The Association of Fibrinous Pleural Effusion with Survival and Complications in Horses with Pleuropneumonia (2002-2012): 74 Cases.

BACKGROUND: Fibrinous parapneumonic pleural effusions are associated with decreased efficacy of pleural fluid drainage and increased risk of medical treatment failure in people, but similar associations have not been established in horses. HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES: We hypothesized that fibrin deposition in the pleural cavity of horses with parapneumonic effusions increases the risk of poor outcome. ANIMALS: Seventy four horses with bacterial pleuropneumonia diagnosed by culture and cytology of tracheal aspirates, pleural fluid, or both, and pleural effusion diagnosed by ultrasonographic examination. METHODS: Retrospective study of cases was from 2002 to 2012. Information obtained from the medical records included signalment, history, sonographic findings, treatments, and outcome. The primary outcome investigated was survival and secondary outcomes were development of complications and surgical intervention. Fisher's exact test and logistic regression were applied for categorical variables. A t-test was used to find differences in continuous variables between groups. RESULTS: Seventy four horses met study criteria and 50 (68%) survived. Fibrinous pleural effusion was associated with higher respiratory rate and pleural fluid height at admission, necrotizing pneumonia, increased number of indwelling thoracic drains required for treatment, and decreased survival. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Fibrin accumulation in parapneumonic effusions is associated with increased mortality. Direct fibrinolytic treatment might be indicated in affected horses.

The Use of Recombinant Tissue Plasminogen Activator (rTPA) in The Treatment of Fibrinous Pleuropneumonia in Horses: 25 Cases (2007-2012).

BACKGROUND: Information about treatment protocols, adverse effects and outcomes with intrapleural recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rTPA) use in horses with fibrinous pleuropneumonia is limited. HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES: Describe factors that contribute to clinical response and survival of horses treated with rTPA intrapleurally. ANIMALS: Horses with bacterial pneumonia and fibrinous pleural effusion diagnosed by ultrasonography, that were treated with rTPA intrapleurally. METHODS: Retrospective multicenter case series from 2007-2012. Signalment, history, clinical and laboratory evaluation, treatment, and outcome obtained from medical records. Regression analysis used to identify associations between treatments and outcomes. RESULTS: Thirty three hemithoraces were treated in 25 horses, with 55 separate treatments. Recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (375-20,000 µg/hemithorax) was administered 1-4 times. Sonographically visible reduction in fibrin mat thickness, loculations, fluid depth, or some combination of these was seen in 32/49 (65%) treatments. Response to at least 1 treatment was seen in 17/20 (85%) horses with sonographic follow-up evaluation after every treatment. Earlier onset of rTPA treatment associated with increased survival odds. No association was found between cumulative rTPA dose or number of rTPA doses and survival, development of complications, duration of hospitalization or total charges. Clinical evidence of hypocoagulability or bleeding was not observed. Eighteen horses (72%) survived to discharge. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Treatment with rTPA appeared safe and resulted in variable changes in fibrin quantity and organization within the pleural space. Recombinant tissue plasminogen activator could be a useful adjunct to standard treatment of fibrinous pleuropneumonia, but optimal case selection and dosing regimen remain to be elucidated.

Fatal transmission of contagious caprine pleuropneumonia to an Arabian oryx (Oryx leucoryx).

Contagious caprine pleuropneumonia (CCPP) is an infectious respiratory disease mainly affecting domestic goats. As CCPP has never been documented in grazing antelopes (subfamily hippotraginae), they were not considered susceptible. Mycoplasma capricolum subspecies capripneumoniae (Mccp) was isolated from pleural liquid collected during the necropsy of a severely emaciated Arabian oryx with mild nasal discharge. The Mccp isolate was then genotyped using a multilocus sequence scheme; the sequence type was identical to the Mccp strain previously identified in a sand gazelle from a nearby enclosure. This case shows for the first time that members of the hippotraginae subfamily, here the Arabian oryx, can be affected by CCPP. In addition, genotyping shows that the oryx was most probably infected, at a distance, by sand gazelles.

Caprine pleuropneumonia in Beetal goats [corrected].

Seroprevalence, clinical findings, and lesions of contagious caprine pleuropneumonia (CCPP) in Beetal goats were recorded during an outbreak. The overall seroprevalence of CCPP was 32.50%. Confirmation of Mycoplasma mycoides in serum was carried out using counter immunoelectrophoresis (CIE) technique. The highest CIE-positive cases were recorded in the older goats (51.72%) as compared to young ones. Nasal swabs collected from 39 goats showing respiratory signs were found positive for M. mycoides. The most consistent clinical findings were mild to severe cough, purulent nasal secretion, emaciation, dyspnea, increased respiration rate, and pyrexia. Mortality due to CCPP was 9.17%. Consolidation of lungs exhibited the highest frequency (100%), followed by alveolar exudation (90.90%) and pleural adhesion (72.72%). Among the microscopic lesions, septal peribronchiolar fibrosis exhibited the highest frequency (81.81%), followed by fibrinous pleuritis (63.63%) and peribronchiolar cuffing of mononuclear cells (54.54%) in lungs. From these results, it was concluded that CCPP under subtropical conditions has high prevalence in Beetal goats and leads to significant mortality.

Fatal outbreak of Mycoplasma capricolum pneumonia in endangered markhors.

A pneumonia outbreak reduced the numbers of a wild population of endangered markhors (Capra falconeri) in Tajikistan in 2010. The infection was diagnosed by histologic examination and bacteriologic testing. Mycoplasma capricolum subsp. capricolum was the sole infectious agent detected. Cross-species transmission from domestic goats may have occurred.

Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. capri associated with goat respiratory disease and high flock mortality.

A high mortality outbreak of respiratory mycoplasmosis occurred in goats in Mexico. The clinicopathologic presentation resembled contagious caprine pleuropneumonia caused by Mycoplasma capricolum subspecies capripneumoniae. By using a battery of polymerase chain reaction assays, the mycoplasma associated with this outbreak was identified as Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. capri.

An estimation of the economic impact of contagious bovine pleuropneumonia in Africa.

Contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP) is a disease that causes high morbidity and mortality losses to cattle. The financial implications of these losses are of great significance to cattle owners. Control of CBPP is therefore important as a way to salvage the losses and increase the incomes of cattle owners. This study estimated the economic cost of CBPP and the benefits of its control in twelve sub-Saharan African countries using a spreadsheet economic model developed in Microsoft Excel. The value of morbidity and mortality losses was estimated at 30 million euros (2.5 million per country) while the total economic cost (direct and indirect production losses plus disease control costs) was estimated at 44.8 million euros (3.7 million euros per country). An investment of 14.7 million euros to control CBPP would prevent a loss of 30 million euros. The financial return on investment in CBPP control is positive, with benefit-cost ratios that range from 1.61 (Ghana) to 2.56 (Kenya).

Cattle eradication and malnutrition in under five's: a natural experiment in Botswana.

BACKGROUND: An outbreak of contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP) in the northern part of Botswana in 1996 was contained through eradication of all heads of cattle in Ngamiland district (Ngami East and West) in the period April 1996 to February 1997. This disaster posed a serious threat to those who depended on the livestock sector for sustenance and to the nutrition security of the population, especially the under five's. AIM: The aim of this study was to assess the impact of the cattle eradication on the nutritional status of children. METHOD: A secondary analysis of existing data from the Botswana National Nutrition Surveillance System enabled us to study the impact of this disaster on malnutrition in the under five's by comparing quarterly malnutrition rates for Ngami East with national figures for the period of January 1995 to March 1998. RESULTS: While the risk for malnutrition among under five's in Ngami East increased from 0.046 to 0.105 during the study period, giving a relative risk of 2.299, the increase in risk for Botswana was from 0.133 to 0.139, giving a relative risk of 1.048. The attributable risk for cattle eradication impact on malnutrition was 4.6% for Botswana and 54.4% for Ngami East. CONCLUSION: The cattle eradication impacted seriously on the food and nutrition security of the under five's in Ngami East, compared with the country as a whole.

High mortality in goats associated with the isolation of a strain of Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides (Large Colony type).

A goat pleuropneumonia outbreak occurring in a herd of 800 animals in the province of Ciudad Real, Spain, is described in this paper. Severe respiratory signs and high mortality were the most significant clinical observations. The adult goats presented mainly respiratory symptoms and/or mastitis, whereas the young animals died showing arthritis and/or keratoconjunctivitis. The most significant lesions were found in the thoracic cavity. A focal extensive fibrinonecrotic pleuropneumonia was macroscopically seen, and the histopathological analysis confirmed a fibrinopurulent and necrotic pleuropneumonia with areas of acute pyogenic bronchopneumonia and fibrinous pericarditis associated with a multifocal purulent mastitis and/or a fibrinopurulent arthritis in some goats. Microbiologically, the mycoplasmas isolated grew rapidly (18-24 h), and, after 48 h, there were colonies of 1-1.5 mm diameter. These isolations were biochemically characterized as Mycoplasma mycoides spp. and showed serological characteristics corresponding to Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides Large Colony. One of the isolations, the strain 2/93, experimentally showed its pathogenicity causing acute interstitial pneumonia and arthritis when it was inoculated in 1-week-old kids.

Treatment of contagious caprine pleuropneumonia.

Goats that had been inoculated with the causal organism of contagious caprine pleuropneumonia and treated, within a few days, with oxytetracycline or tylosin, were less severely affected than infected, untreated control goats. However, 20% of treated cases remained infective and were, presumably, capable of transmitting the infection.

Treatment of contagious caprine pleuropneumonia.

A combination of dihydrostreptomycin sulphate (250 mg/ml) and penicillin G procaine (200,000 iu/ml) was used to treat contagious caprine pleuropneumonia caused by F38 strain of mycoplasma. A single dose of either 20, 30, 40 or 50 mg/kg body weight of the dihydrostreptomycin sulphate led to the recovery of the treated goats. The recovered goats did not transmit CCPP to susceptible goats housed with them for 2 months. The goats which recovered were found to be solidly immune to an in-contact challenge in which all the control goats died of CCPP. The treated and recovered goats were found not to be carriers of the organism.