Toxic hepatopathy in neonatal foals

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Pathology
• Equine Neonatal Medicine
• Toxicology

Background:

• Foal mortality in the neonatal period presents significant challenges in equine practice.
• Hepatic and neurological signs in foals can indicate severe underlying disease processes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the cause of death in six foals exhibiting icterus, ataxia, and hepatic coma.
• To identify potential etiological agents associated with the observed clinical and pathological findings.

Main Methods:

• Clinical case review of six affected foals from different breeds.
• Gross and histopathological examination of liver and brain tissues.
• Experimental inoculation of an additional foal with suspected causative agent.

Main Results:

• Foals presented with jaundice, neurological deficits, and died within days of birth.
• Postmortem examination revealed severely reduced liver weight, hepatocellular necrosis, bile ductule proliferation, and fibrosis.
• Brain examination showed Alzheimer's type II cells, indicative of hepatoencephalopathy; experimental foal developed similar lesions.

Conclusions:

• A proprietary nutritional paste containing Aspergillus sp. and an iron compound administered orally post-birth was strongly implicated.
• The paste likely induced severe hepatotoxicity and secondary hepatoencephalopathy, leading to fatal outcomes in neonatal foals.
• This study underscores the critical need for careful evaluation of neonatal nutritional supplements for potential toxicity.