The Older Horse: An Immunological Perspective
Equine Disease Quarterly
April 7, 2012
An understanding of how the biology of aging affects the older horse has become increasingly important.
An understanding of how the biology of aging affects the older horse has become increasingly important.
The immune system allows humans and animals including horses to survive in a complex world filled with harmful bacteria and viruses that can use our bodies for nourishment and reproduce within us. The immune system protects us from those organisms
Newborn foals can be susceptible to many viral and bacterial infections. One example is the unique susceptibility of young foals to Rhodococcus equi, a common cause of bronchopneumonia.
Is it possible genes that become shorter as horses age could be the key to how well that animal’s immune system works?
The foal’s immune system is almost a blank slate at birth; researchers are figuring out how to best protect horses as they grow.
Dr. Paul Lunn discusses immunity’s role in the neurologic form of equine herpesvirus-1 at a 2007 meeting hosted by the C.L. Davis Foundation and the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians.
One of the biggest debates about equine herpesvirus meyloencephalopathy (the neurologic form of EHV-1) is whether there is a single mutant strain in circulation that causes EHM. We will discuss the roles of pathogenesis, prevention and protection.
To guess a horse’s age you can look at his teeth … or the length of his telomeres and his immune system function, according to researchers with the University of Kentucky’s Gluck Equine Research Center.
Scientists studying the
The James L. Voss Veterinary Teaching Hospital (VTH) has two new leaders at the helm, though the names may be familiar to most people associated with the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. Dean Hendrickson, DVM, MS,
You might have heard your veterinarian say, “Let’s run a titer on him,” when referring to your horse and whether he’s protected against disease, or to figure out what might be causing particular clinical signs. What exactly does “titer” mean?
While moderate exercise has been shown to enhance the immune system, a recent study analyzing gene expression in the lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell that plays a central role in the immune system) of endurance horses has demonstrated tha
The horse’s immune system is a window to its world. The biochemical analysis of blood components can give the veterinarian valuable information about disease exposure and immune responses. When a horse is exposed to an antigen (a disease-causing
The horse industry in the United States contributes $39 billion in direct economic impact and generates about $102 billion in total spending, according to a detailed economic impact study released June 28.
“The Economic Impact of the Horse
Morris Animal Foundation, the world’s largest private funding source for companion animal and wildlife health studies, gathered some of the nation’s top authorities in equine research to pinpoint equine health priorities and address the
The immune systems of humans and horses are what keep us alive. Without a properly functioning immune system, disease would run rampant, with serious illness and death being the ultimate outcome.
Vaccines are designed based on the specific nature of an antibody response to an antigen. In other words, the antibody will work only against the antigen that stimulated its production. A “booster” creates more antibodies, a quicker response, an
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