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.
Durham AE, Hall YS, Kulp L, Underwood C.Streptococcus equi represents a common hazard to equids worldwide. Environmental contamination with bacteria shed from an infected horse may represent a significant source of contagion and further knowledge of ex vivo bacterial survival under different conditions is important for disinfection and isolation protocols. Objective: To determine the potential duration of survival and vigour of growth of S. equi inoculated onto surfaces relevant to equine veterinary practice and stabling in summer and winter. Methods: Repeat sampling of environmental inocula of S. equi. Methods: Cultures of S. equi ...
Manna G, Cersini A, Nardini R, Bartolomé Del Pino LE, Antognetti V, Zini M, Conti R, Lorenzetti R, Veneziano V, Autorino GL, Scicluna MT.Babesia caballi and Theileria equi are tick-borne pathogens causing equine piroplasmosis infecting the Equidae family in which they cause significant sanitary and economic losses. Furthermore, equine piroplasmosis is included in the World Animal Health Organization (OIE) notifiable diseases list with possible movement restrictions for positive horses. Thirty-nine EDTA and whole-blood samples collected during 2013 and 2014 from symptomatic and asymptomatic horses of Central-Southern Italy were included in the present study either because of their strongly positive results in Real Time (RT) PCRs...
Carrera JP, Bagamian KH, Travassos da Rosa AP, Wang E, Beltran D, Gundaker ND, Armien B, Arroyo G, Sosa N, Pascale JM, Valderrama A, Tesh RB....Members of the genera (family ) and (family ) are important zoonotic human and equine etiologic agents of neurologic diseases in the New World. In 2010, an outbreak of Madariaga virus (MADV; formerly eastern equine encephalitis virus) and Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV) infections was reported in eastern Panamá. We further characterized the epidemiology of the outbreak by studying household contacts of confirmed human cases and of equine cases with neurological disease signs. Serum samples were screened using a hemagglutination inhibition test, and human results were confirmed u...
Thomer A, Gottschalk M, Christmann A, Naccache F, Jung K, Hewicker-Trautwein M, Distl O, Metzger J.Curly coat represents an extraordinary type of coat in horses, particularly seen in American Bashkir Curly Horses and Missouri Foxtrotters. In some horses with curly coat, a hypotrichosis of variable extent was observed, making the phenotype appear more complex. In our study, we aimed at investigating the genetic background of curly coat with and without hypotrichosis using high density bead chip genotype and next generation sequencing data. Genome-wide association analysis detected significant signals (p = 1.412 × 10-05-1.102 × 10-08) on horse chromosome 11 at 22-35 Mb. In thi...
Heck L, Wilson LAB, Evin A, Stange M, Sánchez-Villagra MR.In horses, the morphological changes induced by the process of domestication are reportedly less pronounced than in other species, such as dogs or pigs - although the horses' disparity has rarely been empirically tested. We investigated shape differences and modularity of domesticated horses, Przewalski's horses, donkeys and zebras. Mandibular and tooth shape have been shown to be valuable features for differentiating wild and domesticated forms in some mammals. Results: Both mandible and teeth, show a pattern of shape space occupation analogous to that of the cranium, with domesticated horses...
Kenny LB, Ward D, Robson MG, Williams CA.Many methods exist for estimating species composition, but few studies compare those useful in improved horse pastures. The objective of this study was to examine 4 techniques for estimating desirable forage species composition in 2 cool-season horse pastures based on prevalence estimates, repeatability, bias, and practicality, and to select a method for use in a subsequent grazing study. The techniques included Equine Pasture Evaluation Disc (EPED), Line-Point Intercept with 3 transects of 50 observations each (LPI 3-50), LPI with 5 transects of 30 observations each (LPI 5-30), and Step Point...
Williams T, Rude B, Liao S, Mochal-King C, Nicodemus M.The objective of this study was to observe how fat incorporated into an equine forage-based diet through supplementation altered levels of plasma glucose, insulin and fatty acids. Five Shetland/Hackney cross pony mares were fed alfalfa pellet diets top dressed with commercially available vegetable oil (blend of soya bean, canola and corn oils) at 0%, 5%, 10% or 15% of diet. Ponies were randomly assigned one of four diets to start, with a 14-day adjustment period between transitioning to another one of the four diets. Ponies were gradually adapted to the new diet within the 14-day period before...
Ybañez AP, Ybañez RHD, Talle MG, Arreglo RMT, Geens MJC, Villas JGI, Villar SR, Laruga CL, Cao S, Moumouni FPA, Liu M, Igarashi I, Xuan X.Theileria equi and Babesia caballi are tick-borne protozoan parasites that can cause anemia in horses. In the Philippines, serological detection of these parasites has only been reported in the Northern area (Luzon). In this study, 105 horses from Cebu and Bohol, Philippines were tested using peripheral blood smear examination (PBSE), immunochromatographic test (ICT) strips, and PCR. Clinical history, presenting clinical signs and complete blood count were obtained. Results revealed that although all horses were negative using PBSE, 23 (21.9%) were positive (12 for T. equi, and 11 for B. cabal...
Kim NY, Son JK, Cho IC, Shin SM, Park SH, Seong PN, Woo JH, Park NG, Park HB.Temperament can be defined as a type of behavioral tendency that appears in a relatively stable manner in responses to various external stimuli over time. The aim of this study was to estimate genetic parameters for the records of temperament testing that are used to improve the temperament of Jeju crossbred (Jeju×Thoroughbred) horses. Methods: This study was conducted using 205 horses (101 females and 104 males) produced between 2010 and 2015. The experimental animals were imprinted and tamed according to the Manual for Horse Taming and Evaluation for Therapeutic Riding Horses and evaluated ...
Szczepanik MP, Wilkołek PM, Adamek ŁR, Gołyński M, Sitkowski W, Taszkun I.The measurement of transepidermal water loss (TEWL) is one of the biophysical skin parameters used to assess skin barrier function. Assessment of transepidermal water loss, may depend on such factors as body region, age, sex or breed and the hair coat has been considered as one of the factors that may cause variation of TEWL values. The aim of our research was an examination of the influence of clipping on the amount of TEWL. The examination was performed with 12 Wielkopolska horses with Courage Khazaka Multi Probe Adapter 5 and a TEWL TM 300 probe. The TEWL values were statistically constant ...
Siwińska N, Żak A, Słowikowska M, Kubiak K, Jaworski Z, Niedzwiedź A.Hair is a more biologically stable material than other tissues and contains a relatively constant level of minerals, drugs or toxins. The content of essential elements in hair depends on dietary and non-dietary factors. The aim of this study was to assess and compare the effect of diet on the elemental composition and morphological properties of the hair of healthy Polish Konik horses. Mane hair was collected from 19 horses living in The National Park in Popielno in Poland. Six of these horses were free-ranged all year with permanent access to pasture, while 13 horses were kept in the stable a...
Seluanov A, Gladyshev VN, Vijg J, Gorbunova V.Cancer researchers have traditionally used the mouse and the rat as staple model organisms. These animals are very short-lived, reproduce rapidly and are highly prone to cancer. They have been very useful for modelling some human cancer types and testing experimental treatments; however, these cancer-prone species offer little for understanding the mechanisms of cancer resistance. Recent technological advances have expanded bestiary research to non-standard model organisms that possess unique traits of very high value to humans, such as cancer resistance and longevity. In recent years, several...
Smith LCR, Wylie CE, Palmer L, Ramzan PHL.There is a need for investigation of associations between intrasynovial medication and fracture risk in racehorses. Objective: To document the proportion and type of fracture occurring following intrasynovial medication. Methods: Retrospective longitudinal study. Methods: Review of clinical records from all Thoroughbred flat racehorses receiving intrasynovial medication under the care of a first-opinion veterinary practice between 2006 and 2011. Fractures pre- and post-medication were categorised by location, type, and severity; analysis of fractures sustained within 56-days of medication was ...
Saleem S, Ijaz M, Farooqi SH, Ghaffar A, Ali A, Iqbal K, Mehmood K, Zhang H.Equine granulocytic anaplasmosis (EGA) is an important tick borne disease of equines that is caused by Anaplasma phagocytophilum (A. phagocytophilum). The etiological agent has veterinary as well as public health importance because of its zoonotic nature. A. phagocytophilum causes an acute illness in equines with loss of appetite, lethargy, hemorrhages and lameness. Clinically, EGA is diagnosed upon examination of morulae within neutrophils especially granulocytes in the blood. The best diagnostic tool for the detection of EGA is Polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Previous studies suggested that...
Steinhoff-Wagner J.Coat clipping is a common practice in sport horses; however, timing, purpose, technique, and clips vary widely, as do the management and feeding of a clipped horse. The aim of this study was to collect data regarding common clipping practices. A questionnaire was published online in Germany and contained 32 questions. Four hundred ninety-eight people answered at least one question, and 373 individuals (7% male, 93% female; ages 14-59 years) completed all the questions. Clipped horses were predominantly used as sport horses (68%), and they were either clipped immediately before or during the w...
Adams RJ, Kim SS, Mollenkopf DF, Mathys DA, Schuenemann GM, Daniels JB, Wittum TE.Antimicrobial-resistant bacteria represent an important concern impacting both veterinary medicine and public health. The rising prevalence of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL), AmpC beta-lactamase, carbapenemase (CRE) and fluoroquinolone-resistant Enterobacteriaceae continually decreases the efficiency of clinically important antibiotics. Moreover, the potential for zoonotic transmission of antibiotic-resistant enteric bacteria increases the risk to public health. Our objective was to estimate the prevalence of specific antibiotic-resistant bacteria on human contact surfaces in various ...
Hardefeldt LY, Gilkerson JR, Billman-Jacobe H, Stevenson MA, Thursky K, Bailey KE, Browning GF.Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programs are yet to be widely implemented in veterinary practice and medical programs are unlikely to be directly applicable to veterinary settings. Objective: To gain an in-depth understanding of the factors that influence effective AMS in veterinary practices in Australia. Methods: A concurrent explanatory mixed methods design was used. The quantitative phase of the study consisted of an online questionnaire to assess veterinarians' attitudes to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and antimicrobial use in animals, and the extent to which AMS currently is implemente...
Hintze S, Melotti L, Colosio S, Bailoo JD, Boada-Saña M, Würbel H, Murphy E.Judgement bias tasks are promising tools to assess emotional valence in animals, however current designs are often time-consuming and lack aspects of validity. This study aimed to establish an improved design that addresses these issues and can be used across species. Horses, rats, and mice were trained on a spatial Go/No-go task where animals could initiate each trial. The location of an open goal-box, at either end of a row of five goal-boxes, signalled either reward (positive trial) or non-reward (negative trial). Animals first learned to approach the goal-box in positive trials (Go) and to...
Tomlinson JE, Wagner B, Felippe MJB, Van de Walle GR.Immune phenotyping of equine peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) is commonly described by single or double marker labeling, which limits complex phenotypic descriptions and subpopulation identification. Our objective was to develop a new multispectral flow cytometry protocol to identify and sort equine lymphocyte subpopulations using commercially available, pre-conjugated monoclonal antibodies to cell surface markers. Two clones of anti-equine CD8 (CVS8 and CVS21) were compared in combination with CD3. Clone CVS21 bound non-T CD3 cells in addition to CD8 T cells. Further analysis using c...
De Clercq D, Broux B, Vera L, Decloedt A, van Loon G.In human and veterinary medicine, monophasic action potential (MAP) analysis and determination of local refractory periods by contact electrode technique gives valuable information about local cardiac electrophysiological properties. It is used to investigate dysrhythmias and the impact of drugs on the myocardium. Precise measurement of total MAP duration is difficult, therefore the MAP duration is usually determined at a repolarization level of 90% (APD90). Until now, no studies are published about the feasibility of this technique in the standing non-sedated horse. In 6 healthy Warmblood hor...
Rosenstein PG, Tennent-Brown BS, Hughes D.To review the current literature pertaining to the use of lactate as a prognostic indicator and therapeutic guide, the utility of measuring lactate concentrations in body fluids other than blood or plasma, and the clinical management of hyperlactatemia in dogs, cats, and horses. Methods: Articles were retrieved without date restrictions primarily via PubMed, Scopus, and CAB Abstracts as well as by manual selection. Unassigned: Increased plasma lactate concentrations are associated with increased morbidity and mortality. In populations with high mortality, hyperlactatemia is moderately predicti...
Bischoff K, Moiseff J.Feed as a cause of poisoning in horses can occur on small or large scales. It is challenging to work up cases of suspected feed contamination, but there are resources available to veterinarians and owners. Feed contamination can be chemical or biological. This article focuses on and provides examples of chemical feed contamination including misformulation, adulteration, and natural contaminants. Additionally, recommendations for feed sampling and diagnostic submission, including legal documentation, are included.
Freeman DE.Colic surgery is one of few treatments in which a veterinarian can use a skill to save an animal's life from a deadly disease within a short timeframe. Unfortunately, such success is not achieved without considerable risk for surgical failure, which is responsible for most complications in the immediate post-operative period. The last 50 years have witnessed considerable improvements in colic surgery, although a ranking of the most important ones might not meet with universal agreement. Teamwork plays a critical role in the final outcome, starting and finishing with the referring veterinarian...
From early infancy, humans reason about the external world in terms of identifiable, solid, cohesive objects persisting in space and time. This is one of the most fundamental human skills, which may be part of our innate conception of object properties. Although object permanence has been extensively studied across a variety of taxa, little is known about how non-human animals reason about other object properties. In this study, we therefore tested how domestic horses (Equus ferus caballus) intuitively reason about object properties like solidity and height, to locate hidden food. Horses were ...
Mshelia ES, Adamu L, Wakil Y, Turaki UA, Gulani IA, Musa J.The equine gut harbours complex microbial populations which influence physiology, metabolism, nutrition and immune functions, while disruption to the gut microbiota has been linked with conditions such as lameness, diabetes and obesity. Therefore, the present study was conducted to determine the association between microbial dysbiosis, sex, age and body condition scores (BCS) of horses (Equus equus caballus) in Maiduguri and its environs. Forty horses were assessed by convenient sampling, while faecal samples were collected and analyzed to determine the microbiomes in the various age groups wi...
Rivera-Páez FA, Martins TF, Ossa-López PA, Sampieri BR, Camargo-Mathias MI.Rickettsiosis are emerging or re-emerging diseases, with a worldwide distribution associated to transmission by arthropod vectors. Rickettsia species belong to the spotted fever group (SFG) and are transmitted by hard ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) that may act as vectors and reservoirs. This study carried out a molecular detection of Rickettsia from 7 species of the family Ixodidae collected from domestic hosts by PCR amplification of fragments of the citrate synthase "gltA" gene and outer membrane protein "ompA" gene. Of the 204 samples analyzed, 11.3% (23) were positive for rickettsial infection. ...
García-Romero C, Carrillo Bilbao GA, Navarro JC, Martin-Solano S, Saegerman C.Arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) are a diverse group of ribonucleic acid (RNA) viruses, with the exception of African swine fever virus, that are transmitted by hematophagous arthropods to a vertebrate host. They are the important cause of many diseases due to their ability to spread in different environments and their diversity of vectors. Currently, there is no information on the geographical distribution of the diseases because the routes of transmission and the mammals (wild or domestic) that act as potential hosts are poorly documented or unknown. We conducted a systematic review fro...
Godsey MS, Amoo F, Yuill TM, Defoliart GR.A serologic survey and experimental virus transmission studies were done to assess the role of domestic animals as amplifier hosts of La Crosse (LACV) and Jamestown Canyon (JCV) viruses. Serum from 319 cows, 88 dogs, 122 equines, 47 swine, 10 goats, and 4 cats were tested for neutralizing antibody to LACV, JCV, trivittatus (TVTV), and snowshoe hare (SSHV) viruses. Antibody prevalences of LACV, TVTV, and SSHV were less than 10% in all species. Antibody to JCV was detected in all species except cats. Prevalence ranged from 10% in goats and swine to 29% in dogs. No age-associated trends in JCV pr...
Lanovaz JL, Clayton HM.Estimations of segmental inertial parameters are required for true inverse dynamics calculations during the swing phase of locomotion. This study attempts to quantify the effect of inertial parameter errors on inverse dynamic solutions. Swing phase forelimb net joint moments and powers at the trot (mean +/- s.d 3.03 +/- 0.16 m/s) were calculated with sagittal plane kinematic data from 5 Dutch Warmbloods using inertial parameters based on published regression equations for the breed. Significant peaks in the net moment and power curves for each forelimb joint were identified and measured. Net j...
Doreau M, Boulot S, Bauchart D, Barlet JP, Martin-Rosset W.Voluntary food intake, milk yield and composition, and blood metabolites were measured during the first 2 mo of lactation in draft broodmares fed diets containing either 95% hay and 5% concentrates (Diet F) or 50% hay and 50% concentrates (Diet C). Voluntary food intake was higher for mares fed Diet C than for those fed Diet F (22.9 vs. 21.4 kg dry matter in wk 4). Both diets, especially Diet C, were eaten in amounts exceeding the energy requirements. Daily milk yield in wk 4 was 26.4 kg and 23.4 kg for mares fed Diets C and F, respectively. Milk fat and protein concentrations were higher (P l...
Leiva M, Felici F, Carvalho A, Ramis A, Peña T.An 11-year-old Arabian mare was presented for investigation of a visible, pale-colored intraocular mass in the right eye. Results: An intraocular mass was detected clinically and ultrasonographically as originating from the superior temporal quadrant of the ciliary body and iris and causing secondary glaucoma. The echodense mass was occupying the majority of the vitreous chamber and extended into the anterior chamber. The left eye appeared normal. Results: Enucleation was recommended for therapeutic and diagnostic purposes. No adjuvant treatment was given. Histopathological examination demonst...
de Siqueira SM, da Costa Maia R, do Nascimento Ramos V, da Silva Rodrigues V, Szabó MPJ.We herein describe zebuine cattle tick infestation in a farm in southeast Brazil with an examination accurate enough to detect tick immatures and species other than R. microplus. Cattle were inspected monthly for ticks from May 2015 to May 2017 and 7604 ticks were collected along 276 bovine inspections. Rhipicephalus microplus was the dominant species (7197 specimens, 94.5% from the total), but Amblyomma sculptum was also collected (407/5.5%). Horse tick infestations were evaluated for comparison purposes of A. sculptum infestations of a primary host sharing pastures with bovines. Ticks were c...
Oki H, Willham RL, Sasaki Y.The Japan Racing Association (JRA) operates 10 national racecourses with both turf and dirt tracks. JRA formulates the rules for horseracing; registers owners, colors, and horses using foal registration; and licenses all JRA trainers and jockeys. In 1990, at the 10 racecourses there were 288 racing days, 3,353 races, and some 38,397 horses. Horse breeding is concentrated in 7 locations with 93% of the Thoroughbreds foaled each year coming from Hokkaido. Thoroughbred flat racing comprise 92% of all races held. Two year olds race together and nearly 40% of their races are run at 1200 m. Some 39%...
Paruch L, Paruch AM.Zoogenic faecal contamination of the environment is one of the indices included in the evaluation of ecological threats, health hazards and adverse impacts on various ecosystems. The risks and environmental concerns are associated with the fact that faeces of wild and domesticated animals constitute the largest source of environmental loading of enteropathogens associated with transmission of zoonotic diseases (enteric zoonoses). Although sick animals are more likely to transmit pathogens, healthy ones can also be the carriers and defecate them into the environment. This is of particular impor...
Kouam MK, Masuoka PM, Kantzoura V, Theodoropoulos G.Maximum entropy ecological niche modeling and spatial scan statistic were utilized to predict the geographic range and to investigate clusters of infections for equine piroplasms in Greece, using the Maxent and SaTScan programs, respectively. The eastern half of the country represented the culminating area with high probabilities (p>0.75) of presence of equine piroplasms and encompassed most regions with high concentration of equid host populations. The most important environmental factor that contributed to the ecological niche modeling was land cover followed by temperature. Significant c...
Cwiklinski K, Kooyman FN, Van Doorn DC, Matthews JB, Hodgkinson JE.Cyathostomins comprise a group of 50 species of parasitic nematodes that infect equids. Ribosomal DNA sequences, in particular the intergenic spacer (IGS) region, have been utilized via several methodologies to identify pre-parasitic stages of the commonest species that affect horses. These methods rely on the availability of accurate sequence information for each species, as well as detailed knowledge of the levels of intra- and inter-specific variation. Here, the IGS DNA region was amplified and sequenced from 10 cyathostomin species for which sequence was not previously available. Also, add...
Noronha LE, Antczak DF.Pregnant mares demonstrate a reduction in cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) reactivity against cells from the breeding stallion. We investigated whether this effect is limited to activity against paternal major histocompatibility complex (MHC) antigens, and whether it occurs during MHC-compatible pregnancy. Methods: Mares were mated to carry MHC-compatible or MHC-incompatible pregnancies. CTL activity of these mares when pregnant and non-pregnant was measured against cells from horses with MHC haplotypes unrelated to the mare or breeding stallion. Results: While carrying MHC-incompatible pregnancie...
Fenner MF, Gatta G, Sattler S, Kuiper M, Hesselkilde EM, Adler DMT, Smerup M, Schotten U, Sørensen U, Diness JG, Jespersen T, Verheule S....Small-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ (KCa2) channels have been proposed as a possible atrial-selective target to pharmacologically terminate atrial fibrillation (AF) and to maintain sinus rhythm. However, it has been hypothesized that the importance of the KCa2 current-and thereby the efficacy of small-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ current (I K,Ca) inhibition-might be negatively related to AF duration and the extent of AF-induced remodeling. Unassigned: To address the hypothesis of the efficacy of I K,Ca inhibition being dependent on AF duration, the anti-arrhythmic properties of the I K,Ca inh...
Ronéus M.Biopsy samples were taken from the middle gluteal muscle in 107 health Standardbred horses. The horses were separated according to sex and divided into 4 age groups (1, 2, 3 and 4-6 years). The proportion of Type I fibres increased with age (from 16 to 20%), irrespective of sex. The proportions of Type IIA and IIB fibres varied with age and differed between stallions and mares. Type IIA fibres increased in mares from 37 to 47% and in stallions from 40 to 48% and Type IIB fibres decreased from 49 to 34% in mares, and from 43 to 30% in stallions. Mares and stallions did not differ in enzyme acti...
Schmutz A, Chèze L, Jacques J, Martin P.With the emergence of numerical sensors in sports, there is an increasing need for tools and methods to compute objective motion parameters with great accuracy. In particular, inertial measurement units are increasingly used in the clinical domain or the sports one to estimate spatiotemporal parameters. The purpose of the present study was to develop a model that can be included in a smart device in order to estimate the horse speed per stride from accelerometric and gyroscopic data without the use of a global positioning system, enabling the use of such a tool in both indoor and outdoor condi...
Ryan CA, McNeal CD, Credille BC.Equine practitioners require recommendations that support antimicrobial stewardship and avoid generating resistance to medically important antibiotics. This review examines current inadequacies in antimicrobial stewardship standards within the veterinary community, related to antimicrobial categorisation and prescribing practices. Resistance to cephalosporin antibiotics in horses is also described. Properties of cephalosporin antibiotics are outlined and equine-specific studies of ceftiofur, a third-generation cephalosporin antibiotic with medical importance, are detailed. Readers are provided...
Carossino M, Thiry E, de la Grandière A, Barrandeguy ME.The current production of inactivated vaccines for the prevention of equine alphavirus encephalitides caused by Eastern, Western and Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis viruses (EEEV, WEEV, VEEV) involves the manipulation of large quantities of infectious viral particles under biosafety level 3 containment laboratories with the potential risk of transmission to the operators. Moreover, these vaccines are not capable of inducing a long-lasting immunity. Modified live vaccines, which were also attempted, maintain residual virulence and neurotropism, causing disease in both horses and humans. Therefor...
Vieira TS, Vieira RF, Krawczak FS, Soares HS, Guimarães AM, Barros-Filho IR, Marcondes M, Labruna MB, Biondo AW, Vidotto O.Although well established in dogs, Ehrlichia sp. infection has been scarcely reported in horses. The aim was to perform a comprehensive serological and molecular survey for the detection of Ehrlichia spp. in carthorses from Southern Brazil. Blood samples from 190 carthorses from Paraná State were sampled. Horses were also tested for Borrelia burgdorferi and Anaplasma phagocytophilum. Anti-Ehrlichia sp. antibodies were detected by a commercial rapid ELISA, and immunofluorescence antibody assays (IFA) with E. chaffeensis and E. canis as crude antigens. The molecular and phylogenetic analysis of...
Plasenzotti R, Stoiber B, Posch M, Windberger U.Comparative animal studies showed the wide variation of whole blood and plasma viscosity, and erythrocyte aggregation among mammalian species. Whole blood viscosity and red blood cell aggregation is influenced by red cell fluidity. To evaluate differences in erythrocyte deformability in mammals, three species were investigated, whose erythrocytes have a different aggregation property: horse, as a species with high, dog with medium, and sheep with almost unmeasurable aggregation tendency. Erythrocyte deformability was tested ektacytometrically (Elongation Index [EI], LORCA, Mechatronics, Hoorn,...
Aguilar-Montes de Oca S, Montes-de-Oca-Jiménez R, Carlos Vázquez-Chagoyán J, Barbabosa-Pliego A, Eliana Rivadeneira-Barreiro P....Peptides constitute an alternative and interesting option to develop treatments, vaccines, and diagnostic tools as they demonstrate their scope in several health aspects; as proof of this, commercial peptides for humans and animals are available on the market and used daily. This review aimed to know the role of peptides in the field of veterinary diagnosis, and include peptide-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (pELISA), lateral flow devices, and peptide latex agglutination tests that have been developed to detect several pathogens including viruses and bacteria of health and production ...
Pradel J, Chalvet Monfray K, Molia S, Vachiéry N, Rousteau A, Imbert D, Martinez D, Sabatier P, Lefrançois T.In Guadeloupe, West Nile virus (WNV) activity was first observed in equids in 2002, and a high seroprevalence was found in 2003. The objective of our study was to determine individual and environmental factors associated with the risk of WNV seropositivity during 2002-2003. Fieldwork was conducted to retrospectively determine the location of equids at the time of virus circulation and to collect information regarding environmental and individual variables. Sera were collected from 369 equids out of an estimated total population of less than 500. Thirty-four environmental and individual variabl...
Leemans B, Bromfield EG, Stout TAE, Vos M, Van Der Ham H, Van Beek R, Van Soom A, Gadella BM, Henning H.We describe the development of two methods for obtaining confluent monolayers of polarized, differentiated equine oviduct epithelial cells (EOEC) in Transwell inserts and microfluidic chips. EOECs from the ampulla were isolated post-mortem and seeded either (1) directly onto a microporous membrane as differentiated EOECs (direct seeding protocol) or (2) first cultured to a confluent de-differentiated monolayer in conventional wells, then trypsinized and seeded onto a microporous membrane (re-differentiation protocol). Maintenance or induction of EOEC differentiation in these systems was achiev...
Ahmed H, Chatterjee BP, Kelm S, Schauer R.A sialic acid-specific lectin, scorpin, has been purified to apparent homogeneity from the Indian scorpion Heterometrus granulomanus by affinity chromatography on equine submandibular gland glycopeptides linked to Sepharose and gel filtration on Sephadex G-200. The lectin has a molecular mass of 500 000 Da and was dissociated into single polypeptide chains of 15 000 Da, as determined by SDS gel electrophoresis in the presence of 2-mercaptoethanol. Scorpin is a glycoprotein containing 2.8% sugars. Its specificity was investigated by the inhibition of hemagglutination with various derivatives of...
Motlou TP, Williams J, Venter M.The genus, family , contains several important emerging and re-emerging arboviruses of veterinary and medical importance. These viruses may cause mild febrile illness, to severe encephalitis, fetal deformity, abortion, hemorrhagic fever and death in humans and/or animals. Shuni virus (SHUV) is a zoonotic arbovirus thought to be transmitted by hematophagous arthropods. It was previously reported in a child in Nigeria in 1966 and horses in Southern Africa in the 1970s and again in 2009, and in humans with neurological signs in 2017. Here we investigated the epidemiology and phylogenetic relatio...
DuBois C, Hambly-Odame H, Haley DB, Merkies K.As part of a larger Delphi survey project, equine professionals ( = 14) were presented with twelve short scenarios in which a horse's welfare could be compromised. They were asked to rank each scenario (with 0 indicating no welfare concerns and 5 indicating a situation where immediate intervention was necessary), provide justification for their ranking, and give examples of what might have been the motivation behind the scenario. The wide range within vignette scores demonstrated the diversity of opinion even among a relatively small group of equine professionals. Qualitative analysis of respo...
Clulow JR, Mansfield LJ, Morris LH, Evans G, Maxwell WM.The effects of sperm freezing concentration (40 x 10(6)mL(-1) vs. 400 x 10(6)mL(-1)), straw size (0.25 mL vs. 0.5 mL) and freezing method (liquid nitrogen vapour in a Styrofoam box vs. programmable freezing machine) were evaluated in a 2 x 2 x 2 factorial experimental design using 3 split ejaculates from each of 4 stallions. Immediately after thawing, the total motility and forward progressive motility of spermatozoa frozen at a concentration of 40 x 10(6)mL(-1) was higher than for spermatozoa frozen at 400 x 10(6)mL(-1). No significant differences were observed in the semen parameters assesse...
Clayton HM, Schamhardt HC, Hobbs SJ.In this study, sagittal plane ground reaction forces (GRFs) in ridden elite dressage horses performing 'collected trot' and in 'passage' over ground were determined. In-ground force plates captured GRF data from four Dutch Warmblood and four Lusitano horses ridden by their trainers. At least three stance phases were analysed for forelimbs and hind limbs per horse. The variables extracted were vertical and longitudinal (braking, propulsive) force maxima, their times of occurrence and the respective impulses for forelimbs and hind limbs. Lusitanos had lower vertical impulses than Dutch Warmblood...
Hamilton A, Harrington D, Sutcliffe IC.Acid phosphatases hydrolyse phosphomonoesters at acidic pH in a variety of physiological contexts. The recently defined class C family of acid phosphatases includes the 32 kDa LppC lipoprotein of Streptococcus equisimilis. To define further the distribution of acid phosphatases in the genus Streptococcus we have examined the equine pathogens Streptococcus equi subsp. equi and Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus. Whole cell assays indicated that these organisms possess two acid phosphatases with activity optima at pH 5.0 and pH 6.0-6.5 and that only the former of these was, like LppC, resis...
Mouloodi S, Rahmanpanah H, Burvill C, Davies HMS.The hierarchical nature of bone makes it a difficult material to fully comprehend. The equine third metacarpal (MC3) bone experiences nonuniform surface strains, which are a measure of displacement induced by loads. This paper investigates the use of an artificial neural network expert system to quantify MC3 bone loading. Previous studies focused on determining the response of bone using load, bone geometry, mechanical properties, and constraints as input parameters. This is referred to as a forward problem and is generally solved using numerical techniques such as finite element analysis (FEA...
Zhao S, Pan F, Cai S, Yi J, Zhou L, Liu Z.This study systematically investigated the differences in allergenicity of casein in cow milk (CM), goat milk (GM), camel milk (CAM), and mare milk (MM) from protein structures using bioinformatics. Primary structure sequence analysis reveals high sequence similarity between the -casein of CM and GM, while all allergenic subtypes are likely to have good hydrophilicity and thermal stability. By analyzing linear B-cell epitope, T-cell epitope, and allergenic peptides, the strongest casein allergenicity is observed for CM, followed by GM, and the casein of MM has the weakest allergenicity. Meanwh...
Severa L, Máchal L, Svábová L, Mamica O.This study quantified and evaluated the variability of sperm head shape for 10 different stallions. Sperm head shape characteristics including sperm head length to width ratio, position of the center of gravity, curvature, and degree of roundness were assessed and analysed from images using elliptic Fourier descriptors and inverse Fourier transformation. The first four principal components accounted for 88.46-92.33% of the total variance and provided a good summary of the overall data. In the case of the ejaculate with defective sperm heads the components accounted for 97.35-98.21% of variatio...
