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.
Transmission dynamics and changing epidemiology of West Nile virus. West Nile virus (WNV) is a flavivirus that is maintained in a bird-mosquito transmission cycle. Humans, horses and other non-avian vertebrates are usually incidental hosts, but evidence is accumulating that this might not always be the case. Historically, WNV has been associated with asymptomatic infections and sporadic disease outbreaks in humans and horses in Africa, Europe, Asia and Australia. However, since 1994, the virus has caused frequent outbreaks of severe neuroinvasive disease in humans and horses in Europe and the Mediterranean Basin. In 1999, WNV underwent a dramatic expansion of ...
American cutaneous leishmaniasis in horses from endemic areas in the north-central mesoregion of Paraná state, Brazil. 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...
Detection of Bartonella henselae in the blood of 2 adult horses. 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...
Hematophagous Diptera collected from a horse and paired carbon dioxide-baited suction trap in southern California: relevance to West Nile virus epizootiology. Hematophagous Diptera landing on a horse were removed by vacuum, and their numbers were related to a paired carbon dioxide-baited suction trap at three locations in southern California where West Nile virus activity was high during the preceding year. Insects collected from the horse included mosquitoes (nine species), biting midges (Culicoides sonorensis Wirth & Jones), and black flies (Simulium bivittatum Malloch). Mosquitoes were predominantly collected from the head, crest, withers, neck, chest, and shoulders of the horse, whereas biting midges and black flies were predominantly collected ...
Equine rhinosporidiosis in United Kingdom. We report 4 cases of equine rhinosporidiosis in the United Kingdom. These cases provide evidence of spread of infectious agents from rhinosporidiosis-endemic areas to nonendemic areas by increased international movement of livestock. Surveillance should continue for this infective agent of potential relevance for numerous species, including humans.
Rickettsia infection in five areas of the state of São Paulo, Brazil. This study investigated rickettsial infection in animals, humans, ticks, and fleas collected in five areas of the state of São Paulo. Eight flea species (Adoratopsylla antiquorum antiquorum, Ctenocephalides felis felis, Polygenis atopus, Polygenis rimatus, Polygenis roberti roberti, Polygenis tripus, Rhopalopsyllus lugubris, and Rhopalopsyllus lutzi lutzi), and five tick species (Amblyomma aureolatum, Amblyomma cajennense, Amblyomma dubitatum, Ixodes loricatus, and Rhipicephalus sanguineus) were collected from dogs, cats, and opossums. Rickettsia felis was the only rickettsia found infecting ...
Monoclonal antibodies to equine IgM improve the sensitivity of West Nile virus-specific IgM detection in horses. West Nile virus (WNV) is a zoonotic pathogen of global importance. In horses with neurological signs, detection of WNV-specific immunoglobulin M (IgM) in serum is widely used to identify clinical cases of WNV encephalitis. Here, we describe the development of two monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to equine IgM which were used in a WNV IgM-specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Their performance was compared to an established assay based on polyclonal anti-IgM. Check test serum samples from the National Veterinary Service Laboratory (NVSL) were used to evaluate the performance of the th...
The relationship between equine and human West Nile virus disease occurrence. Cases of human and equine West Nile virus (WNV) disease reported in Texas in 2002 were analyzed to assess their temporal relationship. For each human case with a known residential location, the closest equine case (within a 5 km radius) was selected. A total of 80 human-equine case pairs were identified, 51 (64%) of which were located in urban areas. Dates-of-onset of human and equine cases were positively correlated (r(SP)=0.494, P<0.001). Although overall there was no significant (P=0.207) difference between the dates-of-onset of human and equine cases, in urban areas of Texas equine case...
Glanders: off to the races with Burkholderia mallei. Burkholderia mallei, the etiologic agent of the disease known as glanders, is primarily a disease affecting horses and is transmitted to humans by direct contact with infected animals. The use of B. mallei as a biological weapon has been reported and currently, there is no vaccine available for either humans or animals. Despite the history and highly infective nature of B. mallei, as well as its potential use as a bio-weapon, B. mallei research to understand the pathogenesis and the host responses to infection remains limited. Therefore, this minireview will focus on current efforts to elucida...
Outbreak of Q fever associated with a horse-boarding ranch, Colorado, 2005. Coxiella burnetii is a bacterium located worldwide that can cause Q fever when inhaled. We describe an outbreak of Q fever associated with a horse-boarding ranch that had acquired two herds of goats. We conducted case finding and cohort studies among persons who boarded horses on the ranch and ranchers and among residents in the surrounding community, and conducted sampling of the goats and environment, to determine risk factors for infection and guide public health interventions. Sixty-six ranchers and persons who boarded horses on the ranch were interviewed; 62 (94%) were not professional ra...
[Presence of west Nile virus in northeast Mexico]. To investigate the presence of WNV in birds, horses and humans in northeast Mexico. Methods: Serum samples from 33 birds, 24 horses and 237 humans were screened by ELISA for Anti-WNV antibodies. Human serum samples were also screened for WNV RNA using an RT-PCR assay. Results: Positive sera were found in three birds and 15 horses. Forty percent of the human serum samples were positive for IgG antibodies and 0% for IgM antibodies and viral RNA. Conclusions: The results of this study show that WNV is present in northeast Mexico and it is a new emergent infectious agent that represents a challeng...
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus ST398 in humans and animals, Central Europe. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus of clonal lineage ST398 that exhibits related spa types and contains SCCmec elements of types IVa or V has been isolated from colonized and infected humans and companion animals (e.g., dog, pig, horse) in Germany and Austria. Of particular concern is the association of these cases with cases of nosocomial ventilator-associated pneumonia.
Isolation and characterization of Campylobacter spp. from domestic animals and poultry in south of Iran. A total of 455 domestic animals (cow, horse and camel) and poultry from south of Iran were surveyed for fecal carriage of Campylobacter spp. Out of all collected fecal samples, the highest isolation rate of Campylobacter was recorded among poultry (35%), followed by horse (27%) and cow (21%) while, lowest isolation rate was recorded among camel. Of the 85 Campylobacter strains isolated, 76 were classified as catalase positive Campylobacter. Out of them, high frequency of occurrence was belonged to Campy. jejuni. Furthermore, catalase positive Campylobacter spp. were isolated from all the sourc...
Observed prevalence of tick-borne pathogens in domestic animals in Sicily, Italy during 2003-2005. The objective of this study was to characterize the observed prevalence of tick-borne pathogens (TBP) in domestic animals in Sicily, Italy during 2003-2005. Serological (competitive ELISA and indirect immunofluorescence antibody, n = 3299) and DNA tests (polymerase chain reaction and reverse line blot, n = 2565) were conducted on horse, donkey, cattle, sheep, goat, pig and dog samples. Pathogens analysed included Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, Rickettsia, Babesia and Theileria species, and Coxiella burnetii. The most prevalent TBP were Anaplasma and Babesia species. The results reported herein suggeste...
Cerebellar abscess due to Rhodococcus equi in an immunocompetent patient: case report and literature review. Rhodococcus equi (R. equi) is a facultative, intracellular, nonmotile, non-spore-forming, gram-positive coccobacillus, primarily causes zoonotic infections that affect grazing animals, mainly horses and foals and is a rare opportunistic pathogen found in severely compromised patients, and most commonly in recent years, in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected persons. Early cases, most in patients receiving immunosuppressant therapy, were more likely to be successfully treated with antimicrobial agents than cases in AIDS patients, it is emerging as an important pathogen in patients with ...
West Nile virus in Europe and Africa: still minor pathogen, or potential threat to public health? Until 1999 the West Nile virus had been reported only in the "Old world" and particularly in Europe, Africa, Middle East and Asia where it was responsible only for sporadic or size-and-time-limited outbreaks in humans and equines. The sudden and unexpected emergence of WN in New York in 1999, followed by a rapid and huge extension to the whole North America in less than four years, made health authorities aware of the potential of previously forgotten viruses to become a threat to public health. The present review will focus on the epidemiology of West Nile virus in Europe and Africa during th...
Prevalence of Helicobacter equorum in faecal samples from horses and humans. Recently, a new enterohepatic Helicobacter species, H. equorum, was isolated from faecal samples of two clinically healthy horses. At the onset of this study, nothing was known about the prevalence of this organism in horses, nor was there any information available on the possible zoonotic character of this agent. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of H. equorum in faecal samples from equine and human origin. Therefore, faecal samples of 120 healthy privately owned horses, 227 healthy riding-school horses and 239 hospitalised horses were screened for H. equorum-DNA by means of a PCR ...
West Nile virus: recent trends in diagnosis and vaccine development. West Nile virus (WNV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus, native to Africa, Europe, and Western Asia. In many respects, WNV is an outstanding example of a zoonotic pathogen that has leaped geographical barriers and can cause severe disease in human and horse. Before the emergence of WNV in the USA, only few methods of diagnosis were available. Recently, many changes in the fields of WN diagnosis and prevention have happened. This paper will review all these new tools. After a description of the main concerns in WNV and West Nile (WN) disease in humans and animals, this review will present the main...
Rabies surveillance in the United States during 2005. During 2005, 49 states and Puerto Rico reported 6,417 cases of rabies in nonhuman animals and 1 case in a human being to the CDC, representing a 6.2% decrease from the 6,836 cases in nonhuman animals and 8 cases in human beings reported in 2004. Approximately 92% of the cases were in wildlife, and 8% were in domestic animals. Relative contributions by the major animal groups were as follows: 2,534 raccoons (39.5%), 1,478 skunks (23%), 1,408 bats (21.9%), 376 foxes (5.9%), 269 cats (4.2%), 93 cattle (1.5%), and 76 dogs (1.2%). Compared with numbers of reported cases in 2004, cases in 2005 decre...
A serological survey of pigs, horses, and ducks in Nepal for evidence of infection with Japanese encephalitis virus. Japanese encephalitis (JE) is an emerging disease of animals and humans in Nepal. A serological study for antibody to JE virus was conducted in Nepal from September 2003 to August 2004 by collecting 280 sera from pigs, ducks, and horses covering 10 districts of the country. These sera were tested by performing competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the detection of antibodies against JE virus. The total number of tested sera was 280, of which 43.92% were found positive for the presence of antibodies against JE virus infection in Nepal. Sero-prevalence of JE in pigs, ducks, and horse...
Serological assessment of West Nile fever virus activity in the pastoral system of Ferlo, Senegal. The Ferlo area (north-central Senegal) is characterized by a system of temporary ponds favorable to arboviruses among which West Nile fever (WNF) was already identified. During the rainy season in 2003, a serological study was undertaken on horses to assess the activity of the WNF virus (WNFV) in Barkedji (Ferlo). The observed serological prevalence rate was 78.3% for neutralizing antibodies, with a 95% confidence interval (CI) of [64.0, 92.7]. This prevalence rate significantly increased with age (P = 10(-5)). This study confirmed that WNF was endemic in the Ferlo. The transmission risks depe...
New findings on anaplasmosis caused by infection with Anaplasma phagocytophilum. Ixodes ricinus (I. ricinus) is one of the vectors of Anaplasma phagocytophilum (A. phagocytophilum) in Europe, in which rates of infection range from 1.9% to 34%. In 1998, human granulocytic ehrlichiosis-like (HGE-like) Ehrlichia DNA was detected in Italy, by PCR technique in one I. ricinus nymph out of 55 ticks that were examined. In 1996, 6.3% of 310 human sera in high-risk subjects from Italy were found positive for antibodies to Ehrlichia phagocytophila (E. phagocytophila). In the same year, the authors reported the first case of equine granulocytic ehrlichiosis. In 1997, only 2 out of 563...
Methicillin-resistant staphylococcal colonization in clinically normal dogs and horses in the community. To evaluate the prevalence of methicillin-resistant staphylococcal (MRS) colonization in clinically normal dogs and horses in the community. Results: Three hundred clinically normal horses and 200 clinically normal dogs were enrolled. One nasal swab was collected from each horse. Two swabs were taken from each dog: (i) from an anterior nare, and (ii) a combination of the perineal area and 0.5 cm into the anus. Enrichment cultures were performed. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was not identified. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus intermedius (MRSI) was isolated from the n...
Control of arbovirus infections by a coordinated response: West Nile Virus in England and Wales. Although there is no recognized transmission of human arboviral infections in the UK, concerns about the possible spread of West Nile virus (WNV) have precipitated coordinated activities around both surveillance and response. The Department of Health has chaired a UK WNV task force since the end of 2000. This is a multidisciplinary group of senior representatives from Agencies and Government Departments involved in human and animal health, entomology and academic departments. Activities include surveillance for WNV infections in humans, and in dead birds, mosquitoes and horses. All have been n...