Tag: Horse Care

The equine herpesvirus EHV-1 outbreak affecting horses throughout the United States initially went undetected by testing facilities because it is comprised of a novel genotype and one not traditionally tested for in labs. Named H-752, the strain doesn't fit into the other two recognized categories: D-752, which often causes neurologic disease, and N-752, which causes neurologic issues less frequently. 

Most labs utilize a test that screens for the two common EHV-1 strains using allelic discrimination assays; the new genotype that causes both respiratory and neurologic signs was not detected by these tests, reports The Horse. 

Dr. Nicola Pusterla, professor of equine medicine at the University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine, suggests that screening for a universal gene which is independent of genotype would allow labs to find EHV-1 variants more successfully. This, in turn, would lead to quicker isolation of the affected horse and better containment of the disease.

This EHV-1 variant was found in March 2021 when Pennsylvania vets pulled blood on 10 horses that were exhibiting fevers, but were otherwise healthy. The potential sickness was caught early as regular temperature taking of horses was part of the farm's wellness protocol.  They tested for equine flu, rhino A and B, EHV-1, and EHV-4 using a quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), even though the horses appeared “normal.”

Eight of the qPCR tests came back positive for EHV-1 using the more-sensitive gB gene target assay (gB is the universal gene in EHV-1); the more generalized tests showed all eight tests as negative for EHV-1. Additional horses at the farm fell ill; Pusterla and veterinarians testing the blood for EHV-1 received the same results, with the broader test showing no EHV infection, though some of the horses were ill. 

When genotyped, results showed the EHV-1 strain was new in the United States, but the strain had been seen in France in 2018. Additional research showed that the gene mutation occurred in the same spot that determines whether the virus will cause the horse to exhibit neurologic symptoms.

Pusterla notes that it is impossible to know how prevalent the H-752 variant is since labs were not routinely screening for it. He recommends that labs utilize diagnostic techniques that are not limited to detecting known variants. 

Read more at The Horse. 

The post New EHV-1 Variant Discovered, Responsible For Stateside Outbreak  appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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The University of Glasgow has created and updated a free weight management app to help owners monitor their horse's bodyweight and condition.

The new version of the Equi-BCS app – refreshed in response to a survey of more than 100 people, including veterinary professionals, nutritionists and horse owners – was developed by Katie Williams, an equine nutritionist, who carried out the survey and development of the app as part of her PhD in veterinary research at the University.

The app allows owners to record and share their horse's weight data, making it much easier for professionals to support horse owners to help them keep their horse's weight on track. This feature also supports horses that are not holding their weight, so health issues can be spotted early.

Obesity is a serious health and welfare issue for horses just as it is for many domesticated pet species. The resulting insulin dysregulation or disruption to the horse's normal metabolism, can result in laminitis, a potentially fatal disease. The prevalence of veterinary-diagnosed laminitis ranges from 7 percent to 23.5 percent, but it is thought to be even more common if those with sub-clinical signs are included. Equine obesity has also been shown to increase the risk of complications following emergency colic surgery.

Williams said: “One of the toughest challenges for any horse owner is keeping weight off their horse, and previous studies have shown that horse owners tend to underestimate their horse's body condition score

“To succeed, a collaborative approach is required including vets, nutritionists and farriers working together with horse owners.”

The app contains detailed images and instructions to help horse owners score their horse accurately and photos can be uploaded and stored so that horse owners can remind themselves of how their horse has looked in the past.

Research in human weight tracking apps has shown that frequency of use correlates with greater success and so an important feature of the app is that it will notify users when they are due to assess their horse again.

Williams added: “It is incredible how quickly a horse can change and so monitoring regularly, ideally every two weeks, is key. Receiving a reminder will provide the prompt that many people need to ensure they take time to assess their horse and either make adjustments to the ration, or seek advice from their vet or nutritionist.”

The Equi-BCS app can be downloaded for free from Apple's app store or Google Play.

Professor Peter Hastie and Professor Jo-Anne Murray, who are supervising the project, believe that the University's Equi-BCS app, along with a myriad of other apps developed by the University, are a great way of imparting knowledge exchange to individuals and communities that can have a real impact on many sectors and industries.

The post Glasgow PhD Student Develops App To Help Combat Equine Obesity appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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A pair of barns at Parx Racing in Bensalem, Penn. have been quarantined over a suspected infection of equine herpesvirus, reports the Daily Racing Form.

One horse was euthanized on Sunday, and tests are being run to confirm the presence of the virus.

In addition to the quarantine, the duration of which is currently undetermined, Parx is not allowing horses to ship out of the facility

Four $100,000 stakes races are carded for Tuesday, and several trainers entries coming from New York told DRF they plan to scratch.

The New York Racing Association also implemented a ban on shippers from Parx on Sunday.

“On Sunday morning, NYRA's director of veterinarians was informed of a possible neurological issue with a horse based at Parx,” said Patrick McKenna, a spokesman for NYRA. “For precautionary reasons, NYRA will not be accepting entries from Parx-based horses until the investigation is complete and the issue is resolved to the satisfaction of NYRA.”

Read more at the Daily Racing Form.

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