Verminous encephalitis in a horse produced by nematodes in the family protostrongylidae.

This study reports the first known case of an Arabian colt, or young horse, suffering from inflammation in the brain caused by parasites belonging to the Protostrongylidae family of nematodes. The specific nematode causing the infection could not be precisely identified, but the symptoms were most consistent with an infection by Parelaphostrongylus tenuis.

Background of the Study

• This research investigates a neurological disease in a young horse caused by nematode parasitic infection.
• The study is significant because it is the first ever to report this type of infection in horses.

The Case Study

• The subject of the study was a six-month-old Arabian colt (young horse) from New York state.
• Medical examination revealed inflammatory changes, characterised by granulomatous eosinophilic inflammation in the horse’s central nervous system (CNS).
• This inflammation was associated with the presence of eggs, larvae, and adult nematodes, a type of worm, located specifically in the cerebellum part of the brain.

Parasite Identification

• Nematodes found in the horse’s brain shared histological characteristics with the superfamily Metastrongyloidea, and the presence of dorsal-spined larvae also indicated an infection with a nematode belonging to the Protostrongylidae family.
• Although a specific nematode species was not definitively identified, the medical evidence was mostly consistent with an infection by the nematode Parelaphostrongylus tenuis.

Significance of the Findings

• This study presents the first definitive report of a nematode infection from the Protostrongylidae family in a horse.
• The findings highlight the potential for parasitic nematode infections to cause severe neurological disease in horses, an area that may warrant further research to understand the prevalence and treatment of such infections.