Notes from the Field: Fatal Infection Associated with Equine Exposure - King County, Washington, 2016

MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2016 Aug 5;65(30):788. doi: 10.15585/mmwr.mm6530a5.

Abstract

On March 17, 2016, Public Health-Seattle & King County in Washington was notified of two persons who received a diagnosis of Streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus (S. zooepidemicus) infections. S. zooepidemicus is a zoonotic pathogen that rarely causes human illness and is usually associated with consuming unpasteurized dairy products or with direct horse contact (1). In horses, S. zooepidemicus is a commensal bacterium that can cause respiratory, wound, and uterine infections (2). The health department investigated to determine the magnitude of the outbreak, identify risk factors, and offer recommendations.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Animal Husbandry
  • Animals
  • Fatal Outcome
  • Female
  • Horse Diseases / diagnosis*
  • Horse Diseases / microbiology
  • Horse Diseases / transmission
  • Horses
  • Humans
  • Streptococcal Infections / diagnosis*
  • Streptococcal Infections / microbiology
  • Streptococcal Infections / transmission
  • Streptococcal Infections / veterinary*
  • Streptococcus equi / isolation & purification*
  • Washington
  • Zoonoses