Streptococci and Pasteurella spp. associated with disease of the equine lower respiratory tract.
Abstract: The likelihood of finding evidence of inflammation in 551 tracheal washes collected endoscopically from 278 Thoroughbred racehorses increased with the number of bacterial colony forming units (cfu) per ml of wash (P < 0.001). The aerobic bacteria Streptococcus zooepidemicus, Pasteurella/Actinobacillus-like species and Streptococcus pneumoniae were significantly associated with lower airway inflammation whereas coagulase-negative Staphylococcus spp., alpha-haemolytic Streptococcus spp., Acinetobacter spp., Bacillus spp., Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, non-haemolytic Streptococcus spp. and Enterobacteriaceae were not; Bordetella bronchiseptica was not isolated. Lower airway inflammation was particularly associated with bacteria in horses < or = 3 years of age. S. zooepidemicus, S. pneumoniae and Pasteurella/Actinobacillus-like species were isolated from 167 of 551 washes, either alone or in combination.
Publication Date: 1993-07-01 PubMed ID: 8354218DOI: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.1993.tb02970.xGoogle Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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This research article investigates the correlation between certain bacteria and inflammation in the lower respiratory tract of racehorses. The authors observe that the types of bacteria most frequently linked to such inflammation are Streptococcus zooepidemicus, Pasteurella/Actinobacillus-like species, and Streptococcus pneumoniae.
Research Sample and Methodology
- The researchers gathered a sample size of 551 tracheal washes using endoscopy. These washes were collected from 278 Thoroughbred racehorses.
- They claimed that the chances of finding evidence of inflammation in these washes increased proportionally with the concentration of bacterial colony forming units (cfu) per ml of wash.
Confounding Factors
- The team confirms that other types of bacteria such as coagulase-negative Staphylococcus spp., alpha-haemolytic Streptococcus spp., Acinetobacter spp., Bacillus spp., Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, non-haemolytic Streptococcus spp., and Enterobacteriaceae were not associated with lower respiratory tract inflammation.
- The bacterium Bordetella bronchiseptica was also not isolated, which means it was not found in the tracheal washes tested.
Key Findings
- The primary bacteria associated with lower respiratory tract inflammation were Streptococcus zooepidemicus, Pasteurella/Actinobacillus-like species, and Streptococcus pneumoniae.
- These infectious agents were particularly associated with horses that were three years old or younger.
- The mentioned strains of bacteria were isolated from 167 of the 551 washes, either individually or in combination.
Potential Impact and Implications
- These findings could provide valuable insights into the development of effective treatment and prevention strategies against respiratory infections in horses.
- Identifying these bacterial strains as causative agents of lower respiratory tract inflammation in horses could help in the early diagnosis and intervention in affected animals, thereby promoting their well-being and performance efficiency.
Cite This Article
APA
Wood JL, Burrell MH, Roberts CA, Chanter N, Shaw Y.
(1993).
Streptococci and Pasteurella spp. associated with disease of the equine lower respiratory tract.
Equine Vet J, 25(4), 314-318.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2042-3306.1993.tb02970.x Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Animal Health Trust, Newmarket, Suffolk, UK.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Colony Count, Microbial
- Horse Diseases / microbiology
- Horse Diseases / pathology
- Horses
- Inflammation
- Pasteurella / growth & development
- Pasteurella / isolation & purification
- Pasteurella Infections / microbiology
- Pasteurella Infections / pathology
- Pasteurella Infections / veterinary
- Respiratory Tract Infections / microbiology
- Respiratory Tract Infections / pathology
- Respiratory Tract Infections / veterinary
- Streptococcal Infections / microbiology
- Streptococcal Infections / pathology
- Streptococcal Infections / veterinary
- Streptococcus / growth & development
- Streptococcus / isolation & purification
- Trachea / microbiology
- Trachea / pathology
Citations
This article has been cited 17 times.- Jurisic L, Auerswald H, Marcacci M, Di Giallonardo F, Coetzee LM, Curini V, Averaimo D, Ortiz-Baez AS, Cammà C, Di Teodoro G, Richt JA, Holmes EC, Lorusso A. Insect-specific Alphamesonivirus-1 (Mesoniviridae) in lymph node and lung tissues from two horses with acute respiratory syndrome. J Virol 2025 Feb 25;99(2):e0214424.
- Wong ΗE, Tourlomousis P, Paterson GK, Webster S, Bryant CE. Naturally-occurring serotype 3 Streptococcus pneumoniae strains that lack functional pneumolysin and autolysin have attenuated virulence but induce localized protective immune responses. PLoS One 2023;18(3):e0282843.
- Bond S, McMullen C, Timsit E, Léguillette R. Topography of the respiratory, oral, and guttural pouch bacterial and fungal microbiotas in horses. J Vet Intern Med 2023 Jan;37(1):349-360.
- Simões J, Batista M, Tilley P. The Immune Mechanisms of Severe Equine Asthma-Current Understanding and What Is Missing. Animals (Basel) 2022 Mar 16;12(6).
- Karagianni AE, Kurian D, Cillán-Garcia E, Eaton SL, Wishart TM, Pirie RS. Training associated alterations in equine respiratory immunity using a multiomics comparative approach. Sci Rep 2022 Jan 10;12(1):427.
- Lo Feudo CM, Stucchi L, Alberti E, Stancari G, Conturba B, Zucca E, Ferrucci F. The Role of Thoracic Ultrasonography and Airway Endoscopy in the Diagnosis of Equine Asthma and Exercise-Induced Pulmonary Hemorrhage. Vet Sci 2021 Nov 15;8(11).
- Payette F, Charlebois A, Fairbrother JH, Beauchamp G, Leclere M. Nicoletella semolina in the airways of healthy horses and horses with severe asthma. J Vet Intern Med 2021 May;35(3):1612-1619.
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- Bond SL, Timsit E, Workentine M, Alexander T, Léguillette R. Upper and lower respiratory tract microbiota in horses: bacterial communities associated with health and mild asthma (inflammatory airway disease) and effects of dexamethasone. BMC Microbiol 2017 Aug 23;17(1):184.
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