Evaluation of early fetal loss induced by gavage with eastern tent caterpillars in pregnant mares.
Abstract: To determine whether gavage of pregnant mares (housed without access to pasture) with starved eastern tent caterpillars (ETCs) or their excreta is associated with early fetal loss (EFL), panophthalmitis, or pericarditis. Methods: Randomized clinical trial. Methods: 15 mares. Methods: 15 mares with fetuses from 40 to 80 days of gestation (dGa) were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups and received 2.5 g of ETC excreta, 50 g of starved ETCs, or 500 mL of water, respectively, once daily for 10 days. Mares were housed in box stalls, walked twice daily, and not allowed access to pasture for 12 days before or during the 21-day trial. Results: 4 of 5 mares gavaged with starved ETCs (group 2) aborted on trial days 8 (2 mares), 10, and 13. No control mares or mares that received excreta aborted. Differences between the ETC group and other groups were significant. Abortion occurred on 49, 64, 70, and 96 dGa. Allantoic fluids became hyperechoic the day before or the day of fetal death. Alpha streptococci were recovered from 1 fetus and Serratia marcescens from 3 fetuses. Neither panophthalmitis nor pericarditis was seen. The abortifacient component of the ETCs was not elucidated. Conclusions: These findings suggest that mares with fetuses from 40 to 120 days of gestation should not be exposed to ETCs because they may induce abortion.
Publication Date: 2004-10-02 PubMed ID: 15457665DOI: 10.2460/javma.2004.225.717Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Clinical Trial
- Journal Article
- Randomized Controlled Trial
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
- Research Support
- U.S. Gov't
- Non-P.H.S.
Summary
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The research conducted a clinical trial on pregnant mares to figure out if feeding them with Eastern Tent Caterpillars or their excreta could lead to early pregnancy loss, eye infection, and heart lining inflammation. It concluded that feeding pregnant mares with starved Eastern Tent Caterpillars resulted in abortions, but their excreta did not have similar results. The exact cause of the abortions remains unclear.
Methodology
- The study was conducted as a randomized clinical trial involving 15 pregnant mares, each carrying a fetus between the 40th and 80th day of gestation.
- The mares were randomly divided into three groups. One group was fed 2.5 grams of Eastern Tent Caterpillar (ETC) excreta, another received 50 grams of starved ETCs, and the last group was given 500 ML of water. This treatment was administered once daily for ten days.
- The mares were kept in box stalls without any access to pasture. They were walked twice daily and were barred from grazing for 12 days prior to and during the 21-day trial period.
Results
- The most significant observation came from the group fed with starved ETCs, where four out of five mares had abortions on the 8th, 10th, and 13th days of the trial.
- None of the mares in the control group (those given water) or the ones that received ETCs excreta had abortions, marking a significant difference between the groups.
- The fluid surrounding the fetuses became more echo-reflective, indicating irregularities or possible disease, a day before or on the day of the fetal death.
- Sampling of the fetuses revealed the presence of Alpha streptococci in one fetus and Serratia marcescens in three others.
- There were no cases of panophthalmitis (inflammation of all parts of the eye) or pericarditis (inflammation of the heart lining) observed.
Conclusion
- The study concluded that mares carrying fetuses between the 40th and 120th days of gestation should not be exposed to ETCs as they may induce abortions. However, the exact abortifacient component within the ETCs that triggers the abortions is still unknown.
Cite This Article
APA
Bernard WV, LeBlanc MM, Webb BA, Stromberg AJ.
(2004).
Evaluation of early fetal loss induced by gavage with eastern tent caterpillars in pregnant mares.
J Am Vet Med Assoc, 225(5), 717-721.
https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.2004.225.717 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital, PO Box 12070, Lexington, KY 40511, USA.
MeSH Terms
- Abortion, Veterinary / etiology
- Allantois / diagnostic imaging
- Animal Feed / adverse effects
- Animals
- Female
- Fetal Death / etiology
- Fetal Death / veterinary
- Food Contamination
- Horse Diseases / etiology
- Horses
- Moths / pathogenicity
- Pregnancy
- Pregnancy Outcome / veterinary
- Risk Factors
- Time Factors
- Ultrasonography, Prenatal / veterinary
Citations
This article has been cited 1 times.- Chapuis RJJ, Ragno VM, Ariza CA, Movasseghi AR, Sayi S, Uehlinger FD, Montgomery JB. Septic fibrinous pericarditis in 4 horses in Saskatchewan following an outbreak of forest tent caterpillars in 2017. Can Vet J 2020 Jul;61(7):724-730.
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