Veterinary Journal (London, England : 1997) | 2019
Clinical presentation, diagnostic findings, and outcome of adult horses with equine coronavirus infection at a veterinary teaching hospital: 33 cases (2012–2018)
Abstract
\n Abstract\n \n Equine coronavirus (ECoV) is a recently described enteric virus with worldwide outbreaks; however, there are little data available on clinical presentation, diagnosis, and outcome. The study objective was to document case management of ECoV in adult horses presented to a referral hospital and compare to a cohort of horses that tested negative for ECoV. A retrospective case series was performed based on positive real-time quantitative PCR results for ECoV on faeces from horses treated at the UC Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital from 1 March 2012 to 31 March 2018. Horses negative for ECoV were matched to the ECoV-positive group as controls. Data collected included signalment, history, exam findings, diagnostics, treatment, and follow-up.\n Thirty-three horses (median age, 11\u2009years; range, 2–37 years) tested ECoV-positive, including three horses with co-infections. Presenting complaints for ECoV-infected horses included historic fevers (n\u2009=\u200925/30; 83%), anorexia (n\u2009=\u200914/30; 47%), and colic (n\u2009=\u200913/30; 43%). ECoV-positive horses had significantly lower white blood cell (median, 3.0\u2009×\u2009109/L; range, 0.68–16.2\u2009×\u2009109/L), neutrophil (median, 1.26\u2009×\u2009109/L; range, 0.15–14.4\u2009×\u2009109/L), and lymphocyte (median, 0.86\u2009×\u2009109/L; range, 0.42–3.47\u2009×\u2009109/L) counts than ECoV-negative horses. Electrolyte and metabolic derangements and scant faeces were common. Twenty-seven horses were hospitalised for a median of 5 days (range, 0.5–14 days), with 26/27 (96%) horses surviving to discharge. ECoV infection should be a differential diagnosis for adult horses with fever, colic, anorexia, and leukopenia. The disease has a low mortality rate, but horses may require intensive care to resolve severe leukopenia, systemic inflammation, and metabolic disturbances.\n \n