Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Hemolytic-uremic syndrome in a postpartum mare concurrent with encephalopathy in the neonatal foal.
- Journal:
- Journal of veterinary diagnostic investigation : official publication of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, Inc
- Year:
- 2008
- Authors:
- Dickinson, Charles E et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences · United States
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A mare that had just given birth and her foal were taken to the vet because the mare had a fever and was very tired. The mare was found to have an infection in her uterus and started to improve with treatment. However, on the second day, she developed kidney problems, which means her kidneys weren't working well, and her condition worsened. At the same time, the foal began showing serious signs of brain issues, including seizures that wouldn't stop. Sadly, neither the mare nor the foal improved with treatment, and both were euthanized. The vet found specific damage in the mare's kidneys and swelling in the foal's brain after they passed away, and a type of bacteria was found in both animals, which is linked to the kidney condition.
Abstract
A postpartum mare and foal were presented for evaluation of fever and lethargy in the mare. The mare was diagnosed with endometritis and initially responded well to treatment. On the second day of hospitalization, the mare developed renal insufficiency characterized by oliguria, azotemia, hemolysis, and thrombocytopenia. Concurrently, the foal developed rapidly progressive central nervous system signs culminating in refractory seizures. Both animals failed to respond to treatment and were euthanized. Thrombotic microangiopathy involving glomeruli was evident on microscopic examination of the mare's kidneys. Microscopic evidence of brain edema was the principal postmortem finding in the foal. No specific etiology was confirmed in either case. Notably, Escherichia coli 0103:H2 was isolated from the mare's uterus and the gastrointestinal tracts of both animals. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report in which an organism implicated as a cause of hemolytic-uremic syndrome was isolated from an animal with clinical signs and postmortem findings consistent with the disease.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18319442/