Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Horse with pneumonia and shock - what to know about toxic shock
By Holbrook, Todd C et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2003·Broad Forks Equine Clinic, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Toxic shock syndrome in a horse with Staphylococcus aureus pneumonia.
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A 3-year-old Thoroughbred gelding was brought in showing signs of pneumonia and shock, including a high fever, swelling in the lower legs, and skin issues. Tests revealed he had a Staphylococcus aureus infection, which can cause toxic shock syndrome. The horse received a combination of antibiotics, anti-inflammatory medications, and supportive care, leading to improvement. However, he needed a long course of antibiotics lasting 42 days to fully recover from the lung infection.
People also search for: horse pneumonia treatment · Staphylococcus aureus in horses · toxic shock syndrome in horses
Abstract
A 3-year-old Thoroughbred gelding was examined because of clinical signs of pneumonia and shock. Mucous membrane petechiation and ventral edema were observed and considered to be a result of vasculitis. Epidermal necrosis developed on the distal portions of the limbs. The horse had a persistent high fever that was unresponsive to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory treatment, and Staphylococcus aureus was isolated from a nasal swab specimen and 2 transtracheal wash fluid samples. Antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and supportive treatment resulted in clinical improvement. However, resolution of the pulmonary infection required long-term (42 days) antimicrobial administration. Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from this horse were positive for the toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 gene and were shown to produce toxic shock syndrome toxin-1, the causative factor in toxic shock syndrome in humans. The horse's clinical signs were attributed to toxic shock syndrome secondary to pulmonary S. aureus infection.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12619842/