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Journal of veterinary diagnostic investigation : official publication of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, Inc2022; 35(2); 173-177; doi: 10.1177/10406387221141698

Disseminated Halicephalobus gingivalis infection in a horse.

Abstract: A 19-y-old American Saddlebred gelding was evaluated for epiphora of the right eye and generalized cachexia. Initial examination revealed anterior uveitis without ulceration, for which treatment was initiated. Despite the initial response to treatment, the signs progressively worsened to blindness. Histologic examination of the enucleated eye revealed granulomatous panuveitis and optic neuritis with intralesional nematode larvae identified as . Over time and despite anthelmintic treatment, blindness developed in the left eye along with neurologic signs, and the horse was euthanized. Disseminated halicephalobosis was diagnosed on postmortem examination, involving the heart, spleen, kidneys, oral cavity, tongue, left eye, lungs, CNS, adrenal glands, liver, and lymph nodes. Splenic involvement has not been reported previously, to our knowledge. Halicephalobosis is a sporadic parasitic disease that affects equids mostly and for which prognosis is poor despite aggressive systemic anthelmintic treatment. Parasitic granulomatous disease should be included as a differential diagnosis in equids with ocular or neurologic disease.
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Publication Date: 2022-12-08 PubMed ID: 36482716PubMed Central: PMC9999397DOI: 10.1177/10406387221141698Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article

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.

The research article is about a case study of a horse that suffered from a severe, widespread infestation of the Halicephalobus gingivalis parasite, which affected multiple organs and resulted in the horse’s blindness and eventual euthanasia.

Introduction and Presentation of Case

  • The paper presents the case of a 19-year-old American Saddlebred gelding that was investigated for symptoms of epiphora (overflow of tears) in the right eye and overall cachexia (weakness and wasting away of the body).
  • The initial examination found that the horse was suffering from anterior uveitis (inflammation of the middle layer of the eye) without the presence of an ulcer. Consequently, treatment for this condition was started.

Progression of the Disease and Diagnosis

  • Despite treatment, the horse’s condition declined, with its sight getting progressively worse until the horse went blind.
  • A histologic examination, which is a microscopic examination of biological tissues, was conducted on the removed eye. The examination found a severe inflammatory eye condition with the presence of nematode larvae identified as Halicephalobus gingivalis.
  • Despite treatment to eliminate the parasites, the horse’s other eye also developed blindness and the horse began to show signs of neurological problems. As a result of the worsening condition, the horse was ultimately euthanized.

Postmortem Findings

  • Upon postmortem examination, the cause of the horse’s condition was diagnosed as disseminated halicephalobosis, a condition marked by widespread infection of the Halicephalobus gingivalis parasite.
  • The infection had spread to multiple organs, including the horse’s heart, spleen, kidneys, oral cavity, tongue, left eye, lungs, central nervous system, adrenal glands, liver, and lymph nodes. Notably, infection of the spleen by this parasite had not been recorded in previous cases.

Summary and Clinical Implications

  • The researchers note that Halicephalobosis is an unpredictable parasitic disease predominantly affecting horses, and the prognosis is often poor even with aggressive anti-parasitic treatment.
  • The findings suggest that parasitic granulomatous disease should be considered as a possible diagnosis in horses presenting with ocular or neurologic disease.

Cite This Article

APA
Pillai VV, Mudd LJ, Sola MF. (2022). Disseminated Halicephalobus gingivalis infection in a horse. J Vet Diagn Invest, 35(2), 173-177. https://doi.org/10.1177/10406387221141698

Publication

Journal of veterinary diagnostic investigation : official publication of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, Inc
ISSN: 1943-4936
NlmUniqueID: 9011490
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 35
Issue: 2
Pages: 173-177

Researcher Affiliations

Pillai, Viju V
  • Department of Comparative Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
Mudd, Lydia J
  • Janssen Veterinary Clinic, Sheridan, IN, USA.
Sola, Mario F
  • Department of Comparative Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Horses
  • Male
  • Blindness / veterinary
  • Administration, Cutaneous
  • Autopsy / veterinary
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Heart
  • Horse Diseases / diagnosis

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

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Citations

This article has been cited 2 times.
  1. Countrymann K, Ruby R, Miller AD. A retrospective study of 171 cases of equine meningoencephalomyelitis in the United States, 1996-2023. J Vet Diagn Invest 2026 Jan;38(1):100-111.
    doi: 10.1177/10406387251362241pubmed: 40988382google scholar: lookup
  2. Zapałowska A, Skwiercz A, Tereba A, Puchalski C, Malewski T. Next-Generation Sequencing for Evaluating the Soil Nematode Diversity and Its Role in Composting Processes. Int J Mol Sci 2023 Oct 30;24(21).
    doi: 10.3390/ijms242115749pubmed: 37958731google scholar: lookup
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