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Frequency of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis infection in horses across the United States during a 10-year period.
Abstract: To quantify the number of horses with Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis infection identified in the United States from January 2003 through December 2012. Methods: Cross-sectional study. Methods: State veterinary diagnostic laboratory records of 2,237 C pseudotuberculosis culture-positive samples from horses. Methods: 44 state veterinary diagnostic laboratories throughout the United States were invited by mail to participate in the study. Data requested included the number of C pseudotuberculosis culture-positive samples from horses identified per year, geographic location from which the C pseudotuberculosis culture-positive sample was submitted, month and year of sample submission, breed and age of horses, and category of clinical manifestation (ie, internal infection, external infection, or ulcerative lymphangitis). Results: Of the 44 invited laboratories, 15 agreed to participate and provided data on affected horses from 23 states. The proportion of C pseudotuberculosis culture-positive samples submitted during 2011 through 2012 (1,213/2,237 [54%]) was significantly greater than that for the period from 2003 through 2010 (1,024/2,237 [46%]). Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis was recovered from horses in states where the disease has not been previously recognized as endemic. Affected horses were identified year-round. The greatest proportion of C pseudotuberculosis culture-positive samples was identified during November, December, and January (789/2,237 [35%]). No significant association between the clinical form of disease and age or breed of horse was observed. Conclusions: The occurrence of C pseudotuberculosis infection in horses increased during the 10-year period, and affected horses were identified throughout the United States. Further studies to determine changes in annual incidence and to identify potential changing climatic conditions or vector populations associated with disease transmission are warranted to help control the occurrence and spread of C pseudotuberculosis infection in horses.
Publication Date: 2014-07-17 PubMed ID: 25029310DOI: 10.2460/javma.245.3.309Google Scholar: Lookup The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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This study documents the increasing prevalence of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis infection in horses across the United States over a ten-year span.
Methods
- For the research, a cross-sectional study assembled data from state veterinary diagnostic laboratories that handled C. pseudotuberculosis culture-positive samples from horses. The focus of the study was the ten-year timeline running from January 2003 to December 2012.
- Participation invitations were sent to 44 state veterinary diagnostic laboratories across the country. They were asked to provide comprehensive data on the number of C. pseudotuberculosis samples positive horses identified per year, the sample’s geographical origin, the date of sample submission, the age and breed of the horses, and the category of clinical manifestation recorded.
Results
- Of the 44 invited laboratories, 15 participated in the study and provided data from 23 states. The collected data highlighted a significant rise in the number of C. pseudotuberculosis culture-positive samples submitted in the years 2011 to 2012 (54%) compared to the preceding years spanning 2003 to 2010 (46%).
- Interestingly, the research team recovered C. pseudotuberculosis from horses in states where the disease was previously not known to be endemic. The study also noted that horses could contract the infection all year round. However, the percentage of C. pseudotuberculosis culture-positive samples was the highest during the colder months of November, December, and January – composing 35% of the sample size.
- No significant correlation was identified between the clinical form of the disease and the age or breed of the horse.
Conclusions
- The research conclusively showed an increase in the occurrence of C. pseudotuberculosis infection in horses during the ten-year examination period. Moreover, the disease has spread across the entirety of the United States.
- The study proposes further studies to identify annual incidence trends and potential changes in climate or vector populations that might influence the disease transmission. This would be instrumental in controlling the occurrence and curtailing the spread of C. pseudotuberculosis infections in horses.
Cite This Article
APA
Kilcoyne I, Spier SJ, Carter CN, Smith JL, Swinford AK, Cohen ND.
(2014).
Frequency of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis infection in horses across the United States during a 10-year period.
J Am Vet Med Assoc, 245(3), 309-314.
https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.245.3.309 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA 95616.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Corynebacterium Infections / epidemiology
- Corynebacterium Infections / microbiology
- Corynebacterium Infections / veterinary
- Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis / isolation & purification
- Female
- Horse Diseases / epidemiology
- Horse Diseases / microbiology
- Horses
- Male
- Time Factors
- United States / epidemiology
Citations
This article has been cited 12 times.- Schlicher J, Schmitt S, Stevens MJA, Stephan R, Ghielmetti G. Molecular Characterization of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis Isolated over a 15-Year Period in Switzerland. Vet Sci 2021 Jul 30;8(8).
- Carter CN, Smith JL. A proposal to leverage high-quality veterinary diagnostic laboratory large data streams for animal health, public health, and One Health. J Vet Diagn Invest 2021 May;33(3):399-409.
- Parise D, Parise MTD, Viana MVC, Muñoz-Bucio AV, Cortés-Pérez YA, Arellano-Reynoso B, Díaz-Aparicio E, Dorella FA, Pereira FL, Carvalho AF, Figueiredo HCP, Ghosh P, Barh D, Gomide ACP, Azevedo VAC. First genome sequencing and comparative analyses of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis strains from Mexico. Stand Genomic Sci 2018;13:21.
- Silva WM, Carvalho RDO, Dorella FA, Folador EL, Souza GHMF, Pimenta AMC, Figueiredo HCP, Le Loir Y, Silva A, Azevedo V. Quantitative Proteomic Analysis Reveals Changes in the Benchmark Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis Biovar Equi Exoproteome after Passage in a Murine Host. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2017;7:325.
- Baraúna RA, Ramos RTJ, Veras AAO, de Sá PHCG, Guimarães LC, das Graças DA, Carneiro AR, Edman JM, Spier SJ, Azevedo V, Silva A. Genomic analysis of four strains of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis bv. Equi isolated from horses showing distinct signs of infection. Stand Genomic Sci 2017;12:16.
- Baraúna RA, Ramos RT, Veras AA, Pinheiro KC, Benevides LJ, Viana MV, Guimarães LC, Edman JM, Spier SJ, Azevedo V, Silva A. Assessing the Genotypic Differences between Strains of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis biovar equi through Comparative Genomics. PLoS One 2017;12(1):e0170676.
- Corbeil LE, Morrissey JF, Léguillette R. Is Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis infection (pigeon fever) in horses an emerging disease in western Canada?. Can Vet J 2016 Oct;57(10):1062-1066.
- Boysen C, Davis EG, Beard LA, Lubbers BV, Raghavan RK. Bayesian Geostatistical Analysis and Ecoclimatic Determinants of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis Infection among Horses. PLoS One 2015;10(10):e0140666.
- Barba M, Stewart AJ, Passler T, Wooldridge AA, van Santen E, Chamorro MF, Cattley RC, Hathcock T, Hogsette JA, Hu XP. Experimental transmission of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis biovar equi in horses by house flies. J Vet Intern Med 2015 Mar-Apr;29(2):636-43.
- de Souza Lima E, de Oliveira Filho RB, Malta KC, Pires IC, Rosa DS, Chideroli RT, Aburjaile FF, de Jesus Sousa T, Ramos RTJ, Góes-Neto A, de Castro Soares S, Brenig B, de Carvalho Azevedo VA, da Costa MM, de Carvalho Fernandes AC. First case report of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis biovar equi in semiarid region of Brazil. Braz J Microbiol 2025 Sep;56(3):2251-2256.
- Styková E, Valocký I, Kačírová J, Fecskeová LK. Microbiological effect of topically applied Weissella cibaria on equine pastern dermatitis. Front Vet Sci 2024;11:1493756.
- Hiller E, Hörz V, Sting R. Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis: Whole genome sequencing reveals unforeseen and relevant genetic diversity in this pathogen. PLoS One 2024;19(8):e0309282.
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