Fatal non-traumatic gas gangrene caused by Clostridium perfringens type A in a Siberian Husky dog

Abstract

An 8-y-old, castrated male Siberian Husky dog was admitted to an emergency clinic with acute collapse and severe swelling of both forelimbs, ventral thorax, and axillary region. The clinical assessment, with laboratory tests and radiologic investigation, confirmed severe subcutaneous emphysema and multi-organ failure. The animal died while receiving emergency treatment. On postmortem examination, Clostridium perfringens was isolated from the subcutaneous fluid and the effusion from the thoracic and abdominal cavities. Relevant histopathology findings included subcutaneous emphysema and multi-organ perivascular and intravascular, intralesional myriad 0.5–3-µm gram-positive rod bacteria, with no associated inflammation. Whole-genome sequencing and phylogenetic analysis identified C. perfringens type A. Virulence genes detected included cpa (alpha toxin), cadA (v-toxin), colA (collagenase A), nagH (hyaluronidase), nanH, nanI, nanJ (sialidases), and pfoa (perfringolysin). These virulence genes have previously been reported to act synergistically with alpha toxin in C. perfringens–mediated gas gangrene.