scholarly journals Viral Equine Encephalitis, a Growing Threat to the Horse Population in Europe?

Viruses ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sylvie Lecollinet ◽  
Stéphane Pronost ◽  
Muriel Coulpier ◽  
Cécile Beck ◽  
Gaelle Gonzalez ◽  
...  

Neurological disorders represent an important sanitary and economic threat for the equine industry worldwide. Among nervous diseases, viral encephalitis is of growing concern, due to the emergence of arboviruses and to the high contagiosity of herpesvirus-infected horses. The nature, severity and duration of the clinical signs could be different depending on the etiological agent and its virulence. However, definite diagnosis generally requires the implementation of combinations of direct and/or indirect screening assays in specialized laboratories. The equine practitioner, involved in a mission of prevention and surveillance, plays an important role in the clinical diagnosis of viral encephalitis. The general management of the horse is essentially supportive, focused on controlling pain and inflammation within the central nervous system, preventing injuries and providing supportive care. Despite its high medical relevance and economic impact in the equine industry, vaccines are not always available and there is no specific antiviral therapy. In this review, the major virological, clinical and epidemiological features of the main neuropathogenic viruses inducing encephalitis in equids in Europe, including rabies virus (Rhabdoviridae), Equid herpesviruses (Herpesviridae), Borna disease virus (Bornaviridae) and West Nile virus (Flaviviridae), as well as exotic viruses, will be presented.

Author(s):  
Siciliano Valentina ◽  
Rosà Tommaso ◽  
Del Vecchio Pierluigi ◽  
D'Angelillo Anna ◽  
Brigida Mattia ◽  
...  

: Viral infections of the central nervous system cause frequent hospitalization. The pathogenesis of viral encephalitis involves both the direct action of invading pathogens and the damage generated by the inflammatory reaction they trigger. The type of signs and symptoms presented by the patient depends on the severity and location of the ongoing inflammatory process. Most of the viral encephalitides are characterized by an acute development, fever, variable alterations in consciousness (confusion, lethargy, even coma), seizures (focal and generalized) and focal neurologic signs. The specific diagnosis of encephalitis is usually based on lumbar puncture. Cerebrospinal fluid examination should be performed in all patients unless absolutely contraindicated. Also, electroencephalogram and neuroimaging play a prominent role in diagnosis. Airway protection, ventilatory support, the management of raised intracranial pressure and correction of electrolyte disorders must be immediately considered in a patient with altered mental status. The only therapy strictly recommended is acyclovir in HSV encephalitis. The use of adjunctive glucocorticoids has poor-quality evidence in HSV, EBV, or VZV encephalitis. The role of antiviral therapy in other types of viral encephalitis is not well defined.


2011 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 12
Author(s):  
Brianne Henderson

During a strangles outbreak within a herd of minature horses, a six week old foal developed acute onset clinical signs of sepsis and neurological deficits. The foal was euthanized and submitted for post-mortem at the Animal Health Laboratories, Guelph Ontario. Gross <em>post-mortem</em> examination noted severe bronchopneumonia, hypopyon of the right eye and a singular cerebellar peduncle abscess. Culture of the lungs and cerebellum produced a pure growth of <em>Streptococcus equi</em> ssp. <em>equi</em>. <em>Streptococcus equi</em> ssp. <em>equi</em>, the causative agent of equine strangles, produces an acute pyrexia, purulent lymphadenopathy of submandibular and retropharyngeal lymph nodes. Commonly, lymph node abscesses rupture and resolve without complication. Rarely, complications may include: dissemination of the bacteria with diffuse abscess formation, immune mediated disease (purpura haemorrhagica), rarely abscess formation within the central nervous system (CNS) can occur. These can be managed medically with appropriate antibiotics and drugs to reduce intra-cranial pressure, however surgical drainage and debulking of the abscess has been attempted successfully in a few cases.


2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (11) ◽  
pp. 3589 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia Rossi ◽  
Ilaria Cicalini ◽  
Mirco Zucchelli ◽  
Maria di Ioia ◽  
Marco Onofrj ◽  
...  

Multiple sclerosis (MuS) is an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system characterized by neuroinflammation, neurodegeneration, and degradation of the myelin sheath. Epidemiological studies have shown that the female gender is more susceptible than the male gender to MuS development, with a female-to-male ratio of 2:1. Despite this high onset, women have a better prognosis than men, and the frequency of the relapsing phase decreases during pregnancy, while it increases soon after birth. Therefore, it is interesting to investigate hormonal fluctuations during pregnancy and whether they correlate with metabolic signatures. To gain a deeper inside into the biochemical mechanism of such a multifactorial disease, we adopted targeted metabolomics approaches for the determination of many serum metabolites in 12 pregnant women affected by MuS by mass spectrometry analysis. Our data show a characteristic hormonal fluctuation for estrogens and progesterone, as expected. They also highlight other interesting hormonal alterations for cortisol, corticosterone, 11-deoxycortisol, 4-androstene-3,17-dione, testosterone, and 17α-hydroxyprogesterone. Furthermore, a negative correlation with progesterone levels was observed for amino acids and for acylcarnitines, while an imbalance of different sphingolipids pathways was found during pregnancy. In conclusion, these data are in agreement with the characteristic clinical signs of MuS patients during pregnancy and, if confirmed, they may add an important tessera in the complex mosaic of maternal neuroprotection.


2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 97-104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelsey Myers ◽  
Fatima Mohammed ◽  
Justin W. Rickard ◽  
Donald E. Meyer ◽  
Aslihan D. Spaulding

2019 ◽  
Vol 55 (02) ◽  
pp. 098-109
Author(s):  
Alka Shukla ◽  
Mayank Gangwar ◽  
Sonam Rastogi ◽  
Gopal Nath

AbstractViral encephalitis is inflammation of brain that manifests as neurological complication of viral infections. There are quite a good number of viruses, for example, human herpes virus, Japanese encephalitis, and enteroviruses that can result in such a dreadful condition. Geographical location, age, gender, immune status, and climatic conditions also contribute to the establishment of this disease in an individual. Clinical signs and symptoms include fever, headache, altered level of consciousness, changed mental status, body ache, seizures, nausea, and vomiting. Effective management of this disease relies on timely diagnosis that in turn depends on apt and suitable investigation techniques. Traditional investigations have thinned out these days owing to the fact that advanced molecular technologies have been introduced to the diagnostic field. Treatment of viral encephalitis mainly involves symptomatic relieve from fever, malaise, myalgia along with measures to reduce viral load in the patient. This review mentions about all the possible aspects of viral encephalitis starting from etiology to the management and preventive measures that include immunization and vector control.


Parasitology ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 1-4
Author(s):  
Barbora Fecková ◽  
Priyanka Djoehana ◽  
Barbora Putnová ◽  
Michaela Valašťanová ◽  
Michaela Petríková ◽  
...  

Abstract Angiostrongylus cantonensis causes severe neurological disorders in a wide range of warm-blooded animals, including several avian species. A laboratory isolate of A. cantonensis originating from French Polynesia, genotyped as clade 2, was used to assess the effect of experimental infection in chicken and Japanese quail. Low dose groups of birds were infected orally by 100 L3 larvae, high dose groups by 1500 L3 larvae and the birds in the third group were fed three infected snails, mimicking a natural infection. Clinical signs during the first week after infection, haematology, biochemistry, gross lesions and histology findings were used to assess the pathology of the infection. Some of the infected birds showed peripheral eosinophilia, while mild neurological signs were seen in others. No larvae were observed in serial sections of the central nervous system of infected birds 1 week after infection and no major gross lesions were observed during necropsy; histopathology did not reveal lesions directly attributable to A. cantonensis infection. Our results suggest that galliform birds are not highly susceptible to A. cantonensis infection and open a question of the importance of Galliformes in endemic areas as natural pest control, lowering the number of hosts carrying the infective larvae.


2017 ◽  
Vol 37 (9) ◽  
pp. 926-930 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniele M. Bassuino ◽  
Guilherme Konradt ◽  
Matheus V. Bianchi ◽  
Matheus O. Reis ◽  
Saulo P. Pavarini ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT: Sida carpinifolia poisoning causes a chronic neurodegenerative disorder associated with lysosomal storage by indolizidine alkaloids (swainsonine). The epidemiological, clinical, pathological and lectin histochemistry findings of an outbreak of natural poisoning by S. carpinifolia in horses in Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, are described. Five horses from a total of 15 that were kept on native pasture with large amounts of S. carpinifolia presented during 90 days clinical signs of progressive weight loss, incoordination, stiff gait and ramble, in addition to exacerbated reactions and locomotion difficulty after induced movement. Four horses died, and one of them was submitted for necropsy. At necropsy, no significant gross lesions were observed. Histological findings observed in the central nervous system were characterized by swollen neurons with cytoplasm containing multiple microvacuoles; these abnormalities were more severe in the thalamus, hippocampus, cerebellum and pons. Using lectin histochemistry, the pons and hippocampus sections stained positive for commercial lectin Con-A, sWGA and WGA. This study aimed to detail S. carpinifolia poisoning in horses to be included in the differential diagnoses of neurological diseases of horses.


2011 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 97-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisangela de Oliveira ◽  
Elisa Teruya Oshiro ◽  
Rebeca Vieira Pinto ◽  
Bruna Corrêa de Castro ◽  
Karla Borges Daniel ◽  
...  

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a severe chronic disease caused by Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum chagasi. Better knowledge on the effects caused by this disease can help develop adequate clinical management and treatment. Parasitological and immunohistochemical studies were performed golden hamsters Mesocricetus auratus infected with bone marrow from individuals with VL in the State of Mato Grosso do Sul, central-west Brazil. The effects of parasitism in the spleen, liver, kidneys, lungs, heart and brain of the animals were examined. Eighteen hamsters were inoculated intraperitoneally, and six healthy animals were used as negative controls. The animals were kept in the animal house and checked for clinical signs. Specimens of each organ were examined for the presence of amastigotes. Immunohistochemical technique was performed in all brain specimens and organs negative on the direct examination of parasites. Direct examination of amastigotes was positive in the spleen and liver of all infected animals; 33.3% showed the parasite in the kidneys and lungs, and 16.7% in the heart. Parasitic forms were seen in 83.3% (15/18) of the brain examined. Immunohistochemistry confirmed the results of the direct examination, except in two specimens of lung tissue and in the brain specimens. Other studies are needed to further clarify the effect of the parasite in the central nervous system.


2020 ◽  
Vol 57 (2) ◽  
pp. 311-315 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allison M. Watson ◽  
Andrew C. Cushing ◽  
Julie D. Sheldon ◽  
Eman Anis ◽  
Rebecca P. Wilkes ◽  
...  

An outbreak of canine distemper virus in a private zoo in eastern Tennessee in July 2016 led to fatal clinical disease in 5 adult, wild-caught Linnaeus’s 2-toed sloths ( Choloepus didactylus). Clinical signs included hyporexia, lethargy, mucopurulent nasal discharge, and oral and facial ulcers. At necropsy, affected animals had crusts and ulcers on the lips, nose, tongue, and oral cavity. Microscopically, all sloths had widespread, random, hepatic necrosis; lymphoid depletion; and bronchointerstitial pneumonia. The central nervous system did not contain gross or histopathologic lesions in any of the 5 sloths, although immunoreactivity for viral antigen was present within vessel walls. Epithelial cells and histiocytes within numerous organs contained intranuclear and intracytoplasmic inclusions and occasional syncytial cells. Canine distemper virus was confirmed with immunohistochemistry and virus isolation. Viral sequencing identified the novel American-4 strain prevalent in eastern Tennessee wildlife. This is the first pathologic characterization of canine distemper virus infection in sloths (family Choloepodidae, order Pilosa) and emphasizes the significant morbidity and mortality in this species.


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