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Visualizing Bacteria in Nematodes using Fluorescent Microscopy
Published on: October 19, 2012
Verminous mastitis in a mare caused by a free-living nematode
E C Greiner1, M B Mays, G C Smart
1Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville 32610.
The Journal of Parasitology
|April 1, 1991
Summary
A rare case of verminous mastitis in a horse was caused by the soil nematode Cephalobus. This discovery highlights a new parasitic infection in horses, distinct from Halicephalobus deletrix.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Pathology
- Parasitology
- Equine Medicine
Background:
- Verminous mastitis is a rare condition affecting the mammary glands of female mammals.
- Soil-inhabiting nematodes, particularly Rhabditida, are known to cause various infections in animals.
- Previous equine infections by histiotropic rhabditoid nematodes were primarily attributed to Halicephalobus deletrix.
Observation:
- A 22-year-old Paso Fino mare required euthanasia due to severe verminous mastitis.
- Histological examination revealed a massive proliferation of female and larval nematodes within the mammary gland tissue.
- An estimated 12,900 nematode individuals were present per gram of affected tissue.
Findings:
- The causative agent was identified as a species of Cephalobus (Rhabditida: Cephalobidae), a soil-dwelling nematode genus.
- This represents the first documented instance of Cephalobus infection in horses.
- The observed infection differs from previously identified histiotropic nematode infections in equids.
Implications:
- This finding expands the known spectrum of nematode parasites capable of causing severe mastitis in horses.
- It underscores the importance of considering a broader range of nematode species, beyond Halicephalobus deletrix, in equine parasitic mastitis cases.
- Further research is warranted to understand the pathogenesis and epidemiology of Cephalobus infections in horses.
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