Salmonella shed by horses with colic.

This research investigates the presence of Salmonella bacteria in horses with colic, revealing that it can be found in a noteworthy percentage and may potentially be acquired in the hospital environment.

Salmonella in Horses with Colic

• The research was conducted on a sample of 100 horses suffering from colic that were admitted to a referral hospital. Colic is a severe, often fluctuating, pain in the abdomen that is caused by the spasmodic contraction of the intestines.
• From these horses, 13 percent (or 13 out of 100) were found to be carrying Salmonella, a bacterium that can result in intestinal disorders.
• Of these 13 horses, seven were already shedding the bacteria at, or soon after, their admission to the hospital.
• Conversely, one horse that was not excreting Salmonella at admission was carrying a unique strain of the bacteria, suggesting that the organism was introduced while in the hospital.

Potential Sources of Infection

• The researchers concluded that eight of the horses were infected with Salmonella before they were admitted to the hospital, indicating that these infections were likely contracted in their home environment.
• The source of Salmonella infection for the remaining five out of 13 infected horses was indeterminable, meaning that it was unclear whether these horses were infected before or after their hospital admission.

Commonly Isolated Serotype

• During the survey period, Salmonella senftenberg was identified as the most common serotype (a variant within a species) isolated from both colicky horses and from horses suffering from salmonellosis (a disease caused by Salmonella) that did not show symptoms of colic upon admission.
• This particular strain of the bacterium had been rarely isolated in the hospital prior to the initiation of this survey, further implying the potential of a hospital-related spread of this serotype.