high resolution mass spectrometry were developed and validated. Hormones were extracted overnight from ground samples with methanol after a washing step with the same solvent to remove external contamination. The extract was evaporated and dry residue was solubilized in an acid mixture of methanol and water. The methods were validated according to ICH guidelin...
Bianchi D, Santos RRD, Peleja PL, de Sousa ABB, da Silva Evangelista M, de Almeida Júnior JS, Barata LES, Moraes WP, Minervino AHH. (tropical horse tick) is a tick species commonly found parasitizing horses and other equids in the Amazon region, causing economic losses. Currently, tick control is based on chemical acaricides, usually in a power formulation for topical use. However, its indiscriminate use results in the emergence of resistant tick lineages. Several plant compounds have been tested for their acaricide activity. In the Amazon, several plants are used for oil extraction, resulting in the production of solid residue (waste) that may contain chemical molecules with biological activities. Thus, we aimed to test ...
Rodriguez Velazquez D, Forte L, Varela Guerrero JA, Díaz Alvarado T, Elghandour MMMY, Maggiolino A, De Palo P, Salem AZM.Exploring new natural-origin antiparasitic alternatives is essential in addressing the resistance issues that have emerged due to the widespread use of chemical or synthetic antiparasitic compounds. This area remains relatively underexplored despite the increasing recognition of plants like (mesquite) for their antiparasitic properties and nutritional value as a high-protein animal feed. This review aims to investigate the antiparasitic potential of against gastrointestinal parasites in horses. The review incorporates sources from 2005 to 2024. It was found that various phytochemical compoun...
Chambers A.All anti-doping programmes face financial constraints and monitoring trends in medication use or abuse in a population of racehorses can be difficult and expensive. Obtaining biological samples is the primary method of anti-doping control in individual horses or stables of horses but can be invasive and expensive. Another important practice of anti-doping control has been the confiscation of used and filled syringes by regulators for individual forensic analysis. Pooled samples testing involves the testing of multiple individual samples together as one composite sample. This pooled sample appr...
Sohn Y, An SJ, Forbes E, Kim BS, Jeon HS, Ryu SH, Lee I.The lateral trochlear ridge of the stifle joint is highly susceptible to developing Osteochondrosis (OC)/Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) lesions. This retrospective study evaluated the medical and racing outcomes of 75 Thoroughbreds who underwent arthroscopic OCD removal at the Jeju Stud Farm Equine Hospital from 2015 to 2017. The analysis included medical records, radiographic assessments, and race performance data, comparing 75 horses that underwent surgery with 257 control horses selected as siblings from the same dam. The surgical group had comparable racehorse registration rates (89.3 %...
Duma LA, Begonia MT, Miller B, Jung C, Wood M, Duma BG, Rowson S.The current equestrian helmet standards set minimal requirements for passing helmets, highlighting the need for a rating system that differentiates helmets based on their impact performance. This study's objectives were to compare equestrian helmet impact response kinematics between linear-driven and oblique impact conditions and then to evaluate the effect of incorporating oblique drop tests into a previously established equestrian helmet rating system, Equestrian STAR. Methods: Oblique drop tests were conducted with 45 equestrian helmet models at two impact locations, front boss and rear bos...
Sun YF, Han ZX, Yao XK, Meng J, Ren WL, Wang CK, Yuan XX, Zeng YQ, Wang YF, Sun ZW, Wang JW.: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of different stages of training on the intestinal microbial abundance of Yili horses. : Ten Yili horses, all aged 2 years old and weighing 305 ± 20 kg, were selected and divided into a training group and an untrained group. The training group performed riding training 6 days a week, and the untrained group moved freely in the activity circle every day. Fecal samples were collected on days 30 and 60, and the intestinal microorganisms were detected and analyzed using metagenomics. : Compared with the 30-day untrained group, the relative abu...
Kawaida MY, Kwon OS, Ahn A, Reiter AS, Tillquist NM, Noh SG, Lee JW, Moore TE, Reed SA.This study investigated the effects of astaxanthin (ASTX) supplementation on oxidative status during a deconditioning-reconditioning cycle. Twelve polo ponies were assigned to no supplementation (CON) or an ASTX supplemented group, which received oral administration of a supplement containing 75 mg ASTX daily for 32 weeks. Polo ponies underwent a 16-week deconditioning period (DECON) followed by a 16-week reconditioning program (RECON). Submaximal exercise tests (SETs) were performed at the beginning of the study (Baseline), after DECON, and after RECON. Blood samples were collected at -30...
Cameron-Whytock H, Divall H, Lewis M, Apps C.The study hypothesised that a markerless motion capture system can provide kinematic data comparable to a traditional marker-based system for riders mounted on a horse. The objective was to assess the markerless system's accuracy by directly comparing joint and segment angle measurements taken during walking and trotting with those obtained from a marker-based system. Ten healthy adult participants performed five dynamic trials during walking and trotting. A twelve-camera marker-based system and eight-camera 2D video-based system were synchronised. Three-dimensional hip, knee, shoulder and elb...
Legg KA, Cochrane DJ, Gee EK, Chin YY, Rogers CW.Thoroughbred race-riding requires jockeys to attenuate horse movement and maintain postural stability whilst galloping at high speeds. This study aimed to investigate the head movement of jockeys in relation to race-riding experience. Accelerometer and heart rate data were collected from twelve apprentice and two senior jockeys during 85 exercise rides and 82 trial rides. Mean head displacements were determined for each jockey by double integrating the filtered acceleration data. A mixed effect multivariable linear regression model was used to investigate the relationship between jockey experi...
Lundmark Hedman F, Ewerlöf IR, Frössling J, Berg C.The presence of a trustworthy and effective animal welfare control system is important both for animal welfare and for public and consumer trust. The inspectors' main task, regardless of whether they are official inspectors or private auditors, is to check for and enforce compliance with any relevant regulations. The aim of this study was to investigate how official animal welfare inspectors and private animal welfare auditors in Sweden perceive their inspection work and to explore any differences in the perception of being an inspector between these two groups. An electronic questionnaire was...
Renaudin CD, Picandet V, Kass PH.Using the equation of Hartwig et al. and the table established for light breed horses, day of gestation was predicted in 108 Warmblood (WB) and 59 racehorses (Thoroughbred [TB] and Standardbred [STB]) pregnant mares. In WB, gestational ages were predicted within 2 weeks from 100 to 200 days of gestation using biparietal diameter (BPD), aortic diameter (AortD) or femur length (FL); within 2 weeks from 100 to 250 days using BPD or AortD; within 2 weeks from 100 to 300 days using BPD alone; and within 3 weeks from 100 to 350 days using eye approximated volume (EyV) alone. In the ...
Bryant NA, Wilkie GS, Russell CA, Compston L, Grafham D, Clissold L, McLay K, Medcalf L, Newton R, Davison AJ, Elton DM.Equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) causes respiratory disease, abortion, neonatal death and neurological disease in equines and is endemic in most countries. The viral factors that influence EHV-1 disease severity are poorly understood, and this has hampered vaccine development. However, the N752D substitution in the viral DNA polymerase catalytic subunit has been shown statistically to be associated with neurological disease. This has given rise to the term "neuropathic strain," even though strains lacking the polymorphism have been recovered from cases of neurological disease. To broaden understan...
Science (New York, N.Y.)October 30, 1981
Volume 214, Issue 4520 562-564 doi: 10.1126/science.6270790
Studdert MJ, Simpson T, Roizman B.Viruses classified by immunologic criteria as equine herpesvirus 1 cause respiratory disease and abortion in horses. Restriction endonuclease analyses of the DNA's of viruses from animals with respiratory disease and from aborted fetuses show that the patterns for respiratory viruses, while similar to each other, are entirely different from the patterns for fetal viruses. It is therefore proposed that the DNA restriction endonuclease patterns of fetal and respiratory viruses analyzed in this study be designated as prototypic of equine herpesvirus 1 and 4, respectively.
van Niekerk S, Human S, Williams J, van Wilpe E, Pretorius M, Swanepoel R, Venter M.Old World alphaviruses were identified in 52 of 623 horses with febrile or neurologic disease in South Africa. Five of 8 Sindbis virus infections were mild; 2 of 3 fatal cases involved co-infections. Of 44 Middelburg virus infections, 28 caused neurologic disease; 12 were fatal. Middelburg virus likely has zoonotic potential.
Meier AD, de Laat MA, Reiche DB, Pollitt CC, Walsh DM, McGree JM, Sillence MN.The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between laminitis development in ponies and insulin/glucose concentrations in response to the oral glucose test (OGT) and a dietary challenge high in nonstructural carbohydrates (NSCs). After undergoing an OGT (1 g dextrose/kg BW in feed), 37 ponies with 2-h serum insulin concentrations ranging from 22 to 1,133 μIU/mL were subjected to a diet challenge period (DCP), consuming 12 g NSC/kg BW/d for up to 18 d. Insulin and glucose responses were measured on day 2 of the DCP. Clinical laminitis was diagnosed by blinded experts and confi...
Weese JS, DaCosta T, Button L, Goth K, Ethier M, Boehnke K.After recognition of a cluster of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection in horses and humans at the Ontario Veterinary College Veterinary Teaching Hospital, environmental contamination with MRSA was evaluated. A total of 260 environmental surfaces were sampled during periods when MRSA-infected horses were hospitalized, and MRSA was isolated from 25/260 sites (9.6%). The most commonly contaminated sites were stalls housing MRSA-positive horses, but other stalls, medical equipment, personal items, and equine restraint devices also were contaminated. The role of the environ...
Birch HL, Bailey JV, Bailey AJ, Goodship AE.Specific tendons show a high incidence of partial central core rupture which is preceded by degeneration. In the performance horse, the superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) is most often affected. We have described previously the molecular changes that are associated with degeneration in the central core region of the equine SDFT. The pathophysiological mechanism leading to change in synthetic activity of central zone cells in degenerated tendons is not known. In this study, we test the hypothesis that ageing results in matrix composition changes within the central zone of the SDFT. Extrac...
Miszczak F, Tesson V, Kin N, Dina J, Balasuriya UB, Pronost S, Vabret A.Equine coronavirus (ECoV) is involved mainly in enteric infections. Following the recent description of ECoV in 2000, this study reports for the first time the presence of ECoV in France and, on a wider scale, in Europe. ECoV was molecularly detected from diarrheic and respiratory specimens. Sequencing and phylogenetic analyses demonstrated that European strains are most closely related to the reference North American strain (ECoV-NC99) than the Asian strain (ECoV-Tokachi09).
Cabre O, Grandadam M, Marié JL, Gravier P, Prangé A, Santinelli Y, Rous V, Bourry O, Durand JP, Tolou H, Davoust B.To evaluate the presence and extension of West Nile virus where French soldiers are stationed in Africa, specific antibody prevalence was determined by using ELISA and Western blot. Among 245 horses living in close proximity to the soldiers, seroprevalence was particularly high in Chad (97%) and Senegal (92%).
Barlough JE, Madigan JE, DeRock E, Dumler JS, Bakken JS.A Thoroughbred filly that developed clinical signs of equine granulocytic ehrlichiosis following inoculation with the human granulocytotropic ehrlichia was shown to be resistant to challenge with Ehrlichia equi, a closely related agent. This result further substantiates the close and potentially conspecific relationship between these two granulocytotropic ehrlichiae.
Herteman N, Vargas A, Lavoie JP.Low-density neutrophils (LDNs) are a subset of neutrophils first described in the bloodstream upon pathological conditions, and recently, in the blood of healthy humans. LDNs may have an enhanced pro-inflammatory (low-density granulocytes, LDGs) or an immunosuppressive (Granulocytic myeloid-derived suppressor cells, G-MDSCs) profile. Whether these characteristics are specific to LDNs or related to disease states is unknown. Thus, we sought to investigate the properties of LDNs in both health and disease states, and to compare them to those of autologous normal-density neutrophils (NDNs). We st...
Wong DM, Ruby RE, Dembek KA, Barr BS, Reuss SM, Magdesian KG, Olsen E, Burns T, Slovis NM, Wilkins PA.The original equine sepsis score provided a method of identifying foals with sepsis. New variables associated with sepsis have been evaluated, but the sepsis score has not been updated. Objective: To evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of 2 updated sepsis scores and the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) criteria in regard to detecting sepsis in foals. Methods: Two-hundred and seventy-three ill foals and 25 healthy control foals. Methods: Historical, physical examination, and clinicopathologic findings were used to calculate the original sepsis score and 2 updated sepsis score...
Harlow BE, Lawrence LM, Flythe MD.Antibiotics are important to equine medicine, but antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD) can lead to poor performance and even mortality. AAD is attributed to disruption of the hindgut microbiota, which permits proliferation of pathogenic microbes. The goal of this study was to evaluate the effects of common antibiotics on cellulolytic bacteria, lactobacilli, and AAD-associated pathogens in the feces of healthy horses. Fifteen horses were assigned to three treatment groups (blocked by age and sex): control (no antibiotics), trimethoprim-sulfadiazine (PO), or ceftiofur (IM). Fecal samples (n=8 pe...
Parkin TD, Clegg PD, French NP, Proudman CJ, Riggs CM, Singer ER, Webbon PM, Morgan KL.Considerable variation in the rates of equine fatality at different racecourses draws attention to probable risk factors at the level of course or race that might be partly responsible. Distal limb fractures are the most common cause of equine fatality on UK racecourses and identification of risk factors for such injuries and subsequent implementation of intervention strategies could significantly reduce the total number of racecourse fatalities. Objective: To identify race- and course-level risk factors for fatal distal limb fracture in Thoroughbreds on UK racecourses. Methods: A case-control...
Laurenza C, Ansart L, Portier K.A retrospective analysis was performed to determine mortality and morbidity rates for elective and emergency cases in an equine university teaching hospital. It investigated the effect of horse-, anesthetic-, timing, and clinician experience-related variables on anesthetic complications. In total, 1,161 horses undergoing general anesthesia between January 2012 and December 2016 were included in the study. Patient information and details of the anesthetic, recovery period and immediate complications were retrieved from an archival database. Statistical analysis of qualitative and quantitative f...
Smith KL, Allen GP, Branscum AJ, Frank Cook R, Vickers ML, Timoney PJ, Balasuriya UB.A panel of 426 archived EHV-1 isolates collected (1951-2006) from equine abortions was analyzed using a real-time Taq-Man((R)) allelic discrimination PCR assay. Based on previous findings, isolates possessing adenine at nucleotide position 2254 (A(2254)) in ORF30 were classified as having a non-neuropathogenic genotype and those with guanine at 2254 (G(2254)) were designated as the neuropathogenic genotype. The resultant data demonstrated that viruses with the neuropathogenic genotype existed in the 1950s and isolates with this genotype increased from 3.3% in the 1960s to 14.4% in the 1990s. T...
Librado P, Fages A, Gaunitz C, Leonardi M, Wagner S, Khan N, Hanghøj K, Alquraishi SA, Alfarhan AH, Al-Rasheid KA, Der Sarkissian C, Schubert M....The horse was domesticated only 5.5 KYA, thousands of years after dogs, cattle, pigs, sheep, and goats. The horse nonetheless represents the domestic animal that most impacted human history; providing us with rapid transportation, which has considerably changed the speed and magnitude of the circulation of goods and people, as well as their cultures and diseases. By revolutionizing warfare and agriculture, horses also deeply influenced the politico-economic trajectory of human societies. Reciprocally, human activities have circled back on the recent evolution of the horse, by creating hundreds...
Verma A, Artiushin S, Matsunaga J, Haake DA, Timoney JF.Recurrent uveitis as a sequela to Leptospira infection is the most common infectious cause of blindness and impaired vision of horses worldwide. Leptospiral proteins expressed during prolonged survival in the eyes of horses with lesions of chronic uveitis were identified by screening a phage library of Leptospira interrogans DNA fragments with eye fluids from uveitic horses. Inserts of reactive phages encoded several known leptospiral proteins and two novel putative lipoproteins, LruA and LruB. LruA was intrinsically labeled during incubation of L. interrogans in medium containing [14C]palmiti...
Li B, Wang H, Liang G.Getah virus (GETV) is a zoonotic virus transmitted by mosquitoes, belonging to the family, genus. It was first isolated from mosquitoes in Malaysia in 1955, being widespread in island countries in the South Pacific region. Since the beginning of the 21st century, GETV expanded its range and geographical distribution from low-latitude tropical regions to 60° north latitude, being isolated from 17 different species of mosquitoes belonging to five genera of Culicidae (, , , and ), as well as from midges in Eurasia. Molecular genetic evolution analysis revealed large molecular differences betw...
Cacciò S, Cammà C, Onuma M, Severini C.A fragment of the beta-tubulin gene was polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplified from genomic DNAs of Babesia bovis, Babesia bigemina, Babesia divergens, Babesia major, Babesia caballi, Babesia equi, Babesia microti, Theileria annulata and Theileria sergenti. Single amplification products were obtained for each of these species, but the size of the amplicons varied from 310 to 460 bp. Sequence analysis revealed that this variation is due to the presence of a single intron, which ranged from 20 to 170 bp. The extensive genetic variability at the beta-tubulin locus has been exploited to develop...
Relf VE, Lester HE, Morgan ER, Hodgkinson JE, Matthews JB.Anthelmintic drugs have been applied indiscriminately to control horse nematodes for over 40 years. We undertook a comprehensive study to investigate efficacy of the four available broad-spectrum anthelmintic drugs on 16 Thoroughbred stud farms using the faecal egg count reduction test. Efficacy against strongyles was determined by calculating the percentage of reduction in faecal egg count between the group mean at Day 0 and Days 14-17 post-treatment and the 95% lower confidence intervals estimated by non-parametric bootstrapping. Individual strongyle faecal egg count reduction tests (n=429) ...
Dominguez M, Münstermann S, de Guindos I, Timoney P.An analysis of the factors leading to equine disease events was used to support the development of international recommendations for mitigating the risk of disease dissemination through sport horse movements (high health, high performance - 'HHP' horses). Objective: A review was undertaken to identify the factors resulting in equine disease events following international movement of horses to draw lessons in support of the development of international recommendations for the safe movements of a specific subpopulation of horses: the HHP sport horses. Methods: Systematic review carried out in ac...
Hillyer MH, Taylor FG, Proudman CJ, Edwards GB, Smith JE, French NP.A case control study was performed to identify risk factors for colic caused by simple colonic obstruction and distension (SCOD) in the horse. Case horses were recruited from 2 veterinary school clinics. Control horses were population based and matched by time of year. A number of risk factors were considered in the following areas: general carer and premises information; exercise information; husbandry information (housing- and pasture-related); feeding information; breeding information; behavioural information; travel information; preventive medicine information and previous medical informat...
Van de Walle GR, Goupil R, Wishon C, Damiani A, Perkins GA, Osterrieder N.Epidemiological studies have shown that a single-nucleotide polymorphism in the equid herpesvirus type 1 DNA polymerase gene is associated with outbreaks of highly lethal neurological disease in horses. Reverse genetics experiments further demonstrated that a G(2254) A(2254) nucleotide mutation introduced in neurovirulent strain Ab4, which resulted in an asparagine for aspartic acid substitution (D(752) N(752)), rendered the virus nonneurovirulent in the equine. Here, we report that the nonneurovirulent strain equid herpesvirus type 1 strain NY03 caused lethal neurological disease in horses af...
Les CM, Keyak JH, Stover SM, Taylor KT, Kaneps AJ.The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between data obtained from quantitative computed tomography and mechanical properties in the equine metacarpus, as measured in vitro in bone specimens. Three hundred and fifty-five bone specimens from the metacarpi of 10 horses were machined into right cylinders aligned with the long axis of the bone. A computed tomographic scan of the specimens, along with a Cann-Genant K2HPO4 calibration standard, was obtained. The specimens then were compressed to failure, and the elastic modulus, yield stress, yield strain, strain energy densit...
Krueger K, Flauger B, Farmer K, Maros K.This study evaluates the horse (Equus caballus) use of human local enhancement cues and reaction to human attention when making feeding decisions. The superior performance of dogs in observing human states of attention suggests this ability evolved with domestication. However, some species show an improved ability to read human cues through socialization and training. We observed 60 horses approach a bucket with feed in a three-way object-choice task when confronted with (a) an unfamiliar or (b) a familiar person in 4 different situations: (1) squatting behind the bucket, facing the horse (2) ...
Cafarchia C, Figueredo LA, Otranto D.Among diseases of horses caused by fungi (=mycoses), dermatophytosis, cryptococcosis and aspergillosis are of particular concern, due their worldwide diffusion and, for some of them, zoonotic potential. Conversely, other mycoses such as subcutaneous (i.e., pythiosis and mycetoma) or deep mycoses (i.e., blastomycosis and coccidioidomycosis) are rare, and/or limited to restricted geographical areas. Generally, subcutaneous and deep mycoses are chronic and progressive diseases; clinical signs include extensive, painful lesions (not pathognomonic), which resemble to other microbial infections. In ...
Balasuriya UB, MacLachlan NJ.The members of the family Arteriviridae, genus Arterivirus, include equine arteritis virus (EAV), porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), lactate dehydrogenase-elevating virus (LDV) of mice, and simian hemorrhagic fever virus (SHFV). PRRSV is the newest member of the family (first isolated in North America and Europe in the early 1990s), whereas the other three viruses were recognized earlier (EAV in 1953, LDV in 1960, and SHFV in 1964). Although arterivirus infections are strictly species-specific, the causative agents share many biological and molecular properties, inclu...
Broeckx S, Suls M, Beerts C, Vandenberghe A, Seys B, Wuertz-Kozak K, Duchateau L, Spaas JH.Cell-based therapies, such as treatments with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) are thought to have beneficial effects on the clinical outcome of orthopedic injuries, but very few animal studies with large sample size are published so far. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the safety and report the clinical outcome of allogenic, immature or chondrogenic induced MSCs in combination with PRP for the treatment of degenerative joint disease (DJD) in 165 horses. MSCs and PRP were isolated from a 6-year-old donor horse and transplanted either in their native s...
van Maanen C.Equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV1) and equine herpesvirus 4 (EHV4) are important ubiquitous equine viral pathogens, causing much damage to the horse industry. EHV1 strains are associated with respiratory disease, abortion, and paresis/paralysis, whereas EHV4 strains are predominantly associated with respiratory disease. In the past decades much research effort has been put into improving knowledge about these viruses. In this paper the current state of knowledge of these viruses and the most important aspects of these virus infections, e.g. epidemiology, clinical aspects, pathogenesis and pathology, ...
