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.
Vittoria A, Cocca T, La Mura E, Cecio A.The aim of this study is to describe the presence of neuroendocrine (NE) cells (paraneurons), producing biogenic amines and/or peptidergic hormones, in the female urethra of cattle, sheep, pigs, and horses, by means of histochemical and double labeling immunofluorescent techniques. 5-Hydroxy-tryptamine-, chromogranin A-, cholecystokinin- and somatostatin-containing NE cells are present in the urethral epithelium of all the species studied, with the unique exception of the lack of somatostatin cells in the horse. Paraneurons containing 5-hydroxytryptamine colocalized with chromogranin A or chol...
Smith JE, Dever M, Smith J, DeBowes RM.Erythrocytes transfused allogeneically into mature horses have a short survival (less than 4 days) compared with an expected erythrocyte life span of 140-150 days. Yet, foals undergo transfusions for neonatal isoerythrolysis successfully. The authors have determined the survival of transfused erythrocytes in neonatal foals, using the stable isotope, 50Cr, to label the erythrocytes. Normal foals underwent transfusions with labeled erythrocytes from three sources: their own erythrocytes (autologous), the erythrocytes of their dam, and the erythrocytes of an unrelated castrated male. After transf...
Freestone JF, Beadle R, Shoemaker K, Bessin RT, Wolfsheimer KJ, Church C.Ten hyperinsulinaemic ponies divided into conditioned (N = 5) and rested (N = 5) groups were evaluated for their insulin and glucose response following oral glucose administration at Weeks 0, 2, 4, and 6. All ponies received a controlled intake of a pelleted ration during the study. In both groups body weight had decreased from baseline by Week 4 and remained low. After 2 weeks of exercise, ponies in the conditioned group had significantly decreased insulin and glucose indices, including peak insulin response, area under the insulin curve from 0 to 210 min (TIS), and the TIS value: area under ...
Yamamoto K, Yasuda J, Too K.Foetal electrocardiograms (ECG) were obtained from 39 of 50 Thoroughbred foaling mares close to delivery. The 50 newborn foals were studied electrocardiographically during their adaptive period, immediately after birth. In 48 foals there were paroxysmal arrhythmias or mixed arrhythmias. The most common arrhythmias were sinus arrhythmias including wandering pacemaker (32/50) and atrial premature contraction (30/50). The others observed were atrial fibrillation (15/50), ventricular premature contraction (10/50), partial atrioventricular block (7/50), ventricular tachycardia (4/50), atrial tachyc...
Horn F, Windle JJ, Barnhart KM, Mellon PL.The molecular mechanisms for the development of multiple distinct endocrine cell types in the anterior pituitary have been an area of intensive investigation. Though the homeodomain protein Pit-1/GHF-1 is known to be involved in differentiation of the somatotrope and lactotrope lineages, which produce growth hormone and prolactin, respectively, little is known of the transcriptional regulators important for the gonadotrope cell lineage, which produces the glycoprotein hormones luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone. Using transgenic mice and transfection into a novel gonadotrope ...
Guo Y, Wang M, Kawaoka Y, Gorman O, Ito T, Saito T, Webster RG.In March 1989 a severe outbreak of respiratory disease occurred in horses in the Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces of Northeast China that caused up to 20% mortality in some herds. An influenza virus of the H3N8 subtype was isolated from the infected animals and was antigenically and molecularly distinguishable from the equine 2 (H3N8) viruses currently circulating in the world. The reference strain A/Equine/Jilin/1/89 (H3N8) was most closely related to avian H3N8 influenza viruses. Sequence comparisons of the entire hemagglutinin (HA), nucleoprotein (NP), neuraminidase (NA), matrix (M), and NS...
Knox DA, Ravis WR, Pedersoli WM, Spano JS, Nostrandt AC, Krista LM, Schumacher J.Six healthy mature horses were orally administered a single dose of phenobarbital (26 mg/kg of body weight), then multiple doses (13 mg/kg) orally for 42 consecutive days. Seventeen venous blood samples were collected from each horse after the single dose study and again after the last dose on day 42. Plasma phenobarbital concentration was determined by use of a fluorescence assay validated for horses. Additional blood samples (n = 11) were collected on days 8 and 25 to determine peak and trough concentrations, as well as total body clearance. Phenobarbital disposition followed a one-compartme...
Foster AP, Lees P, Andrews MJ, Cunningham FM.Platelet-activating factor (PAF) causes oedema and neutrophil accumulation when injected into the skin of normal horses. PAF is also known to induce aggregation of horse platelets in vitro. The selective PAF receptor antagonist WEB 2086 has now been used to determine whether these effects are mediated by PAF receptor activation. Addition of WEB 2086 to equine platelets in vitro inhibited PAF-induced aggregation in a competitive reversible manner (pA2 = 7.14). Inhibition of in vivo inflammatory responses to PAF occurred after local administration of WEB 2086: wheal formation induced by 0.1 micr...
Mohammed HO, Rebhun WC, Antczak DF.A retrospective case-control study was conducted to identify risk factors in horses associated with the development of the common skin tumours known as sarcoids. The study involved 503 sarcoid cases diagnosed (January 1980-December 1989) at New York State College of Veterinary Medicine and a similar number of controls (non-sarcoid cases). Data on age, breed and sex of cases and controls were obtained from computerised records. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to identify risk factors. Separate data were obtained for the same 10-year period from the Veterinary Medical Data Program...
Korenek NL, Andrews FM, Maddux JM, Sanders WL, Faulk DL.Viscosity of synovial fluid (SF) from 29 clinically normal horses was determined by use of a rotational cone and plate microviscosimeter. Total protein concentration in the SF of the 29 horses, as measured with a refractometer, was less than 2.5 g/dl. When the Coomassie brilliant blue test was used to determine total protein concentration in SF for 15 horses, the mean value was 1,088 mg/dl. Viscosity values at 60, 30, 12, 6, 3, and 1.5 revolutions/min (rpm) spindle speed were 4.41 +/- 1.54 centipoise (cp), 5.29 +/- 1.94 cp, 6.76 +/- 2.76 cp, 8.52 +/- 4.27 cp. 10.41 +/- 6.30 cp, and 13.07 +/- 9...
Watson ED, Aubrey ES, Zanecosky HG, Sertich PL.Glandular epithelial and stromal cells were isolated from the endometrium of mares by collagenase digestion and were incubated on plastic for 7-9 days until the cells formed confluent monolayers. The cells differed in morphology: epithelial cells appeared polyhedral and stromal cells were spindle like. The monolayers were incubated in the presence and absence of oxytocin. Medium was removed from wells after 2, 8 and 24 h of incubation. Concentrations of prostaglandin F (PGF) in the medium increased significantly during this time. Glandular epithelial cells produced significantly more PGF than ...
Hamir AN, Moser G, Rupprecht CE.A retrospective study of horses necropsied between 1985 and 1989 at a diagnostic laboratory of a veterinary school in North America is documented. In this investigation over 20 per cent of the horses had clinical neurological signs. Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (caused by Sarcocystis neurona) and cervical stenotic myelopathy (wobbler syndrome) were the most common of these disorders. The veterinary school is located in the midst of a raccoon rabies enzootic area. However, only four cases of equine rabies were diagnosed during the 5-year study. The gross microscopical and immunohistochemi...
Walsh DM, Royal HD.Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was measured in 12 clinically normal horses, using the standard inulin clearance method, and values were compared with values for 2 methods, using a single rapid IV injection of 99mTc-labeled diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (99mTc-DTPA). The first 99mTc-DTPA method used a 2-compartment model to calculate GFR blood clearance of the tracer. The second method used sequential digital gamma camera images of the kidneys to determine fractional accumulation of the total dose of the tracer in the kidneys (percentage of injected dose, gamma camera) from 0 to 10 minut...
Bristol DG.Caudally based axial pattern and random pattern skin flaps, 5 cm x 10 cm, were raised on the abdomens of seven foals. Blood flow was measured 7.5 cm from the flap bases during incremental increases in applied tension. At tensions less than 1400 g, cutaneous blood flow was more than four times higher in axial pattern flaps than in random pattern flaps. Blood flow in axial pattern flaps at tensions up to 1500 g was greater than baseline flow in random pattern flaps. After removal of applied tension, perfusion in axial pattern flaps gradually increased but remained below baseline values. A short ...
Green SL, Cochrane SM, Smith-Maxie L.Ten cases of equine Horner's syndrome were reviewed. None of the clinical signs in this series were transient (<48 hours). Sweating and ptosis were consistently observed by the attending clinician in over half of the affected horses. Enophthalmos and prolapse of the third eyelid were not reported consistently. The average duration of the clinical signs was 4.94 months and ranged from 14 days to 15 months. Eight of the ten horses developed associated complications, some of which affected performance. Airway obstruction and impedance of passage of a fiberoptic endoscope due to nasal mucosal e...
Slocombe RF, Huntington PJ, Friend SC, Jeffcott LB, Luff AR, Finkelstein DK.Nine horses with clinical signs of Australian Stringhalt were killed and tissues collected for a detailed pathological study. Lesions were limited to peripheral nerves and muscles. The most severely affected nerves were the superficial and deep peroneal, distal tibial, plantar digital, volar and recurrent laryngeal nerve with changes characterised by a selective loss of large diameter myelinated fibres with various degrees of demyelination, fibrosis, Schwann cell proliferation and onion-bulb formation. A routine evaluation of the brain and spinal cord by light microscopy failed to reveal any c...
Hagedorn HW, Schulz R.The use of diuretics in horses subject to doping control is prohibited. Thus, a sensitive screening procedure is required to identify the chemically different diuretics. We communicate here a method to detect three commonly employed acidic diuretics: bumetanide, ethacrynic acid, and furosemide. A liquid-liquid extraction on Extrelut 3 was performed at weak acidic and basic conditions using ethyl acetate as organic solvent. For analysis by GC, the diuretics were methylated on-column in the presence of MSTFA/TMAH, avoiding the commonly employed highly toxic derivatizing agent methyl iodide. For ...
Lakritz J, Madigan J, Carlson GP.Hypovolemic hyponatremia attributable to severe fluid and electrolyte alterations was diagnosed in a foal with diarrhea. Subsequent consumption of water resulted in rapid reduction of serum sodium concentration and serum osmolar depression. Clinical signs of neurologic disease developed including blindness, loss of menace response, and seizures. Treatment of this condition with IV administered fluids included hypertonic saline solution (7.2%; 2 ml/kg of body weight), and frequent monitoring of serum electrolyte concentrations and osmolality resulted in gradual correction of the fluid and elect...
Fisher MA, Jacobs DE, Grimshaw WT, Gibbons LM.In order to study the prevalence of benzimidazole-resistance in equine cyathostomes, 30 stables in south east England were selected according to strict criteria but with minimum bias to provide three matched groups of 100 horses. One group was treated with fenbendazole, one with pyrantel embonate and the third was left untreated. The overall efficacies of fenbendazole and pyrantel embonate, as judged by the faecal egg-count reduction test, were 56.3 and 95.8 per cent, respectively. The numbers of horses at individual stables were too small to draw conclusions at each stable, but whereas effica...
Thompson DL, Rahmanian MS, DePew CL, Burleigh DW, DeSouza CJ, Colborn DR.Short-term patterns of growth hormone (GH) secretion and factors affecting it were studied in mares and stallions. In Exp. 1, hourly blood samples were collected from three mares and three stallions in summer and winter. Although GH concentrations varied in a pulsatile manner in all horses, there was no effect of sex or season (P greater than .1) on plasma GH concentrations and no indication of a diurnal pattern of GH secretion. In Exp. 2, 10-min blood samples were drawn for 8 h from 12 mares; after 6 h, porcine GH-releasing hormone (GHRH) was administered i.v. at 0, 45, 90, or 180 micrograms/...
Matsumura T, Sugiura T, Imagawa H, Fukunaga Y, Kamada M.The dissemination of equine herpesvirus types 1 (EHV-1) and 4 (EHV-4) among various horse populations in Japan was investigated through the isolation and typing of virus strains from horses with respiratory diseases. Type specific monoclonal antibody pools were used for the typing of isolates. The 42 strains of EHV-1 and 64 strains of EHV-4 were isolated from 4593 nasal swabs and/or blood plasma samples collected from 3326 horses during a period from 1979 to 1990. All the strains of EHV-1 were isolated from racehorses only and during the winter season exclusively, when the epizootic of respira...
McDonnell SM.This article includes a brief description of the reproductive patterns and specific behaviors comprising courtship and copulation in equids. The author then focuses on breeding behavior of the domestic stallion. Descriptions of normal breeding behavior under a variety of domestic management systems, comments on sexual behavior of donkeys and exotic equids, and the most common types and treatments of sexual behavior dysfunction are included.
Vandenbossche GM, Bouckaert S, De Muynck C, Mommens G, Van Zeveren A, Remon JP.The bioavailability and pharmacokinetics of ibuprofen, a nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug, was studied in healthy Shetland ponies. Ibuprofen was administered IV, as a suspension, and as a solid solution oral paste to ponies from which food was withheld. The suspension paste was also administered to ponies that received hay and water ad libitum. Both formulations had an absolute bioavailability of about 80%. Bioavailability was not influenced by feeding.
Dennis VA, Klei TR, Miller MA, Chapman MR, McClure JR.Ten helminth-free pony foals divided into three groups were used in this study. Eight foals were each experimentally infected per os with 50 Strongylus vulgaris infective larvae weekly for 4 weeks, at which time one foal died of acute verminous arteritis. The remaining seven foals subsequently received 50 S. vulgaris infective larvae every 2 weeks for an additional 20 weeks. Four of the infected foals remained untreated (Group 1) and three of the infected foals were given ivermectin at 8, 16 and 24 weeks post initial infection (Group 2). Two foals served as controls (Group 3). Foals in Group 1...
Buyukmihci NC, MacMillan A, Scagliotti RH.Mass-like lesions of the iris were evaluated in 15 horses or ponies of various ages and breeds. Breed or gender predilection was not found. These lesions were most often found in blue irides at the 12 o'clock region. Because the lesions transilluminated and changed shape rapidly with changes in pupillary size, they were hypothesized to be zones of iris hypoplasia. Histologic evaluation of one specimen supported this interpretation. The lesions were not associated with any other ocular or systemic abnormality.
Zhou Y, Yao X, Meng J, Wang J, Zeng Y, Li L, Ren W.The Kazakh horse is a highly valuable indigenous Chinese breed known for its use in both milk and meat production. However, the mechanisms underlying color variation in the abdominal adipose tissue of this breed remain poorly understood. In this study, the sequencing of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) was conducted on abdominal adipose tissue of different colors from Kazakh horses, with the aim of investigating the molecular mechanisms responsible for this variation. A total of 205 differentially expressed long non-coding RNAs (DELncRNAs) including , , and ; 52 differentially expressed microRNAs (DEm...
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...
Wójtowicz A, Sadowska A, Piotrowska-Tomala K, Szóstek-Mioduchowska A.The role of AREG in the development of fibrosis in the progression of endometrosis in mare remains unknown. We aimed to determine the effects of AREG on fibroblast functional characteristics as well as the expression of extracellular matrix (ECM)-associated genes in fibroblast derived from non-fibrotic and fibrotic equine endometria. Our findings suggest that the mechanisms associated with ECM remodeling regulated by AREG in non-fibrotic fibroblasts may be dysregulated in the progression of fibrosis in endometrosis.
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...
Abbasi A, Nouri H, Samadi F.Cryopreservation is a crucial method for the preservation of genetic materials. Nevertheless, this technique can have adverse effects due to cryo-oxidative damage. The primary objective of this study was to investigate the cryo-protective effects of niosomal nanocarriers loaded with artemisinin (NN-Art) on the functional attributes of equine spermatozoa. The parameters examined included sperm motility and kinematics through computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA), plasma membrane integrity via the hypoosmotic swelling test, viability using the eosin-nigrosin staining technique, morphology with...
Murillo A, Lebrero ME, Valdés M, Ramos J, Villanueva-Saz S, Davies JE, Gómez Á, Pérez E, Riera C, Marteles-Aragüés D.Equine leishmaniosis, caused by Leishmania infantum and transmitted by infected sand flies, has been increasingly reported in Europe, although clinical and immunological data remain scarce. We describe a 10-year-old mare from southern Spain presenting with periocular nodular lesions. Histopathology and immunohistochemistry confirmed granulomatous dermatitis with intrahistiocytic Leishmania amastigotes. Additionally, Leishmania infantum DNA was detected in paraffin embedded skin biopsy. Following surgical removal of the lesions, sequential serological monitoring using enzyme-linked immunosorben...
Conn KL.Equid alphaherpesvirus 1 (EHV1) is a DNA virus that causes severe disease in equids. Some strains are neurotropic and cause disease in the central nervous system, whereas others are non-neurotropic and can cause negative reproductive outcomes. Mechanisms governing EHV1 pathotype are not understood. However, EHV1 pathotypes have different infection efficiencies and replication kinetics in various cell types. They are also differentially susceptible to epigenetic inhibitors. Aside from this observation little is known about EHV1 chromatin or how its regulation influences infection. To build know...
Meyer C, Gabriel F, Schrum K, Hollis M, Short M, Gould S.Airbag vests (AV) are increasingly popular in equestrian sports. The efficacy of AV in protecting against serious injury has not been adequately analyzed, nor have product testing standards been established. This study provides an overview of current research to understand AV efficacy and future areas of improvement. A systematic review applying the PRISMA framework, NIH Study Quality Assessment, and CEBM Level of Evidence was conducted. Employing variations of "equestrian sport," "powered two-wheeled vehicle," "thoracic injury," "chest deflection," "airbag vest," and "safety vest," 18 article...
Wood A, Shapter FM, Stewart AJ.Auscultation of heart sounds is an important veterinary skill requiring an understanding of anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology and pattern recognition. This cross-sectional study was developed to evaluate a targeted, audio-visual training resource for veterinary students to improve their understanding and auscultation of common heart conditions in horses. Fourth- and fifth-year 2021 and 2022 Bachelor of Veterinary Science students at the University of Queensland (UQ) were provided the learning resource and surveyed via online pre- and post-intervention surveys. Results were quantitatively an...
Marques CDP, da Silva BWS, Nogueira YVS, Bezerra TL, Borges-Silva W, Soares RM, Gondim LFP.Sarcocystis bertrami (synonym: Sarcocystis fayeri) is a coccidian parasite that infects horses and donkeys in several countries. Dogs are known as definitive hosts of the parasite, however, the patent period is not well defined, and S. bertrami shed by dogs has never been confirmed by molecular methods. Here we investigated the shedding of S. bertrami by experimentally infected dogs and examined the excreted parasites by morphological and molecular tools. Three dogs of small breeds (one Yorkshire terrier and two miniature Pinschers) were acquired with ages of 30 and 60 days and were exclusivel...
Subhahar MB, Karakka Kal AK, Philip M, Muhammed Ajeebsanu M, Karatt TK, Perwad Z.Sickle cell disease, a debilitating genetic disorder affecting numerous newborns globally, has historically received limited attention in pharmaceutical research. However, recent years have witnessed a notable shift, with the Food and Drug Administration approving three innovative disease-modifying medications. Voxelotor, also known as GBT440, is a promising compound that effectively prevents sickling, providing a safe approach to alleviate chronic hemolytic anemia in sickle cell disease. It is a novel, orally bioavailable small molecule that inhibits hemoglobin S polymerization by enhancing o...
Ichikawa Y, Iinuma Y, Okagawa T, Shimbo R, Enkhtuul B, Khurtsbaatar O, Kinoshita Y, Niwa H, Aoshima K, Kobayashi A, Batbaatar V, Ohashi K, Kimura T.Glanders is a World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH)-notifiable equine disease caused by the infection of Burkholderia mallei, and is endemic in Mongolia, South Asia, Africa, and South America. While the complement fixation test (CFT) has been widely used for serodiagnosis of glanders and is considered a standard serological test, it has several limitations. These limitations include poor specificity, labor intensive techniques, variability in antigen and protocol. Consequently, indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (iELISAs) based on recombinant proteins have been developed as alte...
Haenni M, Châtre P, Drapeau A, Cazeau G, Troncy J, François P, Madec JY.Enterobacter hormaechei is an important pathogen in humans and animals, which, in addition to its intrinsic AmpC, can acquire a wide variety of genes conferring resistances to extended-spectrum cephalosporins (ESCs) and carbapenems (CPs). In France, human clinical outbreaks of E. hormaechei resistant to ESC or carbapenem were reported. Objective: To study E. hormaechei isolates from cats and dogs (=59) as well as from horses (n = 55) presenting a non-susceptible phenotype to beta-lactams in order to determine which clones, resistance genes and plasmids are circulating in France. Methods: E. ho...
Cabrera G, Cabezas C, Estay-Olea D, Stoore C, Baquedano MS, Paredes R, Hidalgo C.Liver fluke infection, caused by the trematode Fasciola hepatica, is a parasitic zoonotic disease affecting various mammals, including humans, and has significant implications for public, animal, and ecosystem health. This study provides the first genetic characterization of F. hepatica in Chile, focusing on the complete mitochondrial gene cox1. Samples were collected from two different host species: cattle and horses. Our findings revealed that 70 % of detected haplotypes were found in either cattle or horses, which coincides with their geographical origin. Interestingly, the use of full-len...
Sasaki Y, Suzuki S, Kusaba N, Rahman N, Aikawa C, Okamura M.In recent years, reported cases of salmonellosis in cattle and horses in Hokkaido, Japan, have increased. To optimize antimicrobial therapy, we assessed the antimicrobial susceptibility of Salmonella isolates from these animals. Among 112 bovine isolates, high resistance rates were observed for streptomycin (92.0%), ampicillin (88.4%), and tetracycline (79.5%), while resistance rates for kanamycin (8.9%), ciprofloxacin (1.8%), gentamicin (0.0%), and colistin (0.0%) were low. Additionally, 18.8% of the bovine isolates were resistant to cefotaxime, and all of these cefotaxime-resistant isolates ...
da Gama BC, Martins TF, Labruna MB, Vieira RFDC, de Almeida JC.Studies on ticks of public health concern in equine husbandry are scarce in the Northeastern region of Brazil. This study aimed to investigate the presence of ticks on horses in the State of Alagoas, which is classified as a silent area for human rickettsiosis. Unassigned: Ticks infesting horses were collected using anatomical tweezers or a commercial hook and kept in ethanol-labeled tubes for taxonomic identification. Unassigned: A total of 2,238 ticks were found. Ticks were identified as 2,215 (98.89%, 95% CI: 98.41-99.28) , 19 (0.98%, 95% CI: 0.05-1.38) , and 4 (0.18%; 95% CI: 0.007-0.46) ....
Chhabra D, Nagra J, Manuja A, Singha HS, Vaid RK, Goutam U, Kumar B. poses a significant threat to equine health globally. The bacteria causes strangles, a respiratory disease characterized by enlarged, abscessed lymph nodes, leading to airway obstruction. The bacterium, a Gram-positive, chain-forming, Lancefield group C β-hemolytic , is closely related to and distinction between these species is challenging. The present study focused on characterization of isolates from horses in northern India, aiming at elucidation of their sugar fermentation patterns. Nasal and nasopharyngeal swabs collected from different geographical regions of northern India, yieldin...
Sadeddine R, Righi S, Saidani K, Benakhla A.Equine piroplasmosis (EP) is a tick-borne disease that affects equids and is caused by the parasites Theileria equi, Theileria haneyi and Babesia caballi. This disease leads to significant economic losses for the global equine industry. The current study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of Piroplasmida infections in equines from El Tarf, located in northeastern Algeria, and investigate the phylogenetic diversity within isolates obtained from infected equines in this study and between those from previous studies. Methods: A total of 120 blood samples were collected from equines in three municip...
van Loon JPAM, Trindade PHE, da Silva GV, Keus J, Huberts C, de Grauw JC, Lanci A.Pain assessment based on facial expressions has been described in foals. Objective: To extend previous pilot findings of the Equine Utrecht University Scale for Facial Assessment of Pain in Foals (EQUUS-FAP FOAL). Methods: Prospective blinded case-control study (known groups analysis). Methods: Video recordings (30-60 s) of n = 100 foals (38 patients and 62 controls) were collected. Videos were randomised and scored by two observers, blinded for the condition of the animals. Inter- and intra-observer agreement was tested by Intra Class Correlation (ICC) analysis. Differences between pati...
Young K, Hasegawa T, Vridhachalam N, Henderson N, Salmon JH, McCall TF, Hirsch ML, Gilger BC.Non-infectious uveitis (NIU) is a painful recurrent disease affecting 2%-5% of horses. Current treatments require frequent administration with associated adverse events. In a previous study, intravitreal (IVT) adeno-associated virus (AAV) harboring equine interleukin-10 (eqIL-10) cDNA inhibited experimental uveitis in rats. The goal of this study was to evaluate the ocular tolerability, vector genome (vg) distribution, and vector shedding following an IVT injection of AAV8-eqIL-10 in normal horses with the hypothesis that it would be well tolerated in a dose-dependent manner in horses. Inject...
Knox A, Beddoe T. subspecies , commonly referred to as "strangles", poses a significant biosecurity challenge across equine farms worldwide. The continuous prevalence and highly transmissibility of strangles necessitates a rapid and accurate diagnostic procedure. However, current "gold-standard" techniques, such as cultures and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), are unreliable or inaccessible, and require lengthy periods between sample collection and results. Moreover, the lack of a standardized detection protocol can lead to variations in results. This study aimed to develop a reproducible and fie...
Sasaki M, Fukumoto N, Fukumoto S.A two-year-old male Japanese draft horse (known as a "Ban'ei horse") excreted eight cestodes. Based on their morphological features, they were identified as Anoplocephala perfoliata. The partial mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI) sequences of the worms were nearly identical to A. perfoliata isolated from horses in Europe. The results of phylogenetic analyses of COI revealed that our samples and the European isolates formed the same clade, which was separate from Chinese and Australian isolates. Ban'ei horses were developed by crossbreeding draft horses imported from European co...
This research investigates the human-horse bond, aiming to unveil the physiological mechanisms regulating interspecies interactions. We hypothesized observing a physiological synchronization in human-horse dynamics, akin to human interactions. Through time-frequency Granger causality analysis of heart rate variability (HRV) and behavioral data, this study reveals the establishment of bidirectional synchronization in HRV between humans and horses. The coupling directionality is influenced by behavior and familiarity. In exploration scenarios led by horses, bidirectional interactions occur, part...
Veitch KE, Szczykutowicz TP, Brounts SH, Ergun DL, Muir P, Loeber SJ.To evaluate the radiation dose to personnel locations during simulated head and limb scans with a novel equine standing CT (sCT) system. Methods: Measurements were made with the use of a helical fan beam sCT system (Equina; Asto CT Inc). Scatter radiation was measured in different positions in the sCT room to mimic the location of the control operator, horse handler, and lead rope handler during simulated equine head and limb imaging. Operator/handler dose was quantified at each location using entrance air kerma measured with a spherical ionization chamber and electrometer. Results: Radiation ...
Hedberg Alm Y, Tydén E, Martin F, Lernå J, Halvarsson P.Selective anthelmintic treatment, advocated due to evolving anthelmintic resistance, has been associated with an increase in Strongylus vulgaris prevalence. Reverting to routine interval anthelmintic treatments is not viable and therefore, identifying other management factors correlated with S. vulgaris infection is vital. Objective: To investigate possible risk factors associated with the presence of S. vulgaris infection in resident horses on Swedish horse establishments. Methods: Internet-based questionnaire survey. Methods: A questionnaire, created using the internet-based survey platform ...
Molento MB, Dall'Anese J, Pontarolo DV, Brandão YO, Yoshitani UY.Cyathostomins are the largest group of parasites in horses that can be controlled by ivermectin (IVM). This study aimed to run a four-dose titration trial of IVM in 28 naturally infected Thoroughbred yearlings. The local Strongyle population had been recorded to be resistant to IVM (200 µg/kg). The parasite fecal egg count (FEC) was performed to investigate the egg reappearance period (ERP) of two and five weeks (w2pt and w5pt) after IVM treatment. FEC was > 1000 on day zero for all groups. Although 100% FEC reduction was reported at w2pt for all concentrations, the FEC at w5pt revealed < 83%...
Grabatin M, Fux R, Zablotski Y, Goehring LS, Witte TS.Contagious equine metritis (CEM) is caused by Taylorella equigenitalis. It is a venereal disease that is detected in some breeds more than others and can cause temporary infertility with substantial costs for regular testing, sanitation and retesting. There was a perceived increase in T. equigenitalis-positive cases in Icelandic intact males where natural cover is common. Objective: We aimed to investigate the prevalence of T. equigenitalis in Icelandic intact males and compare to draught horse and Haflinger intact males. We hypothesised that prevalence of T. equigenitalis is higher in Iceland...
Carey KJ, Smith I, Barr J, Caruso S, Au GG, Hartley CA, Bailey KE, Perriam W, Broder CC, Gilkerson JR.Hendra virus (HeV) is lethal to horses and a zoonotic threat to humans in Australia, causing severe neurological and/or respiratory disease with high mortality. An equine vaccine has been available since 2012. Foals acquire antibodies from their dams by ingesting colostrum after parturition, therefore it is assumed that foals of mares vaccinated against HeV will have passive HeV antibodies circulating during the first several months of life until they are actively vaccinated. However, no studies have yet examined passive or active immunity against HeV in foals. Here, we investigated anti-HeV a...
Gonzalez-Obando J, Zuluaga-Cabrera A, Moreno I, Úsuga J, Ciuderis K, Forero JE, Diaz A, Rojas-Arbeláez C, Hernández-Ortiz JP, Ruiz-Saenz J.Equine influenza is a viral disease caused by the equine influenza virus (EIV), and according to the WOAH, it is mandatory to report these infections. In Latin America and Colombia, EIV risk factors have not been analyzed. The objective of this research is to perform an epidemiological and molecular analysis of the EIV in horses with respiratory symptoms from 2020 to 2023 in Colombia. Molecular EIV detection was performed using RT-qPCR and nanopore sequencing. A risk analysis was also performed via the GEE method. A total of 188 equines with EIV respiratory symptoms were recruited. The positiv...
Wagner B, Babasyan S, Wilford S, Robbin MG, de Mestre AM.CD25, the interleukin-2 receptor α-chain, is expressed on cell surfaces of different immune cells and is commonly used for phenotyping of regulatory T cells (Tregs). CD25 has essential roles in the maintenance of hemostasis and immune tolerance and Treg cell involvement has been shown in human diseases and murine models for allergy, autoimmunity, cancer, chronic inflammation, and many others. In horses, a cross-reactive anti-human CD25 antibody has previously been used for characterizing Tregs. Here, we developed monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to equine CD25 and compared their staining pattern ...