Clinical and microbiologic characterization of hemorrhagic pneumonia due to extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli in four young dogs.
Over a 21-month period, three Beagle dogs and one mixed-breed dog at our facility developed fatal pneumonia. The four dogs, all purpose bred, came from three vendors and had received the standard canine vaccines prior to shipment. In each instance, the affected dog had been shipped to our facility within the past 10 days. Three cases presented as a peracute clinical syndrome, and all had gross and microscopic findings consistent with hemorrhagic pneumonia. Escherichia coli was isolated from the lungs of all four dogs. Results of testing of lung tissue for canine parainfluenza virus and canine adenovirus were negative. Escherichia coli was also isolated from blood of three of the four dogs. Serotyping of the E. coli isolates indicated that two were serotype 06 and two were 04. Isolates from all four dogs were positive for the virulence factors alpha hemolysin and cytotoxic necrotizing factor 1 and for the adhesin factor class-III papG allele. These traits place the isolates in the class of extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli, which is being increasingly implicated as a cause of extraintestinal infections in animals and humans and may represent a zoonotic risk to humans working with research dogs.
Handt
Larry K
LK
Department of Laboratory Animal Resources, Merck Research Laboratories, PO Box 4, Sumneytown Pike, West Point, Pennsylvania 19486, USA.
Stoffregen
Dana A
DA
Prescott
Judith S
JS
Pouch
Walter J
WJ
Ngai
David T W
DT
Anderson
Charles A
CA
Gatto
Nicholas T
NT
DebRoy
Chitrita
C
Fairbrother
John M
JM
Motzel
Sherri L
SL
Klein
Hilton J
HJ
D000818:Animals; D004285:Dogs; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D018410:Pneumonia, Bacterial / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D012703:Serotyping / Q000662:veterinary; D014132:Trachea / Q000473:pathology