Doctors in Limerick have issued a warning after a teenage girl contracted a rare and potentially life-threatening illness linked to horses, reports Breaking News.
The 17-yr-old required hospitalisation and a six-week course of intravenous antibiotics after arriving at the emergency department at University Hospital Limerick (UHL) with a variety of painful symptoms.
She was ultimately diagnosed with Streptococcus equi — a rare bacterial infection responsible for strangles in horses. While uncommon, it can be deadly in humans through zoonotic transmission, reports Breaking News.
In humans, the bacteria can lead to bacteremia, which has the potential to develop into sepsis or septic shock. It may also cause myositis, a rare muscle condition, as well as bone inflammation. Additionally, it can infect heart valves and cause septic arthritis.
The infection poses a significant risk to people with weakened immune systems, diabetes patients, and newborns, with mortality rates in these groups ranging from 33% to 66%, reports Breaking News.
The girl sought medical attention at UHL after feeling unwell for about a week, reporting symptoms like sore throat, fever, and cough. These signs eased within two days, allowing her to attend a horse grooming event.
After the show, however, she became unwell again, developing a rash on her left leg and painful swelling that left her limping.
She tested positive for the influenza B virus and was advised to isolate and rest. But later bloodwork detected Streptococcus equi, leading to her readmission, reports Breaking News.
She was diagnosed with bacteremia — bacteria in the blood that may cause septic shock — as well as cellulitis in her left lower leg, and myositis. Treatment involved six weeks of intravenous antibiotics.
An MRI taken two months afterward showed the infection had largely resolved, though she still experienced mild swelling of the muscles and surrounding tissues, reports Breaking News.
In a case study published in the most recent edition of the *Irish Medical Journal*, UHL doctors stressed the importance of thorough history-taking to speed up diagnosis and treatment of Streptococcus equi.
They believe the girl’s initial influenza B infection may have weakened her immune system, making it easier for the bacteria to transmit from the horses she was grooming.
“This case highlights the impact of transient immunosuppression, potentially induced by the influenza B virus infection, on the severity of S. equi infection. Furthermore, it emphasises the importance of a thorough clinical history to prevent diagnostic delays and suboptimal outcomes,” they wrote, reports Breaking News.
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