Characterization of serum lysosomal enzymatic activities. III. Effect of infectious influenza in Egyptian equines.

An outbreak of infectious influenza was recognized in Menofeia governorate in October 1989. Eight naturally influenza infected as well as 8 healthy control horses, mules and donkeys were selected for collection of blood and sera separation to estimate four lysosomal enzymatic activities and to describe the clinical findings, which were fever, congested nasal, conjunctival membranes and cough. Bronchopneumonia followed later with bilateral purulent nasal discharge as a complication in 2 donkeys. Thereafter laboured breathing occurred. Therefore a therapeutic penicillin-streptomycin dose was injected to safeguard against the secondary bacterial invasion. All lysosomal enzyme levels in serum of diseased equines were subjected to consistent regression except N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase -beta-NAG) that behaved very highly significant activity, probably due to the acid pH resulting from bronchopneumonia and respiratory acidosis which override the inhibitory action of the antibiotics. Influenza virus may inhibit the synthesis of the pulmonary surfactant in alveolar and bronchial epithelium, thereafter, the animals suffered from respiratory distress and bronchospasm with resultant decreased acid phosphatase (ACP) value which was histochemically located in both sites. The disappearance of alpha- and beta-galactosidases (alpha-GAL & beta-GAL) from the serum of diseased animals can be attributed to the antibiotic dose.