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Home / Equine Research Bank / Ir Vet J / Causes of disease and death from birth to 12 months of age i...
Irish veterinary journal2010; 63(1); 37-43; doi: 10.1186/2046-0481-63-1-37

Causes of disease and death from birth to 12 months of age in the Thoroughbred horse in Ireland.

Abstract: A retrospective study was carried out to investigate the causes of disease and death in a population of foals in Ireland during their first 12 months post partum. Foaling and veterinary records from 343 foals on four farms born between January 1, 2004 and May 30, 2008 were reviewed. Among 343 foals, 22 did not survive to 12 months of age. Over the five-year period, the incidence of stillbirth was 1.5% (5/343), mortality 5% (17/338) and overall morbidity was 88.5% (299/338). Morbidity was calculated to include all new conditions brought to the attention of the attending veterinary surgeon, no matter how minor. Of foals born alive: congenital abnormalities were the most common cause of death (35.3% 6/17 foals) followed by musculoskeletal trauma (5/17, 29.4%). Of 711 separate incidents of disease, 46.5% (331/711) were due to an infectious process, 25% (178/711) due to non-infectious musculoskeletal issues; and 14.9% (106/711) related to non-infectious gastrointestinal problems. Respiratory infection was the single most common disease accounting for 27.8% (178/711) of all disease incidents in this population. Findings from this study provide information regarding the causes and incidence of death and disease in the young Irish Thoroughbred population.
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Publication Date: 2010-01-01 PubMed ID: 21851741PubMed Central: PMC3113843DOI: 10.1186/2046-0481-63-1-37Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research focuses on investigating the causes of disease and death in Thoroughbred foals in Ireland during their first 12 months. It discovered that the most common causes of death were congenital abnormalities and musculoskeletal trauma, whilst the most common disease was respiratory infection.

Study Details

  • The study is a retrospective analysis, meaning it utilized past data to extract conclusions. The goal was to identify the factors contributing to disease and death in Thoroughbred foals during their first year.
  • The researchers reviewed foaling and veterinary records of 343 foals born on four different farms between January 1, 2004, and May 30, 2008.

Observations and Findings

  • A total of 22 out of 343 foals did not survive till their first year. This indicated a mortality rate of around 6.5% in the studied population.
  • In terms of morbidity (the state of being diseased), there was a very high incidence with 299 out of 338 foals (88.5%) having developed some form of health issue within their first year of life.

Cause of Death and Disease

  • The most frequent causes of death among these foals were congenital abnormalities (accounting for 35.3% of fatalities) and musculoskeletal trauma (accounting for 29.4% of deaths).
  • In terms of disease, the study uncovered 711 separate incidents, with infectious diseases being responsible for 46.5% of these cases. Non-infectious musculoskeletal issues caused 25% of the incidents, and non-infectious gastrointestinal problems led to 14.9% of the diseases.
  • The most prevalent single disease was respiratory infection, making up 27.8% of all disease incidents in the population of the study.

Significance of Findings

  • These findings present a clear picture of the common health issues encountered by Thoroughbred foals in their first year of life and the major causes of death among them.
  • Having this information can help in devising preventive measures, early diagnostic tests, and better treatment plans for such horses, thereby increasing their chances of survival and improving their long-term health.

Cite This Article

APA
Galvin N, Corley K. (2010). Causes of disease and death from birth to 12 months of age in the Thoroughbred horse in Ireland. Ir Vet J, 63(1), 37-43. https://doi.org/10.1186/2046-0481-63-1-37

Publication

Irish veterinary journal
ISSN: 2046-0481
NlmUniqueID: 0100762
Country: Ireland
Language: English
Volume: 63
Issue: 1
Pages: 37-43

Researcher Affiliations

Galvin, Np
  • Phoenix Equine Group, Grey Abbey Road, Co, Kildare, Ireland. noreengalvin@phoenixequine.com.
Corley, Ktt

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    Citations

    This article has been cited 6 times.
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    3. Flash ML, Wong ASM, Stevenson MA, Gilkerson JR. Barriers to entering race training before 4 years of age for Thoroughbred horses born in the 2014 Australian foal crop.. PLoS One 2020;15(8):e0237003.
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