In the largest ever study of its kind into an equine pathogen, scientists in 18 countries used the latest DNA sequencing techniques to track the bacteria responsible for a disease called 'strangles鈥 in horses around the world.
In the largest ever study of its kind into an equine pathogen, scientists in 18 countries used the latest DNA sequencing techniques to track the bacteria responsible for a disease called 'strangles鈥 in horses around the world.
Using whole genome sequences we can track the movement of pathogens with very high precision, showing how and where to intervene to prevent the disease spreading.
Julian Parkhill
探花直播results, ,听provide evidence of the听important role played听by the movement of horses in spreading this disease, providing new opportunities for interventions that will听prevent future outbreaks.
Strangles, caused by the bacteria Streptococcus equi, is the most frequently diagnosed infectious disease of horses, with 600 outbreaks estimated to occur in the United Kingdom each year.
Streptococcus equi invades the lymph nodes of head and neck of horses, causing them to swell and form abscesses that can, in around 2% of cases, literally strangle the horse to death. Some of the horses that recover from strangles remain persistently infected. These apparently healthy animals shed bacteria into the environment and spread the disease to other horses that they come into contact with.
Using standard diagnostic testing, the Streptococcus equi strains look almost identical. But by carefully examining the DNA of the bacteria, the team were able to track different variants as they spread across the world.
探花直播research used the new online resource, developed at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, to visualise and share genome data to track the course of infections.
鈥淧iecing the puzzle together, we showed that cases in Argentina, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates were closely linked. Along with other examples, we provide evidence that the global trade and movement of horses is helping to spread the disease,鈥 said Professor Matthew Holden of the 探花直播 of St Andrews, who was involved in the study.
"This study shows once again the power of genomic data to uncover the fine detail of pathogen transmission locally and globally,鈥 said Professor Julian Parkhill in the 探花直播 of Cambridge鈥檚 Department of Veterinary Medicine, who was involved in the study.
He added: 鈥淯sing whole genome sequences we can track the movement of pathogens with very high precision, showing how and where to intervene to prevent the disease spreading."
Strangles was first described in Medieval times and, with the exception of Iceland, affects horses in all corners of the world. 探花直播freedom from this disease enjoyed by Iceland is by virtue of a ban on the import of horses, which has been in place for over 1,000 years.
鈥淭his has been an incredible team effort, which was only possible through the collaboration of leading researchers from twenty-nine different scientific institutes in eighteen countries鈥 said Dr Andrew Waller of Intervacc AB.
Horses are transported all over the world as they move to new premises or attend competitions and events. New cases of Strangles can be prevented by treating carriers before they pass on the bacteria.
Reference
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Collaborating Institutes
Argentina: Clinica Equina, Buenos Aires
Australia: 探花直播 of Melbourne
Belgium: Ghent 探花直播, Merelbeke
France: LAB脡O Frank Duncombe, Caen
Germany: Labor Dr. B枚se GmbH, Harsum
Ireland: Irish Equine Centre, Naas; 探花直播 College Dublin
Israel: Kimron Veterinary Institute, Bet Dagan
Italy: 探花直播 of Camerino
Japan: Japan Racing Association, Tochigi
Poland: Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Warsaw 探花直播 of Life Sciences - SGGW
New Zealand: Massey 探花直播, Palmerston North; 探花直播 of Waikato, Hamilton
Saudi Arabia: Al Khalediah Equine Hospital, Riyadh
Spain: Exopol, Zaragoza; Universidad Complutense, Madrid
Sweden: Department of Biomedical Science and Veterinary Public Health, Swedish 探花直播 of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala; Intervacc AB, Stockholm
探花直播Netherlands: Royal GD, Deventer
United Arab Emirates: Central Veterinary Research Laboratory, Dubai; Emirates Racing Authority, Dubai
United Kingdom: Animal Health Trust, Newmarket; Big Data Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre for Health Information and Discovery, Nuffield Department of Medicine, 探花直播 of Oxford; Centre for Genomic Pathogen Surveillance, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Cambridge; Redwings Horse Sanctuary; 探花直播 of Cambridge; 探花直播 of St Andrews
United States of America: Gluck Equine Research Center, Lexington; Weatherford Equine Medical Centre, Texas
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Adapted from a press release by Intervacc.
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