Fatal equine meningoencephalitis in the United Kingdom caused by the panagrolaimid nematode Halicephalobus gingivalis: case report and review of the literature.
Abstract: A fatal case of eosinophilic and granulomatous meningoencephalitis caused by the free-living panagrolaimid nematode Halicephalobus gingivalis is reported in a 10-year-old Welsh gelding in the United Kingdom. Clinical examination first revealed behavioural abnormalities which rapidly progressed to severe ataxia, reduced mentation status and cranial nerve signs. Despite symptomatic treatment no amelioration of neurological signs was achieved and the horse was subjected to euthanasia. A complete post mortem examination revealed eosinophilic and granulomatous meningoencephalitis mainly affecting the cerebellum and brain stem with intralesional adult nematodes, larvae and eggs. There was also eosinophilic meningitis of the cervical spinal cord. The intralesional nematodes were morphologically consistent with the panagrolaimid nematode H. gingivalis. Although infection by this facultative neurotropic parasite is extremely rare, it needs to be considered in the differential diagnosis of central nervous signs in horses and, in particular, other equine helminthic infection of the central nervous system. This fatal case is unusual since lesions were locally very extensive and the nematodes did not colonise haematogenously to other organs as seen often in equine halicephalobosis. As the taxonomy of H. gingivalis has changed and some recent reports in the literature still refer to this species as Micronema deletrix or Halicephalobus deletrix, we here provide a short update of the species and some insights on the order Tylenchida, which contains free-living nematodes with parasitic tendencies.
© 2011 EVJ Ltd.
Publication Date: 2011-03-04 PubMed ID: 21496093DOI: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.2010.00332.xGoogle Scholar: Lookup
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Summary
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The study recounts a fatal case of a horse in the UK infected with the panagrolaimid nematode Halicephalobus gingivalis, causing serious meningoencephalitis which ultimately led to euthanasia. The research suggests further consideration of this rare parasite in differential diagnoses for central nervous system issues in horses.
Case Presentation
- The subject of the study was a 10-year old Welsh gelding horse, which exhibited initial behavioral abnormalities.
- These symptoms escalated into severe ataxia, reduced awareness, and cranial nerve signs.
- Despite treatment being administered to alleviate the symptoms, the horse’s neurological condition did not improve.
- The horse was ultimately euthanized due to the severity of its condition, and a post mortem examination was conducted.
Post Mortem Findings
- The examination revealed eosinophilic and granulomatous meningoencephalitis affecting primarily the cerebellum and brain stem, with nematodes, larvae, and eggs present in the lesions.
- A similar inflammation was found in the cervical spinal cord of the horse.
- The nematodes found in the lesions were identified as belonging to the species Halicephalobus gingivalis.
- This finding is uncommon as the nematodes in this case did not colonize other organs through the bloodstream, often seen in cases of equine halicephalobosis.
Halicephalobus Gingivalis and its Implications
- The panagrolaimid nematode H. gingivalis, the causative agent in this case, is an extremely rare but potent neurotropic parasite.
- This case study urges for the consideration of this parasite in differential diagnosis when assessing central nervous system disorders in horses and also other helminthic infections in the equine central nervous system.
- The study also provides an update on the taxonomy of H. gingivalis, as some literature still refers to this species by its older names, Micronema deletrix or Halicephalobus deletrix.
- This research also provides insights into the order Tylenchida, which includes free-living nematodes that can have parasitic tendencies.
Cite This Article
APA
Hermosilla C, Coumbe KM, Habershon-Butcher J, Schöniger S.
(2011).
Fatal equine meningoencephalitis in the United Kingdom caused by the panagrolaimid nematode Halicephalobus gingivalis: case report and review of the literature.
Equine Vet J, 43(6), 759-763.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2042-3306.2010.00332.x Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Pathology and Infectious Diseases, Royal Veterinary College, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, UK. chermosilla@rvc.ac.uk
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Fatal Outcome
- Horse Diseases / epidemiology
- Horse Diseases / parasitology
- Horses
- Male
- Meningoencephalitis / epidemiology
- Meningoencephalitis / parasitology
- Meningoencephalitis / veterinary
- Nematoda / classification
- Nematode Infections / parasitology
- Nematode Infections / pathology
- Nematode Infections / veterinary
- United Kingdom / epidemiology
Citations
This article has been cited 10 times.- Faghihzadeh Gorji F, Sadr S, Sharifiyazdi H, Borji H. The first molecular isolation of Halicephalobus gingivalis from horses in Iran.. Vet Res Commun 2023 Aug 5;.
- Pillai VV, Mudd LJ, Sola MF. Disseminated Halicephalobus gingivalis infection in a horse.. J Vet Diagn Invest 2023 Mar;35(2):173-177.
- Onyiche TE, Okute TO, Oseni OS, Okoro DO, Biu AA, Mbaya AW. Parasitic and zoonotic meningoencephalitis in humans and equids: Current knowledge and the role of Halicephalobus gingivalis.. Parasite Epidemiol Control 2018 Feb;3(1):36-42.
- Mittelman NS, Divers TJ, Engiles JB, Gerhold R, Ness S, Scrivani PV, Southard T, Johnson AL. Parelaphostrongylus tenuis Cerebrospinal Nematodiasis in a Horse with Cervical Scoliosis and Meningomyelitis.. J Vet Intern Med 2017 May;31(3):890-893.
- Pintore MD, Cerutti F, D'Angelo A, Corona C, Gazzuola P, Masoero L, Colombo C, Bona R, Cantile C, Peletto S, Casalone C, Iulini B. Isolation and molecular characterisation of Halicephalobus gingivalis in the brain of a horse in Piedmont, Italy.. Parasit Vectors 2017 Mar 7;10(1):135.
- Taulescu MA, Ionicã AM, Diugan E, Pavaloiu A, Cora R, Amorim I, Catoi C, Roccabianca P. First report of fatal systemic Halicephalobus gingivalis infection in two Lipizzaner horses from Romania: clinical, pathological, and molecular characterization.. Parasitol Res 2016 Mar;115(3):1097-103.
- Lim CK, Crawford A, Moore CV, Gasser RB, Nelson R, Koehler AV, Bradbury RS, Speare R, Dhatrak D, Weldhagen GF. First human case of fatal Halicephalobus gingivalis meningoencephalitis in Australia.. J Clin Microbiol 2015 May;53(5):1768-74.
- Henneke C, Jespersen A, Jacobsen S, Nielsen MK, McEvoy F, Jensen HE. The distribution pattern of Halicephalobus gingivalis in a horse is suggestive of a haematogenous spread of the nematode.. Acta Vet Scand 2014 Sep 19;56(1):56.
- Jung JY, Lee KH, Rhyoo MY, Byun JW, Bae YC, Choi E, Kim C, Jean YH, Lee MH, Yoon SS. Meningoencephalitis caused by Halicephalobus gingivalis in a thoroughbred gelding.. J Vet Med Sci 2014 Mar 1;76(2):281-4.
- Papadi B, Boudreaux C, Tucker JA, Mathison B, Bishop H, Eberhard ME. Halicephalobus gingivalis: a rare cause of fatal meningoencephalomyelitis in humans.. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2013 Jun;88(6):1062-4.
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