Lyme Neuroborreliosis in 2 Horses

• Published in: Veterinary Pathology Vol. 48; no. 6; pp. 1151 - 1157
• Main Authors: Imai, D. M., Barr, B. C., Daft, B., Bertone, J. J., Feng, S., Hodzic, E., Johnston, J. M., Olsen, K. J., Barthold, S. W.
• Format: Book Review Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.11.2011
• Subjects: Animals; Antibodies, Bacterial - blood; Antigens, Bacterial - immunology; Bacterial Typing Techniques - veterinary; Borrelia burgdorferi; Borrelia burgdorferi - genetics; Borrelia burgdorferi - immunology; Borrelia burgdorferi - isolation & purification; DNA, Bacterial - chemistry; DNA, Bacterial - genetics; Female; Genes, Bacterial - genetics; Goats; Horse Diseases - immunology; Horse Diseases - microbiology; Horse Diseases - pathology; Horses; Joint Capsule - microbiology; Lyme Neuroborreliosis - immunology; Lyme Neuroborreliosis - microbiology; Lyme Neuroborreliosis - pathology; Lyme Neuroborreliosis - veterinary; Male; Muscles - microbiology; Rabbits; Sequence Analysis, DNA - veterinary; Species Specificity; Spinal Cord - microbiology; Lyme disease; Borrelia burgdorferi; neuroborreliosis; polyradiculoneuritis; meningitis; equine
• ISSN: 0300-9858; 1544-2217
• DOI: 10.1177/0300985811398246

Lyme neuroborreliosis—characterized as chronic, necrosuppurative to nonsuppurative, perivascular to diffuse meningoradiculoneuritis—was diagnosed in 2 horses with progressive neurologic disease. In 1 horse, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto was identified by polymerase chain reaction amplification of B burgdorferi sensu stricto–specific gene targets (ospA, ospC, flaB, dbpA, arp). Highest spirochetal burdens were in tissues with inflammation, including spinal cord, muscle, and joint capsule. Sequence analysis of ospA, ospC, and flaB revealed 99.9% sequence identity to the respective genes in B burgdorferi strain 297, an isolate from a human case of neuroborreliosis. In both horses, spirochetes were visualized in affected tissues with Steiner silver impregnation and by immunohistochemistry, predominantly within the dense collagenous tissue of the dura mater and leptomeninges.