title: Prototheca species and Pithomyces chartarum as Causative Agents of Rhinitis and/or Sinusitis in Horses.
abstract: Pyogranulomatous rhinitis associated with an algal infection was diagnosed in a 25-year-old gelding and a 23-year-old mare had necrotizing sinusitis with intralesional algae and pigmented fungi. Algae were identified immunohistochemically in both cases as Prototheca spp. In the gelding, further characterization by polymerase chain reaction and sequencing revealed that the organism was Prototheca zopfii genotype 2. Fungi from the mare were identified as Pithomyces chartarum by molecular analysis. Prototheca species are achlorophyllous algae and P. chartarum represents a dematiaceous fungus; they are saprophytes and facultative pathogens. Prototheca spp. and P. chartarum should be considered as rare respiratory pathogens of horses.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Leipzig, An den Tierkliniken 33, Leipzig, Germany. Electronic address: Sandra.Schoeniger@vetmed.uni-leipzig.de.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schöniger
authors.affiliation: Institute of Animal Hygiene and Environmental Health, Free University Berlin, Robert-von-Ostertag-Str. 7-13, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Roschanski
authors.affiliation: Institute of Animal Hygiene and Environmental Health, Free University Berlin, Robert-von-Ostertag-Str. 7-13, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Rösler
authors.affiliation: Equine Clinic St. Georg, Metternichstr. 9, Trier, Germany.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vidovic
authors.affiliation: Pferdeklinik Duisburg GmbH, Elisenstr. 29, Duisburg, Germany.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nowak
authors.affiliation: Institute of Veterinary Bacteriology, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstr. 270, Zürich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Dietz
authors.affiliation: Institute of Veterinary Bacteriology, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstr. 270, Zürich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Wittenbrink
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Leipzig, An den Tierkliniken 33, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: H-A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Schoon
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D006736:Horses; D007239:Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D008297:Male; D009181:Mycoses / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary; D011525:Prototheca; D012220:Rhinitis / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000662:veterinary*; D012852:Sinusitis / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000662:veterinary*
keywords: Pithomyces chartarum; Prototheca species; equine; upper respiratory tract