Veterinary science and horses encompass the study and application of medical, surgical, and therapeutic practices to maintain and improve the health and welfare of equines. This field addresses a wide range of topics, including disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, as well as nutrition, reproduction, and behavior. Research in veterinary science for horses often involves understanding the pathophysiology of equine-specific diseases, developing advanced diagnostic techniques, and improving treatment protocols. This page gathers peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore various aspects of veterinary science related to horses, providing insights into the latest advancements and methodologies in equine healthcare.
Aziz KJ, Al-Barwary LTO.Equine piroplasmosis is a major tick-borne disease that can lead to serious health problems and economic losses in horse industry. The aim of the study is to determine the prevalence of and in different species of Equus namely (Horse, mule, donkey and pony) by Giemsa stained blood films and competitive ELISA. Methods: This study was conducted at various geographic areas of Erbil governorate. A total of 349 blood samples from equine (209 horses, 62 mule, 57 donkey and 21 ponies) were collected to estimate the prevalence rate of and by using Giemsa stained blood smear and competitive ELISA. ...
Krueger K, Marr I, Dobler A, Palme R.Non-invasive methods enable stress evaluation through measuring fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (FGMs), and immunoglobulin A (IgA) in the feces avoiding stressful blood drawing or stressful restraining of animals in the field. However, FGMs and IgA are mostly analysed in freshly frozen samples, which is difficult when fresh samples cannot be frozen immediately or frozen samples cannot be stored or transported. Good results were also derived from air-dried fecal samples, which are hampered by unstable air humidity in the field. These difficulties may be overcome, when drying of samples could b...
Trösch M, Cuzol F, Parias C, Calandreau L, Nowak R, Lansade L.Over the last few years, an increasing number of studies have aimed to gain more insight into the field of animal emotions. In particular, it is of interest to determine whether animals can cross-modally categorize the emotions of others. For domestic animals that share a close relationship with humans, we might wonder whether this cross-modal recognition of emotions extends to humans, as well. In this study, we tested whether horses could recognize human emotions and attribute the emotional valence of visual (facial expression) and vocal (non-verbal vocalization) stimuli to the same perceptua...
Budiono NG, Satrija F, Ridwan Y, Handharyani E, Murtini S.Schistosomiasis is endemic in Indonesia and is found in three remote areas in Central Sulawesi Province. Non-human mammals serve as reservoir hosts, meaning the disease is zoonotic. The previous schistosomiasis studies in animals from the Lindu Subdistrict did not determine which domestic animal species can serve as the primary source of transmission. No animals have been treated in Indonesia to control the disease; therefore, the parasite's life cycle is not blocked entirely. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and identify the risk factors associated with, infection in animals, and...
Park J, Kim EB.The ecosystem of an animal farm is composed of various elements, such as animals, farmers, plants, feed, soil, and microorganisms. A domesticated animal's health is largely connected with the reservoir of bacteria and viruses in animal farms. Although a few studies have focused on exploring the gut microbiome of animals, communities of microbiota and viruses in feedlots have not been thoroughly investigated. Methods: Here, we collected feces and dust samples (4 groups: cattle feces, C_F; horse feces, H_F; cattle dust, C_D; and horse dust, H_D) from cattle and horse farms sharing the same housi...
Solé M, Ablondi M, Binzer-Panchal A, Velie BD, Hollfelder N, Buys N, Ducro BJ, François L, Janssens S, Schurink A, Viklund Å, Eriksson S....Copy Number Variation (CNV) is a common form of genetic variation underlying animal evolution and phenotypic diversity across a wide range of species. In the mammalian genome, high frequency of CNV differentiation between breeds may be candidates for population-specific selection. However, CNV differentiation, selection and its population genetics have been poorly explored in horses. Results: We investigated the patterns, population variation and gene annotation of CNV using the Axiom® Equine Genotyping Array (670,796 SNPs) from a large cohort of individuals (N = 1755) belonging to eight ...
Li X, Ni HB, Ren WX, Jiang J, Gong QL, Zhang XX.Toxoplasmosis, one of the most common zoonoses worldwide, is caused by Toxoplasma gondii. T. gondii can infect almost all warm-blooded animals, including humans. Horses are an intermediate host of T. gondii, representing a potential risk for humans. To determine the T. gondii seroprevalence in horses worldwide, a global meta-analysis was conducted. A total of 35 publications were obtained by searching the PubMed, ScienceDirect, Chinese Web of knowledge (CNKI) and Wanfang databases. A total of 12,354 horses were assessed, of which 1580 were positive for T. gondii. The pooled overall seroprevale...
Álvarez-Narváez S, Giguère S, Anastasi E, Hearn J, Scortti M, Vázquez-Boland JA.Antibiotic use has been linked to changes in the population structure of human pathogens and the clonal expansion of multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains among healthcare- and community-acquired infections. Here we present a compelling example in a veterinary pathogen, , the causative agent of a severe pulmonary infection affecting foals worldwide. We show that the (46) gene responsible for emerging macrolide resistance among equine isolates in the United States is part of a 6.9-kb transposable element, Tn, actively mobilized by an IS family transposase. Tn is carried on an 87-kb conjugative pla...
Dai F, Dalla Costa A, Bonfanti L, Caucci C, Di Martino G, Lucarelli R, Padalino B, Minero M.The present work aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a self-loading training using positive reinforcement on stress-related behaviors shown by meat horses during loading procedures into a truck. Thirty-two meat horses ( = 18; = 14; 6 month-old) were included in the study. All horses had limited interactions with the farmer and were not used to be restrained nor lead by halter. Horses were divided in two groups: Control Group (C; = 14) and Training Group (T; = 18). T horses were trained to self-load: in order to teach the horses to enter into the truck, a targeting training technique throughou...
Bourély C, Cazeau G, Jarrige N, Jouy E, Haenni M, Lupo A, Madec JY, Leblond A, Gay E.To examine the relevance of co-resistance to amoxicillin and tetracycline as an indicator of multidrug resistance (MDR) in animal health. Methods: isolates collected between 2012 and 2016 by the French surveillance network for antimicrobial resistance in diseased animals (RESAPATH) were analyzed. The proportions of MDR isolates and the proportions of isolates presenting co-resistance to amoxicillin and tetracycline were calculated for seven animal species (cattle, horse, dog, swine, poultry, duck, and turkey). The degree of agreement between these two proportions was estimated by calculating ...
Clayton HM, Hobbs SJ.Gaits are typically classified as walking or running based on kinematics, the shape of the vertical ground reaction force (GRF) curve, and the use of inverted pendulum or spring-mass mechanics during the stance phase. The objectives of this review were to describe the biomechanical characteristics that differentiate walking and running gaits, then apply these criteria to classify and compare the enhanced natural gait of collected trot with the artificial gaits of passage and piaffe as performed by highly trained dressage horses. Limb contact and lift off times were used to determine contact se...
Assunção P, Barbosa T, Yonezawa L, Barbosa L, Watanabe M, Kohayagawa A, Schmidt E.High-intensity exercise can be associated with the occurrence of muscle injury, as well as the induction of an acute-phase response (APR). The present study aims to investigate the synthesis and profile of serum proteins in horses before and after participating in 2 different exercise protocols and to relate this profile to the presence or absence of muscular injury caused by exercise. Ten purebred Arabian (n = 5) and Criollo (n = 5) horses were subjected to 2 different tests on a treadmill, one consisting of short-duration and rapid-acceleration training (TRA) that was mostly anerobic and the...
Browne C, Medlock JM.Last summer saw an unusually high number of cases of West Nile fever in horses and people in south and south-east Europe, but it is too early to tell if this was a one-off increase or a sign of things to come. Here, , , and discuss the various West Nile fever surveillance and control mechanisms in place in the UK.
Zavistanaviciute P, Poskiene I, Lele V, Antanaitis R, Kantautaite J, Bartkiene E.The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of the newly isolated Lactobacillus plantarum LUHS135 and Lactobacillus paracasei LUHS244 strains grown in potato juice (with a cell count of 8.0-9.0 log10 CFU/ml) on the blood and faeces parameters of exercising horses. The horses were classified into four different groups: a control group (which received no probiotics); the first group (which received 200 ml of L. plantarum culture in potato juice); the second group (which received 200 ml of L. paracasei culture in potato juice); and the third group (which received an L. plantarum and L. pa...
Martin-Giménez T, Cruz AM, Barragán A, Montero E, Sanchez PG, Caballero G, Corradini I.Occipital condylar fractures (OCFs) causing delayed onset lower cranial nerve paralysis (LCNPs) are rare. We present a 7-year-old Friesian horse with delayed onset dysphagia caused by vagus nerve (CNX) paralysis and suspicion of glossopharyngeal nerve (CNIX) paralysis developed several days after a minor head injury. Endoscopic examination revealed right laryngeal hemiplegia and intermittent dorsal displacement of the soft palate. An area of submucosal hemorrhage and bulging was appreciated over the dorsal aspect of the medial compartment of the right guttural pouch. Radiological examination o...
Bosco-Lauth AM, Bowen RA.West Nile virus (WNV) (Flaviviridae: Flavivirus) was discovered in Africa more than 80 yr ago and became recognized as an avian pathogen and a cause of neurologic disease in horses largely during periodic incursions into Europe. Introduction of WNV into North America stimulated great anxiety, particularly in the equine industry, but also for pet owners and livestock producers concerned about the effect of WNV on other domestic animals. Numerous subsequent studies of naturally occurring and experimentally induced disease greatly expanded our understanding of the host range and clinical conseque...
Egenvall A, Clayton HM, Eisersiö M, Roepstorff L, Byström A.In dressage, the performance of transitions between gaits and halts is an integral part of riding sessions. The study aimed to evaluate rein tension before, during and after the transitions between different gaits and the transitions into halts. The kinematic (inertial measurement units) data for the head and croup, and rein tension data, were collected (128 Hz) from six professional riders each riding three of their own horses, training levels varying from basic to advanced, during normal training sessions. The activities were categorised into gaits, halts and transitions based on video evalu...
Norris JK, Slusarewicz P, Nielsen MK.The efficacy of anthelmintic treatments against populations of endoparasites infecting livestock throughout the world is decreasing. To mitigate this, the use of fecal egg counts is recommended to determine both the necessity, and to ensure the appropriate choice, of anthelmintic treatment. Traditionally, and in order to facilitate easier identification and/or enumeration, samples are analysed after separating eggs from other fecal particulates by exposing them to a solution with a density higher than that of the eggs, but lower than the remaining fecal contents. While many parasite egg flotat...
Ablondi M, Viklund Å, Lindgren G, Eriksson S, Mikko S.A growing demand for improved physical skills and mental attitude in modern sport horses has led to strong selection for performance in many warmblood studbooks. The aim of this study was to detect genomic regions with low diversity, and therefore potentially under selection, in Swedish Warmblood horses (SWB) by analysing high-density SNP data. To investigate if such signatures could be the result of selection for equestrian sport performance, we compared our SWB SNP data with those from Exmoor ponies, a horse breed not selected for sport performance traits. Results: The genomic scan for homoz...
Hobbs SJ, Clayton HM.One of the goals of the neuromotor control system is to minimize the cost of locomotion by reducing mechanical energy losses. Collisional mechanics, which studies the redirection of the downwards motion of the center of mass (COM) by ground reaction forces (GRF) generated by the limbs, represents an important source of energy loss. The primary objective of this study was to compare collisional mechanics and the associated mechanical energy losses in horses performing diagonally-synchronized gaits over a range of speeds. It is to be expected that collisional energy losses will be high when the ...
Bernauer K, Kollross H, Schuetz A, Farmer K, Krueger K.A previous study demonstrated that horses can learn socially from observing humans, but could not draw any conclusions about the social learning mechanisms. Here we develop this by showing horses four different human action sequences as demonstrations of how to press a button to open a feed box. We tested 68 horses aged between 3 and 12 years. 63 horses passed the habituation phase and were assigned either to the group Hand Demo (N = 13) for which a kneeling person used a hand to press the button, Head Demo (N = 13) for which a kneeling person used the head, Mixed Demo (N = 12) fo...
Hatam-Nahavandi K, Ahmadpour E, Carmena D, Spotin A, Bangoura B, Xiao L.Cryptosporidium spp. are causative agents of gastrointestinal diseases in a wide variety of vertebrate hosts. Mortality resulting from the disease is low in livestock, although severe cryptosporidiosis has been associated with fatality in young animals. Methods: The goal of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to review the prevalence and molecular data on Cryptosporidium infections in selected terrestrial domestic and wild ungulates of the families Bovidae (bison, buffalo, cattle, goat, impala, mouflon sheep, sheep, yak), Cervidae (red deer, roe deer, white-tailed deer), Camelidae (al...
MacLaren JA, McHorse BK.The absence of preserved soft tissues in the fossil record is frequently a hindrance for palaeontologists wishing to investigate morphological shifts in key skeletal systems, such as the limbs. Understanding the soft tissue composition of modern species can aid in understanding changes in musculoskeletal features through evolution, including those pertaining to locomotion. Establishing anatomical differences in soft tissues utilising an extant phylogenetic bracket can, in turn, assist in interpreting morphological changes in hard tissues and modelling musculoskeletal movements during evolution...
Galli C, Lagutina I, Duchi R, Colleoni S, Lazzari G.The cloning of equids was achieved in 2003, several years after the birth of Dolly the sheep and also after the cloning of numerous other laboratory and farm animal species. The delay was because of the limited development in the horse of more classical-assisted reproductive techniques required for successful cloning, such as oocyte maturation and in vitro embryo production. When these technologies were developed, the application of cloning also became possible and cloned horse offspring were obtained. This review summarizes the main technical procedures that are required for cloning equids an...
Burger D, Meuwly C, Marti E, Sieme H, Oberthür M, Janda J, Meinecke-Tillmann S, Wedekind C.Genes of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) have been shown to influence communication in many vertebrates, possibly with context-specific MHC-correlated reactions. Here we test for MHC-linked female preferences in the polygynous horse (Equus caballus) by repeatedly exposing 19 mares to a group of seven sexually experienced stallions. Each mare was tested four times during two consecutive reproductive cycles, twice during estrus and twice during diestrus. Male plasma testosterone concentrations were determined from weekly blood samples, and equine leukocyte antigen (ELA) class I and II...
Mendez DH, Büttner P, Kelly J, Nowak M, Speare Posthumously R.Communication skills are essential for veterinarians who need to discuss animal health related matters with their clients. When dealing with an emerging zoonosis, such as Hendra virus (HeV), veterinarians also have a legal responsibility to inform their clients about the associated risks to human health. Here we report on part of a mixed methods study that examined the preparedness of, and difficulties experienced by, veterinarians communicating about HeV-related risks with their clients. Methods: Phase 1 was an exploratory, qualitative study that consisted of a series of face-to-face, semi-st...
Thirstrup JP, Pertoldi C, Loeschcke V.A genetic analysis was performed on three indigenous Danish horse breeds using 12 microsatellite markers from a standard kit for parental testing. These three breeds are all considered endangered based on their small population sizes. Genetic variation in these three breeds was comparable to other horse breeds in Europe, and they do not seem to be at immediate danger of extinction caused by genetic deterioration. The Knabstrupper breed had more genetic variation, as measured by expected heterozygosity and allelic richness, than the other two breeds (Frederiksborg and Jutland). F(ST) statistics...
Rowland M, Coombs T, Connor M.Traveller horses are often perceived to be exposed to poor welfare due to Travellers' traditional way of horsemanship. However, few studies have investigated Traveller horse welfare. Hence, the present study aims to explore Traveller horse owners' attitudes to horse care and welfare. Semi-structured interviews and discussion groups examined 14 Irish Traveller horse owners' attitudes and approach to horse ownership. Additionally, a body condition scoring (BCS) instrument was assessed for its accuracy and ease of use when applied by Traveller horse owners. Additionally, the BCS system was used t...
Staiger EA, Almén MS, Promerová M, Brooks S, Cothran EG, Imsland F, Jäderkvist Fegraeus K, Lindgren G, Mehrabani Yeganeh H, Mikko S, Vega-Pla JL....A previous study revealed a strong association between the DMRT3:Ser301STOP mutation in horses and alternate gaits as well as performance in harness racing. Several follow-up studies have confirmed a high frequency of the mutation in gaited horse breeds and an effect on gait quality. The aim of this study was to determine when and where the mutation arose, to identify additional potential causal mutations and to determine the coalescence time for contemporary haplotypes carrying the stop mutation. We utilized sequences from 89 horses representing 26 breeds to identify 102 SNPs encompassing the...
Clauss M, Heck L, Veitschegger K, Geiger M.There are different descriptions of allometric relationships between important components of the mammalian skull. Craniofacial evolutionary allometry describes a pattern of increasing facial cranium in larger skulls. Another body of literature describes disproportionately larger teeth in smaller species or specimens, matching anecdotal observations with dental problems in dwarf breeds whose teeth appear "too large for their skulls." We test the scaling of tooth row length with body size and skull length in a data set comprising 114 domestic horses (representing 40 breeds) and in another data ...
Pira E, Vacca GM, Dettori ML, Piras G, Moro M, Paschino P, Pazzola M.One hundred and eighty Anglo-Arabian horses running 1239 races were sampled for the present study. DNA was extracted from the blood and myostatin gene, MSTN, was genotyped. Moreover, prizes won and places were achieved for the 1239 races to perform association analyses between the different genotypes and sport traits. Two SNPs already reported in previous studies regarding the Thoroughbred breed, rs69472472 and rs397152648, were revealed as polymorphic. The linkage disequilibrium analysis investigating the haplotype structure of MSTN did not evidence any association block. Polymorphism at SNP ...
Taylor KA, Durrheim D, Heller J, O'Rourke B, Hope K, Merritt T, Freeman P, Chicken C, Carrick J, Branley J, Massey P.Psittacosis is a rare but potentially fatal zoonosis caused by Chlamydia psittaci, an organism that is typically associated with bird contact. However C. psittaci is capable of infecting other non-avian hosts, such as horses, sheep, cattle and goats. Stud staff and veterinarians have significant exposure to parturient animals and reproductive materials in their routine work. To investigate the zoonotic potential associated with the emergence of C. psittaci as an abortifacient agent in horses, we established a programme of joint human and animal surveillance in a sentinel horse-breeding regio...
Slater C, Dymond S.Inappropriate behavior during common handling procedures with horses is often subject to aversive treatment. The present study replicated and extended previous findings using differential reinforcement to shape appropriate equine handling behavior. In Study 1, a multiple baseline across subjects design was used with four horses to determine first the effects of shaping target-touch responses and then successive approximations of full truck loading under continuous and intermittent schedules of reinforcement. Full loading responses were shaped and maintained in all four horses and occurrences o...
Mrugala D, Leatherwood JL, Morris EF, Dickson EC, Latham CM, Owen RN, Beverly MM, Kelley SF, White-Springer SH.Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) improves oxidative stress and mitochondrial biogenesis in various species but has not been thoroughly investigated in horses. We collected blood and muscle samples from lightly exercising horses before and 6 and 12 wk after receiving either soybean oil (CON; n = 5) or CLA (CLA; n = 5) supplementation. Samples were analyzed for markers of mitochondrial characteristics, antioxidant status, oxidative stress, and muscle damage. Data were analyzed using a linear model with repeated measures. In the triceps brachii (TB), citrate synthase (CS) activity was higher in CON...
Taylor K, Thomas S, Mendez D, Chicken C, Carrick J, Heller J, Durrheim D.Employees in the equine industry are at occupational risk of zoonoses such as Hendra virus and equine chlamydiosis through exposure to infected materials. This study aimed to gain a deeper understanding of the views and experiences of employees, and the key drivers of infection control and personal biosecurity (PB) practices in the Thoroughbred breeding industry. Methods: An exploratory qualitative study was conducted in 2018 in New South Wales, Australia using interviews (9) and small group discussions (7). The 29 participants included veterinarians, veterinary nurses, foaling staff, stud man...
Kamiński S, Hering DM, Jaworski Z, Zabolewicz T, Ruść A.The aim of this study was to assess the inbreeding coefficient of Polish Konik horses based on runs of homozygosity (ROH). Ninety six horses kept in 6 herds located across Poland were genotyped with the use of EquineSNP60 BeadChip (Illumina). SNP markers with a Minor Allele Frequency lower than 0.01 and SNPs assigned to chromosome X or Y were excluded from the study. A total of 50 708 SNPs were included for statistical analysis (SVS software, Golden Helix). The analysis showed that the population is in genetic equilibrium, with He and Ho estimates both equal to 0.3086. Seven categories of Runs...
Hurn SD, Turner AG.To record the prevalence and document the types of eye disease in population of Thoroughbred racehorses in Victoria, Australia. Methods: Prospective study. Methods: Two hundred four Thoroughbred racehorses. Methods: All horses and both eyes were examined at four metropolitan and two country racing stable complexes. Ophthalmic exam was performed following dark adaptation with a transilluminator, biomicroscope, and direct ophthalmoscope. Intraocular pressures were measured when indicated. Both pupils were dilated with tropicamide when indicated. Results: One hundred eighty-two (89.2%) flat-racin...
Brito LF, Greene LM, Kelleman A, Knobbe M, Turner R.The objective of this study was to determine the effects of method and clinician on stallion sperm morphology evaluation. Five clinicians evaluated 60 semen samples using wet-mount preparations with phase-contrast, eosin/nigrosin-stained semen smears, and Papanicolaou-stained semen smears. There were significant differences among methods for all sperm morphology categories and most intra-class correlation coefficients were only fair to moderate. The use of wet-mount preparations facilitated detection of acrosome defects, nuclear vacuoles, and cytoplasmic droplets when compared to stained smear...
Hoffmann G, Bentke A, Rose-Meierhöfer S, Berg W, Mazetti P, Hardarson GH.Horses are often stabled in individual boxes, a method that does not meet their natural needs and may cause psychical and musculoskeletal diseases. This problem is particularly evident in Iceland, where horses often spend the long winter periods in cramped boxes. The aim of this study was to analyze the suitability of a group housing system in Iceland, but the results are also applicable to horses of other regions. Eight Icelandic horses were observed in an active stable system, and their behavior and time budget were recorded. Movement and lying behavior were studied with ALT (Activity, Lying...
Tavenner MK, McDonnell SM, Biddle AS.Early development of the gut microbiome is an essential part of neonate health in animals. It is unclear whether the acquisition of gut microbes is different between domesticated animals and their wild counterparts. In this study, fecal samples from ten domestic conventionally managed (DCM) Standardbred and ten semi-feral managed (SFM) Shetland-type pony foals and dams were compared using 16S rRNA sequencing to identify differences in the development of the foal hindgut microbiome related to time and management. Results: Gut microbiome diversity of dams was lower than foals overall and within ...
Harvey AM, Beausoleil NJ, Ramp D, Mellor DJ.The mental experiences of animals are what characterises their welfare status. The Five Domains Model for assessing welfare aligns with the understanding that physical and mental states are linked. Following measurement of indicators within each of the four physical/functional Domains (1. Nutrition; 2. Physical environment; 3. Health; and 4. Behavioural interactions), the anticipated negative or positive affective consequences (mental experiences) are cautiously inferred and assigned to Domain 5. Those inferences derive credibility from validated knowledge of the underlying systems of physiolo...
Tremoleda JL, Van Haeften T, Stout TA, Colenbrander B, Bevers MM.Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is the method of choice for fertilizing horse oocytes in vitro. Nevertheless, for reasons that are not yet clear, embryo development rates are low. The aims of this study were to examine cytoskeletal and chromatin reorganization in horse oocytes fertilized by ICSI or activated parthenogenetically. Additional oocytes were injected with a sperm labeled with a mitochondrion-specific vital dye to help identify the contribution of the sperm to zygotic structures, in particular the centrosome. Oocytes were fixed at set intervals after sperm injection and exami...
Wasiński B, Paschalis-Trela K, Trela J, Czopowicz M, Kita J, Żychska M, Cywińska A, Markowska-Daniel I, Carter C, Witkowski L.Leptospirosis is one of the most common zoonotic infections worldwide, including in most livestock, some companion animals, horses, wildlife, and humans. Epidemiological estimation of its prevalence in all species is difficult due to the variety of clinical presentations and challenges regarding laboratory diagnosis. The purpose of this study was to measure the seroprevalence of leptospiral infection in Arabian horses kept in the largest breeding farms in Poland, representing over 15% of the Polish Arabian horse population. Leptospira antibodies were detected by MAT (cut-off 1:100) in 33.2% of...
Yongfeng Y, Xiaobo S, Nan X, Jingwen Z, Wenqiang L.To monitor the occurrence of equine influenza in large-scale donkey farms in Liaocheng City, Shandong Province, serological investigation and sequence analysis of HA/M protein gene of equine influenza virus (EIV) were carried out. Samples (n = 65) of the lung and nasal swab were collected in six different large-scale donkey farms and detected with RT-PCR for HA and M protein gene. The homology and evolution of HA and M genes were analysed with known sequences. Antibody titres of serum samples (n = 120, unvaccinated) level was determined by the HI test. The average seropositive rate was 32....
Matsuura A, Irimajiri M, Matsuzaki K, Hiraguri Y, Nakanowatari T, Yamazaki A, Hodate K.The aim of this study was to establish a method for estimating loading capacity for Japanese native horses by gait analysis using an accelerometer. Six mares of Japanese native horses were used. The acceleration of each horse was recorded during walking and trotting along a straight course at a sampling frequency of 200 Hz. Each horse performed 12 tests: one test with a loaded weight of 80 kg (First 80 kg) followed by 10 tests with random loaded weights between 85 kg and 130 kg and a final test with a loaded weight of 80 kg again. The time series of acceleration was subjected to fa...
Beythien E, Wulf M, Ille N, Aurich J, Aurich C.In pregnant mares, peripheral insulin antagonism channels glucose preferentially to the foetus. On the other hand, horses reduce their metabolic activity in winter. Taking these aspects of equine pregnancy and metabolism together, we hypothesized that glucose clearance from blood and the insulin response to glucose do not only change throughout gestation but also with season. To test this hypothesis, the glucose and insulin response to an oral glucose test and relative insulin release were analysed in pregnant mares (n=12) and in geldings (n=10) as controls. Animals were tested in June, Septem...
Yoon J, Park T, Sohn Y, Lee SK, Park BJ, Ahn HS, Go HJ, Kim DH, Lee JB, Park SY, Song CS, Lee SW, Choi IS.Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is an emerging zoonotic pathogen causing hepatitis worldwide. Despite the prevalent evidence of interspecies HEV infection in various animal species, the role of horses in HEV epidemiology remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the prevalence of HEV infection in 283 blood and 114 fecal samples from 397 horses using sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and nested reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Among the 283 serum samples, 35 were positive for anti-HEV antibodies (12.4%; 95% confidence interval: 8.8-16.8), and four of the five sampling reg...
Haase B, Rieder S, Leeb T.White spotting phenotypes have been intensively studied in horses, and although similar phenotypes occur in the donkey, little is known about the molecular genetics underlying these patterns in donkeys. White spotting in donkeys can range from only a few white areas to almost complete depigmentation and is characterised by a loss of pigmentation usually progressing from a white spot in the hip area. Completely white-born donkeys are rare, and the phenotype is characterised by the complete absence of pigment resulting in pink skin and a white coat. A dominant mode of inheritance has been demons...
Amaral A, Fernandes C, Rebordão MR, Szóstek-Mioduchowska A, Lukasik K, Pinto-Bravo P, Telo da Gama L, Jan Skarzynski D, Ferreira-Dias G.Neutrophils can originate neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). Myeloperoxidase (MPO) is a peroxidase found in NETs associated to equine endometrosis and can be inhibited by 4-aminobenzoic acid hydrazide (ABAH). Metallopeptidases (MMPs) participate in extracellular matrix stability and fibrosis development. The objectives of this in vitro work were to investigate, in explants of mare's endometrium, (i) the ABAH capacity to inhibit MPO-induced collagen type I (COL1) expression; and (ii) the action of MPO and ABAH on the expression and gelatinolytic activity of MMP-2/-9. Explants retrieved from...
Zhang L, Wang X, Zhan Q, Wang Z, Xu M, Zhu D, He F, Liu X, Huang R, Li D, Lei Y, Xie P.Borna disease virus (BDV) is a non-cytolytic, neurotropic RNA virus that can infect many vertebrate species, including humans. To date, BDV infection has been reported in a range of animal species across a broad global geographic distribution. However, a systematic epidemiological survey of BDV infection in domesticated animals in China has yet to be performed. In current study, BDV RNA and antibodies in 2353 blood samples from apparently healthy animals of eight species (horse, donkey, dog, pig, rabbit, cattle, goat, sheep) from three areas in western China (Xinjiang province, Chongqing munic...
Ahn H, Kim J, Lee H, Lee E, Lee GS.Inflammasome, a cytosolic multi-protein complex, assembly is a response to sensing intracellular pathogenic and endogenic danger signals followed by caspase-1 activation, which maturates precursor cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-1β. Most inflammasome research has been undertaken in humans and rodents, and inflammasomes in veterinary species have not been well-characterized. In this study, we observed the effects of well-known inflammasome activators on equine peripheral blood monocytes (PBMCs). The NLRP3 inflammasome triggers include ATP, nigericin, aluminum crystals, and monosodium urate ...
Kieken F, Pinel G, Antignac JP, Monteau F, Christelle Paris A, Popot MA, Bonnaire Y, Le Bizec B.Despite the worldwide existing regulation banning the use of the recombinant equine growth hormone (reGH) as growth promoter, it is suspected to be used in horseracing to improve performances. Various analytical methods previously developed to screen for its misuse have encountered some limitations in terms of detection timeframes, in particular during the first days following reGH administration. A novel strategy involving the characterization of global metabolomic fingerprints in urine samples of non-treated and reGH-treated horses by liquid chromatography-electrospray-high-resolution mass s...
