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Equine ehrlichiosis.
Abstract: Equine ehrlichiosis is a seasonal disease of horses first reported in 1969. Clinical signs in horses include high fever, depression, partial hypophagia, anorexia, limb edema, petechiation, icterus, ataxia, and reluctance to move. Hematologic changes include leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, icterus, anemia, and inclusion bodies, principally in neutrophils and occasionally in eosinophils. Diagnosis is made by clinical signs and observing characteristic morulae in a blood smear with standard Wright's stain. Mortality is low unless secondary infection develops or injury occurs as a result of incoordination. Treatment with tetracycline produces prompt defervescence of fever and gradual improvement of clinical signs.
Publication Date: 1993-08-01 PubMed ID: 8358654DOI: 10.1016/s0749-0739(17)30408-xGoogle 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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Summary
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This research article delves into equine ehrlichiosis, a seasonal disease in horses that was first identified in 1969, detailing its symptoms, diagnosis, prognosis and potential treatment options.
Understanding the Disease
- Equine ehrlichiosis, as discussed in the article, is a condition that horses can contract, known to occur with particularly high frequency in certain seasons.
- Having been first recorded in 1969, this disease manifests through various clinical signs including high fever and depression, reduced appetite partly or completely (hypophagia, anorexia), swelling of the limbs (edema), skin hemorrhages (petechiation), yellow discoloration (icterus), incoordination (ataxia), and unwillingness to move.
Hematologic Changes
- The disease also brings about changes in the horses’ blood profile, causing conditions such as leukopenia (low white blood cell count), thrombocytopenia (low blood platelet count), icterus (jaundice or yellow discoloration due to high levels of bilirubin), anemia (low red blood cell count or hemoglobin), and the presence of inclusion bodies mainly in neutrophils and sometimes eosinophils.
Diagnosis
- Diagnosis of equine ehrlichiosis involves observing the clinical signs and spotting characteristic morulae in a blood smear using a standard Wright’s stain procedure. Morulae are clusters of Ehrlichia organisms inside white blood cells, most often seen in neutrophils or eosinophils.
Prognosis
- The prognosis for equine ehrlichiosis is generally positive as the mortality rate is low; however, the situation can become life-threatening if a secondary infection develops or if the horse is injured due to lack of coordination resulting from the disease.
Treatment
- Treatment for equine ehrlichiosis typically involves the use of tetracycline, a group of antibiotics. Administration of these medicines prompts defervescence, or the lowering of fever, and brings about a steady improvement in the clinical signs and symptoms.
Cite This Article
APA
Madigan JE.
(1993).
Equine ehrlichiosis.
Vet Clin North Am Equine Pract, 9(2), 423-428.
https://doi.org/10.1016/s0749-0739(17)30408-x Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Medicine, University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Ehrlichiosis / veterinary
- Horse Diseases
- Horses
Citations
This article has been cited 17 times.- Stephenson N, Foley J. Parallelisms and Contrasts in the Diverse Ecologies of the Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Borrelia burgdorferi Complexes of Bacteria in the Far Western United States.. Vet Sci 2016 Sep 22;3(4).
- Schvartz G, Epp T, Burgess HJ, Chilton NB, Pearl DL, Lohmann KL. Seroprevalence of equine granulocytic anaplasmosis and lyme borreliosis in Canada as determined by a point-of-care enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).. Can Vet J 2015 Jun;56(6):575-80.
- Restifo MM, Bedenice D, Thane KE, Mazan MR. Cavitary effusion associated with Anaplasma phagocytophilum infection in 2 equids.. J Vet Intern Med 2015 Mar-Apr;29(2):732-5.
- Ribeiro AJ, Cardoso L, Maia JM, Coutinho T, Cotovio M. Prevalence of Theileria equi, Babesia caballi, and Anaplasma phagocytophilum in horses from the north of Portugal.. Parasitol Res 2013 Jul;112(7):2611-7.
- Giudice E, Giannetto C, Furco V, Alongi A, Torina A. Anaplasma phagocytophilum seroprevalence in equids: a survey in Sicily (Italy).. Parasitol Res 2012 Aug;111(2):951-5.
- Uehlinger FD, Clancey NP, Lofstedt J. Granulocytic anaplasmosis in a horse from Nova Scotia caused by infection with Anaplasma phagocytophilum.. Can Vet J 2011 May;52(5):537-40.
- Silaghi C, Liebisch G, Pfister K. Genetic variants of Anaplasma phagocytophilum from 14 equine granulocytic anaplasmosis cases.. Parasit Vectors 2011 Aug 16;4:161.
- Foley J, Rejmanek D, Fleer K, Nieto N. Nidicolous ticks of small mammals in Anaplasma phagocytophilum-enzootic sites in northern California.. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2011 Jun;2(2):75-80.
- Foley JE, Nieto NC. The ecology of tick-transmitted infections in the redwood chipmunk (Tamias ochrogenys).. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2011 Jun;2(2):88-93.
- Nieto NC, Foley JE. Reservoir competence of the redwood chipmunk (Tamias ochrogenys) for Anaplasma phagocytophilum.. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2009 Dec;9(6):573-7.
- Foley JE, Nieto NC, Adjemian J, Dabritz H, Brown RN. Anaplasma phagocytophilum infection in small mammal hosts of Ixodes ticks, western United States.. Emerg Infect Dis 2008 Jul;14(7):1147-50.
- Von Loewenich FD, Stumpf G, Baumgarten BU, Ru00f6llinghoff M, Dumler JS, Bogdan C. A case of equine granulocytic ehrlichiosis provides molecular evidence for the presence of pathogenic anaplasma phagocytophilum (HGE agent) in Germany.. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 2003 May;22(5):303-5.
- Chae JS, Foley JE, Dumler JS, Madigan JE. Comparison of the nucleotide sequences of 16S rRNA, 444 Ep-ank, and groESL heat shock operon genes in naturally occurring Ehrlichia equi and human granulocytic ehrlichiosis agent isolates from Northern California.. J Clin Microbiol 2000 Apr;38(4):1364-9.
- Reubel GH, Kimsey RB, Barlough JE, Madigan JE. Experimental transmission of Ehrlichia equi to horses through naturally infected ticks (Ixodes pacificus) from Northern California.. J Clin Microbiol 1998 Jul;36(7):2131-4.
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