FREE SHIPPING over $40
OVER 9000 FIVE-STAR REVIEWS
5% OFF ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS
100% HAPPINESS GUARANTEE
Analyze Diet
0
Home / Equine Research Bank / J Am Vet Med Assoc / Rabies in horses: 21 cases (1970-1990).
Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association1992; 200(8); 1133-1137;

Rabies in horses: 21 cases (1970-1990).

Abstract: The records of 21 horses with rabies were reviewed. Results of fluorescent antibody testing for rabies antigen in brain tissue were positive in each case. According to the histories, 5 of the horses had been vaccinated for rabies between 4 to 24 months prior to the onset of the clinical signs. Bite wounds were not observed on any of the horses, and exposure to a suspected rabid animal was witnessed in only 5 cases. Clinical signs of disease at the time of initial examination included ataxia and paresis of the hindquarters (9/21, 43%), lameness (5/21, 24%), recumbency (3/21, 14%), pharyngeal paralysis (2/21, 10%), and colic (2/21, 10%). The major clinical signs observed over the course of hospitalization included recumbency (21/21; 100%), hyperesthesia (17/21; 81%), loss of tail and anal sphincter tone (12/21; 57%), fever (11/21; 52%), and ataxia and paresis of the hindquarters (11/21; 52%). Mean survival time after the onset of clinical signs was 4.47 days (range, 1 to 7 days). Supportive treatment, given to 9 horses, had no effect on survival time and did not correlate with the detection of negri bodies at necropsy. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was obtained from 6 horses and was determined to be abnormal in 5. The most common abnormality was a slightly high total cell count (5/6), with a predominance of lymphocytes (4/6). The CSF total protein concentration was high in only 2 horses. At necropsy, there was gross evidence of diffuse brain edema, meningeal congestion, and focal areas of hemorrhage in 5 horses (24%).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Get Full Text
Publication Date: 1992-04-15 PubMed ID: 1607322
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.
LinkedInCopy
  • 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.

The article reviews 21 cases of horses diagnosed with rabies between 1970 and 1990. The clinical signs and survival rates are discussed, as well as the effectiveness of supportive treatment and vaccination history.

Study Overview and Findings

  • The paper is a retrospective study of 21 horses diagnosed with rabies over a twenty-year period. The diagnosis was confirmed via fluorescent antibody testing which detected the rabies antigen in the brain tissue of all the subjects.
  • Despite current belief that bite wounds are the most common transmission method for rabies, none of the investigated horses had noticeable bite wounds. Only five of the horses had been observed to have come into contact with an animal suspected to have rabies.
  • Five of the horses had been vaccinated for rabies between 4 to 24 months prior to the onset of symptoms, suggesting that the rabies vaccination might not have provided sustained protection.

Identification and Progression of Clinical Signs

  • The study also presents a critique of the array of clinical signs observed in the horses. Initial signs included ataxia and paresis of the hindquarters, lameness, recumbency, pharyngeal paralysis, and colic.
  • Over the course of hospitalization, other major clinical signs including recumbency, hyperesthesia, loss of tail and anal sphincter tone, fever, and further ataxia and paresis of the hindquarters were observed.
  • On average, the horses survived only about 4.47 days after the onset of these symptoms, indicating the aggressive progression of the disease.

Supportive Treatment and Pathological Findings

  • Supportive treatment provided to some of the horses made no significant contribution to extending survival time or reducing symptoms. There was also no correlation between the supportive treatment and the detection of negri bodies, a characteristic marker of rabies, at autopsy.
  • Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis from six horses showed abnormalities in five, such as high total cell count predominantly composed of lymphocytes. Elevated CSF total protein concentration was recorded in only two horses.
  • Post-mortem examination revealed severe pathological changes in the form of brain edema, meningeal congestion, and focal hemorrhage in some horses.

Cite This Article

APA
Green SL, Smith LL, Vernau W, Beacock SM. (1992). Rabies in horses: 21 cases (1970-1990). J Am Vet Med Assoc, 200(8), 1133-1137.

Publication

Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association
ISSN: 0003-1488
NlmUniqueID: 7503067
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 200
Issue: 8
Pages: 1133-1137

Researcher Affiliations

Green, S L
  • Department of Clinical Studies, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Canada.
Smith, L L
    Vernau, W
      Beacock, S M

        MeSH Terms

        • Animals
        • Brain / pathology
        • Female
        • Horse Diseases / blood
        • Horse Diseases / immunology
        • Horse Diseases / pathology
        • Horses
        • Male
        • Rabies / cerebrospinal fluid
        • Rabies / immunology
        • Rabies / pathology
        • Rabies / veterinary
        • Retrospective Studies
        • Spinal Cord / pathology
        • Vaccination / veterinary

        Citations

        This article has been cited 8 times.
        1. Rupprecht CE, Belsare AV, Cliquet F, Mshelbwala PP, Seetahal JFR, Wicker VV. The Challenge of Lyssavirus Infections in Domestic and Other Animals: A Mix of Virological Confusion, Consternation, Chagrin, and Curiosity. Pathogens 2025 Jun 13;14(6).
          doi: 10.3390/pathogens14060586pubmed: 40559594google scholar: lookup
        2. Pucca MB, Camphora AL. The potential risks of equine serum therapy in transmitting new infectious diseases: lessons from a post-pandemic era. Front Public Health 2024;12:1366929.
          doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1366929pubmed: 38420034google scholar: lookup
        3. Tirosh-Levy S, Shaiman Barom L, Novak S, Eyngor M, Schvartz G, Yakobson B, Steinman A. Persistence of Anti-Rabies Antibody Response in Horses Following Vaccination. Pathogens 2024 Jan 28;13(2).
          doi: 10.3390/pathogens13020125pubmed: 38392863google scholar: lookup
        4. Phelps S, Chong D, McKenzie E, Kiupel M, Gorman E. Rapport de cas Mononuclear pleocytosis and meningoencephalitis caused by Listeria monocytogenes in an adult horse. Can Vet J 2023 Apr;64(4):363-366.
          pubmed: 37008639
        5. Zakia LS, Albertino LG, Andrade DGA, Amorim RM, Takahira RR, Oliveira-Filho JP, Borges AS. Cerebrospinal fluid analysis in horses, cattle, and sheep diagnosed with rabies: A retrospective study of 62 cases. Can Vet J 2022 Dec;63(12):1242-1246.
          pubmed: 36467385
        6. Desanti-Consoli H, Bouillon J, Chapuis RJJ. Equids' Core Vaccines Guidelines in North America: Considerations and Prospective. Vaccines (Basel) 2022 Mar 4;10(3).
          doi: 10.3390/vaccines10030398pubmed: 35335029google scholar: lookup
        7. Kumar B, Manuja A, Gulati BR, Virmani N, Tripathi BN. Zoonotic Viral Diseases of Equines and Their Impact on Human and Animal Health. Open Virol J 2018;12:80-98.
          doi: 10.2174/1874357901812010080pubmed: 30288197google scholar: lookup
        8. Bender JB, Tsukayama DT. Horses and the risk of zoonotic infections. Vet Clin North Am Equine Pract 2004 Dec;20(3):643-53.
          doi: 10.1016/j.cveq.2004.07.003pubmed: 15519824google scholar: lookup
        Subscribe to our newsletter
        Join 99,344 horse owners like you who receive our email updates on horse health and nutrition.