Search

Horses and other equids can be infected with several viruses of the family Flaviviridae, belonging to the genus Flavivirus and Hepacivirus. This consensus statement focuses on viruses with known occurrence in Europe, with the objective to summarize the current literature and formulate clinically relevant evidence‐based recommendations regarding clinical disease, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. The viruses circulating in Europe include West Nile virus, tick‐borne encephalitis virus, Usutu virus, Louping ill virus and the equine hepacivirus. West Nile virus and Usutu virus are mosquito‐borne, while tick‐borne encephalitis virus and Louping ill virus are tick‐borne. The natural route of transmission for equine hepacivirus remains speculative. West Nile virus and tick‐borne encephalitis virus can induce encephalitis in infected horses. In the British Isle, rare equine cases of encephalitis associated with Louping ill virus are reported. In contrast, equine hepacivirus infections are associated with mild acute hepatitis and possibly chronic hepatitis. Diagnosis of flavivirus infections is made primarily by serology, although cross‐reactivity occurs. Virus neutralization testing is considered the gold standard to differentiate between flavivirus infections in horses. Hepacivirus infection is detected by serum or liver RT‐PCR. No direct antiviral treatment against flavi‐ or hepacivirus infections in horses is currently available and thus, treatment is supportive. Three vaccines against West Nile virus are licensed in the European Union. Geographic expansion of flaviviruses pathogenic for equids should always be considered a realistic threat, and it would be beneficial if their detection was included in surveillance programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Horses need energy from feeds consumed to maintain health and performance. Digestible energy is a common form to express the energy value of feeds for horses. Measurement of digestible energy in feeds requires animal assays that are difficult to conduct. Thus, several researchers have developed empirical equations to predict digestible energy in horse feeds from their chemical composition. In the present study, we evaluated two of those equations that predict digestible energy from the chemical composition declared on the label of commercial mixed feeds and diets in Europe. After testing both equations against 32 mixed feeds and diets of known digestible energy content, we found that one performed slightly better than the other although both provided acceptable predictions. Our results suggest that the effects of crude fiber on the digestibility of the other proximate components should be reexamined in both equations. Several authors have developed equations for estimating digestible energy in horse feeds as an alternative to the inconveniences of in vivo digestibility assays. We aimed to evaluate two of such equations. A dataset was constructed from the literature with 32 mixed feeds and diets of known proximate composition, whose digestibility was measured in in vivo assays. Then, the digestible energy of the mixed feeds and diets was predicted with both equations from their proximate components. Precision, accuracy, reproducibility, bias, and decomposition of total error of predictions were determined. Both equations performed almost equally well (R2 = 0.89 vs. 0.87, root mean square error of prediction = 183 vs. 217 kcal/kg dry matter, concordance correlation coefficient = 0.91 vs. 0.86, and linear error = 24.6 vs. 33.6% of total error). Linear bias (p < 0.01 in both equations) resulted in overvaluation of low digestible energy feeds and, to a lesser extent, undervaluation of high digestible energy feeds and was significantly (p < 0.05) related to crude fiber. The obtained results indicate that the accuracy of both equations could be improved by reassessing the effects of crude fiber on the digestibility of the other proximate components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Overriding spinous processes, also known as 'kissing spines', are one of the most common causes of back pain in horses. The aim of this study was to investigate which options for diagnosis and treatment are preferred by equine orthopaedic specialists and assess which techniques are used for local injection., Methods: An online survey was distributed among members of the European/American College of Veterinary Surgeons, the European/American College of Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation, the International Society of Equine Locomotor Pathology and nationally recognised advanced equine orthopaedic practitioners., Results: The survey was completed by 353 respondents. The injection techniques most commonly used involve placing two needles abaxial to the interspinous space (42%) under ultrasonographic guidance (32%) or one needle in the midline (35%) between two spinous processes. The most popular combination for overriding dorsal spinous process therapy was local injection (26.7%) combined with controlled exercise (25.5%). Manual therapy was considered by 42% of European and 25% of American specialists (p = 0.01). Surgical intervention as a first-line treatment was recommended mainly by specialists working in the United States, the UK or Ireland (p = 0.001). Overall, most equine orthopaedic veterinarians (71%; n = 201) preferred conservative management and recommended surgery only for horses that did not respond to conservative therapy., Limitations: Respondents' personal bias may have skewed the findings., Conclusions: Despite a growing body of evidence, the therapeutic approach to 'kissing spines' in horses is influenced by professional specialisation and regional preferences. Variations in injection techniques and differing criteria for surgical intervention warrant further investigation., (© 2024 The Authors. Veterinary Record published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Veterinary Association.)

African horse sickness (AHS) is a highly severe disease caused by a viral etiological agent, African horse sickness virus (AHSV). It is endemic in sub-Saharan Africa, while sporadic outbreaks have occurred in North Africa, Asia, and Europe, with the most recent cases in Thailand. AHSV transmission between equines occurs primarily by biting midges of the genus Culicoides , especially C. imicola , with a wide distribution globally. As research in horses is highly restricted due to a variety of factors, small laboratory animal models that reproduce clinical signs and pathology observed in natural infection of AHSV are highly needed. Here, we investigated the expression profile of several pro-inflammatory cytokines in target organs and serum of IFNAR (-/-) mice, to continue characterizing this established animal model and to go deep into the innate immune responses that are still needed.

Equine recurrent uveitis (ERU) is an ocular disease in horses of different breeds with a prevalence between 2.7 and 7.6 % in Europe and vitrectomy is a common method of treatment. The objective of the study was to evaluate the long-term retention of vision and control of uveitis after pars plana vitrectomy performed between 2005 and 2013 on eyes with a history of equine recurrent uveitis (ERU). Vitrectomy in eyes with ERU can influence the recurrent nature of the disease. Previous studies indicated success rates regarding the further absence of uveitis between 73.6 and 97.7 %. Owners of the horses were contacted and an ophthalmological reexamination including tonometry, induction of mydriasis, slit lamp biomicroscopy and direct ophthalmology was performed in 116 horses (147 eyes vitrectomized). Visual acuity was examined by the dazzle reaction and the menace response. Aspects such as gender, age and breed of the horses, as well as leptospiral status and preexisting damage of operated eyes are described. A total of 246 eyes were accessible for follow-up information, whereas 147 eyes were available for ophthalmologic reexaminations. If only the reexamined eyes are considered, an improvement of the condition was seen in 133 eyes (91 %) and 14 eyes (9 %) showed at least one uveitic recurrence after vitrectomy. A positive menace response and a positive dazzle reaction were observed in 128 of the 147 reexamined eyes (87 %). The number of episodes prior to vitrectomy, the gender of the horse and the leptospiral status of the eye showed no significant correlation with the prevalence of recurrences. Coat color, breed and age of the horse operated, and preexisting ocular alterations showed a significant influence on the chance of postoperative recurrences of uveitis. Horses with a coat color other than "chestnut" and "black and brown" had significantly more recurrences and odds ratio for these horses developing recurrences was also significantly higher. The present study shows that a large number of reexamined eyes remained visual (87 %) and a large proportion of the eyes (91 %) showed an improvement of the condition after vitrectomy. Results of this study suggest that genetic factors, age and preexisting ocular alterations influence the long-term prognosis of eyes with ERU after vitrectomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Orthopaedic, or other, injuries in sports medicine can be quantified using the ‘days-lost to training’ concept. Both the training regimen and the surface used in training and racing can affect the health of racehorses. Our aim was to associate ‘days-lost to training’ in elite-level show-jumpers to horse characteristics, training and management strategies, and the time spent working on various training and competition surfaces. We designed a longitudinal study of professional riders in four European countries. Data were recorded using training diaries. Reasons for days-lost were classified into non-acute and acute orthopaedic, medical, hoof-related, and undefined. We produced descriptive statistics of training durations, relative to type of training, surfaces used, and days-lost. We created zero-inflated negative-binomial random-effects models using the overall days-lost as outcome. In the whole dataset, duration variables related to training surfaces were analysed as independent. The Swedish data only were also used to test whether duration variables were related to competition surfaces. Thirty-one riders with 263 horses provided data on 39,028 days at risk. Of these, 2357 (6.0%) were days-lost (55% and 22% of these were due to non-acute and acute orthopaedic injuries, respectively) in 126 horses. In the all-country model, controlling for season, a significant variable was country. Switzerland and the UK had lower incidence-rate ratios (IR) compared to Sweden (IRs 0.2 and 0.03, respectively). Horses with previous orthopaedic problems had almost a doubled IR (1.8) of days-lost due to orthopaedic injury, compared to baseline. If the horse had jumping training more than 1min per day at risk the IRs were 6.9–7 (compared to less than this amount of time); this was, however, likely an effect of a small baseline. Variation in training was a protective factor with a dose–response relationship; the category with the highest variation had an IR of 0.1. In the Swedish model, controlling for season, there was an association of year (IR 2.8 year 2010). Further, if the horse rested >17–25% of the days at risk, or >33% of the DAR2, had IRs 3.5 and 3.0, compared to less time. Horses ≥6 years had IRs of 1.8–2.0, compared to younger horses. Limited training use of sand surface was a risk-factor (IR 2.2; >4≤12min/day at risk), compared to not training on sand. Training/competing on sand-wood was a protective factor (IRs 0.4–0.5) compared to not using this surface. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was first described in horses in 1996. The frequency of MRSA colonization in horses varies among European countries, but it is unknown in Portugal. The aim of this study was to screen for MRSA nasal carriage in a sample of horses entering the Equine Unit, Large Animal Veterinary Teaching Hospital of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Lisbon, Portugal. Seventy-one horses were swabbed, and MRSA was identified by selective isolation on a chromogenic medium. Two S aureus isolates showed resistance to oxacillin (minimum inhibitory concentration >4 μg/mL) and contained the mecA gene. Both strains were isolated from purebred Lusitano horses that lived in farms with more than 20 equines. These MRSA strains represented two different clones: isolate FMVA3/10 was an MRSA sequence type ST5 with a staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec VI, coresistant to erythromycin and clindamycin; and isolate FMVA16/10 was sequence type ST398, with a staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec IV, coresistant to tetracycline, gentamicin, and trimethoprim. Isolate FMVA3/10 represents a human epidemic clone not previously reported among horses in Europe, which once again reinforces the fact that transmission of MRSA clones between horses and humans occurs. Isolate FMVA16/10 represents the first report of the detection of MRSA ST398 among horses in Portugal. Lusitano horses can carry animal and human MRSA in the nostrils, acting as reservoirs, which can potentially be transmitted to humans. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Simple Summary: Transportation is a stressful event for all animal species, but some species may be subjected to worse welfare consequences than others due to their ethological characteristics and specific coping strategies. Among equines, horses with a low level of tameness are at higher risk for transport-related disease and injury. For this reason, in Europe, regulations for the protection of animals during transport (Regulation EC 1/2005) are stricter for unbroken (untamed) vs. broken (tamed) horses. However, in practice, official veterinarians cannot verify regulatory compliance as there is no valid tool for the classification of horses as broken or unbroken. This study proposes the Broken/Unbroken Test (BUT) for assessment and scoring of horse behaviour during approach, haltering, and handling. After a validation process, our study has shown that the BUT is a reliable, valid, and feasible tool for determining whether a horse is broken or unbroken. The use of this tool would allow simple verification of compliance with Regulation 1/2005, and would help to ensure that transport procedures for unbroken horses are more respectful of their ethological and physiological characteristics. This may reduce the incidence of adverse welfare consequences for horses during transportation. Regulation EC 1/2005 has stricter rules for transportation of unbroken (untamed) vs. broken (tamed) horses, but does not provide adequate tools for their identification. This study aimed to develop and validate such a tool. A behavioural test (Broken/Unbroken Test (BUT)) based on approaching, haltering, and leading was applied to 100 horses. Physiological and additional behavioural data were also collected, and the horses' status (broken/unbroken) was assessed by the expert who administered the BUT. Each horse's behaviour during the BUT was scored by four trained observers blinded to the horse's history. The BUT score showed excellent inter-observer, intra-observer, and test–retest reliability (all intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) > 0.75). It was also negatively associated with respiratory rate, avoidance distance, and time needed to approach, halter, and lead the horse (p < 0.05 for all). The optimal BUT score cut-off for discrimination between broken and unbroken horses (gold standard: expert judgment) showed 97.8% sensitivity and 97.3% specificity. There was almost perfect agreement between BUT-based and expert classification of horses (ICC = 0.940). These findings confirm the BUT's construct and criterion validity. The BUT could provide officials with a feasible, reliable, and valid tool to identify a horse's broken/unbroken status and, consequently, direct stakeholders towards correct transport procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Equines have a peculiar place in our society. From livestock to sport, through to landscape managers and leisure partners, equines show a wide range of little-known environmental advantages and assets. Today's wake-up calls about the environment are progressively putting pressure on stakeholders of the agricultural sector, including the equine industry. This study focusses on the main environmental consequences of equine use and possession in Europe based on scientific and technical sources under the lens of five leading sectors where equines show unique impacts as green assets. Now, more than ever before, it is important to highlight the role of equines as a green alternative in political debates and management practices to give them the place equines deserve in the ecological transition of agriculture. Despite the decline of equine populations in the middle of the 20th century, the European horse industry is growing again thanks to economic alternatives found in the diversification of the uses of equines (sports, racing, leisure, etc.). Equines have many environmental advantages, but the fragmentation of the sector and the lack of synthetic knowledge about their environmental impacts do not enable the promotion of these assets and their effective inclusion in management practices and European policies. To highlight the equine environmental impacts, a literature review was carried out to cover the main European stakes. This work led to the identification of five "green assets", fields where equines show unique environmental advantages compared to other agricultural productions. These green assets are linked to the nature of equines (grazing and domestic biodiversity), to their geographical distribution (land use), and to their use by human beings (tourism and work). Today, when searching for sustainable solutions to modern environmental issues, the use of equines is a neglected green alternative. Better knowledge and use of equine green assets could partly respond to more ecological agricultural needs and contribute to the development of this animal industry, which has a place in regional development and in Europe's sustainable transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate demographic knowledge of the equine population is needed to assess and model equine health events. France is one of the few European countries with an operational centralized database (SIRE) recording individual data on all declared equines living in France and on their owners and keepers. Our study aimed to assess SIRE database quality concerning the updating of information by equine owners and keepers with a view to its improvement and use in surveillance and research. Two online surveys were conducted with the participation of 6244 registered keepers and 13,869 owners. Results showed some inconsistencies between SIRE records and survey responses. The inconsistency rate for equines whose castration and death were not registered in the database was 28.7% and 5.9% respectively. Concerning owners, 11% of respondents did not own the reference equine selected considered by the survey, 33% had changed address without updating it in the SIRE. Concerning premises hosting equines, the keeper survey's inconsistency rate was 7.3%, of which 57 respondents had closed and 32 had opened premises without reporting it. Comparatively, the owner survey's inconsistency rate was 40.7% including respondents who owned and hosted an equine without reporting these equine premises, and owners who did not keep any equines on their premises. In conclusion, the SIRE database proved to be a valuable and reliable source for epidemiological research as long as some bias is taken into account. On the contrary, its use in surveillance is currently limited due some shortcomings in updating and/or reporting by owners and keepers., (Copyright © 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Simple Summary: The popularity of mare insemination as an element affecting the dynamic growth of breeding progress among horses in Europe is subject to various fluctuations. The success of this method of reproduction should be considered first of all in terms of the quality of semen available on the market, the types of semen storage technology, the profitability of its use resulting from the effectiveness of insemination with the selected type of semen, and factors affecting the success of artificial insemination. The purpose of this work was to present the factors determining the popularity of artificial insemination of mares in Europe. The presented statistics show that the popularity of the use of chilled semen has gradually increased in the group of sport mares, while in the group of breeding mares, the popularity of frozen semen has increased. In the remaining group of mares (not classified as sport or breeding), insemination with chilled semen was dominant. To talk about the success of artificial insemination of horses in Europe, it is necessary to look thoroughly at these aspects that affect the popularity of this reproduction biotechnology, and in particular to improve the quality of insemination doses. The purpose of this review was to analyze factors affecting the popularity of artificial insemination of mares in Europe in the context of sperm quality. Taking into account the prices of stallion semen on the world market, efficiency is important for the profitability of its use in artificial insemination programs in Europe. To increase the efficiency of a semen insemination facility, it is necessary to correctly and objectively assess the quality of semen. The available range of tools allows an effective evaluation of the potential fertility of a stallion. For several years, artificial insemination programs in Europe have been gaining popularity. However, the frequency of chilled or frozen semen use is still quite low. This is mainly due to the common, negative opinion about the effectiveness of the use of packaged insemination doses as opposed to natural insemination. Unfortunately, the quality of the semen offered often deviates from expectations, which results in unsatisfactory (and therefore unprofitable) pregnancy rates. This review presents the popularity structure of chilled and frozen semen use in European horse breeding as well as the current state of research on the effectiveness of semen production technology. It is shown that the popularity of using chilled semen in the artificial insemination of mares in Europe has been gradually increasing in the group of sport mares, while in the group of breeding mares, in recent years, frozen semen has been gaining popularity. In the remaining group of mares (not classified as sport or breeding), insemination with chilled semen has been dominant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Equine atypical myopathy in Europe results from hypoglycin A (HGA) exposure through the ingestion of samaras or seedlings of the sycamore maple tree. This pilot study aimed at better defining sources of HGA intoxication in spring. Samaras fallen on the ground and then seedlings were collected at two-week intervals from sycamore, Norway, and field maple trees over the spring 2016. In early April, rainwater from wet seedlings collected after a rainy night was harvested to be analysed. Mid-May, samaras of the box elder, common ash, and inflorescences of sycamore maples were collected on the tree. Quantification of HGA in samples was performed using high performance thin layer chromatography. Hypoglycin A was detected in all samples from sycamore including rainwater but tested negative for Norway, field maples. The samaras of the box elder found in the present study area did not contain a seed within their husk and thus tested negative. From the maximum HGA concentrations found, it may be extrapolated that at some periods and locations, about 20 g of samaras, 50 seedlings, 150 g of inforescences or 2 liters of water that has been in contact with seedlings would contain the maximum tolerated dose per day for a horse., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© British Veterinary Association 2019. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: Multiple hypersensitivities (MHS) have been described in humans, cats, and dogs, but not horses., Hypotheses: Horses suffering from recurrent airway obstruction (RAO), insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH), or urticaria (URT) will have an increased risk of also being affected by another one of these hypersensitivities. This predisposition for MHS also will be associated with decreased shedding of strongylid eggs in feces and with a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP BIEC2-224511), previously shown to be associated with RAO., Animals: The first population (P1) included 119 randomly sampled horses representative of the Swiss sporthorse population; the replication population (P2) included 210 RAO-affected Warmblood horses and 264 RAO-unaffected controls. All horses were Warmbloods, 14 years or older., Methods: Associations between disease phenotypes (RAO, IBH, URT, MHS) fecal egg counts, the SNP BIEC2-224511 as well as management and environmental factors were investigated., Results: In P1, RAO-affected horses had a 13.1 times higher odds ratio (OR) of also suffering from IBH (P = .004). In P2, the respective OR was 7.4 (P = .002) and IBH-affected horses also showed a 7.1 times increased OR of concomitantly suffering from URT (P < .001). IBH, URT, and MHS phenotypes were significantly associated with the absence of nematode eggs in the feces., Conclusions and Clinical Importance: This is the first report of MHS in horses. Specifically, an increased risk for IBH should be expected in RAO-affected horses., (Copyright © 2014 by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.)