Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Toxic shock syndrome in a horse with Staphylococcus aureus pneumonia.
- Journal:
- Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association
- Year:
- 2003
- Authors:
- Holbrook, Todd C et al.
- Affiliation:
- Broad Forks Equine Clinic · United States
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A 3-year-old Thoroughbred gelding was treated for pneumonia and signs of shock, which included small red spots on the mucous membranes and swelling in the lower body. The horse also developed skin damage on its legs and had a high fever that didn't respond to typical pain relief medications. Tests showed that the horse had a bacterial infection caused by Staphylococcus aureus, which is known to produce a toxin linked to toxic shock syndrome in humans. After receiving a combination of antibiotics, anti-inflammatory medications, and supportive care, the horse showed improvement, but it needed a long course of antibiotics lasting 42 days to fully clear the infection. Overall, the treatment was effective in improving the horse's condition.
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: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12619842/