Treatment of mycotic rhinitis with itraconazole in three horses.
Abstract: Itraconazole, a third-generation azole, was evaluated for treatment of resistant nasal mycotic infections in horses. Two horses with Aspergillus spp nasal granulomas and 1 horse with Conidiobolus coronatus nasal infection were treated with itraconazole (3 mg/kg PO bid). One of the horses with nasal aspergillosis was also treated by surgical resection of the nasal septum. The treatment time for the horses ranged from 3 to 4.5 months. No adverse effects were noted in any of the horses during the treatment period. Peak and trough serum itraconazole concentrations were < 0.5 micrograms/mL in all 3 horses. Itraconazole (3 mg/kg PO bid) appears to be effective in the treatment of nasal Aspergillus spp infections in horses because the fungal infection was eliminated in both horses. One horse still had excessive nasal sounds during exercise and was retired from training, whereas the other horse returned to normal. The nasal C. coronatus infection appeared resistant to itraconazole treatment in the affected horse because the granulomas were still present after 4.5 months of treatment.
Publication Date: 1994-05-01 PubMed ID: 8064660DOI: 10.1111/j.1939-1676.1994.tb03221.xGoogle Scholar: Lookup
The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- Case Reports
- Journal Article
- Review
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.
The research explores the effectiveness of a drug called itraconazole in treating nasal fungal infections in horses.
Research Subject and Methodology
- The study focused on three horses with nasal fungal infections resistant to other forms of treatment. Two of these had Aspergillus spp nasal granulomas, while the third suffered from a Conidiobolus coronatus nasal infection.
- The chosen method for the experiment was to treat these horses with a dosage of itraconazole, a third-generation azole, which was delivered orally, at a dosage of 3mg/kg twice daily.
- Along with the drug administration, one of the horses affected by Aspergillus was also treated through surgical resection of the nasal septum. The treatment course for the horses ranged from three to four and a half months.
- Throughout the treatment period, the team frequently checked the horses for any adverse effects. They also measured the peak and trough itraconazole concentrations in the horses’ serum, which was consistently found to be less than 0.5 micrograms/mL in all three subjects.
Research Findings
- The research found that itraconazole appeared to be effective in treating Aspergillus infections in horses. In both cases of horses suffering this specific type of fungal infection, the disease was completely eliminated post-treatment.
- However, results were different in the case of the horse affected by Conidiobolus coronatus. Despite the same treatment process, the nasal infection in this horse seemed resistant to itraconazole. The granulomas remained present even after four and a half months of treatment, suggesting that itraconazole might not be effective in all types of nasal fungal infections in horses.
- Regarding the overall health of the animals, it was found that one horse who was affected by Aspergillus continued to have excessive nasal sounds during exercise, prompting it to be retired from training. The other two, including the one subjected to the surgical treatment, returned to normal after the completion of the treatment process.
- No adverse effects of the treatment were noted in any of the horses throughout the treatment period. This implies that the dosage and frequency of itraconazole provided were well-tolerated by the horses.
Cite This Article
APA
Korenek NL, Legendre AM, Andrews FM, Blackford JT, Wan PY, Breider MA, Rinaldi MG.
(1994).
Treatment of mycotic rhinitis with itraconazole in three horses.
J Vet Intern Med, 8(3), 224-227.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1939-1676.1994.tb03221.x Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Rural Practice, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Aspergillosis / veterinary
- Entomophthora / isolation & purification
- Female
- Horse Diseases / drug therapy
- Horse Diseases / microbiology
- Horses
- Itraconazole / therapeutic use
- Male
- Mycoses / drug therapy
- Mycoses / microbiology
- Mycoses / veterinary
- Rhinitis / drug therapy
- Rhinitis / microbiology
- Rhinitis / veterinary
Citations
This article has been cited 2 times.- Blumentrath CG, Grobusch MP, Matsiégui PB, Pahlke F, Zoleko-Manego R, Nzenze-Aféne S, Mabicka B, Sanguinetti M, Kremsner PG, Schaumburg F. Classification of Rhinoentomophthoromycosis into Atypical, Early, Intermediate, and Late Disease: A Proposal. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2015;9(10):e0003984.
- de Moura Alonso J, Watanabe MJ, de Moraes Gimenes Bosco S, Apolonio EVP, de Vasconcelos AB, do Prado AC, Alves ALG, Rodrigues CA, Hussni CA. Treatment of mycotic rhinitis caused by aspergillus fumigatus in a quarter horse mare using topical clotrimazole and oral potassium iodide. Vet Res Commun 2024 Nov 22;49(1):28.
Use Nutrition Calculator
Check if your horse's diet meets their nutrition requirements with our easy-to-use tool Check your horse's diet with our easy-to-use tool
Talk to a Nutritionist
Discuss your horse's feeding plan with our experts over a free phone consultation Discuss your horse's diet over a phone consultation
Submit Diet Evaluation
Get a customized feeding plan for your horse formulated by our equine nutritionists Get a custom feeding plan formulated by our nutritionists
