Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Corn snake died from salmonella after eating feeder mouse
By Arianna Meletiadis et al.·Published in Animals·2024·Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, Via Bologna 148, 10154 Turin, Italy, CH·View original on DOAJ →
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Original publication title: A Case of Food-Borne Salmonellosis in a Corn Snake (<i>Pantherophis guttatus</i>) after a Feeder Mouse Meal
- Species:
- reptile
Plain-English summary
A corn snake was found dead after eating a feeder mouse, just two days later. The snake developed septic shock due to a Salmonella infection, which was traced back to the mouse it consumed. Tests showed that both the snake and the mouse carried the same strain of Salmonella, indicating the mouse was the source of the infection. This case highlights the risks of feeding live or frozen feeder mice to reptiles, as they can carry harmful bacteria that may lead to serious health issues in pets.
Abstract
Reptiles are usually asymptomatic carriers of <i>Salmonella</i>, with the manifestation of typical clinical signs of acute forms in adult and non-immunocompromised animals being considered exceptions. In the present case, an adult male corn snake (<i>Pantherophis guttatus</i>) was found dead due to septic shock 48 h after consuming a feeder mouse purchased online. The snake’s tissue samples and faeces were cultured for bacteria isolation. Microbiological examinations of the snake and mouse livers revealed the presence of <i>Salmonella enterica subsp</i>. <i>enterica</i> serovar Midway. A whole-genome analysis of these two isolates showed a high correlation between them: they belonged to the strain type ST-357 for the classic MLST scheme and to the strain type ST 171322 for the cgMLST scheme. Also, a virulence gene analysis revealed the presence of stdB and STM3026 genes. This report conveys a case of food-borne salmonellosis in a pet snake, transmitted from a feeder mouse, likely responsible for the snake’s death due to septic shock. It highlights the relevance of feeder mice as a source of <i>Salmonella</i> infections in snakes and the associated risks to human health.
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Search related cases →Original publication on DOAJ: https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14121722