Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Neuroborreliosis in a horse with common variable immunodeficiency.
- Journal:
- Journal of veterinary diagnostic investigation : official publication of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, Inc
- Year:
- 2019
- Authors:
- Pecoraro, Heidi L et al.
- Affiliation:
- College of Veterinary Medicine · United States
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A horse with a rare condition called common variable immunodeficiency (CVID), which makes it more prone to infections, was found to have neuroborreliosis, a type of Lyme disease affecting the nervous system. This horse showed signs of meningitis, and various tests confirmed the presence of the Lyme bacteria in its brain tissues. The findings suggest that horses with CVID should be closely monitored for Lyme disease, especially in areas where it is common, and treated appropriately if they develop neurological issues. The treatment's effectiveness was not specified, but the case highlights the importance of awareness and timely intervention for these horses.
Abstract
Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is a rare condition in adult horses characterized by hypogammaglobulinemia and increased susceptibility to parasitic and bacterial infections, including recurrent respiratory diseases, septicemia, and meningitis. Lyme disease is often included as a differential diagnosis in CVID horses with signs of meningitis; however, the Borrelia burgdorferi organism has not been demonstrated previously within central nervous system tissues of CVID horses with neurologic disease, to our knowledge. We report herein a case of neuroborreliosis in a CVID horse, confirmed by combined immunologic testing, histopathology, real-time PCR assay, fluorescent in situ hybridization, and immunohistochemical staining. Implications of these findings include heightened monitoring of CVID horses for Lyme disease in endemic areas and appropriate therapy in the case of neurologic disease.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30661472/