First isolation of Klebsiella variicola from a horse pleural effusion.
Abstract: Respiratory diseases are the second most common cause of illnesses in horses, their etiology can be viral, bacterial, immune-mediated, or mechanical (Racklyeft and Love DN, Aust Vet J 78:549-59, 2000; Austin et al., J Am Vet Med Assoc 207:325-328, 1995; Arroyo et al., J Vet Intern Med 31:894-900, 2017). Klebsiella variicola is a Gram-negative bacterium that was initially identified as an endophyte in soil and plants such as bananas, rice, sugar cane and maize but recent studies have identified this microorganism as an emerging pathogen in humans (Rodríguez-Medina et al., Emerg Microbes Infect 8:973-988, 2019; Fontana et al., J Clin Microbiol 57:e00825-18, 2019; Rosenblueth et al., Syst Appl Microbiol 27:27-35, 2004). This paper describes, for the first time to our knowledge, the isolation of K. variicola from pleural effusion in a male adult horse. Methods: 17-years Italian Saddle Horse with respiratory distress and fever was admitted to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of the Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna. At home, the patient had undergone antibiotic therapy without clinical improvement. Vital signs on admission revealed an increased respiratory rate, tachycardia, pyrexia and weight loss. The animal was submitted for collateral examination including thoracic radiology and ultrasound and thoracoscopy that showed bilateral pleural effusion associated with multifocal pulmonary atelectasis. During the thoracoscopic examination, that confirmed the presence of a seropurulent pleural effusion, a sample of pleural fluid was collected and Gram-negative bacteria were isolated and subjected to matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) that allowed the identification of K. variicola. The isolate was sensitive to amikacin, cefazolin, enrofloxacin, marbofloxacin, tetracycline, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole;the horse was treated with Oxytetracycline and amikacin. Despite a general health improvement of the subject, the pleural effusion did not resolve after treatment. Conclusions: This paper describes, for the first time, the isolation of K. variicola in a horse with respiratory disease. The misidentification between K. variicola and K. pneumoniae has caused unawareness about significant aspects of this bacterial species. In fact, even though in animals the role of this bacterium is not clear, in humans it has been recognized as an emerging pathogen. The use of new methods for bacterial identification will probably lead to the isolation of a greater number of strains which will have to be studied to acquire knowledge that will be useful to clarify the clinical importance and relevance of K. variicola also in animals.
Publication Date: 2021-02-12 PubMed ID: 33579291PubMed Central: PMC7881548DOI: 10.1186/s12917-021-02776-2Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary
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This research discusses the first-ever documented instance of isolating the bacterium Klebsiella variicola from a horse’s pleural effusion, expanding our understanding of this emerging pathogen.
Background
- Respiratory diseases rank as the second leading cause of maladies in horses and can originate from various sources like viruses, bacteria, immune system reactions, or mechanical issues.
- Klebsiella variicola, a type of Gram-negative bacteria, was initially discovered as an endophyte living within soil and plants like bananas, rice, sugar cane, and maize.
- Recent studies, however, have exposed this microorganism as an emerging pathogen in humans.
Detection and Identification
- The case study involved a 17-year old Italian Saddle Horse suffering from respiratory distress and fever which had not improved with antibiotic treatment.
- The clinical signs and symptoms included increased respiratory rate, tachycardia, fever, and weight loss.
- Various diagnostic tests, like thoracic radiology, ultrasound, and thoracoscopy, were conducted, which pointed to bilateral pleural effusion, a condition where there is excess fluid between the two pleural layers, and multifocal pulmonary atelectasis, a partial or complete lung collapse.
- A pleural fluid sample collected during the thoracoscopic examination revealed the presence of Gram-negative bacteria. The bacteria were identified as K. variicola using a technique called matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS).
Treatment and Conclusion
- The isolated strain was found to be susceptible to several antibiotics, including amikacin, cefazolin, enrofloxacin, marbofloxacin, tetracycline, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, and was hence treated with oxytetracycline and amikacin.
- Despite seeing a general improvement in the horse’s health, the pleural effusion was unaffected by the treatment.
- Traditionally, K. variicola and K. pneumoniae have been misidentified, which has resulted in limited knowledge about K. variicola. The recognition of K. variicola as a distinct species, especially as an emerging pathogen in humans, demands better diagnostic methods to isolate and study this bacterium further, extending the research to its potential role in animal diseases as well.
Cite This Article
APA
Mondo E, Rinnovati R, Spadari A, Giacometti F, Serraino A, Savini F, Piva S.
(2021).
First isolation of Klebsiella variicola from a horse pleural effusion.
BMC Vet Res, 17(1), 75.
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-021-02776-2 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, Via Tolara di Sopra 50, Bologna, 40064, Italy.
- Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, Via Tolara di Sopra 50, Bologna, 40064, Italy.
- Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, Via Tolara di Sopra 50, Bologna, 40064, Italy.
- Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, Via Tolara di Sopra 50, Bologna, 40064, Italy. federica.giacometti3@unibo.it.
- Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, Via Tolara di Sopra 50, Bologna, 40064, Italy.
- Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, Via Tolara di Sopra 50, Bologna, 40064, Italy.
- Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, Via Tolara di Sopra 50, Bologna, 40064, Italy.
MeSH Terms
- Amikacin / therapeutic use
- Animals
- Anti-Bacterial Agents / therapeutic use
- Enterobacteriaceae Infections / drug therapy
- Enterobacteriaceae Infections / veterinary
- Horse Diseases / drug therapy
- Horse Diseases / microbiology
- Horses
- Klebsiella / drug effects
- Klebsiella / isolation & purification
- Male
- Microbial Sensitivity Tests / veterinary
- Oxytetracycline / therapeutic use
- Pleural Effusion / microbiology
- Pleural Effusion / veterinary
- Pulmonary Atelectasis / veterinary
Conflict of Interest Statement
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
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Citations
This article has been cited 4 times.- Ge H, Qiao J, Xu H, Liu R, Zhao J, Chen R, Li C, Chen M, Guo X. Emergence of OXA-484-Producing Klebsiella variicola in China. Infect Drug Resist 2023;16:1767-1775.
- Thompson JE. Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry in veterinary medicine: Recent advances (2019-present). Vet World 2022 Nov;15(11):2623-2657.
- Wenzel CJ, Mochal-King CA, Eddy AL, Bowser JE, Wills RW, Jumper WI, Claude A, Swiderski CE. Surgical Assessment and Post-Operative Complications Following Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery (VATS) of Horses with Severe Equine Pasture Asthma During Asthma Exacerbation and Remission. Animals (Basel) 2025 Aug 4;15(15).
- Li Q, Yu X, Ye L, Hou T, Liu Y, Liu G, Wang Q, Zhang D. Hypermucoviscous Multidrug-Resistant Klebsiella variicola Strain LL2208 Isolated from Chinese Longsnout Catfish (Leiocassis longirostris): Highly Similar to Human K. variicola Strains. Pathogens 2024 Jul 31;13(8).
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