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Case Reports
. 2017 Dec 8;13(1):384.
doi: 10.1186/s12917-017-1301-3.

Capillaria hepatica (Calodium hepaticum) infection in a horse: a case report

Akihiro Ochi  1 , Tatsuro Hifumi  2 , Takanori Ueno  3 , Yoshinari Katayama  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

Capillaria hepatica (Calodium hepaticum) infection in a horse: a case report

Akihiro Ochi et al. BMC Vet Res. .

Abstract

Background: Capillaria hepatica is a zoonotic parasite in humans and animals and has a worldwide distribution. However, infections in mammals apart from rodents, which are natural hosts of the parasite, have rarely been reported. This report describes the first known case of C. hepatica infection in a horse in Japan.

Case presentation: A 3-year-old filly without clinical signs was presented at a slaughterhouse in Japan. Gross examination revealed white to tan nodules 0.5 to 1.5 cm in diameter in the parenchyma of the liver. Histologically, the nodules had mature fibrous capsules and consisted of multifocal to coalescing granulomatous inflammations with numerous nematode eggs. The eggs were barrel shaped with an opercular plug on each end and double-layered shells; these findings are consistent with the features of C. hepatica eggs.

Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first case of C. hepatica infection in a horse in Japan. The pathological findings confirmed the presence of this pathogen in this part of the world, and they highlight the importance of this nematode in the differential diagnosis of hepatic granulomatous lesions in horses.

Keywords: Capillaria hepatica; Hepatic capillariasis; Horse.

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Conflict of interest statement

Ethics approval and consent to participate

The Japan Racing Association is a sporting authority; we collected clinical samples and performed the study as part of the Association’s regular disease-prevention activities. The study was approved by the Equine Research Institute of the Japan Racing Association.

Consent for publication

Not applicable.

Competing interests

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

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Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Histology of the hepatic nodules. Multifocal to coalescing granulomatous lesions, with mild calcification, are present in the hepatic parenchyma. There are infiltrations of inflammatory cells, and edema is apparent at the periphery of the nodules. Hematoxylin and eosin stain
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Capillaria hepatica eggs. Most of the eggs are surrounded by fibrous tissue. Inset: The eggs are barrel-shaped and have a thick, two-layered wall with a reticulated surface. Hematoxylin and eosin stain
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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