Staphylococcus aureus isolated from a horse in a sudden death condition in Kassala state, eastern Sudan.

The research paper talks about a case study where a draught horse, suffering from an inguinal abscess and other symptoms, died suddenly despite antibiotic treatments. Post-mortem analysis revealed that Staphylococcus aureus, resistant to multiple antibiotics but sensitive to Erythromycin and Clindamycin, was the cause of the animal’s death.

Introduction and Clinical Findings

• The study discusses a case of sudden equine death in Kassala state, Sudan. The horse was brought to Kassala Veterinary Research Laboratory (KVRL) in an unwell condition, showing signs of an inguinal abscess and other clinical symptoms.
• The horse had been previously treated with the antibiotics Gentamycin and Tetracycline, but these had not resulted in improvement. Despite clinical and laboratory investigations, the horse suddenly collapsed and died.

Post-Mortem Examination and Findings

• After the sudden death of the horse, a post-mortem examination was conducted which included bacteriological and histopathological studies.
• The bacteriological study of the lungs and the peritoneum of the deceased animal revealed a pure culture of Staphylococcus aureus, a bacterium known to cause a wide range of diseases.

Antibiotic Sensitivity of the Isolated Bacteria

• The isolated strain of Staphylococcus aureus was found to be highly sensitive to the antibiotics Erythromycin and Clindamycin which indicated that these antibiotics could be effective for the treatment of infections by this strain.
• However, the bacteria showed resistance to Penicillin, Cloxacillin, Cefotaxime, Co-Trimoxazole, Cephalexin, and Tetracycline. This resistance profile could explain the failure of the earlier treatment with Tetracycline.

Conclusion of the Study

• The study concluded that the death of the horse was caused by a shock resulting from an infection with Staphylococcus aureus.
• The identification of the resistant and sensitive antibiotics for this strain of bacteria can guide future treatments for similar cases to prevent such unfortunate incidences.