MEP Equine Solutions (United States)

Background: Streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus is a highly diverse opportunistic pathogen of horses, associated with respiratory disease and endometritis. Objectives: To characterise S. zooepidemicus isolates recovered from young ponies during a natural episode of respiratory disease, and to determine if vaccination with Strangvac, a vaccine against Streptococcus equi subspecies equi, conferred cross-protection. Study design: Retrospective analysis of a double-blinded placebo-controlled study involving 32 ponies (16 vaccinates and 16 placebo controls) that experienced a natural episode of respiratory disease around the time of second vaccination. Methods: Ponies were monitored daily for clinical signs of respiratory infection. Nasopharyngeal swabs were taken from affected animals to identify equine pathogens by qPCR and culture. The genomes of 23 S. zooepidemicus isolates were sequenced. Clinical and serological differences between vaccine and placebo groups were determined. Results: The clinical samples were positive for equine herpes virus-4 or S. zooepidemicus (1/15 (7%) and 13/15 (87%), respectively). Seven different S. zooepidemicus sequence types, which encoded between four and seven of the eight antigens in Strangvac with ≥70% amino acid identity, were recovered from affected horses. The most conserved antigens were CNE, EAG, Eq5 and IdeE. The number of days that ponies had a cough were significantly associated ( p=0.005) with the vaccination status, with fewer days in the vaccinated compared to co-mingled control ponies (1.8±1.9 days vs. 3.4±3.5 days). A higher antibody titre to IdeE immediately prior to second vaccination correlated with a lower cumulative coughing score ( p=0.03). A reduced number of days with abnormal temperature correlated with increased antibody levels against Eq85 ( p=0.023-0.028). Main limitations: Small group size. Conclusions: This study provides evidence in support of a cross-protective effect of Strangvac for the reduction of clinical signs associated with natural infection with S. zooepidemicus, which correlated with the presence of higher antibody titres to IdeE and Eq85.

Summary Training programmes for horses must be tailored to the physiological demands of each Fédération Équestre Internationale (FEI) discipline to optimise performance and welfare. Standardised exercise tests (SETs) have emerged as essential tools for evaluating equine fitness by measuring physiological responses to controlled workloads. This review evaluates the use of different training programmes across the FEI disciplines and which SET protocols and fitness indices can be used to guide appropriate training load (intensity, frequency and duration), monitor progression and prevent injuries. Evidence supports the use of SET‐derived metrics to inform training decisions, with improvements in fitness observed when training load is appropriate for the individual athlete. However, gaps remain in research on disciplines such as vaulting and driving, and the relationship between SET outcomes and actual competition performance requires further exploration. The findings underscore the importance of individualised, data‐driven training strategies that incorporate regular fitness and workload assessments and recovery planning. Adoption of SETs and wearable technologies in routine training to accurately evaluate training can enhance both performance and welfare outcomes in sport horses.

Laparoscopic intrauterine artificial insemination (Lap-AI) is used in sheep genetic improvement programmes. However, the lambing rate (LR) (i.e., the proportion of inseminated ewes that lamb) following Lap-AI is variable. Previously, one small UK study investigated factors associated with LR, but it did not adjust for dependencies or confounding in the data. Data were collected from 11,493 Lap-AIs carried out commercially in Southwest England and Wales between 1995 and 2005. Multilevel multivariable analyses were then used to identify factors associated with LR. The mean unadjusted average LR was 71%. However, ewes inseminated with fresh semen on days when the maximum ambient temperature (MAT°C) was lower than 25°C had a higher LR (adjusted LR ∼78%; OR 1.51, 95% CI 1.30-1.77) than ewes inseminated with frozen semen (adjusted LR ~70%). LRs were lower on days when MAT°C was ≥25°C (adjusted LRs: fresh ~64%; frozen ~65%). LR decreased as the time between sponge removal and insemination increased (OR: 0.08, 95% CI: 0.01‒0.87) and varied between months and years. Due to the design of the study, individual ewe- and ram-level factors could not be investigated. Furthermore, some breeds were less well represented, which hindered breed-level analysis. Keeping ewes and rams cool on the day of insemination and inseminating ewes earlier after sponge removal may improve LR.

Supplements claiming to improve metabolic profiles in equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) often lack scientific validation. To evaluate the effect of a supplement containing leucine, resveratrol and pyridoxine on the metabolic profile in ponies with EMS. Unmasked randomised, placebo-controlled field trial. Thirty-eight ponies completed the trial across five farms. Ponies were age and sex matched per farm and randomly assigned to the supplement (n = 20) or placebo group (n = 18) with owners masked to group assignments. Ponies were sampled at days -1/0 (T1), 7/8 (T2), 30/31 (T3) and 60/61 (T4). Measurements included morphometrics, insulin, triglycerides, nonesterified fatty acids, leptin and adiponectin, a two-step insulin tolerance test and oral sugar test (OST). Biochemical and dynamic testing results were compared across groups and times using pairwise comparisons of the estimated marginal means from mixed model, with significance set at a Tukey corrected p-value of <0.05. Chi2 analyses assessed group differences from the trial onset and conclusion, with significance set at a p-value of <0.05. In the supplement group, maximum insulin post-OST was significantly reduced between T1/T2 and T3/T4, and bodyweight (bwt) decreased significantly between T1 and T4. By T4, more ponies in the supplement group lost ≥2% of their bwt (p = 0.006), with an average reduction of 8.1 kg (95% CI: -11.4, -4.7) while the placebo group gained an average of 2.6 kg (95% CI: -4.2, 9.4). Additionally, more ponies in the supplement group reduced maximum insulin post-OST by ≥40% (p = 0.01 average decrease 36.6 μU/mL; 95% CI: -60.8, -12.3), compared with the placebo group (average decrease of 3.5 μU/mL; 95% CI: -24.8, 17.8). Small sample size across multiple farms may have increased variability and masked some effects. Supplementation with leucine, pyridoxine and resveratrol may support weight loss and reduce post-prandial insulin concentrations in ponies with EMS.

Charlotte Barber, Abigail McGlennon, Fleur Whitlock, John Grewar, Sophie Spalding, Richard Newton and Tamsin Dewé introduce a new government-funded initiative to strengthen the surveillance of antimicrobial resistance in the equine sector.

Equid alphaherpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) remains a major concern for the equine industry, with recent outbreaks at international equestrian events highlighting the need for improved surveillance during competitions. To investigate EHV-1 and -4 presence in shared airspaces and environmental surfaces in direct contact with horses at international equestrian events; and to evaluate air sampling as a surveillance alternative to individual horse testing. Cross-sectional field study. Air (37) and surface samples (205) were collected from temporary stabling facilities across six events in Spain and 2 in the United States at different seasons over 10 months. Viral DNA (genomic copies) was measured and quantified by quantitative and digital PCR. During all the Spanish events, we sampled the air twice, early evening and night. EHV-1 was frequently detected in the air in 20/28 samples in Spain, in all 3 samples from Florida and in 3/6 samples from Kentucky. Surface samples were positive 15.6% in Spain, 26.3% in Florida and 0.0% in Kentucky. EHV-4 was found in air samples at rates of 12/28 in Spain, 5/6 in Kentucky and 0/3 in Florida, with surface detection of 1.6% in Spain and 7% in Kentucky. No significant differences were observed between daytime (high activity) and nighttime (low activity) airborne viral loads, suggesting that daytime horse movement and management practices had minimal impact on detection levels in our study. A positive correlation (Cohen's K = 0.401) and moderate agreement between surface and air positivity for EHV-1 emphasised the potential of air sampling as a non-invasive, cohort-based surveillance tool. Virus isolation was not used; only molecular detection was employed, which limits conclusions about transmission risk. These findings underscore the utility of air sampling for early EHV-1 detection at mass gatherings; although further validation is needed to connect genomic detection to active shedding and viral infectivity.

Most studies on relationships between humans and nonhuman animals focus on the benefits of the relationship to humans, the potential detriment or stress to animals, or how humans can better improve husbandry or handling practices in the domestic setting. By comparing existing research in human working relationships and friendships with animal friendships and studies on human-animal interactions, this paper proposes a new framework of an Interspecies Relational Theory that provides approaches for identifying, developing, and maintaining different levels of relationships between humans and nonhuman species. The framework is broken into three stages aligned with existing research in human levels of trust ranging from strategic/calculus-based to working/knowledge/information-based to friendship/affect-based. These levels are also aligned with stages of Maslow's Hierarchy. The suggested framework can help provide insight into both human and animal perspectives of the human-animal relationship in a variety of veterinary and animal-assisted settings.

Influenza A viruses (IAVs) are prime examples of emerging viruses in humans and animals. IAV circulation in domestic animals poses a pandemic risk as it provides new opportunities for zoonotic infections. The recent emergence of H5N1 IAV in cows and subsequent spread over multiple states within the USA, together with reports of spillover infections in humans, cats and mice highlight this issue. The horse is a domestic animal in which an avian-origin IAV lineage has been circulating for >60 years. In 2018/19, a Florida Clade 1 (FC1) virus triggered one of the largest epizootics recorded in the UK, which led to the replacement of the Equine Influenza Virus (EIV) Florida Clade 2 (FC2) lineage that had been circulating in the country since 2003. We integrated geographical, epidemiological, and virus genetic data to determine the virological and ecological factors leading to this epizootic. By combining newly-sequenced EIV complete genomes derived from UK outbreaks with existing genomic and epidemiological information, we reconstructed the nationwide viral spread and analysed the global evolution of EIV. We show that there was a single EIV FC1 introduction from the USA into Europe, and multiple independent virus introductions from Europe to the UK. At the UK level, three English regions (East, West Midlands, and North-West) were the main sources of virus during the epizootic, and the number of affected premises together with the number of horses in the local area were found as key predictors of viral spread within the country. At the global level, phylogeographic analysis evidenced a source-sink model for intercontinental EIV migration, with a source population evolving in the USA and directly or indirectly seeding viral lineages into sink populations in other continents. Our results provide insight on the underlying factors that influence IAV spread in domestic animals.