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Equine infectious disease remains a key research focus for veterinarians and scientists because of its impact on horse health, welfare, and the equine industry. The special issue identifies three major themes: the importance of national disease surveillance programmes, the need for accurate and definitive diagnoses, and the value of comparing diseases across different animal species to better understand how pathogens behave.
Several studies focus on improvements in diagnostic techniques, particularly for equine fever, equine influenza, and gastrointestinal parasites. These advances aim to support faster detection of disease and enable earlier implementation of biosecurity measures, which can help reduce transmission between horses.
Research into gastrointestinal diseases also features prominently. Studies explore the use of metabolic profiling to detect equine proliferative disease earlier in foals, investigate possible causes of colitis, and emphasise the importance of additional diagnostic testing for chronic hepatitis and liver failure in cases linked to hepacivirus infection. Together, these findings may support earlier intervention and improved disease management.
Antimicrobial resistance is another significant area of concern. One survey found that nearly 40% of hospitalised horses received at least one antimicrobial treatment. Research linked to colic surgery suggests that using antimicrobials for more than 24 hours after surgery is unnecessary for preventing complications, highlighting opportunities to reduce antibiotic use and slow the development of antimicrobial resistance.
Several papers examine diseases affecting multiple body systems. For example, updated guidance on equine botulism emphasises its importance as a differential diagnosis when horses show neurological signs. Other studies investigate multisystem diseases by comparing similar infections in other species, helping researchers better understand how diseases develop and present in horses.
Blood-related infectious diseases are also discussed. Two systematic reviews examine equine trypanosomiasis, focusing on its prevalence, management, and control strategies. Another study introduces a new diagnostic tool for detecting Theileria haneyi, a parasite associated with equine piroplasmosis, and reports the first evidence of its presence in China.
Regionally important diseases are highlighted through research on Hendra virus, which uses government and field data to study how domestic horses may act as bridging hosts for zoonotic pathogens. Another study shows that horses infected with African Horse Sickness virus can develop severe blood clotting disorders that cause significant bleeding. Research also suggests that equine encephalosis virus should be considered when diagnosing African Horse Sickness in regions where both diseases occur.
The issue also examines reproductive health, with one study linking Escherichia coli infection to reduced fertility in Thoroughbred broodmares. Another uses multi-omics technology to study nocardioform placentitis, proposing that the condition be renamed mucoid placentitis due to the variety of bacteria involved.
Respiratory disease research forms a major section, including several studies on strangles. Findings emphasise the importance of screening, quarantine, monitoring, and disease reporting to improve prevention. Additional studies investigate respiratory disease caused by Rhodococcus equi, equine influenza vaccination strategies, and the use of air sampling in stables as a non-invasive surveillance method for equine herpesvirus.
Other research explores infectious skin diseases and rare ulcerative conditions, demonstrating the importance of obtaining accurate diagnoses and comparing disease patterns across species when treatment data in horses is limited.
The Special Focus section also includes a dedicated collection on the equine microbiome, updating earlier research published in 2019. This collection highlights rapid progress in understanding the complex communities of microorganisms that influence equine health.
Overall, the research presented in this EVJ issue aims to improve disease detection, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. These advances are expected to strengthen equine welfare globally while supporting the livelihoods of communities that depend on horses for work and transport.
The Special Focus Issue is available here:
https://beva.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/20423306/2026/58/2
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