Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Horses with lameness and seizures due to parasite infection
By Bak, Eun-Jung et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary science·2017·College of Dentistry, South Korea·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Eosinophilic encephalomyelitis in horses caused by protostrongylid parasites.
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
Four thoroughbred horses were found to be very tired, lame, and having trouble walking, as well as showing signs of depression, circling, and even having seizures. Upon examination, they had noticeable changes in their central nervous system, which were linked to a type of infection caused by certain parasites known as protostrongylid nematodes. These parasites were found in the horses' nervous tissue, leading to inflammation and damage. The findings suggest that the horses were suffering from a serious condition called eosinophilic encephalomyelitis, which is related to these parasitic infections. Unfortunately, the abstract does not provide information on the treatment or outcome for these horses.
Abstract
Four thoroughbred horses showing lameness, ataxia, circling, depression, recumbency, and seizures, were examined. The horses had gross, pale- to dark-red manifestations and foci in the central nervous system (CNS). Multifocal to coalescing eosinophilic necrotizing encephalomyelitis was observed histologically in the CNS along with intact or degenerated nematodes. Nematodes had polymyarian-coelomyarian musculature, a smooth thin cuticle, and intestines lined by multinucleated cells with microvilli. These traits suggested the nematodes belonged to the family Protostrongylidae, which includes. It was concluded that the horses were infected by nematodes, presumably, resulting in eosinophilic necrotizing encephalomyelitis.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28385012/