Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Isolation and molecular characterization of Mycobacterium bovis causing pulmonary tuberculosis and epistaxis in a Thoroughbred horse.
- Journal:
- BMC veterinary research
- Year:
- 2016
- Authors:
- Hlokwe, Tiny Motlatso et al.
- Affiliation:
- ARC-Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A male Thoroughbred horse, eight years old and in good health, was brought to a veterinary clinic because he was coughing and had bleeding from both nostrils. Tests showed that the bleeding was coming from his trachea, and X-rays revealed a mass in his lungs. Doctors found that the cause was a bacteria called Mycobacterium bovis, which is rare in horses. After treating him with an antibiotic called enrofloxacin, the lung mass shrank in size over three months. This case is significant because it’s the first documented instance of this type of infection in a horse in South Africa, and it suggests that while horses can get this bacteria, it may be easier to treat than in other animals.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis caused by Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis) is very uncommon in horses worldwide. CASE PRESENTATION: In the current study, an eight-year-old male Thoroughbred in good body condition was admitted to the Equine Clinic at the Onderstepoort Veterinary Academic Hospital in 2005 due to bilateral epistaxis accompanied by coughing. Routine examinations were conducted to determine the cause of the condition. Endoscopic examination revealed the major source of the epistaxis as the trachea, whereas thoracic radiography indicated the presence of a primary pulmonary mass. M. bovis was isolated from a broncho-alveolar lavage (BAL) sample collected. The pulmonary mass reduced in size three months later following an oral administration of enrofloxacin (7.5 mg/kg PO SID). Genetic fingerprinting by spoligotyping identified the M. bovis isolate as spoligotype SB0868 strain. This M. bovis strain type was never described previously in South Africa (SA). This is the first case of M. bovis infection in a horse in SA which has been fully documented including clinical findings, isolation and genetic characterisation of the causative pathogen. CONCLUSIONS: This report indicates that horses may contract and harbour M. bovis despite their lower susceptibility compared to other domestic animals. It also suggests that the infection may be more easily contained and eliminated from the host.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27590011/