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Review
. 2020 Mar;32(2):175-183.
doi: 10.1177/1040638720905830. Epub 2020 Feb 21.

Gas gangrene in mammals: a review

Carlos A Oliveira Junior  1   2 , Rodrigo O S Silva  1   2 , Francisco C F Lobato  1   2 , Mauricio A Navarro  1   2 , Francisco A Uzal  1   2
Affiliations
Review

Gas gangrene in mammals: a review

Carlos A Oliveira Junior et al. J Vet Diagn Invest. 2020 Mar.

Abstract

Gas gangrene is a necrotizing infection of subcutaneous tissue and muscle that affects mainly ruminants and horses, but also other domestic and wild mammals. Clostridium chauvoei, C. septicum, C. novyi type A, C. perfringens type A, and C. sordellii are the etiologic agents of this disease, acting singly or in combination. Although a presumptive diagnosis of gas gangrene can be established based on clinical history, clinical signs, and gross and microscopic changes, identification of the clostridia involved is required for confirmatory diagnosis. Gross and microscopic lesions are, however, highly suggestive of the disease. Although the disease has a worldwide distribution and can cause significant economic losses, the literature is limited mostly to case reports. Thus, we have reviewed the current knowledge of gas gangrene in mammals.

Keywords: cattle; clostridia; gas gangrene; horses; sheep.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of conflicting interests: The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figures 1-4.
Figures 1-4.
Gas gangrene in cattle, horse, and pig. Figures 1, 2. Gas gangrene caused by Clostridium septicum in a heifer. Figure 1. Severe subcutaneous hemorrhage and edema. Figure 2. Severe subcutaneous edema expanding the subcutis. Figure 3. Gas gangrene caused by Clostridium sordellii in a horse, with severe subcutaneous and interstitial muscle edema. Reproduced with permission. Figure 4. Chronic gas gangrene caused by Clostridium septicum, Clostridium chauvoei, and Clostridium sordellii in a pig. The portal of entry in this case was not determined. Courtesy of J. M. Benoit.
Figure 5.
Figure 5.
Postpartum gas gangrene in a heifer. Note mucosal tears covered by inflammatory exudate in vulva and vagina. Reproduced with permission.
Figures 6–9.
Figures 6–9.
Gas gangrene produced by Clostridium septicum in a heifer. Figure 6. Severe subcutaneous edema with sparse leukocytic infiltrate and myriad intralesional rods. H&E. Reproduced with permission. Figure 7. Interstitial muscle edema and mild neutrophilic infiltrate. H&E. Figure 8. Subcutaneous tissue smear stained with fluorescent antibody for C. septicum. Inset: higher magnification. Figure 9. Immunohistochemistry for C. septicum.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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