An Intensive Approach in the Treatment of Clinical Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis

Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) is a serious parasitic disease of horses producing neurologic clinical signs. Sarcocystis neurona is an incriminated pathogen. If approximately 50% of US horses are seropositive but only 0.5 to 1% become clinically affected, there is a suspected immunologic influence whether a horse is S. neurona-exposed or has clinical EPM syndrome. This report presents a treatment of 28 performance horses that were serum immunoblot positive for exposure to S. neurona. This patient population was in full athletic competition, travel, or training with associated stress. We attempted to (1) improve the immunologic status of the horse, (2) protect it against inflammatory reactions, and (3) provide medication to kill the protozoa. The cell-mediated immunity was stimulated by transfer factor in the feed for 37 days. The inflammatory reactions of treatment crises from antiprotozoal activity were prevented by MicroLactin (a neutrophil-activation inhibitor) in feed for 28 days concurrently. The antiprotozoal drug ponazuril was given concurrently for 28 days. Gait abnormalities, stumbling, and behavior change were the most frequent and combined clinical signs before treatment. There were 82% (23/28) treatable horses that were back at work, including five horses that were in physical rehabilitation under saddle. Five severely affected horses were not helped by therapy.     

Streptococcus equi Infections in Horses: Guidelines for Treatment,Control, and Prevention of Strangles—Revised Consensus Statement

This consensus statement update reflects our current published knowledge and opinion about clinical signs, pathogenesis, epidemiology, treatment, complications, and control of strangles. This updated statement emphasizes varying presentations in the context of existing underlying immunity and carrier states of strangles in the transmission of disease. The statement redefines the “gold standard” for detection of possible infection and reviews the new technologies available in polymerase chain reaction diagnosis and serology and their use in outbreak control and prevention. We reiterate the importance of judicious use of antibiotics in horses with strangles. This updated consensus statement reviews current vaccine technology and the importance of linking vaccination with currently advocated disease control and prevention programs to facilitate the eradication of endemic infections while safely maintaining herd immunity. Differentiation between immune responses to primary and repeated exposure of subclinically infected animals and responses induced by vaccination is also addressed.     

Brucellosis: A rapid risk assessment by a regional outbreak team and its coordinated response with the Directorate‐General for Food and Veterinary,North region of Portugal, 2019

We report a Brucella outbreak with seven cases in the Northern Region of Portugal in 2018–2019, associated with the consumption of fresh cheese. This outbreak has implications for risk assessment in Portuguese migrants related to this area, and it is an example of cooperation between public institutions, in a One Health based approach.     

Salmonella Oranienburg Isolated from Horses,Wild Turkeys and An Edible Home Garden Fertilized with Raw Horse Manure

In July 2010, a horse from a rural farm (Farm A) in coastal Northern California was diagnosed with Salmonella Oranienburg infection following referral to a veterinary hospital for colic surgery. Environmental sampling to identify potential sources and persistence of Salmonella on the farm was conducted from August 2010 to March 2011. Salmonella was cultured using standard enrichment and selective plating. Pure colonies were confirmed by biochemical analysis, serotyped and compared by pulsed‐field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) analysis. A total of 204 clinical and environmental samples at Farm A were analysed, and Salmonella spp. was isolated from six of eight (75%) horses, an asymptomatic pet dog, two of seven (28.6%) water samples from horse troughs, nine of 20 (45%) manure storage pile composites, 16 of 71 (22.5%) wild turkey faeces and four of 39 (10.3%) soil samples from the family's edible home garden. Well water and garden vegetable samples and horse faecal samples from a neighbouring ranch were negative. S. Oranienburg with a PFGE pattern indistinguishable from the horse clinical strain was found in all positive sample types on Farm A. The investigation illustrates the potential for widespread dissemination of Salmonella in a farm environment following equine infections. We speculate that a recent surge in the wild turkey population on the property could have introduced S. Oranienburg into the herd, although we cannot rule out the possibility wild turkeys were exposed on the farm or to other potential sources of Salmonella. Findings from the investigation indicated that raw horse manure applied as fertilizer was the most likely source of garden soil contamination. Viable S. Oranienburg persisted in garden soil for an estimated 210 days, which exceeds the 120‐day standard between application and harvest currently required by the National Organic Program. The study underscores the need to educate the public about potential food safety hazards associated with using raw animal manure to fertilize edible home gardens.     

Effect of grazing cows in an intensive silvopastoral system with Leucaena leucocephala on Panela cheese properties: yield,composition, fatty acid profile and sensory acceptability

Yield, chemical composition, fatty acid profile, and sensory acceptability of Panela cheese produced from cows grazing in an intensive silvopastoral system (ISS) with Leucaena leucocephala and Cynodon nlemfuensis were evaluated and compared with Panela cheese from cows grazing a monoculture system (MS) of C. nlemfuensis only. The experiment lasted for 9 weeks in a tropical area in Mexico using ten crossbred cows (30–90 days of milking) assigned homogenously as five cows in each experimental group. No significant differences were found between the two systems for milk and cheese gross composition. Panela cheese from ISS showed lower content of the hypercholesterolemic fatty acids, accompanied with higher content of omega‐3, omega‐6 and polyunsaturated fatty acids. In addition, Panela cheese from ISS showed higher preference for the attributes of appearance, texture, flavor, and overall acceptability. It is concluded that Panela cheese from cows grazing in ISS has better acceptability and nutritional properties than that produced from MS with grass only.