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Placentitis in Mares
Placentitis in Horses
Introduction
The placenta is the temporary organ that forms during pregnancy to support the foal while it is in the mare. Placentitis is inflammation of the placenta. By the time it is diagnosed placentitis carries a poor prognosis and is responsible for 19% of fetal foal death in the US. And the incidence appears to be growing. The placenta becomes infected either through an ascending infection through the cervix or is deposited within the placenta by infected blood. Almost always the condition is not diagnosed until it is too late to save the foal. But recent studies for earlier recognition of placentitis have been published. Here we will discuss the diagnosis and treatment of placentitis with an emphasis on early recognition and prevention.
Causes
Most often the cause of placentitis is a bacterial infection. Isolated organisms in order of frequency:
- Streptococcus equi zooepidemicus
- Leptospira of several spp.
- Escherichia coli and many other gram-negative organisms
- Nocardiform Placentitis (NP): Amycolatopsis spp. or Crossiella equi
- Fungi (Candida and others) have been found occasionally
Ascending Placentitis (AP)
AP is the most common form of placentitis. Except for Leptospira and Nocardia species the organisms listed above are associated with AP. Past damage to the cervix, during birth or breeding, may be a significant cause of ascending placentitis through the cervix.
Leptospira
Leptospiral placentitis is usually an isolated cause of placentitis and abortion in the mare. However, it is recurrent on some farms and larger outbreaks associated with environmental conditions are reported. Leptospirosis is maintained in the environment by endemic wild hosts and some livestock species. Usually, environmental contamination occurs through urine or aborted tissues and the organism survives in wet areas. Ponds, flooded fields, and ditches are all attractive to Leptospira.
Nocardiform Placentitis (NP): Amycolatopsis spp. or Crossiella equi
Though a worldwide problem, the Nocardia family has been an increasingly significant cause of placentitis and abortion in Kentucky mares. Nocardia is a family of aerobic nonmotile actinomycetes (family Nocardiaceae, order Actinomycetales), transitional between bacteria and fungi, containing variably acid-fast, slender rods or filaments, frequently swollen and occasionally branched, forming a mycelium. Coccus or bacillary forms are produced by these organisms, which are mainly saprophytic but may produce disease in human beings and other animals. NP occurs through hematogenous origin though often the mare shows no signs of infection in the blood. This problem worsens during hot, dry weather and when there is a lot of wind.
Early Recognition, Diagnosis
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