Treatment of a granuloma caused by Halicephalobus gingivalis in a horse.
Abstract: A 12-year-old Arabian gelding with a granuloma caused by the nematode Halicephalobus gingivalis caudal and dorsal to the left orbit was examined. There was no evidence of dissemination of the nematode to the kidneys or the CNS, and the horse was treated with ivermectin (1.2 mg/kg [0.55 mg/lb] of body weight, p.o., every 2 weeks for 3 treatments). The granuloma was surgically debulked 2 days after the first dose of ivermectin. The granuloma resolved with no evidence of nematode infection after 18 months. Halicephalobus gingivalis is a ubiquitous saprophytic nematode that has been reported to infect humans and horses. The nematode may form granulomas in the integument or may disseminate to various organs with a tropism for the CNS and kidneys. Once clinical signs of CNS involvement develop, the disease is rapidly fatal.
Publication Date: 2002-01-05 PubMed ID: 11767925DOI: 10.2460/javma.2001.219.1735Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary
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The research article discusses the successful treatment of a horse suffering from a granuloma (a type of inflammation) caused by the Halicephalobus gingivalis nematode. The horse was treated with ivermectin and debulked surgically, successfully resolving the infection.
Case Presentation
- The subject of the study was a 12-year-old Arabian gelding who was diagnosed with a granuloma caused by the nematode Halicephalobus gingivalis. This granuloma was located caudal and dorsal to the horse’s left orbit.
- There was no evidence that the nematode had spread to the horse’s kidneys or central nervous system (CNS), which can often be the case with this type of infection.
Treatment Method
- The horse was treated with ivermectin administered orally at a dosage of 1.2 mg/kg (0.55 mg/lb) of body weight. This treatment was repeated every two weeks for a total of three treatments.
- The granuloma was surgically debulked (partially removed to reduce its size) two days after the first dose of ivermectin was administered.
Results of the Treatment
- The granuloma resolved after 18 months, with no evidence of continued nematode infection.
About Halicephalobus Gingivalis Nematode
- Halicephalobus gingivalis is a type of nematode that is found everywhere and known to infect both humans and horses.
- Nematode infections can lead to the formation of granulomas in the skin, or they can spread to various organs. They show a particular tropism (tendency to affect specific cells) for the CNS and kidneys.
- Once the nematode spreads to the CNS and clinical signs of involvement are noticed, the disease progresses rapidly and is frequently fatal.
Cite This Article
APA
Pearce SG, Bouré LP, Taylor JA, Peregrine AS.
(2002).
Treatment of a granuloma caused by Halicephalobus gingivalis in a horse.
J Am Vet Med Assoc, 219(12), 1735-1708.
https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.2001.219.1735 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Clinical Studies, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Canada.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Antinematodal Agents / therapeutic use
- Granuloma / drug therapy
- Granuloma / parasitology
- Granuloma / surgery
- Granuloma / veterinary
- Horse Diseases / drug therapy
- Horse Diseases / parasitology
- Horse Diseases / surgery
- Horses
- Ivermectin / therapeutic use
- Male
- Rhabditida / isolation & purification
- Rhabditida Infections / drug therapy
- Rhabditida Infections / surgery
- Rhabditida Infections / veterinary
Citations
This article has been cited 9 times.- Pillai VV, Mudd LJ, Sola MF. Disseminated Halicephalobus gingivalis infection in a horse.. J Vet Diagn Invest 2023 Mar;35(2):173-177.
- Noiva R, Ruivo P, de Carvalho LM, Fonseca C, Fevereiro M, Carvalho P, Orge L, Monteiro M, Peleteiro MC. First description of a fatal equine infection with Halicephalobus gingivalis in Portugal. Relevance for public health.. Vet Med Sci 2019 May;5(2):222-229.
- Onyiche TE, Okute TO, Oseni OS, Okoro DO, Biu AA, Mbaya AW. Parasitic and zoonotic meningoencephalitis in humans and equids: Current knowledge and the role of Halicephalobus gingivalis.. Parasite Epidemiol Control 2018 Feb;3(1):36-42.
- Pintore MD, Cerutti F, D'Angelo A, Corona C, Gazzuola P, Masoero L, Colombo C, Bona R, Cantile C, Peletto S, Casalone C, Iulini B. Isolation and molecular characterisation of Halicephalobus gingivalis in the brain of a horse in Piedmont, Italy.. Parasit Vectors 2017 Mar 7;10(1):135.
- Taulescu MA, Ionicã AM, Diugan E, Pavaloiu A, Cora R, Amorim I, Catoi C, Roccabianca P. First report of fatal systemic Halicephalobus gingivalis infection in two Lipizzaner horses from Romania: clinical, pathological, and molecular characterization.. Parasitol Res 2016 Mar;115(3):1097-103.
- Lim CK, Crawford A, Moore CV, Gasser RB, Nelson R, Koehler AV, Bradbury RS, Speare R, Dhatrak D, Weldhagen GF. First human case of fatal Halicephalobus gingivalis meningoencephalitis in Australia.. J Clin Microbiol 2015 May;53(5):1768-74.
- Henneke C, Jespersen A, Jacobsen S, Nielsen MK, McEvoy F, Jensen HE. The distribution pattern of Halicephalobus gingivalis in a horse is suggestive of a haematogenous spread of the nematode.. Acta Vet Scand 2014 Sep 19;56(1):56.
- Papadi B, Boudreaux C, Tucker JA, Mathison B, Bishop H, Eberhard ME. Halicephalobus gingivalis: a rare cause of fatal meningoencephalomyelitis in humans.. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2013 Jun;88(6):1062-4.
- Ferguson R, van Dreumel T, Keystone JS, Manning A, Malatestinic A, Caswell JL, Peregrine AS. Unsuccessful treatment of a horse with mandibular granulomatous osteomyelitis due to Halicephalobus gingivalis.. Can Vet J 2008 Nov;49(11):1099-103.
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