Purpura haemorrhagica in 53 horses.

This research article details a study on 53 horses with purpura haemorrhagica, a severe skin and vascular system disease in equines. The study investigates the different factors contributing to the disease, the most common clinical signs, and the treatment methods applied, as well as their effectiveness and impact on the survival of the horses.

Study Characteristics and Findings

In this research, the medical records of 53 horses diagnosed with purpura haemorrhaga were analyzed. The horses in the study ranged in age from six months to 19 years, with an average age of 8.4 years. The research found that:

• Seventeen of the horses were exposed to or infected with Streptococcus equi.
• Nine horses got infected with Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis.
• Five horses were vaccinated with S. equi M protein.
• Five had a respiratory infection of unknown origin.
• Two had open wounds.
• Fifteen cases had no history of recent viral or bacterial infection.

Clinical Signs

The common clinical symptoms observed in the horses included:

• Subcutaneous oedema of all four limbs.
• Haemorrhages on the visible mucous membranes.
• Signs of depression, anorexia, fever, tachycardia, and tachypnoea.
• Other symptoms like reluctance to move, drainage from lymph nodes, skin exudation of serum, colic, epistaxis and weight loss.

Medical Indicators

Haematological and biochemical abnormalities commonly detected were:

• Anaemia, neutrophilia, hyperproteinaemia.
• Hyperfibrinogenaemia, hyperglobulinaemia.
• High activities of muscle enzymes.

Treatments and Outcomes

All the horses were treated with corticosteroids, and other treatments included:

• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs given to 42 horses.
• Twenty-six received antimicrobial drugs.
• Some cases were given special nursing care like hydrotherapy and bandaging of limbs.

The treatment lasted for more than seven days for most of the horses, and there were no recorded instances of relapse. Out of the total, forty-nine horses survived, one died, and three were euthanized due to severe conditions or secondary complications. Some of the non-survivors were either vaccinated with S. equi M protein or had a S. equi infection or a respiratory infection of undetermined origin.