Comparison of bacteriologic culture of blood and necropsy specimens for determining the cause of foal septicemia: 47 cases (1978-1987).
Abstract: Diagnosis of bacterial septicemia was confirmed by results of bacteriologic culture of antemortem blood samples and/or necropsy specimens obtained from 47 foals up to 8 days old. Gram-negative bacteria were isolated from all 47 foals, and mixed infections with more than one organism were involved in 26 (55%). Escherichia coli, Actinobacillus spp, and Klebsiella pneumoniae were the most frequent isolates, infecting 55, 34, and 23% of foals, respectively. Gram-positive bacteria and anaerobic bacteria were isolated only from foals with mixed infections with gram-negative organisms. Clostridium perfringens was the only anaerobe isolated. In 38 (81%) of 47 foals with confirmed septicemia, blood samples were culture-positive. Thirty-two septicemic foals subsequently died, allowing a comparison to be made between the species of bacteria isolated by culture of blood with those recovered by culture of internal organs at necropsy. Blood failed to yield any gram-negative organisms in 12 (37.5%) of 32 foals from which a gram-negative pathogen was isolated at necropsy. Forty-three percent of the gram-negative bacteria, including 59% of the E coli, and 10% of the gram-positive bacteria found in septicemic foals at necropsy were not detected earlier by results of bacteriologic culture of blood.
Publication Date: 1989-12-15 PubMed ID: 2624660
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- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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This research investigated different methods of diagnosing bacterial septicemia in young foals, comparing results from blood culture tests and post-mortem examinations for accuracy and efficacy.
Methodology and Findings
- The research involved analyzing bacteriologic cultures from blood samples and necropsy specimens (tissues from post-mortem) collected from 47 foals aged up to eight days old, all of whom tested positive for bacterial septicemia.
- All the foals had infections caused by Gram-negative bacteria, with mixed infections observed in 55% of cases. The most common pathogens identified were Escherichia coli, Actinobacillus spp, and Klebsiella pneumoniae.
- In the cases of mixed infections, foals also showed the presence of Gram-positive and anaerobic bacteria, with the only anaerobe isolated being Clostridium perfringens.
Comparison of Detection Using Blood Samples and Necropsy Specimens
- 81% of the tested foals had positive culture test results from blood samples. Out of these, 32 foals succumbed to the infection, providing an opportunity to compare the efficacy of bacteria detection in blood and necropsy samples.
- The researchers found that blood samples failed to detect any Gram-negative bacteria in 37.5% of the foals that had these pathogens isolated during necropsy.
- In terms of specific pathogens, 43% of Gram-negative bacteria, including 59% of E. coli, and 10% of Gram-positive bacteria found in the foals during necropsy, had not been previously detected in the blood samples.
Conclusion
- The research concludes that while blood samples can provide a significant and useful amount of information for diagnosing bacterial septicemia in foals, they are not fully reliable.
- Post-mortem examination or necropsy appears to yield a more extensive and accurate profile of the causative pathogens, indicating its importance as a part of thorough diagnostic procedure for bacterial septicemia.
Cite This Article
APA
Wilson WD, Madigan JE.
(1989).
Comparison of bacteriologic culture of blood and necropsy specimens for determining the cause of foal septicemia: 47 cases (1978-1987).
J Am Vet Med Assoc, 195(12), 1759-1763.
Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis 95616.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Animals, Newborn
- Horse Diseases / diagnosis
- Horse Diseases / microbiology
- Horses
- Retrospective Studies
- Sepsis / diagnosis
- Sepsis / microbiology
- Sepsis / veterinary
Citations
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- Taylor S. A review of equine sepsis.. Equine Vet Educ 2015 Feb;27(2):99-109.
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- Razmyar J, Zamani AH. An outbreak of yolk sac infection and dead-in-shell mortality in common canary (Serinus canaria) caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae.. Iran J Vet Res 2016 Spring;17(2):141-143.
- Guidi EE, Thomas A, Cadoré JL, Smith AB. Citrobacter freundii induced endocarditis in a yearling colt.. Can Vet J 2016 Jul;57(7):767-70.
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