Abstract
A 14-y-old bay Quarter Horse gelding was presented with progressive neurologic signs, elevated rectal temperature, and icterus for 3 d prior to death. Postmortem examination revealed icterus, large amounts of serosanguineous fluid in the abdominal cavity, widespread petechiae and ecchymoses in several organs, and a large, pale, and well-demarcated focus of necrosis in the liver. Histologically, there was coagulative necrosis surrounded by a rim of inflammatory cells and large numbers of gram-positive rods, which were identified as Clostridium novyi by immunohistochemistry. Liver samples tested by PCR were positive for C. novyi type B flagellin and alpha toxin genes, but negative for Clostridium haemolyticum and other clostridia. Based on postmortem findings and ancillary tests, a definitive diagnosis of infectious necrotic hepatitis (INH) was made. Mostly a disease of ruminants, also known as black disease, INH has rarely been reported in horses, and a definitive etiologic diagnosis has not been achieved previously; the etiology of all cases reported to date was identified as C. novyi but the type was not determined. Animals are predisposed to clostridial hepatitis when hepatic anaerobiosis is established. Such conditions allow germination and proliferation of bacterial spores, resulting in production and release of toxins. INH, caused by C. novyi type B, and bacillary hemoglobinuria, caused by C. haemolyticum, are mechanistically and pathologically almost indistinguishable. Because these 2 microorganisms are closely related, differentiation requires molecular tools.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 294-299 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation |
| Volume | 30 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Mar 1 2018 |
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Keywords
- Black disease
- Clostridium novyi type B
- horses
- infectious necrotic hepatitis
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- veterinary(all)
Cite this
Infectious necrotic hepatitis caused by Clostridium novyi type B in a horse : case report and review of the literature. / Nyaoke, Carol A; Navarro, Mauricio A.; Beingesser, Juliann; Uzal, Francisco A.
In: Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation, Vol. 30, No. 2, 01.03.2018, p. 294-299.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Infectious necrotic hepatitis caused by Clostridium novyi type B in a horse
T2 - case report and review of the literature
AU - Nyaoke, Carol A
AU - Navarro, Mauricio A.
AU - Beingesser, Juliann
AU - Uzal, Francisco A
PY - 2018/3/1
Y1 - 2018/3/1
N2 - A 14-y-old bay Quarter Horse gelding was presented with progressive neurologic signs, elevated rectal temperature, and icterus for 3 d prior to death. Postmortem examination revealed icterus, large amounts of serosanguineous fluid in the abdominal cavity, widespread petechiae and ecchymoses in several organs, and a large, pale, and well-demarcated focus of necrosis in the liver. Histologically, there was coagulative necrosis surrounded by a rim of inflammatory cells and large numbers of gram-positive rods, which were identified as Clostridium novyi by immunohistochemistry. Liver samples tested by PCR were positive for C. novyi type B flagellin and alpha toxin genes, but negative for Clostridium haemolyticum and other clostridia. Based on postmortem findings and ancillary tests, a definitive diagnosis of infectious necrotic hepatitis (INH) was made. Mostly a disease of ruminants, also known as black disease, INH has rarely been reported in horses, and a definitive etiologic diagnosis has not been achieved previously; the etiology of all cases reported to date was identified as C. novyi but the type was not determined. Animals are predisposed to clostridial hepatitis when hepatic anaerobiosis is established. Such conditions allow germination and proliferation of bacterial spores, resulting in production and release of toxins. INH, caused by C. novyi type B, and bacillary hemoglobinuria, caused by C. haemolyticum, are mechanistically and pathologically almost indistinguishable. Because these 2 microorganisms are closely related, differentiation requires molecular tools.
AB - A 14-y-old bay Quarter Horse gelding was presented with progressive neurologic signs, elevated rectal temperature, and icterus for 3 d prior to death. Postmortem examination revealed icterus, large amounts of serosanguineous fluid in the abdominal cavity, widespread petechiae and ecchymoses in several organs, and a large, pale, and well-demarcated focus of necrosis in the liver. Histologically, there was coagulative necrosis surrounded by a rim of inflammatory cells and large numbers of gram-positive rods, which were identified as Clostridium novyi by immunohistochemistry. Liver samples tested by PCR were positive for C. novyi type B flagellin and alpha toxin genes, but negative for Clostridium haemolyticum and other clostridia. Based on postmortem findings and ancillary tests, a definitive diagnosis of infectious necrotic hepatitis (INH) was made. Mostly a disease of ruminants, also known as black disease, INH has rarely been reported in horses, and a definitive etiologic diagnosis has not been achieved previously; the etiology of all cases reported to date was identified as C. novyi but the type was not determined. Animals are predisposed to clostridial hepatitis when hepatic anaerobiosis is established. Such conditions allow germination and proliferation of bacterial spores, resulting in production and release of toxins. INH, caused by C. novyi type B, and bacillary hemoglobinuria, caused by C. haemolyticum, are mechanistically and pathologically almost indistinguishable. Because these 2 microorganisms are closely related, differentiation requires molecular tools.
KW - Black disease
KW - Clostridium novyi type B
KW - horses
KW - infectious necrotic hepatitis
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85041741292&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85041741292&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/1040638717737125
DO - 10.1177/1040638717737125
M3 - Article
C2 - 29224513
AN - SCOPUS:85041741292
VL - 30
SP - 294
EP - 299
JO - Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation
JF - Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation
SN - 1040-6387
IS - 2
ER -