Equine pleuropneumonia.
Abstract: Pleuropneumonia is a clinically important equine disease, predisposed by a number of identifiable factors. Successful management is largely dependent on early identification and prompt initiation of appropriate treatment strategies. Rapid resolution of the disease process is associated with appropriate treatment commenced within 48 h of the causative insult. Lower airway contamination by oropharyngeal organisms and subsequent extension into the pulmonary parenchyma results in respiratory dysfunction and systemic toxaemia. Acute disease is associated with the isolation of facultatively anaerobic organisms, especially beta-haemolytic Streptococcus spp. and Pasteurellaceae. Delayed or inappropriate treatment is likely to result in chronic disease characterized by the involvement of anaerobic bacteria and a poor response to therapy. The primary mode of treatment for anaerobic infection of the human thorax is surgical drainage and resection of necrotic tissue but whilst such techniques have been described for the management of equine pleuropneumonia, the size of the equine thoracic cavity hinders accurate diagnostic evaluation and successful completion of such intervention. The chronic nature and cost of ongoing treatment and limitations on choice of antimicrobial agents warrant a poor prognosis for survival and a poorer prognosis for return to athletic endeavour.
Publication Date: 1995-05-01 PubMed ID: 7640954DOI: 10.1016/s0007-1935(95)80175-8Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary
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The research focuses on equine pleuropneumonia, a serious horse disease. It highlights the importance of early detection and initiation of suitable treatment for the successful management of this illness.
The Scope of the Disease
- Equine pleuropneumonia is a severe disease affecting horses, which is predisposed by several identifiable factors.
- The disease impacts the horse’s lower respiratory system, caused by the contamination of the oropharyngeal organisms, which can then spread into the lung tissue.
- This contamination leads to respiratory dysfunction and systemic toxaemia, a condition where toxins are spread throughout the body.
- In acute disease, facultatively anaerobic organisms, particularly beta-haemolytic Streptococcus spp. and Pasteurellaceae, are typically isolated.
- If the initial treatment is either delayed or inappropriate, the disease can advance into chronic phases, where it’s characterized by anaerobic bacteria involvement and a poor response to therapy.
Limitations of Treatment
- The research recognizes surgical drainage and resection of necrotic tissue as the primary treatment option for human thoracic infections. However, such methods are challenging to apply in the case of equine pleuropneumonia due to the significant size of a horse’s thoracic cavity.
- These challenges hinder precise diagnostic evaluation, making it difficult to successfully complete necessary interventions.
Prognosis
- The chronic nature of equine pleuropneumonia, combined with the cost of ongoing treatment and limited options for antimicrobial agents, often leads to a poor prognosis for survival for the horse.
- Furthermore, there is an even lower likelihood for the horse to return to its athletic performance after overcoming this disease.
Cite This Article
APA
Raidal SL.
(1995).
Equine pleuropneumonia.
Br Vet J, 151(3), 233-262.
https://doi.org/10.1016/s0007-1935(95)80175-8 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Veterinary Pathology, University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Horse Diseases / diagnosis
- Horse Diseases / etiology
- Horse Diseases / therapy
- Horses
- Lung / diagnostic imaging
- Lung / pathology
- Pleuropneumonia / diagnosis
- Pleuropneumonia / etiology
- Pleuropneumonia / therapy
- Pleuropneumonia / veterinary
- Radiography
Citations
This article has been cited 8 times.- Nielsen SS, Alvarez J, Bicout DJ, Calistri P, Canali E, Drewe JA, Garin-Bastuji B, Gonzales Rojas JL, Gortázar Schmidt C, Michel V, Miranda Chueca MÁ, Padalino B, Pasquali P, Roberts HC, Spoolder H, Stahl K, Velarde A, Viltrop A, Winckler C, Earley B, Edwards S, Faucitano L, Marti S, Miranda de La Lama GC, Costa LN, Thomsen PT, Ashe S, Mur L, Van der Stede Y, Herskin M. Welfare of equidae during transport. EFSA J 2022 Sep;20(9):e07444.
- Zappaterra M, Nanni Costa L, Felici M, Minero M, Perniola F, Tullio D, Padalino B. Journeys, Journey Conditions, and Welfare Assessment of Unbroken (Unhandled) Horses on Arrival at a Slaughterhouse in Italy. Animals (Basel) 2022 Aug 15;12(16).
- Padalino B, Riley CB. Editorial: The Implications of Transport Practices for Horse Health and Welfare. Front Vet Sci 2020;7:202.
- Tomlinson JE, Reef VB, Boston RC, Johnson AL. The Association of Fibrinous Pleural Effusion with Survival and Complications in Horses with Pleuropneumonia (2002-2012): 74 Cases. J Vet Intern Med 2015 Sep-Oct;29(5):1410-7.
- Tomlinson JE, Byrne E, Pusterla N, Magdesian KG, Hilton HG, McGorum B, Davis E, Schoster A, Arroyo L, Dunkel B, Carslake H, Boston RC, Johnson AL. The Use of Recombinant Tissue Plasminogen Activator (rTPA) in The Treatment of Fibrinous Pleuropneumonia in Horses: 25 Cases (2007-2012). J Vet Intern Med 2015 Sep-Oct;29(5):1403-9.
- Kinoshita Y, Niwa H, Katayama Y. Development of a loop-mediated isothermal amplification method for detecting Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus and analysis of its use with three simple methods of extracting DNA from equine respiratory tract specimens. J Vet Med Sci 2014 Sep;76(9):1271-5.
- Dechan J. Combination of medical and surgical therapy for pleuropneumonia in a horse. Can Vet J 1997 Aug;38(8):499-501.
- Takahashi Y, Niwa H, Ebisuda Y, Mukai K, Yoshida T, Raidal S, Padalino B, Ohmura H. Increased freedom of head movement mitigates stress and bacterial load in the airways of horses during transport. Front Vet Sci 2024;11:1477653.
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