Equine health provides a powerful platform for advancing both veterinary and human medicine. Horses occupy a unique role at the intersection of agriculture, sport, and environmental ecosystems, making them an important model for studying disease dynamics, antimicrobial resistance, and host–pathogen interactions. In the Helmy Lab, equine-focused research extends beyond the care of animals—it helps develop innovative biomedical approaches with implications for global health. By investigating equine diseases, monitoring microbial ecology across farms and environments, and testing novel therapeutic strategies, our work highlights the translational value of equine research. The discoveries made in horses often inform diagnostics, treatments, and surveillance systems that benefit both human and animal populations. This approach reflects the essence of One Health: recognizing that the well-being of humans, animals, and the environment are deeply interconnected. Through equine health research, we are not only improving outcomes for horses but also contributing to a healthier, more sustainable future for all.

Check our publications:

• Lamichhane B., Kabir A., Adams A., Burns L., and Johnson B., Sponseller B., Helmy Y.A. (2026). Genomic diversity of multidrug-resistant Rhodococcus equi: novel sequence types, pangenome architecture, and phylogenomic evolution. Applied and Environmental Microbiology e02486-25. https://doi.org/10.1128/aem.02486-25.

• Kabir A., Rios R., Saleh M., Mallal D., Whitt BL., Thompson J, Sponseller BT, Slovis NM, Troedsson MHT, El-Sheikh Ali H., and Helmy Y.A. (2026). Whole-Genome Sequences of β-Lactamase–Mediated Klebsiella pneumoniae ST127, ST224, and ST1630 Isolates Co-Harboring blaTEM, blaSHV, and blaOXA Genes from Equines. Microbiology Research 17 (4). https://www.mdpi.com/3828024

• Kabir A., Kelley WG., Glover C., Erol E., and Helmy Y.A. (2025). Phenotypic and genotypic characterization of antimicrobial resistance and virulence profiles of Salmonella enterica serotypes isolated from necropsied horses in Kentucky. Microbiology Spectrum e02501-24. https://doi.org/10.1128/spectrum.02501-24

• Helmy Y.A., Kabir A, Salah M, Kennedy LA, Burns L, and Johnson B (2024). Draft Genome Sequence Analysis of Multidrug-Resistant Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Mbandaka Harboring Colistin Resistance Gene mcr-9.1 Isolated from Foals in Kentucky, USA. Microbiology Resource Announcements 7:e0073724. PMID: 39373480; https://doi.org/10.1128/mra.00737-24.  

• Kabir A, Lamichhane B, Habib T, Adams A, El-Sheikh Ali H, Slovis NM, Troedsson MHT, Helmy Y.A. (2024). Antimicrobial Resistance in Equines: A Growing Threat to Horse Health and Beyond- A Comprehensive Review. Antibiotics 13(8), 713. PMID: 39200013; PMCID: PMC11350719; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics13080713.