Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Horse with severe pain diagnosed with Murray Valley encephalomyelitis
By Holmes, J M et al.·Published in Australian veterinary journal·2012·University of Melbourne, Australia·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Murray Valley encephalomyelitis in a horse.
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A 5-year-old Thoroughbred mare was brought in with severe pain, leading the veterinarian to suspect a serious abdominal issue. During surgery, they found a mild gastrointestinal problem that didn't match the level of pain she was experiencing. Unfortunately, the mare was euthanized due to her unmanageable pain. A thorough examination afterward revealed that she had Murray Valley encephalomyelitis, a viral infection that can cause varied symptoms in horses.
People also search for: horse severe pain causes · Thoroughbred mare abdominal issues · Murray Valley encephalomyelitis in horses
Abstract
A 5-year-old Thoroughbred mare presented with signs of severe pain and was taken to exploratory laparotomy based on suspicion of an acute abdominal lesion. A mild gastrointestinal lesion was discovered, but was considered disproportional to the severity of signs displayed. The mare was later euthanased because of intractable pain. Comprehensive postmortem examination, including polymerase chain reaction testing of central nervous system tissue samples, allowed a definitive diagnosis of Murray Valley encephalomyelitis to be made. This case demonstrates the variability of clinical presentations in horses infected with Murray Valley encephalitis virus.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22731944/