Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Two cases of equine abortion caused by Rhodococcus equi.
- Journal:
- Veterinary pathology
- Year:
- 2006
- Authors:
- Szeredi, L et al.
- Affiliation:
- Central Veterinary Institute
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
In two cases of horse pregnancies, researchers found that a bacteria called Rhodococcus equi was responsible for the loss of the fetuses, which were 7 and 8 months along. The bacteria were found in various organs like the lungs, liver, and spleen of the aborted fetuses, and they showed signs of severe lung infection and other related issues. It seems that the fetuses may have gotten the infection from the placenta, possibly through normal breathing or swallowing contaminated amniotic fluid. The findings suggest that the fetuses had similar health problems to young foals affected by this bacteria. Overall, the study highlights the serious risk that Rhodococcus equi poses during pregnancy in horses.
Abstract
Rhodococcus equi was isolated from lung, liver, spleen, and stomach content of two aborted equine fetuses of 7 and 8 months gestation from two different farms. Lesions included diffuse pyogranulomatous pneumonia with numerous Gram-positive coccobacilli within the cytoplasm of macrophages, multinucleated Langhans giant cells and neutrophils, and enhanced extramedullary hematopoiesis with megakaryocytosis within the liver and spleen. Detection of R. equi was made by bacteriology and immunohistochemistry for R. equi and VapA, the virulence factor of R. equi. R. equi and VapA were identified within the lungs of both fetuses, and its distribution correlated with lesions. Fetal lesions were similar to those observed in foals. We speculate that the fetuses contracted infection from the placenta by normal breathing movements or by swallowing of the amniotic fluid contaminated with R. equi.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16537942/