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Topic:Zoonotic Diseases
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.
Use of a recombinant burkholderia intracellular motility a protein for immunodiagnosis of glanders. Glanders, caused by the Gram-negative, nonmotile bacterium Burkholderia mallei, is a contagious and highly fatal disease of equines. During the last decade, the number of glanders outbreaks has increased steadily. The disease also has high zoonotic significance and B. mallei is listed biological warfare agent. The complement fixation test (CFT) is a routinely used and internationally recognized test to screen equine sera for the glanders. However, discrepant results have been observed using the CFT. The low sensitivity and specificity of the CFT and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) ha...
Exposure of free-ranging wild carnivores, horses and domestic dogs to Leptospira spp in the northern Pantanal, Brazil. Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease affecting most mammals and is distributed throughout the world. Several species of domestic and wild animals may act as reservoirs for this disease. The purpose of this study was to assess the exposure of free-ranging wild carnivores, horses and domestic dogs on a private reserve located in the northern Pantanal (Brazil) and the surrounding areas to Leptospira spp from 2002-2006, 75 free-ranging wild carnivores were captured in the Pantanal and serum samples were collected. In addition, samples from 103 domestic dogs and 23 horses in the region were collecte...
Infection of dogs with equine influenza virus: evidence for transmission from horses during the Australian outbreak. During the equine influenza (EI) outbreak, respiratory disease was observed in dogs that were in close proximity to infected horses. Investigations were undertaken to exclude influenza virus infection. Of the 23 dogs that were seropositive in tests using the influenza A/Sydney/2007 virus as the test antigen, 10 showed clinical signs. EI virus appeared to be readily transmitted to dogs that were held in close proximity to infected horses, but there was no evidence of lateral transmission of the virus to other dogs that did not have contact with or were not held in close proximity to horses.
Acinetobacter baumannii isolates from pets and horses in Switzerland: molecular characterization and clinical data. We investigated whether Acinetobacter baumannii isolates of veterinary origin shared common molecular characteristics with those described in humans. Methods: Nineteen A. baumannii isolates collected in pets and horses were analysed. Clonality was studied using repetitive extragenic palindromic PCR (rep-PCR) and multilocus sequence typing (MLST). PCR and DNA sequencing for various β-lactamase, aminoglycoside-modifying enzyme, gyrA and parC, ISAba1 and IS1133, adeR and adeS of the AdeABC efflux pump, carO porin and class 1/2/3 integron genes were performed. Results: Two main clones [A (n =...
A recombinant Hendra virus G glycoprotein-based subunit vaccine protects ferrets from lethal Hendra virus challenge. The henipaviruses, Hendra virus (HeV) and Nipah virus (NiV), are two deadly zoonotic viruses for which no vaccines or therapeutics have yet been approved for human or livestock use. In 14 outbreaks since 1994 HeV has been responsible for multiple fatalities in horses and humans, with all known human infections resulting from close contact with infected horses. A vaccine that prevents virus shedding in infected horses could interrupt the chain of transmission to humans and therefore prevent HeV disease in both. Here we characterise HeV infection in a ferret model and show that it closely mirror...
Immunoglobulin G antibody profiles against Anopheles salivary proteins in domestic animals in Senegal. Although domestic animals may not be permissive for Plasmodium, they could nevertheless play a role in the epidemiology of malaria by attracting Anopheles away from humans. To investigate interactions between domestic animals and mosquitoes, we assayed immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies directed against the salivary proteins of Anopheles gambiae in domestic animals living in Senegalese villages where malaria is endemic. By Western blotting, sera from bovines (n=6), ovines (n=36), and caprines (n=36) did not react with Anopheles whole saliva. In contrast, equine sera recognized proteins in both ...
Cryptosporidium parvum infection in a mare and her foal with foal heat diarrhoea. Cryptosporidium infection was molecularly investigated in mares and in their neonatal foals for which the occurrence of foal heat diarrhoea was also assessed. Thirty-seven mare/foal pairs were included in the study. All foals were born in the same stud farm during 2006-2008 breeding seasons. Two faecal samples, one prior to and one after delivery were collected from each mare, whereas three faecal samples were taken from each foal, i.e. at 8, 10 and 12 days of age. All samples (74 from mares and 111 from foals) were divided into two aliquots, one of which was examined for the presence of Crypt...
Prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococci on a farm: staff can harbour MRS when animals do not. The aim of this work was to establish the prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococci (MRS) in the animals and staff of a teaching and research farm. Samples of dairy cattle (36), beef cattle (26), sheep (19), horses (21), pigs (23), goats (23) and humans (13) were collected and screened for the presence of MRS. The detection of mecA gene was performed by PCR to determine the resistance of the samples to methicillin. Antimicrobial-resistance testing to penicillin, meropenem, ceftriaxone, cephalothin, oxacillin, levofloxacin, enrofloxacin, chloramphenicol, ciprofloxacin, gentamicin, clind...
West Nile virus: the complex biology of an emerging pathogen. West Nile virus (WNV) is a zoonotic virus that circulates in birds and is transmitted by mosquitoes. Incidentally, humans, horses and other mammals can also be infected. Disease symptoms caused by WNV range from fever to neurological complications, such as encephalitis or meningitis. Mortality is observed mostly in older and immunocompromised individuals. In recent years, epidemics caused by WNV in humans and horses have become more frequent in several Southern European countries, such as Italy and Greece. In 1999, WNV was introduced into the USA and spread over North America within a couple o...
Urban habituation, ecological connectivity and epidemic dampening: the emergence of Hendra virus from flying foxes (Pteropus spp.). Anthropogenic environmental change is often implicated in the emergence of new zoonoses from wildlife; however, there is little mechanistic understanding of these causal links. Here, we examine the transmission dynamics of an emerging zoonotic paramyxovirus, Hendra virus (HeV), in its endemic host, Australian Pteropus bats (fruit bats or flying foxes). HeV is a biosecurity level 4 (BSL-4) pathogen, with a high case-fatality rate in humans and horses. With models parametrized from field and laboratory data, we explore a set of probable contributory mechanisms that explain the spatial and tempor...
Serologic prevalence of brucellosis in horse stables in two northern States of Nigeria. Despite the endemicity of brucellosis in Nigeria, reports on equine brucellosis are rare. The Rose Bengal Plate Test (RBPT) was used to determine the serologic prevalence of Brucella abortus antibodies amongst 75 horses from three stables in two States of northern Nigeria. The highest prevalence (22.7%) was recorded in stable C located in Plateau State and the lowest (6.7%) was found in stable B in Kaduna State. The overall prevalence determined was 14.7%. There is need for the inclusion of horses in brucellosis surveillance and control strategies in Nigeria to safeguard people at high risk.
Recent advances in leishmaniosis in pet animals: epidemiology, diagnostics and anti-vectorial prophylaxis. The leishmanioses are diseases caused by protozoa of the genus Leishmania, parasites infecting numerous mammal species, including humans, and transmitted by the bite of phlebotomine sand flies. They are a large group of diseases ranging over inter-tropical zones of America and Africa, and extend into temperate regions of Latin America, Europe and Asia. Pet animals are found infected with different Leishmania species but Leishmania infantum is the most widespread being dogs the main reservoir of zoonotic visceral leishmaniosis (ZVL). Dogs are very susceptible to this parasite and may suffer fro...
Detection of antibodies to West Nile virus in horses, Costa Rica, 2004. We conducted a serosurvey for West Nile virus (WNV) infection in equines in Costa Rica in 2004. Antibodies to WNV were detected in 28% of the horses using an epitope blocking ELISA that is specific for WNV. WNV infection was confirmed for a subset of these sera by plaque reduction neutralization tests and Western blot. This is the first evidence of WNV activity in Costa Rica.
Environmental methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in a veterinary teaching hospital during a nonoutbreak period. Concurrent to reports of zoonotic and nosocomial transmission of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in veterinary settings, recent evidence indicates that the environment in veterinary hospitals may be a potential source of MRSA. The present report is a cross-sectional study to determine the prevalence of MRSA on specific human and animal contact surfaces at a large veterinary hospital during a nonoutbreak period. A total of 156 samples were collected using Swiffers(®) or premoistened swabs from the small animal, equine, and food animal sections. MRSA was isolated and identifi...
Spread of West Nile virus in Iran: a cross-sectional serosurvey in equines, 2008-2009. We report the first large-scale serosurvey for West Nile virus (WNV) conducted in the equine population in Iran. Blood samples were obtained in 2008-2009 from 1054 equines collected from 260 districts located in 27 provinces. The overall seroprevalence rate for WNV neutralizing antibodies was 23·7%. Marked geographical variations were observed as province-specific seroprevalence rates ranged from 1% to 88%, the highest values being observed in the southern and western parts of the country. The presence of IgM-positive animals (n=9) indicated a recent circulation of WNV in several provinces. L...
A unique genotype of Leptospira interrogans serovar Pomona type kennewicki is associated with equine abortion. Although serologic data indicate horses in N. America are exposed to a variety of leptospiral serovars, abortion is almost always associated with Leptospira interrogans serovar Pomona type kennewicki. A variety of wildlife including raccoons, white tailed deer, striped skunks, opossums, and red and grey foxes have been shown to host serovar Pomona and have therefore been suspect as sources of infection for pregnant mares. The aim of the present study was to examine genetic diversity in serovar Pomona type kennewicki in wildlife and in aborting mares. Our approach utilized PCR that targeted tan...
[Human and animal fascioliasis in Peru: impact in the economy of endemic zones]. Fasciola hepatica is the causative agent of fasciolosis in Peru; the disease is an important public health problem by the high prevalence of the human infection affecting mainly children and a major veterinary problem by the high rates of infected livestock. The human disease is endemic in the Sierra and the Coast but sporadic in the Amazonia, and reported in 18 Departments, while the animal infection in 21 of 24 Departments of Peru. Transmission occurs in Andean rural populations engaged in agriculture, but recently an increasing number of people became infected in the cities. The epidemiolog...
Emerging tropical diseases in Australia. Part 5. Hendra virus. Hendra virus (HeV) was first isolated in 1994, from a disease outbreak involving at least 21 horses and two humans in the Brisbane suburb of Hendra, Australia. The affected horses and humans all developed a severe but unidentified respiratory disease that resulted in the deaths of one of the human cases and the deaths or putting down of 14 of the horses. The virus, isolated by culture from a horse and the kidney of the fatal human case, was initially characterised as a new member of the genus Morbillivirus in the family Paramyxoviridae. Comparative sequence analysis of part of the matrix prote...
Second reported case of human infection with Streptococcus equi subsp. ruminatorum. The field of zoonoses changes constantly. Streptococcus equi subsp. ruminatorum is a group C Streptococcus subspecies first identified in 2004. The first case of human infection with this agent was reported in 2007. Here, we report a second case. A 70-year-old man had acute spondylodiscitis and endocarditis involving the anterior mitral valve leaflet. S. equi subsp. ruminatorum was identified in the blood cultures. Antibiotic therapy was successful in eradicating the infection. The workup showed hypogammaglobulinemia with stage I myeloma. He reported frequent contacts with horses including tw...
Low prevalence of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in horses in Ohio, USA. Manure from draft animals deposited in fields during vegetable and fruit production may serve as a potential source of preharvest pathogen contamination of foods. To better quantify this risk, we determined the prevalence of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in horses. Between June and September 2009, freshly voided fecal samples were collected from horses stabled on 242 separate premises in Ohio, USA. Overall, the prevalence of E. coli O157:H7 was 1 of 242 (0.4% prevalence, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.01 to 2.28). E. coli O157:H7 was recovered from none of the 107 equine fecal samples (0% prevale...
Infection by spotted fever rickettsiae in people, dogs, horses and ticks in Londrina, Parana State, Brazil. Spotted fever is a disease caused by bacteria from the genus Rickettsia of the spotted fever group (SFG). Rickettsia rickettsii is likely the main agent of Brazilian spotted fever (BSF). With the objective of gathering information on the circulation of SFG rickettsiae in Londrina, Parana state, ticks from dogs and horses and also blood from dogs, horses and humans were collected in a neighbourhood of the city which presented potential for circulation of rickettsiae between hosts and vectors. Amblyomma cajennense, Dermacentor nitens, and Rhipicephalus sanguineus ticks were subjected to Polymera...
West Nile virus and its emergence in the United States of America. Zoonotic West Nile virus (WNV) circulates in natural transmission cycles involving certain mosquitoes and birds, horses, humans, and a range of other vertebrates are incidental hosts. Clinical infections in humans can range in severity from uncomplicated WNV fever to fatal meningoencephalitis. Since its introduction to the Western Hemisphere in 1999, WNV had spread across North America, Central and South America and the Caribbean, although the vast majority of severe human cases have occurred in the United States of America (USA) and Canada. By 2002-2003, the WNV outbreaks have involved thousa...
Occurrence and molecular characterization of Cryptosporidium spp. isolated from domestic animals in a rural area surrounding Atlantic dry forest fragments in Teodoro Sampaio municipality, State of São Paulo, Brazil. The aim of this study was to assess the occurrence of Cryptosporidium in domestic animals in rural properties surrounding rain forest fragments within the municipality of Teodoro Sampaio, southeastern Brazil. Conventional sucrose flotation method followed by molecular characterization of the parasites by sequencing PCR products amplified from SSU rRNA gene were used. Stool samples were collected from domestic animals raised as pets and livestock in all rural properties surrounding three forest fragments. Samples from cattle (197), equine (63), pigs (25), sheep (11), and dogs (28) were collecte...
Serological survey of Rickettsia sp. in horses and dogs in a non-endemic area in Brazil. Brazilian Spotted Fever (BSF) is a lethal rickettsiosis in humans caused by the bacteria Rickettsia rickettsii, and is endemic in some areas of Brazil. Horses and dogs are part of the disease's life cycle and they may also serve as sentinel animals in epidemiological studies. The first human BSF case in the State of Paraná was reported in 2005. The present study was conducted in the municipality of Almirante Tamandaré, where no previous case of BSF was reported. Serum samples were collected from 71 horses and 20 dogs from nine properties in the area. Ticks were also collected from these anim...
Evaluation of a postexposure rabies prophylaxis protocol for domestic animals in Texas: 2000-2009. To determine whether postexposure rabies prophylaxis (PEP) in domestic animals, as mandated in Texas, has continued to be effective and to evaluate preexposure or postexposure vaccination failures from 2000 through 2009. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: 1,014 unvaccinated domestic animals (769 dogs, 126 cats, 72 horses, 39 cattle, 3 sheep, 4 goats, and 1 llama) that received PEP and 12 vaccinated domestic animals (7 dogs and 5 cats) with possible failure of protection. Methods: Zoonotic incident reports from 2000 through 2009 were reviewed for information regarding unvaccinated dom...
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in animals. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a critically important human pathogen that is also an emerging concern in veterinary medicine and animal agriculture. It is present in a wide range of animal species, including dogs, cats, rabbits, horses, cattle, pigs, poultry, and exotic species, both as a cause of infection and in healthy carriers. Identification of MRSA in various species and in food has led to concerns about the roles of animals, both pets and livestock, in the epidemiology of MRSA infection and colonization in humans. There is evidence of the role of food animals in h...
