Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Zebra with ataxia and head tilt due to Neospora infection
By Ruppert, Stephani et al.·Published in Veterinary parasitology, regional studies and reports·2021·Department of Pathology and Population Medicine, United States·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis associated with Neospora caninum in a USA captive bred zebra (Equus zebra).
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A 6-year-old female zebra in captivity had been showing slow but worsening signs of neurological problems for three years, including difficulty walking with her back legs, tilting her head, and circling. While a physical examination of her brain and spinal cord didn't show any obvious issues, further testing revealed severe inflammation in her brain along with protozoal cysts, which are tiny organisms that can cause disease. Tests confirmed that these cysts were linked to a specific type of protozoa called Neospora caninum, marking the first known case of this condition in a zebra. The zebra's condition is a rare form of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM), which is usually caused by different protozoa. The treatment details and outcome were not provided in the abstract.
Abstract
A 6-year-old female captive zebra (Equus zebra) had a three-year history of slow progressive neurologic signs that recently worsened with hind limb ataxia, head tilt, and circling. Gross examination including the brain and spinal cord were unremarkable. On histopathology, the brain and brainstem had multiple random areas of severe lymphoplasmacytic meningoencephalitis associated with numerous 15-25 μm in diameter protozoal cysts with a discernible outer wall containing numerous 2 × 4 μm oval to crescent-shaped organisms. Immunohistochemistry and PCR identified the presence of Neospora organisms associated with the lesions. Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) is generally associated with Sarcocystis neurona or less commonly Neospora hughesi. Molecular characterization revealed the first case of EPM associated with Neospora caninum in an equid as confirmed by DNA analysis.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34879932/