Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Recurrent Actinobacillus peritonitis in an otherwise healthy thoroughbred horse.
- Journal:
- Australian veterinary journal
- Year:
- 2011
- Authors:
- Watts, A E et al.
- Affiliation:
- Cornell University Hospital for Animals · United States
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A Thoroughbred gelding in North America was diagnosed with Actinobacillus peritonitis, an infection in the abdominal cavity, on three separate occasions over four years. Each time, tests showed a high number of white blood cells in the fluid from his abdomen, along with elevated protein levels, but no bacteria were seen under the microscope. This type of infection is more common in Australia and New Zealand, and it's unusual for it to come back in a healthy horse like this one. Despite the concerning test results, the horse responded well to treatment and had a good outlook for recovery. Overall, this case is notable because the horse experienced repeated infections over several years while remaining otherwise healthy.
Abstract
A Thoroughbred gelding in North America was evaluated for Actinobacillus peritonitis on three different occasions over a 4-year period. At each presentation, peritoneal fluid had an elevated nucleated cell count (220,000-550,000 cells/µL) characterised by non-degenerate neutrophils, no visible bacteria, an elevated total protein (4.6-5.5 g/dL) and bacterial culture yielding Actinobacillus spp. Actinobacillus peritonitis appears to be a regional disease occurring in Australia and less commonly in New Zealand and North America. Recurrence, other than incomplete resolution, has not been previously reported. This case highlights the classical presentation, response to therapy and excellent prognosis despite the alarmingly abnormal peritoneal fluid characteristic of Actinobacillus peritonitis and questions the role of parasite migration in the pathogenesis. Finally, this case is remarkable because Actinobacillus peritonitis was recurrent over several years in an otherwise normal horse.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21418171/