Willingness to adopt personal biosecurity strategies on thoroughbred breeding farms: Findings from a multi-site pilot study in Australia's Hunter Valley.

There are almost 9,500 full-time employees in Australia's thoroughbred horse breeding industry. During foaling, they can be exposed to bodily fluids and mucous membranes which may present risks for zoonotic disease. These risks can be mitigated through personal biosecurity strategies.

Fetoplacental pathology of equine abortion, premature birth, and neonatal loss due to .

This report describes the fetoplacental pathology of associated abortion, premature birth, and neonatal loss in 46 of 442 equine abortion investigations between 2015 and 2019. Seven abortions, 26 premature births, and 13 neonatal deaths with positive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were evaluated. In 83% of cases (38/46), infection was considered as the primary cause of loss based on quantitative PCR (qPCR) confirmation, pathological findings, and exclusion of other causes, and was supported by immunolabeling in fetoplacental lesions.

A Scoping Review of the Global Distribution of Causes and Syndromes Associated with Mid- to Late-Term Pregnancy Loss in Horses between 1960 and 2020.

Equine pregnancy loss is frustrating and costly for horse breeders. The reproductive efficiency of mares has significant implications for a breeding operation's economic success, and widespread losses can have a trickle-down effect on those communities that rely on equine breeding operations. Understanding the causes and risks of equine pregnancy loss is essential for developing prevention and management strategies to reduce the occurrence and impact on the horse breeding industry.

Real-time fluorometric and end-point colorimetric isothermal assays for detection of equine pathogens C. psittaci and equine herpes virus 1: validation, comparison and application at the point of care.

Background: C. psittaci has recently emerged as an equine abortigenic pathogen causing significant losses to the Australian Thoroughbred industry, while Equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) is a well-recognized abortigenic agent. Diagnosis of these agents is based on molecular assays in diagnostic laboratories.

Epidemiology of Chlamydia psittaci infections in pregnant Thoroughbred mares and foals.

Late-term foal loss due to the traditional avian pathogen Chlamydia psittaci recently emerged as a threat to the Australian Thoroughbred industry. A longitudinal study of 14 stud farms was undertaken to better understand C. psittaci infection in pregnant mares and their foals by evaluating C.

"Prevention is the biggest success": Barriers and enablers to personal biosecurity in the thoroughbred breeding industry.

Employees in the equine industry are at occupational risk of zoonoses such as Hendra virus and equine chlamydiosis through exposure to infected materials. This study aimed to gain a deeper understanding of the views and experiences of employees, and the key drivers of infection control and personal biosecurity (PB) practices in the Thoroughbred breeding industry. Methods: An exploratory qualitative study was conducted in 2018 in New South Wales, Australia using interviews (9) and small group discussions (7).

Osteoarticular Infection in Three Young Thoroughbred Horses Caused by a Novel Gram Negative Cocco-Bacillus.

We describe three cases of osteoarticular infection (OAI) in young thoroughbred horses in which the causative organism was identified by MALDI-TOF as . The pattern of OAI resembled that reported with infection in humans. Analysis by 16S rRNA PCR enabled construction of a phylogenetic tree that placed the isolates closer to and , rather than .

Challenges in using serological methods to explore historical transmission risk of in a workforce with high exposure to equine chlamydiosis.

Introduction: This report describes the challenges encountered in using serological methods to study the historical transmission risk of from horses to humans.

Methods: In 2017, serology and risk factor questionnaire data from a group of individuals, whose occupations involved close contact with horses, were collected to assess the seroprevalence of antibodies to and identify risk factors associated with previous exposure.

Results: 147 participants were enrolled in the study, provided blood samples, and completed a questionnaire.

An epizootic of Chlamydia psittaci equine reproductive loss associated with suspected spillover from native Australian parrots.

Chlamydia psittaci is an avian pathogen capable of spill-over infections to humans. A parrot C. psittaci strain was recently detected in an equine reproductive loss case associated with a subsequent cluster of human C.

Equine chlamydiosis-An emerging infectious disease requiring a one health surveillance approach.

Psittacosis is a rare but potentially fatal zoonosis caused by Chlamydia psittaci, an organism that is typically associated with bird contact. However C. psittaci is capable of infecting other non-avian hosts, such as horses, sheep, cattle and goats.

Bacteria isolated from field cases of equine amnionitis and fetal loss.

Background: A series of unusual abortions occurred in Thoroughbred and Quarterhorse mares in the Hunter Valley region of New South Wales from mid-March to November 2004. The initial link between early cases was the microbiological culture of atypical environmental coryneforms from the stomach contents and/or lungs of fetuses aborted on different properties.

Methods: The unique pathologic lesions were described with a case definition and the term 'equine amnionitis and fetal loss' (EAFL) was established.

Air sampling in the breathing zone of neonatal foals for prediction of subclinical Rhodococcus equi infection.

Reasons For Performing The Study: Disease caused by Rhodococcus equi is a significant burden to the horse breeding industry worldwide. Early detection of rhodococcal pneumonia, albeit important to minimise treatment costs, is difficult because of the insidious nature of the disease and the lack of definitive diagnostic tests.

Objectives: To investigate air sampling from the breathing zone of neonatal foals as a predictor of subsequent rhodococcal pneumonia.

Equine amnionitis and fetal loss: the case definition for an unrecognised cause of abortion in mares.

A series of abortions occurred in mares in New South Wales during 2004 that involved similar and unusual findings on post mortem examination of aborted fetuses and fetal membranes. The term Equine Amnionitis and Fetal Loss (EAFL) was developed to describe the condition. This form of abortion had not been previously recognised in Australia.

Clinical evaluation of a peptide-ELISA based upon N-terminal B-cell epitope of the VapA protein for diagnosis of Rhodococcus equi pneumonia in foals.

A total of 227 field samples from naturally exposed foals aged between 3 weeks and 6 months were used in an evaluation of a peptide-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for diagnosis of Rhodococcus equi infection. A biotinylated peptide derived from the virulence-associated protein A (VapA) of R. equi, a horse pathogen, was synthesized and designated as PN11-14.

Factors associated with prognosis for survival and athletic use in foals with septic arthritis: 93 cases (1987-1994).

Objective: To identify factors affecting the prognosis for survival and athletic use in foals with septic arthritis.

Design: Retrospective study.

Animals: 93 foals with septic arthritis.

Interaction of human erythrocyte Band 3 with Ricinus communis agglutinin and other lectins.

Agglutination and competition studies suggest that human erythrocyte Band 3 can interact with both mannose/glucose- and galactose-specific lectins. Purified Band 3 reconstituted into lipid vesicles binds concanavalin A, but the nonspecific binding component, measured in the presence of alpha-methylmannoside, is very high. This glycoprotein also carries binding sites for the galactose-specific lectin Ricinus communis agglutinin.

Effects of bovine serum albumin on the interaction of concanavalin A and succinyl-concanavalin A with phospholipid bilayers.

Under physiological conditions, concanavalin A interacts with the surface of phospholipid liposomes through two distinct classes of binding sites, a relatively small number of high affinity sites and a much larger number of lower affinity sites. Addition of bovine serum albumin induces extensive additional binding of concanavalin A to liposomal membranes and this binding is saturable and "specific" (alpha-methyl mannoside inhibitable). Fraction V and high purity albumin both induce almost identical levels of concanavalin A binding to liposomes.

Lipid-protein interactions of the human erythrocyte concanavalin A receptor in phospholipid bilayers.

The interaction of the human erythrocyte concanavalin A receptor (a subpopulation of Band 3) with phospholipids has been investigated using differential scanning microcalorimetry of reconstituted vesicles prepared by detergent dialysis. The mean diameter of dialyzed phospholipid vesicles jumps dramatically on inclusion of the concanavalin A receptor and then increases linearly with the fraction of protein in the bilayer. The glycoprotein has a dramatic effect on the phospholipid gel to liquid-crystalline phase transition, and delta H decreases linearly with increasing mole fraction of protein up to a protein/lipid mole ratio of around 1:1160.

The concanavalin A receptor from human erythrocytes in lipid bilayer membranes. Interaction with concanavalin A and succinyl-concanavalin A.

The concanavalin A receptor from human erythrocyte membranes has been isolated by affinity chromatography using the mild, readily-dialyzable detergent dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide. The purified protein has been reincorporated into large unilamellar phospholipid vesicles using a detergent dialysis technique. The mean diameter of these vesicles increases as the lipid: protein ratio decreases.