The Accuracy of Serum Amyloid A in Determining Early Inflammation in Horses After Long-Distance Transportation by Air.

The research sought to find a more accurate way to detect early signs of inflammation in sporthorses after air travel by comparing rectal temperature to serum amyloid A (SAA) levels. The study concluded that SAA levels were a more sensitive and accurate method of identifying early inflammation than rectal temperature.

Research Methods

• The research involved 122 Warmblood horses that were part of the Longines Global Champions Tour 2016 and traveled to three different locations for competition.
• Health check-ups and SAA measurements were conducted before the flight, immediately upon arrival, and 24 hours after arrival. The SAA levels were determined through a stall-side lateral flow immunoassay.
• Rectal temperature was measured twice daily using a standard digital thermometer.

Findings

• A cutoff SAA value of 23 µg/mL, taken 24 hours after arrival, successfully identified a healthy or sick horse with a sensitivity (the ability of the test to correctly identify those with the disease) of 93.3% and a specificity (the ability of the test to correctly identify those without the disease) of 91.3%.
• Contrarily, the established method of using elevated rectal temperatures to detect illness only held a sensitivity of 3%, a drastically lower rate when compared to the SAA measurement.

Conclusion

• The research found that monitoring SAA in traveling sporthorses is a more reliable method of assessing the animals’ clinical health than monitoring rectal temperature.
• It suggests that routine tests for SAA levels could aid in the early detection of inflammatory processes, reducing the potential of overlooking horses in early stages of disease and increasing appropriate health intervention.