Investigating anaesthetic safety

 Despite improvements in anaesthetic techniques, there is still a significant risk of a horse dying under anaesthetic.

In 2002, the Confidential Enquiry into Perioperative Equine Fatalities (CEPEF), found the risk of death in horses (up to 7 days after anaesthesia) to be about 1 in 100, higher than in dogs and cats (about 1 in 1000). The perioperative mortality rate in man, for comparison, is one in ten thousand.

 

Anaesthetic drugs and procedures have advanced since then, but have they increased the outcome/ reduced the risk of perioperative mortality?

 

A new study of anaesthesia related fatalities in horses (CEPEF4) is now underway. 

 

The study will collect data from cases of general anaesthetic procedures, or standing sedation lasting longer than 15 minutes, in horses and donkeys from around the world.

 

So far, 70 clinics around the world have contributed information from 9000 cases, mostly from Belgium, United Kingdom, Australia, Ireland, France, Switzerland and Spain.

 

The prospective study aims to evaluate perioperative fatality rate and identify factors that increase or reduce the risk of mortality.

 

The project was presented to the Association of Veterinary Anaesthesiologists meeting in Dublin, 2020. A video of the presentation is available:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gg0tvW0UR24&t=183s

New equine rotavirus implicated in foal diarrhoea

Researchers at the University of Kentucky’s Maxwell H. Gluck Equine Research Center and the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory have made a preliminary identification of a novel rotavirus associated with diarrhoea in very young foals.

Foals often develop diarrhoea in the first two weeks of life.  Many cases respond well to routine treatment but some may develop life-threatening dehydration within a matter of hours.

 

This year, some farms in Kentucky have reported an increased number of cases of diarrhoea in young foals. 

 

The new rotavirus, identified by the scientists at the University of Kentucky, could not be detected using current diagnostic tests for equine Rotavirus A and appears to be different to the virus strain used in the currently available commercial vaccine.

 

Further work is underway to better characterise the virus and determine its role in the current outbreak of diarrheal disease. Additional investigations are also underway at UK to identify other possible causes, and researchers are sending out an epidemiological survey to farms to better understand the outbreak.

 

A test for the virus is now available. "We have now developed a real-time PCR assay to detect this new equine rotavirus B in fecal specimens," noted Dr Craig Carter, Director of the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory.

 

Both the Gluck Center and the Veterinary Diagnostic Lab recommend strict biosecurity protocols as the best protection strategy at this time.

 

For more information, see:

 

 http://news.ca.uky.edu/article/uk-gluck-center-and-industry-leaders-responding-uptick-foal-diarrhea-cases.

Can an owner questionnaire help monitor arthritic pain in horses?

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a major cause of chronic pain in horses but is an underrecognized and undertreated condition. Though often associated with advanced age, it can also occur in young horses. In addition to being painful, OA can severely curtail a horse's athletic career, and impact the bond between horse and owner if the condition limits a horse's ability to be ridden. Controlling it often involves a combination of medication and management change and relies on the ability to monitor the response and make adjustments accordingly.

A new study is testing to see if a simple questionnaire can help horse owners recognize and monitor signs of chronic osteoarthritis (OA) pain in their horses – helping their equine charges get earlier, more effective treatment and improving their quality of life. 

Dr. Janny de Grauw, from Utrecht University in the Netherlands, and Diane Howard, PhD, MSc., Equine Science Master graduate from the University of Edinburgh, in the United Kingdom, are the recipients of a Donor-Inspired Study grant from the Morris Animal Foundation, funded by long-time supporter, Dr. Wendy Koch. Dr. Koch, a veterinarian, has closely followed equine behaviour and welfare research over the years and wanted to increase the amount of funding available for studies in these fields.

To effectively treat pain, caregivers and clinicians need a way of monitoring and quantifying the amount of discomfort felt. However, a survey of horse owners in the United Kingdom found that owners have limited ability to identify pain and disease in their horses, underlining the need for a simple way of helping people to recognize chronic pain in their equine companions.

“As veterinarians, we want to treat horses with painful and debilitating conditions like OA as effectively as possible,” said de Grauw. “How well we can manage their condition critically relies on recognition of subtle signs of (worsening) pain by owners and caregivers, who can then seek help.”\

Under Dr. de Grauw’s supervision, Howard developed the 15-item questionnaire based on changes in horse behaviour through interviews with owners of horses diagnosed with osteoarthritis. The questions cover posture, facial expressions, movement and behaviour.

She will validate the questionnaire by having 60 owners of horses with chronic OA pain and 20 owners of horses without OA complete it. The owners with OA horses will complete the questionnaire twice in two days while their horse’s pain does not fluctuate, to evaluate how robust and reproducible the scoring instrument is. 

The research team hopes the easy-to-use questionnaire will help horse owners recognize when their animals are in pain and contact a veterinarian for appropriate treatment. It also may help owners monitor treatment effectiveness and pain progression over time, and guide owners and veterinarians in making quality-of-life decisions. 

“Many horses may deal with pain that is not recognized, particularly in its early stages,” said Dr. Janet Patterson-Kane, Morris Animal Foundation Chief Scientific Officer. “Giving their caregivers effective tools for detection, monitoring and decision-making has the potential for significant animal welfare impact.”

For more details, see: 

https://www.morrisanimalfoundation.org/article/osteoarthritis-pain-in-horses-questionnaire?

Lehi horse not as ancient as first thought

 Excitement generated by the finding of a horse skeleton in Utah thought to date from the late ice age was misplaced according to a new study. 

The pony sized skeleton was discovered in Lehi, north central Utah in 2018. It was first thought to have lived about 16,000 years ago as it was found lying amongst geological deposits from the last ice age.

Now further work using radio-carbon dating has shown that the remains are in fact a lot younger - dating from about 300 years ago. 

However, the disappointment of discovering that the horse was not an ice age relic was tempered by the insights it revealed into the place of horses in native American life. The work is reported in the journal American Antiquity.

William Taylor, assistant professor of anthropology at the University of Colorado Boulder, was sceptical that this was an ice age fossil. Although ancient horses were common in north America during the Pleistocene, they went extinct around the same time as other larger mammals such as mammoths.

His suspicions were raised by the presence of fractures of the vertebrae –  injuries not commonly found in wild horses, but typical in those having been ridden without a frame saddle.

The horse also had evidence of severe arthritic changes in several limbs.

Dental examination revealed that the horse was about 12 years old when it died. Radiocarbon dating showed that it lived up to about 300 years ago.

DNA analysis revealed that the horse was female. This, in combination with the signs of arthritic damage, suggested that the horse was being kept alive for breeding purposes after she had outlived her use for transport.

Analysis of sequential samples of tooth enamel for carbon, oxygen, and strontium isotopes led the research team to deduce that the horse was raised and tended within the region where it was found.

Taylor, lead author of the study, suggests that the horse likely died sometime after 1680, before European settlers moved into the Salt Lake region during the mid-19^th century.

 

For more details, see:

Interdisciplinary Analysis of the Lehi Horse: Implications for Early Historic Horse Cultures of the North American West. 

Taylor, W., Hart, I., Jones, E., Brenner-Coltrain, J., Thompson Jobe, J., Britt, B., . . . Roberts, P. 

American Antiquity, (2021) 1-21.

https://doi.org/10.1017/aaq.2020.109

To see Dr Taylor's exhibit "Horses in the North American West",  part of the  University of Colorado Museum of Natural History, go to:

https://www.colorado.edu/cumuseum/horses-north-american-west

Keeping horses safe from heat and humidity

 With the Tokyo Olympics due to take place shortly during the Japanese Summer, the Equine Veterinary Journal has compiled a collection of relevant articles covering the health and welfare of horses competing in hot and humid conditions.

The special online collection "Preparing for Tokyo Olympics" contains 11 papers and is available to read free of charge. It highlights the ground-breaking research that followed the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

 

“This is not the first time that extreme heat and humidity has challenged the viability of Equestrian events at the Olympic Games,” said Christopher Elliott, who is Guest Editor of the collection. “It is vital that we learn from the past to ensure the welfare of equine athletes in the future.” 

 

Topics covered are:

 

• Physiological, metabolic and biochemical responses of horses competing in the speed and endurance phase of a CCI**** 3‐day‐event
• Physiological responses to the endurance test of a 3‐day event during hot and cool weather
• Physiological responses of horses competing at a modified 1 Star 3‐day‐event
• Adaptations to daily exercise in hot and humid ambient conditions in trained Thoroughbred horses
• Sweating rate and sweat composition during exercise and recovery in ambient heat and humidity
• Physiological responses of horses to a treadmill simulated speed and endurance test in high heat and humidity before and after humid heat acclimation
• Comparison between two post exercise cooling methods
• Contributions of equine exercise physiology research to the success of the 1996 Equestrian Olympic Games: a review
• An index of the environmental thermal load imposed on exercising horses and riders by hot weather conditions
• Use of the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) Index to quantify environmental heat loads during Three‐day‐event competitions
• Risk factors for exertional heat illness in Thoroughbred racehorses in flat races in Japan (2005–2016)

 

Professor Celia Marr, Editor of the EVJ, added: “Prevention is always better than cure: this special collection provides much excellent research and knowledge gained from previous events. We must ensure that we use it to best effect to keep the equine athletes competing in extreme climates in Tokyo this summer safe, cool, healthy and performing at their best.”

 

To read the articles, go to:

 

https://beva.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/hub/journal/20423306/homepage/sc_olympics

Assessing horses’ welfare by reading their minds

A horse’s brain waves can reflect their welfare state according to recent research.

Electrical activity in the brain varies with the state of arousal of the different parts of the brain and the electrical waves have been grouped into bands according to their frequency: eg delta (δ: 0−4 Hz), theta (θ: 4−8 Hz), alpha (α: 8–12 Hz), beta (β: 12–30 Hz) and gamma (γ: >30 Hz). 

 

Theta waves tend to predominate during calm and relaxed states, while an alert state tends to produce more gamma waves.

Mathilde Stomp and colleagues at the University of Rennes, France, devised a headband for horses, to record the resting electrical activity in the brain (EEG – electroencephalogram). Then, to see if there was an association with the horses’ welfare state, they compared the patterns of electrical activity with an assessment of the horses’ behaviour.

Eighteen horses involved in the study were maintained under either “restricted” conditions (living in riding school stables with a few hours daily turnout on pasture and regular work) and “leisure” (on pasture all year round, with occasional leisure riding.)

The researchers found that theta waves tended to predominate in both sides of the brain in horses in a more positive welfare state, whereas beta waves tended to predominate in horses showing signs  of compromised welfare. Horses in a good welfare state produced fewer gamma waves in the right side of the brain.

A full report of the work is published in Applied Animal Behaviour Science. The authors suggest that “bilateral and left hemisphere theta activity is a promising neurophysiological marker of good welfare in horses, while a bilateral or RH [right hemisphere] high production of gamma waves should alert about potential welfare alterations.”

For more details, see:

Brain activity reflects (chronic) welfare state: Evidence from individual electroencephalography profiles in an animal model.

M. Stomp, S. d’Ingeo, S. Henry, H. Cousillas, M. Hausberger.

Applied Animal Behaviour Science, (2021) vol 236, 105271.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2021.105271

Atypical myopathy toxins found in mare's milk

 Research shows that the toxins responsible for Atypical Myopathy can pass to the mare’s milk. This can present a potential risk to the foal and may have human health implications in places where mare’s milk is drunk in preference to cow’s milk.

A case of atypical myopathy was identified in a mare and newborn foal in Germany. The mare had been grazing pasture close to Acer pseudoplatanus trees (sycamore or sycamore maple).

 

Johannes Sander and co-workers in Hannover, investigated the case.  A report of the work is published in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine.

 

The authors analysed a sample of the mare's milk for hypoglycin A, the main toxin responsible for atypical myopathy, and other metabolites.

 

They also examined samples of commercially available frozen mare’s milk (for human consumption) from six different suppliers across Germany.

 

The researchers found low levels hypoglycin A and significant levels of metabolites (methylenecyclopropylformyl glycine and carnitine)in the milk from the affected mare. High levels of acylcarnitines, (indicators of the metabolic damage caused by atypical myopathy), were also found. The authors point out that the milk sample was collected two days after the mare had been removed from the contaminated pasture, and suggest that the levels of metabolites in the sample indicate that hypoglycine A levels would likely have been higher at the time the foal was nursing. 

 

Methylenecyclopropylformyl glycine and carnitine were also detected in one of the six samples of commercial mares’ milk.

 

The authors conclude that maple toxins can pass through mare's milk.

 

They also warn that their findings have relevance in human health. Seeds and unripe fruit of plants such as ackee and lychee contain similar toxins, and may present a risk to breast fed children.

 

 

For more details, see: 

 

Detection of maple toxins in mare's milk

Johannes Sander, Michael Terhardt, Nils Janzen 

Vet Intern Med (2021) 606-609.

 doi: 10.1111/jvim.16004

Does not getting enough sleep affect horses’ memory?

A recent study examined the effect of environmental factors on equine sleep stages, and whether this would influence cognitive performance during a memory task.

As a prey species, horses have evolved to cope with short periods of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and are known for their ability to sleep, or at least doze, (Non-REM sleep, NREM) while standing up. They still have to lie down for REM sleep which is only possible during recumbency due to the lack of muscle tone that occurs during this sleep phase. 

 

In research conducted at Aberystwyth University, Linda Greening and others investigated the effect of two different light regimes, and two different depths of straw bedding on sleep patterns in horses. They also looked at whether the differences affected the horses’ response to a memory test – basically remembering which of four buckets placed around an arena contained a feed reward.     

 

In a report in Applied Animal Behaviour Science, the authors describe how ten adult riding school horses were randomly assigned to two equal-sized groups for the five-week experiment. Each group experienced a combination of one of two light conditions (lights on or off overnight), and one of two bedding depth treatments (straw bed 15 cm or 5cm deep) for six days.

 

 The authors found that the duration of sleep stages was affected by both the depth of bedding and lighting conditions. Under sub-optimal conditions, horses tended to spend significantly less time recumbent for both NREM and REM sleep. This was compensated for by increased time in standing NREM sleep.

 

Sub-optimal lighting and bedding conditions did not have a significant effect on performance during the spatial memory test. The authors suggest that, “a more cognitively demanding task may be required to differentiate the performance-related consequences of different levels of sleep duration and quality.”

 

 

For more details see:

 

The effect of altering routine husbandry factors on sleep duration and memory consolidation in the horse

Linda Greening, Josh Downing, Daniella Amiouny, Line Lekang, Sebastian McBride

Applied Animal Behaviour Science

Volume 236, March 2021, 105229

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2021.105229

Irish sport horse survey

 Irish horse owners of all levels and disciplines are invited to take part in a survey to help research sport horse health.

Sinead Devine, Assistant Professor in Equine Clinical Studies at UCD School of Veterinary Medicine is currently undertaking a PhD on Sport Horse Health in Ireland. 

Her interest in Sport horse health comes from over 20 years working as an equine vet in Ireland and the US. She is also a 3* FEI Veterinary Delegate for showjumping, eventing & reining, and 2*endurance.

Horse owners of all levels and disciplines are encouraged to take part in the survey. The results will help direct further research for the Irish Equine Industry. Survey questions will include common disease conditions and their impact. 

The survey should take less than 10 minutes to complete. Responses are anonymous and participants will not be identified by their responses. 

For more details, and to take part in the survey go to:

http://bit.ly/horseownersurvey

Can horses smell human fear?

Research from Poland suggests horses can smell human fear.

 

Agnieszka Sabiniewicza and co-workers at the Institute of Psychology, University of Wrocław, looked at whether body odours collected from humans in a state of fear or of happiness produced different behavioural responses in horses that were exposed to them.

 

The research team collected body odour samples from ten fearful or happy humans. They achieved this by showing them a fear-inducing horror video or a cartoon.

 

Prior to viewing the films, the human subjects washed in perfume-free detergent and had avoided smoking, alcohol, odorous food, or hard exercise for a couple of days. While watching the films the “odour donors” had sterile pads in their armpits. The pads were subsequently collected and frozen.

 

Twenty-one adult Thoroughbred and Arabian horses took part in the study. Their response to the smell of fear, or happiness, or a control (no odour) was recorded. 

 

Two people, one known to the horse, the other unknown, stood quietly in different corners of the stable. They made no attempt to interact with the horse. The investigators then presented the horse with a pole to which odour pads were attached (pads from four fearful or four happy people were combined to reduce the risk of individual variation between odour donors) and recorded the horse’s response.

 

The researchers found that horses showed different behaviours in response to odours from fearful or happy humans.

 

Horses lifted their heads significantly more frequently and for longer in response to the fear odour and the control, compared to the happiness odour. 

 

Also, when exposed to the fear odour, there was a tendency for horses to touch, more frequently and for longer, a familiar person that was present during the test, than they did when exposed to the happiness odour.

 

The researchers conclude that, using human body odour as the only source of information about a human’s emotion is enough to induce some differential behaviour in horses. 

 

For more details, see:

Olfactory-based interspecific recognition of human emotions: Horses (Equus ferus caballus) can recognize fear and happiness body odour from humans (Homo sapiens)

Agnieszka Sabiniewicza, Karolina Tarnowska, Robert Świątek, Piotr Sorokowski, Matthias Laska

Applied Animal Behaviour Science (2020) vol 230; 105072

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2020.105072

Does oxytocin influence friendliness in horses?

 Recent research suggests docility and friendliness in Thoroughbred horses might be related to blood oxytocin concentration.

Oxytocin, vasopressin (AVP) and serotonin are hormones and neurotransmitters that play a role in shaping social behaviours, such as aggression and social recognition.

 

In a study performed at Sangju International Equestrian Center, Geumhui Lee and Minjung Yoon measured the levels of the three hormones in the blood of a varied group of adult horses. 

 

They assessed the influence of breed, sex, and age on the concentration of each hormone. They also looked to see if there was any relationship between their concentration and docility and friendliness of the horses.  A report of the work is published in the journal Domestic Animal Endocrinology.

 

The authors report that oxytocin and vasopressin concentrations did not vary with the breed, sex, or age of the horse. But they did find that serotonin concentration varied with the breed and age of the horse. 

 

There was no correlation between docility and friendliness of the horses and either AVP or serotonin concentrations. However, the researchers did find a trend towards a correlation between docility and oxytocin in Thoroughbred horses.

 

They conclude that oxytocin concentration may be related to docility and friendship in Thoroughbred horses.

 

For more details, see:

 

Association of plasma concentrations of oxytocin, vasopressin, and serotonin with docility and friendliness of horses

Geumhui Lee, Minjung Yoon

Domest Anim Endocrinol (2021) 74:106482.

 doi: 10.1016/j.domaniend.2020.106482

 

Genetic risk of fracture in Thoroughbreds

Scientists at the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) have received funding for a study into the genetic risk of fractures in Thoroughbred racehorses.

The research paves the way for greater understanding of how best to identify and manage horses at high risk of such fractures and contribute to greater health and welfare of Thoroughbreds.

It is possible to monitor horses using diagnostic imaging techniques (such as radiography and CT scan) to identify changes in bones that could lead to fractures. However, such techniques are too expensive for routine use. This new research could potentially allow veterinary professionals to identify genetically high-risk horses and enable a more targeted – and therefore less expensive – use of these methods.

The research team at the RVC have used genome wide information to derive types of stem cells known as ‘induced pluripotent stem cells’ (iPSCs) from horses at high and low genetic risk of fracture. These iPSCs can then be turned into osteoblasts, the cells that produce bone. This innovative method allows researchers to study bone from high and low risk horses in the absence of any environmental variability, thus giving them the chance to look closely at the purely genetic factors that underpin fracture risk in Thoroughbreds.

Furthermore, identifying the mechanisms which underpin genetic risk in horses will allow future research to develop novel therapies and interventions for high-risk horses to decrease their risk of catastrophic facture. Identifying horses at high genetic risk would also allow breeders to make informed breeding decisions to reduce the probability of breeding horses at high genetic risk of fracture. This project therefore has the potential to significantly improve the health and welfare of racing Thoroughbreds.

The research has been made possible by a grant awarded by the Alborada Trust, an organisation that supports medical and veterinary causes, research and education and the relief of poverty and of human and animal suffering, sickness and ill-health. 

Lead researcher, Dr Debbie Guest, Senior Research Fellow at the RVC, said “I am delighted to have received funding from the Alborada Trust for this project. Bone fractures are a common problem in racing Thoroughbreds and this work has the potential to make a significant improvement to Thoroughbred health and welfare.”

Improved strangles tracking

Strangles is one of the most commonly diagnosed infectious diseases of horses. Infection results in significant health and welfare consequences and economic costs. Most affected horses recover, however about 10% remain as carriers, free of clinical signs but capable of spreading the disease.

In the largest ever study of its kind into an equine pathogen, scientists in 18 countries used the latest DNA sequencing techniques to track the bacteria Streptococcus equi as it caused the disease strangles in horses around the world.

 

They analysed data on 670 Streptococcus equi isolates that had been recovered from 19 different countries. 

 

“Using standard diagnostic testing, the Streptococcus equi strains look almost identical, however by carefully examining the DNA of the bacteria, we have been able to track different variants as they spread across the world” said Prof. Matthew Holden of the University of St Andrews. “Piecing the puzzle together, we showed that cases in Argentina, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates were closely linked. Along with other examples, we provide evidence that the global trade and movement of horses is helping to spread the disease.”

 

“Building on top of the data generated, we provide an online surveillance platform for strangles enabling labs to upload and interpret their genomic and epidemiological data in close to real-time. Pathogenwatch will be used to monitor the emergence and spread of new lineages to help inform interventions and policy making decisions” said Prof David Aanensen of The Centre for Genomic Pathogen Surveillance, University of Oxford.

 

The work, is published in the journal Microbial Genomics.

 

The authors urge that the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) recognise the international importance of strangles. They suggest that identifying horses that are infected with S equi before or immediately after transportation would yield significant benefits

 

“This has been an incredible team effort, which was only possible through the collaboration of leading researchers from twenty-nine different scientific institutes in eighteen countries” said Dr. Andrew Waller of Intervacc AB. “Horses are transported all over the world as they move to new premises or attend competitions and events. New cases of strangles can be prevented by treating carriers before they pass on the bacteria. This new research in the field of strangles and the new online Pathogenwatch resource provide an opportunity to track the course of infections, reigning-in Streptococcus equi’s globetrotting lifestyle by shutting the stable door before this horse pathogen has bolted!”

 

For more details, see:

 

DNA investigation highlights the ‘unbridled globetrotting’ of the Strangles pathogen in horses 

Microbial genetics (2021)

https://doi.org/10.1099/mgen.0.000528

New strain of deadly Hendra virus discovered

The Australian veterinarian-led research project, ‘Horses as Sentinels,’ has identified a new strain of the deadly Hendra virus (HeV) as the cause of a previously unexplained horse death.

Hendra virus is highly lethal in both horses and humans, with mortality rates approximately 79% and 60% respectively. The originally recognised strain of Hendra virus has resulted in the deaths of four humans and over 100 horses in Australia, since 1994. 

 

Hendra virus was first identified in 1994 when racehorse trainer Vic Rail died after suffering a mysterious pneumonia like illness when 20 racehorses in Hendra, Queensland, also died. Subsequently, a previously-unknown virus was identified as the cause of both the trainer’s and the horses’ deaths. 

 

The attending veterinarian was Dr Peter Reid. Nineteen years later, Dr Reid teamed up with Dr Annand – a veterinarian involved in the discovery of Australian bat lyssavirus in horses in 2013, and Dr Ina Smith of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Risk Evaluation and Preparedness Program to launch the ‘Horses as Sentinels’ project. The research team now also includes collaborators from around Australia and the United States.

 

Flying foxes (fruit bats) are known to spread the virus. The original strain of Hendra virus has been found within the range of black flying foxes and spectacled flying foxes. However, the new HeV variant has also been isolated from Grey-headed flying foxes. This species migrates, and their range includes parts of southern Australia that have so far been considered to be at low risk of Hendra virus in horses and people.

 

The finding indicates that HeV should be considered as a possible diagnosis in unvaccinated horses anywhere in Australia that flying foxes are present, and that unwell, suspect horses which return an initial negative Hendra virus test should continue to be treated with the same caution as a Hendra virus positive case, until testing for the new variant is performed. 

 

The ‘Horses as Sentinels’ research team has developed updated diagnostic laboratory techniques capable of identifying the new strain, and will be sharing them with relevant laboratories. They have also established that the current Hendra virus horse vaccine is expected to be equally effective against the new strain.

 

For more details, see:

https://www.vetvoice.com.au/media-releases/new-strain-of-deadly-hendra-virus-hev-discovered/

Impending worming crisis

 

We are heading for anthelmintic resistance disaster unless we radically change our ways according to a group of scientists and clinicians. In a letter to the Veterinary Record, David Rendle and others of the British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) anthelmintic working group report the findings of a small-scale survey into the use of faecal worm egg counts (FWECs) and anthelmintic sales.

The seriousness of the problem is highlighted by the fact that resistance to all currently available classes of anthelmintics has been reported in both the cyathostomins (small redworm) and ascarids (large roundworm). Furthermore, there is currently no prospect of new drugs in the pipeline.

The BEVA working group collected data on faecal worm egg counts performed and the sales of anthelmintic doses in the United Kingdom from 2015 to 2018

They found that the number of FWECs performed increased by 29% (from 91,769 in 2015, to 119,030 in 2018).

The number of horse doses of anthelmintic fell by 2.9% over the same period.  from 1,166,053 in 2015 to 1,131,759 in 2018 (In fact falling by 8% between 2015 and 2016, before gradually increasing each year after that)

Although it is encouraging that the number of FWEC tests performed has increased, the authors express concern at the low number of tests relative to the number of doses sold, and the increase in anthelmintic sales between 2016 and 2018.

They point out that if current guidelines were followed, and anthelmintic treatment only carried out when shown to be necessary by a FWEC, then there should be at least twice as many FWECs than anthelmintic doses. But the data showed that only one FWEC was carried out for every 11 doses sold.

They were also concerned that sales of the macrocyclic lactone moxidectin remained high throughout the four years. This was despite “despite universal consensus by experts that it should not be used as a routine treatment.”

They conclude: “If a crisis in equine welfare is to be averted, then a paradigm shift in attitudes to anthelmintic use and a radical change in the availability of anthelmintics will be required.”

Fore more details, see:

Anthelmintic resistance in equids

D Rendle and others. 

Vet Record (2021)188, 230

New research into Equine Grass Sickness

Vets and horse owners across the UK are invited to help in a new research effort to find out more about Equine Grass Sickness (EGS). The disease remains stubbornly resistant to attempts to understand its cause.

Grass Sickness remains a major cause of mortality in horses and ponies in Britain with more than 80% of cases proving fatal. Some chronic cases do survive with specialised intensive nursing.

The Moredun Foundation and the Equine Grass Sickness Fund have embarked on an ambitious five-year plan to reveal the mysteries of this deadly disease.

They will continue to investigate the existing suspects, including mycotoxins and clostridium botulinum, but will also review all the research done to date, to see what might have been missed, or what new angles or techniques they might be able to uncover. For the first time several research projects will be ongoing simultaneously, bringing scientists, vets and horse owners together in an unprecedented collaboration to discover the cause.

As part of the plan, an EGS Fellowship Project will collect information on cases of grass sickness to form a national EGS Biobank. The new research Fellow will be based at the Moredun Research Institute and will spearhead the development of a new database and sample biobank to enable research to progress and encourage new thinking and inter-disciplinary collaborations.

Horse owners are being encouraged to take part in the project by becoming “EGS detectives” to raise awareness about the disease in their area, helping to report cases and submit samples for the research biobank.

Researchers want to collect samples from affected horses and from unaffected ones grazing the same pasture. They also aim to collect samples from the affected horses’ environment – including soil, herbage and water.  Additional information about the horse and pasture will be collected through a questionnaire.

It is hoped that the information will help identify the underlying causes of the disease or the factors that trigger its onset.

Professor Lee Innes, Moredun Research Institute said, “We are delighted to be launching this new research initiative bringing together horse owners and researchers to progress our knowledge and understanding of this devastating disease. Moredun has a long and proud history of working in close collaboration with livestock farmers to help develop solutions to combat disease and we are keen to apply this model of collaboration to help tackle equine grass sickness”.

For more details go to:

https://grasssickness.org.uk/research/egs-biobank-horse-owner-information/

Vets with Horsepower 2021

Since 2010 the Vets with Horsepower team have been raising funds for charities in their own inimitable style – travelling the world on motorbikes and delivering high quality education to vets and owners. Last year’s trip fell victim to COVID-19. Not to be thwarted this year they have planned a record-breaking marathon of CPD lectures on equine veterinary topics to be delivered over 25 hours non-stop on 29th April.

Registration is in return for a donation which goes to support their chosen charities. They explain:

“Since spring of 2020, we have not been able to raise funds for charities in our usual, slightly crazy way. However, charities do struggle, and need money now more than ever. If you can, please donate today, all funds raised will go directly to our fantastic charities:

• “Ethelberth Youth and Childcare centre in South Africa. Over the years the Vets with Horsepower team have provided support for Ethelbert children's home and youth care centre in South Africa. This fantastic charity looks after children in their time of need and provides them with a safe home away from home so they are able to continue their education and look ahead to a bright future if and when they are reunited with their families.

• “The Gambia Horse and Donkey Trust. Providing veterinary care to working animals and education for the families that rely on them. With our help, they have built a veterinary clinic and have modified a van into an ambulance, essential to carry the horses and donkeys with more severe injuries to the clinic for treatment.

• “Saving the Survivors works with helping the victims of poaching attacks – such as rhino, elephant, wild dog, cheetah and pangolin.

• “Vetlife, a UK based charity for the veterinary community. Their aim is to provide support to members of the UK veterinary community and their families who have emotional, health or financial concerns, whilst seeking ways to prevent such situations in the future. The veterinary community continues to experience significantly higher levels of depression and suicide than the general population.”

For more details, and to donate and register go to:

https://www.vetswithhorsepower.com/2021.html

The Vets with Horsepower team point out that every penny raised via sponsorship, donations and sold CPD tickets is going to amazing charity work. They support projects that are making a difference to humans or other animals, are achievable, where success can be demonstrated and that would not have been possible without their help.

You can read more about the charities here: https://www.vetswithhorsepower.com/charities.html

Chance to help Equine Cushing's research

 

Horse owners and carers can help research into the underlying causes of Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID) also known as Equine Cushing’s Disease, a condition common in older horses and ponies. Typical signs include a long curly hair coat and weight loss. The condition is associated with a range of problems the most serious of which is laminitis. 

Researchers at the University of Melbourne are conducting a survey of horse owners as part of a broader, major international project to improve the understanding and knowledge of the fundamental causes of the condition, in order to improve early diagnosis, treatment, husbandry and nutritional management.

 

The short online survey is designed to better understand how owners manage horses or ponies with PPID, and what the important factors are for them including: the ability to feed separately and cost of medications.

 

Lead researcher at the Melbourne Veterinary School, Dr Nicolas Galinelli said that it was important to gain a better understanding of current management practices when it comes to PPID. 

 

“We need to get a broader sense of what is working for horse owners so that we can improve health outcomes for these animals both in terms of the early recognition of PPID signs and in the way we determine the most appropriate treatment, management and nutrition.”

 

“PPID affects approximately 20 per cent of horses and is slightly more common in ponies. Sometimes it is treated with specific drugs that target the excessive production of hormones from the pituitary gland, whilst other owners may choose to only treat the clinical signs of the disease such as laminitis. Adapting the diet can also be helpful. We want to understand how owners make treatment decisions and which decisions are having the best outcomes,” Dr Galinelli said.

 

Veterinary pharmacology expert, Professor Simon Bailey added that the survey will ask owners about what factors are important for them in treating PPID, including the cost and side-effects of medications and the ability for horses to be fed separately. He said “We encourage owners to get in touch once our results have been finalised and published. We are keen to help share this information with the equine community and thank them for their support.” 

 

The research, supported by the Australian Research Council, is being undertaken by the Melbourne Veterinary School and Queensland University of Technology with industry partners including WALTHAM Petcare Science Institute (UK), Boehringer Ingelheim (Germany) and The Liphook Equine Hospital (UK).

 

The results from this anonymous survey will provide valuable information and contribute to improved targeted education of the horse owning public.

 

To complete the survey, go to:

 

https://melbourneuni.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0GPNcsoVqyB6lo2