Abstract
A 17-year-old Quarter Horse mare was evaluated for colic of 24-hour duration. Clinical signs and diagnostic evaluation were consistent with duodenitis-proximal jejunitis. The horse's clinical condition deteriorated despite medical treatment and was euthanized. Aerobic culture collected from small intestinal ingesta was positive for Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Hadar. Salmonella sp. is commonly implicated in nosocomial infections in equine veterinary hospitals usually through feces containing the organism. Considering Salmonella sp. was cultured from the jejunal luminal contents and the large volume of nasogastric reflux that was evacuated in this case, a perceived risk of Salmonella sp. transmission from infected gastric reflux to other hospitalized cases was realized. Infectious agent biosecurity precautions should be undertaken in horses with nasogastric reflux to prevent hospital-acquired transmission.
Highlights
Salmonella sp. infection in adult horses is typically associated with enterocolitis manifesting with diarrhea and hypoproteinemia [1]
This report describes a horse with fever, nasogastric reflux, and a suspected diagnosis of duodenitis-proximal jejunitis (DPJ) with a positive anaerobic culture of Salmonella Hadar from small intestinal ingesta
While many of the features observed in this case are consistent with DPJ, the apparent lack of involvement of the duodenum is uncharacteristic of the disease [1, 9, 10]
Summary
Salmonella sp. infection in adult horses is typically associated with enterocolitis manifesting with diarrhea and hypoproteinemia [1]. Horses can be asymptomatic carriers, thereby shedding Salmonella spp. into the environment without any clinical signs of disease [2]. Is most commonly cultured from feces of horses with colic, and the potential risk of infection is usually attributed to fecal contamination disseminating throughout the facility [3, 4]. This identified risk has prompted routine surveillance fecal culturing as a method to detect shedding of the organism and enables the ability to segregate and maintain barriers between Salmonella sp. The clinical and laboratory findings highlight the potential risk of disease transmission from sources other than feces and emphasize the importance of considering alternate sources of Salmonella sp. transmission
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