In the United States, horses are used for a variety of purposes including recreation, exhibition, and racing. As farm, performance, and companion animals, horses are a unique species from a zoonotic disease risk perspective, and the risks of subclinical infections spreading among horses can pose challenges. Using a nanoscale real-time PCR platform, we investigated the prevalence of 14 enteric pathogens, 11 Escherichia coli genes, and 9 respiratory pathogens in fecal samples from 97 apparently healthy horses at a multi-day horse event. In addition, sugar flotation test was performed for fecal parasites. E. coli f17 was commonly detected, prevalent in 59% of horses, followed closely by Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus (55%). Additional pathogens recognized included betacoronavirus, Campylobacter jejuni, Cryptosporidium sp., E. coli O157, equine adenovirus 1, equine rhinitis B virus, and others. The use of PCR data may overestimate the true prevalence of these pathogens but provides a sensitive overview of common pathogens present in healthy horses. Our results prompt the continued need for practical biosecurity measures at horse shows, both to protect individuals interacting with these horses and to minimize transmission among horses.

在美国，马有多种用途，包括娱乐、展览和赛马。作为农场、表演和伴侣动物，从人畜共患病风险的角度来看，马是一种独特的物种，亚临床感染在马之间传播的风险可能带来挑战。使用纳米级实时 PCR 平台，我们在多日马事件中调查了 97 匹明显健康的马的粪便样本中 14 种肠道病原体、11 种大肠杆菌基因和 9 种呼吸道病原体的流行情况。此外，还对粪便寄生虫进行了糖浮选试验。通常检测到大肠杆菌 f17，在 59% 的马中普遍存在，紧随其后的是马链球菌亚种。兽疫(55%)。其他公认的病原体包括β冠状病毒、空肠弯曲杆菌、隐孢子虫、大肠杆菌O157、马腺病毒1、马鼻炎B病毒等。PCR 数据的使用可能会高估这些病原体的真实流行率，但提供了健康马匹中常见病原体的敏感概述。我们的结果提示在马展上继续需要实用的生物安全措施，以保护与这些马互动的个人并最大限度地减少马之间的传播。