Usefulness of Early Ultrasound Thoracal Assesment for A Group of Newborn Foals, Under Suspicion of Rhodoccoccus Equi Infection, in Increasing the Sur vival Rate Associate with Early Treatment
Abstract:
The paper aimed to present the importance of early thoracic ultrasound assessment for a group of newborn foals, with suspicion of Rhodoccoccus Equi outbreak, in order to increase survival rate. We studied a group of 32 Pure Bred Arabian pregnant mares, that gave birth of 7 nonviable foals and 25 viable foals, out of which 7 foals were dead between 14 days – 8 months of age, with clinical and postmortem signs associates with enzootic Rhodoccoccus Equi pneumonia. Out of the 25 viable foals, we have performed an ultrasound examination of thorax and lungs for a number of 13 foals, with age between 2 days and 3 months and establish a prophylactic protocol treatment for all the foals that had significant to mild ultrasound changes (without or with mild clinical signs associate with ultrasound assessment). In conclusion, all foals that undergone prophylactic treatment, according to ultrasound assessment, have survived over 8 months of life, while most of foals that were born before and after the assessment, died, all with clinical and post mortem signs of severe pneumonia and septicaemia.
