A first case of ehrlichiosis in a horse in Poland.
Abstract: The study was aimed at determining the cause of a disease in a horse exhibiting symptoms of fever, joint effusion, weakness, and extravasations on the mucous membranes. Blood was drawn from the animal for haematological and biochemical molecular tests. The PCR technique revealed the presence of 16S RNA Ehrlichia spp. genetic material in the blood samples. DNA amplification by means of primers EHR 521 and EHR 747 gave a product with a volume of 247 bp.The sequence of the PCR product obtained showed a 97.6% similarity with a sequence of a fragment of 16S RNA Ehrlichia phagocytophila, gene number EU 090186 in the GenBank. A microscopic examination of blood smears demonstrated the presence in the neutrophiles of intracytoplasmatic structures characteristic for Ehrlichia.The treatment involved the intravenous application of oxytetracycline at a dose of 8 mg/kg of body mass for 7 days, and resulted in a gradual recovery. The positive results of the molecular test and the positive reaction to the therapy are an indication of the first case of ehrlichiosis in a horse in Poland as confirmed in laboratory test.
Publication Date: 2009-10-10 PubMed ID: 19813450
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Summary
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The research article discusses the diagnosis and successful treatment of the first confirmed case of Ehrlichiosis, a tick-borne disease, in a horse in Poland.
Objective and Methodology
- The main objective of the research study was to determine the cause of illness in a horse presenting with various symptoms such as fever, joint effusion, weakness, and unusual markings on the mucous membranes.
- Blood samples were drawn from the animal and subjected to various haematological, biochemical and molecular tests.
Findings
- Upon analyzing the blood samples with PCR technique, the researchers detected the presence of Ehrlichia spp. genetic material in the horse’s blood.
- The DNA amplification using specific primers produced a 247 base pair product which showed a 97.6% similarity with a sequence of Ehrlichia phagocytophila.
- A microscopic examination of the horse’s blood smears also revealed the presence of intracytoplasmatic structures, characteristic for the Ehrlichia bacteria within neutrophiles (a type of white blood cell).
Treatment
- Once the diagnosis was confirmed, the affected horse was treated with intravenous doses of Oxytetracycline (an antibiotic effective against Ehrlichia).
- The treatment dose prescribed was 8 mg of the antibiotic per kilogram of the horse’s bodyweight for a period of seven days.
- The horse showed a gradual recovery post the treatment, thereby indicating the effectiveness of the treatment strategy.
Conclusion
- The combination of the positive results from molecular tests and the positive therapeutic response confirmed the diagnosis of Ehrlichiosis.
- This marks the first confirmed case of Ehrlichiosis in a horse in Poland, proving that such tick-borne diseases can affect animals in that region too.
Cite This Article
APA
Adaszek Ł, Winiarczyk S, Łukaszewska J.
(2009).
A first case of ehrlichiosis in a horse in Poland.
Dtsch Tierarztl Wochenschr, 116(9), 330-334.
Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Epizootiology and Infectious Diseases Clinic, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Life Sciences, Gleboka 30, 20-612 Lublin, Poland. ukaszek0@wp.pl
MeSH Terms
- Anaplasma phagocytophilum / genetics
- Anaplasma phagocytophilum / isolation & purification
- Animals
- Anti-Bacterial Agents / therapeutic use
- DNA, Bacterial / analysis
- Ehrlichiosis / diagnosis
- Ehrlichiosis / drug therapy
- Ehrlichiosis / epidemiology
- Ehrlichiosis / veterinary
- Gene Amplification
- Horse Diseases / diagnosis
- Horse Diseases / drug therapy
- Horse Diseases / epidemiology
- Horses
- Male
- Poland
- Polymerase Chain Reaction / veterinary
- RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / analysis
- Tetracycline / therapeutic use
- Treatment Outcome
Citations
This article has been cited 3 times.- Kocoń A, Asman M, Nowak-Chmura M, Witecka J, Rączka G. Exposure of domestic dogs and cats to ticks (Acari: Ixodida) and selected tick-borne diseases in urban and recreational areas in southern Poland.. Sci Rep 2022 May 12;12(1):7851.
- Teodorowski O, Kalinowski M, Winiarczyk D, Janecki R, Winiarczyk S, Adaszek Ł. Molecular surveillance of tick-borne diseases affecting horses in Poland-Own observations.. Vet Med Sci 2021 Jul;7(4):1159-1165.
- Dzięgiel B, Adaszek Ł, Carbonero A, Łyp P, Winiarczyk M, Dębiak P, Winiarczyk S. Detection of canine vector-borne diseases in eastern Poland by ELISA and PCR.. Parasitol Res 2016 Mar;115(3):1039-44.
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