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Author Budras, K.D.; Scheibe, K.; Patan, B.; Streich, W.J.; Kim, K. openurl 
  Title Laminitis in Przewalski horses kept in a semireserve Type Journal Article
  Year 2001 Publication Journal of Veterinary Science (Suwon-si, Korea) Abbreviated Journal J Vet Sci  
  Volume 2 Issue 1 Pages 1-7  
  Keywords Animals; Animals, Domestic; Animals, Wild; Body Weight; Climate; Geography; Horse Diseases/*epidemiology; Horses; Korea/epidemiology; Lameness, Animal/*epidemiology  
  Abstract Semireserves were created by the European Conservation Project for scientific research in preparation for reintroduction in the wilderness. They are defined as enclosures large enough to carry a group of Przewalski horses throughout the year without any additional feeding. The semireserve offers diverse opportunities for significant scientific research. As part of a general screening program, the hoof development in a group of Przewalski horses was investigated in the semireserve Schorfheide near Berlin. Since the foundation of this semireserve in 1992, veterinary treatment was not necessary with the exception of hoof trimming in two animals in 1993. However, major health problems were encountered in the spring of 1999, when three other mares showed signs of laminitis. The initial diagnosis by the authors and the local veterinary surgeon based on observation of behaviour, gait, stance, walk and trot of three mares whose initial weights were higher than those of the healthy mares. The initial diagnosis was confirmed by palpation and the occurrence of very deep horn rings on all hooves and a laminitic horn ring on the right front hoof of one mare. An adequate laminitic therapy was not possible under the conditions of a semireserve. The applied management aimed at two goals: 1. To reduce endotoxin production and acidosis in the horses by reducing the ingestion of carbohydrate rich food. 2. To reduce the mares level of activity and to prevent tearing of the suspensory apparatus of the coffin bone. To achieve these two goals it was decided to remove the three laminitic mares from the rich pasture in the main part of the semireserve and to confine them onto the poorer pasture of the small separately fenced area. All three affected mares had fully recovered from their laminitic condition. Prevention of grass laminitis can be achieved by the following measures: 1. Reduction in grass intake could be achieved by increasing the grazing pressure by an increase in stocking rate of the horses or mixed grazing with another species such as sheep. 2. A longer term solution to the problem may well be to sow specific varieties of grass with lower concentrations of water soluble carbohydrate.  
  Address Institute of Veterinary Anatomy of the Free University of Berlin, Berlin 33, Germany. budras@vetmed.fu-berlin.de  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language English Summary Language Original Title  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1229-845X ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes PMID:14614287 Approved no  
  Call Number (up) Serial 1905  
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Author Bachmann, I.; Audige, L.; Stauffacher, M. doi  openurl
  Title Risk factors associated with behavioural disorders of crib-biting, weaving and box-walking in Swiss horses Type Journal Article
  Year 2003 Publication Equine Veterinary Journal Abbreviated Journal Equine Vet J  
  Volume 35 Issue 2 Pages 158-163  
  Keywords Animal Husbandry/*methods; Animals; *Behavior, Animal; Confounding Factors (Epidemiology); Data Collection; Female; Horse Diseases/epidemiology/*etiology/prevention & control; Horses; *Housing, Animal; Male; Mental Disorders/epidemiology/etiology/prevention & control/*veterinary; Prevalence; Regression Analysis; Risk Factors; *Stereotyped Behavior; Switzerland/epidemiology  
  Abstract REASONS FOR PERFORMING STUDY: Studies on the prevalence of behavioural disorders in horses and on associated risk factors have revealed inconsistent results. There are many studies on the neuropharmacological, surgical or mechanical therapy of stereotypies, but little is known about their causation. OBJECTIVES: To explore risk factors associated with the occurrence of behavioural disorders in horses. METHODS: A sample of horse owners, selected randomly and representative for Switzerland, was contacted in a postal survey. Answers were provided for 622 stables (response rate 35.2%). Individual data of 2,341 horses were examined with path analysis (multivariable linear and logistic regression), and adjustment made for possible confounding effects due to age and breed. RESULTS: Out of 60 possible risk factors, 11 were associated with the outcome at the univariable level (null-hypothesis path model) and 3 factors remained after the backward logistic regression procedure. Mature Warmbloods and Thoroughbreds, assessed by the owners to be reactive, fed 4 times a day and without daily pasture, had increased odds of displaying crib-biting, weaving and box-walking. Furthermore, indirect associations of 5 factors with the outcome were identified. CONCLUSIONS: The final logistic regression model of risk factors leads to the hypotheses that causal prevention of stereotypic behaviours should be based upon housing and management conditions which allow tactile contact with other horses (e.g. mutual grooming), daily free movement (paddock or pasture), as well as the provision of high amounts of roughage but of little or no concentrates. POTENTIAL CLINICAL RELEVANCE: It is one of the aims of population medicine to prevent the development of behavioural disorders. Further research is needed to test the concluding hypotheses in experimental studies or to verify them in the context of similar observational studies.  
  Address Institute of Animal Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), LFW B55. 1, CH-8092 Zurich, Switzerland  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language English Summary Language Original Title  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0425-1644 ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes PMID:12638792 Approved no  
  Call Number (up) Serial 1907  
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Author Mills, D.S.; Taylor, K. openurl 
  Title Field study of the efficacy of three types of nose net for the treatment of headshaking in horses Type Journal Article
  Year 2003 Publication The Veterinary Record Abbreviated Journal Vet. Rec.  
  Volume 152 Issue 2 Pages 41-44  
  Keywords Animals; Female; Horse Diseases/pathology/*prevention & control; Horses; Male; Nose; Protective Devices/*veterinary; Seasons; Severity of Illness Index; *Stereotypic Movement Disorder; Treatment Outcome  
  Abstract Thirty-six owners of seasonally headshaking horses took part in a trial to compare the effectiveness of three types of nose net, a traditional cylindrical net (full net) and two forms of larger mesh nets which cover only the nostrils and dorsorostral muzzle (half nets). Baseline data relating to the overall severity of the problem and 18 specific behaviours describing the nature of the problem were recorded on a check sheet by the owners. A within-subjects repeated measures design experiment, with each net used for a week before reassessment, was then used to assess the effect of the nets on the headshaking problem. Approximately 75 per cent of owners reported some overall improvement with each net; around 60 per cent recorded a 50 per cent or greater improvement and 30 per cent a 70 per cent or greater improvement. The nets significantly reduced the overall headshaking score and the following specific behaviours: up-and-down headshaking, nose flipping, acting as if a bee had flown up the nose, shaking at exercise, shaking when excited, shaking in bright sunlight or in windy conditions (P < 0.0001), striking at the face, shaking at night, rubbing the nose when moving, rubbing the nose on objects, sneezing, shaking in the rain and shaking indoors (P < 0.05). There was no evidence of a significant effect on side-to-side headshaking, shaking at rest or rubbing the nose when stationary, but the effect on snorting was uncertain. There were few significant differences between the nets, but the half nets were reported to be significantly better at controlling 'bee up the nose' behaviour. Horses more than 10 years old were reportedly less likely to show a 50 per cent or greater improvement in 'nose flipping' and 'headshaking at exercise.  
  Address Animal Behaviour, Cognition and Welfare Group, University of Lincoln, Riseholme Park, Lincoln LN2 2LG  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language English Summary Language Original Title  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0042-4900 ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes PMID:12553579 Approved no  
  Call Number (up) Serial 1909  
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Author Robert, N.; Walzer, C.; Ruegg, S.R.; Kaczensky, P.; Ganbaatar, O.; Stauffer, C. doi  openurl
  Title Pathologic findings in reintroduced Przewalski's horses (Equus caballus przewalskii) in southwestern Mongolia Type Journal Article
  Year 2005 Publication Journal of zoo and Wildlife Medicine : Official Publication of the American Association of Zoo Veterinarians Abbreviated Journal J Zoo Wildl Med  
  Volume 36 Issue 2 Pages 273-285  
  Keywords Animals; Babesiosis/epidemiology/pathology/*veterinary; Cause of Death; Conservation of Natural Resources; Disease Susceptibility/veterinary; Environment; Female; Food Chain; Horse Diseases/*epidemiology/pathology; Horses; Male; Mongolia/epidemiology; Streptococcal Infections/epidemiology/pathology/*veterinary; *Streptococcus equi; Theileriasis/*epidemiology/pathology; Weather  
  Abstract The Przewalski's horse (Equus caballus przewalskii) was extinct in the wild by the mid 1960s. The species has survived because of captive breeding only. The Takhin Tal reintroduction project is run by the International Takhi Group; it is one of two projects reintroducing horses to the wild in Mongolia. In 1997 the first harem group was released. The first foals were successfully raised in the wild in 1999. Currently, 63 Przewalski's horses live in Takhin Tal. Little information exists on causes of mortality before the implementation of a disease-monitoring program in 1998. Since 1999, all dead horses recovered (n = 28) have been examined and samples collected and submitted for further investigation. Equine piroplasmosis, a tick-transmitted disease caused by Babesia caballi or Theileria equi, is endemic in Takhin Tal and was identified as the cause of death of four stallions and one stillborn foal. In December 2000, wolf predation was implicated in the loss of several Przewalski's horses. However, thorough clinical, pathologic, and bacteriologic investigations performed on dead and surviving horses of this group revealed lesions compatible with strangles. The extreme Mongolian winter of 2000-2001 is thought to have most probably weakened the horses, making them more susceptible to opportunistic infection and subsequent wolf predation. Other occasional causes of death since 1999 were trauma, exhaustion, wasting, urolithiasis, pneumonia, abortion, and stillbirth. The pathologic examination of the Przewalski's horses did not result in a definitive diagnosis in each case. Several disease factors were found to be important in the initial phase of the reintroduction, which could potentially jeopardize the establishment of a self-sustaining population.  
  Address Center for Fish and Wildlife Health, Institute of Animal Pathology, University of Berne, Langgass-Strasse 122, CH-3001 Berne, Switzerland  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language English Summary Language Original Title  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1042-7260 ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes PMID:17323569 Approved no  
  Call Number (up) Serial 2023  
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Author Lucas, Z.; Raeside, J.I.; Betteridge, K.J. openurl 
  Title Non-invasive assessment of the incidences of pregnancy and pregnancy loss in the feral horses of Sable Island Type Journal Article
  Year 1991 Publication Journal of Reproduction and Fertility. Supplement Abbreviated Journal J Reprod Fertil Suppl  
  Volume 44 Issue Pages 479-488  
  Keywords Abortion, Veterinary/*epidemiology; Animals; Animals, Wild/*physiology; Atlantic Islands; Estrogens/analysis; Feces/chemistry; Female; Fertilization; Gestational Age; Horse Diseases/*epidemiology; Horses; Incidence; Pregnancy; *Pregnancy, Animal  
  Abstract Field observations of 400 totally unmanaged feral horses on Sable Island, Nova Scotia, were complemented by oestrogen determinations in faecal samples from 154 identified females over a 4-year period (454 mare-years). Of mares that were sampled throughout the year and subsequently produced foals, 92.1% exhibited elevated faecal oestrogens between 15 October and 30 March. The results confirm that faecal oestrogens are a useful indicator of pregnancy after approximately 120 days gestation. Distribution of foaling resembled that seen in other feral populations, with 95% of births occurring from April through July. The foaling rate for mares aged 3 years or older was 62.0%, with 50.7% of mares foaling in 3 or 4 years. Foaling rates were low (4.1%) in mares bred as yearlings and rose with age to 70.8% in those bred as 4-year-olds. Fetal loss after Day 120 was deduced from faecal oestrogens to be 26.0% overall, with marked variation from year to year (9.6-37.3%) and with age (70.0% in those bred as yearlings, decreasing to 5.6% in those bred as 4-year-olds). Of 58 mares aged 2 years or older that were sampled every year, about half (49.6%) the barren years were attributable to fetal loss after 120 days gestation. All mares conceived in at least 2 of the 4 years, suggesting that pregnancy loss, even after Day 120, is as important as failure to conceive in causing barren years.  
  Address Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Canada  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language English Summary Language Original Title  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0449-3087 ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes PMID:1795292 Approved no  
  Call Number (up) Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 2247  
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Author Milinovich, G.J.; Trott, D.J.; Burrell, P.C.; van Eps, A.W.; Thoefner, M.B.; Blackall, L.L.; Al Jassim, R.A.M.; Morton, J.M.; Pollitt, C.C. doi  openurl
  Title Changes in equine hindgut bacterial populations during oligofructose-induced laminitis Type Journal Article
  Year 2006 Publication Environmental Microbiology Abbreviated Journal Environ Microbiol  
  Volume 8 Issue 5 Pages 885-898  
  Keywords Animal Feed; Animals; Bacteria/classification/*isolation & purification; DNA, Bacterial/analysis; Disease Models, Animal; Feces/microbiology; Foot Diseases/etiology/microbiology/*veterinary; Horse Diseases/*etiology/metabolism/microbiology; Horses; In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; Intestines/*microbiology; Oligosaccharides/*administration & dosage/*metabolism; Phylogeny; Polymerase Chain Reaction; RNA, Bacterial/analysis; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/analysis  
  Abstract In the horse, carbohydrate overload is thought to play an integral role in the onset of laminitis by drastically altering the profile of bacterial populations in the hindgut. The objectives of this study were to develop and validate microbial ecology methods to monitor changes in bacterial populations throughout the course of experimentally induced laminitis and to identify the predominant oligofructose-utilizing organisms. Laminitis was induced in five horses by administration of oligofructose. Faecal specimens were collected at 8 h intervals from 72 h before to 72 h after the administration of oligofructose. Hindgut microbiota able to utilize oligofructose were enumerated throughout the course of the experiment using habitat-simulating medium. Isolates were collected and representatives identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The majority of these isolates collected belonged to the genus Streptococcus, 91% of which were identified as being most closely related to Streptococcus infantarius ssp. coli. Furthermore, S. infantarius ssp. coli was the predominant oligofructose-utilizing organism isolated before the onset of lameness. Fluorescence in situ hybridization probes developed to specifically target the isolated Streptococcus spp. demonstrated marked population increases between 8 and 16 h post oligofructose administration. This was followed by a rapid population decline which corresponded with a sharp decline in faecal pH and subsequently lameness at 24-32 h post oligofructose administration. This research suggests that streptococci within the Streptococcus bovis/equinus complex may be involved in the series of events which precede the onset of laminitis in the horse.  
  Address Australian Equine Laminitis Research Unit, School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Queensland, Australia. g.milinovich@uq.edu.au  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language English Summary Language Original Title  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1462-2912 ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes PMID:16623745 Approved no  
  Call Number (up) Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 2625  
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Author Muscatello, G.; Anderson, G.A.; Gilkerson, J.R.; Browning, G.F. doi  openurl
  Title Associations between the ecology of virulent Rhodococcus equi and the epidemiology of R. equi pneumonia on Australian thoroughbred farms Type Journal Article
  Year 2006 Publication Applied and Environmental Microbiology Abbreviated Journal Appl Environ Microbiol  
  Volume 72 Issue 9 Pages 6152-6160  
  Keywords Actinomycetales Infections/epidemiology/microbiology/*veterinary; Air Microbiology; Animal Husbandry; Animals; Animals, Newborn; Australia/epidemiology; Colony Count, Microbial; DNA, Bacterial/genetics; Ecosystem; Horse Diseases/epidemiology/*microbiology; Horses; Pneumonia, Bacterial/epidemiology/microbiology/*veterinary; Rhodococcus equi/genetics/isolation & purification/*pathogenicity; Soil Microbiology; Virulence  
  Abstract The ecology of virulent strains of Rhodococcus equi on horse farms is likely to influence the prevalence and severity of R. equi pneumonia in foals. This study examined the association between the ecology of virulent R. equi and the epidemiology of R. equi pneumonia by collecting air and soil samples over two breeding seasons (28 farm-year combinations) on Thoroughbred breeding farms with different reported prevalences of R. equi pneumonia. Colony blotting and DNA hybridization were used to detect and measure concentrations of virulent R. equi. The prevalence of R. equi pneumonia was associated with the airborne burden of virulent R. equi (both the concentration and the proportion of R. equi bacteria that were virulent) but was not associated with the burden of virulent R. equi in the soil. Univariable screening and multivariable model building were used to evaluate the effect of environmental and management factors on virulent R. equi burdens. Lower soil moisture concentrations and lower pasture heights were significantly associated with elevated airborne concentrations of virulent R. equi, as were the holding pens and lanes, which typically were sandy, dry, and devoid of pasture cover. Few variables appeared to influence concentrations of virulent R. equi in soil. Acidic soil conditions may have contributed to an elevated proportion of virulent strains within the R. equi population. Environmental management strategies that aim to reduce the level of exposure of susceptible foals to airborne virulent R. equi are most likely to reduce the impact of R. equi pneumonia on endemically affected farms.  
  Address School of Veterinary Science, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia. mug@unimelb.edu.au  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language English Summary Language Original Title  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0099-2240 ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes PMID:16957241 Approved no  
  Call Number (up) Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 2622  
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Author Ward, M.P.; Ramsay, B.H.; Gallo, K. doi  openurl
  Title Rural cases of equine West Nile virus encephalomyelitis and the normalized difference vegetation index Type Journal Article
  Year 2005 Publication Vector Borne and Zoonotic Diseases (Larchmont, N.Y.) Abbreviated Journal Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis  
  Volume 5 Issue 2 Pages 181-188  
  Keywords Animals; Biomass; Cluster Analysis; Disease Outbreaks/veterinary; Ecology; *Geographic Information Systems; Horse Diseases/*epidemiology; Horses; Indiana/epidemiology; Plants; Population Surveillance; Rural Health; Seasons; Topography, Medical/*methods; West Nile Fever/epidemiology/*veterinary  
  Abstract Data from an outbreak (August to October, 2002) of West Nile virus (WNV) encephalomyelitis in a population of horses located in northern Indiana was scanned for clusters in time and space. One significant (p = 0.04) cluster of case premises was detected, occurring between September 4 and 10 in the south-west part of the study area (85.70 degrees N, 45.50 degrees W). It included 10 case premises (3.67 case premises expected) within a radius of 2264 m. Image data were acquired by the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) sensor onboard a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration polar-orbiting satellite. The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) was calculated from visible and near-infrared data of daily observations, which were composited to produce a weekly-1km(2) resolution raster image product. During the epidemic, a significant (p < 0.01) decrease (0.025 per week) in estimated NDVI was observed at all case and control premise sites. The median estimated NDVI (0.659) for case premises within the cluster identified was significantly (p < 0.01) greater than the median estimated NDVI for other case (0.571) and control (0.596) premises during the same period. The difference in median estimated NDVI for case premises within this cluster, compared to cases not included in this cluster, was greatest (5.3% and 5.1%, respectively) at 1 and 5 weeks preceding occurrence of the cluster. The NDVI may be useful for identifying foci of WNV transmission.  
  Address Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA. mward@cvm.tamu.edu  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language English Summary Language Original Title  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1530-3667 ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes PMID:16011435 Approved no  
  Call Number (up) Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 2627  
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Author Traversa, D.; Otranto, D.; Iorio, R.; Giangaspero, A. doi  openurl
  Title Molecular characterization of Thelazia lacrymalis (Nematoda, Spirurida) affecting equids: a tool for vector identification Type Journal Article
  Year 2005 Publication Molecular and Cellular Probes Abbreviated Journal Mol Cell Probes  
  Volume 19 Issue 4 Pages 245-249  
  Keywords Animals; Horse Diseases/parasitology; Horses/*parasitology; Insect Vectors/*parasitology; Muscidae/*parasitology; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; Spirurida Infections/parasitology/veterinary; Thelazioidea/chemistry/*genetics  
  Abstract Equine thelaziosis caused by the eyeworm Thelazia lacrymalis is a parasitic disease transmitted by muscid flies. Although equine thelaziosis is known to have worldwide distribution, information on the epidemiology and presence of the intermediate hosts of T. lacrymalis is lacking. In the present work, a PCR-RFLP based assay on the first and/or second internal transcribed spacer (ITS1 and ITS2) of ribosomal DNA was developed for the detection of T. lacrymalis DNA in its putative vector(s). The sensitivity of the technique was also assessed. The restriction patterns obtained readily differentiated T. lacrymalis from four species of Musca (Diptera, Muscidae) (i.e. Musca autumnalis, Musca domestica, Musca larvipara and Musca osiris), which are potential vectors of equine eyeworms. The molecular assay presented herein is a useful tool to identify the intermediate host(s) of T. lacrymalis in natural conditions and to study its/their ecology and epidemiology.  
  Address Department of Biomedical Comparative Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Teramo, Piazza Aldo Moro 45, 64100 Teramo, Italy. dtraversa@unite.it  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language English Summary Language Original Title  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0890-8508 ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes PMID:16038792 Approved no  
  Call Number (up) Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 2626  
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Author Munoz-Sanz, A. openurl 
  Title [Christopher Columbus flu. A hypothesis for an ecological catastrophe] Type Journal Article
  Year 2006 Publication Enfermedades Infecciosas y Microbiologia Clinica Abbreviated Journal Enferm Infecc Microbiol Clin  
  Volume 24 Issue 5 Pages 326-334  
  Keywords Animals; Atlantic Islands; Birds; Chickens; Disease Outbreaks/*history; Disease Reservoirs; Disease Susceptibility; Ecology; Europe/ethnology; History, 15th Century; Horses; Humans; Indians, South American; Influenza A virus/classification/genetics/pathogenicity; Influenza in Birds/epidemiology/history/transmission/virology; Influenza, Human/epidemiology/*history/mortality/transmission; Models, Biological; Orthomyxoviridae Infections/epidemiology/history/veterinary/virology; Poultry Diseases/epidemiology/history/transmission/virology; Reassortant Viruses/genetics/pathogenicity; Species Specificity; Sus scrofa; Swine Diseases/history/transmission/virology; Terminology; West Indies/epidemiology  
  Abstract When Christopher Columbus and his men embarked on the second Colombian expedition to the New World (1493), the crew suffered from fever, respiratory symptoms and malaise. It is generally accepted that the disease was influenza. Pigs, horses and hens acquired in Gomera (Canary Islands) traveled in the same ship. The pigs may well have been the origin of the flu and the intermediary hosts for genetic recombination of other viral subtypes. The Caribbean archipelago had a large population of birds, the natural reservoir of the avian influenza virus. In this ecological scenario there was a concurrence of several biological elements that had never before coexisted in the New World: pigs, horses, the influenza virus and humans. We propose that birds are likely to have played an important role in the epidemiology of the flu occurring on the second Colombian trip, which caused a fatal demographic catastrophe, with an estimated mortality of 90% among the natives.  
  Address Unidad de Patologia Infecciosa, Hospital Universitario Infanta Cristina, Servicio Extremeno de Salud, Universidad de Extremadura, Badajoz, Espana. infectio@unex.es  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Spanish Summary Language Original Title La gripe de Cristobal Colon. Hipotesis sobre una catastrofe ecologica  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0213-005X ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes PMID:16762260 Approved no  
  Call Number (up) Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 2624  
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