Listeria monocytogenes septicaemia in a foal
2005
Pirs, T., Ljubljana Univ. (Slovenia). Veterinary Fac. | Zdovc, I. | Gombac, M.
We describe Listeria monocytogenes septicaemia in a Slovenian warm-blood 3-day old filly. When admitted to the hospital, the foal was weak and severely dehydrated. Due to poor response to therapy and grave prognosis, the foal was euthanized. Postmortem examination was performed and significant findings included multifocal hepatitis, diffuse enteritis and pulmonary and spleen haemorrhages. The histopathological examination revealed pyogranulomatous hepatitis, mononuclear meningitis, acute septic embolic pneumonia, acute catarrhal enteritis as well as congestion and acute haemorrhages in most of examined tissues. Listeria monocytogenes was isolated on primary culture from the liver, spleen, kidney, lung, intestine and brain, and was therefore considered as the cause for the septicaemia in this foal. L. monocytogenes septicaemia in foals is rarely diagnosed, and the present report is, to our knowledge, the first to describe L. monocytogenes septicaemia in a foal in Slovenia. Despite being rare, a definitive diagnosis based on postmortem examination and bacteriological culture is important because it allows preventing transmission of the disease and/or development of healthy carriers. This may be of particular importance in herds where several foals are expected to be born.
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