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Retrospective study of the relationships between age, inflammation and the isolation of bacteria from the lower respiratory tract of thoroughbred horses
Author(s) -
Chapman R S.,
Green C.,
Main J. P. M.,
Taylor P. M.,
Cunningham F. M.,
Cook A. J. C.,
Marr C. M.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
veterinary record
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.261
H-Index - 99
eISSN - 2042-7670
pISSN - 0042-4900
DOI - 10.1136/vr.146.4.91
Subject(s) - actinobacillus , pasteurella , inflammation , respiratory tract , odds ratio , streptococcus pneumoniae , medicine , bacteria , biology , respiratory system , immunology , microbiology and biotechnology , antibiotics , periodontitis , genetics
A total of 1235 tracheal aspirates taken from 724 thoroughbreds in race training, aged from two to 10 years, were examined cytologically and bacteriologically. An inflammation scoring system on a scale of 0 to 9 was devised to allow the severity of lower airway disease to be assessed from the cytological results. The inflammation scores were closely related to the isolation of bacteria (P<0.001), and the most common bacterial isolates were Streptococcus zooepidemicus , Streptococcus pneumoniae and Pasteurella/Actinobacillus ‐like species. Lower airway disease was less common in older horses (P=0.031), and the groups at highest risk were the two‐ and four‐year‐olds. Lower airway inflammation was more common in the four‐year‐olds at National Hunt yards than in the four‐year‐olds at flat racing yards (P=0.040, odds ratio=3.80).