Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae bacteremia in a horse.

This research article investigates a case of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae bacteremia in a horse, an infection which ultimately resulted in its death. The study highlights the various symptoms the horse exhibited and the different types of bacteria cultured from the horse’s lung postmortem.

Overview of content

• This paper discusses a case study involving a horse which was infected with Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae bacteremia with serotype 5. It investigates the symptoms that surfaced in the horse and the final scientific findings.
• The horse represented a series of clinical signs which included laminitis, uveitis, acute blindness, localized ventral edema and depression. Despite initiation of therapeutic procedures, the horse did not show any improvements and eventually died 96 hours after the onset of the clinical signs.

Summary of findings

• Postmortem cultures of the horse’s lung revealed the presence of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae serotype 5, along with other bacteria such as Beta-hemolytic Streptococcus sp., Escherichia coli, Proteus sp., and Klebsiella sp.
• Although the article does not provide a direct link between the infection and the other bacterium types, their presence in the horse’s lungs suggests a possible complication or a secondary infection, which could have aggravated the condition of the horse.

Implications of the study

• The identification and isolation of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae serotype 5 in antemortem blood and postmortem lung samples signifies this serotype’s pathogenic capacity in horses.
• This study does not merely outline the clinical manifestation of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae bacteremia in horses, but it also emphasizes the need for further investigation to validate the relationship between the infection and the isolated bacterium types. There is a possibility that these bacteria could have initiated a coinfection, worsening the horse’s condition.