Horse Riding Could Be Linked To Deadly Infection, Casualty Reported

A woman in Seattle has reportedly died from a critical respiratory infection related to horse riding. As per reports, the 71 year old woman rode a horse on a two day retreat and caught an infection from the horse. A case like this is rare, however there is a warning given out by US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) against infections that can be passed on to humans by horses if they are not careful.

Investigations show that the woman was visiting her daughter in King County, Washington, where the latter operates a horse boarding and riding facility. After spending two days in close proximity with a sick horse, which included activities like feeding, brushing and riding it, the mother developed lethargy and nasal discharge, and was put up on a course of antibiotics.

Strangely enough, a few weeks later the mother was found unconscious after having gone through bouts of diarrhea and vomiting, and unfortunately in spite of being hospitalized, she died. Moreover, the daughter too exhibited mild forms of similar symptoms, like cough and a sore throat. Researchers then collected swabs from the daughter and the horse; they also got a sample of the mother's blood. On the basis of the test results, it was found out that the mother, daughter and the horse all tested positive and had the same strain of bacteria known as Streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus, also called S. zooepidemicus.

The S. zooepidemicus bacterium is usually found in horses, but has also been reported in pigs, rabbits and cow. The presence of the bacteria in horses can infect their uterus, upper respiratory tract and also wounds, but the bacterium was not really known to infect humans.  However, according to the CDC investigation, it seems that out of the 32 known cases of the bacteria having transmitted to humans, seven actually ended in death with the average age of the affected being 61 years. Therefore, the implications of the bacterium infecting a person is dangerous and life threatening, especially for those with a weak or compromised immune system.

The CDC has given out instructions and advice for people, especially those in the older bracket or with respiratory problems , to be careful while handling horses and to keep a close watch on hygiene after spending time with the animals by washing hands with soap. A simple step like this can go a long way.