Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Characterization of spinal cord lesions in cattle and horses with rabies: the importance of correct sampling.
- Journal:
- Journal of veterinary diagnostic investigation : official publication of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, Inc
- Year:
- 2016
- Authors:
- Bassuino, Daniele M et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Pathology Veterinary · Brazil
Plain-English summary
In a study involving 26 cattle and 7 horses diagnosed with rabies, researchers looked at samples from the brain and spinal cord to understand the disease better. They found that all the animals had lesions, or damaged areas, in their spinal cords. In horses, these lesions were moderate in severity at various levels of the spinal cord, especially marked at the lumbar area, while cattle showed moderate lesions throughout. Interestingly, the study revealed that it was much more likely to find rabies-related damage in the spinal cord of horses compared to their brains. Overall, the findings suggest that examining the spinal cord is crucial for diagnosing rabies in these animals.
Abstract
Twenty-six cattle and 7 horses were diagnosed with rabies. Samples of brain and spinal cord were processed for hematoxylin and eosin staining and immunohistochemistry (IHC). In addition, refrigerated fragments of brain and spinal cord were tested by direct fluorescent antibody test and intracerebral inoculation in mice. Statistical analyses and Fisher exact test were performed by commercial software. Histologic lesions were observed in the spinal cord in all of the cattle and horses. Inflammatory lesions in horses were moderate at the thoracic, lumbar, and sacral levels, and marked at the lumbar enlargement level. Gitter cells were present in large numbers in the lumbar enlargement region. IHC staining intensity ranged from moderate to strong. Inflammatory lesions in cattle were moderate in all spinal cord sections, and gitter cells were present in small numbers. IHC staining intensity was strong in all spinal cord sections. Only 2 horses exhibited lesions in the brain, which were located mainly in the obex and cerebellum; different from that observed in cattle, which had lesions in 25 cases. Fisher exact test showed that the odds of detecting lesions caused by rabies in horses are 3.5 times higher when spinal cord sections are analyzed, as compared to analysis of brain samples alone.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27240569/