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Infections caused by pathogenic free-living amebas (Balamuthia mandrillaris and Acanthamoeba sp.) in horses.
Abstract: This article describes amebic infections in 4 horses: granulomatous amebic encephalitis caused by Balamuthia mandrillaris and Acanthamoeba culbertsoni and systemic infections caused by Acanthamoeba sp. The former infection occurred in 1 of 4 horses spontaneously without any underlying conditions; the latter amebic infection was perhaps "opportunistic" considering the visceral involvement by this protozoan in association with Aspergillus sp. and/or Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas sp. The clinicopathologic findings and demonstration of the amebic organisms using immunohistochemical techniques, culture, polymerase chain reactions, and electron microscopy are presented.
Publication Date: 2007-04-27 PubMed ID: 17459867DOI: 10.1177/104063870701900318Google 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
This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.
This research study looks into amebic infections in horses, specifically those caused by Balamuthibala mandrillaris and Acanthamoeba. It investigates how, in some instances, these infections occur spontaneously and in other cases seem to be “opportunistic”, potentially taking advantage of other infections in the body.
Overview of the Study
- The study focuses on four horses which have contracted amebic infections. The researchers studied two different types of these infections, one being granulomatous amebic encephalitis caused by Balamuthia mandrillaris and Acanthamoeba culbertsoni, and the other systemic infections caused by Acanthamoeba sp.
Methodology
- Researchers applied various methods to identify and analyse the amebic organisms in the infected horses. These methods included the use of immunohistochemical techniques, culture, polymerase chain reactions, and electron microscopy.
- The team also recorded the clinicopathologic findings for each case.
Findings
- The study found that one of the four horses contracted granulomatous amebic encephalitis spontaneously, without any apparent pre-existing condition that might have increased its susceptibility to the infection.
- The other cases of amebic infection shown in the study were potentially opportunistic. This means that they likely occurred because of the presence of certain other infections in the body, which could have facilitated the entry and proliferation of the amebic pathogen. Specifically, the researchers identified the potential presence of Aspergillus sp., Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas sp.
Significance
- The results from this study provide valuable insights that could aid in the understanding and treatment of amebic infections in horses. The differentiation between spontaneous and opportunistic infections could potentially inform future research, diagnostics, and treatment strategies.
Cite This Article
APA
Kinde H, Read DH, Daft BM, Manzer M, Nordhausen RW, Kelly DJ, Fuerst PA, Booton G, Visvesvara GS.
(2007).
Infections caused by pathogenic free-living amebas (Balamuthia mandrillaris and Acanthamoeba sp.) in horses.
J Vet Diagn Invest, 19(3), 317-322.
https://doi.org/10.1177/104063870701900318 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System (CAHFS), San Bernardino Branch, 105 West Central Avenue, San Bernardino, CA 92408, USA. hkinde@ucdavis.edu
MeSH Terms
- Acanthamoeba / genetics
- Acanthamoeba / isolation & purification
- Amebiasis / parasitology
- Amebiasis / veterinary
- Animals
- Brain Diseases / parasitology
- Brain Diseases / veterinary
- DNA, Protozoan / chemistry
- DNA, Protozoan / genetics
- Fatal Outcome
- Female
- Horse Diseases / parasitology
- Horses
- Immunohistochemistry / veterinary
- Lung Diseases, Parasitic / parasitology
- Lung Diseases, Parasitic / veterinary
- Male
- Polymerase Chain Reaction / veterinary
Grant Funding
- R01 EY009073-13 / NEI NIH HHS
- EY09073 / NEI NIH HHS
Citations
This article has been cited 9 times.- Niedringhaus KD, Gordon M, Yabsley MJ, Gai J, Uzal FA, Woolard KD. Fatal balamuthosis in a Siberian tiger and a literature review of detection options for free-living amoebic infections in animals. J Vet Diagn Invest 2023 May;35(3):311-316.
- Omaña-Molina M, Hernandez-Martinez D, Sanchez-Rocha R, Cardenas-Lemus U, Salinas-Lara C, Mendez-Cruz AR, Colin-Barenque L, Aley-Medina P, Espinosa-Villanueva J, Moreno-Fierros L, Lorenzo-Morales J. In vivo CNS infection model of Acanthamoeba genotype T4: the early stages of infection lack presence of host inflammatory response and are a slow and contact-dependent process. Parasitol Res 2017 Feb;116(2):725-733.
- Begg AP, Todhunter K, Donahoe SL, Krockenberger M, Slapeta J. Severe amoebic placentitis in a horse caused by an Acanthamoeba hatchetti isolate identified using next-generation sequencing. J Clin Microbiol 2014 Aug;52(8):3101-4.
- Carlesso AM, Mentz MB, da Machado ML, Carvalho A, Nunes TE, Maschio VJ, Rott MB. Characterization of isolates of Acanthamoeba from the nasal mucosa and cutaneous lesions of dogs. Curr Microbiol 2014 Jun;68(6):702-7.
- Siddiqui R, Khan NA. Biology and pathogenesis of Acanthamoeba. Parasit Vectors 2012 Jan 10;5:6.
- Barratt JL, Harkness J, Marriott D, Ellis JT, Stark D. Importance of nonenteric protozoan infections in immunocompromised people. Clin Microbiol Rev 2010 Oct;23(4):795-836.
- Bahrami S, Zarei M, Henriquez FL, Nzelu CO. Acanthamoeba spp.: Neglected Protists in Veterinary Medicine. Acta Parasitol 2025 Apr 10;70(2):87.
- Rodríguez-Expósito RL, Carbonell L, Recuero-Gil J, Martinez J, Martinez-Valverde R, Martinez-Fernandez C, Ortega-Porcel J, Hernández AB, Corpa JM, Cortijo EM, Sánchez-Nicolás J, Moya S, Pérez-Pérez P, Reyes-Batlle M, Domíngez-de-Barros A, García-Pérez O, Magnet A, Izquierdo F, Fenoy S, Del Águila C, Córdoba-Lanús E, García-González FA, Casares M, Piñero JE, Lorenzo-Morales J. Fatal amoebic meningoencephalitis caused by Balamuthia mandrillaris in Pongo pygmaeus and first case report in Pan troglodytes verus. Front Vet Sci 2025;12:1534378.
- Barrantes Murillo DF, Berrocal A, Ali IKM, Uzal FA. Systemic Acanthamoeba T17 infection in a free-ranging two-toed sloth: case report and literature review of infections by free-living amebas in mammals. J Vet Diagn Invest 2025 Jan;37(1):164-172.
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