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Bacterial identification in cerebrospinal fluid of domestic species with neurologic signs: a retrospective case-series study in 136 animals (2005–2021)

  • Veterinary Microbiology - Research Paper
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Abstract

Central nervous system (CNS) infections comprise life-threatening clinical conditions in domestic species, and are commonly related to severe sequelae, disability, or high fatality rates. A set of bacterial pathogens have been identified in central nervous infections in livestock and companion animals, although the most of descriptions are restricted to case reports and a lack of comprehensive studies involving CNS-related bacterial infections have been focused on a great number of domestic species. In this scenario, we retrospectively investigated selected epidemiological data, clinical findings, bacteriological culture, and in vitro susceptibility patterns of 136 nonrepetitive neurologic cases in domestic species (2005–2021). Bacterial isolates were recovered from 25% (34/136) of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) sampled. The isolates were obtained from cattle (9/136 = 6.6%), dogs (7/136 = 5.1%), horses (6/136 = 4.4%), goats (3/136 = 2.2%), pigs (3/136 = 2.2%), sheep (3/136 = 2.2%), cats (2/136 = 1.5%), and asinine (1/136 = 0.7%). Among animals with bacterial isolation, Staphylococcus aureus (6/34 = 17.6%), Escherichia coli (5/34 = 14.7%), Staphylococcus beta-hemolytic (5/34 = 14.7%), and Trueperella pyogenes (3/34 = 8.8%) were predominant, in addition to a miscellaneous of other bacteria isolated in minor frequency, e.g., Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis, Enterobacter cloacae, Mannheimia haemolytica, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Streptococcus equi subsp. equi. In vitro susceptibility tests of isolates revealed that amoxicillin/clavulanic acid (11/13 = 84.6%), cephalexin (9/11 = 81.8%), and florfenicol (9/12 = 75%) were the most effective antimicrobials. Conversely, isolates exhibited resistance mainly to tetracycline (6/10 = 60%), penicillin (6/11 = 54.5%), and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (5/11 = 45.5%). Also, multidrug resistance to ≥ 3 classes of antimicrobials was found in 23.5% (8/34) strains. Data relative to the outcome was available in 79.4% (27/34) of animals that had bacterial isolation, and from these, the lethality rate was 92.6% (25/27). Incoordination (14/34 = 41.2%), recumbency (11/34 = 32.4%), apathy (10/34 = 29.4%), anorexia (9/34 = 26.5%), blindness (7/34 = 20.6%), seizure (6/34 = 17.6%), limb paresis (5/34 = 14.7%), head-pressing (4/34 = 11.8%), and nystagmus (3/34 = 8.8%) were the most frequent clinical signs. A variety of bacterial pathogens were identified in the CSF of domestic species showing neurologic signs, with a predominance of staphylococci, streptococci, and enterobacteria. High lethality of cases, poor in vitro efficacy of conventional antimicrobials, and a high in vitro multidrug resistance pattern of isolates were seen. Our results contribute to etiological characterization, antimicrobial resistance patterns, and clinical-epidemiological findings of bacterial infections in domestic species with neurological signs.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), Brazil, for research productivity fellowships given to Márcio Garcia Ribeiro, Jane Megid, Helio Langoni, Alexandre Secorun Borges, and José Paes de Oliveira Filho.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Animal Production and Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences - FMVZ, Sao Paulo State University - UNESP, Botucatu, SP, Brazil

    Márcio Garcia Ribeiro, Thiago Tourinho Pereira, Patrik Júnior de Lima Paz, Beatriz Oliveira de Almeida, Carmen S. Araújo Cerviño, Carolina Aparecida Rodrigues, Gabrielly Terra Sartori Santos, Larissa Maria de Souza Freire, Fábio Vinicius Ramos Portilho, Marcelo Fagali Árabe Filho, Natália Rodrigues Paschoal, Thaís Spessotto Bello, Jane Megid, Helio Langoni, Camila Michele Appolinário, Fernando José Paganini Listoni & Antonio Carlos Paes

  2. School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, SP, Brazil

    Alexandre Secorun Borges, Rogério Martins Amorim & José Paes de Oliveira Filho

  3. School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Western São Paulo - UNOESTE, Presidente Prudente, SP, Brazil

    Rogério Giuffrida

  4. School of Veterinary Medicine, Midwestern State University - UNICENTRO, Guarapuava, PR, Brazil

    Amanda Keller Siqueira

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  1. Márcio Garcia Ribeiro
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Correspondence to Márcio Garcia Ribeiro.

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Ribeiro, M.G., Pereira, T.T., de Lima Paz, P.J. et al. Bacterial identification in cerebrospinal fluid of domestic species with neurologic signs: a retrospective case-series study in 136 animals (2005–2021). Braz J Microbiol 54, 449–457 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42770-022-00891-2

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