This report describes a case series of septicaemia caused by infection with
Aerococcus viridans in immunodeficient
NOD/LtSz-Prkdcscid
(NOD/SCID) mice. During a period of 3 weeks more than 40 animals died or
became ill with clinical signs of ruffled coat, weight loss, laboured breeding, and
distended abdomen. At necropsy it was found that the animals displayed symptoms of
sepsis with widespread abscesses in the liver, heart, lungs or pyogenic peritonitis.
A Gram-positive coccus was isolated in pure culture from the abscesses or peritoneum
from affected animals. According to phenotypic and phylogenetic characterization, the
isolate was identified as A. viridans. This is the first report of a
spontaneous outbreak of septicaemia caused by A. viridans infection
in immunodeficient laboratory mice and we conclude that A. viridans
should be considered as a pathogen in immunodeficient mice.
