Histopathological aspects of two cases of equine viral abortion in the VIII Region, Chile

Abstract

Two cases of equine viral abortion are described: one foetus which was miscarried at the end of the pregnancy and the other which was born and died 24 hs later. Both cases came from a farm that had had 6 mare miscarriages during the 1996 birth period. The following lesions were observed in the necropsy: icterus, oral and nasal haemorrhages, lymphoid haemorrhages, general congestion, serophibrinous pleuritis, lung oedema, catarrhs bronchopneumonia at the apical lobes, ascitis, enlarged spleen, liver necrosis and nephrosis. Histopathology and electron microscopy indicated the presence of intranuclear inclusion bodies Cowdry type A in the epithelial cells of the lung, hepatocytes and macrophages of the spleen. All of the lesions are similar to those described in equine viral abortion or equine rhinopneumonitis.