A free-living, female Grevy's zebra (Equus grevyi) foal was found lethargic, lame, with swollen joints, pyrexia, and urine dripping from the umbilicus. It died 2 days later despite intensive care. Gross examination revealed patent urachus and suppurative arthritis. Swabs were taken from the joints, the patent urachus, and urine for bacteriology. The dominant isolate was Escherichia coli. The joint infection was probably secondary to septicemia, resulting from the patent urachus. To our knowledge, this is the first report of neonatal patent urachus in a wild equid.
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1 January 2003
Patent Urachus with Subsequent Joint Infection in a Free-Living Grevy's Zebra Foal
Francis K. Ndung'u,
Margaret W. Ndegwa,
Thomas W. J. deMaar

Journal of Wildlife Diseases
Vol. 39 • No. 1
January 2003
Vol. 39 • No. 1
January 2003
case report
Equus grevyi
Escherichia coli
Grevy's zebra
patent urachus
septic arthritis