Clinical Perspective: Intestinal Mycobacteriosis- A Rare Cause of Chronic Wasting Disease in Horses

Michael Hewetson

doi:10.4172/2161-1068.1000147

Abstract

Intestinal mycobacteriosis is a chronic, progressive disease which can affect horses of all ages, and has been identified in weanlings as young as six months of age. The disease causes a granulomatous enteritis/enterocolitis. Clinical signs are non-specific, and include weight loss, diarrhoea, intermittent fever and dependent edema secondary to protein losing enteropathy (PLE). Intestinal mycobacteriosis should be considered as a differential diagnosis in any horse with chronic diarrhea, weight loss and/or a protein losing enteropathy. The condition appears to be rare in Europe and in other parts of the world; however the authors have personally diagnosed seven cases of intestinal mycobacteriosis in Finland between 2009 and 2013, suggesting an apparent increase in the incidence of the disease in recent years.

Highlights

Intestinal mycobacteriosis is a chronic, progressive disease which can affect horses of all ages, and has been identified in weanlings as young as six months of age
Intestinal mycobacteriosis should be considered as a differential diagnosis in any horse with chronic diarrhea, weight loss and/or a protein losing enteropathy
The condition appears to be rare in Europe and in other parts of the world; the authors have personally diagnosed seven cases of intestinal mycobacteriosis in Finland between 2009 and 2013, suggesting an apparent increase in the incidence of the disease in recent years

Summary

Introduction

Clinical Perspective: Intestinal Mycobacteriosis- A Rare Cause of Chronic Wasting Disease in Horses Intestinal mycobacteriosis is a chronic, progressive disease which can affect horses of all ages, and has been identified in weanlings as young as six months of age. Intestinal mycobacteriosis should be considered as a differential diagnosis in any horse with chronic diarrhea, weight loss and/or a protein losing enteropathy.

Results

Conclusion