Extraintestinal Pathogenic Escherichia Coli Causes Necrohemorrhagic Pneumonia in Multiple Research Dogs

Extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli expressing cytotoxic necrotizing factor (CNF) 1 and 2 virulence factors is a rarely reported cause of acute, fatal necrohemorrhagic pneumonia in canines. A review of cases of necrohemorrhagic pneumonia in beagles at our facility between 2013 and 2021 revealed 21 dogs that died or were euthanized after acute onset lethargy, dyspnea, and hemorrhage. Some affected animals had recently been transported to the facility. In all dogs, lung lobes were discolored dark red and consolidated. Histologic lesions in 17 of these included alveolar necrosis, hemorrhage, edema, fibrin, acute inflammation, and intralesional colonies of bacilli. Lung was cultured for 10 dogs with E. coli isolated and CNF1 identified by virulence factor PCR in 7 of those. Based on these findings, extraintestinal E. coli should be considered an important cause of acute fatal necrohemorrhagic pneumonia in purpose-bred beagle research dogs and may be associated with a recent history of transport.