Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus lugdunensis endocarditis
By Nakamura, Reid K et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary cardiology : the official journal of the European Society of Veterinary Cardiology·2012·Advanced Veterinary Care Center, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Isolation of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus lugdunensis in a dog with endocarditis.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 4-year-old male Borzoi was brought to the vet for breathing problems, irregular heartbeats, and suspected heart disease. Tests revealed masses in the heart and a serious infection caused by a resistant bacteria called Staphylococcus lugdunensis. Despite aggressive antibiotic treatment, the dog continued to have fluid buildup in the chest and worsening kidney function. Sadly, the dog was euthanized 39 days after diagnosis, and a post-mortem exam showed severe heart damage and infection.
People also search for: dog breathing problems · Borzoi heart disease · antibiotic resistant infection in dogs
Abstract
A 4-year-old male castrated Borzoi dog presented on referral for evaluation of pleural effusion, ventricular arrhythmias, and suspected dilated cardiomyopathy. Echocardiogram identified several masses along the chordae tendineae, as well as a long the annulus of the mitral valve. A blood culture was positive for methicillin resistant Staphylococcus lugdunensis. The dog was also positive for Bartonella DNA on PCR testing. Aggressive antibiotic therapy was instituted. However, the dog continued to have recurrent pleural effusion and progressive azotemia. The dog was euthanized 39 days after diagnosis. Necropsy confirmed the presence of intracardiac abscesses, thrombosis and endocarditis. S. lugdunensis is a recently identified rare cause of endocarditis in humans characterized by intracardiac abscess formation, highly destructive valvular lesions preferentially affecting the mitral valve and a high mortality rate. This is the first reported case of S. lugdunensis isolation in a dog with endocarditis.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23098628/