Campylobacter jejuni hepatitis in a horse: case report and literature review.
Abstract: spp. can cause gastroenteritis, hepatitis, bacteremia, and abortions in domestic animals and humans. Some spp. are zoonotic. To our knowledge, hepatitis caused by has not been reported in horses. Here we present a case of acute necrosuppurative hepatitis caused by infection in a 3-y-old gelding, and we review the literature on infections in various animal species. The horse had a one-week history of weight loss and weakness before becoming recumbent and dying. Grossly, the liver had rounded edges and was mottled. There were ecchymoses on the gastric serosa, and a large amount of mucoid, pale, green-to-yellow content adhered to the mucosa of the small and large intestines. Microscopically, random areas in the liver were necrotic and infiltrated by large numbers of neutrophils, and fewer lymphocytes and plasma cells. Other changes in the liver included neutrophilic cholangitis with bile duct hyperplasia in portal areas, canalicular cholestasis, and mild portal fibrosis. The lamina propria, and occasionally the submucosa, of the small intestine and colon was infiltrated by large numbers of lymphocytes and plasma cells, and there was multifocal crypt necrosis. was recovered in pure culture from the liver.
Publication Date: 2025-02-18 PubMed ID: 39966692PubMed Central: PMC11836962DOI: 10.1177/10406387251320604Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary
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This research article discusses a unique case of hepatitis caused by the bacteria Campylobacter jejuni in a 3-year-old horse, a condition that, till now, has not been reported in the equine species and also reviews the existing literature on Campylobacter spp. infections in multiple animals.
Case Description and Background
- The report introduces a case of a 3-year-old gelding who went through a week of weight loss and debility before becoming unable to stand and eventually died.
- The study addresses the effects of infections caused by the bacterial species Campylobacter spp. The bacteria is known to cause an array of health problems in both domestic animals and humans such as gastroenteritis, liver inflammation (hepatitis), bacteremia (presence of bacteria in the blood), and spontaneous termination of pregnancy (abortions).
- Amongst the Campylobacter bacteria species, some have the capacity to be zoonotic, i.e., they can be transmitted from animals to humans.
Investigation and Findings
- In the post-mortem examination of the horse, the liver appeared rounded and mottled, indications that the normal liver’s function was compromised. Examination showed bruises (ecchymoses) on the gastric serosa (the outermost layer of the stomach) and a significant amount of pale, green-to-yellow mucus attached to the intestinal lining.
- Upon microscopic examination, the liver showed large patches of necrosis (tissue death), infiltrated with large quantities of neutrophils (type of white blood cells), and a lesser number of lymphocytes and plasma cells. Some of the liver’s changes included neutrophilic cholangitis (inflammation of the bile ducts) with proliferation of bile ducts in the portal areas, cholestasis (reduced or stopped bile flow), and mild portal fibrosis (scar tissue developed in the liver).
- In the small intestine and colon, there was infiltration by numerous lymphocytes and plasma cells, with particular regions showing cell death in the intestinal glands (crypt necrosis).
- From the liver of affected horse, Campylobacter jejuni was isolated in pure culture, confirming infection.
Literature Review
- The research also provides a review of the available literature covering Campylobacter spp. infections in various animal species, as a part of their report, addressing the significance and potential zoonotic implications of these infections.
Cite This Article
APA
Macías-Rioseco M, Ochoa J, Choi EA, Blanchard P, Moeller RB, Uzal FA.
(2025).
Campylobacter jejuni hepatitis in a horse: case report and literature review.
J Vet Diagn Invest, 10406387251320604.
https://doi.org/10.1177/10406387251320604 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory, Tulare, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA, USA.
- California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory, Tulare, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA, USA.
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA, USA.
- California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory, Tulare, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA, USA.
- California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory, Tulare, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA, USA.
- San Bernardino branches, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA, USA.
Conflict of Interest Statement
Declaration of conflicting interestsThe authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
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