Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Suspected bacterial meningoencephalitis in two adult horses.
- Journal:
- The Veterinary record
- Year:
- 1998
- Authors:
- Newton, S A
- Affiliation:
- University of Liverpool · United Kingdom
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
Bacterial infections of the brain and surrounding tissues, like meningitis or meningoencephalitis, are uncommon in adult horses and are usually seen in very young ones. When they do occur in adults, they can often be serious, with many cases ending in death. In this study, two adult horses were suspected to have this condition, likely linked to a previous upper respiratory infection. The signs of the disease can vary widely, which makes it hard to diagnose, but in these two cases, the horses were successfully treated.
Abstract
Bacterial infections (such as meningitis or meningoencephalitis) of the central nervous system are rare in horses. They are most prevalent in neonates as a result of septicaemia. A few cases have been reported in the adult and most have been fatal. Streptococcal species appear to be the organism most commonly identified in these cases. Thus, this disease may be a secondary complication of upper respiratory tract infections. Clinical signs are extremely variable making diagnosis difficult. In most cases, postmortem has been the definite diagnostic procedure. This paper describes the clinical course of disease, diagnosis and successful treatment of two presumptive cases of meningoencephalitis in adult horses.
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/9670446/