Pathological Studies on a mini outbreak of Pleuritis/Pleuropneumonia in a group of Horses associated with infection by Mycoplasma felis. By

Three horses in a group of thirteen horses from one farm had acute onset of respiratory distress, fever, and anorexia. All treated with antibiotics, intravenous fluids, and oxygen with no significant improvement. Due to poor prognosis, all horses were euthanized six days after the appearance of the clinical signs and were submitted for necropsy. The characteristic lesions in all horses were marked bilateral diffuse fibrinous pleuritis. Multifocal areas of lung necrosis with mild to moderate fibronsuppurative bronchopneumonia were present in 2 horses. Mycoplasma felis was the sole organism isolated and identified from the lungs of these horses. The importance of Mycoplasma felis as an equine respiratory pathogen was discussed.