Browsing by Author "Anderson, Mark L."

Gas gangrene occurs in several animal species, and it is caused by one or more clostridial species. In horses, the disease is most often caused by Clostidium perfringens type A. Although Clostridium sordellii has been associated with gas gangrene in ruminants and humans, cases of the disease associated with this microorganism have not been described in horses. We report 8 cases of gas gangrene by C. sordellii in horses. These cases were characterized by myonecrosis and cellulitis, associated with systemic changes suggestive of toxic shock. The diagnosis was confirmed by gross and microscopic changes combined with anaerobic culture, fluorescent antibody test, immunohistochemistry and/or PCR. The predisposing factor in these cases was an injection or a traumatic skin injury. C. sordellii should be considered as a possible etiologic agent in cases of gas gangrene in horses.