During the spring and summer of 2001 and in association with the mare reproductive loss syndrome, 22 terminal and 12 clinical cases of equine pericarditis were diagnosed in central Kentucky. Actinobacillus species were the principal isolates from 8 of 10 nontreated, terminally affected and 3 of 10 clinically affected horses. Enterococcus faecalis and Streptococcus zooepidemicus were cultured from the remaining 2 nontreated terminal cases. No viruses were isolated in tissue culture. Nucleic acid of equine herpesvirus-2 was detected in pericardial and tracheal wash fluids of 3 and 1 individuals, respectively. Microscopic alterations in sections of heart and parietal pericardium were consistent with chronic fibrinous bacterial pericarditis. This report confirms a significant role of Actinobacillus species in equine pericarditis and describes an epidemic of this infrequently observed syndrome in the horse.
References
1.
BernardWReefVBClarkES: 1990, Pericarditis in horses: Six cases (1982–1986). J Am Vet Med Assoc196:468–471.
2.
BertoneJJDillSG: 1985, Traumatic gastropericarditis in a horse. J Am Vet Med Assoc187:742–743.
3.
BlakesleeJROlsenRGMcAllisterES: 1975, Evidence of respiratory tract infection induced by equine herpesvirus type 2 in the horse. Can J Microbiol21:1940–1946.
4.
BowersJ: 1993, Case report: Pericarditis in a foal. Aust Equine Vet11:133–134.
5.
BradfieldT: 1970, Traumatic pericarditis in a horse. Southwest Vet23:145–146.
6.
BuergeltCDWilsonJHLombardCW: 1990, Pericarditis in horses. Compend Cont Educ Pract Vet12:872–876.
7.
CarmineBLSchneiderGCookJELeipoldHW: 1977, Pericardial mesothelioma in a horse. Vet Pathol14:513–515.
8.
CarterGR: 1990, Diagnostic procedures in veterinary bacteriology and mycology, 5th ed., Academic Press, New York.
9.
CohenNDCareyVJDonahueJG: 2003, Case-control study of late-term abortions associated with mare reproductive loss syndrome in central Kentucky. J Am Vet Med Assoc222:199–209.
10.
CohenNDCareyVJDonahueJG: 2003, Case-control study of early-term abortions (early fetal losses) associated with mare reproductive loss syndrome in Central Kentucky. J Am Vet Med Assoc222:210–217.
11.
DillSGSimoniciDCBoltonGR: 1982, Fibrinous pericarditis in the horse. J Am Vet Med Assoc180:266–271.
12.
DwyerRMGarberLPTraub-DargitzJL: 2003, Case-control study of factors associated with excessive proportions of early fetal losses associated with mare reproductive loss syndrome in central Kentucky during 2001. J Vet Am Med Assoc222:613–619.
13.
FossRR.Effusive-constrictive pericarditis: Diagnosis and pathology. Vet Med80:89–97.
14.
FreestoneJFThomasWPCarlsonGPBrumbaughGW: 1987, Idiopathic effusive pericarditis with tamponade in the horse. Equine Vet J19:38–42.
15.
FuZFRobinsonAJHornerGW: 1986, Respiratory disease in foals and the epizootiology of equine herpesvirus type 2 infection. N Z Vet J34:152–155.
16.
HardyJRobertsonJTReedSM: 1992, Constrictive pericarditis in a mare: Attempted treatment by partial pericardiectomy. Equine Vet J24:151–154.
17.
KemenyLPearsonJE: 1970, Isolation of herpesvirus from equine leukocytes: Comparison with equine rhinopneumonitis virus. Can J Comp Med34:59–65.
18.
MurrayMJEichornESDuboviEJ: 1996, Equine herpesvirus type 2: Prevalence and seroepidemiology in foals. Equine Vet J28:432–436.
19.
NordengrahnARusvaiMMerzaM: 1996, Equine herpesvirus type 2 (EHV-2) as a predisposing factor for Rhodococcus equi pneumonia in foals: Prevention of the bifactorial disease with EHV-2 immunostimulating complexes. Vet Microbiol51:55–68.
20.
RaineyJW: 1944, A specific arthritis with pericarditis affecting young horses in Tasmania. Aust Vet J20:204–206.
21.
ReefVBGentileDGFreemanDE: 1984, Successful treatment of pericarditis in a horse. J Am Vet Med Assoc185:94–98.
22.
ReubelGHCrabbBSStuddertMJ: 1995, Diagnosis of equine gammaherpesvirus 2 and 5 infections by polymerase chain reaction. Arch Virol140:1049–1060.
23.
RobinsonJAMarrCMReefVBSweenyRW: 1992, Idiopathic, aseptic, effusive, fibrinous, nonconstrictive pericarditis with tamponade in a Standardbred filly. J Am Vet Med Assoc201:1593–1598.
24.
RoederPLScotGL: 1975, The prevalence of equid herpesvirus 2 infections. Vet Rec96:404–405.
25.
RyanAFRaineyJW: 1945, A specific arthritis and pericarditis affecting horses in Tasmania. Aust Vet J21:146–148.
26.
SeahornJLSlovisNMReimerJM: 2003, Case-control study of risk factors associated with fibrinous pericarditis among horses in central Kentucky during the spring of 2001. J Am Vet Med Assoc223:832–838.
TanJSHolmesJCFowlerNO: 1974, Antibiotic levels in pericardial fluid. J Clin Investig53:7–12.
29.
TelfordEARStuddertMJAgiusCD: 1993, Equine herpesviruses 2 and 5 are γ-herpesviruses. Virology195:492–499.
30.
WagnerPCMillerRAMerrittF: 1977, Constrictive pericarditis in the horse. J Equine Med Surg1:242–247.
31.
WagnerWNBogdanJHainesD: 1992, Detection of equine herpesvirus and differentiation of equine herpesvirus type 1 from type 4 by the polymerase chain reaction. Can J Microbiol38:1193–1196.
32.
WorthLTReefVB: 1998, Pericarditis in horses: 18 cases (1986–1995). J Am Vet Med Assoc212:248–253.
