Equine pulmonary mycosis due to Aspergillus niger and Rhizopus stolonifer.

This research article discusses a case where a horse contracted pulmonary mycosis, a fungal infection in the lungs, caused by Aspergillus niger and Rhizopus stolonifer, fungi commonly found in the environment. This is the first case to report these fungi causing such an infection in horses.

Introduction to the Case

• The research paper centers around a case report of a 2-year-old horse which tragically passed away after being housed in a unsanitized, abandoned stable, along with two other horses.
• This particular horse was found to have developed invasive pulmonary mycosis, a serious lung infection caused by the two aforementioned fungi, A. niger and R. stolonifer.

Pathological Observations and Diagnosis

• Upon examination, the lesions found on the horse were characterized by the presence of thrombosis which are blood clots in the blood vessels, haemorrhage (bleeding), and tissue necrosis (death of tissue due to lack of blood supply).
• Evidently visible were fungal hyphae, the branching filaments that make up a fungus, in both the thrombosed vessels and the neighboring necrotic tissue.

Culture and Identification

• Researchers then conducted a culture study using lung samples from the horse, as well as samples derived from the hay present in the stable’s bedding.
• Two types of fungal colonies were identified and were confirmed to be A. niger and R. stolonifer.

Significance of the Study

• This research marks the first ever documentation of equine pulmonary mucormycosis, a rarely reported fungal infection in horses.
• Also, the implication of A. niger as one of the causal agents in this case takes precedence as it’s the first instance of its identification as a pathogen in horses.