Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
First Swedish case of fatal equine parasitic encephalitis by Halicephalobus gingivalis.
- Journal:
- Acta veterinaria Scandinavica
- Year:
- 2023
- Authors:
- Olofsson, Karin Maria et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Pathology and Wildlife Diseases
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A 21-year-old Icelandic mare that was imported to Sweden developed serious neurological problems, which means she had trouble with her nervous system. Sadly, she was euthanized, and during the examination after her death, doctors found severe damage in her kidneys and discovered the presence of a parasite called Halicephalobus gingivalis in both her kidneys and brain. This parasite had never been seen in Sweden before. Because of this case, veterinarians should consider this parasite as a possible cause when other horses or even mammals show sudden neurological issues. Unfortunately, the outcome for this mare was fatal.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Halicephalobus gingivalis is a nematode with zoonotic potential which can cause fatal opportunistic infections in various mammals. The parasite has never been diagnosed in Sweden, in any species, prior to the presented case. CASE PRESENTATION: An imported 21-year-old Icelandic mare developed severe neurological signs. The horse was eventually euthanized and submitted for post-mortem examination where severe lesions in the kidneys were noted. Histopathology revealed the presence of H. gingivalis in both kidneys and the brain. Phylogenetic analysis of the parasite determined it to belong to Lineage 1. CONCLUSIONS: With the occurrence of H. gingivalis in Sweden, the disease should be added to the list of differential diagnoses in cases with acute onset of neurological disease in both horses and other mammals including humans.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38102633/