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.
Kumar D, Antiya SP, Patel SS, Pandit R, Joshi M, Mishra AK, Joshi CG, Patel AC.Since December 2019, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been spreading worldwide, triggering one of the most challenging pandemics in the human population. In light of the reporting of this virus in domestic and wild animals from several parts of the world, a systematic surveillance study was conceptualized to detect SARS-CoV-2 among species of veterinary importance. Nasal and/or rectal samples of 413 animals (dogs n= 195, cattle n = 64, horses n = 42, goats n = 41, buffaloes n = 39, sheep n = 19, cats n = 6, camels n = 6, and a monkey n = 1) were collected from d...
Bagge J, Berg LC, Janes J, MacLeod JN.Bone marrow (BM)- and adipose tissue (AT)-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have shown potential as cell-based therapies for cartilage and bone injuries and are used increasingly in human and veterinary practice to facilitate the treatment of orthopedic conditions. However, human and rodent studies have documented a sharp decline in chondrogenic and osteogenic differentiation potential with increasing donor age, which may be problematic for the important demographic of older orthopedic patients. The aim of this study was to identify the effect of donor age on the chondrogenic and osteog...
Sanclemente JL, Rivera-Velez SM, Horohov DW, Dasgupta N, Sanz MG.Foals that develop pulmonary ultrasonographic lesions on Rhodococcus equi (R. equi) endemic farms are treated with antibiotics because those at risk of developing clinical pneumonia (~20%) cannot be recognised early. Candidate biomarkers identified using metabolomics may aid targeted treatment strategies against R. equi. Objective: (1) To describe how foal ageing affects their plasma metabolome (birth to 8 weeks) and (2) to establish the effects that experimental infection with Rhodococcus equi (R. equi) has on foal metabolome. Methods: Experimental study. Methods: Nine healthy newborn foals...
Mowry KC, Thomson-Parker TL, Morales C, Fikes KK, Stutts KJ, Leatherwood JL, Anderson MJ, Smith RX, Suagee-Bedore JK.Rice bran oil and flaxseed oil contain omega-3 fatty acids with the potential to reduce post-exercise inflammation and muscle damage. This study measures plasma interleukin-1β and creatine kinase and fatty acid profiles in lightly worked, young horses (Equus caballus) undergoing an exercise test after 60 days (d) of oil consumption, where the oil replaced 25% of concentrate calories. Treatments consisted of CON (no oil), FLAX (flaxseed oil blend), and RICE (crude rice bran oil). Blood was collected pre-exercise, and again at 1 min, 30 min, 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h post-IET. Data were analyzed by ...
Tiwari M, Sodhi M, Verma P, Vivek P, Kataria RS, Niranjan SK, Bharti VK, Masharing N, Gujar G, Chanda D, Mukesh M.The identification of appropriate references genes is an integral component of any gene expression-based study for getting accuracy and reliability in data interpretation. In this study, we evaluated the expression stability of 10 candidate reference genes (GAPDH, RPL4, EEF1A1, RPS9, HPRT1, UXT, RPS23, B2M, RPS15, ACTB) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of livestock species that are adapted to high altitude hypoxia conditions of Leh-Ladakh. A total of 37 PBMCs samples from six native livestock species of Leh-Ladakh region such as Ladakhi cattle, Ladakhi yak, Ladakhi donkey, Chanthangi goat...
Allen SE, Verheyen KLP, O'Neill DG, Brodbelt DC.Judicious antimicrobial use (AMU) is important for preserving therapeutic effectiveness. Large-scale studies of antimicrobial prescribing can provide clinical benchmarks and help identify opportunities for improved stewardship. Objective: To describe systemic AMU in UK equine practice and identify factors associated with systemic and Category B (third and fourth generation cephalosporins, quinolones and polymixins) AMU. Methods: Retrospective cohort. Methods: Anonymised electronic patient records (EPRs) for all equids attended by 39 UK veterinary practices between 1 January and 31 December 201...
Vidović A, Jansen D.The first part of this case report describes the surgical treatment of a unilateral mandibular fracture in the standing horse by using a fixateur type I. By the time of implant removal, the fracture had completely healed. However, during implant removal, an implant failure of 2 of the 4 implants occurred with fragments remaining in the bone. The second part of the report focuses on the development of a special surgical instrument that was designed for removal of the implant fragments. Furthermore, the surgical method allowing the entire extirpation of the fragments within a second surgery is d...
Wang X, Asgenbaatar N, Shen Y, Yi M, Zhao B, Ren H, Davshilt T, Ulaangerel T, Wang M, Burenbaatar A, Tian S, Li B, Dugarjav M, Bou G.Proliferation of embryonic fibroblasts under the same cell culture conditions, hinny embryonic fibroblasts (HiEFs) was slower than horse embryonic fibroblast (HEFs), donkey embryonic fibroblasts (DEFs) and mule embryonic fibroblasts (MuEFs). The imprinted genes IGF2 and IGF2R are important for cell proliferation. Therefore, we investigated whether the slower proliferation of HiEFs is related to an aberrant gene expression of IGF2 or its receptors or genes influencing the expression of the IGF2 system. Results: Real-time polymerase chain reaction, immunofluorescence and cell starving experiment...
Roach J, Arango Sabogal JC, Smith K, Foote A, Verheyen K, de Mestre AM.Risk factors associated with equine reproductive efficiency have been identified along with those associated specifically with early pregnancy loss (EPL). In contrast, no studies have reported risk factors associated with abortion (loss between day 70 and 300 post-cover). Given the causes of abortion differ to those of EPL, likely too will the risk factors. A retrospective cohort study was carried out to identify risk factors associated with abortion in UK and Irish based Thoroughbreds, collecting data on 20 exposure variables over a five-year period. A generalized linear mixed model was utili...
Journal of biomechanicsNovember 1, 2022
Volume 145 111364 doi: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2022.111364
Pfau T, Bruce O, Brent Edwards W, Leguillette R.Changes in gallop stride parameters prior to injury have been documented previously in Thoroughbred racehorses. Validating solutions for quantification of fundamental stride parameters is important for large scale studies investigating injury related factors. This study describes a fast Fourier transformation-based method for extracting stride frequency (SF) values from speed fluctuations recorded with a standalone GPS-logger suitable for galloping horses. Limits of agreement with SF values derived from inertial measurement unit (IMU) pitch data are presented. Twelve Thoroughbred horses were i...
Ammann L, Ohlerth S, Fürst AE, Jackson MA.To determine morphological characteristics of subchondral cystic lesions (SCLs) in the proximal phalanx (PP) of adult horses. Methods: Radiographs and/or CT scans of PP from 46 horses. Methods: There were horses with a SCL in PP, which was diagnosed by radiography and/or computed tomography, included. Additional data (signalment, history, orthopedic examination) were collected retrospectively for each case. Results: Forty-six horses met the required inclusion criteria, with a total of 62 SCLs. Forty-three SCLs (70.5%) were located in the proximal PP (group A). Forty-four percent of these were ...
Coultous R, Gotić J, McCann M, Sutton D, Beck R, Shiels B.The apicomplexan haemoparasite Theileria equi, a causative agent of equine piroplasmosis, is an established pathogen of significant welfare and economic concern within the Croatian equine population. A previous large surveillance study of T. equi has identified two distinct parasite populations, one in the north and one in the south, geographically separated by the Dinaric Alps, which traverse the country. This study aimed to further investigate the genetic diversity within these two populations, focussing on allelic variability of the equi merozoite antigen gene, ema-1. Methods: Following nes...
Mihelić K, Vrbanac Z, Bojanić K, Kostanjšak T, Ljubić BB, Gotić J, Vnuk D, Bottegaro NB.This study aimed to evaluate if exercise-induced acute phase response (APR) occurs in endurance horses in response to the race. The study included 23 horses competing in an endurance competition with a successfully passed clinical examination before the race. Blood samples were collected before the start and within 30 min after the end of the race. Haematological and biochemical tests were performed and correlated to acute phase biomarkers changes. Values of calprotectin and haptoglobin (Hp) decreased after the races compared to values before, while concentrations of ceruloplasmin and albumin ...
Roßgardt J, Heilen LB, Büttner K, Dern-Wieloch J, Vogelsberg J, Staszyk C.In the crown pulp of brachydont teeth, a cell-free and a cell-rich zone are established beneath the odontoblastic layer, indicating a mature status. For the equine dental pulp, there are no descriptions which allow for a comparative analysis with regard to functional requirements in terms of lifelong secondary dentin production to compensate for occlusal wear. For histomorphological and immunohistological investigations, ten incisors and ten check teeth were used from seven adult horses and five foals. In the periphery of the equine dental pulp, a constant predentin and odontoblastic cell laye...
Johnson SA, Richards RB, Frisbie DD, Esselman AM, McClure SR.Over the past three decades, electrohydraulic extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) as a treatment modality for equine orthopaedic disorders has sparked exponential interest among practitioners, but its clinical applications are quickly evolving and a current review highlighting modernised equine clinical use is lacking. The objective of this review is to summarise the most current ESWT technology, evidence for its use, proposed mechanisms of action and clinical applications in horses while also highlighting the areas requiring further investigation. The three ways to generate a shock wave ...
Boakari YL, Legacki E, Alonso MA, Dos Santos ACF, Nichi M, Conley AJ, Fernandes CB.It is necessary to study hormonal patterns from mules to recognize alterations and neonatal maladaptation. Our objective was to evaluate concentrations of hormones in mule (n = 6) and equine foals (n = 6). Blood was collected at T0, 1, 6 and 12 h after birth. Hormone concentrations were evaluated using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Effects of time, group and interactions and regression analysis were evaluated (p < 0.05). There was a cubic and quadratic decline in mule and equine foals, respectively, for 3β,20α-dihydroxy-DHP. Mule foals were born with lower circulating 3...
Mokry A, Bernhard C, Faulkner J, Colgate VA, Dumoulin M, Pille F, Vanderperren K, Delling U, Oosterlinck M.Forelimb extensor tendon rupture (ETR) in foals is sparsely documented. Objective: To describe clinical and imaging findings, treatment details, and long-term outcome in foals with ETR. Methods: Multicentre retrospective case-series. Methods: Clinical record review of foals with ETR, presented to Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at Ghent University (Belgium), the Clinic for Horses at the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover (Germany), and Rossdales Equine Hospital (UK) between 2009-2021. Long-term outcome based on structured telephone interview with the owner at the university hospitals an...
AbdelKhalek A, Ostafe R, Olave C, HogenEsch H, Turner JW.Immunization with porcine zona pellucida (PZP) proteins is being used successfully to induce infertility in wildlife including horses. However, widespread adoption of this method to control the growth of horse populations requires further refinement in order to induce long-term infertility, reduce the frequency and severity of injection site reactions, and make the vaccines easier to administer. The next generation of PZP-based vaccines will likely be a controlled-release formulation with different adjuvants from the Freund's adjuvants used in existing vaccines. We evaluated the response of eq...
Takeishi M, Kuwata R, Ono T, Sasaki A, Ogata M, Iwata E, Taji S, Koike M, Nemoto M, Bannai H, Isawa H, Maeda K, Morikawa S, Kitagawa H, Yoshikawa Y.Getah virus (GETV), an arthropod-borne virus transmitted by mosquitoes, has been isolated from several animals. GETV infection in horses shows clinical signs such as fever, rash, and edema in the leg. Noma horses are one of the eight Japanese native horses. The present study aimed to clarify the occurrence of GETV infection in Noma horses. Serum samples collected from Noma horses were analyzed using a virus neutralization test and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and showed that the anti-GETV antibody titers in the samples collected in 2017 were significantly higher than those collected in 20...
Bampidis V, Azimonti G, Bastos ML, Christensen H, Dusemund B, Fašmon Durjava M, Kouba M, López-Alonso M, López Puente S, Marcon F, Mayo B....Following a request from the European Commission, EFSA was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on the safety and efficacy of glyceryl polyethyleneglycol ricinoleate (PEG castor oil) as technological feed additive for all animal species. PEG castor oil is safe at a maximum concentration in complete feed of 90 mg/kg for chickens for fattening and other minor growing poultry; 134 mg/kg for laying hens and other laying/breeding birds kept for egg production/reproduction; 121 mg/kg for turkeys for fattening; 162 mg/kg for piglets and other minor growing ; 194 mg/kg for pigs for fattening; 23...
Novotna A, Birovas A, Vostra-Vydrova H, Vesela Z, Vostry L.The aim of this study was to estimate the genetic parameters of a one-day performance test together with the linear type traits of 3-year-old warmblood horses. The study of genetic parameters was based on 5958 tested horses in the period 1998-2021. A total of 22 traits of linear description, three quantitatively measured traits, and one summary mark from the performance test were tested. The model equation included the fixed effect of gender and combination effects of classifier-year of evaluation-place. A single-trait animal model was used for the estimation of heritability and genetic varian...
Tedesco DEA, Guerrini A.Milk thistle, Silybum marianum, is a medicinal plant grown for its bioactive compounds with well-documented antioxidant and hepatoprotective properties. Milk thistle has a well-established pharmacological reputation for treatments of human liver disease, but it is also used in animals. This review summarizes the experimental evidence of milk thistle's effects on animals when administered as silymarin extract (feed additive) or a feed ingredient, if administered as seed or expeller/cake with the seed residue still containing the bioactive components. The use as a feed additive or feed ingredien...
Nielsen MK.Anthelmintic resistance is reported in equine nematodes with increasing frequency in recent years, and no new anthelmintic classes have been introduced during the past 40 years. This manuscript reviews published literature describing anthelmintic resistance in cyathostomins, Parascaris spp., and Oxyuris equi with special emphasis on larvicidal efficacy against encysted cyathostomin larvae and strongylid egg reappearance periods (ERP). Resistance to benzimidazoles and pyrimidines is highly prevalent in cyathostomin populations around the world, and macrocyclic lactone resistance has been docume...
Flood J, Stewart AJ.Effective pain management in horses can be a challenge despite the understanding that appropriate analgesia improves animal welfare and increases treatment success. The administration of NSAID drugs, particularly phenylbutazone and flunixin, are common practice in equine veterinary patients. Known for their analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties, NSAIDs are used for the treatment of a variety of conditions in horses, from gastrointestinal to orthopedic pain. Despite extensive usage, NSAIDs have a narrow margin of safety and the body of literature documenting the efficacy and side effects o...
Fouquet G, Abbas G, Johnson JP, Pompermayer E, Harel C, Aldous E, Puchalski S, David F.Radiculopathy in horses is often a diagnosis of exclusion because of the non-specific clinical signs related to neck pain and possible forelimb lameness. There are no reported treatment options in the equine veterinary literature. The purpose of the study was to describe an ultrasound-guided injection of the cervical nerve root C3 to C8, to evaluate accuracy, time and safety and to anticipate possible complications on clinical cases. Under general anesthesia and with ultrasound guidance, five horses were injected from C3 to C8 with 1.5mL mix of contrast and latex. Immediately after euthanasia,...
Williams NJ, Slovis NM, Browne NS, Troedsson MHT, Giguėre S, Hernandez JA.Diarrhea remains an important cause of morbidity and mortality in neonatal foals, and correct identification of etiologic agents is essential for effective disease management. Objective: To examine the association between diarrhea and detection of Enterococcus durans or other enteropathogens in neonatal foals on 1 breeding farm in Kentucky, USA. Methods: Fifty-nine Thoroughbred foals and their broodmares. Methods: Prospective observational study. Study foals and broodmares were sampled and tested for E. durans and other enteropathogens during the first 10 days after foaling. The frequency of...
Pluháček J, Tučková V, King SRB.Flehmen is frequently explained as part of male sexual behaviour, but it can also be associated with overmarking behaviour and thus individual recognition. We tested three explanatory hypotheses of flehmen behaviour: to detect sexual status of a female, to decide whether to overmark an individual, and to improve individual recognition. Additionally, we examined interspecific flehmen differences in the African equids. We observed 130 individuals of all 4 species among 15 groups in 5 zoos. We recorded 4445 eliminations: 142 were accompanied by flehmen and 1648 were inspected by another animal an...
Wilson KE, Bogers SH, Council-Troche RM, Davis JL.To determine the effects of general anesthesia on the safety and efficacy of co-administered potassium penicillin G (PEN) and gentamicin (GENT) in horses. Methods: Nonrandomized crossover. Methods: Six adult, Thoroughbred horses. Methods: Horses were administered PEN (22 000 IU/kg IV) and GENT (6.6 mg/kg IV). Plasma samples were collected over a 6 h period and synovial fluid was collected at 30 min and 6 h respectively. Drug administration and sample collection protocols were repeated after at least a 48 hour washout period and induction of anesthesia using xylazine/ketamine and main...
Mainguy-Seers S, Beaudry F, Fernandez-Prada C, Martin JG, Lavoie JP.Extracellular vesicles (EVs) contribute to intercellular communication through the transfer of their rich cargo to recipient cells. The EVs produced by LPS-stimulated neutrophils from healthy humans and horses increase airway smooth muscle (ASM) proliferation, but the roles of neutrophil EVs in asthma are largely unexplored. The aim of this study was to determine whether neutrophil-derived EVs isolated during the remission or exacerbation of asthma influence ASM proliferation differentially. Peripheral blood neutrophils were collected during remission and exacerbation in eight horses affected ...
Nissen SD, Saljic A, Kjeldsen ST, Jespersen T, Hopster-Iversen C, Buhl R.Second-degree atrioventricular (AV) block is the most common cardiac arrhythmia in horses, affecting 40-90% depending on breed. Usually, the AV blocks occur while the horses are resting and disappear upon exercise and are, therefore, considered to be uneventful for horses. However, if the AV blocks occur frequently, this may result in syncope and collapse. Identifying the cause of second-degree AV block is difficult and often subscribed to high vagal tone. In this report, we present an eight-year-old Quarter horse with a high burden of second-degree AV blocks and multiple collapses. The clinic...
Sargison N, Chambers A, Chaudhry U, Costa Júnior L, Doyle SR, Ehimiyein A, Evans M, Jennings A, Kelly R, Sargison F, Sinclair M, Zahid O.Understanding the composition of gastrointestinal nematode communities may help to mitigate or exploit parasite adaptations within their host. We have used nemabiome deep amplicon sequencing of internal transcribed spacer-2 (ITS-2) ribosomal DNA to describe the temporal and host species composition of gastrointestinal nematode communities following sampling of six Scottish ponies across 57 months. In the absence of parasite control, each horse showed seasonal trends of increases and decreases in faecal egg counts, consistent with the epidemiology of equine strongylid parasites, however, the c...
van Doorn DC, Ploeger HW, Eysker M, Geurden T, Wagenaar JA, Kooyman FN.The normal time interval between treatment of horses with a macrocyclic lactone (ML) and reappearance of strongyle eggs in the feces, or 'Egg Reappearance Period (ERP)', is at its shortest 8 weeks for ivermectin (IVM) and 12 weeks for moxidectin (MOX). Nowadays, it is not uncommon to find shorter ERPs, potentially indicating the beginning of the development of drug resistance. Whether all cyathostomin species contribute equally to a shortened ERP is not known. In the present study a Reverse Line Blot (RLB) on individual infective larvae was used to compare species composition before and after ...
Gibson VA, Stover SM, Gibeling JC, Hazelwood SJ, Martin RB.We hypothesized that recently formed, incompletely mineralized, and thus, relatively deformable osteons in the equine third metacarpus enhance in vitro load-controlled fatigue life in two ways. Macroscopically, there is a compliance effect, because reduced tissue elastic modulus diminishes the stress required to reach a given strain. Microscopically, there is a cement line effect, in which new osteons and their cement lines more effectively serve as barriers to crack propagation. We studied 18 4 x 10 x 100 mm beams from the medial, lateral, and dorsal cortices of metacarpal bones from 6 thorou...
Sato H, Matsumori Y, Tanabe T, Saito H, Shimizu A, Kawano J.A new type of staphylococcal exfoliative toxin (sET) was isolated from the culture filtrate of a Staphylococcus aureus strain isolated from a horse with skin infection including phlegmon. The new sET was purified by precipitation with 80% saturated ammonium sulfate, column chromatography on DEAE-cellulofine A-500, gel filtration on a Sephadex G-75 column, and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (7.5% polyacrylamide). The new sET elicited general exfoliation of the epidermis with the so-called Nikolsky sign when inoculated into both 3-day-old mice and 1-day-old chicks, whereas sETA and sETB from...
Staempfli HR, Townsend HG, Prescott JF.Clinical and hematological changes observed on presentation of 47 horses referred to the Ontario Veterinary College with acute idiopathic colitis were analyzed for their prognostic features. Cases of acute enterocolitis were characterized by fever, dehydration, abnormalities of serum electrolyte concentrations, azotemia, hypoalbuminemia, and increased serum concentrations of muscle enzymes. Severely dehydrated horses were seven times more likely to die or be euthanized than those that were not dehydrated. Other factors associated with failure to survive included the following: increased hemato...
van Weeren PR, Barneveld A.Osteochondrosis (OC) in the horse has been defined as a disturbance in the process of endochondral ossification which is of multifactorial origin, becoming evident in a large number of joints. Exercise is one of the environmental factors that may influence the clinical manifestation of the disorder, but has never been thoroughly investigated. In this study we investigated the influence of exercise during the first 5 months on the development and distribution of OC lesions in foals of age 5 and 11 months. Forty-three foals, all from sires having OC in either the femoropatellar or tibiotarsal jo...
Angelos J, Oppenheim Y, Rebhun W, Mohammed H, Antczak DF.The relationship between breed and the risk of developing sarcoid tumours or uveitis of unknown etiology was evaluated in a retrospective study of 16242 equine cases admitted between 1975 and 1987 to the New York State College of Veterinary Medicine Large Animal Hospital, and 3198 equine tissue samples sent to the New York State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory between 1977 and 1987. Of 120 sarcoid cases from the Large Animal Hospital, sarcoids were twice as likely to develop in Quarter Horses (odds ratio, OR = 1.8, P less than 0.05) relative to Thoroughbreds and less than half as likely to de...
Ginther OJ, Beg MA, Donadeu FX, Bergfelt DR.Diameter deviation is a distinctive change in growth rates among the follicles of a wave, heralding the formation of a dominant follicle and subordinate follicles. When the follicles are about 5mm in cattle and 13 mm in horses, the wave-stimulating FSH surge reaches peak concentrations. Follicle and FSH manipulation studies in both species have shown that the declining portion of the surge before the beginning of deviation is a function of multiple growing follicles that require the decreasing FSH. During this time, all follicles of the wave have the potential for future dominance. Deviation b...
Ranera B, Remacha AR, Álvarez-Arguedas S, Castiella T, Vázquez FJ, Romero A, Zaragoza P, Martín-Burriel I, Rodellar C.Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) are widely used in regenerative medicine in horses. Most of the molecular characterisations of BM-MSCs have been made at 20% O(2), a higher oxygen level than the one surrounding the cells inside the bone marrow. The present work compares the lifespan and the tri-lineage potential of equine BM-MSCs expanded in normoxia (20% O(2)) and hypoxia (5% O(2)). No significant differences were found in long-term cultures for osteogenesis and adipogenesis between normoxic and hypoxic expanded BM-MSCs. An up-regulation of the chondrogenesis-related genes...
Pottier M, Castagnet S, Gravey F, Leduc G, Sévin C, Petry S, Giard JC, Le Hello S, Léon A. is one of the leading causes of healthcare-associated infections in humans. This bacterium is less represented in veterinary medicine, despite causing difficult-to-treat infections due to its capacity to acquire antimicrobial resistance, produce biofilms, and persist in the environment, along with its limited number of veterinary antibiotic therapies. Here, we explored susceptibility profiles to antibiotics and to didecyldimethylammonium chloride (DDAC), a quaternary ammonium widely used as a disinfectant, in 168 strains isolated from animals, mainly Equidae. A genomic study was performed on...
Nelson BB, Goodrich LR, Barrett MF, Grinstaff MW, Kawcak CE.The use of contrast media in computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is increasing in horses. These contrast-enhanced imaging techniques provide improved tissue delineation and evaluation, thereby expanding diagnostic capabilities. While generally considered safe, not all contrast media exhibit the same safety profiles. The safety of contrast media use and descriptions of adverse events occurring in horses are sparsely reported. This review summarises the reported evidence of contrast media use and adverse events that occur in horses, with added contribution from other ve...
Domino M, Jasinski T, Kautz E, Juszczuk-Kubiak E, Ferreira-Dias G, Zabielski R, Sady M, Gajewski Z.Equine endometrosis is a multifactorial chronic degenerative condition, considered to be one of a major causes of equine infertility. The formation of periglandular fibrosis seems to be linked to chronic inflammation of the mare endometrium in a paracrine way and in a response to numerous forms of inflammatory stimuli elicit the net deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) around the endometrial glands and stroma. We hypothesized some of these stimuli, such as monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and hyaluronan synthases (HASs), may share the nuclear factor-κB (NF...
Andersson LS, Swinburne JE, Meadows JR, Broström H, Eriksson S, Fikse WF, Frey R, Sundquist M, Tseng CT, Mikko S, Lindgren G.Insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH) is a chronic allergic dermatitis common in horses. Affected horses mainly react against antigens present in the saliva from the biting midges, Culicoides ssp, and occasionally black flies, Simulium ssp. Because of this insect dependency, the disease is clearly seasonal and prevalence varies between geographical locations. For two distinct horse breeds, we genotyped four microsatellite markers positioned within the MHC class II region and sequenced the highly polymorphic exons two from DRA and DRB3, respectively. Initially, 94 IBH-affected and 93 unaffected Sw...
Stubbs NC, Riggs CM, Hodges PW, Jeffcott LB, Hodgson DR, Clayton HM, McGowan CM.The multifidus muscle plays a key role in spinal stabilisation. Multifidus atrophy ipsilateral to the side of osseous pathology has been demonstrated in man and pigs but has not been investigated in horses. Objective: To measure cross-sectional area (CSA) left/ right symmetry of equine multifidus ultrasonographically and relate asymmetry of multifidus with osseous spinal pathology in Thoroughbred racehorses. We hypothesised that ipsilateral multifidus CSA would be reduced when osseous pathological changes are present leading to left/right asymmetry in CSA. Methods: Twenty-two racehorses presen...
Gupta GD, Lakritz J, Kim JH, Kim DY, Kim JK, Marsh AE.Parasite-specific antibody responses to Neospora spp. and Toxoplasma gondii, antigens were detected using the indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) and immunoblot analysis in a korean equine population located on Jeju island, South Korea (126 degrees 12' E and 33 degrees 34' N). For comparison, a naturally infected Neospora hughesi horse and an experimentally inoculated T. gondii equid (pony) were used. In addition, all samples were tested for antibodies to Sarcocystis neurona by immunoblot analysis. A total of 191 serum samples from clinically normal horses were evaluated. Only 2% (4 out ...
Nagel C, Erber R, Bergmaier C, Wulf M, Aurich J, Möstl E, Aurich C.The mechanisms leading to parturition in the horse in many aspects differ from those in other species. Pregnancy is maintained not by progesterone but by 5α-pregnanes and the progestin precursor pregnenolone originates from the fetus. As parturition approaches, the fetal adrenal switches from pregnenolone to cortisol synthesis but it is not known whether cortisol crosses the placenta. We hypothesized that in parallel to fetal cortisol release, cortisol in the maternal circulation increases before foaling and this increase can be determined in both saliva and plasma. In addition, maternal, fet...
Desjardins I, Joulié A, Pradier S, Lecollinet S, Beck C, Vial L, Dufour P, Gasqui P, Legrand L, Edouard S, Sidi-Boumedine K, Rousset E, Jourdain E....Coxiella burnetii can infect many animal species, but its circulation dynamics in and through horses is still unclear. This study evaluated horse exposure in an area known to be endemic for ruminants and humans. We assessed antibody prevalence in horse serum by ELISA, and screened by qPCR horse blood, ticks found on horses and dust from stables. Horse seroprevalence was 4% (n = 335, 37 stables) in 2015 and 12% (n = 294, 39 stables) in 2016. Of 199 horses sampled both years, 13 seroconverted, eight remained seropositive, and one seroreverted. Seropositive horses were located close to re...
Khusro A, Aarti C, Pliego AB, Cipriano-Salazar M.Hendra virus (HeV) is a zoonotic paramyxovirus which causes acute and deadly infection in horses (Equus caballus). It is a rare and unmanaged emerging viral infection in horses which is harbored by bats of the genus Pteropus (Australian flying foxes or fruit bats). The virus is pleomorphic in shape and its genome contains nonsegmented negative-stranded RNA with 18234 nucleotides in length. The virus is transmitted from flying foxes to horses, horse to horse, and horse to humans. Human-to-human transmission of HeV infection is not reported yet. The infection of HeV in horses is highly variable ...
Drevemo S, Dalin G, Fredricson I, Hjertén G.The movements of the individual limbs of 30 clinically sound Standardbred trotters were studied using high-speed cinematography. At a speed of 12 metres per second (m/sec; 1:23.6 min/km) the mean stride length was 545 cm and the mean duration of the stride was 455 milliseconds (msecs). The stance phase in the forelimbs was 100 msecs and 177 msecs in the hindlimbs. This difference was due to a longer restraint period in the hindlimbs and resulted in slightly shorter swing phases for the hindlimbs. The variations in any particular horse for stride length and for the duration of stride, stance, s...
King MR, Haussler KK, Kawcak CE, McIlwraith CW, Reiser RF, Frisbie DD, Werpy NM.OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effects of exercise in an underwater treadmill (UWT) on forelimb biomechanics and articular histologic outcomes in horses with experimentally induced osteoarthritis of the middle carpal joint. ANIMALS 16 horses. PROCEDURES An osteochondral fragment was induced arthroscopically (day 0) in 1 middle carpal joint of each horse. Beginning on day 15, horses were assigned to exercise in a UWT or in the UWT without water (simulating controlled hand walking) at the same speed, frequency, and duration. Thoracic and pelvic limb ground reaction forces, thoracic limb kinematics, a...
Patterson-Kane JC, Carrick JB, Axon JE, Wilkie I, Begg AP.The first outbreak of equine influenza virus (EIV) infection was confirmed in Australia in 2007. Some EIV-positive young foals died with bronchointerstitial pneumonia, an rare disease process in this age group that is often postulated to be caused by viral infection. Objective: The aim of this study was to describe post mortem lesions in EIV-infected foals. Methods: Post mortem examinations were conducted on 11 young foals (age 2-12 days) submitted to the Scone Veterinary Hospital, NSW over a 2-month period in 2007. The foals had presented with or developed fatal pneumonia, and were known or s...
Kader A, Liu X, Dong K, Song S, Pan J, Yang M, Chen X, He X, Jiang L, Ma Y.Copy number variation (CNV), an essential form of genetic variation, has been increasingly recognized as one promising genetic marker in the analysis of animal genomes. Here, we used the Equine 70K single nucleotide polymorphism genotyping array for the genome-wide detection of CNVs in 96 horses from three diverse Chinese breeds: Debao pony (DB), Mongolian horse (MG) and Yili horse (YL). A total of 287 CNVs were determined and merged into 122 CNV regions (CNVRs) ranging from 199 bp to 2344 kb in size and distributed in a heterogeneous manner on chromosomes. These CNVRs were integrated with s...
Hinrichs K, Cummings MR, Sertich PL, Kenney RM.Swab specimens for bacterial culture were obtained from the uterus, vagina, vestibule, and clitoral fossa of 48 mares that had normal reproductive tracts, no history of reproductive problems, and no inflammation on evaluation of endometrial biopsy. The mares were predominantly Thoroughbred and Standardbred. Swab specimens of the vagina were obtained through a sterile speculum; swab specimens of the uterus were obtained by use of a double-guarded, occluded culture instrument. Fifteen (31%) of the uterine swab specimens and 20 (42%) of the vaginal swab specimens yielded growth on aerobic culture...
French KR, Pollitt CC.Light microscopical studies show that the key lesion of laminitis is separation at the hoof lamellar dermal-epidermal interface. More precise knowledge of the damage occurring in the lamellar basement membrane zone may result if laminitis affected tissue is examined with the transmission electron microscope. This could lead to better understanding of the pathogenesis of lesions and the means of treatment or prevention. Objective: To investigate the ultrastructure of acute laminitis as disease of greater severity is induced by increasing oligofructose (OF) dosage. Methods: Three pairs of normal...
Sasaki M, Hasebe R, Makino Y, Suzuki T, Fukushi H, Okamoto M, Matsuda K, Taniyama H, Sawa H, Kimura T.The endotheliotropism of equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) leads to encephalomyelitis secondary to vasculitis and thrombosis in the infected horse central nervous system (CNS). To identify the host factors involved in EHV-1 infection of CNS endothelial cells, we performed functional cloning using an equine brain microvascular endothelial cell cDNA library. Exogenous expression of equine major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I heavy chain genes conferred susceptibility to EHV-1 infection in mouse NIH3T3 cells, which are not naturally susceptible to EHV-1 infection. Equine MHC class I molecule...
Traversa D, Giangaspero A, Galli P, Paoletti B, Otranto D, Gasser RB.Gastric or cutaneous habronemosis caused by Habronema microstoma Creplin, 1849 and Habronema muscae Carter, 1865 is a parasitic disease of equids transmitted by muscid flies. There is a paucity of information on the epidemiology of this disease, which is mainly due to limitations with diagnosis in the live animal and with the identification of the parasites in the intermediate hosts. To overcome such limitations, a molecular approach, based on the use of genetic markers in the second internal transcribed spacer (ITS-2) of ribosomal DNA, was established for the two species of Habronema. Charact...
Barbić L, Listeš E, Katić S, Stevanović V, Madić J, Starešina V, Labrović A, Di Gennaro A, Savini G.West Nile virus (WNV) is an emerging zoonotic pathogen with rapid global expansion. The virus circulation is confirmed in many countries of Mediterranean Basin and Southern and Central Europe. In our study detection of specific WNV antibodies was performed in horses and cattle sera samples collected from October 2010 to April 2011. Serum samples were randomly taken from different parts of Croatia and tested by IgG and IgM ELISA. Positive serological results were confirmed by virus neutralization assay (VN-assay) and plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT). Results showed that WNV antibodie...
Hietala SK, Ardans AA, Sansome A.An enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay was developed to measure naturally occurring Corynebacterium equi specific antibody in horse serum. Antibody against C equi was demonstrated in normal adults and was passively transferred to foals. Adult levels of specific antibody were reached by 5 to 6 months of age in healthy foals. Decreased early antibody levels were demonstrated in a limited number of foals with confirmed C equi infection.
de Lagarde M, Larrieu C, Praud K, Schouler C, Doublet B, Sallé G, Fairbrother JM, Arsenault J.Although antimicrobial resistance is increasingly common in equine medicine, molecular and epidemiological data remains scarce. Objective: We estimated the prevalence of, and risk factors for, shedding of multidrug resistant (MDR), extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing, and AmpC β-lactamase-producing, or some combination of these in Escherichia coli in horses in France. We characterized ESBL/AmpC isolates for antimicrobial susceptibility and the presence of virulence and ESBL/AmpC-associated resistance genes. Methods: Fecal samples from healthy adult horses at 41 premises were colle...
