Streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus infection in a pet chinchilla (Chinchilla lanigera)

摘要

Streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus is a well-known opportunistic pathogen causing predominately cervical lymphadenitis in guinea pigs. However, isolation of this organism in chinchillas is rare. A four-month-old, male intact pet chinchilla (Chinchilla lanigera) was presented for a rapidly growing mid-cervical mass, which was diagnosed as an abscess based on fine-needle aspirate and cytology. Aerobic bacterial culture grew a beta-hemolytic Streptococcus spp. and mass spectrometry identified the organism as Streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus. The infection resolved following oral administration of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. Infection with Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus should be a differential for abscessation in chinchillas.