Infecção por Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis em equinos: Aspectos microbiológicos, clínicos e preventivos

Abstract

Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis is the etiologic agent of caseous lymphadenitis in sheep and goats, an infectious disease that is responsible for significant economic losses in small ruminants breeding units worldwide. This Gram-positive bacterium can infect horses, causing symptomatic disease to systemic infections, which can lead to animals' death. Specifically in Brazil, there are no scientific records of equine infections, but it is believed that, due to the maintenance of infected small ruminants in close association to horses in many properties, the infection of horses may be a reality. The present work had the objective to present information on the bacteria C. pseudotuberculosis, on the epidemiological and clinical aspects of the infection in horses, as well as information about breeding procedures that can be adopted in order to prevent the infection.