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Equid herpesvirus 1 and rhodococcus equi coinfection in a foal with bronchointerstitial pneumonia.
Abstract: A 2-month-old foal with septic shock and severe respiratory distress was referred to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital. Due to poor prognosis, the foal was euthanized. Histopathology showed lesions suggestive of Rhodococcus equi infection associated with a diffuse interstitial infiltrate of foamy macrophages and syncytial cells presenting large acidophilic intranuclear inclusion bodies, fibrin exudates and hyaline membranes. Bacteriological examination from lung and respiratory exudates confirmed R. equi infection, whilst immunohistochemistry and PCR yielded a positive result for Equid herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1). Several etiologies have been proposed for bronchointerstitial pneumonia in foals, although a multifactorial origin for this lesional pattern could be possible. This work is the first one describing a combined EHV-1 and R. equi infection in a foal affected with bronchointerstitial pneumonia.
Publication Date: 2016-06-03 PubMed ID: 27264610PubMed Central: PMC5059381DOI: 10.1292/jvms.16-0024Google Scholar: Lookup The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
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- Journal Article
Summary
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This study reports the first case of a young foal infected with both Equid herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) and Rhodococcus equi, leading to severe bronchointerstitial pneumonia.
Case Details and Diagnostic Procedures
This research study is based on a single case of a 2-month-old foal that was presented to a Veterinary Teaching Hospital with septic shock and severe respiratory distress. Due to the critical condition and poor prognosis, the decision was taken to euthanize the foal. Postmortem analysis of the foal included:
- Histopathological examination, which showed indicative signs of Rhodococcus equi infection. This was associated with a kind of cell damage where a diffuse interstitial infiltrate of foamy macrophages and syncytial cells presented large acidophilic intranuclear inclusion bodies. Additionally, fibrin exudates and hyaline membranes were also observed.
- Bacteriological examination of lung tissue and respiratory exudates, confirming the R. equi infection.
- Immunochemistry and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) which rendered a positive result for Equid herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1).
Interpretation of Results
The results from these tests confirmed a coinfection of EHV-1 and R. equi in the foal, which led to the development of bronchointerstitial pneumonia. This type of pneumonia in foals has had many hypothesized causes, but this study is the first to describe a case where it was caused by both EHV-1 and R. equi. This might suggest that a multifactorial origin for this type of lesion pattern could be possible.
Significance of the Study
This work provides clinicians and researchers with insight into a possibly underreported cause of bronchointerstitial pneumonia in foals. The study suggests that more investigation into the combined effects of EHV-1 and R. equi infections in foals could improve diagnosis and treatment strategies for this disease. The knowledge that coinfection can cause such severe conditions will help veterinarians understand and manage respiratory diseases in foals better.
Cite This Article
APA
Perez-Ecija A, Mendoza FJ, Estepa JC, Bautista MJ, Pérez J.
(2016).
Equid herpesvirus 1 and rhodococcus equi coinfection in a foal with bronchointerstitial pneumonia.
J Vet Med Sci, 78(9), 1511-1513.
https://doi.org/10.1292/jvms.16-0024 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, University of Cordoba, Campus Universitario Rabanales. Ctra. Madrid-Cadiz km 396. 14014 Cordoba, Spain.
MeSH Terms
- Actinomycetales Infections / complications
- Actinomycetales Infections / diagnosis
- Actinomycetales Infections / pathology
- Actinomycetales Infections / veterinary
- Animals
- Bronchopneumonia / pathology
- Bronchopneumonia / veterinary
- Coinfection / diagnosis
- Coinfection / microbiology
- Coinfection / veterinary
- Coinfection / virology
- Herpesviridae Infections / complications
- Herpesviridae Infections / diagnosis
- Herpesviridae Infections / pathology
- Herpesviridae Infections / veterinary
- Herpesvirus 1, Equid
- Horse Diseases / diagnosis
- Horse Diseases / microbiology
- Horse Diseases / pathology
- Horse Diseases / virology
- Horses
- Lung / pathology
- Lung Diseases, Interstitial / pathology
- Lung Diseases, Interstitial / veterinary
- Rhodococcus equi
References
This article includes 13 references
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Citations
This article has been cited 4 times.- Asin J, Carvallo F, Gonzales-Viera OA, Macías-Rioseco M, Streitenberger N, Abdelrazek S, Crossley B, Pesavento PA, Uzal FA. Interstitial pneumonias of undetermined etiology in foals in California, 1990-2020. J Vet Diagn Invest 2026 Jan 29;:10406387251410524.
- Balakrishnan A, Silverstein DC, Bedenice D, Bersenas A, Bourgeois JP, Carroll CL, Dunkel B, Greensmith T, Hopper K, Lascola K, Mangalmurti N, Rozanski E, Wilkins P, Yehya N. Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome in Veterinary Medicine-The ARDSVet Definitions. J Vet Emerg Crit Care (San Antonio) 2025 Jul-Aug;35(4):327-338.
- Rakowska A, Marciniak-Karcz A, Bereznowski A, Cywińska A, Żychska M, Witkowski L. Less Typical Courses of Rhodococcus equi Infections in Foals. Vet Sci 2022 Oct 31;9(11).
- Tapprest J, Foucher N, Linster M, Laloy E, Cordonnier N, Amat JP, Hendrikx P. Resumeq: A Novel Way of Monitoring Equine Diseases Through the Centralization of Necropsy Data. Front Vet Sci 2019;6:135.
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