Equine Digestion and Rotavirus

Question 1

functions of the digestive system

Answer 1

digestion and absorption

Question 2

digestion

Answer 2

process of breaking down complex molecules into simple molecules

Question 3

absorption

Answer 3

process of transporting simple molecules across intestinal epithelium into the bloodstream

Question 4

mouth

Answer 4

digestion begins here, the teeth grind food and cover it in saliva, has neutral pH to help buffer the stomach

Question 5

esophagus

Answer 5

tube connecting the mouth to the stomach

Question 6

stomach

Answer 6

gastric juices, digestion of protein, pH is about 2

Question 7

small intestine

Answer 7

emzymatic digestion. bile from liver digests fat, pancreas helps in the digestion of protein, fat and starch. majority of sugars are absorbed in the small intestine, leading to increased blood glucose 30 mins after a meal. vitamins and minerals are also absorbed here. large volumes of water are secreted into the small intestine during digestion

Question 8

large intestine

Answer 8

cecum, large and small colon, microbial fermentation of material that was not digested in the small intestine (fiber) and water reabsorption

Question 9

types of plant carbohydrates

Answer 9

fiber, sugar and starch

Question 10

fiber

Answer 10

structural part of plants, important energy source for herbivores. fiber cannot be digested by mammalian enzymes and needs to be broken down by microbes through fermentation

Question 11

water

Answer 11

water movement in intestine is always through osmosis, moves in whatever direction necessary to keep ingest iso-osmotic, entering gut when it is hyper osmotic and leaving gut when ingesta is hypo-osmotic, water absorption is dependent on nutrient absorption

Question 12

diarrhea

Answer 12

increase in frequency of dedication or fecal volume due to increased water content, water in the GI tract is the sum of ingested water and water secreted by the intestines, when water absorbed is less than the sum of the water secreted and ingested, there is water in the passage of feces

Question 13

when does diarrhea occur

Answer 13

mismatch between secretion and absorption, occurs when the absorption is inadequate to recover secreted water generally because of loss of GI epithelium, bacterial, viral or protozoal infection

Question 14

equine rotavirus definition

Answer 14

most common cause of foal enteritis, the virus only affects foals

Question 15

how is rotavirus transmitted?

Answer 15

fecal-oral route through contaminated feces or fomites, no natural reservoir has been identified, mares do not shed the virus, large concentrations of the virus are shed into the envt by a diarrheic animal

Question 16

how long can the virus remain in the environment?

Answer 16

may remain in the environment for up to 9 months, incubation period is 12-24 hours, close to 100% of broodmares are seropositive for the virus, duration of diarrhea is 1-9 days and foals continue to shed the virus up to 3 days after the virus recedes

Question 17

effects of rotavirus

Answer 17

with supportive care, it has a high morbidity and low mortality, after recovering foals generally don’t get the virus again

Question 18

pathogenesis

Answer 18

destroys the villous tips in duodenum and jejunum, blunting the villi. this results in hyper osmotic solution in the intestine, malabsorption and maldigestion of nutrients causes influx of water into the intestinal lumen

Question 19

rotavirus clinical signs

Answer 19

lethargy, decreased suckling, diarrhea, may be projectile diarrhea, fever may or may not be present, dehydration

Question 20

diagnosis

Answer 20

fecal samples, need 3 negative tests to rule out rotavirus, differential diagnosis may be salmonella, clostridium and parasites

Question 21

treatment

Answer 21

IV fluids with electrolytes, peptobysmol, mineral oil, activated charcoal, may need antibiotics, NSAIDs for pain, omprazole to prevent ulcers, clean and dry stalls, diaper rash cream

Question 22

disinfection

Answer 22

stable in pH of 3-7, resistant to iodophor, quaternary ammonium, chlorine and bleach, ethanol and formalin can inactivate the virus

Question 23

prevention

Answer 23

vaccinate mares at 8,9 and 10 months, do not spread manure or muck of affected animals to pasture as virus can remain viable for months, compost manure