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Equine veterinary journal2019; 52(2); 244-249; doi: 10.1111/evj.13170

Chlamydia psittaci infection as a cause of respiratory disease in neonatal foals.

Abstract: During 2016-2018, 15 critically ill neonatal foals with acute respiratory distress associated with Chlamydia psittaci infection were presented to three referral hospitals in New South Wales. Chlamydia psittaci has not previously been associated with the development of neonatal respiratory disease. Objective: To investigate and describe the clinical features and outcome of C. psittaci infection in neonatal foals. Methods: Multicentre retrospective case series. Methods: The clinical, clinicopathological, necropsy and histological features of 15 foals with confirmed C. psittaci infection were reviewed and reported. Results: Thirteen foals with C. psittaci infection died or were subjected to euthanasia within 36 h of hospitalisation and two foals survived to discharge. Findings during post-mortem examination of nonsurviving foals included bronchopneumonia, pulmonary congestion, hepatic congestion and hepatic inflammation. Detection of C. psittaci was achieved using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing of swabs of nasal secretions (4/6) and rectal mucosa (5/7) from live foals, lung tissues of foals at necropsy (11/14) and foetal membranes (4/5). Conclusions: Small numbers of confirmed cases of neonatal C. psittaci infection and inconsistent sampling methods. Conclusions: Chlamydia psittaci should be considered a differential diagnosis for neonatal foals with signs of severe systemic disease, including equine neonatal acute respiratory distress syndrome (EqNARDS). Chlamydia psittaci is a zoonotic pathogen and a personal protective equipment (PPE) should be worn for the management of foals with suspected or confirmed infection.
© 2019 EVJ Ltd.
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Publication Date: 2019-09-25 PubMed ID: 31436332DOI: 10.1111/evj.13170Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This research conducted between 2016 and 2018 provides evidence that Chlamydia psittaci, never previously thought associated with neonatal respiratory diseases, can cause acute respiratory distress in newborn foals, frequently leading to death or euthanasia.

Overview and Objectives

The research focuses on the relationship between Chlamydia psittaci infection and acute respiratory distress observed in fifteen critically ill neonatal foals in New South Wales. The primary objective of the study was to investigate and describe the clinical features and outcomes of C. psittaci infection in these foals.

Methods

  • The research is a retrospective case series carried out in multiple centers.
  • The team reviewed and reported on the clinical, clinicopathological, necropsy, and histological features of the fifteen foals with confirmed C. psittaci infection.
  • The detection of C. psittaci was performed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing. This testing was done on samples including nasal secretions, rectal mucosa from live foals, lung tissues from foals at necropsy, and foetal membranes.

Results

The study found that, of the fifteen foals, thirteen died or were euthanized within 36 hours of hospitalization. Two foals survived and were discharged. Post-mortem examinations revealed bronchopneumonia, pulmonary and hepatic congestion, and hepatic inflammation as common conditions across the non-surviving foals. The study also showed that test samples from various sources increased the detection rates of C. psittaci.

Conclusions

The study concludes by acknowledging limitations such as the small number of confirmed cases and inconsistent sampling methods. Despite these limitations, the research indicates that Chlamydia psittaci should be taken into consideration as a cause of severe systemic disease in newborn foals, such as equine neonatal acute respiratory distress syndrome. The results also point to the necessity of using personal protective equipment when managing foals with suspected or confirmed C. psittaci infection, on account of its zoonotic nature.

Cite This Article

APA
Gough SL, Carrick J, Raidal SL, Keane S, Collins N, Cudmore L, Russell CM, Raidal S, Hughes KJ. (2019). Chlamydia psittaci infection as a cause of respiratory disease in neonatal foals. Equine Vet J, 52(2), 244-249. https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.13170

Publication

Equine veterinary journal
ISSN: 2042-3306
NlmUniqueID: 0173320
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 52
Issue: 2
Pages: 244-249

Researcher Affiliations

Gough, S L
  • Veterinary Clinical Centre, School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia.
Carrick, J
  • Equine Specialist Consulting, Scone, New South Wales, Australia.
Raidal, S L
  • Veterinary Clinical Centre, School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia.
Keane, S
  • Dartbrook Equine Clinic, Scone, New South Wales, Australia.
Collins, N
  • Clovelly Intensive Care Unit, Scone Equine Hospital, Scone, New South Wales, Australia.
Cudmore, L
  • Clovelly Intensive Care Unit, Scone Equine Hospital, Scone, New South Wales, Australia.
Russell, C M
  • Clovelly Intensive Care Unit, Scone Equine Hospital, Scone, New South Wales, Australia.
Raidal, S
  • Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia.
Hughes, K J
  • Veterinary Clinical Centre, School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Chlamydophila psittaci
  • Horse Diseases
  • Horses
  • Humans
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Lung
  • Psittacosis / veterinary
  • Respiratory Tract Diseases / veterinary
  • Retrospective Studies

Grant Funding

  • Charles Sturt University

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This article includes 22 references
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Citations

This article has been cited 10 times.
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  2. Zeng X, Chen L, Zhou P, Tang T, Chen X, Hu D, Wang C, Chen L. [Type III secretory protein SINC of Chlamydia psittaci promotes host cell autophagy by activating the MAPK/ERK signaling pathway]. Nan Fang Yi Ke Da Xue Xue Bao 2023 Feb 20;43(2):294-299.
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