Equine brucellosis: current understanding, challenges
Domestic equines, including horses, mules, and donkeys, are widely used in human society, being used for transportation, traction, driving other animals, hippotherapy, leisure, and sports.
Brucellosis in equines, including horses, donkeys and mules, is characterized by abscesses in tendons, bursae, and joints. Reproductive disorders, which are common in other animals, are rare in both males and females. In this review, the authors considered the zoonotic aspect of brucellosis, the significant losses due to infection and the representativeness of horses, mules, and donkeys in society, as well as the continuous efforts to control and eradicate the disease in livestock.
Joint breeding of horses, cattle and pigs was found to be the main risk factor for equine brucellosis, with the transmission from equines to cattle or among equines possible, although unlikely.
Evaluation of the disease in equines can be considered an indirect indicator of the effectiveness of brucellosis control measures employed for other domestic species. Generally, the disease in equines reflects disease status in the sympatric domestic species, mainly cattle.
It is important to note that in equines, the disease has no validated diagnostic test, which limits the interpretation of available data. In addition, equines also represent significant Brucella spp. infection sources for humans.
Conclusions
Brucellosis in horses, donkeys, and mules is mainly characterized by suppurative lesions at the withers, neck and joints, and rarely, by reproductive problems. These species are usually terminal hosts for Brucella spp., although the risk they represent for the disease transmission to other domestic species and humans, especially in brucellosis-free areas, cannot be neglected.
Elaine Maria Seles Dorneles, et al. “Equine brucellosis: current understanding and challenges.” J Equine Vet Sci. 2023 Apr 16;104298. doi: 10.1016/j.jevs.2023.104298.
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