J Paré1, T E Carpenter, M C Thurmond. 1. Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis 95616, USA.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To determine whether clustering existed in the spatial or temporal distribution of horses that shed Salmonella krefeld in their feces during hospitalization. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of medical records. ANIMALS: 219 horses housed in the intensive care unit of a veterinary medical teaching hospital from October 1991 through May 1992. PROCEDURE: Bacteriologic culturing of fecal samples was used to identify horses shedding S krefeld. For affected horses, the scan statistic was used to analyze temporal clustering, and Knox's method was used to analyze temporal-spatial clustering. RESULTS: 20 horses were identified as shedding S krefeld in their feces. Significant temporal clustering of affected horses was observed for periods of 5, 6, 7, and 8 days. Temporal-spatial analysis did not detect a significant distribution for any combination of time and distance among affected horses. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Detection of temporal clustering and concurrent random temporal-spatial distribution of affected horses suggested that affected horses were grouped in time, but means of transmission was not related to proximity between horses.
OBJECTIVE: To determine whether clustering existed in the spatial or temporal distribution of horses that shed Salmonella krefeld in their feces during hospitalization. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of medical records. ANIMALS: 219 horses housed in the intensive care unit of a veterinary medical teaching hospital from October 1991 through May 1992. PROCEDURE: Bacteriologic culturing of fecal samples was used to identify horses shedding S krefeld. For affected horses, the scan statistic was used to analyze temporal clustering, and Knox's method was used to analyze temporal-spatial clustering. RESULTS: 20 horses were identified as shedding S krefeld in their feces. Significant temporal clustering of affected horses was observed for periods of 5, 6, 7, and 8 days. Temporal-spatial analysis did not detect a significant distribution for any combination of time and distance among affected horses. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Detection of temporal clustering and concurrent random temporal-spatial distribution of affected horses suggested that affected horses were grouped in time, but means of transmission was not related to proximity between horses.
Authors: Claudia Gentry-Weeks; H Joel Hutcheson; Lisa Marie Kim; Denise Bolte; Josie Traub-Dargatz; Paul Morley; Barbara Powers; Michael Jessen Journal: J Clin Microbiol Date: 2002-04 Impact factor: 5.948