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Home / Equine Research Bank / Emerg Infect Dis / Transmission of Streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus ...
Emerging infectious diseases2013; 19(7); 1041-1048; doi: 10.3201/eid1907.121365

Transmission of Streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus infection from horses to humans.

Abstract: Streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus (S. zooepidemicus) is a zoonotic pathogen for persons in contact with horses. In horses, S. zooepidemicus is an opportunistic pathogen, but human infections associated with S. zooepidemicus are often severe. Within 6 months in 2011, 3 unrelated cases of severe, disseminated S. zooepidemicus infection occurred in men working with horses in eastern Finland. To clarify the pathogen's epidemiology, we describe the clinical features of the infection in 3 patients and compare the S. zooepidemicus isolates from the human cases with S. zooepidemicus isolates from horses. The isolates were analyzed by using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, multilocus sequence typing, and sequencing of the szP gene. Molecular typing methods showed that human and equine isolates were identical or closely related. These results emphasize that S. zooepidemicus transmitted from horses can lead to severe infections in humans. As leisure and professional equine sports continue to grow, this infection should be recognized as an emerging zoonosis.
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Publication Date: 2013-06-20 PubMed ID: 23777752PubMed Central: PMC3713971DOI: 10.3201/eid1907.121365Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This research article explores the instance of the bacterium Streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus (S. zooepidemicus) being transmitted from horses to humans, causing severe infections.

Research Context

  • Streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus (S. zooepidemicus) is a bacterium that naturally exists in horses as an opportunistic pathogen, sometimes leading to diseases. It is also a zoonotic pathogen, meaning it can be transmitted from animals to humans.
  • In 2011, three unrelated cases of severe and widely spread S. zooepidemicus infection were reported in men who had been working with horses in eastern Finland.
  • This raised questions about the transmission dynamics of the bacterium and necessitated a study to understand better the epidemiology, or the incidence, distribution, and control of this disease in the given population.

Research Methods

  • The researchers compared the S. zooepidemicus isolates or samples taken from the infected humans with those taken from horses.
  • Different molecular typing methods were used, such as pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (a technique used for the separation and identification of DNA), multilocus sequence typing (a method of identifying strains of bacteria), and sequencing of the szP gene, which is specifically associated with this bacterium.

Research Findings

  • The comparative analysis of the bacterial isolates showed that the strains found in humans were either identical or closely related to those found in horses. This revelation underscored the transmission of S. zooepidemicus from horses to humans, resulting in severe infections.
  • The study shed light on the zoonotic nature of this bacterium, which is becoming increasingly important to recognize given the continuous growth in equine sports for leisure and professional purposes. As more people come in direct contact with horses, this could lead to an uptick in the transmission and spread of the bacterium from horses to humans.
  • While the bacterium is an opportunist in horses, it poses severe risks to human health, thereby recognizing it as an emerging zoonosis, a disease that can be transmitted to humans from animals.

Cite This Article

APA
Pelkonen S, Lindahl SB, Suomala P, Karhukorpi J, Vuorinen S, Koivula I, Väisänen T, Pentikäinen J, Autio T, Tuuminen T. (2013). Transmission of Streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus infection from horses to humans. Emerg Infect Dis, 19(7), 1041-1048. https://doi.org/10.3201/eid1907.121365

Publication

Emerging infectious diseases
ISSN: 1080-6059
NlmUniqueID: 9508155
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 19
Issue: 7
Pages: 1041-1048

Researcher Affiliations

Pelkonen, Sinikka
  • Finnish Food Safety Authority Evira, Kuopio,Finland. sinikka.pelkonen@evira.fi
Lindahl, Susanne B
    Suomala, Päivi
      Karhukorpi, Jari
        Vuorinen, Sakari
          Koivula, Irma
            Väisänen, Tia
              Pentikäinen, Jaana
                Autio, Tiina
                  Tuuminen, Tamara

                    MeSH Terms

                    • Animal Husbandry
                    • Animals
                    • Genes, Bacterial
                    • Horse Diseases / diagnosis
                    • Horse Diseases / microbiology
                    • Horse Diseases / transmission
                    • Horses
                    • Humans
                    • Male
                    • Middle Aged
                    • Molecular Diagnostic Techniques
                    • Multilocus Sequence Typing
                    • Streptococcal Infections / diagnosis
                    • Streptococcal Infections / microbiology
                    • Streptococcal Infections / transmission
                    • Streptococcal Infections / veterinary
                    • Streptococcus equi / genetics
                    • Streptococcus equi / isolation & purification
                    • Zoonoses

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                    This article has been cited 67 times.
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