Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Molecular detection of Leptospira kirschneri in tissues of a prematurely born foal.
- Journal:
- Journal of veterinary diagnostic investigation : official publication of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, Inc
- Year:
- 2005
- Authors:
- Vemulapalli, Ramesh et al.
- Affiliation:
- Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory and Department of Veterinary Pathobiology · United States
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A foal was born prematurely on a farm where there had been several cases of abortion in pregnant mares, and it was suspected that a bacterial infection called leptospirosis might be the cause. Researchers used a special test called a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to find the bacteria Leptospira kirschneri in the foal's tissues. They confirmed the presence of this bacteria by analyzing the DNA they had amplified from the sample. This study suggests that testing for Leptospira kirschneri should be part of routine checks when a leptospirosis infection is suspected.
Abstract
Leptospirosis was identified to be the possible cause of premature birth in a foal on a farm with a history of repeated abortions. Using an appropriate polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay, the presence of Leptospira kirschneri was detected in the tissues of the prematurely born foal. Further confirmation of L. kirschneri was obtained by nucleotide sequence analysis of the PCR-amplified DNA fragment and the partial 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequence. This report further supports mounting evidence that a PCR assay capable of detecting L. kirschneri should be included in routine diagnostic investigations in which Leptospira spp. infection is suspected.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15690955/