FATAL PARASITIC TYPHLITIS IN HORSE – CASE REPORT

Abstract

This article aims to report an unusual case of equine colic associated with lesions in the cecum induced by parasite compatible with strongyles. A ten-year-old mare, Mangalarga Marchador breed, was attended with the history of intense pain. Upon admission, an unstable circulatory condition and blackened feces with the presence of free nematodes were observed. The fecal egg count (FEC) was conducted, resulting in 1.500 eggs per gram. Due to unresponsive pain, the mare underwent exploratory celiotomy, revealing areas of infarction in the cecum and small colon, leading to euthanasia due to the severity and extent of the lesions. Histopathological analysis of the affected segments showed multifocal tissue necrosis associated with hemorrhage, congestion, and inflammation, along with a tubular filamentous structure compatible with cylindrical parasite in the cecum, resulting in the diagnosis of parasitic necrohemorrhagic typhlitis. Studies suggest various possibilities regarding the pathogenesis of non-strangulating infarction associated with strongyle parasitism, the main gastrointestinal endoparasites in horses, triggering the reflection on effective prevention strategies against parasitic infections.