Pathology of equine respiratory disease occurring in association with transport.
Abstract: Eight young thoroughbred horses, taken 1858 km by road (travelling time, 41 h), were examined to assess the pathological nature of respiratory disease associated with transport. Three of the horses showed clinical abnormalities including pyrexia, coughing, leucocytosis and neutrophilia after the first 20 h of transportation. Endoscopical examination of the trachea revealed exacerbation of airway inflammation as a result of transport in two of the three affected horses. A consistent finding in the affected horses was focal serous neutrophilic pneumonia affecting the cranio-ventral portion of the caudal lung lobe with a propensity to affect the right lung. Streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus was isolated from the pneumonic areas, in which corresponding bacterial antigens were identified immunohistochemically. Viral cultures from the pneumonic lesions proved negative for respiratory viruses. It is suggested that transport predisposes the upper respiratory tract and the lower airways to invasion by the bacterium, with episodic pyrexia and acute pneumonia.
Publication Date: 1995-07-01 PubMed ID: 7490335PubMed Central: PMC7130345DOI: 10.1016/s0021-9975(05)80066-0Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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This study examines the pathological development of respiratory diseases in eight young horses after a long-distance road transport. Results revealed transportation-related stressors may predispose horses to bacterial infections, leading to conditions like acute pneumonia.
Study Overview
Researchers observed eight young thoroughbred horses that were transported 1858 km by road, taking about 41 hours. They specifically wanted to understand how such a lengthy transport could influence the development of respiratory diseases in horses. Of the eight subjects, three showed significant symptoms post-transportation.
Findings
- Three horses showed signs of disease, such as increased body temperature (pyrexia), coughing, a rise in white blood cells (leucocytosis), and an increase in a specific type of white blood cell called neutrophils (neutrophilia). These symptoms began to appear after roughly the first 20 hours of travel.
- Endoscopic examination of these horses’ trachea indicated that transportation exacerbated airway inflammation in two of the three affected horses.
- The researchers found a consistent pattern among the affected horses. Each had neutrophilic pneumonia localized in the cranio-ventral section of the lungs’ caudal lobe. These pneumonia symptoms were especially pronounced in the horses’ right lungs.
Bacterial Involvement
- From the pneumonic areas, researchers successfully isolated a bacterium known as Streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus. The exact antigens corresponding to this bacterium were identified through immunohistochemical analysis.
- The team tested the pneumonic lesions for the presence of other pathogens, specifically respiratory viruses, but these tests returned negative results. This leads to the conclusion that the primary pathogen at play was the S. equi subspecies zooepidemicus bacterium.
Conclusion
The results of the study suggest that stressful conditions from long-distance transportation make equine upper respiratory tracts and lower airways susceptible to bacterial invasions. This can lead to episodic pyrexia and acute pneumonia. This research highlights the need for careful veterinary monitoring and potentially preventative measures for horses during and after strenuous long-distance transport.
Cite This Article
APA
Oikawa M, Takagi S, Anzai R, Yoshikawa H, Yoshikawa T.
(1995).
Pathology of equine respiratory disease occurring in association with transport.
J Comp Pathol, 113(1), 29-43.
https://doi.org/10.1016/s0021-9975(05)80066-0 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Pathology Division, Equine Research Institute, Japan Racing Association, Tokyo.
MeSH Terms
- Acute Disease
- Animals
- Female
- Horse Diseases / etiology
- Horse Diseases / pathology
- Horses
- Male
- Pneumonia, Bacterial / etiology
- Pneumonia, Bacterial / pathology
- Pneumonia, Bacterial / veterinary
- Pulmonary Alveoli / blood supply
- Pulmonary Alveoli / ultrastructure
- Respiratory Tract Infections / etiology
- Respiratory Tract Infections / pathology
- Respiratory Tract Infections / veterinary
- Streptococcal Infections / etiology
- Streptococcal Infections / pathology
- Streptococcal Infections / veterinary
- Streptococcus equi / isolation & purification
- Transportation
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Citations
This article has been cited 14 times.- 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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