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Bronchopneumonia associated with extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli in a horse.
Abstract: Extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) strains carrying distinct virulence attributes are known to cause diseases in humans and animals and infect organs other than the gastrointestinal tract. A fatal case of bronchopneumonia in a 12-year-old female Quarterhorse was investigated. Following postmortem examination, E. coli, Enterococcus sp., and Klebsiella pneumonia were isolated from the lungs, which contained multifocal intra-alveolar accumulations of neutrophils and macrophages with edema, hemorrhage, and fibrin. The strain of E. coli belonged to O2H21 and carried virulence genes cnf1, sfa, foc, fimA, and papG allele I that are known to be associated with ExPEC strains. The strain was resistant to several antimicrobials including clindamycin, erythromycin, oxacillin, penicillin, and rifampin. This is the first report, to the authors' knowledge, in which ExPEC O2H21 has been associated with fatal bronchopneumonia in a horse.
Publication Date: 2008-09-09 PubMed ID: 18776106DOI: 10.1177/104063870802000524Google Scholar: Lookup The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
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- Journal Article
Summary
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This research article reports on a fatal case of bronchopneumonia caused by an uncommon strain of Escherichia coli (E. coli) in a horse. The E. coli strain carried specific virulence genes making it resistant to several common antimicrobials and marking it as the first known case of its kind.
Objective and Brief Overview
The objective of the research was to uncover the cause and conduct a postmortem study of a fatal case of bronchopneumonia in a 12-year-old female Quarterhorse. Bacteria strains, specifically an uncommon E. coli strain, were isolated from the lung and identified for further study.
Findings
- The horse’s lungs, after being investigated, revealed the presence of E. coli, Enterococcus sp., and Klebsiella pneumonia. This lung condition was associated with multiple internal symptoms, including intra-alveolar accumulations of neutrophils and macrophages along with edema, hemorrhage, and fibrin.
- Remarkably, the strain of E. coli belonged to a group identified as O2H21 and was found to carry virulence genes cnf1, sfa, foc, fimA, and papG allele I, which have been associated with extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC) strains – known for causing diseases in humans and animals and infecting organs outside the gastrointestinal tract.
- This particular strain of E. coli showed resistance to several antimicrobials including clindamycin, erythromycin, oxacillin, penicillin, and rifampin, complicating the potential for treatment.
Significance
- The research offers crucial insight into bronchopneumonia in horses, its causes, and potential treatments. The study of this case might pave the way for the future understanding and management of similar situations in horses.
- This is touted to be the first study of its kind, where ExPEC O2H21 has been associated with a lethal case of bronchopneumonia in a horse.
Cite This Article
APA
DebRoy C, Roberts E, Jayarao BM, Brooks JW.
(2008).
Bronchopneumonia associated with extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli in a horse.
J Vet Diagn Invest, 20(5), 661-664.
https://doi.org/10.1177/104063870802000524 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, PA 16802, USA. rcd3@psu.edu
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Bronchopneumonia / etiology
- Bronchopneumonia / pathology
- Bronchopneumonia / veterinary
- Escherichia coli Infections / etiology
- Escherichia coli Infections / pathology
- Escherichia coli Infections / veterinary
- Euthanasia, Animal
- Female
- Horse Diseases / microbiology
- Horses
- Pregnancy
- Pregnancy Complications / pathology
- Pregnancy Complications / veterinary
- Pregnancy, Animal
Citations
This article has been cited 13 times.- Nocera FP, Maurizi L, Masullo A, Nicoletti M, Conte AL, Brunetti F, De Martino L, Zagaglia C, Longhi C. Genotypic and Phenotypic Characterization of Escherichia coli Isolates Recovered from the Uterus of Mares with Fertility Problems. Animals (Basel) 2023 May 14;13(10).
- Moore MEG, Paulin-Curlee G, Johnston BD, Clabots C, DebRoy C, Johnson TJ, Weber B, Porter S, Armién AG, Johnson JR. Molecular Characteristics, Ecology, and Zoonotic Potential of Escherichia coli Strains That Cause Hemorrhagic Pneumonia in Animals. Appl Environ Microbiol 2021 Nov 10;87(23):e0147121.
- Stout AE, Hofmar-Glennon HG, André NM, Goodman LB, Anderson RR, Mitchell PK, Thompson BS, Lejeune M, Whittaker GR, Goodrich EL. Infectious disease surveillance of apparently healthy horses at a multi-day show using a novel nanoscale real-time PCR panel. J Vet Diagn Invest 2021 Jan;33(1):80-86.
- Algammal AM, El-Sayed ME, Youssef FM, Saad SA, Elhaig MM, Batiha GE, Hozzein WN, Ghobashy MOI. Prevalence, the antibiogram and the frequency of virulence genes of the most predominant bacterial pathogens incriminated in calf pneumonia. AMB Express 2020 May 29;10(1):99.
- de Lagarde M, Fairbrother JM, Arsenault J. Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Characterization of Multidrug Resistant and ESBL/AmpC Producing Escherichia coli in Healthy Horses in Q, Canada, in 2015-2016. Animals (Basel) 2020 Mar 20;10(3).
- de Lagarde M, Larrieu C, Praud K, Schouler C, Doublet B, Sallé G, Fairbrother JM, Arsenault J. Prevalence, risk factors, and characterization of multidrug resistant and extended spectrum β-lactamase/AmpC β-lactamase producing Escherichia coli in healthy horses in France in 2015. J Vet Intern Med 2019 Mar;33(2):902-911.
- Breland EJ, Eberly AR, Hadjifrangiskou M. An Overview of Two-Component Signal Transduction Systems Implicated in Extra-Intestinal Pathogenic E. coli Infections. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2017;7:162.
- Estell KE, Young A, Kozikowski T, Swain EA, Byrne BA, Reilly CM, Kass PH, Aleman M. Pneumonia Caused by Klebsiella spp. in 46 Horses. J Vet Intern Med 2016 Jan-Feb;30(1):314-21.
- Salomonsen CM, Boye M, Høiby N, Jensen TH, Hammer AS. Comparison of histological lesions in mink with acute hemorrhagic pneumonia associated with Pseudomonas aeruginosa or Escherichia coli. Can J Vet Res 2013 Jul;77(3):199-204.
- Zhang C, Li H, Zhao Q, Wang L, Hou G, Shi Q, Wu T, Gao G, Zhang Z. Drug resistance and pathogenicity characteristics of Escherichia coli causing pneumonia in farmed foxes. Front Vet Sci 2025;12:1567009.
- Ozcan U, Tutuncu M. The Effect of Florfenicol Given by Nebulization in the Treatment of Naturally Infected Calves With Bovine Respiratory Disease Complex: Randomized Clinical Study. Vet Med Sci 2025 Mar;11(2):e70238.
- Eskola K, Aimo-Koivisto E, Heikinheimo A, Mykkänen A, Hautajärvi T, Grönthal T. Prevalence, risk factors, and characterisation of extended-spectrum β-lactamase -producing Enterobacterales (ESBL-E) in horses entering an equine hospital and description of longitudinal excretion. BMC Vet Res 2024 Sep 13;20(1):412.
- Kabir A, Lamichhane B, Habib T, Adams A, El-Sheikh Ali H, Slovis NM, Troedsson MHT, Helmy YA. Antimicrobial Resistance in Equines: A Growing Threat to Horse Health and Beyond-A Comprehensive Review. Antibiotics (Basel) 2024 Jul 29;13(8).
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