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.
Jouglin M, Bonsergent C, de la Cotte N, Mège M, Bizon C, Couroucé A, Lallemand ÉA, Leblond A, Lemonnier LC, Leroux A, Marano I, Muzard A....Equine piroplasmosis is a worldwide tick-borne disease caused by the parasites Theileria equi sensu lato and Babesia caballi, with significant economic and sanitary consequences. These two parasites are genetically variable, with a potential impact on diagnostic accuracy. Our study aimed to evaluate the frequency of asymptomatic carriers of these parasites in France and describe the circulating genotypes. We developed a species-specific nested PCR protocol targeting the 18S small sub-unit (SSU) rRNA gene and used it on blood samples collected from 566 asymptomatic horses across four National V...
Sobhy NM, Refaai W, Kumar R, Bottros Youssef CR, Goyal SM.Bovine papillomaviruses (BPVs) commonly cause sarcoids in equines worldwide. Equine sarcoids (ESs) reduce the working ability of draft animals and produce untoward cosmetic changes in racing and dancing equine. In this study, nine horses and 16 donkeys with sarcoids were presented to Zagazig University Veterinary Clinic, Zagazig, Egypt. Of these, eight horses and six donkeys were found to be infected with BPV. On sequencing, all 14 viruses were found to be BPV1, which were distributed in two clades without specific differentiation among papillomaviruses (PVs) of donkeys, horses, and cattle. Co...
Königová A, Babják M, Kuzmina TA, Burcáková Ľ, Syrota Y, Várady M.The study aimed to conduct a survey on the occurrence of benzimidazole (BZ) resistance in strongyles by in vitro egg hatch test (EHT) and larval development test (LDT) and to identify the effective indicators of early resistance detection on horse farms with associated risk factors analysis appraisal. In total, 203 horses from 8 farms underwent the fecal sampling of which 77 horses were selected for in vitro testing. Simultaneously, 18 horses were chosen to analyse the results of in vitro tests compared to the in vivo fecal egg count reduction test (FECRT). The EHT indicated the presence of re...
Fletcher KA, Padalino B, Felici M, Bigi D, Limon-Vega G, Grist A, Gibson TJ.There is limited research into horse slaughter, particularly ante mortem welfare, and the effectiveness of captive-bolt gun (CBG) stunning, despite this being a widely used method worldwide. To address this evidence gap and explore associations between ante and post mortem factors, the welfare of 62 horses was assessed at a commercial Italian abattoir. Animal-based measures were used to identify stress-related behaviours and stunning effectiveness. A sub-sample (44%; 27/62) of heads were assessed for gross brain pathology. All animals in the study showed stress-related behaviours at all stage...
Ishikawa Y, Tufa SF, Keene DR, Bächinger HP, Winand NJ.Mutations in the collagen-modifying enzyme lysyl hydroxylase 1 (LH1) cause Warmblood Fragile Foal Syndrome (WFFS) in horses. We investigated the impact of this mutation on collagen structure and function. Our results show that LH1 deficiency leads to reduced lysine hydroxylation, altered collagen fibril organization, and tissue abnormalities resembling human Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. These findings highlight the critical role of LH1 in collagen biosynthesis and provide insights into the pathogenesis of WFFS.
Monecke S, Burgold-Voigt S, Feßler AT, Krapf M, Loncaric I, Liebler-Tenorio EM, Braun SD, Diezel C, Müller E, Reinicke M, Reissig A, Cabal Rosel A....Leukocidins of (.) are bicomponent toxins that form polymeric pores in host leukocyte membranes, leading to cell death and/or triggering apoptosis. Some of these toxin genes are located on prophages and are associated with specific hosts. The genes have been described from equine isolates. We examined the genomes, including the prophages, of strains belonging to clonal complexes CC1, CC350, CC816, and CC8115. In addition to sequencing, phages were characterised by mitomycin C induction and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). All prophages integrated into the = gene, and all included...
Hrala M, Andrla P, Bosák J, Fedrová P, Mugutdinov A, Karpíšková R, Nedbalcová K, Raichová J, Faldyna M, Hořín P, Šmajs D.Taylorella equigenitalis is the causative agent of sexually transmitted contagious equine metritis. Infections manifest as cervicitis, vaginitis and endometritis and cause temporary infertility and miscarriages of mares. While previous studies have analyzed this organism for various parameters, the evolutionary dynamics of this pathogen, including the emergence of antibiotic resistance, remains unresolved. The aim of this study was to isolate contemporary strains, determine their genome sequences, evaluate their antibiotic resistance and compare them with other strains. We determined nine comp...
Fernandes T, Robin M, Freeman KP.Biological variation in laboratory results refers to physiological fluctuations that occur around a homeostatic setpoint (HSP) for various laboratory measurands. Assessment of biological variation includes determining individual variation (CV), group variation (CV), and analytical variation (CV). Reference change value (RCV) is an objective tool for an evidence-based approach to interpret data by assessing the significance of consecutive results in an individual for the diagnosis, prognosis, and monitoring of disease. The individualised reference intervals (iRI) are derived from the determinat...
Talbot AM, Shanks-Boon H, Baldwin CM, Barnes H, Maddox TW.Obesity has been associated with human obstructive sleep apnoea and canine brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome. The effect of body condition score (BCS) on structures of the oropharynx, nasopharynx and upper airway of the horse has not been investigated. Objective: To investigate the effect of BCS on tongue measurements, soft palate angle and basihyoid depth in horses. Methods: Retrospective, analytical, cross-sectional. Methods: Computed tomographic (CT) images of the head of 58 horses were assessed. DICOM viewing software was used to measure head length, basihyoid-skin depth, soft pal...
Bernabe MCM, Fonseca BB, Silva MVC, Pedrosa IE, Silva MB, Sommerfeld S, de Sousa ALP, de Leva Resende BC, Sousa ACP, Dos Santos Freitas A....Endometritis is one of the main reproductive disorders in mares and due to the increasing prevalence of antibiotic resistance, the use of probiotics in the prevention and treatment of endometritis in mares has gained interest, given their potential to restore and maintain a healthy uterine microbiota. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial properties of total metabolites of Lactobacillus acidophilus (LA) and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (LP) against common equine endometrial pathogenic bacteria in vitro (Acinetobacter baumannii, Escherichia coli (1), Escherichia co...
Ana A, Agnieszka S, Marta CP, Pawel K, Dariusz S, Graça FD, Szóstek-Mioduchowska A.Equine endometrosis is a major cause of infertility in mares and is characterized by degenerative, functional and fibrotic changes in the endometrium with increased collagen (COL) deposition. Transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 is one of the major pro-fibrotic factors involved in the excessive deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) components in the equine endometrium. It has been demonstrated that ovarian steroids, specifically 17β-estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4), not only regulate the cyclicity of the estrous cycle, but also have been implicated as anti- or pro-fibrotic factors. Thi...
Márquez-Moya A, Sala-Ayala L, Carreras-Vico N, Martínez-Boví R, Cuervo-Arango J.The objectives of this study were to investigate the influence of different OPU variables (vacuum and injection pressures during follicle aspiration and flushing, needle twisting to scrape follicles, number of follicle flushes and type of flushing media) on oocyte recovery rate (ORR) and morphology. Overall, 120 postmortem excised ovaries were processed in 62 replicates (1.9 ± 0.7 ovaries per replicate), with a total of 1336 follicles punctured and aspirated (11.1 ± 6.2 follicles per ovary) by ultrasound-guided follicle aspiration resembling the OPU procedure from live mares. The aspirat...
Marichal G, Suárez G, Meikle A, Muriel M.The recovery of acid-base and hydro electrolytic balance at medical discharge after Raid races and its association with comfort index (CI) is unknown. Unassigned: To determine hydroelectrolytic and acid-base variations before and at the time of clinical discharge in horses that completed 90 km Raid competitions. Unassigned: Hematocrit, total protein, sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, and serum pH were determined in samples before and after the race and after hydration in 276 horses and were analyzed using a mixed procedure, including the time of the race, the CI and its interaction. Unassi...
Soroko-Dubrovina M, Śniegucka K, Dobrowolski M, Dudek KD.The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of thermography in assessing the impact of regular physical effort on changes in the body surface temperature of the upper body parts of young racehorses. The study involved monitoring 33 racehorses aged 3 years in 3 imaging sessions over a period of 3 months. Temperature measurements of the neck and upper part of the forelimbs and hindlimbs from both sides were taken just before and after training. Three regions of interest (ROIs) located at the base of the neck, elbow and quarter on both sides of the body were analysed. Before physical effor...
Kodaira K, Kakizaki M, Nagata SI, Ode H, Okano A, Tamura N, Mizobe F, Matsuda Y, Kurimoto S, Aida H.To investigate the pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of rocuronium administered by bolus injection to sevoflurane-anesthetized horses. Methods: Prospective, experimental, crossover study. Methods: Five healthy adult Thoroughbred horses (body mass 368-470 kg, three females and two males). Methods: Each horse was anesthetized twice with sevoflurane and assigned to be administered rocuronium bromide intravenously: 0.2 mg kg (R02) or 0.4 mg kg (R04). There was a minimum 2 week washout period between experiments. During anesthesia, the peroneal nerve was stimulated (train-of-four) and neuromusc...
Nasiri-Foomani N, Hassani S, Najafi M, Samadi F.The optimization of cryopreservation media to reduce oxidative damage on post-thaw spermatozoa is crucial. This research aimed to assess the antioxidant properties of curcumin-loaded niosomal nanocarriers (CurLNN) on the functional characteristics, the relative expression of apoptotic genes, and flow cytometry assessments of apoptotic-like changes, reactive oxygen species production (ROS), mitochondrial membrane potential, and chromatin integrity in stallion spermatozoa following thawing. Twenty-five ejaculates were diluted in INRA96 freezing media supplemented with 20 μM of either curcumin ...
Vinijkumthorn R, Kingkaw A, Yanyongsirikarn P, Phaonakrop N, Roytrakul S, Vongsangnak W, Tesena P.Equine melanocytic neoplasm (EMN) represents a form of skin tumor observed predominantly in grey horses aged over 15 years. Despite its prevalence, current therapeutic and preventive strategies for EMN have been subject to limited investigation. This study endeavors to shed light on potential phosphoproteins present in equine serum and fecal samples, potentially linked to EMN, with a specific focus on functional interactions in EMN pathogenesis. We examined 50 samples (25 serum, 25 feces), divided into three groups based on EMN severity: normal (n = 16), mild (n = 18), and severe EMN (...
Baghdadi HBA, Abdelsalam M, Attia MM.Strongylus vulgaris, a devastating parasitic nematode in equids, causes life-threatening verminous aneurysms that are challenging to diagnose early. This study pioneered integrating nanotechnology into an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (i-ELISA) system to enhance the sensitivity and specificity for detecting S. vulgaris larval antigens in equine serum samples, with PCR confirmation of the species. A conventional i-ELISA and an innovative nano-based ELISA were developed using excretory-secretory antigens from adult S. vulgaris worms. The nano-ELISA incorporated gold nanoparticles (1...
Korsós SA, Kibleur P, Josipovic I, Boone M, Vlaminck L.In orthograde endodontic treatments, different methods are available to debride the pulp canals of endodontically compromised equine cheek teeth, but their efficacy is unknown. Objective: To explore and compare the efficacy and anatomical changes caused by manual versus reciprocating filing techniques in equine cheek teeth, to explore the presence of instrumentation mishaps described in human dentistry and to explore anatomical complexities of the pulp cavity that often remain uninstrumented using microcomputed tomography (μCT). Methods: Ex-vivo randomised experiments. Methods: Twenty-two ext...
Wang Z, Li Y, Xi X, Zou Q, Zhang Y.In this paper, a novel molecularly imprinted polymer membrane modified glassy carbon electrode for electrochemical sensors (MIP-OH-MWCNTs-GCE) for epinephrine (EP) was successfully prepared by a gel-sol method using an optimized functional monomer oligosilsesquioxane-AlO sol-ITO composite sol (ITO-POSS-AlO). Hydroxylated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (OH-MWCNTs) were introduced during the modification of the electrodes, and the electrochemical behavior of EP on the molecularly imprinted electrochemical sensors was probed by the differential pulse velocity (DPV) method. The experimental conditi...
Schaus K, Wacker J, Jandowsky A, Büttner K, Röcken M, Bartmann CP.Morphometric measurements of the toe serve as a reference for the objective assessment of the presence of a pathological condition and as a guide for the correct trimming of the hooves. Therefore, the anatomical differences between horses and donkeys oblige an autonomous database with reference values for the donkey. The aim of this study was therefore to provide readings of the distal hind limb on radiographs of donkeys. Radiographs of the distal hind limb in two projections of 41 generally sound donkeys without lameness in walk were taken after previous hoof trimming and preparation accordin...
Benitez-Ibalo AP, Debárbora VN, Mangold AJ, Nava S, Sebastian PS.After the previous description and characterization of Theileria equi sensu stricto (Genotype A) in Argentina, the aim of the present study was to investigate the possible heterogeneity of 18 S rDNA genotypes circulating in this country. Therefore, blood samples from 18 horses from two different neighborhoods of Corrientes City, Corrientes Province, were analyzed for infection with Theileria species. Theileria DNA was detected in five samples (27.8%). Four nearly complete 18 S rDNA gene sequences were obtained and phylogenetic analyses were carried out. The maximum likelihood tree constructe...
Equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) is the simplest described within the family, related to the human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV-1 and HIV-2). There is an important interplay between host cells and viruses. Viruses need to hijack cellular proteins for their viral cycle completion and some cellular proteins are antiviral agents interfering with viral replication. HIV cellular partners have been extensively studied and described, with a special attention to host proteins able to inhibit specific steps of the viral cycle, called restriction factors. Viruses develop countermeasures against ...
Ferreira CMC, Simões BD, Marques EAS, Carbas RJC, da Silva LFM.Despite technological advancements in various industries, the equine sector still relies on old methods like horseshoeing. Although traditional, the industry is dynamic and well-funded. Therefore, there is a need to modernize these methods with more reliable and less invasive solutions for attaching horseshoes to horse hooves. There are currently several commercial adhesive solutions in the market specifically tailored to this application. In this work, the mechanical properties of two acrylic adhesives were characterized under quasi-static conditions. In the characterization process, tensile,...
Valderrama-Martinez C, Packham A, Zheng S, Smith W, Plancarte M, Aleman M.Evaluating antibody titers for Sarcocystis neurona for the diagnosis of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis from serum samples is a common practice. However, ensuring timely and proper refrigeration is not always possible. Objective: To evaluate immunofluorescent antibody (IFA) titers for S. neurona from serum samples stored at room temperature and 4°C. Methods: Twenty-two serum samples. Methods: Prospective longitudinal study. Two serum aliquots of 1 mL each were stored at room temperature (20-23.3°C) and 4°C. The unrefrigerated aliquot was immediately tested for IFA titers. Both aliquots...
Broeckl CV, Hiereth S, Straubinger RK.Diagnosis of equine Lyme borreliosis (LB), an infection caused by members of the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex (Bbsl), is challenging due to the nonspecific clinical signs of the disease and due to the variety of non-standardized serological tests. Specific vaccine-induced antibodies against LB, providing an effective protection against the infection, complicate the issue further. The standard for the detection of specific antibodies against Bbsl is a two-tier test system based on an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) or indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFA) for antibody sc...
Chen JW, Stefanovski D, Haughan J, Jiang Z, Soma LR, Robinson MA.Interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β) and IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RA) are both upregulated following traumatic injury. As IL-1RA blocks inflammatory signaling by IL-1β, overexpression of IL-1β relative to IL-1RA may drive inflammatory diseases. As such, determination of the relationship between IL-1β to IL-1RA expression levels in horses may provide insight into disease states or serve as a therapeutic readout of response to medical interventions. As techniques to detect plasma concentrations of IL-1β and IL-1RA in horses lack sensitivity, we developed and validated novel enzyme-linked immunos...
Crisà A, Cardinali I, Giontella A, Silvestrelli M, Lancioni H, Buttazzoni L.Lipizzan is a famous horse breed dating back to 1580 when the original stud of Lipica was established by the Hasburg Archduke Charles II. Currently, the Italian State Stud of Lipizzan Horses (ASCAL) is a conservation nucleus managed through strict mating rules where mitochondrial DNA sequences are used to verify the correct assignment of mares to a historical pedigree maternal lineage. Here, we analyzed the D-loop sequences of Lipizzan horses from the ASCAL in Monterotondo (Rome, Italy) in order to confirm their pedigree assignment to known female founder families. The concurrent investigation...
Bull KE, Hodgkinson J, Allen K, Poissant J, Peachey LE.Cyathostomins are the most abundant equid endoparasites globally. There are approximately fifty cyathostomin species and, whilst they occupy distinct niches within the large intestine, they are generally considered to share similar characteristics in terms of pathogenicity and response to drug treatment. There are three classes of anthelmintic licensed in the UK to treat cyathostomins (benzimidazoles, tetrahydropyrimidines and macrocyclic lactones) and cases of resistance have been documented for all classes. Previously, faecal egg count reduction tests (FECRT) on four UK Thoroughbred studs re...
Wong JKY, Choi TLS, Wong COL, Curl P, Wan TSM, Ho ENM.Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), also known as dimethyl sulfone, is a naturally occurring sulphur-containing compound that can be found in plants, animals and humans. MSM can also be a metabolite of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). Due to their anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects, both MSM and DMSO are prohibited substances in horseracing. As both substances are naturally occurring, their misuse in horses is controlled by International Residue Limits (IRL) of 1200 and 15 μg/mL, respectively, in horse urine as established by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities. The elimination ...
Stock ML, Elazab ST, Hsu WH.Triazines are relatively new antiprotozoal drugs that have successfully controlled coccidiosis and equine protozoal myeloencephalitis. These drugs have favorably treated other protozoal diseases such as neosporosis and toxoplasmosis. In this article, we discuss the pharmacological characteristics of five triazines, toltrazuril, ponazuril, clazuril, diclazuril, and nitromezuril which are used in veterinary medicine to control protozoal diseases which include coccidiosis, equine protozoal myeloencephalitis, neosporosis, and toxoplasmosis.
Legrand R, Tiret L, Abitbol M.Seven donkey breeds are recognized by the French studbook. Individuals from the Pyrenean, Provence, Berry Black, Normand, Cotentin and Bourbonnais breeds are characterized by a short coat, while those from the Poitou breed (Baudet du Poitou) are characterized by a long-hair phenotype. We hypothesized that loss-of-function mutations in the FGF5 (fibroblast growth factor 5) gene, which are associated with a long-hair phenotype in several mammalian species, may account for the special coat feature of Poitou donkeys. To the best of our knowledge, mutations in FGF5 have never been described in Equi...
Mongoh MN, Dyer NW, Stoltenow CL, Khaitsa ML.We identified the risk factors associated with the anthrax outbreak Of 2005 in animals in North Dakota. Methods: Medical records of the 2005 anthrax outbreak were obtained from the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at North Dakota State University. Additional data were obtained from the North Dakota state veterinarian's office, and supplemental questionnaires were administered to producers. The data obtained included ecological and environmental factors, animal health factors, and management factors. Results: Anthrax occurred from July 1 to October 12, 2005. The cases were located in eastern No...
Skedros JG, Dayton MR, Sybrowsky CL, Bloebaum RD, Bachus KN.This study examined relative influences of predominant collagen fiber orientation (CFO), mineralization (% ash), and other microstructural characteristics on the mechanical properties of equine cortical bone. Using strain-mode-specific (S-M-S) testing (compression testing of bone habitually loaded in compression; tension testing of bone habitually loaded in tension), the relative mechanical importance of CFO and other material characteristics were examined in equine third metacarpals (MC3s). This model was chosen since it had a consistent non-uniform strain distribution estimated by finite ele...
Leblond A, Hendrikx P, Sabatier P.Recent outbreaks of West Nile virus-associated (WNV) diseases, both in the old World and Americas, underline the importance for early warning systems that rapidly identify emerging and re-emerging diseases and thus help in their control. Traditional approaches of disease monitoring become less reliable and increasingly costly when used for rare health-related events, such as WNV outbreaks in southern France. The objective of this work was to discuss methodological issues related to syndromic monitoring of WNV-associated disease in Camargue horses by veterinary practitioners. Tracking cases of ...
Burns EN, Bordbari MH, Mienaltowski MJ, Affolter VK, Barro MV, Gianino F, Gianino G, Giulotto E, Kalbfleisch TS, Katzman SA, Lassaline M, Leeb T....The Functional Annotation of Animal Genomes (FAANG) project aims to identify genomic regulatory elements in both sexes across multiple stages of development in domesticated animals. This study represents the first stage of the FAANG project for the horse, Equus caballus. A biobank of 80 tissue samples, two cell lines and six body fluids was created from two adult Thoroughbred mares. Ante-mortem assessments included full physical examinations, lameness, ophthalmologic and neurologic evaluations. Complete blood counts and serum biochemistries were also performed. At necropsy, in addition to tiss...
Neuder LE, Keener JM, Eckert RE, Trujillo JC, Jones SL.Endotoxemia occurs when bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the blood induces a dysregulated inflammatory response, resulting in circulatory shock and multi-organ failure. Laminitis is a common complication in endotoxemic horses and is frequently the reason for humane euthanasia of these cases. Blood leukocytes are a principal target of LPS in endotoxemia leading to activation of multiple signal transduction pathways involved in the induction of a number of pro-inflammatory genes. In other animal models, the p38 mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway has been associated with induced...
Dutta SK, Myrup AC, Rice RM, Robl MG, Hammond RC.Potomac horse fever, a recently recognized disease of equines, characterized by high fever, leukopenia, and a profuse diarrhea, was studied for its etiology. An Ehrlichia organism was isolated in equine macrophage-fibroblast cell cultures and mouse macrophage cell cultures from the mononuclear cells of blood of infected horses. The agent was continuously propagated in mouse macrophage cell cultures. The organism multiplied in the cytoplasm of mouse macrophage cells and was identified by Giemsa staining, acridine orange staining, and by indirect immunofluorescence with convalescent sera from in...
Watson Levings RS, Broome TA, Smith AD, Rice BL, Gibbs EP, Myara DA, Hyddmark EV, Nasri E, Zarezadeh A, Levings PP, Lu Y, White ME, Dacanay EA....Toward the treatment of osteoarthritis (OA), the authors have been investigating self-complementary adeno-associated virus (scAAV) for intra-articular delivery of therapeutic gene products. As OA frequently affects weight-bearing joints, pharmacokinetic studies of scAAV gene delivery were performed in the joints of the equine forelimb to identify parameters relevant to clinical translation in humans. Using interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) as a secreted therapeutic reporter, scAAV vector plasmids containing codon-optimized cDNA for equine IL-1Ra (eqIL-1Ra) were generated, which produc...
The Journal of heredityFebruary 28, 2013
Volume 104, Issue 3 386-398 doi: 10.1093/jhered/est003
Khanshour A, Conant E, Juras R, Cothran EG.The Arabian horse ignites imagination throughout the world. Populations of this breed exist in many countries, and recent genetic work has examined the diversity and ancestry of a few of these populations in isolation. Here, we explore 7 different populations of Arabians represented by 682 horses. Three of these are Middle Eastern populations from near the historical origin of the breed, including Syrian, Persian, and Saudi Arabian. The remaining Western populations are found in Europe (the Shagya Arabian and Polish Arabian) and in America (American Arabian). Analysis of genetic structure was ...
Parkin TD, Clegg PD, French NP, Proudman CJ, Riggs CM, Singer ER, Webbon PM, Morgan KL.Fractures below the level of the radius or tibia (distal limb fractures) are the most common cause of equine fatality on UK racecourses; however, little is known about their epidemiology or aetiology. Identification of risk factors could enable intervention strategies to be designed to reduce the number of fatalities. Objective: To identify horse-level risk factors for fatal distal limb fracture in Thoroughbreds on UK racecourses. Methods: A case-control study design was used. Fractures in case horses were confirmed by post mortem examination and 3 matched uninjured controls were selected from...
CASALS J.A study by hemagglutination-inhibition test showed that 19 strains of eastern equine encephalitis virus grouped themselves in two main types, which have been designated North American and South American. The former consists of ten strains from the eastern half of the United States, from Massachusetts to Florida; Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, and, subject to confirmation, Thailand. The South American type comprises nine strains from Panama, Trinidad, British Guiana, Brazil, and Argentina. The strains were isolated from different natural hosts over a period of 30 years.
Dugdale AH, Grove-White D, Curtis GC, Harris PA, Argo CM.Body condition scoring systems were originally developed to quantify flesh cover in food animals and are commonly used to evaluate body fat in Equidae. The relationship between concurrent estimates of body fat content (eTBF%, deuterium oxide dilution; range, 2.7-35.6%) and subjective appraisals of body 'fatness' (body condition score, BCS; range, 1.25-9/9), was investigated in 77 mature horses and ponies. Univariate (UVM, r(2)=0.79) and multivariable (MVM, r(2)=0.86) linear regression models described the association, where BCS and eTBF% were explanatory and outcome variables, respectively. Ot...
Baek S, Maloney JG, Molokin A, George NS, Cortés Vecino JA, Santin M. is a common intestinal protist in humans and animals worldwide. Wild and domestic animals are thought to be reservoirs of subtypes that also infect humans. There are limited studies on the prevalence and subtype distribution of in horses. In this study, 185 fecal samples were collected from horses (1 month to 17 years of age) in four regions of Colombia (Sabana de Bogotá, Costa Atlántica, Llanos Orientales, and Bogotá D.C.). presence and subtypes were determined by PCR and next generation amplicon sequencing. Eighty-one (43.8%) horses were positive for , with positive horses in all four...
Wood JL, Newton JR, Chanter N, Mumford JA.Respiratory disease is important in young Thoroughbred racehorses, but the variation in the rates of occurrence between different ages and training groups has not been characterised. Objective: To determine the rates of respiratory disease, particularly inflammatory airway disease (IAD), as well as evidence of infection, and their variation between age and group. Methods: Horses were examined monthly in 7 British flat training yards over a 3 year period. IAD was defined as increased mucus in the trachea with increased proportions of neutrophils in tracheal wash samples. Frequencies of disease ...
Lewis GE, Huxsoll DL, Ristic M, Johnson AJ.Dogs (German Shepherd Dogs and Beagles), cates, rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta), and baboons (Papio anubis) were inoculated with Whrlichia equi, the etiologic agent of equine ehrlichiosis. Within 3 to 7 days after inoculation, morulae were observed in the eosinophils of cats, neurtrophils of macaques and baboons, and in both neutrophils and eosinophils of dogs. The severe disease produced in horses by this agent was not a feature of E equi infection in dogs, cats, macaques, and baboons. However, a susceptible horse, inoculated with the pooled blood of 2 infected macaques, developed severe cli...
Södersten F, Ekman S, Schmitz M, Paulsson M, Zaucke F.Injuries of the equine superficial digital flexor tendon are common in racing horses. Knowledge of the tendon matrix composition is crucial to understand physiological and pathological processes in the tendon. The aim of this study was to analyze TSP-4 expressed in equine tendon. Equine tendons were extracted with 10 mM EDTA-containing buffer and TSP-4 purified with ion-exchange chromatography followed by heparin affinity chromatography. The purified TSP-4 was analyzed by one- and two-dimensional SDS-PAGE, immunoblotting, and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. Purified TSP-4 gave bands reacting with...
Textor JA, Willits NH, Tablin F.Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) products may be useful for treatment of joint disease in horses, but may contain undesirable pro-inflammatory cytokines in addition to growth factors. This study investigated whether autologous PRP increases synovial fluid growth factor and cytokine concentrations when injected into normal equine metacarpophalangeal and metatarsophalangeal (fetlock) joints. Fetlock joints of seven healthy horses received one of four treatments: saline, resting PRP, CaCl2-activated PRP or thrombin-activated PRP. Synovial fluid was sampled prior to injection and at 6, 24, 48 and 96 h p...
Smith RK, Garvican ER, Fortier LA.The horse is an attractive model for many human age-related degenerative diseases of the musculoskeletal system because it is a large animal species that both ages and exercises, and develops naturally occurring injuries with many similarities to the human counterpart. It therefore represents an ideal species to use as a 'proving ground' for new therapies, most notably regenerative medicine. Regenerative techniques using cell-based therapies for the treatment of equine musculoskeletal disease have been in use for over a decade. This review article provides a summary overview of the sources, cu...
Ireland JJ, Roberts RM, Palmer GH, Bauman DE, Bazer FW.Research on domestic animals (cattle, swine, sheep, goats, poultry, horses, and aquatic species) at land grant institutions is integral to improving the global competitiveness of US animal agriculture and to resolving complex animal and human diseases. However, dwindling federal and state budgets, years of stagnant funding from USDA for the Competitive State Research, Education, and Extension Service National Research Initiative (CSREES-NRI) Competitive Grants Program, significant reductions in farm animal species and in numbers at land grant institutions, and declining enrollment for graduate...
Edson D, Field H, McMichael L, Jordan D, Kung N, Mayer D, Smith C.Bats of the genus Pteropus (flying-foxes) are the natural host of Hendra virus (HeV) which periodically causes fatal disease in horses and humans in Australia. The increased urban presence of flying-foxes often provokes negative community sentiments because of reduced social amenity and concerns of HeV exposure risk, and has resulted in calls for the dispersal of urban flying-fox roosts. However, it has been hypothesised that disturbance of urban roosts may result in a stress-mediated increase in HeV infection in flying-foxes, and an increased spillover risk. We sought to examine the impact of...
Wilson TM, Ross PF, Rice LG, Osweiler GD, Nelson HA, Owens DL, Plattner RD, Reggiardo C, Noon TH, Pickrell JW.During the fall of 1989, an episode of equine leukoencephalomalacia involved 18 of 66 purebred Arabian horses at a breeding/training stable in Arizona. Of the 18 horses affected, the condition was fatal in 14. These horses, as well as 48 unaffected horses, had been fed a diet containing a substantial amount of white corn screenings. Gross pathologic findings included liquefactive necrosis in parts of the cerebral white matter and hemorrhagic foci of various sizes in the brain stem. Histopathologic findings included rarefied white matter with pyknotic nuclei and eosinophilic cytoplasm. Thin-lay...
Curtis L, Burford JH, England GCW, Freeman SL.Acute abdominal pain (colic) is the most common reason for emergency veterinary treatment in the horse. Consolidation of data through a systematic review is important to inform evidence-based medicine and clinical guidelines, but there are currently no published systematic reviews on colic in the horse. The aim of this study was to identify, categorize and appraise the evidence on factors associated with increased risk of developing abdominal pain (colic) due to gastrointestinal disease in the adult horse. A scoping review was performed to identify and categorize evidence on all risk factors f...
Mehdizadeh Gohari I, Kropinski AM, Weese SJ, Parreira VR, Whitehead AE, Boerlin P, Prescott JF.The recent discovery of a novel beta-pore-forming toxin, NetF, which is strongly associated with canine and foal necrotizing enteritis should improve our understanding of the role of type A Clostridium perfringens associated disease in these animals. The current study presents the complete genome sequence of two netF-positive strains, JFP55 and JFP838, which were recovered from cases of foal necrotizing enteritis and canine hemorrhagic gastroenteritis, respectively. Genome sequencing was done using Single Molecule, Real-Time (SMRT) technology-PacBio and Illumina Hiseq2000. The JFP55 and JFP838...
Haddy E, Burden F, Prado-Ortiz O, Zappi H, Raw Z, Proops L.Factors affecting working equid welfare are wide-ranging and reflect cultural, economic and climatic conditions, the type of work equids are used for, and individual differences in the practices of their handlers. In Mexico working equids are widely used for facilitating agricultural activities, however, welfare issues are common. Objective: To assess working equids across three communities in Mexico, identify predominant welfare problems and document how these problems vary across locations, associated working roles and species type. Methods: Cross-sectional survey. Methods: The study combine...
Reghini MF, Ramires Neto C, Segabinazzi LG, Castro Chaves MM, Dell'Aqua Cde P, Bussiere MC, Dell'Aqua JA, Papa FO, Alvarenga MA.Degenerative changes of the endometrium are directly related to age and fertility in mares. Chronic degenerative endometritis (CDE) is correlated with uterine fluid retention and reduced ability to clear uterine inflammation. Recent research in the areas of equine surgery and sports medicine has shown that platelet-rich plasma (PRP) treatment acts as an immunomodulator of the inflammatory response. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine if the uterine infusion of PRP could modulate the local inflammatory response and modify the intrauterine NO concentrations after artificial insemin...
Zoonoses and public healthNovember 17, 2009
Volume 57, Issue 7-8 510-517 doi: 10.1111/j.1863-2378.2009.01261.x
Veronesi F, Passamonti F, Cacciò S, Diaferia M, Piergili Fioretti D.Cryptosporidium and Giardia are two of the most common enteric pathogens of domestic and wild animals and humans. However, little is known on the prevalence, clinical manifestations and economic and zoonotic significance of these infections in horses. This study was undertaken to investigate the prevalence, excretion patterns and risk factors related to the faecal shedding of Cryptosporidium oocysts and Giardia cysts in horses and the zoonotic potential of species/genotypes isolated. The survey was performed on 120 foals and 30 broodmares reared in five Italian farms. Foals were divided in fou...
Soboll Hussey G, Hussey SB, Wagner B, Horohov DW, Van de Walle GR, Osterrieder N, Goehring LS, Rao S, Lunn DP.Equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) infection remains a significant problem despite the widespread use of vaccines. The inability to generate a protective immune response to EHV-1 vaccination or infection is thought to be due to immunomodulatory properties of the virus, and the ORF1 and ORF2 gene products have been hypothesized as potential candidates with immunoregulatory properties. A pony infection study was performed to define immune responses to EHV-1, and to determine if an EHV-1 ORF1/2 deletion mutant (ΔORF1/2) would have different disease and immunoregulatory effects compared to wild type EH...
van Loon JPAM, Van Dierendonck MC.In recent decades, much effort has been invested in scientific studies of objective and reliable assessment of pain in horses. Various types of pain assessment tools have been described and (partly) validated for different types of pain in horses. Currently, composite pain scales and facial expression-based pain scales seem to be the most promising tools for pain assessment in horses and numerous studies have recently been published on the use of these pain scales in horses. Therefore, this narrative review mainly focusses on these two types of pain scales and on the studies that have appeared...
Hoyt DF, Wickler SJ, Cogger EA.Using published values for twelve species of birds and mammals, we investigated the effects of limb length and running speed on time of contact and step length. In addition, we measured the time of contact in horses trotting up a 10 % incline and when carrying a load averaging 19 % of their body mass. From these values, we calculated stride period and step length. Our analysis of the interspecific data yielded the following relationship between time of contact (t(c) in s) and leg length (L in m) and running speed (v in m s(-)(1)): t(c)=0.80L(0.84)/v(0.87) (r(2)=0.97). Both exponents in this re...
