Nicoletella semolina in the airways of healthy horses and horses with severe asthma.

BACKGROUND: Nicoletella semolina was identified in the airways of horses and its low prevalence could be because of its difficult differentiation from other Pasteurellaceae.

OBJECTIVES: To develop a molecular method for the identification of N. semolina and to evaluate its prevalence in the mouth and the airways of healthy and severe asthmatic horses.

ANIMALS: Six healthy and 6 severely asthmatic horses in phase I, 10 severely asthmatic horses in phase II, and 10 healthy horses in phase III.

METHODS: Cohort (phases I and II) and cross-sectional (phase III) studies. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction primers targeting the sodA gene were optimized. N. semolina was quantified in oral and nasal washes and in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF; phase I, sampled twice), in nasal washes and BALF (phase II, sampled twice), and in nasal washes (phase III).

RESULTS: N. semolina was found in the nose of 5, 10, and 9 horses in phases I, II, and III, respectively (first sampling for phases I and II). Six BALF from 5 different horses were positive for N. semolina in phase II. In phase I, there was no significant difference in the nasal loads of healthy horses (median (range): 2.04 × 104 copies/mL (0-2.44 × 105 )) and asthmatic horses in exacerbation (3.75 × 102 (0-4.84 × 106 ); Wilcoxon's rank sum test, P = .57).

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: N. semolina is commonly found in the airways of horses. The potential pathogenicity of N. semolina remains to be elucidated, but the molecular technique we developed will facilitate future studies.