Acute colitis: infectious causes.

Infectious causes of acute colitis are of considerable concern to horse owners. Acute infectious colitis not only is a severe, potentially fatal disease but also carries a risk of disease outbreak in a group of horses. Understanding commonly recognized infectious etiologies can help clinicians address each case appropriately, limit the risk of disease spread, and optimize the patient's chance of survival. This article highlights the key points regarding infectious etiologies of acute colitis in adult horses (i.e., older than 12 months).

[1]  M. Rupnik,et al.  Is Clostridium difficile-associated infection a potentially zoonotic and foodborne disease? , 2007, Clinical microbiology and infection : the official publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.

[2]  J. Madigan,et al.  Molecular characterization of Clostridium difficile isolates from horses in an intensive care unit and association of disease severity with strain type. , 2006, Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association.

[3]  J. Starr Clostridium difficile associated diarrhoea: diagnosis and treatment , 2005, BMJ : British Medical Journal.

[4]  Y. Rikihisa,et al.  Neorickettsia risticii is vertically transmitted in the trematode Acanthatrium oregonense and horizontally transmitted to bats. , 2005, Environmental microbiology.

[5]  V. Båverud Clostridium difficile diarrhea: infection control in horses. , 2004, The Veterinary clinics of North America. Equine practice.

[6]  J. Weese,et al.  Experimental Clostridium difficile enterocolitis in foals. , 2004, Journal of veterinary internal medicine.

[7]  M. Leyland,et al.  Salmonella Brandenburg - emergence of a new strain affecting stock and humans in the South Island of New Zealand , 2004, New Zealand veterinary journal.

[8]  E. Weiss Biology of ehrlichiae , 1991, European Journal of Epidemiology.

[9]  A. Aspán,et al.  Clostridium difficile: prevalence in horses and environment, and antimicrobial susceptibility. , 2010, Equine veterinary journal.

[10]  J. Chae,et al.  Identification of Trematode Cercariae Carrying Neorickettsia risticii in Freshwater Stream Snails , 2003, Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences.

[11]  J. Traub-Dargatz,et al.  Population-based study of fecal shedding of Clostridium perfringens in broodmares and foals. , 2002, Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association.

[12]  J. Weese,et al.  A prospective study of the roles of clostridium difficile and enterotoxigenic Clostridium perfringens in equine diarrhoea. , 2010, Equine veterinary journal.

[13]  J. Madigan,et al.  Infection of Aquatic Insects with Trematode Metacercariae CarryingEhrlichia risticii,the Cause of Potomac Horse Fever , 2000, Journal of medical entomology.

[14]  J. Madigan,et al.  Transmission of Ehrlichia risticii, the agent of Potomac horse fever, using naturally infected aquatic insects and helminth vectors: preliminary report. , 2000, Equine veterinary journal.

[15]  M. Alfa,et al.  Characterization of a Toxin A-Negative, Toxin B-Positive Strain of Clostridium difficile Responsible for a Nosocomial Outbreak of Clostridium difficile-Associated Diarrhea , 2000, Journal of Clinical Microbiology.

[16]  Michel Popoff,et al.  Prevalence of β2-Toxigenic Clostridium perfringens in Horses with Intestinal Disorders , 1999, Journal of Clinical Microbiology.

[17]  B. McGorum,et al.  Use of metronidazole in equine acute idiopathic toxaemic colitis , 1998, Veterinary Record.

[18]  C. Kelly,et al.  Clostridium difficile infection. , 2015, The New England journal of medicine.

[19]  J Larsen,et al.  Acute colitis in adult horses. A review with emphasis on aetiology and pathogenesis. , 1997, The Veterinary quarterly.

[20]  D. Owen,et al.  Inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. , 1995, Modern pathology : an official journal of the United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology, Inc.

[21]  D. Leigh,et al.  An investigation into Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin-associated diarrhoea. , 1991, The Journal of hospital infection.

[22]  E. O'Loughlin,et al.  Pathophysiology of infectious diarrhea: changes in intestinal structure and function. , 1991, Journal of pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition.

[23]  Y. Rikihisa Growth of Ehrlichia risticii in Human Colonic Epithelial Cells , 1990, Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences.

[24]  S. Dutta,et al.  Disease features in horses with induced equine monocytic ehrlichiosis (Potomac horse fever). , 1988, American journal of veterinary research.

[25]  W. Adney,et al.  Isolation of Clostridium difficile and detection of cytotoxin in the feces of diarrheic foals in the absence of antimicrobial treatment , 1987, Journal of clinical microbiology.

[26]  R. Whitlock,et al.  Clinical and hematologic variables in ponies with experimentally induced equine ehrlichial colitis (Potomac horse fever). , 1987, American journal of veterinary research.

[27]  Y. Rikihisa,et al.  Enterocolitis Caused by Ehrlichia sp. in the Horse (Potomac Horse Fever) , 1986, Veterinary pathology.

[28]  Y. Rikihisa,et al.  Ultrastructural study of ehrlichial organisms in the large colons of ponies infected with Potomac horse fever , 1985, Infection and immunity.

[29]  C. Wray,et al.  Salmonella infection in horses in England and Wales, 1973 to 1979 , 1981, Veterinary Record.

[30]  R. Ochoa,et al.  The Effects of Clostridium perfringens Type A Enterotoxin in Shetland Ponies—Clinical, Morphologic and Clinicopathologic Changes , 1980, Veterinary pathology.