Making sense of equine uterine infections: the many faces of physical clearance.
Abstract: Equine uterine infections inflict major losses on the equine industry. Persistent inflammation of the oviduct and uterus leads to loss of the conceptus and mares susceptible to infection have weakened uterine defences partly due to retention of inflammatory exudate. Bacteria may trigger inflammation, resist phagocytosis, or adhere to the endometrium and types of infection range from genital commensals in susceptible mares to reproductive pathogens in normal mares. Uterine infections are diagnosed by history, detection of uterine inflammation, and isolation of typical organisms and susceptible mares may be identified by detection of intrauterine fluid during oestrus, or at 6-48 h post-breeding. Therapy includes oxytocin, uterine lavage, antibiotics, and prostaglandin analogues and clinical studies indicate additive benefits of oxytocin and antibiotics. Improved conception rates have been associated with autologous, intrauterine plasma, despite controversy about its bactericidal efficacy. Because of the potential for endometrial damage, intrauterine antiseptics require caution.
Publication Date: 2005-10-05 PubMed ID: 16169264DOI: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2005.08.005Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary
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The research paper discusses equine uterine infections: how they occur, how to diagnose them, and how they can potentially be treated.
Overview of Equine Uterine Infections
- Equine uterine infections cause significant damage to the equine industry as they often lead to a loss of the conceptus in pregnant mares.
- Infections are typically caused by bacteria, which may trigger inflammation, evade the horse’s immune response, or adhere to the lining of the uterus.
- The types of bacterial infection can range from harmless bacteria present in healthy mares to pathogenic bacteria causing disease in susceptible mares.
Diagnosis of Equine Uterine Infections
- The researchers explain several methods of diagnosing these infections, including analyzing the mare’s history, examining physical signs of inflammation in their uterus, and isolating the specific organisms involved.
- Mares that are more susceptible to infection often can be identified by the presence of intrauterine fluid. This can be detected during the mare’s typical reproductive cycle, or between 6-48 hours after breeding.
Treatment Options for Equine Uterine Infections
- The paper outlines several potential treatments for these infections, including hormone therapy with oxytocin, flushing the uterus with fluids (uterine lavage), antibiotic treatment, and prostaglandin analogues.
- Studies have shown benefits when oxytocin is used in combination with antibiotics. Furthermore, using the horse’s own plasma (autologous plasma) when treating intrauterine infections has been linked with improved conception rates.
- While antiseptics can also be used for treatment, there is a risk of causing damage to the uterus’ lining, so their use should be approached with caution.
Cite This Article
APA
Causey RC.
(2005).
Making sense of equine uterine infections: the many faces of physical clearance.
Vet J, 172(3), 405-421.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tvjl.2005.08.005 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences and the Maine Agriculture and Forestry Experiment Station, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469-5735, USA. robert.causey@umit.maine.edu
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Female
- Horse Diseases / diagnosis
- Horse Diseases / microbiology
- Horse Diseases / therapy
- Horses
- Uterine Diseases / diagnosis
- Uterine Diseases / microbiology
- Uterine Diseases / therapy
- Uterine Diseases / veterinary
Citations
This article has been cited 14 times.- Nocera FP, Maurizi L, Masullo A, Nicoletti M, Conte AL, Brunetti F, De Martino L, Zagaglia C, Longhi C. Genotypic and Phenotypic Characterization of Escherichia coli Isolates Recovered from the Uterus of Mares with Fertility Problems. Animals (Basel) 2023 May 14;13(10).
- Tyrnenopoulou P, Fthenakis GC. Clinical Aspects of Bacterial Distribution and Antibiotic Resistance in the Reproductive System of Equids. Antibiotics (Basel) 2023 Mar 28;12(4).
- Ding X, Cui X, Shi J, Cheng X, Yao D, Gao Y, Zhang Y. Construction of a model of endometritis in domestic rabbits using equine-derived pathogens and evaluation of therapeutic effect of sensitive drugs. Front Vet Sci 2023;10:1064522.
- Thomson P, Pareja J, Núñez A, Santibáñez R, Castro R. Characterization of microbial communities and predicted metabolic pathways in the uterus of healthy mares. Open Vet J 2022 Nov-Dec;12(6):797-805.
- D'Agostino A, Di Palma T, Cecchini Gualandi S, Boni R. Fluorescence Spectroscopy for the Diagnosis of Endometritis in the Mare. Animals (Basel) 2022 Apr 29;12(9).
- Zhao Y, Zhu Y, Liu B, Mi J, Li N, Zhao W, Wu R, Holyoak GR, Li J, Liu D, Zeng S, Wang Y. Antimicrobial Susceptibility of Bacterial Isolates from Donkey Uterine Infections, 2018-2021. Vet Sci 2022 Feb 5;9(2).
- Morrell JM, Rocha A. A Novel Approach to Minimising Acute Equine Endometritis That May Help to Prevent the Development of the Chronic State. Front Vet Sci 2021;8:799619.
- Díaz-Bertrana ML, Deleuze S, Pitti Rios L, Yeste M, Morales Fariña I, Rivera Del Alamo MM. Microbial Prevalence and Antimicrobial Sensitivity in Equine Endometritis in Field Conditions. Animals (Basel) 2021 May 20;11(5).
- Vestby LK, Grønseth T, Simm R, Nesse LL. Bacterial Biofilm and its Role in the Pathogenesis of Disease. Antibiotics (Basel) 2020 Feb 3;9(2).
- Ferris RA, McCue PM, Borlee GI, Glapa KE, Martin KH, Mangalea MR, Hennet ML, Wolfe LM, Broeckling CD, Borlee BR. Model of Chronic Equine Endometritis Involving a Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilm. Infect Immun 2017 Dec;85(12).
- Ferris RA, McCue PM, Borlee GI, Loncar KD, Hennet ML, Borlee BR. In Vitro Efficacy of Nonantibiotic Treatments on Biofilm Disruption of Gram-Negative Pathogens and an In Vivo Model of Infectious Endometritis Utilizing Isolates from the Equine Uterus. J Clin Microbiol 2016 Mar;54(3):631-9.
- Rasmussen CD, Haugaard MM, Petersen MR, Nielsen JM, Pedersen HG, Bojesen AM. Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus isolates from equine infectious endometritis belong to a distinct genetic group. Vet Res 2013 Apr 18;44(1):26.
- Maischberger E, Irwin J, Carrington S, Duggan V. Equine post-breeding endometritis: A review. Ir Vet J 2008 Mar 1;61(3):163-8.
- Bailey CS, Beachler TM, Mochel JP, Wulf LW, Yaeger M, Kundu D, Withowski K, Papich MG. Penicillin and Gentamicin Concentrations in the Uterine Fluid of Non-Pregnant Mares Following a Single Intrauterine Infusion. J Vet Pharmacol Ther 2025 Sep;48(5):389-396.
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