OVERWHELMING STRONGYLOIDOSIS IN A FOAL

A 6-month-old foal was evaluated because of weakness, weight loss, and inappetence of 3 weeks' duration. On initial examination, the foal wa s weak, poorly responsive, and emaciated. Clinicopathologic abnormalit ies included anemia and hypoproteinemia. Because of its severe debilit ation, the foal was euthanatized. Necropsy revealed marked infection o f the small intestine with Strongyloides westeri and severe edema of t he entire gastrointestinal tract. The foal had been orphaned when it w as 6 hours old and raised in isolation from other horses. We believe t hat this foal developed overwhelming strongyloidosis when it was first exposed to other foals at 5 months of age, because it had not been na turally exposed to the organism at a younger age and was immunological ly naive.