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.
Hefner EM, Stoppini R, McMullen RJ. This study is aimed at describing two unique case presentations of iris hypoplasia and the use of semiconductor diode laser for treatment in the horse. One 20-year-old American Quarter Horse gelding and one 11-year-old pony mare were studied. The presenting clinical signs, surgical technique, and postoperative results for two cases of iris hypoplasia treated with diode laser are described. Immediate postoperative complications-postoperative ocular hypertension (POH), corneal edema, and epithelial bullae-were possible anticipated effects but were controlled with topical medications in the fi...
There are four genotypes of ovine papillomaviruses (OaPVs): OaPV1, OaPV2, and OaPV4, which are ovine delta papillomaviruses responsible for epithelial and mesenchymal cell infections, and OaPV3, an epitheliotropic Dyokappapapillomavirus associated with cutaneous tumors in sheep, including squamous cell carcinoma. Vaginal swabs of healthy mares were evaluated for the presence of PVs to investigate whether the vaginal virobiota of asymptomatic mares harbored OaPVs. High-performance digital droplet polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) was used to quantitatively detect OaPV types 1-4 DNA in 94 vagina...
Obradovic NA, McFadden A, Martin K, Vierra M, McLoone K, Martin E, Thomas A, Everts RE, Brooks SA, Lafayette C.This paper reports three novel KIT variants likely responsible for previously unexplained white patterning phenotypes observed in three groups of horses. White spots and markings may have substantial consequences on the value and health of domesticated horses. This study aims to elucidate the genetic mechanisms underlying depigmented coat colors to aid in producing prosperous herds. Aligned whole genome sequences were manually screened to identify three polymorphisms in a family of Anglo-Arabian horses (N = 7), a family of Warmblood horses (N = 5), and a single stock-type mare with unexplained...
Jung Y, Yoon M.Therapeutic programs involving human-horse interactions are gaining popularity as a means of enhancing human well-being. Understanding the physiological responses of both humans and horses during these interactions is essential for evaluating the effectiveness of such programs. This study examined the effects of specific interactive activities on both humans and horses by monitoring changes in oxytocin and cortisol levels. Six participants and six horses took part in the study. The participants engaged in three distinct activities, each lasting 15 min: (1) resting alone without the horse (rest...
Brito LFC.Semen analysis is an important laboratory diagnostic test for stallions. Evaluation of sperm motility is integral to basic semen analysis and results are important for breeding management and clinical practice. Computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA) allows objective sperm motility evaluation and increases analytical precision. The objective of the present study was to validate a portable CASA system (AndroScope). Fresh/cooled semen samples (33 ejaculates, 18 stallions) and frozen semen (40 ejaculates and one epididymal flush, 27 stallions) were evaluated using the AndroScope and the IVOS II C...
Obrochta B, Tapio H, Raekallio M, Gracia Calvo LA, Pöyhönen RR, Hagman K, Jantunen N, Karikoski N.Sedation in horses is typically achieved using alpha-2 adrenoceptor agonists, although their use is associated with multiple side effects. A peripheral alpha-2 adrenoceptor antagonist, vatinoxan, can alleviate many of these. Objective: To evaluate the effects of vatinoxan infusion on gastrointestinal motility, sedation, and antinociception in horses sedated with detomidine infusion. Methods: Randomised, blinded cross-over in vivo experiments. Methods: Eight horses were given two 4-h infusions: detomidine (0.01 mg/kg + 0.015 mg/kg/h IV) (DET) and a combination of detomidine and vatinoxa...
Dieste-Pérez L, Holstege MMC, de Jong JE, Heuvelink AE.The resistance of species to azoles in human medicine is gaining increasing attention, and the role of animals and agricultural practices in this issue is becoming a significant source of concern. To gain better insights into the occurrence of azole resistance in spp. isolates from animals, a systematic literature review was conducted. Searches were conducted in the PubMed and Scopus databases for articles addressing azole resistance in spp. isolates from both animals and their immediate environments, published between 2013 and 2024. Descriptive clinical cases were analyzed separately from ...
Mason SJ, O'Neill HD, Bladon BM.The objective was to investigate synovial sample appearance, total nucleated cell count (TNCC), total protein concentration (TP), and neutrophil percentage in horses with acute articular fractures to aid decision making in acutely lame horses. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: Synovial fluid samples (n = 55). Methods: Synovial fluid records were analyzed over an 11 year period from horses undergoing lag screw fixation or arthroscopic fragment removal of intra-articular fractures within 48 h of occurrence. Horses were excluded when presented with wounds close to the joint or ...
Wallace PD, Schoonover MJ, Williams MR, Maxwell LK, Taylor JD.To evaluate plasma and synovial fluid amikacin concentrations following cephalic or saphenous IV regional limb perfusion (IVRLP) with a dosing protocol of 25 mg of amikacin/kg, divided into 16.7 mg/kg systemically and 8.3 mg/kg regionally. We hypothesized that plasma amikacin concentrations observed at 30 minutes after systemic administration would exceed a therapeutic target of 53 μg/mL and that synovial fluid concentrations would exceed a therapeutic target of 80 μg/mL. Unassigned: Over a 5-month period (spring/summer of 2023), 8 healthy neonatal foals were administered each protocol at le...
Dash SK, Panda S, Karna DK, Mishra C, Kalaignazhal G.The present study aimed to identify significant morphometric traits in Malkangiri ponies of Odisha through principal component analysis. The data were collected randomly from 200 ponies aged more than five years and 13 morphometric traits alongwith three indices were recorded. The mean height at wither, height at croup, body length, chest girth, punch girth, height at forearm, height at hock, fetlock to coronet, chest width, neck circumference, poll to wither, wither to croup and croup to head of the tail were 126.7 ± 0.39, 122.6 ± 0.29, 107.9 ± 0.2, 122 ± 0.31, 118.6 ±...
Pipereau K, Trably E, Santa-Catalina G, García-Bernet D, Carrere H.This study focuses on thermal and non-thermal effects of microwave pretreatment on horse dung as indigenous inoculum before xylose and wheat straw fermentation, emphasizing metabolite production and microbial community changes. Two horse dung microwave pretreatments (MW40°C and MW95°C) were compared with a conventional thermal pretreatment (Th95°C) and an unpretreated condition (Ctrl). Microwave heating pretreatment (MW95°C) leads to similar production as a conventional thermal pretreatment (Th95°C) for xylose and wheat straw fermentation while MW40°C treatment was similar to the control...
Krueger K, Roll A, Beyer AJ, Föll A, Bernau M, Farmer K.When animals observe human signals, they may learn from them. Such learning from humans has been reported for intentional communication between humans with animals, but animals might also learn socially by observing unintentional information transfer when eavesdropping on humans-human encounters. In this study, 12 of 17 horses significantly changed their preference for a feeding location after observing approval in a human-human interaction there, and horses kept in social housing adapted in a higher percentage of trials to human-human demonstrations than those in individual housing. This indi...
Bindi F, Nocera I, Meucci V, Vallesi G, Sala G, Spadari A, Rinnovati R, Bonelli F, Sgorbini M.This study investigated the plasma concentrations of symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) and asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) in healthy horses and in horses affected by colic in relation to the type of colic and systemic inflammation response syndrome (SIRS) status. Upon admission (T0), horses underwent a physical examination, and the SIRS status was assessed. The horses with colic were divided retrospectively based on the type of colic, SIRS status, treatment, and outcome. SDMA and ADMA levels were measured at T0 and then every 24 h at four time points (T1, T2, T3, T4). Differences between ...
Bai F, Cai Y, Qiu M, Liang C, Pan L, Liu Y, Feng Y, Cao X, Yang Q, Ren G, Jiao S, Gao S, Lu M, Wang X, Heller R, Lenstra JA, Jiang Y.Natural variants can significantly improve growth traits in livestock and serve as safe targets for gene editing, thus being applied in animal molecular design breeding. However, such safe and large-effect mutations are severely lacking. Using ancestral recombination graphs, we investigated recent selection signatures in beef cattle breeds, pinpointing sweep-driving variants in the LCORL and STC2 loci with notable effects on body size and growth rate. The ACT-to-A frameshift mutation in LCORL occurs mainly in central-European cattle, and stimulates growth. Remarkably, convergent truncating mut...
Sultan T, Chaudhary AK, Mehta JS, Mehra R, Manuja A, Talluri TR, Bhattacharya TK.Sperm cryopreservation is one of the most important procedures in the development of biotechnologies for assisted reproduction. Cryopreservation of stallion spermatozoa tends to cause plasma membrane damage due to the low ratio of cholesterol to phospholipids. Different substances and compounds can be added to semen extenders to improve sperm quality. Objective: To investigate the effect of supplementing semen extender with zinc nanoparticles (ZnONPs) and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) on cooled and frozen-thawed spermatozoa of Marwari stallion. Methods: A total of 20 ejaculates from four Marwari ...
Kintz P, Baudry M, Gheddar L.Trazodone, a medicine registered for human, is a serotonin agonist-antagonist. At low dose, the drug is sedative due to its antagonist properties. At high dose, it is an agonist with anxiolytic and antidepressant actions. Trazodone can be administered to the horse to reduce anxiety. However, according to the anti-doping rules for horses, the presence of trazodone in blood or urine is considered as a violation which will produce a suspension of both the athlete and the horse as the drug is listed banned on the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities prohibited substances list. As a ...
McTernan SP, Heller J, Clulow JR, Gannon L, Huang R, Tidd N, Blishen A, Hughes KJ.Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica is responsible for substantial morbidity and mortality within horse populations, worldwide. The prevalence of Salmonella shedding in faeces has largely been reported in hospital settings, with limited information from general horse populations. Further, there is little understanding of the serotypes and antibiograms of Salmonella isolates from horses in Australia. The objectives of this study were to (1) estimate the prevalence of Salmonella in stud farm horse populations, (2) determine serotypes and antibiograms for isolates, and (3) determine whether seaso...
Cullinane A, Nelly M, Dayot L, Lukaseviciute G, Garvey M, Healy J, Gallagher R.This study describes a comparison of the detection of rotavirus in clinical samples from foals using two commercially available rapid antigen detection (RAD) kits, with the detection of rotavirus nucleic acid via a laboratory-based, in-house, real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay. One hundred and forty freeze-thawed samples (70 that were RT-PCR-positive and 70 that were RT-PCR-negative on original tests) submitted to the diagnostic laboratory over a seven-year period were tested in addition to 123 fresh samples (15 RT-PCR-positive and 108 RT-PCR-negative) sub...
Cuervo-Arango J, Sala-Ayala L, Márquez-Moya A, Martínez-Boví R.The objective of this study was to determine the effect of two aspiration pressures (75 vs. 150 mmHg), the follicle flushing method (injection pump controlled by a foot pedal vs. a plastic syringe) and the twisting of the OPU needle on oocyte recovery and in vitro embryo production. OPU data from a total of 104 warmblood sport mares belonging to a commercial OPU-ICSI program were collected as part of a prospective study split into three experiments. Each mare was used only once for OPU. In Experiment 1, the mares' follicles were aspirated using either a high aspiration pressure (flow rate of 1...
Oztas T, Akar M, Virkanen J, Beier C, Goericke-Pesch S, Peltoniemi O, Kareskoski M, Björkman S.Heavy metal contamination poses significant environmental and health risks to both humans and animals. This study investigates the concentrations of arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), and lead (Pb) in blood, hair, and semen samples collected from 16 breeding stallions in Western Finland to assess whether concentrations in hair and serum samples represent concentrations in semen. The analysis was conducted using an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) system. Results showed that hair samples exhibited the highest concentrations of heavy metals, particularly Pb and As, while semen show...
Turek B, Pawlikowski M, Jankowski K, Borowska M, Skierbiszewska K, Jasiński T, Domino M.In veterinary medicine, conventional radiography is the first-choice method for most diagnostic imaging applications in both small animal and equine practice. One direction in its development is the integration of bone density evaluation and artificial intelligence-assisted clinical decision-making, which is expected to enhance and streamline veterinarians' daily practices. One such decision-support method is k-means clustering, a machine learning and data mining technique that can be used clinically to classify radiographic signs into healthy or affected clusters. The study aims to investigat...
Rosse NDS, Tavares RA, Nunes MC, de Freitas BW, Reis ECC.Early detection of renal deficient function is imperative for the success of treatments and determining prognosis. In horses, a renal ultrasound can be performed through the abdominal wall (TA) or transrectally (TR), being an important tool for the evaluation of the kidneys. Besides renal morphology, resistivity (RI) and pulsatility indexes (PI) may be early tools to detect renal injury as they reflect arterial compliance. Twenty-nine healthy adult horses were sonographically evaluated by TA and TR approaches, measuring RI and PI on both kidneys. The mean values from the TA for RI and PI in th...
Ho HSM, Farrington AF, Ho ENM, Wong WT.2-Hydroxyethyl salicylate (2HES), a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), is a medication to treat musculoskeletal injuries and inflammation swelling of humans and horses. Its misuse could affect the performance of horses and mask injuries, which could pose significant health risks. In horseracing, it is reported as an adverse finding once detected in competition. The metabolism of 2HES in either human or horse has not been reported, and therefore, little is known about its metabolic fate. This paper describes the in vivo metabolism of 2HES in horse with an objective to identify the mo...
Di Lucrezia A, Scandurra A, Lotito D, Iervolino V, D'Aniello B, Mastellone V, Lombardi P, Pinelli C.In this study, we assessed the interspecific "social buffering effect" of humans on horses, exploring how human presence influences stress responses in horses in an unfamiliar environment using the "isolation paradigm." We examined nine Haflinger horses under two counterbalanced conditions: with a passive human stranger (social condition) or alone (isolation condition). Stress responses were assessed through cortisol measurements, heart rate monitoring, and behavioral observations. While cortisol levels significantly increased in both conditions, with no notable differences before and after th...
Ing ST, Pinard CL, James-Jenks EM, Leis ML.Our objective was to investigate the demographics and prevalence of ocular disease in a large referral population of horses in Ontario over a 10-year period. Unassigned: A retrospective analysis of medical records for 283 horses evaluated by Board-certified veterinary ophthalmologists at the Ontario Veterinary College (Guelph, Ontario) was conducted. Signalment and ocular disease were recorded. Unassigned: The 3 most common ocular abnormalities identified were uveitis (43.7%, 123 horses), ulcerative keratitis (42.0%, 119 horses), and cataract (25.1%, 71 horses). Uveitis was most often secondar...
Sun Y, Yu YT, Castillo XO, Anderson R, Wang M, Sun Q, Tallmadge R, Sams K, Reboul G, Zehr J, Brown J, Wang X, Marra N, Stanhope B, Grenier J....Fever of unknown origin (FUO) without a respiratory component is a frequent clinical presentation in horses. Multiple pathogens, both tick-borne and enteric, can be involved as etiologic agents. An additional potential mechanism is intestinal barrier dysfunction. This case-control study aimed to detect and associate microbial taxa in blood with disease state. Areas known for a high prevalence of tick-borne diseases in humans were chosen to survey horses with FUO, which was defined as fever of 101.5°F or higher with no signs of respiratory illness or other recognisable diseases. Blood samples ...
Fujimoto R, Kuchida M, Ban-Tokuda T, Matsui H.The equine large intestine harbors a diverse array of symbiotic microorganisms. Disruptions in the gut microbiota can lead to various diseases in horses. Probiotics offer promising avenues for enhancing equine health and performance. However, commercial formulations lack robust scientific validation. This study aimed to isolate and identify Lactobacillaceae and Bifidobacterium spp. from horse feces to explore their potential as probiotics. Fecal samples from Thoroughbred horses were subjected to isolation procedures. Lactic acid-producing bacteria were isolated using specific media and identif...
Yu R, Jusko WJ.This study assesses the pharmacokinetics (PK) of published methylprednisolone (MPL) data in horses following intra-articular (IA) administration of MPL acetate (MPA) and the associated adrenal suppression. The concentrations of MPL/MPA in synovial fluid, blood, and urine, as well as hydrocortisone (HC) in plasma, were digitized from multiple sources in the literature. A minimal physiologically based pharmacokinetic model and a linked indirect response model with a circadian rhythm baseline were applied. Concentrations of MPA in joints followed a triexponential decay, converting to MPL. The cle...
Woods TDC, Dixon J, Fraser BSL, Melvaine C.Exploratory tenoscopy is considered the gold standard technique to identify intrathecal pathology of the equine carpal flexor tendon sheath (CFTS). Preoperative diagnosis allows for more precise prognostication and surgical planning, potentially associated with improved surgical outcomes. This prospective, descriptive, anatomical study aimed to describe the anatomy of the equine CFTS using noncontrast and contrast CT in clinically normal cadaver limbs. Ten pairs of equine forelimbs free of gross external abnormalities were examined from mid-antebrachium to distal metacarpus. Specimens initiall...
Wang T, Meng J, Wang J, Ren W, Yang X, Adina W, Bao Y, Zeng Y, Yao X.The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between blood lipid levels and the differences in cardiac structure and function of trained and untrained Yili horses as related to exercise performance. We utilized quantitative lipidomics technology to elucidate how the differences in lipid compounds in the blood influenced performance outcomes. Sixteen 18-month-old Yili horses were selected, ten of which received a 15-week training regimen, and six were kept as untrained controls. Cardiac structure and function were assessed by echocardiography, while plasma lipid metabolites were de...
Kunz IGZ, Reed KJ, Metcalf JL, Hassel DM, Coleman RJ, Hess TM, Coleman SJ.The gastrointestinal microbiota (GIM) plays an essential role in maintaining intestinal homeostasis with disruptions having profound effects on the wellbeing of the host animal. Parasitic infection is a long-standing issue for the equine industry, and the use of anthelmintic drugs for parasite control has long been standard practice. The impact of anthelmintic treatment on the GIM in healthy horses is not well known. This study evaluated the hypothesis that anthelmintic administration will alter the equine fecal microbiota in horses without an observed helminth infection. Ten horses were treat...
Henson FM, Bowe EA, Davies ME.To identify the effect of fibroblastic growth factor-2 (FGF-2) on the intrinsic damage-repair response in articular cartilage in vitro. Methods: Articular equine cartilage explants, without subchondral bone, had a single impact load of 500 g applied from a height of 2.5 cm. Explants were then cultured in 0, 12, 25, 50 or 100 ng/ml FGF-2 for up to 28 days. Unimpacted discs served as controls for each time-point. Histological and immunohistochemical techniques were used to quantify and characterise the response of putative chondrocyte progenitor cells (CPC) to damage and FGF-2 treatment. Results...
Reuss SM, Chaffin MK, Cohen ND.To describe frequency, types, and clinical outcomes of extrapulmonary disorders (EPDs) in foals in which Rhodococcus equi infection was diagnosed, and to identify factors determined at the time of admission that differentiated foals that developed EPDs from foals with R equi infection identified only in the lungs. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: 150 foals aged 3 weeks to 6 months with a diagnosis of R equi infection. Methods: Medical records were reviewed for information on date of admission, signalment, history, clinical signs, diagnostic testing, treatment, duration of hospitali...
García-Carrasco JM, Muñoz AR, Olivero J, Segura M, Real R.West Nile virus is a widely spread arthropod-born virus, which has mosquitoes as vectors and birds as reservoirs. Humans, as dead-end hosts of the virus, may suffer West Nile Fever (WNF), which sometimes leads to death. In Europe, the first large-scale epidemic of WNF occurred in 1996 in Romania. Since then, human cases have increased in the continent, where the highest number of cases occurred in 2018. Using the location of WNF cases in 2017 and favorability models, we developed two risk models, one environmental and the other spatio-environmental, and tested their capacity to predict in 2018...
Zerbe H, Schuberth HJ, Engelke F, Frank J, Klug E, Leibold W.In order to investigate pathogenic mechanisms of acute endometritis in cows and mares, we established an in vivo model in both species. Based on the results of an in vitro transmigration system, human recombinant interleukin-8 (rhIL-8; 1.25 microg per mare and 5 microg per cow in 50 ml phosphate-buffered saline) was used to attract polymorphonuclear neutrophil granulocytes (PMNs) into the uteri. Peak numbers of uterine neutrophils were attracted after 6h, in both cows and mares. On average, mares responded more sensitively than cows, with 15 times higher numbers of rhIL-8-attracted uterine neu...
Cheung WK, Working DM, Galuppo LD, Leach JK.Adipose stromal cells (ASC) are a promising alternative to progenitor cells from other tissue compartments because of their multipotential and capacity to retrieve significantly more progenitor cells. Initial cell samples are heterogeneous, containing a collection of cells that may contribute to tissue repair, but the sample becomes more homogeneous with each passage. Therefore, we hypothesized that the osteogenic potential of culture-expanded ASC would differ from uncultured ASC. Methods: Adipose tissue was collected from a yearling colt, and ASC were isolated and expanded using standard prot...
Kawcak CE, McIlwraith CW, Norrdin RW, Park RD, James SP.Subchondral bone plays a role in the pathogenesis of osteochondral damage and osteoarthritis in horses and humans. Osteochondral fragmentation and fracture, subchondral bone necrosis and osteoarthritis are common diseases in athletic horses, and subchondral bone is now thought to play an integral role in the pathogenesis of these diseases. There have been numerous research efforts focused on articular cartilage damage and its pathogenesis, yet comparatively little effort focused on subchondral bone pathology or the coordinated disease states of the osteochondral tissues. The purpose of this re...
Salazar P, Traub-Dargatz JL, Morley PS, Wilmot DD, Steffen DJ, Cunningham WE, Salman MD.To determine outcome of equids in the western United States with clinical signs of West Nile virus (WNV) infection and identify factors associated with risk of death in infected equids. Methods: Cross-sectional study. Methods: 484 equids in Nebraska and Colorado. Methods: Owners of 484 equids with laboratory-confirmed West Nile virus infection in Nebraska and Colorado were contacted by telephone, and a questionnaire was used to obtain information on signalment, management, clinical signs, date of disease onset, duration of disease, WNV vaccination status, and health status at the time of the i...
Bruhn O, Grötzinger J, Cascorbi I, Jung S.Antimicrobial peptides play a pivotal role as key effectors of the innate immune system in plants and animals and act as endogenous antibiotics. The molecules exhibit an antimicrobial activity against bacteria, viruses, and eukaryotic pathogens with different specificities and potencies depending on the structure and amino-acid composition of the peptides. Several antimicrobial peptides were comprehensively investigated in the last three decades and some molecules with remarkable antimicrobial properties have reached the third phase of clinical studies. Next to the peptides themselves, numerou...
Sherman AB, Gilger BC, Berglund AK, Schnabel LV.We aimed to determine and compare the in vitro effects of autologous bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) and mesenchymal stem cell supernatant (MSC-Sp) on the wound healing capacity of equine corneal fibroblasts using a scratch assay. Bone marrow aspirates and eyes were collected from normal, euthanized horses with subsequent isolation and culture of BM-MSCs and corneal stromal cells. Corneal stromal cells were culture-expanded in the culture well of transwell plates and then treated with an autologous BM-MSC suspension (dose: 2.5 × 105/100 μL media with the BM-MSCs con...
Allen WR, Stewart F.A tough, elastic glycoprotein capsule envelops the equine blastocyst between Days 6 and 23 after ovulation. It maintains the spherical configuration of, and provides physical support for, the embryo as it traverses the entire uterine lumen during Days 6-17, propelled by myometrial contractions that are stimulated by pulsatile release of prostaglandin F2alpha and prostaglandin E2. The capsule also accumulates constituents of the exocrine secretions of the endometrial glands ('uterine milk') as nutrients for the mobile embryo as it releases its antiluteolytic maternal recognition-of-pregnancy si...
Apostolakos I, Franz E, van Hoek AHAM, Florijn A, Veenman C, Sloet-van Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan MM, Dierikx C, van Duijkeren E.To investigate the occurrence and characteristics of ESBL/AmpC-producing Escherichia coli in faecal samples from horses at one equine clinic in the Netherlands. A total of 91 horses, including residents and patients, were sampled. ESBL/AmpC-producing E. coli were identified by a combination disc diffusion test. Phylogenetic groups and MLST were determined. ESBL/AmpC genes were analysed using PCR and sequencing. Plasmids were characterized by transformation and PCR-based replicon typing. Subtyping of plasmids was done by plasmid MLST. At least one E. coli isolate with a confirmed ESBL/AmpC gene...
Cook CR.Musculoskeletal ultrasound is a rapidly growing field within veterinary medicine. Ultrasound for musculoskeletal disorders has been commonly used in equine and human medicine and is becoming more commonly performed in small animal patients due to the increase in the recognition of soft tissue injuries. Ultrasound is widely available, cost-effective, but technically difficult to learn. Advantages of musculoskeletal ultrasound are the opposite limb is commonly used for comparison to evaluate symmetry of the tendinous structures and the ease of repeat examinations to assess healing. The article d...
Tinker MK, White NA, Lessard P, Thatcher CD, Pelzer KD, Davis B, Carmel DK.A 1 year prospective study was conducted on 31 horse farms to identify risk factors for equine colic. Farms were randomly selected from a list from 2 adjacent counties of Virginia and Maryland, USA. The association between colic and farm or individual horse risk factors related to management, housing, pasture, use, nutrition, health and events was first examined by univariate statistical analysis. Individually significant (P < = 0.25 for farm factors, P < = 0.10 for horse factors) variables were used in a stepwise multivariable forward logistic regression to select explanatory factors (P < = 0...
Gallardo Bolaños JM, Miró Morán Á, Balao da Silva CM, Morillo Rodríguez A, Plaza Dávila M, Aparicio IM, Tapia JA, Ortega Ferrusola C, Peña FJ.Apoptosis has been recognized as a cause of sperm death during cryopreservation and a cause of infertility in humans, however there is no data on its role in sperm death during conservation in refrigeration; autophagy has not been described to date in mature sperm. We investigated the role of apoptosis and autophagy during cooled storage of stallion spermatozoa. Samples from seven stallions were split; half of the ejaculate was processed by single layer centrifugation, while the other half was extended unprocessed, and stored at 5°C for five days. During the time of storage, sperm motility (C...
Horohov DW.The modern horse, Equus caballus has historically made important contributions to the field of immunology, dating back to Emil von Behring's description of curative antibodies in equine serum over a century ago. While the horse continues to play an important role in human serotherapy, the mouse has replaced the horse as the predominant experimental animal in immunology research. Nevertheless, continuing efforts have led to an improved understanding of the equine immune response in a variety of infectious and non-infectious diseases. Based on this information, we can begin to identify specific ...
Payne SL, Salinovich O, Nauman SM, Issel CJ, Montelaro RC.Comparisons of peptide and oligonucleotide maps of glycoproteins and RNA from nine isolates of equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) that were generated during parallel infections of two Shetland ponies revealed that each isolate was structurally unique. Each EIAV isolate contained a unique subset of variant peptides, oligonucleotides, or both, indicating that structural variation in EIAV is a random and noncumulative process and that a large spectrum of possible EIAV variants can be generated in infected animals.
Pusterla N, Hussey GS.Equine myeloencephalopathy (EHM), an uncommon manifestation of equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) infection, can cause devastating losses on individual farms, boarding stables, veterinary hospitals, and show and racing venues. An improved understanding of EHM has emerged from experimental studies and from data collected during field outbreaks at riding schools, racetracks, horse shows, and veterinary hospitals throughout North America and Europe. These outbreaks have highlighted the contagious nature of EHV-1 and have prompted a reevaluation of diagnostic procedures, treatment modalities, preventati...
Scoles GA, Hutcheson HJ, Schlater JL, Hennager SG, Pelzel AM, Knowles DP.We report an outbreak of equine piroplasmosis in southern Texas, USA, in 2009. Infection prevalence reached 100% in some areas (292 infected horses). Amblyomma cajennense was the predominant tick and experimentally transmitted Theileria equi to an uninfected horse. We suggest that transmission by this tick species played a role in this outbreak.
Landman MA, de Blaauw JA, van Weeren PR, Hofland LJ.A population of 805 horses (70 per cent dressage, 20 per cent show jumpers and 10 per cent trotters) with orthopaedic problems was examined for signs of lameness and back problems, irrespective of their original complaints. In the horses with a back problem the prevalence of lameness was 74 per cent, and back problems were diagnosed in 32 per cent of the lame horses. These percentages were significantly higher than those recorded in a control population of 399 horses, of which 20 per cent were lame and 12 per cent had back problems. In the group of horses with orthopaedic problems there was a ...
Hackett ES, McCue PM.Glucose assessment and regulation are important factors in the treatment of hospitalized horses and foals. Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare glucose measurement by a veterinary glucometer, adjusted by code for use in horses and foals, to a reference chemistry analyzer. It was hypothesized that the veterinary glucometer and reference analyzer would yield similar results and that interpretation of glucose values obtained from a veterinary glucometer would result in clinically appropriate decisions. Methods: Fifty blood samples from adult horses and 50 blood samples from neonata...
Weiss M, Horzinek MC.In equine dermis cells infected with Berne virus particles were first detected 10 h after infection. Virions were encountered in all parts of the Golgi system and, infrequently, in the rough endoplasmic reticulum. A unique form of budding of preassembled rigid tubular nucleocapsids was demonstrated. Masses of tubular nucleocapsids of a lesser diameter and electron density were prominent in the cytoplasm and the nucleus of infected cells. Within the Golgi system and cytoplasmic cisternae virions appeared as straight or slightly curved rods. Extremely long, aberrant virions (250 nm) were occasio...
Scase T, Brandt S, Kainzbauer C, Sykora S, Bijmholt S, Hughes K, Sharpe S, Foote A.The aetiology of genital squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in horses remains unknown, but the similarity to the disease in man, for which papillomavirus infection has been shown to be a causal factor, requires to be investigated in horses. Objective: One or more novel papillomaviruses cause equine genital SCC and its associated premalignant lesions. Methods: DNA was extracted from samples of equine genital SCC and performed rolling circle amplification, in order to identify closed circular DNA viral genomes within the samples. The amplified DNA was subcloned and sequenced and the DNA sequence comp...
McFarlane D, Dybdal N, Donaldson MT, Miller L, Cribb AE.Equine pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) is a spontaneously occurring progressive disease affecting aged horses and ponies. The pathogenesis of PPID is poorly understood, but the available evidence supports a loss of dopaminergic inhibition of the melanotropes of the pars intermedia. Horses with PPID have increased plasma concentrations of pars intermedia pro-opiomelanocortin-derived peptides that decrease in response to dopamine or dopamine agonist administration. Dopamine and dopamine metabolite concentrations are decreased in the pars intermedia of affected horses compared to age...
Copas VE, Durham AE.Pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) is a common endocrinopathy, frequently diagnosed via plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) concentrations. Seasonal variation in plasma ACTH concentrations has been described in normal horses prompting caution in diagnosing PPID at certain times of the year. The aims of this study were to determine appropriate reference intervals for equine plasma ACTH throughout the year; and to examine the circannual variation of plasma ACTH concentrations in PPID cases. Objective: Plasma ACTH can be used as a test for PPID throughout the year with the use of ...
Martin BB, Reef VB, Parente EJ, Sage AD.To determine results for horses undergoing a high-speed treadmill examination, including videoendoscopy of the pharynx and larynx before and during exercise, echocardiography before and after exercise, and electrocardiography before, during, and after exercise, because of poor performance. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: 348 horses. Results: A definitive diagnosis was obtained for 256 (73.5%) horses. One hundred forty-eight horses had dynamic obstruction of the airway during exercise, 33 had clinically important cardiac arrhythmias alone, 22 had a combination of dynamic airway obstructi...
Raza A, Qamar AG, Hayat K, Ashraf S, Williams AR.Control of equine nematodes has relied on benzimidazoles (BZs), tetrahydropyrimidines and macrocyclic lactones. The intensive use of anthelmintics has led to the development of anthelmintic resistance (AR) in equine cyathostomins and Parascaris equorum. Field studies indicate that BZ and pyrantel resistance is widespread in cyathostomins and there are also increasing reports of resistance to macrocyclic lactones in cyathostomins and P. equorum. The unavailability of reliable laboratory-based techniques for detecting resistance further augments the problem of nematode control in horses. The onl...
McGivney BA, Eivers SS, MacHugh DE, MacLeod JN, O'Gorman GM, Park SD, Katz LM, Hill EW.Selection for exercise-adapted phenotypes in the Thoroughbred racehorse has provided a valuable model system to understand molecular responses to exercise in skeletal muscle. Exercise stimulates immediate early molecular responses as well as delayed responses during recovery, resulting in a return to homeostasis and enabling long term adaptation. Global mRNA expression during the immediate-response period has not previously been reported in skeletal muscle following exercise in any species. Also, global gene expression changes in equine skeletal muscle following exercise have not been reported...
Bhoora R, Quan M, Franssen L, Butler CM, van der Kolk JH, Guthrie AJ, Zweygarth E, Jongejan F, Collins NE.A quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assay using a TaqMan minor groove binder (MGB) probe was developed for the detection of Babesia caballi infection in equids from South Africa. Nine previously published sequences of the V4 hypervariable region of the B. caballi 18S rRNA gene were used to design primers and probes to target unique, conserved regions. The B. caballi TaqMan MGB qPCR assay was shown to be efficient and specific. The detection limit, defined as the concentration at which 95% of positive samples can be detected, was determined to be 0.000114% parasitized eryt...
