Successful treatment and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) confirmation of Tyzzer’s disease in a foal and clinical and pathologic characteristics of 6 additional foals (1986-2005).

This research paper presents a case of successful treatment of Tyzzer’s disease, a deadly liver infection in foals caused by Clostridium piliforme, and explores the diagnostic use of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for this disease. The study also presents clinical and pathological characteristics of this condition in six other foals examined over a period of nearly two decades.

Objectives and Methods

This research was driven by two main objectives:

• To demonstrate that successful treatment of Tyzzer’s disease in foals is possible
• To show that PCR can be utilized to diagnose Tyzzer’s disease both before and after death.

To achieve these objectives, the researchers conducted a retrospective study on the medical records of seven foals stored at the University of California Davis. The foals chosen for the study exhibited typical symptoms of Tyzzer’s disease and were younger than 3 months. The researchers developed a real-time TaqMan assay for detecting C. piliforme gene sequences in liver tissue samples from the affected foals.

Results

The research study produced several notable results:

• The median survival period for foals that didn’t survive Tyzzer’s disease was 30 hours, with a range between 16 and 62 hours.
• The common clinical symptoms were lethargy, seizure, fever, and lying down.
• Lab tests showed metabolic acidosis, hypoglycemia, and elevated hepatobiliary enzyme activity.
• Treatment involved administering intravenous fluids, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory drugs, and parenteral nutrition.
• Out of the seven foals, one filly survived while the rest six died.
• Post-mortem exams of the six dead foals showed an enlarged liver with multifocal necrosis. Liver tissue from four of the foals tested positive for C. piliforme gene sequences using PCR.

Conclusions

Despite the high fatality rate of Tyzzer’s disease, the researchers concluded that a positive outcome is feasible if intensive care is initiated promptly. Further, the study also showcased that PCR could be employed for early and specific diagnosis of Tyzzer’s disease, hence, promoting timely treatment. This thereby underlines the importance of rapid and accurate diagnostic tools in managing and controlling disease outbreaks.