Nursing a horse with strangles

Strangles can be an extremely debilitating and unpleasant experience for an infected horse. Diligent nursing care is important as the disease runs its course, to maximise the chances of a full and straightforward recovery. Veterinary nurses can play a critical role in strangles outbreaks by ensuring horses are in a comfortable environment within quarantine, are encouraged to eat and drink, benefit from careful abscess management and are monitored closely. Nurses also provide essential support for vets during procedures such as guttural pouch endoscopy, as well as helping to maintain strict biosecurity protocols to prevent further spread of disease.

Seroprevalence and Risk Factor Associated with Endemicity of Theileria equi Infection in Horses in Rajasthan State, India

Background: Equine piroplasmosis is a haemoprtozoan disease of equids and enzootic in Rajasthan prefecture of India. In endemic areas, the subclinical condition is more common, as infected equids recover from the disease and become latently infected. This study aimed to investigate the seroepidemiology and risk factors associated with the endemicity of Theileria equi infection in Rajasthan state. Methods: A cross-sectional study on the seroprevalence of Theileria equi, was performed. Total of 151 serum samples collected from different areas of Rajasthan. The serum samples were screened by ELISA for assessment of seroprevalence of T. equi infection.Result: Overall seroprevalence of T. equi was 49.66%. A total of 75 T. equi seropositive horses were detected and one horse was clinically positive for T. equi infection. The clinical signs observed were - fever, haemoglobinuria, mild colic, anaemia and icteric conjunctival mucous membrane. Theileria equi infection is endemic among horses in Rajasthan state and Ajmer district found the most endemic. Haematological observations in T. equi clinically infected and healthy horses were studies. A decreased haemoglobin concentration, packed cell volume, total erythrocytic counts were observed in T. equi infected horse in comparison to healthy horses. This observation showed anaemic condition in T. equi clinically infected equine. An increased concentration of liver enzymes – AST, ALP, GGT in T. equi infected equine was also recorded, which indicated the liver damage.

Clinical presentation and pathology of suspected vector transmitted African horse sickness in South African domestic dogs from 2006 to 2017

African horse sickness (AHS) is a fatal vector transmitted viral disease of horses caused by the African horse sickness virus (AHSV). This disease is characterised by circulatory and respiratory failure, resulting from vascular endothelial injury affecting many organs. The susceptibility of dogs to AHS has been demonstrated in the past following experimental infection through consumption of infected horse meat. Thirty three clinical cases of AHS in dogs (cAHS) have been documented, without a history of ingesting infected horse meat, over a period of 12 years. The clinical cases included in this study presented with a history of acute respiratory distress syndrome or sudden death. The macroscopic and histological changes were mostly characterised by acute interstitial pneumonia, serofibrinous pleuritis and mediastinal oedema. Confirmation of cAHS was obtained by AHS specific NS4 antibody immunohistochemistry and/or AHSV specific duplex real time RT-quantitative PCR. Here, we document the clinical and postmortem diagnostic features of confirmed cAHS cases with no history of ingestion of AHS infected horse meat.

Preimaginal mortality of Musca domestica (Diptera: Muscidae) due to Habronema muscae (Nematoda: Habronematidae)

SummaryIn order to study the damage of Habronema muscae (Carter, 1861) on its intermediate host, Musca domestica Linnaeus, 1758, fly larval feeding experiments were carried out. For this, a defined number of praeimaginal stages of M. domestica was transferred in daily intervals (from day 0 to day 10) on faecal samples of a naturally infected horse harboring 269 adult H. muscae in its stomach. The development of M. domestica was monitored until imagines appeared. Harvested pupae were measured and weighted and the success of infection was studied by counting 3rd stage nematode larvae in freshly hatched flies. In addition, time of pupation and duration of the whole development of the flies was noticed. Pupation, hatching and preimaginal mortality rates were calculated and the number of nematode larvae in freshly hatched flies was counted. Adult flies harboured up to 60 Habronema larvae. Lower pupal volumes and weights, lower pupation rates and higher preimaginal mortality rates were found in experimental groups with long exposure to parasite eggs compared to experimental groups with short exposure or to the uninfected control groups. Maggots of the former groups pupated earlier and fly imagines occurred earlier. These findings clearly showed a negative impact of H. muscae on the development of M. domestica. The results are discussed in connection with the destruction of adipose cells in the maggots by developing nematode larvae.

Evaluation of Indigenous Fungal Pathogens from Horse Purslane (Trianthema portulacastrum) for Their Relative Virulence and Host Range Assessments to Select a Potential Mycoherbicidal Agent

Periodic surveys were conducted to seek potential indigenous fungal agents for development as mycoherbicides against horse purslane, a major weed of agricultural fields in India. Pathogenic fungal species were isolated and identified from naturally infected horse purslane. The biocontrol potential of these pathogens for horse purslane was evaluated by studying their host range and virulence under growth chamber and greenhouse conditions. Three candidates,Alternaria alternata, Fusarium oxysporum, andPhoma herbarum, were identified as potential candidates for biological control of horse purslane. Preliminary host-range tests and pathogenicity studies, conducted using 45 crop and weed plants belonging to 18 families, demonstrated thatP. herbarumprovided effective weed control and was safe to most of the plant species tested. Further mycoherbicidal application ofP. herbarumas plant spray under field condition caused mortality of horse purslane 60 d after application of the inoculums.Phoma herbarumis a good mycoherbicide candidate against horse purslane.

Detection of Theileria equi in spleen and blood of asymptomatic piroplasm carrier horses

This study aimed to determine whether asymptomatic horses naturally infected with Theileria equi retain infected erythrocytes in the spleen and whether the presence of the hemoparasite in this organ is associated with parasitemia. We collected samples from 25 adult horses without clinical signs of any disease. From each animal, we collected whole blood samples from the jugular vein and a splenic puncture blood sample. All samples were submited to blood cell counts and detection of Theileria or Babesia. DNA extraction and PCR were performed in all samples for identification of piroplasm infection (T. equi and B. caballi). From the 25 horses evaluated for piroplasm detection by PCR, seven horses (28%) were positive in jugular vein blood but negative in splenic blood samples, five horses (20%) were positive in splenic blood samples but negative in jugular vein blood samples, and 13 horses (52%) were positive in both jugular vein and splenic blood samples. The hematological evaluation revealed anemia in 13 of 25 (52%) infected horses, lymphopenia in five (20%), neutrophilia in two (8%), neutropenia in one (4%), and thrombocytopenia in one (4%) infected horse. The present study demonstrated that several (20%) of the asymptomatic piroplasm carrier horses did not show parasitemia, but show infected erythrocytes in the spleen.