TY - JOUR
T1 - Unique Presentations of Burkholderia gladioli Infections in Several Strains of Immunocompromised Mice
AU - Osborne, Andrea J.
AU - Clark, Sarah E.
AU - Whitcomb, Tiffany
AU - Devlin, Penny
AU - Lanza, Matthew
AU - Atkins, Hannah M.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 The Author(s).
PY - 2023/10
Y1 - 2023/10
N2 - Four strains of experimentally naïve mice (NOD.Cg-Prkdcscid Il2rgtm1Wjl/SzJ [NSG], NOD.Cg-Rag1tm1Mom Il2rgtm1Wjl/SzJ [NRG], B6.129S(Cg)-Stat1tm1Dlv/J [STAT1−/−], and B6.129S7-Ifngr1tm1Agt/J [IFNγR−/−] housed in a barrier facility developed unusual and seemingly unrelated clinical signs. Young NSG/NRG mice (n = 49, mean age = 4 ± 0.4 mo) exhibited nonspecific clinical signs of moderate-to-severe lethargy, hunched posture, decreased body condition, and pallor. In contrast to the NSG/NRG mice, the STAT1−/− and IFNγR−/−mice (n = 5) developed large subcutaneous abscesses on the head and neck. These mice were euthanized, and samples were collected for culture. NSG/NRG mice had moderate-markedly enlarged livers (20 of 49, 40%) and spleens (17 of 49, 35%). The livers contained multiple, variably-sized, tan regions throughout all lobes. Histology revealed necrotizing hepatitis (13 of 17, 77%), splenic and hepatic extramedullary hematopoiesis (17 of 17, 100%), glomerular histiocytosis (6 of 17, 35%), and metritis (6 of 11, 55%) with perivascular inflammation, suggesting hematogenous spread Differentials for these lesions included mouse hepatitis virus, ectromelia virus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella spp., and Clostridium piliforme. Burkholderia gladioli was cultured from liver lesions and subcutaneous abscesses and confirmed with 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing. After completing systematic testing of the environment, failure of the water autoclave cycle was suspected as the cause of the outbreak. To address the situation, individually ventilated racks were sanitized and new breeders were purchased; these actions dramatically reduced B. gladioli infections. The current literature contains few reports of B. gladioli infections in immunocompromised mice, and its typical presentation is torticollis and rolling. B. gladioli infection is a potential differential for subcutaneous abscesses, hepatitis, and splenomegaly in immunocompromised mice. Careful monitoring of sterilization techniques is essential to prevent such infections in a barrier facility.
AB - Four strains of experimentally naïve mice (NOD.Cg-Prkdcscid Il2rgtm1Wjl/SzJ [NSG], NOD.Cg-Rag1tm1Mom Il2rgtm1Wjl/SzJ [NRG], B6.129S(Cg)-Stat1tm1Dlv/J [STAT1−/−], and B6.129S7-Ifngr1tm1Agt/J [IFNγR−/−] housed in a barrier facility developed unusual and seemingly unrelated clinical signs. Young NSG/NRG mice (n = 49, mean age = 4 ± 0.4 mo) exhibited nonspecific clinical signs of moderate-to-severe lethargy, hunched posture, decreased body condition, and pallor. In contrast to the NSG/NRG mice, the STAT1−/− and IFNγR−/−mice (n = 5) developed large subcutaneous abscesses on the head and neck. These mice were euthanized, and samples were collected for culture. NSG/NRG mice had moderate-markedly enlarged livers (20 of 49, 40%) and spleens (17 of 49, 35%). The livers contained multiple, variably-sized, tan regions throughout all lobes. Histology revealed necrotizing hepatitis (13 of 17, 77%), splenic and hepatic extramedullary hematopoiesis (17 of 17, 100%), glomerular histiocytosis (6 of 17, 35%), and metritis (6 of 11, 55%) with perivascular inflammation, suggesting hematogenous spread Differentials for these lesions included mouse hepatitis virus, ectromelia virus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella spp., and Clostridium piliforme. Burkholderia gladioli was cultured from liver lesions and subcutaneous abscesses and confirmed with 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing. After completing systematic testing of the environment, failure of the water autoclave cycle was suspected as the cause of the outbreak. To address the situation, individually ventilated racks were sanitized and new breeders were purchased; these actions dramatically reduced B. gladioli infections. The current literature contains few reports of B. gladioli infections in immunocompromised mice, and its typical presentation is torticollis and rolling. B. gladioli infection is a potential differential for subcutaneous abscesses, hepatitis, and splenomegaly in immunocompromised mice. Careful monitoring of sterilization techniques is essential to prevent such infections in a barrier facility.
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85179642194
UR - https://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85179642194&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.30802/AALAS-CM-23-000016
DO - 10.30802/AALAS-CM-23-000016
M3 - Article
C2 - 38087404
AN - SCOPUS:85179642194
SN - 1532-0820
VL - 73
SP - 391
EP - 397
JO - Comparative Medicine
JF - Comparative Medicine
IS - 5
ER -
