Myocarditis and Cardiomyopathy:

• Myocarditis is a focal or diffuse inflammation of the myocardium with myocyte degeneration and/or necrosis.
• Cardiomyopathy refers to disease of myocardium resulting mainly form genetic mutation in which myocardium loses contractility and unable to pump sufficient blood resulting in dilatation of heart.
• Myocarditis may be acute or chronic in nature, suppurative or Parenchymatous

Fig: Myocarditis

Fig: Cardiomyopathy

Etiology:

Bacterial infection: Strangles, bacteremia following naval-ill, Tuberculosis especially in horses, tick pyemia in lambs, Clostridium chauvoei, Histophilus somni, extension of infection from pericarditis, endocarditis

Viral infection: FMD, African horse sickness, equine viral arteritis, equine infectious anemia, equine herpes virus-1 in fetus, swine vesicular disease, parvovirus in piglets, PRRS virus in piglets, Bluetongue in sheep

Parasitic infection: Strongylus infection (migrating larvae), cysticercosis, Sarcocystis spp, Neospora caninum

Nutritional deficiency: Vitamin E or selenium deficiency in all large animals, chronic copper deficiency in cattle, iron deficiency in calves and piglets, copper or cobalt deficiency in lambs