Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Infections caused by pathogenic free-living amebas (Balamuthia mandrillaris and Acanthamoeba sp.) in horses.
- Journal:
- Journal of veterinary diagnostic investigation : official publication of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, Inc
- Year:
- 2007
- Authors:
- Kinde, Hailu et al.
- Affiliation:
- California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System (CAHFS) · United States
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
This article talks about infections caused by certain types of tiny organisms called amebas in four horses. One horse developed a serious brain infection called granulomatous amebic encephalitis from a specific type of ameba, while the other horses had systemic infections that might have taken advantage of other health issues, as they were also dealing with bacteria like Aspergillus and E. coli. The researchers used various tests, including special staining and advanced imaging techniques, to identify the amebas in the horses. The findings highlight the importance of recognizing these infections, especially since they can occur even in healthy horses.
Abstract
This article describes amebic infections in 4 horses: granulomatous amebic encephalitis caused by Balamuthia mandrillaris and Acanthamoeba culbertsoni and systemic infections caused by Acanthamoeba sp. The former infection occurred in 1 of 4 horses spontaneously without any underlying conditions; the latter amebic infection was perhaps "opportunistic" considering the visceral involvement by this protozoan in association with Aspergillus sp. and/or Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas sp. The clinicopathologic findings and demonstration of the amebic organisms using immunohistochemical techniques, culture, polymerase chain reactions, and electron microscopy are presented.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17459867/