Infectious Diseases and Vaccinations Flashcards
what is used to maintain healthy horses?
management and vaccination programs
what 4 things does a vaccination program for horses depend on?
- disease prevalence in the area
- degree of confinement (horse travel?)
- number of horses
- frequency of contact with other horses (closed environment?)
what is meant by a closed environment?
no horses in or out
how long are incoming horses isolated and why?
7-14 days; this covers the incubation period of most infectious diseases
if a horse is coming from a knonw disease area how long is it isolated?
for 30 days
what 2 things must you do when working with a diseased horse?
- change clothes before seeing nondisease horses
- disinfect yourself before handling other horses
what is a fomite?
an object that can carry transmissible diseases from one individual to another
what are pathognomonic symptoms? give an example
symptoms specific/distinctive to only one disease; sawhorse stance in tetanus
what is tetanus also known as and why?
lockjaw due to the masseter muscle being one of the first affected
what causes tetanus?
neurotoxins produced by anaerobic bacteria (clostridium tetani)
where is tetanus particularly common (2 wound types) and why?
- puncture wounds
- lacerations
these are deep and close over, making the anaerobic bacteria very happy
what is another potential cause of tetanus other than wounds?
intestinal infections, as clostridium tetani are normal inhabitants of the gut tract
where are clostridium tetani bacteria found?
they are widely distributed in soil and manure
what animals are affected by tetanus? whicha re particular susceptible?
all animals affected; horses susceptible
describe how the bacteria cause tetanus (3)
- c. tetani gain entry to the tissue and release exotoxins (proteins) that attack the CNS
- the toxins block inhibitory transmitters (GABA and glycine) within descending motor tracks
- abnormal contractions of muscles occur from reflex reactions after normal stimulation
what does GABA stand for?
gamma amino butyric acid
when do tetanus symptoms begin?
1-3 weeks after infection
what are 5 symptoms of tetanus?
- stiffness of legs
- inability to eat due to lockjaw
- prolaps of third eyelid
- horse is rigid and assumes sawhorse posture
- excitement stimulates exaggerated responses such as muscle spasms and convulsions
what are the pathognomic symptoms of tetanus? (2)
- prolapsed third eyelid
- sawhorse stance
why can tetanus be fatal? (3)
- respiratory paralysis
- complications of recumbency
- aspiration pneumonia
what kind of vaccine is available for tetanus?
the toxoid vaccine
describe tetanus vaccination for a foal from a vaccinated mare
3 doses
1st dose at 4-6 months
2nd dose 4-6 weeks after 1st dose
3rd dose at about 10-12 months
describe tetanus vaccination for a foal from an unvaccinated mare
first dose given at 3-4 months, then follow 2nd and 3rd dose like vaccinate mare protocol
when are pregnant mares vaccinated against tetanus?
annually and then 4-6 weeks prior to foaling
when are adult horses vaccinated against tetanus?
annually
describe tetanus antitoxin
provides passive, short-term immunity for immediate protection
when is tetanus antitoxin given? (2)
- to newborn foals whose dams were not vaccinated 4-6 weeks prior to foaling
- also used for treatment of horses with tetanus
what is encephalitis?
inflammation of the brain
what is encephalomyelitis?
inflammation of the brain and spinal cord
what are 2 other names for equine encephalitis?
- sleeping sickness
- blind staggers
what is equine encephalitis caused by?
by 3 antigenically different arbovirus strains: eastern, western, and venezuelan
what serves as reservoirs for the viruses that cause quine encephalitis?
passerine songbirds for sure plus potentiallly other wild animals
how are the equine encephalitis viruses transmitted to horses from the bird reservoirs?
by the blood sucking arthropods (mosquitoes) that serve as vectors or carriers of the virus
when does the equine encephalitis disease occur?
in warm months when mosquitoes are active
which if the 3 equine encephalitis viruses is the only one that can be transmitted horse to horse? describe the other two as well
VEE is the only horse to horse transmission; in WEE and EEE the horse is a dead end host as they cannot be transmitted between horses or people
describe the disease course of equine encephalitis, give percentages for each type
acute onset that is usually fatal; results in inflammation of the brain (and spinal cord)
EEE: 80% fatality rate
WEE: 30%
VEE: 60%
give the general range of incubation period of equine encephalitis, then specifically for EEE and WEE
1-3 weeks; but 5-14 days is common for E and W
what are 10 symptoms of equine encephalitis?
- mild fever that become high fever
- absence of feed intake
- stiffness
- incoordination
- reeling gait
- compulsive walking
- loss of vision
- grinding teeth
- inability to swallow
- head pressing
describe the reeling gait of a horse with equine encephalitis
fast, uncoordinated, stumbling
are any equine encephalitis symptoms pathognomonic?
no
give 3 symptoms of severe cases of equine encephalitis
- hyperesthesia (increased sensitivity to stimulation)
- aggression
- excitability
when does death usually occur in a case of equine encephalitis?
2-7 days after recumbency (aka sleeping sickness, horses are called sleepers)
if a horse recovers from equine encephalitis, what is observed and what are these horses called?
will have residual CNS signs; horses called sleepers or dummies
why is recumbency so bad for horses?
weight is pressing on the cardiovascular system; also not eating or drinking
how is equine encephalitis diagnosed? (2)
- rise in plasma antibodies against the disease suggests a case
- virus isolation in the brain is definitive diagnosis
describe treatment of equine encephalitis
supportive care mainly; treat to control fever, inflammation, and discomfort
what strains of equine encephalitis do we vaccinate for in the southeast US?
both eastern and western
describe vaccination against equine encephalitis; give special case for southeast US and why
1st dose for foals from vaccinated mares at 3-6 months
2nd dose 4-6 weeks after 1st
3rd dose at around 10-12months
(in SE US; may give 1st dose at 3 months old because it warms up earlier here; akso may give boosters every 6 months)
then vaccinate again at 1 year of age and then give annual boosters
what is equine infectious anemia also called? what is it known for causing?
swamp fever; causing red blood cell destruction
what kind of virus causes equine infectious anemia (EIA)? how transmitted?
worldwide retrovirus; transmitted by blood-sucking and biting external parasites (horse flies common vector!) and blood-contaminated needles
other than vectors and fomites, what is a third way that EIA can be transmitted?
vertical transmission; through the placenta by a mare to her fetus
where is the highest incidence of equine infectious anemia? give percentage
80% of cases are in the southeast US, although the general eastern US gets lots of cases too
is there a vaccine for equine infectious anemia?
nope
describe occurrence of clinical signs of equina infectious anemia and then 9
clinical signs are recurrent;
1. fever
2. anemia
3. depression
4. anorexia
5. weakness
6. leg and ventral edema (from decreased movement9
7. icterus
8. abnormal bleeding
bonus 9!: unthrifty!!
is death common from a case of EIA? what is the usual outcome and why?
death not common; horses become lifelong carriers becayse no vaccine or treatment
what is the risk of an EIA infected horse?
becomes a source of infection for other horses
if a horse tests positive for EIA, what must be done? (2)
- the lab must report it to the state veterinarian
2.the horse must be either euthanized or permanently quarantined at a sufficient distance from other horses so horse flies can’t transmit between infected and healthy
regarding equine infectious anemia, what are horse owners required to do yearly?
yearly blood test; either coggins or ELISA test
regarding equine infectious anemia, what are horse owners required to have when traveling from state to state, between horse shows, or traveling at all?
either a negative coggins or a negative ELISA; MUST HAVE AT LEAST ONE
what is equine rhinopneumonitis also called?
equine herpes virus, or viral abortion
what causes equine rhinopneumonitis? (2)
equine herpes virus, either
type-1 (EHV-1) or
type 4 (EHV-4)
what is caused by both EHV1 and EHV4
respiratory disease in horses
what is also caused by EHV1, other than respiratory disease?
can cause abortions or neurological disease
describe equine herpes virus, include transmission (3)
- highly contagious disease
- transmitted by inhalation of infectious aerosols and
- direct contact with infected secretions on utensils or in drinking water (fomites)
in what kind of conditions/ages is equine herpes virus more common?
in younger horses (less than 3 years old) in crowded conditions
describe the prevalence of equine herpes virus in many horse populations and how most mature horses handle it
endemic in many horse populations; most mature horses develop some level of immunity
give 4 initial clinical signs of equine herpes virus, then 3 symptoms observed as the virus progresses
initially:
1. fever
2. mild respiratory tract disorder
3. cough
4. nasal discharge
as progresses:
1. stiffness
2, weakness
3. ataxia
when do and what symptoms appear with equine herpes virus (incubation period and initial presentation)
after an incubation period of 2-10 days, the symptoms of the respiratory subtype begin with fever and a bacterial infection (referred to as the snots)
what can EHV1 cause (big bad news bears)
may cause abortion storms with no other clinical signs