CDC: Woman Dies After Contact With Sick Horse
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has documented the death of a woman believed to have been caused by contact with a sick horse.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has documented the death of a woman believed to have been caused by contact with a sick horse.
According to a recently released report, the case involves a previously healthy 71-year-old woman who “developed symptoms consistent with an upper respiratory infection during the week of February 21, [2016].”
She had been staying with her 37-year-old daughter who ran a horse business in King County, Washington.
During this time, the daughter and one of her horses also showed signs of illness and while they recovered with antibiotics, the mother’s condition eventually worsened.
The elderly woman died on March 3.
Bodily samples taken from the deceased mother, daughter, treated horse, and two other horses were subsequently analyzed.
Researchers linked the woman’s death to an infection of Streptococcus zooepidemicus, an animal-related pathogen which was detected among all the tested subjects except for one of the horses.
According to the report, "although S. zooepidemicus is a rare zoonotic pathogen in humans, older persons might be at increased risk for a fatal outcome from this infection."
The researchers recommend "thorough hand washing with soap and water after contact with horses and other animals."
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has documented the death of a woman believed to have been caused by contact with a sick horse.
According to a recently released report, the case involves a previously healthy 71-year-old woman who “developed symptoms consistent with an upper respiratory infection during the week of February 21, [2016].”
She had been staying with her 37-year-old daughter who ran a horse business in King County, Washington.
During this time, the daughter and one of her horses also showed signs of illness and while they recovered with antibiotics, the mother’s condition eventually worsened.
The elderly woman died on March 3.
Bodily samples taken from the deceased mother, daughter, treated horse, and two other horses were subsequently analyzed.
Researchers linked the woman’s death to an infection of Streptococcus zooepidemicus, an animal-related pathogen which was detected among all the tested subjects except for one of the horses.
According to the report, "although S. zooepidemicus is a rare zoonotic pathogen in humans, older persons might be at increased risk for a fatal outcome from this infection."
The researchers recommend "thorough hand washing with soap and water after contact with horses and other animals."