Recognition of Pneumocystis carinii in foals with respiratory distress.
Abstract: Five 3-month-old foals presenting with fever and respiratory disease were found to have pulmonary abscesses with patchy to diffuse alveolar and interstitial pneumonia on post-mortem examination. All affected foals had evidence of Rhodococcus equi infection and had few to abundant Pneumocystis carinii cysts in the sections of affected lung. Of the 5 foals examined radiographically, 3 had a distinct reticulonodular (miliary) pattern which may aid in the ante-mortem diagnosis of P. carinii pneumonia (PCP). Leukocyte counts of foals with PCP were significantly greater than in the control group of foals with uncomplicated bacterial pneumonia. Foals with PCP tended to be more tachypnoeic than the control foals and 4 of the 5 PCP+ foals appeared dyspnoeic before death. The ante-mortem recognition of PCP may be expedited by bronchoalveolar lavage and successful treatment of foals with PCP may require the administration of adequate levels of potentiated sulphonamides.
Publication Date: 1993-03-01 PubMed ID: 8467767DOI: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.1993.tb02917.xGoogle Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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This research revolves around the study of five 3-month-old foals that showed signs of fever and respiratory disease, with a focus on the presence of a specific pneumonia causing organism, Pneumocystis carinii, in the affected lung sections. Effective diagnosis and treatment possibilities are explored.
Findings on Examination
- The foals displaying fever and respiratory issues had an autopsy performed, revealing lung abscesses and broad-ranging alveolar and interstitial pneumonia. These conditions were triggered by a bacterial infection from Rhodococcus equi and a significant presence of Pneumocystis carinii cysts in the affected areas of the lungs.
Radiographic Observations
- Radiography was done on all the 5 foals and it was found that three showed a distinct reticulonodular (miliary) pattern which could assist in ante-mortem diagnosis of P. carinii Pneumonia (PCP).
Differences in Blood Parameters
- Blood tests revealed that the foals infected with PCP had significantly greater leukocyte, or white blood cell, count than the control group with normal bacterial pneumonia. This increased leukocyte count signifies a higher level of body’s immune response, indicative of an advanced infection level.
Observations of Symptoms
- The foals infected with PCP displayed heightened tachypnoea, or rapid breathing, compared to the control group. Furthermore, 4 out of the 5 foals showed visible labored breathing, known as dyspnoea, before the eventual death.
Ante-Mortem Recognition of PCP
- The research points out that the diagnosis or recognition of PCP during the life of the foals may be accelerated by performing a bronchoalveolar lavage. This examination method involves inspection of a specimen of bronchoalveolar fluid for infectious agents.
Treatment for Foals with PCP
- For a successful treatment and recovery from PCP, the study suggests delivering adequate levels of potentiated sulphonamides, a class of antibiotics, as a potential solution. These drugs can halt the growth of Pneumocystis carinii, thus potentially curing the foals of PCP.
Cite This Article
APA
Ainsworth DM, Weldon AD, Beck KA, Rowland PH.
(1993).
Recognition of Pneumocystis carinii in foals with respiratory distress.
Equine Vet J, 25(2), 103-108.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2042-3306.1993.tb02917.x Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Clinical Sciences, NYSCVM-Cornell University, Ithaca 14853.
MeSH Terms
- Actinomycetales Infections / complications
- Actinomycetales Infections / veterinary
- Animals
- Female
- Horse Diseases / blood
- Horse Diseases / diagnosis
- Horses
- Leukocyte Count / veterinary
- Lung / diagnostic imaging
- Lung / parasitology
- Lung / pathology
- Male
- Pneumocystis / isolation & purification
- Pneumonia / complications
- Pneumonia / veterinary
- Pneumonia, Pneumocystis / blood
- Pneumonia, Pneumocystis / complications
- Pneumonia, Pneumocystis / diagnosis
- Pneumonia, Pneumocystis / veterinary
- Radiography
- Respiration
- Rhodococcus equi
Citations
This article has been cited 8 times.- Kottom TJ, Carmona EM, Limper AH. Lung Epithelial Cell Line Immune Responses to Pneumocystis. J Fungi (Basel) 2023 Jul 6;9(7).
- Weissenbacher-Lang C, Blasi B, Bauer P, Binanti D, Bittermann K, Ergin L, Högler C, Högler T, Klier M, Matt J, Nedorost N, Silvestri S, Stixenberger D, Ma L, Cissé OH, Kovacs JA, Desvars-Larrive A, Posautz A, Weissenböck H. Detection of Pneumocystis and Morphological Description of Fungal Distribution and Severity of Infection in Thirty-Six Mammal Species. J Fungi (Basel) 2023 Feb 7;9(2).
- Danesi P, Corrò M, Falcaro C, Carminato A, Furlanello T, Cocchi M, Krockenberger MB, Meyer W, Capelli G, Malik R. Molecular detection of Pneumocystis in the lungs of cats. Med Mycol 2019 Oct 1;57(7):813-824.
- Perez-Ecija A, Mendoza FJ, Estepa JC, Bautista MJ, Pérez J. Equid herpesvirus 1 and rhodococcus equi coinfection in a foal with bronchointerstitial pneumonia. J Vet Med Sci 2016 Oct 1;78(9):1511-1513.
- Asin J, Carvallo F, Gonzales-Viera OA, Macías-Rioseco M, Streitenberger N, Abdelrazek S, Crossley B, Pesavento PA, Uzal FA. Interstitial pneumonias of undetermined etiology in foals in California, 1990-2020. J Vet Diagn Invest 2026 Jan 29;:10406387251410524.
- Balakrishnan A, Silverstein DC, Bedenice D, Bersenas A, Bourgeois JP, Carroll CL, Dunkel B, Greensmith T, Hopper K, Lascola K, Mangalmurti N, Rozanski E, Wilkins P, Yehya N. Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome in Veterinary Medicine-The ARDSVet Definitions. J Vet Emerg Crit Care (San Antonio) 2025 Jul-Aug;35(4):327-338.
- Weissenbacher-Lang C, Grenl A, Blasi B. Meta-Analysis and Systematic Literature Review of the Genus Pneumocystis in Pet, Farm, Zoo, and Wild Mammal Species. J Fungi (Basel) 2023 Nov 4;9(11).
- Sukura A, Laakkonen J, Rudbäck E. Occurrence of Pneumocystis carinii in canine distemper. Acta Vet Scand 1997;38(2):201-5.
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