Pulmonary aspergillosis in a horse: a case report.
Abstract: Respiratory diseases considerably affect equine athletes, being the second most common cause of poor performance. Among these diseases, fungal pneumonia in horses, caused specifically by Aspergillus spp., is relatively rare but potentially fatal. Fungal pneumonia typically affects horses exposed to fungal elements due to environmental factors, immunosuppression, or previous debilitating illnesses. Treatment is complex, with minimal success due to late diagnosis and serious concomitant underlying diseases. The choice of medication depends on the site of infection, the fungal species involved, and financial considerations. This report describes a case of pulmonary aspergillosis diagnosed in a 10-year-old castrated Quarter Horse. Transtracheal lavage revealed fungal elements characteristic of Aspergillus fumigatus. Treatment with dexamethasone, bromhexine hydrochloride, and itraconazole led to a successful recovery. The diagnosis of equine aspergillosis is challenging because its clinical signs overlap with other respiratory diseases. Fungal infections like aspergillosis are gaining attention in the equine health scene. Early and accurate diagnosis is crucial to avoid unnecessary use of antibiotics and prevent antimicrobial resistance. Furthermore, veterinarians and horse handlers must be aware of the risks of spreading aspergillosis to humans, emphasizing preventative measures and respiratory protection. As doenças respiratórias afetam consideravelmente os equinos atletas, sendo a segunda causa mais comum de mau desempenho. Entre essas condições, a pneumonia fúngica em cavalos, causada especificamente por Aspergillus spp., é relativamente rara, mas potencialmente fatal. Normalmente afeta cavalos expostos a elementos fúngicos devido a fatores ambientais, imunossupressão ou doenças debilitantes. O tratamento é complexo, com sucesso mínimo devido ao diagnóstico tardio e doenças subjacentes graves concomitantes. A escolha do medicamento depende do local da infecção, das espécies fúngicas envolvidas e das considerações financeiras. Este relato descreve um caso de aspergilose pulmonar diagnosticado em equino Quarto de Milha castrado, de 10 anos de idade. A lavagem transtraqueal revelou elementos fúngicos característicos de Aspergillus fumigatus. O tratamento com dexametasona, cloridrato de bromexina e itraconazol levou a uma recuperação bem-sucedida. O diagnóstico da aspergilose equina é um desafio porque seus sinais clínicos se sobrepõem a outras doenças respiratórias. Infecções fúngicas como a aspergilose estão ganhando atenção no cenário da saúde equina. O diagnóstico precoce e preciso é crucial para evitar o uso de antibióticos e prevenir a resistência antimicrobiana. Além disso, os veterinários e tratadores de cavalos devem estar cientes dos riscos de propagação da aspergilose em humanos, enfatizando medidas preventivas e de proteção respiratória.
Publication Date: 2024-01-09 PubMed ID: 38282831PubMed Central: PMC10811723DOI: 10.29374/2527-2179.bjvm004723Google 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.
- 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 discusses a case of a horse suffering from a rare but fatal respiratory disease known as pulmonary aspergillosis. The article also underlines the critical aspects of early diagnostic procedures, treatment methods, and prevention measures to mitigate the spread of this disease.
Research Scope and Significance
- Respiratory diseases significantly affect the performance of equine athletes and are the second most common cause of reduced performance.
- The study focuses on fungal pneumonia, specifically caused by aspergillosis, a disease that is uncommon but can be deadly.
- Emphasis is made about the difficulty of treatments due to the potential late diagnosis of the disease and severe simultaneous underlying diseases.
- The research additionally stresses the importance of early and precise diagnosis to prevent unnecessary use of antibiotics and consequent antimicrobial resistance.
Case Study
- The research includes a detailed description of a specific case of pulmonary aspergillosis diagnosed in a 10-year-old castrated Quarter Horse.
- The horse was diagnosed through a transtracheal lavage, a diagnostic procedure that revealed fungal elements characteristic of aspergillosis.
Treatment
- The treatment procedures involved the use of dexamethasone, a type of corticosteroid medication used to treat a range of conditions, bromhexine hydrochloride for breaking down mucus, and itraconazole, an antifungal medication.
- This combination of medication led to a successful recovery of the affected horse.
Challenges and Prevention
- The research highlights the challenge in diagnosing equine aspergillosis due to its clinical signs overlapping with other respiratory diseases.
- It also stresses the growing attention fungal infections like aspergillosis are receiving in the equine health scene, emphasizing on the criticalness of early and accurate diagnosis.
- The research establishes the potential dangers to humans from aspergillosis and insists on the need for preventative measures and respiratory protection for veterinarians and horse handlers.
Cite This Article
APA
Melo UP, Ferreira C, Barreto SWM.
(2024).
Pulmonary aspergillosis in a horse: a case report.
Braz J Vet Med, 46, e004723.
https://doi.org/10.29374/2527-2179.bjvm004723 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Veterinarian, DSc. Centro Universitário Mauricio de Nassau. Natal, RN, Brazil.
- Veterinarian, DSc. Centro Universitário Mauricio de Nassau. Natal, RN, Brazil.
- Veterinarian. PetLab Laboratório, Natal, RN, Brazil.
Conflict of Interest Statement
Conflicts of interest: UPM, CF and SWMB - No conflict of interest.
References
This article includes 22 references
- Alves R. C., Borges I. L., Dutra V., Júnior F. G., Neto E. G., Dantas A. F., Riet-Correa F., Galiza G. J.. Systemic infection by Aspergillus flavus in a mare.. Acta Scientiae Veterinariae 2018;46(Suppl 1):345.
- Busato E. M., Meirelles J. R. S., Castro M. L., Abreu A. C. M. R., Sousa R. S., Brum J. S., Dornbusch P. T.. Aspergilose sistêmica em um cavalo - relato de caso.. Arquivo Brasileiro de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia 2020;72(1):65–70.
- Cafarchia C., Paradies R., Figueredo L. A., Padalino B., Greco M. F., Greco G., Otranto D.. A case of equine aspergillosis: A novel sampling procedure for diagnosis.. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science 2012;32(10):634–637.
- Couëtil L. L., Cardwell J. M., Gerber V., Lavoie J.-P., Léguillette R., Richard E. A.. Inflammatory airway disease of horses-revised consensus statement.. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine 2016;30(2):503–515.
- 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 D. A., Havlíček V.. Diagnosis of aspergillosis in horses.. Journal of Fungi (Basel, Switzerland) 2023;9(2):161.
- Fernandes W. R., Mori E., Sanches A.. Avaliação citológica de lavados traqueobrônquico e broncoalveolar em cavalos clinicamente sadios pelo método de coloração de Rosenfeld.. Arquivo Brasileiro de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia 2000;52(6):604–609.
- Hattab J., Vulcano A., D’Arezzo S., Verni F., Tiscar P. G., Lanteri G., Gjurcevic E., Tosi U., Marruchella G.. Aspergillus Section Fumigati pneumonia and oxalate nephrosis in a foal.. Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland) 2021;10(9):1087.
- Higgins J. C., Pusterla N.. Fungal pneumonia in horses.. Clinical Techniques in Equine Practice 2006;5(3):218–224.
- Lessa D. A. B., Mori E., Viana E. B., Santos O. J., Moreira J. F. E., Fernandes W. R.. Lavado broncoalveolar em eqüinos: revisão de literatura. Parte 1: Técnicas de colheita.. Arquivos de Ciências Veterinárias e Zoologia da UNIPAR 2005;8(2):213–217.
- Lima J. L. F., Venancio F. R., Faccini L. S., Brunner C. B., Gomes A. R., Del Pinho T. S., Bonel J.. Aspergilose sistêmica em potro (Equus caballus). Ciência Animal 2021;31(1):146–152.
- Lopes P. R., Batista M. A., Soares R. P., Oliveira J. G., Leme F.. Autohemotherapy increases phagocytic activity of neutrophils and promotes cytokine production by lymphocytes in horses.. Revista Brasileira de Medicina Veterinária 2021;43(1):e000821.
- Medeiros P. R., Figueiredo L. S., Melo U. P., Mariz A. L. B., Brito E. L., Filho, Araújo I. R. S., Silva A. L. C., Junior, Costa M. H. S., Ferreira C., Assis D. B., Silva C. R. M., Souza A. L., Souza M. P. S.. Survey on sanitary practices and knowledge about infectious diseases among equine owners in the State of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil.. Revista Brasileira de Medicina Veterinária 2023;45:e003323.
- Melo U. P., Ferreira C.. Bacterial pneumonia in horses associated with Escherichia coli infection: Report of five cases.. Arquivo Brasileiro de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia 2022;74(5):862–868.
- Melo U. P., Ferreira C., Palhares M. S.. Obstrução recorrente das vias aéreas em muares: Relato de três casos.. Arquivo Brasileiro de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia 2007;59(3):627–633.
- Melo U. P., Ferreira C., Feijó F. M. C., Santos C. S.. Pleuropneumonia séptica em potro.. Brazilian Journal of Animal and Environmental Research 2021;4(3):3818–3831.
- Moreira M. J. A., Thomassian A., Alves A. L. G., Hussni C. A., Nicoletti J. L. M.. Tratamento de aspergilose pulmonar com itraconazol em um equino.. Brazilian Journal of Veterinary Research and Animal Science 2004;41(supl.):238–238.
- Oliveira T. M., Michelotto P. V., Junior, Fernandes W. R., Calomeno S. S.. Equine asthma in Brazil - a scoping review.. Research, Social Development 2022;11(8):e30311830824.
- Rossi H., Virtala A.-M., Raekallio M., Rahkonen E., Rajamaki M. M., Mykkanen A.. Comparison of tracheal wash and bronchoalveolar lavage cytology in 154 horses with and without respiratory signs in a referral hospital over 2009-2015.. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 2018;5:61.
- Sales M. P. U.. Aspergilose: Do diagnóstico ao tratamento.. Jornal Brasileiro de Pneumologia 2009;35(12):1238–1244.
- Silva J. R., Castro M. L., Busato E. M., Deconto I., Sousa R., Dornbusch P. T.. Aspergilose sistêmica em um cavalo: Relato de caso.. Ciência Veterinária nos Tropicos 2014;17(3):20–20.
- Stewart A. J., Cuming R. S.. Update on fungal respiratory disease in horses.. The Veterinary Clinics of North America. Equine Practice 2015;31(1):43–62.
- Trápaga M. R., Poester V. R., Mousquer M. A., Souza R. P., Rafael L. A., Bonel J., Melo A. M., Reis A. G., Faria R. O., Stevens D. A., Nogueira C. E. W., Xavier M. O.. Systemic aspergillosis associated with acute enterocolitis in foals.. Journal de Mycologie Médicale 2023;33(4):101433.
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
