Enteric Pathogens and Coinfections in Foals with and without Diarrhea

Abstract

Diarrhea is a major clinical problem affecting foals up to 3 months of age. The aim of this study was to identify enteric microorganisms involved in monoinfections and coinfections and the associated virulence factors in healthy and diarrheic foals. Diarrheic (D) (n = 56) and nondiarrheic (ND) foals (n = 60) up to three months of age were studied. Fecal samples were analyzed for identification of infectious agents (microbiological culturing, molecular techniques, and microscopic analyses). Escherichia coli fimH (30% versus 25%), Salmonella spp. (25% versus 7%), Strongyloides westeri (25% versus 25%), Clostridium perfringens type A (21% versus 10%), E. coli ag43 (20% versus 35%), Strongylus (11% versus 18%), and vapA-positive Rhodococcus equi (5% versus 2%) were the most frequent enteric pathogens detected in D and ND foals, respectively. The frequency of toxin A-positive C. perfringens was significantly increased in the D (p = 0.033) compared with the ND animals. R. equi strains harboring virulent plasmids were also identified (VapA 85-kb type I and VapA 87-kb type I) in D and ND foals. Coinfections were observed in 46% of the D and 33% of the ND foals. Our results demonstrate the great diversity of enteric pathogens, virulence factors, and coinfections involved in enteric infections of foals.

Antimicrobial susceptibility and molecular characterization of Salmonella serovar Ndolo isolated from outbreaks in cattle and horses

“…Clinical manifestations of salmonellosis vary depending upon the serovar involved and the host's susceptibility (BARROW et al, 2010;JUFFO et al, 2016). The most common Salmonella serovars responsible for outbreaks in calves are Typhimurium and Dublin (COURA et al, 2015;MOHLER et al, 2009); whereas, Typhimurium, Anatum, Newport, and Agona are serovars commonly reportedin infect foals (CUMMINGS et al, 2016;OLIVO et al, 2016). Interestingly, some Salmonella serovars, such as Dublin in calves or Choleraesuis in pigs, are classified as host-adapted strains and infect a limited number of species (BARROW et al, 2010).…”

Foal Diarrhea

“…11,12 CLINICAL PATHOLOGY If dehydration is present, hematocrit is high. 13 Signs of inflammation are present in the leukogram, including leukopenia or leukocytosis, commonly due to abnormal neutrophil counts. A left shift might also be present, particularly in cases with SIRS.…”

“…14,15 Acute phase proteins, such as fibrinogen and serum amyloid A, are usually elevated. 13 Electrolyte derangements are common and should be evaluated. Up to 66% of the foals have been reported as hyponatremic and 33% hypokalemic.…”

“…Hyperchloremia or hypochloremia also can occur. 13 Foals with diarrhea usually have a strong ion metabolic acidosis with low blood pH, low plasma bicarbonate levels, and a decreased strong ion difference (strong ion difference 5 Na 1 K-Cl lactate 5 36-44) due to electrolyte derangements. 11,13 Increased lactate concentrations are also common and contribute to the low SID.…”

An Efficient One-Pot Catalyzed Synthesis of 2,4-Disubstituted 5-Nitroimidazoles Displaying Antiparasitic and Antibacterial Activities

“…Although the most common side effects of metronidazole treatment are mild (headache, vertigo, nausea, a metallic taste in the mouth and an Antabuse-like effect with alcohol) [ 25 ], other more serious adverse effects have been documented, such as mutagenicity on bacteria [ 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 ] and carcinogenicity on mice and rats [ 32 ]. Moreover, in recent decades, an increasing number of anaerobic bacterial pathogens have been observed to cause severe diarrhea and enterocolitis [ 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 ].…”