Acute fatal haemorrhagic pneumonia caused by Streptococcus equi zooepidemicus in greyhounds in Ireland with subsequent typing of the isolates.

Two cases of acute fatal haemorrhagic pneumonia caused by Streptococcus equi zooepidemicus have been confirmed in Ireland. Both cases involved young greyhounds (17 and 10 months, respectively) from racing kennels in two distinct geographical locations, and at different times of the year (mid-winter and late spring, respectively). The older dog had been found dead unexpectedly while the 10-month-old dog had presented with acute onset of respiratory distress and fever (41.5°C). This pup showed no response to antibiotic therapy (enrofloxacin 5 mg/kg, Baytril 5 per cent) and died within 24 hours. While the vaccination status of the older dog was unknown, the younger animal had been vaccinated against canine parainfluenza virus and Bordetella bronchiseptica (Nobivac KC), canine adenovirus 2 and canine distemper virus (Nobivac DHPPi). Characteristic gross and histopathological features of this disease were found on postmortem examination (Priestnall and Erles 2011): there was extensive haemorrhage bilaterally within the pleural spaces and within consolidated lung extending into the caudal lobes. Histopathological examination of the lung revealed extensive severe obliteration of the alveolar architecture with flooding by a copious fibrinous exudate containing …