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Equine veterinary journal2020; 53(4); 670-681; doi: 10.1111/evj.13339

Pathology, infectious agents and horse- and management-level risk factors associated with signs of respiratory disease in Ethiopian working horses.

Abstract: Respiratory disease is a common cause for presentation of working horses to clinics in Ethiopia and a priority concern for owners. Objective: To identify risk factors for and association of pathogens with respiratory signs in working horses. Methods: Unmatched case-control study. Methods: Cases were those animals recently coughing (last 7 days) or observed with coughing, nasal discharge or altered respiration at the time of examination. A physical exam and respiratory endoscopy were performed including a tracheal wash sample to detect the presence of pathogens and serology performed on blood. An owner questionnaire was administered. Risk factors were determined using multivariable logistic regression. Results: Data on 108 cases and 93 unmatched control horses were obtained. Case horses often had underlying lower airway pathology and were significantly more likely to have Streptococcus zooepidemicus detected (OR: 12.4, 95% CI: 3.6-42.4). There was no evidence of a major role for viral respiratory pathogens. Risk factors included completion of strenuous work (OR: 2.7, 95% CI: 1.2-6.3), drinking from stagnant water sources (OR: 2.3, 95% CI: 1.0-5.2) or being housed on a cobbled floor (OR: 2.0, 95% CI: 1.1-3.8). There were increased odds of respiratory disease in young and old horses in this population. Conclusions: Samples for pathogen detection and cytology were only taken from the trachea. Conclusions: S. zooepidemicus, a common commensal, may play a role in clinical respiratory disease in this population.
© 2020 The Authors. Equine Veterinary Journal published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of EVJ Ltd.
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Publication Date: 2020-10-02 PubMed ID: 32853420DOI: 10.1111/evj.13339Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article

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.

This research focused on understanding the risk factors and associated pathogens in respiratory diseases observed in Ethiopian working horses. The findings identified strenuous work, drinking from stagnant water sources, and being housed on cobbled floors as significant risk factors. A common bacterial pathogen, Streptococcus zooepidemicus, was found more frequently in horses showing respiratory symptoms.

Introduction and Objective of the Research

  • The research aimed to identify the risks and pathogenic associations causing respiratory diseases in working horses of Ethiopia. As respiratory disease is a pressing concern, the study set out to uncover underlying causes that could alleviate these issues and improve horse health and productivity.

Methodology

  • The researchers employed an unmatched case-control design and included in their study 108 cases of horses demonstrating respiratory symptoms like coughing or nasal discharge and 93 control horses.
  • Data collection involved conducting physical examinations, respiratory endoscopy, and collecting tracheal wash samples to detect pathogens. They also performed serology on blood specimens.
  • The horse owners also filled out questionnaires providing additional information regarding the animals’ environment and management practices.
  • The data were analyzed using multivariable logistic regression to determine risk factors.

Results of the Study

  • The findings showed frequent occurrence of lower airway pathology in case horses. Remarkably, These animals were significantly more likely to test positive for the bacteria Streptococcus zooepidemicus.
  • The research found minimal evidence pointing towards viral respiratory pathogens playing a significant role in these diseases.
  • Multivariable logistic regression pointed out several risk factors such as strenuous work, stagnant water sources, and housing on cobbled floors. These were all closely linked to the occurrence of respiratory diseases.
  • Age was also found to be a determinant, with young and old horses more likely to exhibit respiratory disease symptoms.

Conclusion

  • The researchers concluded that the elevated presence of S. zooepidemicus, usually benign, could potentially play a role in respiratory diseases in the studied horse population.
  • However, they noted that samples were taken only from the trachea, which could limit the understanding and detection of all potential pathogens.

Cite This Article

APA
Laing G, Christley R, Stringer A, Ashine T, Cian F, Aklilu N, Newton R, Radford A, Pinchbeck G. (2020). Pathology, infectious agents and horse- and management-level risk factors associated with signs of respiratory disease in Ethiopian working horses. Equine Vet J, 53(4), 670-681. https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.13339

Publication

Equine veterinary journal
ISSN: 2042-3306
NlmUniqueID: 0173320
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 53
Issue: 4
Pages: 670-681

Researcher Affiliations

Laing, Gabrielle
  • Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
Christley, Robert
  • Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
Stringer, Andrew
  • Population Health and Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, USA.
Ashine, Tibebu
  • SPANA (Society for the Protection of Animals Abroad), Debre Zeit, Ethiopia.
Cian, Francesco
  • Animal Health Trust, Newmarket, Suffolk, UK.
Aklilu, Nigatu
  • SPANA (Society for the Protection of Animals Abroad), Debre Zeit, Ethiopia.
Newton, Richard
  • Animal Health Trust, Newmarket, Suffolk, UK.
Radford, Alan
  • Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
Pinchbeck, Gina
  • Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Ethiopia / epidemiology
  • Horse Diseases / diagnosis
  • Horse Diseases / epidemiology
  • Horse Diseases / etiology
  • Horses
  • Risk Factors
  • Streptococcal Infections / veterinary
  • Streptococcus equi

Grant Funding

  • Society for the Protection of Animals Abroad (SPANA)
  • Institute of Infection and Global Health
  • University of Liverpool

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Citations

This article has been cited 5 times.
  1. Uchida-Fujii E, Kinoshita Y, Niwa H, Maeda T, Nukada T, Ueno T. High prevalence of Mycoplasma equirhinis in Thoroughbred horses with respiratory symptoms in autumn 2018. J Vet Med Sci 2021 Dec 9;83(12):1907-1912.
    doi: 10.1292/jvms.21-0163pubmed: 34732605google scholar: lookup
  2. Junkkari R, Mykkänen A, Sulku P, Rantala M, Pohjanvirta T, Eklund M, Pelkonen S, Grönthal T. Occurrence, antibiotic susceptibility and genetic variation of Streptococcus zooepidemicus in Finnish weanling horses with and without respiratory infection. Acta Vet Scand 2026 Jan 27;68(1):7.
    doi: 10.1186/s13028-025-00839-0pubmed: 41593672google scholar: lookup
  3. McLinden LA, Kemp-Symonds JG, Daly JM, Blanchard AM, Waller AS, Freeman SL. Effectiveness of a screening protocol employed at a UK rescue centre to prevent introduction of strangles. Equine Vet J 2026 Mar;58(2):466-475.
    doi: 10.1111/evj.70080pubmed: 41031843google scholar: lookup
  4. Tian Y, Su Y, Jiang X, Su L, Zhang B, Lv F. Comparative genomic and virulence analyses of a novel sequence type 420 Streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus isolated from donkey. Virulence 2025 Dec;16(1):2525964.
    doi: 10.1080/21505594.2025.2525964pubmed: 40581843google scholar: lookup
  5. Cantelmi MC, Merola C, Averaimo D, Chiaverini A, Cito F, Cocco A, Di Teodoro G, De Angelis ME, Di Bernardo D, Auzino D, Petrini A. Identification of the Novel Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus Sequence Type 525 in Donkeys of Abruzzo Region, Italy. Pathogens 2023 May 23;12(6).
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