[Respiratory infectious diseases in horses]

Area of Science:

• Equine infectious diseases
• Veterinary virology and bacteriology
• Immunology

Context:

• Equine respiratory diseases represent a significant threat to horses in various settings, including stables, breeding farms, and racing facilities.
• Infectious respiratory conditions in horses can be categorized as monocausal (caused by a single pathogen) or multicausal (resulting from synergistic interactions of multiple agents).
• Key monocausal agents include equine influenza virus, equine rhinopneumonitis virus, equine arteritis virus, Reoviruses, Streptococcus equi, and Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Purpose:

• To differentiate between monocausal and multicausal equine respiratory infections.
• To outline current and novel therapeutic and prophylactic strategies for these diseases.
• To introduce paramunization as a new concept in equine respiratory disease management.

Summary:

• Monocausal respiratory infections are primarily managed through prophylactic vaccination and chemotherapy.
• Multicausal infections often involve viral initiation followed by secondary bacterial, mycoplasmal, or fungal infections.
• Control of multicausal diseases involves combined vaccines, herd-specific vaccines, and immunomodulation, with paramunization offering a novel approach.
• Paramunization, a new concept, can be integrated with vaccination and chemotherapy for prophylaxis and therapy, and with corticosteroids in severe cases.

Impact:

• Improved understanding of equine respiratory disease pathogenesis and classification.
• Enhanced strategies for the prevention and treatment of infectious respiratory conditions in horses.
• Potential for reduced morbidity and mortality associated with equine respiratory diseases through advanced immunomodulatory techniques.