Publication Database

Presence of equine and bovine coronaviruses, endoparasites, and bacteria in fecal samples of horses with colic (2023)

Art

Zeitschriftenartikel / wissenschaftlicher Beitrag

Autoren

Stummer, Moritz

Frisch, Vicky

Glitz, Frauke

Hinney, Barbara

Spergser, Joachim

Krücken, Jürgen (WE 13)

Diekmann, Irina (WE 13)

Dimmel, Katharina

Riedel, Christiane

Cavalleri, Jessika-Maximiliane V.

Rümenapf, Till

Joachim, Anja

Lyrakis, Manolis

Auer, Angelika

Quelle

Pathogens

Bandzählung: 12

Heftzählung: 8

Seiten: Artikel 1043

ISSN: 2076-0817

Sprache

Englisch

Verweise

URL (Volltext): https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/12/8/1043

DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12081043

Kontakt

Institut für Parasitologie und Tropenveterinärmedizin

Robert-von-Ostertag-Str. 7-13
14163 Berlin
+49 30 838 62310
parasitologie@vetmed.fu-berlin.de

Abstract / Zusammenfassung

Acute abdominal pain (colic) is one of the major equine health threats worldwide and often necessitates intensive veterinary medical care and surgical intervention. Equine coronavirus (ECoV) infections can cause colic in horses but are rarely considered as a differential diagnosis. To determine the frequency of otherwise undetected ECoV infections in horses with acute colic, fresh fecal samples of 105 horses with acute colic and 36 healthy control horses were screened for viruses belonging to the Betacoronavirus 1 species by RT-PCR as well as for gastrointestinal helminths and bacteria commonly associated with colic. Horses with colic excreted significantly fewer strongyle eggs than horses without colic. The prevalence of anaerobic, spore-forming, gram-positive bacteria (Clostridium perfringens and Clostridioides difficile) was significantly higher in the feces of horses with colic. Six horses with colic (5.7%) and one horse from the control group (2.8%) tested positive for Betacoronaviruses. Coronavirus-positive samples were sequenced to classify the virus by molecular phylogeny (N gene). Interestingly, in three out of six coronavirus-positive horses with colic, sequences closely related to bovine coronaviruses (BCoV) were found. The pathogenic potential of BCoV in horses remains unclear and warrants further investigation.