Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Horse with colic diagnosed with Clostridium difficile infection
By Songer, J Glenn et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary diagnostic investigation : official publication of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, Inc·2009·Department of Veterinary Science and Microbiology, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Equine colitis X associated with infection by Clostridium difficile NAP1/027.
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A 14-year-old Quarter Horse was brought in with severe colic that lasted for 48 hours but sadly did not improve with treatment and was euthanized. During the examination after death, the horse showed significant damage to the intestines, including swelling and thickening of the intestinal walls, along with signs of bleeding. Tests revealed a serious infection caused by a strain of Clostridium difficile, which is known to cause severe intestinal disease. Unfortunately, the horse's condition was too advanced for recovery, and the diagnosis was peracute typhlocolitis, a severe form of colitis.
People also search for: horse colic symptoms · Clostridium difficile in horses · equine colitis treatment
Abstract
A 14-year-old Quarter Horse with a 48-hr history of colic was euthanized after failure to respond to treatment. At necropsy, cecal and colonic mucosae were congested throughout, and there was segmental edema and significant thickening of the intestinal wall. Excessive numbers of mononuclear cells were found in mucosal lamina propria. Submucosal hemorrhage was diffuse and extensive, and Clostridium difficile toxins A and B were detected. Large numbers of C. difficile were isolated, and genetic characterization revealed them to be North American pulsed-field gel electrophoresis type 1, polymerase chain reaction ribotype 027, and toxinotype III. Genes for the binary toxin were present, and toxin negative-regulator tcdC contained an 18-bp deletion. This genotype comprises the current human "epidemic strain," which is associated with human C. difficile-associated disease of greater than historical severity. The diagnosis was peracute typhlocolitis, with lesions and history typical of those attributed to colitis X.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19407094/