Diarrhoea in adult horses: a survey of clinical cases and an assessment of some prognostic indices.

The research discusses the examination of fecal and blood samples from adult horses suffering from diarrhea. The researchers also analyze various diagnostic data in correlation with the outcome of the morbidity, revealing significant differences in certain health indicators between surviving horses and those that died.

Research Methodology

• The study involved collecting feces and blood samples from 66 adult horses diagnosed with diarrhoea.
• Routine bacteriological, parasitological, haematological, and biochemical tests were conducted on these samples.
• The scientists correlated the results of these tests with the outcome for each horse.

Research Findings

• Out of the 66 horses, 22 (33%) died or were euthanized due to the severity of their diarrhoea.
• A definitive diagnosis was only reached in 23 cases (35%), and in nine of these cases, the diagnosis could only be confirmed post-mortem.
• The bacterium Salmonella typhimurium was discovered in five of the diarrhoea cases.

Statistical Analysis

• Statistical analysis was used to show differences in health markers between the surviving and deceased horses.
• The analysis revealed significant variance in packed cell volume, white blood cell counts, neutrophil counts, serum albumin concentrations, and alkaline phosphatase activity between horses that survived and those that did not.
• The aforementioned differences imply that these factors could potentially be used as prognostic indicators for horses with diarrhoea.