Zoonotic diseases are infectious diseases that can be transmitted between animals and humans, with horses acting as potential hosts or vectors. These diseases can result from various pathogens, including bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungi, which can be transmitted through direct contact, vectors like mosquitoes, or environmental exposure. Horses can carry zoonotic pathogens such as Salmonella, West Nile Virus, and Leptospira, posing health risks to humans, particularly those working closely with equines. Understanding the transmission dynamics, prevention strategies, and control measures helps safeguard both equine and human health. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the epidemiology, pathogenesis, and management of zoonotic diseases associated with horses.
Trigo da Roza F, Couto N, Carneiro C, Cunha E, Rosa T, Magalhães M, Tavares L, Novais Â, Peixe L, Rossen JW, Lamas LP, Oliveira M.Multidrug-resistant (MDR) is considered a major global concern by the World Health Organization. Evidence is growing on the importance of circulation of MDR bacterial populations between animals and humans. Horses have been shown to carry commensal isolates of this bacterial species and can act as human MDR bacteria reservoirs. In this study, we characterized an extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing sequence type (ST) 348 isolate from a horse, an ST reported for the first time in an animal, using next-generation sequencing. We compared it with six other MDR ST348 human isolates pr...
Ali A, Khan MA, Zahid H, Yaseen PM, Qayash Khan M, Nawab J, Ur Rehman Z, Ateeq M, Khan S, Ibrahim M.Although ticks prevalent in various agro-systems of Pakistan are associated with economic losses, information is still missing about the tick's diversity, hosts they infest, seasonal dynamics and molecular phylogeny of in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Pakistan. This study for the first time enlisted ticks infesting diverse hosts including humans in various regions of KP. A total of 8,641 ticks were collected across the northern, southern and central regions of KP and were morpho-taxonomically categorized into six genera comprising 17 species, ( = 3,584, 42%), ( = 2,253, 27%) ( = 1,342, 16%), ( =...
Tandon V, Roy B, Shylla JA, Ghatani S.Amphistomes, commonly referred to as 'stomach' or 'rumen' flukes because of the localization of these flukes in the stomach of ruminants, are digenetic trematodes distinguished by the absence of an oral sucker and the position of the ventral sucker or acetabulum at the posterior end of the body. The body is characterized by leaf-like fleshy structure, pink or red in colour with a large posterior sucker. Amphistomes are an important group of parasites since they cause 'amphistomiasis' (variously known as paramphistomosis/amphistomosis), a serious disease of great economic importance in ruminant...
Li F, Su J, Chahan B, Guo Q, Wang T, Yu Z, Guo Y, Li N, Feng Y, Xiao L.Few studies have been conducted on the distribution of Cryptosporidium species and subtypes in equine animals. In this study, 878 stool specimens were collected during 2015-2019 from 551 donkeys and 327 horses in Shandong, Xinjiang, and Inner Mongolia, China and screened for Cryptosporidium spp. by PCR analysis of the small subunit rRNA gene. The Cryptosporidium species presented were identified by sequence analysis of the PCR products and subtyped by sequence analysis of the 60 kDa glycoprotein gene. The infection rates of Cryptosporidium spp. in horses and donkeys were 3.1% (10/327) and 14...
Demircan K, Onder Z, Duzlu O, Yildirim A, Okur M, Ciloglu A, Yetismis G, Inci A.The goal of our study was to investigate the molecular prevalence of Giardia intestinalis in naturally infected horses in Kayseri, Central Anatolia Region in Turkey, to determine the molecular characterization of the obtained isolates and to exhibit the potential role of horses in zoonotic transmission of G. intestinalis. Fecal samples were randomly collected from totally 150 horses with clinically healthy between March and June of 2018. After the genomic DNA extractions, 25 (16.6%) of the 150 fecal samples, were found positive for G. intestinalis by nested PCR analyses of β-giardin gene. P...
de Oliveira PB, Harvey TV, Fehlberg HF, Rocha JM, Martins TF, da Acosta ICL, Labruna MB, Faccini JLH, Albuquerque GR.Tick-borne spotted fever in Brazil is known to be caused by two agents, Rickettsia rickettsii and Rickettsia parkeri. Nothing was known about these agents in one area of the Atlantic rainforest biome of Bahia state, where during March to June 2016, 356 rural dogs and 69 horses were sampled and their sera were processed through indirect immunofluorescence assay against antigens of R. rickettsii, R. parkeri, Rickettsia amblyommatis and Rickettsia bellii. Ticks collected from these dogs and horses were molecularly tested for the presence of rickettsial DNA. Overall, 16.4% (58/356) dogs and 24.6% ...
Tsachev I, Baymakova M, Pantchev N.Lyme borreliosis, granulocytic anaplasmosis and monocytic ehrlichiosis are well studied in humans and dogs. In horses, these diseases are not widely investigated and limited information is available about their occurrence. The purpose of this study was to present the first ELISA-based report on the seroprevalence of Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Ehrlichia spp. and Borrelia burgdorferi in horses from Northern Bulgaria. A total of 192 horses were investigated from three regions in Northern Bulgaria (Northwestern, North-Central and Northeastern Bulgaria). All equine sera were tested for A. phagocyto...
Ebani VV.Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Rickettsia spp. are tick-borne bacteria of veterinary and human concern. In view of the One-Health concept, the present study wanted to evaluate the spreading of these pathogens in horses living in central Italy. In particular, the aim of the investigation was to verify the exposure to A. phagocytophilum in order to update the prevalence of this pathogen in the equine population from this area, and to spotted fever group (SFG) Rickettsia spp. to evaluate a possible role of horses in the epidemiology of rickettsiosis. Indirect immunofluorescent assay was carried ou...
Bourély C, Cazeau G, Jarrige N, Haenni M, Gay E, Leblond A.Horses are one of the potential reservoirs of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) determinants that could be transferred to human subjects. Objective: To describe the AMR patterns of major bacteria isolated from diseased horses in France. Methods: Retrospective observational study. Methods: Data collected between 2012 and 2016 by RESAPATH, the French national surveillance network for AMR, were analysed. Only antimicrobials relevant in veterinary and human medicine for the isolated bacteria were considered. Mono- and multidrug resistance were calculated. The resistance proportions of major equine di...
Munhoz AD, Souza MA, Costa SCL, Freitas JS, Silva AND, Lacerda LC, Cruz RDS, Albuquerque GR, Pereira MJS.The aim of this study was to determine the frequency and factors associated with Toxoplasma gondii in naturally infected equids in northeastern Brazil. Serum samples from 569 equids (528 horses, 8 mules and 33 donkeys) were subjected to the indirect fluorescent antibody test. Generalized linear models were used to evaluate associated factors. Among the 569 animals sampled, 118 (30.6%) living in rural areas and 14 (26.42%) in urban areas were seropositive (p>0.05). Seropositive animals were observed on 95% of the farms and in all the municipalities. Donkeys/mules as the host, presence of dom...
Spence KL, Slater J, Rosanowski SM, Cardwell JM.The international nature of the equine industry provides opportunities for the spread of infectious diseases between countries. While incursions of exotic diseases into the United Kingdom (UK) equine population have been rare, the potential socioeconomic and welfare impacts are a significant concern. However, little is known about leisure horse owners' ability or willingness to prepare for an exotic disease incursion. The objectives of this study were to describe UK leisure horse owners' awareness and perceptions of exotic diseases, and to identify clusters of horse owners characterised by the...
Niazmand MH, Hirai T, Ito S, Habibi WA, Noori J, Hasheme R, Yamaguchi R.We performed postmortem examinations on seven Misaki feral horses () and evaluated Misaki feral horses, Japanese wild boars (), domestic pigs (), and wild Japanese macaques () from 2015 to 2017 in Cape Toi, Kushima, Miyazaki Prefecture, southern Japan, for antibodies against Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV). infection with severe arterial lesions and hemomelasma ilei was present in all necropsied horses. We frequently found intestinal ulcers, perihepatitis filamentosa, and poor body condition. We recorded degenerative arthropathy in metacarpophalangeal joints in two cases and a fracture of t...
Riddin MA, Venter GJ, Labuschagne K, Villet MH.An upsurge in African horse sickness (AHS) in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, from 2006 led to an epidemiological reassessment of the disease there. Light trapping surveys carried out near horses, donkeys and zebras in 2014-2016 collected 39 species of Culicoides midge (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) that are potential vectors of AHS. To establish if these midges fed on equids, DNA sequences were obtained from the gut contents of 52 female midges (35 freshly blood-fed, 13 gravid and four parous), representing 11 species collected across 11 sites. Culicoides leucostictus fed on all three equids. Cul...
Boucheikhchoukh M, Mechouk N, Benakhla A, Raoult D, Parola P.The sheep ked, Melophagus ovinus, and the forest fly, Hippobosca equina, are parasitic dipteran insects of veterinary importance. As hematophagous insects, they might be considered as potential vectors of diseases which may be transmissible to humans and animals. The purpose of this study was to present initial primary data about these two species in Algeria. To do so, we conducted a molecular survey to detect the presence of bacterial DNA in flies collected in Algeria. A total of 712 flies including, 683 Melophagus ovinus and 29 Hippobosca equina were collected from two regions in northeaster...
Calderón JC, Astudillo M, Romero MH.Introduction: Police working horses are in close contact with their managers and the general population during recreational and patrol activities, which can favor the transmission of leptospirosis among the horses and the occupationally exposed personnel. Objective. To characterize epidemiologically leptospirosis through serology, urine culture and PCR in working horses and in the occupationally exposed population in six police stations in Colombia. Materials and methods. We tested 153 castrated male horses and 123 people in six police stations in the municipalities of Manizales, Pereira, Arme...
Rockstroh A, Moges B, Berneck BS, Sattler T, Revilla-Fernández S, Schmoll F, Pacenti M, Sinigaglia A, Barzon L, Schmidt-Chanasit J, Nowotny N....Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) and West Nile virus (WNV) are important arthropod-borne zoonotic flaviviruses. Due to the emergence of WNV in TBEV-endemic regions co-circulation of both viruses is increasing. Flaviviruses are structurally highly similar, which leads to cross-reacting antibodies upon infection. Currently available serological assays for TBEV and WNV infections are therefore compromised by false-positive results, especially in IgG measurements. In order to discriminate both infections novel diagnostic methods are needed. We describe an ELISA to measure IgG antibodies specif...
Smith RM, Bhoora RV, Kotzé A, Grobler JP, Lee Dalton D.Translocation of animals in fragmented habitats is an important means of dispersal and gene flow, however, the movement of animals has led to the spread of various diseases globally and wildlife are often the reservoirs of these diseases. Currently, Cape mountain zebra are translocated within South Africa as a management method for augmentation of isolated and fragmented populations. The movement of pathogens due to translocations in local regions have gone largely unchecked, particularly where there may still be isolated regions that can be negatively affected. Equine piroplasmosis is a tick-...
Young JJ, Coulombier D, Domanović D, Zeller H, Gossner CM.West Nile virus (WNV) infection is notifiable in humans and equids in the European Union (EU). An area where a human case is detected is considered affected until the end of the mosquito transmission season (week 48) and blood safety measures have to be implemented. We used human and equine case notifications between 2013 and 2017 to define the WNV distribution in the EU and to investigate the relevance of using equine cases as a complementary trigger for blood safety measures. Adding areas with equine cases to the definition of an affected area would have a major impact on blood safety measur...
Mbu'u CM, Mbacham WF, Gontao P, Sado Kamdem SL, Nlôga AMN, Groschup MH, Wade A, Fischer K, Balkema-Buschmann A.Nipah virus (NiV) and Hendra virus (HeV) are closely related members within the genus Henipavirus, family Paramyxoviridae, for which fruit bats serve as the reservoir. The initial emergence of NiV infections in pigs and humans in Malaysia, and HeV infections in horses and humans in Australia, posed severe impacts on human and animal health, and continues threatening lives of humans and livestock within Southeast Asia and Australia. Recently, henipavirus-specific antibodies have also been detected in fruit bats in a number of sub-Saharan African countries and in Brazil, thereby considerably inc...
Waqar N, Amin Q, Munir T, Ikram MS, Shahzad N, Mirza A, Ali A, Arshad MI.The present study aimed at investigating the percent prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in equines and associated personnel. A total of 150 swabs of equines and 50 nasal swab samples of associated personnel were collected. These samples were processed in mannitol salt broth for enrichment. A total of 175 nasal swab samples changed the broth color from pink to yellow which were detected as samples containing S. aureus. These samples were processed further on specific media, namely mannitol salt agar, Staph-110, and blood agar, for phenotypic and Gram's staining-bas...
Stejskalova K, Cvanova M, Oppelt J, Janova E, Horecky C, Horecka E, Knoll A, Leblond A, Horin P.West Nile virus (WNV) is a mosquito-borne zoonotic neurotropic virus capable to cause lethal meningoencephalitis (WNE) in infected hosts such as birds, horses, and humans. Due to their sensitivity, horses serve as sentinel species in areas at risk. We studied a population of Camargue horses living in Southern France in two zones with endemic WNV circulation where WNV outbreaks were recorded in 2000 and 2003-4. Two sets of microsatellite markers located in MHC and Ly49 genomic regions were genotyped as well as multiple SNPs in ten immunity-related candidate gene regions. Associations between ge...
Dhaouadi S, Mahjoub T, Drissi G, Bahri A, Mhadhbi M, Sassi L, Gharbi M.Leishmaniosis (Leishmania infantum infection) and piroplasmoses (Theileria equi and Babesia caballi infections) are vector-borne diseases with significant economic and public health impacts. Despite their importance, there is a lack of data concerning these infections in equids from Tunisia. The present study was carried out to estimate the prevalence of L. infantum, T. equi and B. caballi in 104 equids from northern Tunisia. The authors reported for the first time on the seroprevalence of anti-Leishmania antibodies in equids in Tunisia (6.7%). The study reported a high infection prevalence of...
Meny P, Menéndez C, Ashfield N, Quintero J, Rios C, Iglesias T, Schelotto F, Varela G.Leptospirosis is important in Uruguay due to the economic loss caused by the diseases of production animals, mainly bovines, and also due to frequent human infection. We decided to study anti-Leptospira antibodies in the sera of dairy workers, rice laborers, veterinarians, suburban slum dwellers and garbage recyclers. Our aims were to estimate the seroprevalence of infection by Leptospira spp. in these people at risk, the relative importance of the known risk factors associated with infection, and the impact of human infections in each setting. Groups at risk were identified and 35 visits to t...
Kaspar U, von Lützau K, Schlattmann A, Rösler U, Köck R, Becker K.Colonization with multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) belonging to the genus Staphylococcus and the order Enterobacterales poses a particular threat to populations at risk. While previous studies focused on MDRO carriage among livestock or companion animals, respective epidemiological data on the general equine population are limited. Here, carriage of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and extended spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) producing Enterobacteriaceae (ESBL-E) in non-hospitalized horses living on private farms in the rural area in Northwest Germany was assessed. Intran...
Santodomingo A, Sierra-Orozco K, Cotes-Perdomo A, Castro LR.Horses are among the domestic animals that closely interact with humans and are highly parasitized by ticks, which are the primary vectors of zoonoses. As horses in Tayrona National Natural Park (PNNT) are used as a means of transporting goods, luggage and people, they are in constant contact with wild animals, workers and tourists from different countries. These factors increase the transmission risk of hemoparasites. The purpose of this study was to determine the presence of Rickettsia sp., Anaplasma sp., and Theileria sp., in horse ticks in this protected area using conventional PCR. We col...
Rissanen K, Galat M, Kovalenko G, Rodnina O, Mikharovskyi G, Must K, Jokelainen P.Horses are recognized as important hosts for the zoonotic parasite Toxoplasma gondii, mainly because meat of infected horses can be a source of human T. gondii infections. However, the baseline knowledge on equine T. gondii infections is limited and lacking from many countries. This seroepidemiological study was set in Ukraine, a country where little is known about T. gondii prevalence in any host species. Methods: We investigated 78 serum samples from horses, collected from Kyiv and Lviv regions of Ukraine, using a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and a commercial modified...
Kandeil A, Gomaa M, Shehata M, El-Taweel A, Kayed AE, Abiadh A, Jrijer J, Moatasim Y, Kutkat O, Bagato O, Mahmoud S, Mostafa A, El-Shesheny R....Dromedary camels are natural host of the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). However, there are limited studies of MERS-CoV infection of other domestic mammals exposed to infected dromedaries. We expanded our surveillance among camels in Egypt, Tunisia, and Senegal to include other domestic mammalian species in contact with infected camels. A total of 820 sera and 823 nasal swabs from cattle, sheep, goats, donkeys, buffaloes, mules, and horses were collected. Swabs were tested using RT-PCR and virus RNA-positive samples were genetically sequenced and phylogenetically analy...
Among the protozoa of the genus Sarcocystis (Apicomplexa; Sarcocystidae), Sarcocystis bertrami (syn. Sarcocystis fayeri) is an obligate intracellular parasite of donkeys and horses with worldwide distribution. Here, we report the detection of S. bertrami in naturally infected donkeys from southern Italy and describe their structure by light microscopy (LM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Protozoal cysts were detected both morphologically and molecularly in skeletal muscles of 28.57% (40/140) donkeys. Mature cysts of S. bertrami were found in skeletal muscle measuring 31-102 μm l...
Cormier A, Zhang PLC, Chalmers G, Weese JS, Deckert A, Mulvey M, McAllister T, Boerlin P.Historically, extended-spectrum cephalosporin resistance in bacteria from animals in Canada has been attributed to the SHV and CMY β-lactamase families. This pattern is beginning to change with the emergence of the bla gene family among Escherichia coli recovered from various animal species. Here we analyze and compare whole genome sequences of bla-positive E. coli isolates (n = 173) from dogs, chicken, swine, horses and beef cattle in Canada. Ten bla variants were identified with bla and bla being identified in most animal species. These variants occurred across many sequence types, sugg...
Saxena A, Pal V, Tripathi NK, Goel AK.Burkholderia mallei, a potential biothreat agent is the aetiological agent of glanders, a zoonotic disease primarily affecting equines. B. mallei shares close genetic proximity with B. pseudomallei, the aetiological agent of melioidosis. Hence, molecular detection of B. mallei and its differentiation from B. pseudomallei has always been challenging. Early diagnosis of glanders is critical for timely treatment in humans and disease containment in animals. In this study a recombinase polymerase amplification-lateral flow (RPA-LF) assay has been developed for early and accurate detection of B. ma...
Hamond C, Martins G, Lawson-Ferreira R, Medeiros MA, Lilenbaum W.The objective of this study was to demonstrate the presence of leptospires in equine urine, as evidence for a potential role of horses in transmission of this organism. Thoroughbred horses (aged 2-5 years, n = 276) from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, were studied. After a severe storm, the premises of the animals remained flooded for 72 h. Blood samples for serology were collected on days 20 and 35 (day of storm = day 0). On day 20, 132 (47·8%) horses were seroreactive (titre ≥200) and, of these, 23 (31·0%) had increased antibody titres on day 35. Furthermore, 34 urine samples (for PCR and cultur...
Petinaki E, Spiliopoulou I.Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) remains one of the most virulent human pathogens and has also recently been recognized as such in the veterinary settings. Companion animals, including dogs, cats, horses, small exotic animals, wildlife animals, and livestock, may constitute a reservoir for MRSA transmission to humans and vice versa. The evolution, emergence, and risk factors for MRSA transmission among colonized or infected animals are reviewed in the present paper, and infection control practices are discussed.
Tsachev I, Gospodinova K, Pepovich R, Takova K, Kundurzhiev T, Zahmanova G, Kaneva K, Baymakova M.In recent years, hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection has been found to be widespread among different animal species worldwide. In Bulgaria, high HEV seropositivity was found among pigs (60.3%), wild boars (40.8%), and East Balkan swine (82.5%). The aim of the present study was to establish the seroprevalence of HEV among dogs, cats, horses, cattle, sheep, and goats in Bulgaria. In total, 720 serum samples from six animal species were randomly collected: dogs-90 samples; cats-90; horses-180; cattle-180; sheep-90; and goats-90. The serum samples were collected from seven districts of the country: ...
Silveira I, Martins TF, Olegário MM, Peterka C, Guedes E, Ferreira F, Labruna MB.A previous study in Paulicéia Municipality, south-eastern Brazil, reported 9.7% of the Amblyomma triste ticks to be infected by Rickettsia parkeri, a bacterial pathogen that causes spotted fever in humans. These A. triste ticks were shown to be associated with marsh areas, where the marsh deer Blastocerus dichotomus is a primary host for this tick species. During 2008-2009, blood serum samples were collected from 140 horses, 41 dogs, 5 opossums (Didelphis albiventris) and 26 humans in farms from Pauliceia Municipality. Ticks were collected from these animals, from vegetation and from addition...
Aguilar CM, Rangel EF, Deane LM.In an endemic area of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Rio de Janeiro State where a mule had been found infected, a systematic search among equines was performed, resulting in the detection of Leishmania parasites in skin lesions of 30.8% of the animals, which included horses and mules. The eventual role of equines in the epidemiology of the human disease is being investigated.
Weese JS, Rousseau J.Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is an emerging equine and zoonotic pathogen. Infection control protocols can be used to control MRSA in human hospitals, but measures to eradicate MRSA on horse farms have not been evaluated. Objective: To describe an MRSA eradication programme that was used to attempt to eliminate MRSA colonisation among horses and horse personnel on 2 equine farms. Methods: Active surveillance cultures and infection control protocols were implemented on 2 farms with endemic MRSA. Results: Active screening and strict implementation of infection control protoc...
Abe N, Matsubara K.The Cryptosporidium horse genotype, a zoonotic protozoan parasite first found in a Prezewalski wild horse, has not been found in any other mammal but calves, horses, and humans. Hedgehogs, popular exotic pet animals in Japan, are a reservoir of two zoonotic Cryptosporidum: C. parvum and C. erinacei (previously known as the hedgehog genotype). Recently, after finding Cryptosporidium infection in a four-toed hedgehog (Atelerix albiventris), we identified the isolate genetically as the Cryptosporidium horse genotype. Its subtype (VIbA13) was the same as that of an isolate from a pet shop employee...
Jones SL, Maggi R, Shuler J, Alward A, Breitschwerdt EB.Bartonella spp. are emerging zoonotic agents that have been found in a wide variety of domestic animals and wildlife and cause a number of clinical syndromes. Bartonella sp. infection has been identified in a growing number of animal species, including cats, rodents, porpoises, and canids, but has not been reported in horses. Objective: To document the presence of Bartonella sp. in the blood of horses. Methods: One horse with chronic arthropathy and 1 horse with presumptive vasculitis. Methods: Blood samples were tested for the presence of Bartonella sp. by a combination of multiplex real-time...
Giudice E, Giannetto C, Furco V, Alongi A, Torina A.This study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of Anaplasma phagocytophilum infection in Equidae and investigate the possibility of exposure to the organism in Sicily (Southern Italy). During the study blood samples were collected in horses and donkeys housed in five of the nine provinces of Sicilian Island. Of 133 horses and 100 donkeys tested, respectively 9.0% and 6.0% were seroactive (IFAT) with A. phagocytophilum antigen. In only 4.7% of the horses, specific A. phagocytophilum DNA was recorded; in donkey, Anaplasma DNA was not found. Our results indicate a low prevalence of A. phag...
Rolão N, Martins MJ, João A, Campino L.The present report describes the first case of equine leishmaniasis in Portugal. Leishmania infection was detected in one animal, which presented an ulcerated skin lesion. Diagnosis was based on serology by CIE, and parasite DNA detection by real-time PCR using a probe specific for L. infantum. This finding requests further leishmaniasis equine surveys in order to clarify the role of the horse as reservoir host in european endemic areas.
Ye C, Yan W, Xiang H, He H, Yang M, Ijaz M, Useh N, Hsieh CL, McDonough PL, McDonough SP, Mohamed H, Yang Z, Chang YF.Animal leptospirosis is one of the most common zoonotic diseases in the United States and around the world. In a previous study, we applied four recombinant antigens, rLipL21, rLoa22, rLipL32 and rLigACon4-8 of Leptospira interrogans (L. interrogans) for the serological diagnosis of equine leptospirosis (Ye et al, Serodiagnosis of equine leptospirosis by ELISA using four recombinant protein markers, Clin. Vaccine. Immunol. 21:478-483). In this study, the same four recombinant antigens were evaluated for their potential to diagnose canine leptospirosis by ELISA. A total of 305 canine sera that ...
Tauro L, Marino B, Diaz LA, Lucca E, Gallozo D, Spinsanti L, Contigiani M.St. Louis encephalitis virus (SLEV) and West Nile virus (WNV) present ecological and antigenic similarities and are responsible for serious human diseases. In addition, WNV is a significant pathogen in terms of equine health. The purpose of our study was to analyse the seroprevalence of SLEV and WNV in equine sera collected in Santa Fe Province, Argentina. The seroprevalence determined using the plaque reduction neutralisation test was 12.2% for SLEV, 16.2% for WNV and 48.6% for a combination of both viruses. These results provide evidence of the co-circulation of SLEV and WNV in equines in Sa...
Abreu DC, Gomes AS, Tessler DK, Chiebao DP, Fava CD, Romaldini AHCN, Araujo MC, Pompei J, Marques GF, Harakava R, Pituco EM, Nassar AFC.Glanders is an equine zoonosis caused by Burkholderia mallei that is responsible for considerable economic loss. Complement fixation testing (CFT) using warm or cold incubation are recommended by the OIE, but many routinely used detection tests may present misleading results. To increase accuracy of glanders diagnosis and establish an appropriate protocol in collaboration with the National Equine Health Program, seven horses positive for glanders kept in isolation in Brazil were examined fortnightly by CFT, microbiological screening, and molecular testing. Warm and cold serologies with USDA an...
Epe C, Ising-Volmer S, Stoye M.The results of the coproscopical examinations in horses, dogs, cats and hedgehogs between 1984 and 1991 are presented. In 9192 samples from horses 55.5% stages of strongylids, 4.0% of Parascaris equorum, 2.2% of anoplocephalids, 1.6% Strongyloides westeri, 0.7% of Oxyuris equi, 0.6% of Eimeria leuckarti, 0.2% of Fasciola hepatica and 0.04% of Dictyocaulus arnfieldi were found. In 48.0% of the 46 samples from donkeys eggs from strongylids were detected, in 17.4% larvae from Dictyocaulus arnfieldi, in 2.2% eggs from Strongyloides westeri, Parascaris equorum and oocysts from Eimeria leuckarti, re...
Zoonoses and public healthMarch 12, 2008
Volume 55, Issue 3 149-155 doi: 10.1111/j.1863-2378.2008.01106.x
Vedovello Filho D, Jorge FA, Lonardoni MV, Teodoro U, Silveira TG.American cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL) is an endemic disease in the north-west of Paraná state, Brazil, where it occurs in humans and dogs. Few studies have been undertaken on the occurrence of the disease in other domestic animals and horses. In this study we investigated the infection of horses by Leishmania in ACL-endemic rural areas. Direct agglutination test (DAT) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were employed. Fifty-five horses from rural areas in the municipalities of Doutor Camargo, Ourizona, São Jorge do Ivaí, Ivatuba and Santa Fé (Agua do O) were analysed. DAT-detected antibod...
Cardinale E, Bernard C, Lecollinet S, Rakotoharinome VM, Ravaomanana J, Roger M, Olive MM, Meenowa D, Jaumally MR, Melanie J, Héraud JM, Zientara S....The circulation of West Nile virus (WNV) in horses was investigated in the Southwest Indian ocean. In 2010, blood samples were collected from a total of 303 horses originating from Madagascar, Mauritius, Reunion and the Seychelles and tested for WNV-specific antibodies. An overall seroprevalence of 27.39% was detected in the Indian Ocean with the highest WNV antibody prevalence of 46.22% (95% CI: [37.4-55.2%]) in Madagascar. The age and origin of the horses were found to be associated with the WNV infection risk. This paper presents the first seroprevalence study investigating WN fever in hors...
Anderson ME, Lefebvre SL, Rankin SC, Aceto H, Morley PS, Caron JP, Welsh RD, Holbrook TC, Moore B, Taylor DR, Weese JS.Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is an emerging veterinary and zoonotic pathogen, associated with increasing reports of disease in horses. Objective: To provide an overview of the characteristics of clinical MRSA infections in horses. Methods: A retrospective case study was performed on 115 horses admitted to 6 participating veterinary teaching hospitals in Canada and the United States between 2000 and 2006, and diagnosed with clinical MRSA infection. Descriptive statistics, univariate and multivariable analyses for community- (CA) vs. hospital-associated (HA) MRSA infections...
Larson KR, Heil GL, Chambers TM, Capuano A, White SK, Gray GC.Equine influenza virus (EIV) is considered enzootic in North America and experimental studies have documented human EIV infections. Methods: This cross-sectional study examined 94 horse-exposed and 34 non-exposed controls for serological evidence of EIV infection. Sera were evaluated for antibodies against three EIV and two human H3N2 viruses using microneutralization (MN), neuraminidase inhibition (NI), enzyme-linked lectin (ELLA), and hemagglutination inhibition (HI) serological assays. Risk factor analyses were conducted using logistic regression and proportional odds modeling. Results: The...
Bártová E, Sedlák K, Kobédová K, Budíková M, Joel Atuman Y, Kamani J.Neospora spp. and Toxoplasma gondii are considered to be a globally distributed parasites affecting wide range of warm-blooded animals. Neosporosis has caused clinical illness in horses and consumption of horse meat has been epidemiologically linked to clinical toxoplasmosis in humans. This study was conducted to determine Neospora spp. and T. gondii antibodies and risk factors of infection in horses and donkeys from three states of Nigeria. A total of 144 samples were collected from clinically healthy animals (120 horses and 24 donkeys). The sera were tested for antibodies to Neospora spp. an...
Forni D, Cagliani R, Pontremoli C, Pozzoli U, Vertemara J, De Gioia L, Clerici M, Sironi M.Hepatitis C virus (HCV) belongs to the genus and is genetically heterogeneous, with seven major genotypes further divided into several recognized subtypes. HCV origin was previously dated in a range between ∼200 and 1000 years ago. Hepaciviruses have been identified in several domestic and wild mammals, the largest viral diversity being observed in bats and rodents. The closest relatives of HCV were found in horses/donkeys (equine hepaciviruses, EHV). However, the origin of HCV as a human pathogen is still an unsolved puzzle. Using a selection-informed evolutionary model, we show that the c...
Kim HY, Mott J, Zhi N, Tajima T, Rikihisa Y.Human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (HGE), a tick-borne zoonosis, is caused by an obligatory intragranulocytic bacterium, the HGE agent, a strain of Anaplasma phagocytophila. The equine model of HGE is considered valuable in understanding pathogenic and immune mechanisms of HGE. In the present study, cytokine mRNA expression by peripheral blood leukocytes (PBLs) in horses was examined during the course of infection by intravenous inoculation of A. phagocytophila or by allowing feeding by infected ticks. The p44 genes encoding the major outer membrane protein P44s of A. phagocytophila were detected...
Wittig MB, Wohlsein P, Hagen RM, Al Dahouk S, Tomaso H, Scholz HC, Nikolaou K, Wernery R, Wernery U, Kinne J, Elschner M, Neubauer H.Since 1990 the number of glanders outbreaks in race, military and pleasure horses in Asia and South America is steadily increasing. Glanders, which is eradicated in Western Europe, Australia and Northern America, is currently considered a re-emerging disease. Consequently, the disease may be introduced into glanders-free regions by subclinical carriers at any time. The causative agent of glanders, Burkholderia (B.) mallei, is highly contagious and leads to chronic disease in horses whereas in donkeys and mules the disease is acute and often fatal. Occurrence of the disease leads to internation...
Coxiella burnetii is the causative agent of Q fever. In order to explore the occurrence of C. burnetii in ticks, samples were collected from horses, dogs and humans living in a Cuban occidental community. The species most commonly recovered were Amblyomma mixtum (67%), Rhipicephalus sanguineus s.l. (27%) and Dermacentor nitens (6%). Specific IS1111 PCR and amplicon sequencing allowed the identification of C. burnetii DNA in A. mixtum collected from a domestic horse. These findings, for first time in Cuba, indicate the need for an in-depth assessment of the C. burnetii occurrence in hosts and h...
Oliver J, Lukacik G, Kramer LD, Backenson PB, Sherwood JA, Howard JJ.In New York State (NYS), Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) was first reported in a human in 1971, in horses in 1970, and in pheasants in 1952. Methods: Following work for the interval from 1970 to 1991, we identified cases in vertebrates from 1992 to 2012, through a passive surveillance system involving veterinarians in clinical practice, county health departments, and the Departments of Agriculture and Markets, Environmental Conservation, and Health, of the State of New York. Results: During an 11-year hiatus, from 1992 to 2002, no case in any vertebrate was observed. In a re-emergence, from ...
Burkett-Cadena ND, Gibson J, Lauth M, Stenn T, Acevedo C, Xue RD, McNelly J, Northey E, Hassan HK, Fulcher A, Bingham AM, van Olphen J, van Olphen A....Zoonotic mosquito-borne viruses, such as the West Nile virus (WNV) and eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV), are major public health threats in the United States. Early detection of virus transmission and targeted vector management are critical to protect humans against these pathogens. Sentinel chickens and pool screening of mosquitoes, the most widely used methods of arbovirus early detection, have technical time-lags that compromise their early-detection value. The exploitation of sugar-feeding by trapped mosquitoes for arbovirus surveillance may represent a viable alternative to other ...
Kennedy CA, Walsh C, Karczmarczyk M, O'Brien S, Akasheh N, Quirke M, Farrell-Ward S, Buckley T, Fogherty U, Kavanagh K, Parker CT, Sweeney T....Extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC) possess the ability to cause extraintestinal infections such as urinary tract infections, neonatal meningitis and sepsis. While information is readily available describing pathogenic E. coli populations in food-producing animals, studies in companion/sports animals such as horses are limited. In addition, many antimicrobial agents used in the treatment of equine infections are also utilised in human medicine, potentially contributing to the spread of antibiotic resistance determinants among pathogenic strains. The aim of this study was to phenotypical...
Magalhães FJR, Ribeiro-Andrade M, Souza FM, Lima Filho CDF, Biondo AW, Vidotto O, Navarro IT, Mota RA.Little is known about toxoplasmosis in animals of the Fernando de Noronha Island, Brazil. Therefore, we investigated the prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection in the total population of pet cats (n=348), dogs (n=320), pigs (n=27), equines (n=101), as well as a significant portion of the population of feral cats (n=247) of the Island by Indirect Fluorescent Antibody Test. Anti-T. gondii IgG antibodies were found in 71.26%, 54.74%, 48.75%, 51.85% and 22.7%, of the pet and feral cats, dogs, pigs and equines, respectively, demonstrating a high prevalence of T. gondii infection in the wild and ...
Van den Eede A, Martens A, Floré K, Denis O, Gasthuys F, Haesebrouck F, Van den Abeele A, Hermans K.Equine methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) carriage entails a risk of both equine and zoonotic transmission and infection. In Europe, CC398, the livestock-associated (LA-)MRSA is highly prevalent in horses and veterinary personnel at equine clinics. The extent of the MRSA reservoir created by healthy horses from the general population and associated health hazard for their daily caretakers is, however, unknown. This study aimed at screening healthy horse-caretaker couples from a broad range of home farms. At five equine gatherings, 166 couples were selected for MRSA screening in...
Khalili M, Sakhaee E, Bagheri Amiri F, Safat AA, Afshar D, Esmaeili S.Leptospirosis is a neglected infectious zoonotic disease that affects domestic animals and wildlife as well as humans. Although leptospirosis is known as an endemic disease in Iran, there is no accurate information on the overall prevalence of this disease in humans and animals. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to estimate the seroprevalence of leptospirosis among human and domestic and wild animals in Iran. A systematic review of English and Persian articles (since 1998 to December 2017) was conducted using Google Scholar, Medline/PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, Web of ...
Spolidorio MG, Labruna MB, Machado RZ, Moraes-Filho J, Zago AM, Donatele DM, Pinheiro SR, Silveira I, Caliari KM, Yoshinari NH.Blood samples collected from 201 humans, 92 dogs, and 27 horses in the state of Espirito Santo, Brazil, were tested by polymerase chain reaction, indirect immunofluorescence assays, and indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for tick-borne diseases (rickettsiosis, ehrlichiosis, anaplasmosis, borreliosis, babesiosis). Our results indicated that the surveyed counties are endemic for spotted fever group rickettsiosis because sera from 70 (34.8%) humans, 7 (7.6%) dogs, and 7 (25.9%) horses were reactive to at least one of the six Rickettsia species tested. Although there was evidence of ehrlic...
