Case Study: Salmonella – Associated Abortions in Chinchillas – Insights from Microbiological and Necropsy Findings

Salmonella spp. infections pose a significant threat to both animal and public health, with various serotypes affecting a wide range of hosts. This case report investigates an outbreak of salmonellosis on a chinchilla farm in Serbia, focusing on the clinical, pathological, and microbiological aspects of the infection. Two chinchilla cadavers were brought to the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Belgrade. The animals on the farm exhibited anorexia, apathy, diarrhea, and abortions before succumbing to the infection. Pathohistological findings revealed severe necrohaemorrhagic metritis and placentitis, along with multifocal randomly dispersed areas of necrosis in the liver. Conventional microbiological analysis revealed the presence of Salmonella Typhimurium which was confirmed by serological typing. Antimicrobial susceptibility analysis showed that bacteria were susceptible to all tested antibiotics. The outbreak could maybe attributed to inadequate husbandry practices and stress, particularly among gravid females. This report underscores the importance of proper husbandry, judicious antibiotic use based on susceptibility testing and implementation of preventive measures to mitigate the recurrence and spread of salmonellosis in chinchilla populations, both in farm and pet settings.