Equine herpesviruses are important pathogens causing significant economic loss in equine and asinine populations. EHV-1/4 strains are mainly associated with respiratory distress. The aim of this study is to report the first EHV 4-associated respiratory disease in donkeys in Romania. Thirty-seven of three hundred jennies in an ecological donkey farm in southwest Romania started initially showing signs of severe upper respiratory tract disease, with ten concomitant late abortions/neonatal deaths and three neurological cases. There were nine fatalities. Pathological examination was performed, and samples were collected for Real-Time PCR analysis and histology. In addition, serum samples from 28 individuals with respiratory symptoms were collected and tested using indirect ELISA. RT-PCR identified the EHV-4 strain. Acute, diffuse necrotizing bronchointerstitial pneumonia with occasional intraepithelial intranuclear viral inclusion bodies was identified. Additionally, EHV-1/4-specific antibodies were found in 15 of the 28 sampled animals. Few studies on donkeys and herpesviruses have been published, and this is the first reported case of EHV-4 outbreak in Romania. There is a need for more extensive seroprevalence studies as, currently, the status of EHV-4 infection in donkeys in Romania is unknown.

Equine asthma is considered a non-infectious respiratory disease characterized by inflammation and hypersensitivity. Given the importance of antimicrobial stewardship, an international survey was designed to investigate the use of antimicrobials in asthmatic horses and the factors influencing prescription behavior. An online survey was distributed in six languages by international mailing lists and social media from December 2020 to January 2022. Of the 434 responses recorded, 249 veterinarians working in 25 countries finished the survey. These included 79 ECEIM/ACVIM diplomats. A total of 204 respondents confirmed national regulations concerning antimicrobial use in their country. Knowledge of the asthma definitions as presented in the revised ACVIM consensus statement was greater in veterinarians treating over 95% of equine patients compared to veterinarians treating more species, based on 10 questions (answers consistent with the consensus statement in 7 (IQR 5–9) and 4 (IQR 3–6) questions, respectively, (p < 0.001)). A total of 131 respondents stated to use antimicrobials (at least ‘sometimes’) in at least one of the three presented cases consistent with equine asthma. Trimethoprim-Sulfa combinations, penicillin(s), and tetracyclines were prescribed most (by 105, 53 and 38 veterinarians, respectively). Aminoglycosides, cephalosporins and fluoroquinolones were also selected (22, 15, 9 veterinarians respectively). Tetracyclines and cephalosporins are prescribed more often by veterinarians working without national regulations (p 0.019 and p 0.035, respectively). The most selected factors influencing prescription behavior were: ‘tracheal wash culture’ (62% of 131 veterinarians using antimicrobials in these cases), ‘whether other horses in the barn have similar complaints’ (60%), and ‘response to other forms of therapy’ (53%). In conclusion, insight into prescription behavior is the first step towards minimizing and optimizing antimicrobial use.

Insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH) is a seasonally recurrent allergic dermatitis representing one of the most prevalent dermatological conditions in horses worldwide. This condition, driven by hypersensitivity to salivary allergens of Culicoides spp., causes substantial discomfort, welfare impairment, and potentially economic loss in equine populations. The pathogenesis of IBH is complex, involving genetic predisposition, epithelial barrier dysfunction, and a skewed T-helper 2 (Th2)-mediated immune response with elevated IgE production and eosinophilic inflammation. Advances in immunogenetics and molecular immunology have improved the understanding of the disease’s multifactorial nature. Research on immunotherapy and cytokine-targeted treatments is contributing to the development of more effective therapeutic options. This review synthesizes current knowledge on the immunopathogenesis and genetic determinants of IBH and discusses both conventional and emerging strategies for its clinical management.

Urinalysis is a valuable, non-invasive method for evaluating renal function, yet data on donkey urinary parameters remain scarce. This study characterised urinary sediment in fifty-four healthy adult jennies, established urine specific gravity (USG) reference intervals, and proposed a preliminary semi-quantitative sediment grading scale. Urine samples were collected via catheterisation and analysed using refractometry, dipstick testing, and microscopy. The median USG was 1.048 (IQR: 1.040-1.055) with a pH of 7.6 (IQR: 7.2-8.0). Leukocytes and glucose were absent; erythrocytes were found in one sample. Calcium carbonate crystals were present in all samples, followed by calcium oxalate monohydrate (74.07%), mucus filaments (66.67%), and epithelial cells (57.41%). Granular casts were observed in 27.77% and hyaline casts in 7.41% of samples. Healthy jennies show USG values similar to horses. Urinary sediment had abundant calcium carbonate and notable calcium oxalate crystals. These findings establish baseline sediment profiles and support the future validation of a grading scale for sediment evaluation.

The haemoprotozoan parasites Theileria equi, T. haneyi and Babesia caballi are the causative agents of equine piroplasmosis. The only effective medication for chemosterilization of T. equi is imidocarb dipropionate, which has toxic side-effects in equines, and resistant strains have been reported. We now describe a clinical case of infection with T. equi in a horse from Romania. An 18-year-old stallion with an extended travel history presented with weight loss, cough and light colic. Clinical examination revealed fever, tachycardia, tachypnoea and dyspnoea. Mucous membranes were initially anaemic/subicteric, then progressed towards frank icterus. A suspected diagnosis of equine piroplasmosis was made based on clinical signs. A peripheral blood smear was examined and a venous blood sample tested by nested PCR and sequencing. The sequence had 100 % identity to numerous T. equi isolates of genotype E. The horse was pretreated with butylscopolamine, followed by two doses of imidocarb dipropionate. It showed clinical improvement within 24 hours and complete remission of symptoms after the end of treatment, although it was still PCR-positive 3 months later. This represents the first confirmed clinical case of theileriosis in a horse from Romania.

This preliminary study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of thermal microchips as a non-invasive alternative for body temperature monitoring in dairy donkeys. Temperature was recorded in 11 jennies using thermal microchips implanted subcutaneously at the neck and read transcutaneous with an RFID scanner, a digital rectal thermometer, and an infrared thermographic camera directed at the neck over the microchip implantation site. Mean temperatures were 35.5 ± 0.82°C (microchip), 36.5 ± 0.59°C (rectal), and 36.0 ± 1.9°C (thermography). Bland-Altman analysis revealed that microchip readings were systematically lower than rectal temperatures by a mean of 1.01°C (95% LoA: -2.68 to 0.64°C), exceeding the clinically acceptable limit of 0.5°C (p = 0.03). Differences between microchip and thermography (bias: -0.49°C; 95% LoA: -5.20 to 4.22°C) and between rectal and thermography readings (bias: 0.52°C; 95% LoA: -3.35 to 4.41°C) were not statistically significant but exceeded acceptable agreement limits. The three methods are not interchangeable.