Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Gas Gangrene in Horses: Retrospective Study of 20 Cases in the Amazon Biome

Felipe Masiero Salvarani
* ORCID logo ,
Loise Araújo de Sousa
,
Izabel Cristina Ferreira Bastos
,
Hanna Gabriela da Silva Oliveira
ORCID logo ,
Leandro Oliveira da Silva
,
Marcio Alan Oliveira Moura
ORCID logo ,
Marcos Dutra Duarte
,
Pedro Soares Bezerra Júnior
Version 1 : Received: 1 September 2024 / Approved: 2 September 2024 / Online: 2 September 2024 (08:53:46 CEST)

How to cite: Salvarani, F. M.; de Sousa, L. A.; Bastos, I. C. F.; Oliveira, H. G. D. S.; da Silva, L. O.; Moura, M. A. O.; Duarte, M. D.; Bezerra Júnior, P. S. Gas Gangrene in Horses: Retrospective Study of 20 Cases in the Amazon Biome. Preprints 2024, 2024090065. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202409.0065.v1 Salvarani, F. M.; de Sousa, L. A.; Bastos, I. C. F.; Oliveira, H. G. D. S.; da Silva, L. O.; Moura, M. A. O.; Duarte, M. D.; Bezerra Júnior, P. S. Gas Gangrene in Horses: Retrospective Study of 20 Cases in the Amazon Biome. Preprints 2024, 2024090065. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202409.0065.v1

Abstract

This study describes, through a retrospective analysis, the epidemiological and clinicopathological findings of gas gangrene in horses in the Amazon biome. The study includes observations made in 20 animals from 2018 to 2023 by reviewing the clinical records of horses with muscle and mobility injuries treated at proprieties in the Amazon biome. The affected horses exhibited a sudden onset of severe lameness, swelling, and crepitus in the affected limb. The rapid progression of symptoms, including intense pain, fever, and toxemia, led to the clinical suspicion of gas gangrene. Immediate treatment was crucial, involving aggressive surgical debridement to remove necrotic tissue and high doses of broad-spectrum antibiotics to combat the infection. Despite these efforts, the condition of the horses deteriorated rapidly due to the aggressive nature of the disease and the challenging environment of the Amazon, which complicates timely veterinary intervention. The age range of the affected horses was from four months to 12 years, with a greater frequency in those over 12 months (80%, 16/20). Necropsy revealed histopathological lesions characterized by intense muscle necrosis, liquefaction, and gas formation, suggestive of Clostridium infection. The diagnosis was confirmed by multiplex PCR.

Keywords

malignant edema; Clostridium septicum; Clostridium chauvoei; Clostridium novyi; Clostridium sordellii; Clostridium perfringens type A; claudication; toxemia; multiplex PCR

Subject

Biology and Life Sciences, Animal Science, Veterinary Science and Zoology

Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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