Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Needlestick and infection with horse vaccine.
- Journal:
- BMJ case reports
- Year:
- 2010
- Authors:
- Thompson, Robin N & McNicholl, Brian P
- Affiliation:
- Emergency Department · United Kingdom
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
This report discusses a veterinarian who accidentally injected herself with a horse vaccine called Equilis StrepE. After the accident, her left thumb became swollen and inflamed, and she developed some swelling along her arm, but her blood tests showed no signs of infection. Fortunately, her symptoms improved significantly after she received intravenous antibiotics, and she had no lasting issues when she was checked later. While this vaccine is generally safe for horses, this case suggests that it could potentially cause problems in humans if injected by mistake, although more research is needed to understand the risks better. In this instance, the treatment was effective, and the veterinarian fully recovered.
Abstract
This report describes a case of accidental needlestick injury involving a live equine vaccination, Equilis StrepE. A vet presented herself to the Emergency Department having accidentally injected herself with an equine vaccination. Her left thumb (injury site) was inflamed and had lymphangitis progressing proximally along her left arm. Her inflammatory markers were not raised. The swelling, erythma and lymphangitis had improved markedly with intravenous antibiotics. She had no sequelae at follow-up. Equilis StrepE is a vaccine for submucosal administration containing a modified live avirulent strain of Streptococcus equi subspecies equi (Strain TW). Group C streptococci infections are pathogenic in horses and uncommon in humans. A search of the literature revealed no prior case report of similar adverse reaction to this vaccine. The vaccine may have harmful effect on human health, if injected accidentally but more evidence needs to be collected.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22767480/