Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Lawsonia intracellularis proliferative enteropathy in a foal.
- Journal:
- Schweizer Archiv fur Tierheilkunde
- Year:
- 2007
- Authors:
- Feary, D J et al.
- Affiliation:
- Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital · United States
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A young foal that had recently been weaned was found to have a condition called proliferative enteropathy, which is caused by a bacteria called Lawsonia intracellularis. The foal showed signs of being very tired, stopped eating, lost weight, had belly pain, diarrhea, and swelling in its belly. Tests confirmed the diagnosis, and an investigation showed that other horses on the property were also exposed to the bacteria, with a dog possibly being the source of the infection. The foal was treated successfully with two antibiotics, azithromycin and rifampin.
Abstract
A weanling foal was diagnosed with proliferative enteropathy caused by Lawsonia intracellularis based on history, clinical findings of depression, anorexia, weight loss, colic, diarrhea, and ventral edema, and a combination of serology and fecal PCR. An epidemiological investigation on the premises revealed that many of the other foals and adult horses were seropositive for L. intracellularis, despite being clinically normal, and identified a dog as a potential carrier and source of infection for the foal. The foal was successfully treated with a combination of azithromycin and rifampin.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17410971/