title: Streptococcus equisimilis infection in striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis) in Saskatchewan.
abstract: Three radio-collared striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis) found dead during a field study of winter ecology of striped skunks near Willowbrook, Saskatchewan, Canada were examined. Streptococcus equisimilis was identified as the primary agent causing necrotizing purulent pneumonia in one skunk and suppurative meningoencephalitis in another. Both Streptococcus equisimilis and Streptococcus canis were isolated from lesions of purulent myocarditis and pyothorax in the third skunk. These are apparently the first reported cases of S. equisimilis infection in striped skunks and suggest that this opportunistic pathogen may be a significant cause of mortality under some conditions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, 112 Science Place, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N 5E2, Canada. yeenten.hwang@usask.ca
authors.forename: Yeen Ten
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wobeser
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Larivière
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Messier
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016724:Empyema, Pleural / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary; D008297:Male; D008590:Meningoencephalitis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary; D012889:Mephitidae; D009205:Myocarditis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary; D018410:Pneumonia, Bacterial / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary; D012525:Saskatchewan / Q000453:epidemiology; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D013291:Streptococcus / Q000145:classification* / Q000302:isolation & purification