Salmonella Entero-Colitis in Horse Clubs of Kermanshah Province

59 horses with diarrhea and abdominal pain were monitored over a 9-year period (2011-2020). 54% of horses died and others survived. 30% of animals were salmonella positive in bacterial culture. Bacterial isolation was performed on naso-gastric reflux in 2 cases, fecal samples from 9 cases and intestinal contents at necropsy in 7 cases. Before any treatments or death, animals showed clinical signs such as depression, tachycardia and tachypnea. Other symptoms including congested mucous membranes, increased CRT, fever, hypothermia, diarrhea, bloody diarrhea, abdominal pain, nasogastric reflux, ileus, reduced abdominal sounds, and gas distended intestines upon rectal examination were also recorded. Necropsy findings of 20 horses, revealed severe dilation of stomach, gas distention of cecum and colons, petechial and ecchymotic hemorrhages in serosal and mucosal surfaces of small intestine and colons. Pale and enlarged kidneys along with hemorrhagic adrenals were observed. Microscopic examinations revealed severe lesions including: lamina propria and submucosal edema, vascular congestion, large intravascular thrombi, hemorrhages, superficial coagulative necrosis of villi epithelium and mixed inflammatory cell infiltration within lamina propria of cecum and colon. Clinical, macroscopic and histopathological signs of this study were similar to previous studies, and bacterial isolation was used as the most reliable method for diagnosis of involved horses.