[Respiratory infectious diseases in horses].

The research paper deals with respiratory infectious diseases in horses, categorizing them into monocausal and multicausal, and providing various ways to control and combat these diseases through measures like vaccination, chemotherapy, and immunomodulation.

Monocausal and Multicausal Diseases in Horses

• The study exhibits a clear distinction between monocausal and multicausal infectious diseases in horses. Monocausal diseases can be traced back to a single cause or pathogen, such as the equine influenza virus, equine rhinopneumonitis virus, equine arteritis virus, Reoviruses, streptococcus equi, and mycobacteria tuberculosis.
• On the other hand, multicausal infections are a result of a combination of different processes. Typically, these begin with a primary virus infection, which then paves way for secondary infections caused by opportunistic agents such as bacteria, mycoplasms or fungi resulting in clinical disease.

Prophylactic Measures Against Respiratory Infections

• For monocausal respiratory infections, the most effective preventive measures suggested are prophylactic vaccination, which aims to vaccinate the horses before they are exposed to the disease, and chemotherapy, the use of chemical agents to treat diseases.
• In the case of multicausal infections, the authors suggest vaccination with functional-synergistic combined vaccines, the use of herd-specific vaccines, or medical stimulation of the non-specific part of immunity, also known as immunomodulation. These measures aim to enhance the immune response of the horses’ bodies, thereby preventing diseases.

Paramunization: A Novel Approach

• The concept of paramunization is also introduced in the paper. Paramunization stimulates immunity against diseases in a non-specific manner and can be combined with prophylactic vaccination and chemotherapy controls. It can also be combined with corticosteroids in severe cases of respiratory disease.
• This approach holds potential for the prophylaxis and therapy of respiratory infections in horses and may provide an effective way to control outbreaks.