diseases Flashcards
considerations of infectious horse diseases
Systems affected and severity – Prognosis if your horse gets the disease – Vaccine available?
• Reliability of vaccine
– Is there a vector or a seasonality?
• Or is the organism always present in the environment?
communicable
directly transmitted from sick to healthy
vector-borne
carried by insects or other animals
infectious but not usually contagious
organisms present in the soil
equine encephalitis transmission
songbirds are infected with the disease but fight it off in a few days, mosquitoes bite the infected bird and become infected for life, an infected mosquito bites the horse and transmits the virus (horses do not get high enough level to infect mosquitoes), results in inflammation of the brain
western equine encephalitis
Mostly west of Mississippi – Extends into Canada and Mexico
Venezuelan equine encephalitis
Mostly South and Central America
– Also, Mexico, Texas
• Occasionally appears in other southern states • Last US outbreak 1971 • Last Mexico outbreak 1993
eastern equine encephalitis clinical signs
“Sleeping sickness”– Fever – Loss of Coordination – Head Pressing – Circling – Poor prognosis
• Supportive care only • Most horses die or have permanent damage
EEE prevention
Vaccine available
– Effective if given at appropriate time
• Spring • Peak season July – Sept • Immunity lasts up to 1 year
– Must vaccinate every year
– Usually sold in combination with other vaccines
• 4-way, 5-way, etc.
– Avoid exposure to mosquitoes
West Nile Virus
Encephalitis new to US
– Originated in Africa – Also causes disease in humans, birds
• Now found all over lower 48 states • Vector-borne - mosquitoes • Reservoir is birds • Similar life cycle to EEE • Not all infected horses develop disease
west nile virus clinical signs
West Nile Virus
– Loss of coordination – Muscle twitching (face and muzzle) – Weakness – Falling down – Prognosis better than EEE
• 30-40% mortality • Supportive care only • Some recover completely
west nile virus prevention
Vaccine available
– Effective if given at appropriate time
• Spring • Peak season July – Sept • Immunity lasts up to 1 year
– Must vaccinate every year
• 3 types of vaccine on the market
– Killed virus – Recombinant (canarypox virus) – Inactivated flavivirus
– Avoid exposure to mosquitoes
tetanus
Caused by bacteria – Clostridium tetani – Lockjaw – No vector – Present in soil (spores) – Thrives in closed wounds • Anaerobic – Bacteria produces toxin that causes disease – Horses highly susceptible
tetanus clinical signs
Stiffness, rigidity
– Sawhorse stance
• Sensitive to noise • Convulsions • Paralysis • Prognosis poor
– Supportive care – 80% mortality – Usually due to respiratory failure
tetanus prevention
Vaccine available
– Immune system neutralizes toxin – Wounds can occur year round – Give annually – Usually in combination with other vaccines – Tetanus toxoid
• To produce protective antibodies
– Tetanus antitoxin
• Antibodies given directly to unvaccinated horses
• Accompanied by tetanus toxoid vaccine
botulism
Caused by bacteria
– Clostridium botulinum– No vector – Acquired via forages or puncture wounds – Present in soil and decaying material • Anaerobic = grows in closed wounds • Dead rodents baled along with hay • Round bales of hay
– Kentucky is endemic area – Bacteria produces multiple toxins
botulism clinical signs
Weakness, tremors • Respiratory paralysis • Inability to swallow • In foals, inability to suckle
– “Shaker foal syndrome”
• Prognosis poor without treatment
– Antitoxin can be administered if diagnosed early enough and horse can eventually recover
botulism prevention
Vaccine available • C. botulinum toxoid • Given as a series, then annually • Foals are especially susceptible
– Vaccinate dam 4-6 weeks prior to foaling – Start vaccinating foal at 2-3 months old
• Vaccine not effective against wound botulism
– Different toxin than forage botulism
rabies
Caused by virus
– Rhabdovirus
• “Hydrophobia”
• Vectors are other animals
– Bats, skunks, raccoons, dogs – Transmitted by biting – Can infect any warm-blooded animal
• Not common in horses, but always fatal
rabies clinical signs
Fever, depression • Excess salivation • Excitability • Paralysis • By the time signs appear it is too late to
prevent or treat • Cannot be diagnosed in a living animal
rabies prevention
Vaccine available • Given annually • Recommended in Kentucky
– Eastern strain rabies in raccoons
• Administered by veterinarian
– Can provide proof of vaccination
• Cannot be diagnosed in a living animal
– Vaccinated horses will test positive for antibodies in blood
equine infectious anemia (EIA)
EIA (swamp fever)
– Caused by a virus (lentivirus) – Many similarities to HIV/AIDS – Attacks immune system – Mutates easily, “hides” in liver – Body can’t rid itself of infection – No cure
• No vaccine
EIA clinical signs
Acute
– Fever, depression, pale mucus membranes – Destruction of red blood cells – Viremic (high levels of virus in blood)
Chronic
– Cycles resembling acute phase – Weight loss (poor doer) – Viremia can fluctuate, but tends to be lower than acute EIA
Inapparent carrier
– Appears healthy
– May carry the virus for years with no effects
– Can relapse to chronic state – Will be detected by routine testing – Not usually viremic while in this state
EIA epidemiology
Virus spread by biting flies
– Primarily horse flies – Rarely, deer flies
• Mechanical transmission
– Fly bites infected horse – Horse reacts – Fly bites another horse – Virus spread on fly mouth parts – Can spread virus for about 200 yards before blood dries
EIA testing
Antibody tests on blood
– Coggin’s test (AGID) – ELISA (faster) – A positive test indicates current infection
• Reportable disease
– Euthanasia – Slaughter??? – Quarantine
• Horse must be branded with the letter A • Kept away from other horses (> 200 yards)
EIA control
Today EIA has low incidence in KY
• Most states require testing for entry, sales and gatherings of horses
• Remove carriers from population
• Trace-back investigations of horses exposed to carriers
• Do not reuse needles or syringes when vaccinating horses
– Mechanical transmission of blood and virus
respiratory diseases
Typical symptoms
– Fever
– Nasal discharge
• First clear, then progressively cloudy
– Depression, lack of appetite – Cough – Muscle pain – Can be caused by viruses or bacteria