Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Serratia marcescens endocarditis in a horse.
- Journal:
- Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association
- Year:
- 1992
- Authors:
- Ewart, S et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences · United States
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A 2-year-old Arabian stallion developed a serious heart infection caused by a bacteria called Serratia marcescens. The horse was treated with a broad range of antibiotics for a month, but unfortunately, it died several months after the treatment ended. This case is notable because Serratia marcescens has not been previously reported as a cause of heart infections in horses, although it has been seen in humans, especially in those with weakened immune systems. In this instance, the treatment did not prevent the horse's death.
Abstract
Serratia marcescens was the causative agent of bacterial endocarditis in a 2-year-old Arabian stallion. The horse was treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics for 1 month. The horse died several months after treatment was discontinued. To our knowledge, Serratia marcescens has not been reported as the cause of bacterial endocarditis in horses; however, multiple cases of bacterial endocarditis attributable to Serratia marcescens have been documented in human beings. The bacteria is most commonly isolated in immune-compromised patients.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1577651/