Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Yearling mustang filly with fungal pneumonia - how it was treated
By Calero, Isabel M et al.·Published in The Canadian veterinary journal = La revue veterinaire canadienne·2025·Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Multi-pathogen lower respiratory tract infection including a fungal agent in a yearling mustang filly.
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
This report talks about a yearling mustang filly who had a serious lung infection caused by multiple germs, including a fungus, along with some blood issues like anemia (low red blood cells) and low platelet counts. To figure out what was wrong, the veterinarians used various tests, including imaging of the chest and special tests on samples from her lungs. They treated her with voriconazole, a medication that targets fungal infections, along with other treatments for her blood problems. Thanks to thorough testing and the right treatment, the filly's condition improved, which was a positive outcome given her initially poor prognosis.
Abstract
This report describes the diagnosis and successful management of a yearling filly with Coombs-positive anemia, thrombocytopenia, and fungal pneumonia. Diagnostic procedures, including thoracic ultrasonography and radiography, respiratory pathogen PCR testing, and evaluation of tracheal wash and bronchoalveolar lavage samples established multi-pathogen lower respiratory tract infection including a fungal agent. Orally administered voriconazole was a key component of treatment in this case to successfully eliminate fungal infection, alongside therapies for managing hematologic disease. This case demonstrated the importance of comprehensive diagnostic evaluation and reliance on current literature to successfully resolve a complicated medical situation that was expected to have a poor prognosis. Key clinical message: The pharmacokinetics of orally administered voriconazole have been established in horses. This drug can be economic and effective for the treatment of some fungal respiratory infections of horses.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41584237/