The first reported case of equine Nocardioform placentitis in New Zealand.

This research article discusses the first reported case of equine Nocardioform placentitis, a type of bacterial infection in the placenta that can lead to abortion in mares, in New Zealand.

Equine Nocardioform Placentitis

• Equine Nocardioform placentitis is a sporadic disease that affects the allantochorion (an important part of the placenta in horses) and is associated with infection by Gram-positive branching actinomycetes bacteria.
• It was first reported in Kentucky in the late 1980s and is considered a significant cause of placentitis (inflammation of the placenta) since then; its prevalence seems to be increasing.
• While it used to be associated with the bacteria genus Nocardia, studies now link it more commonly to two main genera of actinomycetes, Amycolatopsis and Crossiella.

Presence of Equine Nocardioform Placentitis Worldwide

• Equine Nocardioform placentitis has previously been diagnosed in countries such as the United States of America, South Africa, Australia, and Italy. However, there had been no reported cases in New Zealand until the study’s case.

First Case in New Zealand

• The first case of Nocardioform placentitis in New Zealand involved an 8-year-old Thoroughbred mare who delivered a live filly at 342 days of gestation in the Waikato region of New Zealand.
• The foal was normal at birth and was clinically normal thereafter. The foaling process was attended by farm staff and went without incident.
• This mare had successfully given birth to three live foals previously, all of which had been delivered without issue.

Implications

• The appearance of the first case of equine Nocardioform placentitis in New Zealand indicates an expansion of the geographical range of this disease, which has important implications for horse breeding programs in the country.