[Matthias Anker and the foal]. / Matthias Anker und das Fohlen.

In 1828, the Society of Swiss Veterinarians (GST) raised a prize question in regard to the symptoms, etiology and prophylaxis of polyarthritis in the foal. The treatise of Matthias Anker on this subject was treated with distinction and published in 1830. His statements answered both the questions to the clinical aspects and referred also to epidemiological, pathological, economical and ethical issues as well as husbandry and relations with the breeders. The comprehensive article of Anker in a lucid language and obliging views still finds great interest today, as the septicemia is one of the big problems in stud medicine now as before. Moreover it is astonishing that the recommendations of Anker were disregarded too often. The reasons for this fact may be due to the inadequate transfer of knowledge, on the one hand because of the educational system in that time, on the other side due to the modest economical importance of horse breeding and the neglected formation in this field. The recommendations are still valid.

Diseases in neonatal foals. Part 1: the 30 day incidence of disease and the effect of prophylactic antimicrobial drug treatment during the first three days post partum.

REASONS FOR PERFORMING STUDY: Neonatal diseases have been grouped and analysed but up-to-date statistically significant information about the incidence and prevalence of diseases in foals is limited. Since the 1950s it has been a common management practice to administer a 3 day course of antimicrobial drugs to neonatal foals. This was shown to significantly reduce the incidence of infections (Platt 1977). Since then management practices have improved and it is widely believed that prophylactic antimicrobial drugs are no longer necessary in foal rearing. OBJECTIVES: To determine the 30 day incidences or prevalences (depending on case definition) of various diseases and conditions in the neonatal foal and ascertain the influence of a prophylactic 3 day treatment on the frequency of infections. METHODS: The population consisted of Thoroughbred foals born on stud farms in the Newmarket (UK) area in 2005 (n = 1031). Depending on the stud farm's practice in the use of prophylactic antimicrobial drugs, 2 groups of newborn foals (treated and untreated) were identified and followed for 30 days. RESULTS: The 30 day incidences of infectious diseases under study were between 0.2% (osteomyelitis) and 5.85% (systemic disease with diarrhoea). The overall incidence for 'total infectious diseases' was 8.27%. The most commonly observed noninfectious condition was limb deformities (12.11% of all foals). There was no significant difference in the incidence of infectious diseases between the 2 groups. CONCLUSION: Infectious diseases are still an important problem in neonatal foals requiring further investigation as to which factors other than antimicrobial prophylaxis are relevant for disease prevention. POTENTIAL RELEVANCE: The results provide an up-to-date overview about the frequencies of various neonatal foal diseases. They do not support the traditional prophylactic use of antimicrobials to prevent infectious diseases in healthy newborn foals. However, it should be noted that this study was not a randomised controlled trial and therefore does not provide the strongest possible evidence for this conclusion.

Diseases in neonatal foals. Part 2: potential risk factors for a higher incidence of infectious diseases during the first 30 days post partum.

REASON FOR PERFORMING STUDY: The development of clinical illness in foals is usually predetermined by perinatal history, management or stressful environmental conditions. OBJECTIVES: To determine potential risk factors for an increased incidence of infectious diseases during the first 30 days post partum. METHODS: The population consisted of Thoroughbred foals born on stud farms in the Newmarket (UK) area in 2005 (n = 1031). They were followed for their first 30 days. Factors suspected to influence the incidence of infectious neonatal diseases were examined in a logistic regression approach for each of the 3 outcomes (total infectious diseases, systemic disease with diarrhoea and total infectious diseases excluding diarrhoea). All 28 factors were either foal or mare or stud farm related. RESULTS: Several significant risk factors for a higher disease incidence, such as birth complications, colostrum intake by stomach tube and leucocytosis 12-48 h post partum were identified. The factor 'boarding stud' seemed to be protective against disease. CONCLUSION: Some factors, such as the mare's time at stud before foaling, the mare's rotavirus vaccination schedule and fibrinogen-values that empirically had been linked to the outcome previously were not confirmed as relevant. This included the reported useful prophylactic treatment with antimicrobial drugs. POTENTIAL RELEVANCE: Factors to be considered when evaluating newborn foals include: stud management, the birth process, route of colostrum intake, white and red blood cells, and the date of birth. These may help to detect foals at risk to develop an infection so that targeted prophylactic measures can be initiated.

[Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA)]. / Equine Infektiöse Anämie (EIA).

Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA) is a reportable, eradicable epizootic disease caused by the equine lentivirus of the retrovirus family which affects equids only and occurs worldwide. The virus is transmitted by blood, mainly by sanguivorous insects. The main symptoms of the disease are pyrexia, apathy, loss of body condition and weight, anemia, edema and petechia. However, infected horses can also be inapparent carriers without any overt signs. The disease is diagnosed by serological tests like the Coggins test and ELISA tests. Presently, Switzerland is offi cially free from EIA. However, Switzerland is permanently at risk of introducing the virus as cases of EIA have recently been reported in different European countries.

[Serological and clinical proof of freedom from Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA) in imported and domestic horses in Switzerland]. / Serologischer und klinischer Nachweis der Freiheit von Equiner Infektiöser Anämie (EIA) bei importierten und einheimischen Pferden in der Schweiz.

Since 1991, no cases of Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA) have been reported in Switzerland. Risk factors for introduction of the virus into Switzerland are still present or have even increased as frequent inapparent infections, large numbers of imported horses, (since 2003) absence of compulsory testing prior to importation, EIA cases in surrounding Europe, possible illegal importation of horses, frequent short-term stays, poor knowledge of the disease among horse owners and even veterinarians. The aim of this study was to provide evidence of freedom from EIA in imported and domestic horses in Switzerland. The serum samples from 434 horses imported since 2003 as well as from 232 domestic horses fifteen years of age or older (since older horses have naturally had a longer time of being exposed to the risk of infection) were analysed using a commercially available ELISA test. All samples were seronegative, indicating that the maximum possible prevalence that could have been missed with this sample was 0.5% (95% confidence).

[Length of gestation of Freiberger mares with mule and horse foals]. / Tragzeiten bei Freibergerstuten mit Maultier-bzw. Pferdefohlen.

In a retrospective study the gestation lengths of two groups, each consisting of 193 "Freiberger" mares, were compared. The mares of the first group were bred by a donkey, those of the second group by a stallion of the "Freiberger" breed. On average, the gestation length of mares with "Freiberger" foals lasted 336.5 days, and that of mares with mule foals 343.1 days. The difference between both groups was significant (p < 0.001). The shortest and longest observed gestation length of mares with "Freiberger" foals was 307 and 361 days, and that of mares with mule foals 315 and 369 days, respectively. Additionally, we examined if the stallion, the mare, the age of the mare, the sex of the foal and the time of mating during the breeding season influenced gestation length of mares with mule foals and if the age of the mare, the sex of the foal and the time of breeding influenced gestation length of mares with "Freiberger" foals. The time of breeding and the mare had a significant (p < 0.05) influence on gestation length.

[The spontaneous reduction of a twin pregnancy in two mares]. / Die spontane Reduktion einer Zwillingsträchtigkeit bei zwei Stuten.

Twin pregnancies are a serious problem in stud medicine as they terminate in most cases in abortion, stillbirth or the delivery of dead or weak and deformed foals. In recent years, the introduction of sonography has greatly improved the management of mares with twin conceptuses, in particular monitoring the phenomenon of spontaneous embryo reduction to a single vesicle. This allows supervision of pregnancy with relatively little expenditure and loss of time. We document the spontaneous reduction to single vesicles of unilateral twin pregnancies in a draught- and a warmblood-mare. In both mares diagnosis of twins was made 17 days after covering; they probably resulted from synchronous double-ovulations. After another 5 days, distinct signs of the loss of one conceptus were recognized and, subsequently, only single pregnancies existed. No interventions were necessary.

[The history of neurectomy in horses with navicular disease]. / Zur Geschichte der Neurektomie des strahlbeinlahmen Pferdes.

The genetic predisposition to navicular disease is proven nowadays, but otherwise, etiology and pathogenesis are still unclear. Causal therapy isn't possible and because of the poor prognosis, neurectomy is still of bearing. This operation was performed already 200 years ago, but in the middle of the last century, critical voices have been raised in regard to the surgical procedure and its indication both for medical reasons and breeding. Clear instructions for exclusion of diseased animals from breeding are also older than one hundred years. These facts call for ethic considerations which concern both breeding and use of these animals. In earlier times, horses were used for basic human requirements mainly, but nowadays their employment occurs mainly for pleasure. Ethic reflections are our task, as our specialized knowledge forms their basis. Our philosophy has to be applicable in practice, what can be achieved best with utilitarianistic reasoning. The possibilities of our influence on the sport are limited, but in breeding our commitment has to be vigorous and unrestricted. Due to the development of immunogenetic studies, legal problems may arise in the near future as well.

Equine pituitary adenoma: a functional and morphological study.

Clinico-pathological correlations in horses with pituitary adenomas are poorly understood. This paper describes the functional and morphological features of five cases of equine pituitary adenoma and of a case of multinodular pituitary hyperplasia. New findings reported include immunoreactivity for beta-lipotropin (beta-LPH), beta-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (beta-MSH), gamma 3-MSH, prolactin (PRL), and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) in neoplastic cells of the pituitary adenoma; and, in the multinodular hyperplasia, beta-LPH, beta-endorphin (beta-END), alpha-MSH, beta-MSH, gamma 3-MSH and FSH immunoreactivity. It is suggested that the equine pituitary syndrome does not correspond to human Cushing's disease, as generally accepted, but is related to the overproduction of several pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC)-derived peptides by the cells of the tumour or hyperplastic nodules.

[Typical presentation of the common tendon sheath of the M. flexor hallucis longus and the M. tibialis caudalis in the horse]. / Zur bildlichen Darstellung der gemeinsamen Sehnenscheide des M.flexor hallucis longus und des M.tibialis caudalis beim Pferd.

The possibilities for imaging soft tissue structures, especially fluid-filled cavities such as articulations, bursae or tendon sheaths, have been improved markedly by sonography in recent years. Ultrasonic examinations were performed on the common tendon sheath of the musculus flexor hallucis longus and the musculus tibialis caudalis, from the medioplantar aspect of the tarsus, in 12 sound adult draft- and warm blood horses, and in 5 animals with a distended common sheath. The diagnostic precision of the sonographic examination of the tendon sheath is excellent and is superior to conventional radiography. A nuclear magnetic resonance tomogram of an isolated equine tarsus is presented for comparison method.

The risks of small intestinal transplantation for the recipient: experimental results in young minipigs.

In a previous series of 36 small intestinal transplants in young minipigs, a monitoring system, based on a special transplantation model, clinical and histologic criteria has been worked out. The spontaneous evolution was observed and no attempt was made to save the animal when complications on the graft occurred. Most of the animals died. In the present series of 32 small intestinal transplants the monitoring system and explanation criteria are now tested. Twenty-three primarily successfully transplanted animals had complications of the graft, i.e., hemorrhagic infarction, deficient arterial circulation, or rejection. Only 1 of the 23 died before explanation could be done. Twenty-two were explanted according to the previously established criteria. Two died of complications not directly related to the graft, the other 20 animals survived for 1-5 mo. All 22 explanted grafts showed irreversible damages both macroscopically and on histologic examination. The present series confirms that early recognition of complications of the graft and timely removal with survival of the recipient animal is possible. This could be an important step forward to the clinical application of small intestinal transplantation in man.

[Screening of newborn infants in cystic fibrosis. Evaluation of a 4-year study in Switzerland]. / Neugeborenen-Screening in der zystischen Fibrose. Auswertung einer 4jährigen Studie in der Schweiz.

The results of an evaluation over 4 years (1973-1976) of 16,620 BM-tests (Boehringer-Mannheim newborn screening for cystic fibrosis) at 8 hospitals in Switzerland are presented and the data from analysis of albumin, protein and alpha1-antitrypsin concentrations, and on trypsin-inhibitory capacity of the meconia are discussed. 99.5% of the tests were negative. Of the remaining 0.5% BM-positive tests, the diagnosis of cystic fibrosis required confirmation by sweat test and clinical course in 6 cases, or 0.04% of the total collective. The test was false-negative in 2 cases (0.012%), of which one had a primary pulmonary form of cystic fibrosis. The study shows that the BM-test, as screening test for cystic fibrosis, makes it possible to distinguish between "normal" and "suspect". By calculating the ratio albumin to alpha1-antitrypsin, it would be possible to verify the probability of a reliable diagnosis as early as a few days after birth. As before, however, it would be indispensable to confirm the diagnosis of cystic fibrosis by a sweat test with pilocarpin iontophoresis. By consistent screening in all obstetric and pediatric clinics it would be possible to improve early diagnosis still further.