title: Tissue-invading ciliates associated with chronic colitis in a horse.
abstract: Ciliates resembling Polymorphella ampulla (Dogiel, 1929) were found in large numbers in the crypts and lamina propria of the caecum and colon of a one-year-old Thoroughbred gelding that had shown recurring bouts of chronic diarrhoea and weight loss over a 5-month period. A heavy burden of helminths, mainly cyathostomes (trichonemes) was present at post-mortem examination and no significant bacterial pathogens were recovered. It was considered that the Polymorphella (which is normally a commensal organism) had in this case assumed a secondary pathogenic role.
authors.forename: M W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Gregory
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Longstaff
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Giles
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016798:Ciliophora / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003092:Colitis / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000469:parasitology*; D006736:Horses; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000469:parasitology; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning