Pulmonary aspergillosis associated with acute enteritis in a horse.
Abstract: Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis was detected at postmortem examination of an 8-year-old Quarter Horse mare that had a history of diarrhea, laminitis, and bilateral nasal discharge. A diagnosis of Ehrlichia risticii infection was made on the basis of clinical signs of diarrhea and pyrexia, high serum antibody titer to E risticii (1:2,560), and multiple Salmonella-negative cultures obtained from fecal and colonic specimens. Possible pathogenic mechanisms contributing to the development of pulmonary aspergillosis secondary to enteric disease include mycotic invasion of the intestinal tract or immunocompromise and tissue devitalization secondary to severe enterocolitis. Exposure of the mare to large numbers of Aspergillus organisms may have been important in this case.
Publication Date: 1991-09-01 PubMed ID: 1787116
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.
- Case Reports
- Journal Article
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 investigates a case of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in a horse tied to a diarrheal illness. The 8-year-old mare featured in this study developed the fungal lung infection after suffering from diarrhea, laminitis, and a nasal discharge, which were eventually traced back to an infection from the bacterium Ehrlichia risticii.
Background of the Research
- The research article focuses on an autopsy examination conducted on an 8-year-old Quarter Horse that had previously shown signs of diarrhea, laminitis, and bilateral nasal discharge.
- It was found that the horse had invasive pulmonary aspergillosis, a fungal infection that affects the lungs and can lead to systematic infections and death if not treated.
Diagnosis Process
- The diagnosis pointed to an infection with a bacterium named Ehrlichia risticii.
- This verdict was based on clinical assessments such as signs of diarrhea and fever.
- Furthermore, laboratory tests showed a high level of antibodies against E. risticii in the serum (1:2,560), evidencing the horse’s immune system responding to the bacterial exposure.
- Additionally, multiple cultures taken from the fecal and colonic specimens were negative for Salmonella, ruling out this bacterium as the cause of the symptoms.
Pathological Mechanisms
- The researchers suggested possible pathological events that led to the development of the horse’s pulmonary aspergillosis.
- The mechanisms proposed include two key pathways: fungal intrusion of the intestinal tract, and compromised immunity and tissue deterioration due to severe enterocolitis.
Role of Aspergillus Exposure
- The researchers also assume the horse’s exposure to a significant amount of Aspergillus organisms could have been a critical factor in the manifestation of this disease.
- Aspergillus is a fungi variety that can cause severe lung infections, especially in individuals with weakened immune systems or existing lung diseases like the horse in this investigation.
Cite This Article
APA
Hattel AL, Drake TR, Anderholm BJ, McAllister ES.
(1991).
Pulmonary aspergillosis associated with acute enteritis in a horse.
J Am Vet Med Assoc, 199(5), 589-590.
Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Veterinary Science, College of Agriculture, Pennsylvania State University, University Park 16802.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Antibodies, Bacterial / blood
- Aspergillosis / complications
- Aspergillosis / veterinary
- Diarrhea / complications
- Diarrhea / veterinary
- Ehrlichia / immunology
- Ehrlichiosis / complications
- Ehrlichiosis / veterinary
- Enteritis / complications
- Enteritis / veterinary
- Female
- Horse Diseases
- Horses
- Lung / microbiology
- Lung Diseases, Fungal / complications
- Lung Diseases, Fungal / veterinary
Citations
This article has been cited 4 times.- Dobiáš R, Jahn P, Tóthová K, Dobešová O, Višňovská D, Patil R, Škríba A, Jaworská P, Škorič M, Podojil L, Kantorová M, Mrázek J, Krejčí E, Stevens DA, Havlíček V. Diagnosis of Aspergillosis in Horses. J Fungi (Basel) 2023 Jan 25;9(2).
- Hattab J, Vulcano A, D'Arezzo S, Verni F, Tiscar PG, Lanteri G, Gjurcevic E, Tosi U, Marruchella G. Aspergillus Section Fumigati Pneumonia and Oxalate Nephrosis in a Foal. Pathogens 2021 Aug 26;10(9).
- Hensel M, Meason-Smith C, Plumlee QD, Myers AN, Coleman MC, Lawhon S, Rodrigues Hoffmann A, Rech RR. Retrospective Analysis of Aetiological Agents Associated with Pulmonary Mycosis Secondary to Enteric Salmonellosis in Six Horses by Panfungal Polymerase Chain Reaction. J Comp Pathol 2020 Jan;174:1-7.
- Alonso FH, Fenton H, Muller A, Freeman MA, Becker AAMJ, Rolph K, Abramo N, Rawlins G, Kitson L, Kessel E, Thrall MA. Case report: Disseminated Cladophialophora bantiana phaeohyphomycosis in a dog with hepatic dysfunction, and concurrent ehrlichiosis. Front Vet Sci 2024;11:1451299.
Use Nutrition Calculator
Check if your horse's diet meets their nutrition requirements with our easy-to-use tool Check your horse's diet with our easy-to-use tool
Talk to a Nutritionist
Discuss your horse's feeding plan with our experts over a free phone consultation Discuss your horse's diet over a phone consultation
Submit Diet Evaluation
Get a customized feeding plan for your horse formulated by our equine nutritionists Get a custom feeding plan formulated by our nutritionists
