Table 2.
Summary of findings in 12 deceased donkeys with besnoitiosis identified over a period of 3 years (from 2016 to 2019)
| ID | Age and sex | Year | Clinical history | Pathological findings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1a | 29-year-old female | 2016 | Chronic stiffness, osteoarthritis and alopecia | Hyperkeratosis, ulceration and lymphoplasmacytic dermatitis, with one Besnoitia cyst in the dermis |
| 2a | 28-year-old gelding | 2016 | Chronic and progressive alopecia, crusts and ulcers | Multiple eosinophilic granulomas and Besnoitia cysts in the dermis with no associated inflammation |
| 3a,c | 6-year-old gelding | 2016 | Dental disease, penile sheath phimosis and skin issues | Besnoitia cysts were found within the dermis with no surrounding inflammation |
| 4a,c | 5-year-old gelding | 2017 | Repeated sarcoids plus an inoperable sarcoid on penile sheath | Moderate enlargement of inguinal lymph nodes with one Besnoitia cyst in the subcapsular space of the inguinal lymph node |
| 5c | 28-year-old gelding | 2017 | Intractable pain, corneal ulceration, keratitis and conjunctivitis | Chronic, mild to moderate, conjunctivitis with intralesional Besnoitia cysts in both conjunctivae |
| 6 | 23-year-old gelding | 2017 | Severe dental disease and chronic osteoarthritis | Chronic, moderate, diffuse lymphoplasmacytic conjunctivitis with one Besnoitia cyst in the conjunctiva and eyelid |
| 7b,c | 8-year-old gelding | 2018 | Inoperable sarcoid mass in the left-hand side of the upper lip | Besnoitia cysts were identified adjacent to sarcoid without associated inflammation |
| 8 | 32-year-old gelding | 2018 | Lameness due to hoof abscess, with stiffness and arthritis | Besnoitia cysts in iris, extraocular muscles, conjunctiva, sclera, third eyelid and larynx |
| 9b | 13-year-old gelding | 2019 | Recurrent sarcoids and neurological signs | Besnoitia cysts were identified adjacent to a sarcoid without associated inflammation |
| 10a | 21-year-old female | 2019 | Chronic and progressive lameness and osteitis | Besnoitia cysts surrounded by lymphoplasmacytic inflammation in laminar corium of the left fore limb |
| 11a | 24-year-old female | 2019 | Chronic laminitis, hoof abscess and third phalanx osteitis | Besnoitia cyst surrounded by inflammation in the third phalanx and stratum lamellatum of the right fore limb |
| 12 | 28-year-old gelding | 2019 | Recurrent, persistent ulcerative dermatitis | Chronic, multifocal, lymphoplasmacytic inflammation with intralesional Besnoitia cysts in the larynx, muzzle, sclera of both eyes and conjunctiva |
aCases with dermatological involvement (i.e. without grossly detectable eye or upper respiratory lesions) were diagnosed by histopathology
bDonkeys were diagnosed with sarcoid ante-mortem, but later on died due to non-parasitic reasons and Besnoitia cysts were detected during histopathology examination
cDiagnosis was confirmed in 4 archived serum samples based on a positive IFAT cut-off titre of 1:400 and recognition of > 3 of 10 bands in the immunoblots