Equine proliferative enteropathy on a Brazilian farm

Abstract

ABSTRACT. - Lawsonia intracellularis infection on a horse farm in the Midwest region of Brazil is described. Thirty-nine foals a few days to months old from a herd with 300 horses, experienced diarrhea with variable characteristics and intensities, weight loss, hyperemic mucous membranes and dehydration. In foals 3 to 6 months of age, hypoproteinemia associated with submandibular edema were also common. Intestinal fragments of a 7-month-old foal were sent to an animal disease laboratory for diagnosis. The observed macroscopic lesions were hyperemic serosa, thickening of the intestinal wall with a corrugation, thickening of the mucosa folds and reduction of intestinal lumen. Histological analysis of the small and large intestine revealed enterocyte hyperplasia of the crypts associated with diffuse marked decrease in the number of goblet cells and positive L. intracellularis antigen labeling by immunohistochemistry. Three out of 11 animals of the same property were seropositive for L. intracellularis, demonstrating the circulation of the agent throughout the farm, but none were PCR positive in fecal samples. Based on clinical signs and pathological findings, the diagnosis of equine proliferative enteropathy was confirmed.

Occurrence of Lawsonia intracellularis in horses raised in three regions of the state of Paraná, Brazil

“…Moreover, animals with positive fecal qPCR may be in the early stage of infection and have been sampled before seroconverting (Pusterla & Gebhart, 2013). Gabardo et al (2015) described similar results, in which none of the three animals that were positive in serological testing showed positivity by the PCR technique. Vannucci, Pusterla, Mapes and Gebhart (2012) observed that foals inoculated with horse isolates eliminate L. intracellularis 12 to 38 days after infection and that serological detection occurrs only from 14 days after contact with the bacterium.…”

“…Unlike most infections in swine, the proliferative lesion in horses can occur in the duodenum and in segments of the large intestine (Gabardo, Sato, Resende, & Guedes, 2015). Foals at weaning age are the most affected and may develop lethargy, anorexia, weight loss, colic, diarrhea and hyperthermia and death (Gabardo et al, 2015;Bohlin, Olsen, Laursen, Ohman, & Van Galen, 2019). However, adult animals can also occasionally develop a similar condition (Pusterla & Gebhart, 2013).…”

“…In Brazil, cases of the clinical disease in horses have already been described in the central-west region of the country and in the state of Rio de Janeiro (Guttmann, Viscardi, Lessa, & Guedes, 2014;Gabardo et al, 2015). However, there are still no reports of EPE or studies demonstrating the occurrence of this pathogen in the state of Paraná.…”

“…However, there are still no reports of EPE or studies demonstrating the occurrence of this pathogen in the state of Paraná. Information about the epidemiology of this disease is of paramount importance so it can be included as a differential diagnosis of enteric diseases in horses, since it can involve clinical manifestations similar to those of other pathologies (Gabardo et al, 2015;Bohlin et al, 2019).…”

Lawsonia intracellularis associated equine proliferative enteropathy in Danish weanling foals

“…The disease has been described as emerging in the North American horse population [20], with larger outbreaks described in the United States [8] and Canada [4]. Additionally, single cases have been reported from Switzerland [21], England [22], Belgium [23], Israel [24], Brazil [25] and Australia [26]. In Denmark, a previous seroprevalence study showed that 5% of young horses admitted to a Danish referral hospital (University of Copenhagen Large Animal Teaching Hospital) had measurable L. intracellularis serum antibodies [27].…”