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Home / Equine Research Bank / J Vet Diagn Invest / Streptococcus pluranimalium meningoencephalitis in a horse.
Journal of veterinary diagnostic investigation : official publication of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, Inc2021; 33(5); 956-960; doi: 10.1177/10406387211023465

Streptococcus pluranimalium meningoencephalitis in a horse.

Abstract: A 3-y-old, female Quarter Horse with a history of acute neurologic signs was found dead and was submitted for postmortem examination. Areas of petechial and ecchymotic hemorrhage were present on cross-sections of the cerebrum, cerebellum, and brainstem. Histologic examination of the brain revealed severe, purulent meningoencephalitis and vasculitis with a myriad of intralesional gram-positive cocci. was identified from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue obtained from sites with active lesions by PCR and nucleotide sequencing of bacterial 16S ribosomal RNA. should be considered as a cause of meningoencephalitis in a horse.
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Publication Date: 2021-06-10 PubMed ID: 34109867PubMed Central: PMC8366254DOI: 10.1177/10406387211023465Google Scholar: Lookup
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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 involves a postmortem examination of a 3-year old Quarter Horse that displayed acute neurological signs and was found dead. The autopsy revealed extensive brain damage caused by Streptococcus pluranimalium, confirming that this bacterium can lead to severe conditions like meningoencephalitis in horses.

Background and Purpose of the Study

  • The study commences with a postmortem examination of a three-year-old, female Quarter Horse that had shown signs of severe neurological distress and was found dead.
  • The aim of the research is to understand the etiological agent causing the animal’s death, to potentially shed light on the disease affecting equine population.

Pathological Findings

  • Upon examination, areas of petechial and ecchymotic hemorrhages were found in cross-sections of several areas of the horse’s brain, including the cerebrum, cerebellum, and brainstem.
  • A histologic examination was performed on the brain tissue, revealing severe purulent meningoencephalitis and vasculitis.
  • This points to a serious infection with inflammation of the meninges and brain tissue along with the inflammation of vessel walls.

Identification of the Causative Agent

  • Presence of a large number of intralesional gram-positive cocci was detected, an indication of a bacterial infection.
  • To identify the bacteria, genetic testing was performed on samples of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue taken from sites with active lesions.
  • The causative bacteria were identified as Streptococcus pluranimalium through Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and subsequent nucleotide sequencing of bacterial 16S ribosomal RNA.

Conclusion and Implication of the Study

  • This discovery suggests that Streptococcus pluranimalium should be considered as a potential cause of meningoencephalitis in horses.
  • Knowing the causative agent can improve diagnosis and treatment strategies for equine meningoencephalitis.
  • This research highlights the importance of postmortem examinations and genetic testing in determining the pathogens responsible for severe conditions in animals.

Cite This Article

APA
Fu DJ, Ramachandran A, Miller C. (2021). Streptococcus pluranimalium meningoencephalitis in a horse. J Vet Diagn Invest, 33(5), 956-960. https://doi.org/10.1177/10406387211023465

Publication

Journal of veterinary diagnostic investigation : official publication of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, Inc
ISSN: 1943-4936
NlmUniqueID: 9011490
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 33
Issue: 5
Pages: 956-960

Researcher Affiliations

Fu, Dah-Jiun
  • Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA.
Ramachandran, Akhilesh
  • Oklahoma Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA.
Miller, Craig
  • Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Brain
  • Female
  • Horse Diseases / diagnosis
  • Horse Diseases / microbiology
  • Horses
  • Meningoencephalitis / diagnosis
  • Meningoencephalitis / veterinary
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / genetics
  • Streptococcus

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

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Citations

This article has been cited 2 times.
  1. Kabir A, Lamichhane B, Habib T, Adams A, El-Sheikh Ali H, Slovis NM, Troedsson MHT, Helmy YA. Antimicrobial Resistance in Equines: A Growing Threat to Horse Health and Beyond-A Comprehensive Review. Antibiotics (Basel) 2024 Jul 29;13(8).
    doi: 10.3390/antibiotics13080713pubmed: 39200013google scholar: lookup
  2. Lei YX, Liu Y, Xing LH, Wu YJ, Wang XY, Meng FH, Lou YN, Ma ZG, Yuan L, Yu SX. The pseudokinase MLKL contributes to host defense against Streptococcus pluranimalium infection by mediating NLRP3 inflammasome activation and extracellular trap formation. Virulence 2023 Dec;14(1):2258057.
    doi: 10.1080/21505594.2023.2258057pubmed: 37743649google scholar: lookup
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