Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Balantidium coli-infection in a Finnish horse.
- Journal:
- Veterinary parasitology
- Year:
- 2008
- Authors:
- Headley, Selwyn Arlington et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Basic Veterinary Sciences
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A 15-year-old female Finnish Horse developed a serious intestinal infection caused by a tiny organism called Balantidium coli, which is usually found in pigs and some other animals. The horse showed sudden signs of colic, which is a type of abdominal pain. When examined, the veterinarians found severe inflammation and bleeding in her intestines, along with a lot of the Balantidium coli organisms. This case highlights that while this infection is rare in horses, it can still occur and lead to serious health issues.
Abstract
Balantidium coli is a ciliated protozoan that inhabits the large intestine of swine, man, rodents, and nonhuman primates. Frequently this organism is associated with enteric diseases in man and nonhuman primates, with rare manifestations of disease in swine and other mammalian species. This report describes a case of B. coli-induced enteric disease in a 15-yr-old, mare, Finnish Horse after an acute onset of colic. Severe hemorrhagic and eosinophilic colitis with intense infiltration of intralesional B. coli-like ciliated protozoan were found histologically.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18922641/