Topic:Diarrhea
Diarrhea in horses is a condition characterized by the frequent passage of loose or watery stools. It can result from various causes, including dietary changes, infections, parasites, or underlying gastrointestinal disorders. The condition can lead to dehydration and electrolyte imbalances, necessitating prompt veterinary assessment and intervention. Diarrhea can affect horses of all ages, but foals and older horses may be more susceptible to severe outcomes. This topic encompasses a collection of peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the etiology, pathophysiology, diagnostic approaches, and management strategies for diarrhea in equine patients.
Equine faecal microbiota transplant: Current knowledge, proposed guidelines and future directions. While certainly not a novel concept, faecal microbiota transplant (FMT) has recently garnered renewed interest in veterinary medicine due to its remarkable success in treating recurrent Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) in man. There is a dearth of information on indications and efficacy of FMT for the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders in the horse; however, based on evidence in man and other veterinary species, and anecdotal reports in horses, FMT may be a useful treatment for selected cases of acute and chronic diarrhoea and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in the horse. In the abs...
Plasmid Characterization and Chromosome Analysis of Two netF+ Clostridium perfringens Isolates Associated with Foal and Canine Necrotizing Enteritis. The recent discovery of a novel beta-pore-forming toxin, NetF, which is strongly associated with canine and foal necrotizing enteritis should improve our understanding of the role of type A Clostridium perfringens associated disease in these animals. The current study presents the complete genome sequence of two netF-positive strains, JFP55 and JFP838, which were recovered from cases of foal necrotizing enteritis and canine hemorrhagic gastroenteritis, respectively. Genome sequencing was done using Single Molecule, Real-Time (SMRT) technology-PacBio and Illumina Hiseq2000. The JFP55 and JFP838...
Cryptosporidium parvum: From foal to veterinary students. This paper describes the transmission of a zoonotic subtype of Cryptosporidium parvum between two foals hospitalized in an Equine Perinatology Unit (EPU) linked to an outbreak of cryptosporidiosis in veterinary students. Fecal specimens of 36 mares (105 samples) and 28 foals (122 samples) were subjected to Ziehl-Neelsen staining, nested PCR of 18S rDNA. Two foals tested positive for Cryptosporidium; PCR restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) analysis and subtyping by nested PCR of the 60kDa glycoprotein (gp60) gene revealed C. parvum subtype IIdA23G1. The introduction of Cryptospo...
Cryptosporidium parvum and Enterocytozoon bieneusi in American Mustangs and Chincoteague ponies. The prevalence of Cryptosporidium and microsporidia in feral horses, which have minimal contact with livestock and humans, is not currently known. We report the findings of a study on Cryptosporidium and microsporidia in 34 Mustangs and 50 Chincoteague ponies in the USA. Fecal samples were screened for presence of Cryptosporidium spp. by analysis of the small-subunit rRNA (SSU) and 60-kDa glycoprotein (gp60) genes, and Enterocytozoon bieneusi and Encephalitozoon spp. by analysis of the ribosomal internal transcribed spacer region (ITS). Cryptosporidium spp. and E. bieneusi were detected in 28/...
Clostridium difficile ribotypes in humans and animals in Brazil. Clostridium difficile is an emerging enteropathogen responsible for pseudomembranous colitis in humans and diarrhoea in several domestic and wild animal species. Despite its known importance, there are few studies about C. difficile polymerase chain reaction (PCR) ribotypes in Brazil and the actual knowledge is restricted to studies on human isolates. The aim of the study was therefore to compare C. difficile ribotypes isolated from humans and animals in Brazil. Seventy-six C. difficile strains isolated from humans (n = 25), dogs (n = 23), piglets (n = 12), foals (n = 7), calves (n = 7), one c...
Analysis of metronidazole in equine plasma using liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry and high-resolution accurate mass spectrometry. Treatment of racehorses with bicarbonate solutions to manage acidosis and muscle cramps prior to competition is banned in Pennsylvania (PA). Use of excess bicarbonate in horses causes diarrhea, requiring treatment with an antibiotic such as metronidazole (MTNZ). At present no method exists for detecting MTNZ in equine plasma. Thus, a liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) method for the detection, quantification and confirmation of MTNZ was developed. Methods: The analyte was recovered from plasma by liquid-liquid extraction using methyl tert-butyl ether and separated on an ...
Low prevalence of equine coronavirus in foals in the largest thoroughbred horse breeding region of Japan, 2012-2014. Equine coronavirus (ECoV) is considered to be a diarrheic pathogen in foals. In central Kentucky in the United States, it has been shown that approximately 30 % of thoroughbred foals are infected with ECoV and thus it is considered widely prevalent. In contrast, the epidemiology of ECoV and its relationship to diarrhea in foals are poorly understood in Japan. We investigated ECoV in rectal swabs collected from thoroughbred foals in Japan. Results: We collected 337 rectal swabs from 307 diarrheic foals in the Hidaka district of Hokkaido, the largest thoroughbred horse breeding region in Japan, ...
The first report of Cryptosporidium andersoni in horses with diarrhea and multilocus subtype analysis. Horses interact with humans in a wide variety of sport competitions and non-competitive recreational pursuits as well as in working activities. Cryptosporidium spp are one of the most important zoonotic pathogens causing diarrhea of humans and animals. The reports of Cryptosporidium in horses and the findings of zoonotic Cryptosporidium species/genotypes show a necessity to carry out molecular identification of Cryptosporidium in horses, especially in diarrheic ones. The aim of the present study was to understand Cryptosporidium infection and species/genotypes in diarrheic horses, and to trace...
Faecal microbiota characterisation of horses using 16 rdna barcoded pyrosequencing, and carriage rate of clostridium difficile at hospital admission. The equine faecal microbiota is very complex and remains largely unknown, while interspecies interactions have an important contribution to animal health. Clostridium difficile has been identified as an important cause of diarrhoea in horses. This study provides further information on the nature of the bacterial communities present in horses developing an episode of diarrhoea. The prevalence of C. difficile in hospitalised horses at the time of admission is also reported. Results: Bacterial diversity of the gut microbiota in diarrhoea is lower than that in non-diarrhoeic horses in terms of spe...
Comparison of two commercial kits and an in-house ELISA for the detection of equine rotavirus in foal feces. Group A rotaviruses (RVA) are important infectious agents associated with diarrhea in the young of several animal species including foals. Currently, a variety of diagnosis methods are commercially available, like ELISA, latex agglutination and immunochromatographic assays. These commercial tests are mainly designed for the detection of human RVA; its applicability in veterinary diagnosis has been poorly studied. The aim of this study was to compare the sensitivity and specificity of two commercial diagnostic kits, Pathfinder™ Rotavirus and FASTest Rota® strip, with an in-house KERI ELISA, ...
Effect of a probiotic on prevention of diarrhea and Clostridium difficile and Clostridium perfringens shedding in foals. Up to 60% of foals develop diarrhea within 6 months after birth. Preventive measures are limited but potentially probiotics could be used. Objective: To evaluate the effect of a newly designed probiotic on the incidence of foal diarrhea in a randomized field trial. Methods: Seventy-two healthy neonatal foals. Methods: Randomized, placebo-controlled field trial. Foals were administered a placebo or probiotic for 3 weeks and monitored for an additional week. A total of 3 fecal samples were taken from each foal at biweekly intervals. Statistical modeling was applied for comparison of incidence an...
Development of intestinal microflora and occurrence of diarrhoea in sucking foals: effects of Bacillus cereus var. toyoi supplementation. Almost all foals develop transient diarrhoea within the first weeks of life. Studies indicated different viral, bacterial, and parasitic causes, such as rotavirus, Clostridium perfringens, Escherichia coli, and Cryptosporidium are discussed. But little is known about the development of intestinal microflora in foals. The present study investigated whether the supplementation with Bacillus cereus var. toyoi would modify the developing intestinal microflora and consequently reduce diarrhoea in foals. From birth, the foals were randomly assigned to three treatment groups: placebo (10 mL isotonic...
Changes in the equine fecal microbiota associated with the use of systemic antimicrobial drugs. The intestinal tract is a rich and complex environment and its microbiota has been shown to have an important role in health and disease in the host. Several factors can cause disruption of the normal intestinal microbiota, including antimicrobial therapy, which is an important cause of diarrhea in horses. This study aimed to characterize changes in the fecal bacterial populations of healthy horses associated with the administration of frequently used antimicrobial drugs. Results: Twenty-four adult mares were assigned to receive procaine penicillin intramuscularly (IM), ceftiofur sodium IM, tr...
Molecular characterization of equine rotaviruses isolated in Europe in 2013: implications for vaccination. Equine group A rotavirus (RVAs) mainly cause disease in foals under the age of 3 months. Only sporadic data are available on the circulation of RVAs in equine populations in Europe. In this study, 65 diarrheic samples from foals under 4 months of age were collected in Belgium (n=32), Germany (n=17), Slovenia (n=5), Sweden (n=4), Hungary (n=3), Italy (n=2), France (n=1) and The Netherlands (n=1). Forty percent of these samples (n=26) were found to be RVA positive by a quantitative RT-PCR assay. The viral load in 11 of these samples was sufficiently high to be (partially) genotyped. G3, G14 and ...
Antimicrobial use in critically ill horses. To discuss controversies surrounding antimicrobial use in critically ill horses. Methods: PubMed searches from 1970-present for terms including, but not limited to: "horse," "foal," "antimicrobial," "prophylaxis," "infection," "surgery," "sepsis," and "antimicrobial resistance." Results: Increasing bacterial antimicrobial resistance has changed first-line antimicrobial choices and prompted shortening of the duration of prophylactic and therapeutic treatment. The need to decrease bacterial resistance development to critically important antimicrobials has been highlighted. Results: Veterinary me...
Lawsonia intracellularis and equine proliferative enteropathy. Lawsonia intracellularis is the etiologic agent for equine proliferative enteropathy (EPE), which typically affects weanling and yearling horses. In North America, EPE cases often occur between August and January, although cases outside of this time frame have been reported. Clinical signs of EPE are usually nonspecific and include lethargy, pyrexia, anorexia, peripheral edema, weight loss, colic, and diarrhea. Diagnosis is based on the presence of hypoproteinemia and hypoalbuminemia along with clinical signs and positive commercial serologic and/or molecular testing. Treatment requires the us...
Short-term complications after colic surgery in geriatric versus mature non-geriatric horses. To compare in geriatric and mature horses the occurrence of short-term complications and short-term outcome associated with complications after colic surgery. Methods: Retrospective case-control study. Methods: Horses aged ≥20 years (geriatric, n = 78) and 4-15 years (mature non-geriatric, n = 156) that had exploratory celiotomy for colic and survived recovery from general anesthesia. Methods: Medical records (2000-2010) of horses that recovered from general anesthesia after colic surgery were reviewed. Postoperative complications evaluated included postoperative reflux (POR), diarrh...
Anti-inflammatory and Intestinal Barrier-protective Activities of Commensal Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria in Thoroughbreds: Role of Probiotics in Diarrhea Prevention in Neonatal Thoroughbreds. We previously isolated the commensal bacteria lactobacilli and bifidobacteria from the Thoroughbred intestine and prepared the horse probiotics LacFi(TM), consisting of Lactobacillus ruminis KK14, L. equi KK 15, L. reuteri KK18, L. johnsonii KK21, and Bifidobacterium boum HU. Here, we found that the five LacFi(TM) constituent strains remarkably suppressed pro-inflammatory interleukin-17 production in mouse splenocytes stimulated with interleukin-6 and transforming growth factor-β. The protective effects of the probiotic on impaired intestinal barrier function were evaluated in Caco-2 cells tr...
Carriage and acquisition rates of Clostridium difficile in hospitalized horses, including molecular characterization, multilocus sequence typing and antimicrobial susceptibility of bacterial isolates. Clostridium difficile has been identified as a significant agent of diarrhoea and enterocolitis in both foals and adult horses. Hospitalization, antibiotic therapy or changes in diet may contribute to the development of C. difficile infection. Horses admitted to a care unit are therefore at greater risk of being colonized. The aim of this study was to investigate the carriage of C. difficile in hospitalized horses and the possible influence of some risk factors in colonization. During a seven-month period, faecal samples and data relating the clinical history of horses admitted to a veterinary...
First detection of equine coronavirus (ECoV) in Europe. Equine coronavirus (ECoV) is involved mainly in enteric infections. Following the recent description of ECoV in 2000, this study reports for the first time the presence of ECoV in France and, on a wider scale, in Europe. ECoV was molecularly detected from diarrheic and respiratory specimens. Sequencing and phylogenetic analyses demonstrated that European strains are most closely related to the reference North American strain (ECoV-NC99) than the Asian strain (ECoV-Tokachi09).
Exotic rotaviruses in animals and rotaviruses in exotic animals. Group A rotaviruses (RVA) are a major cause of viral diarrhea in the young of mammals and birds. RVA strains with certain genotype constellations or VP7-VP4 (G-P) genotype combinations are commonly found in a particular host species, whilst unusual or exotic RVAs have also been reported. In most cases, these exotic rotaviruses are derived from RVA strains common to other host species, possibly through interspecies transmission coupled with reassortment events, whilst a few other strains exhibit novel genotypes/genetic constellations rarely found in other RVAs. The epidemiology and evolutionary...
Bilateral diffuse cystic renal dysplasia in a 9-day-old Thoroughbred filly. A 9-day-old Thoroughbred filly was presented for diarrhea and lethargy. Diagnostic test results were compatible with severe renal dysfunction. Diffuse cystic lesions of both kidneys were identified on ultrasonographic examination. Postmortem examination confirmed the presence of multiple renal cysts. Congenital nephropathy compatible with bilateral diffuse cystic renal dysplasia was diagnosed. Une pouliche Thoroughbred âgée de 9 jours a été présentée pour de la diarrhée et de la léthargie. Les résultats des tests diagnostiques étaient compatibles avec une dysfonction rénale grave. ...
Recent advances in understanding the pathogenesis of Lawsonia intracellularis infections. Proliferative enteropathy is an infectious disease caused by an obligate intracellular bacterium, Lawsonia intracellularis, and characterized by thickening of the intestinal epithelium due to enterocyte proliferation. The disease is endemic in swine herds and has been occasionally reported in various other species. Furthermore, outbreaks among foals began to be reported on breeding farms worldwide within the past 5 years. Cell proliferation is directly associated with bacterial infection and replication in the intestinal epithelium. As a result, mild to severe diarrhea is the major clinical si...
Postoperative Clostridium difficile infection with PCR ribotype 078 strain identified at necropsy in five Thoroughbred racehorses. Clostridium difficile is an important cause of acute enterocolitis in horses. We describe five cases of C difficile infection occurring postoperatively in Thoroughbred racehorses. Following diarrhoea or colic accompanied by a marked increase in packed cell volume (to ≥60 per cent) and leucopenia (≤4000 cells/μl) within two to four days after surgery in all five horses, four of them died or were euthanased because of colitis or severe diarrhoea. In these four horses, necrotising entero-typhlo-colitis was revealed by postmortem examination, and C difficile was recovered from the contents of...
Evaluation of the use of atropine sulfate, a combination of butylscopolammonium bromide and metamizole sodium, and flunixin meglumine to ameliorate clinical adverse effects of imidocarb dipropionate in horses. To evaluate the ability of atropine sulfate, butylscopolammonium bromide combined with metamizole sodium, and flunixin meglumine to ameliorate the clinical adverse effects of imidocarb dipropionate in horses. Methods: 28 horses with piroplasmosis. Methods: 28 horses were randomly assigned to 4 equal groups according to the pretreatment administered. Fifteen minutes before administration of 2.4 mg of imidocarb dipropionate/kg IM, horses in the first group were pretreated with 0.02 mg of atropine sulfate/kg IV, the second group with a combination of 0.2 mg of butylscopolammonium bromide/kg IV an...
Lawsonia intracellularis-associated ulcerative and necro-hemorrhagic enteritis in 5 weanling foals. This report describes 5 cases of fatal Lawsonia intracellularis-associated ulcerative and necro-hemorrhagic enteritis in weanling Thoroughbred and Standardbred foals. The lesions are similar to those of the L. intracellularis-associated ulcerative and necro-hemorrhagic enteritis syndrome in pigs. Two foals had concurrent severe typhlo-colitis as a result of a large burden of encysted cyathostomes. The clinical, diagnostic, and therapeutic challenges, and the potential complications encountered during the management of such cases are discussed. Entérite ulcérative et nécro-hémorragique asso...
Clinical and clinicopathological factors associated with survival in 44 horses with equine neorickettsiosis (Potomac horse Fever). The epidemiology of equine neorickettsiosis (EN) has been extensively studied but limited clinical and clinicopathological data are available concerning naturally infected horses. Objective: Factors predictive of survival will be identified in horses diagnosed with EN. Methods: Convenience sample of 44 horses with EN admitted to 2 referral institutions. Methods: A retrospective study was performed. A diagnosis of EN was based on the presence of positive blood or fecal PCR. Results: The most common clinical signs included diarrhea (66%), fever (50%), anorexia (45%), depression (39%), colic (39%...
Infectious agents associated with diarrhoea in neonatal foals in central Kentucky: a comprehensive molecular study. Diarrhoea caused by infectious agents is common in foals but there is no comprehensive molecular work-up of the relative prevalence of common agents and appearance of coinfections. Objective: To determine the prevalence of 9 infectious agents in gastrointestinal (GI)-diseased and healthy foals with ages ranging from 1 to 20 weeks of age and to what degree coinfections are associated with clinical signs of GI disease. Methods: Retrospective controlled observational study. Methods: The population consisted of 88 Thoroughbred foals aged 2 days to 17 weeks born on 32 different studfarms in Kentuck...
Global distribution of group A rotavirus strains in horses: a systematic review. Group A rotavirus (RVA) is a major cause of diarrhea and diarrhea-related mortality in foals in parts of the world. In addition to careful horse farm management, vaccination is the only known alternative to reduce the RVA associated disease burden on horse farms. The precise evaluation of vaccine effectiveness against circulating strains needs enhanced surveillance of equine RVAs in areas where vaccine is already available or vaccine introduction is anticipated. Therefore, we undertook the overview of relevant information on epidemiology of equine RVA strains through systematic search of publi...
[Diarrhoea and oedema in two show horses after feeding a pelleted supplemental feed for horses according to VDLUFA’s perspective of microbial quality classified as safe for use in horses]. A new batch of a supplemental feed was fed as pellets (diameter 8 mm) to two Warmblood-type horses. One horse developed watery diarrhoea within two days. Pronounced oedema due to hypalbuminemia was seen about ten days later. The feed was replaced by pellets of identical composition and mixing process, but lower diameter (5 mm). After one week of feeding, oedema regressed and faeces were normally formed. At refeeding the larger sized pellets, the symptoms recurred, but now both horses were affected. After a change to the smaller pellets, the horses recovered soon. Water activity (aw-value) of t...