Received: 13 May 2020
Accepted for publication: 17 December 2020
Slov Vet Res 2021: 58 (3):117 –20
DOI 10.26873/SVR-1107-2020
UDC 616.711-002:579.852.13:599.365.1
Case Report
Introduction
The Western European hedgehog Erinaceus 
europaeus (Linnaeus, 1758) is a generalist 
mammal, widely distributed by the European 
continent (1–3). Highly adaptable animals that 
can be frequently observed in green spaces in 
constructed-up areas such as gardens and parks 
in the cities (4,5). Hedgehogs are one of the most 
common species admitted to wildlife rehabilitation 
centres or veterinary hospital, but still little is 
known about their diseases and agents (5,6). 
Usually, cervical osteomyelitis occurs in very 
old individuals or young animals with active 
OSTEOMYELITIS ON THE CERVICAL VERTEBRAS OF A  
FREE-LIVING EUROPEAN HEDGEHOG (Erinaceus europaeus) 
BY Paeniclostridium sordellii
Andreia Garcês1*, Vanessa Soeiro2, Sara Lóio2, Filipe Silva3,4, Isabel Pires3,4 
1Inno – Serviços Especializados em Veterinária, R. Cândido de Sousa 15, 4710-300 Braga, Portugal, 2Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre of Parque 
Biológico de Gaia, Rua da Cunha, 152, Avintes, 3Veterinary Science Department, 4CECAV, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, 
5000-801, Vila Real, Portugal
*Corresponding author, E-mail: andreiamvg@gmail.com 
Abstract: A free-living European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) adult female was admitted to the Wildlife Rehabilitation 
Centre of Parque Biológico de Gaia (Portugal), with severe breathing distress and poor body condition. Its neck was displaced 
60 degrees caudally. During the post- mortem exam, an abscess in the cervical vertebras was observed. Paeniclostridium 
sordellii was the agent isolated from the purulent exudate that was removed from the lesion. This is the first reported case of 
P. sordellii associated osteomyelitis on the cervical vertebras, and the first time that this pathology is describe in this specie 
associated with this agent.
Key words: Erinaceus europaeus; Portugal; Paeniclostridium sordellii; osteomyelitis
growth plates, associated with Staphylococci spp 
and Escherichia coli infection (7). In hedgehogs 
cases of maxillary osteomyelitis had already be 
reported (8).
Paenisclostridium sordellii (previously Clostrid-
ium sordellii) is a gram-positive, sporulating an-
aerobic rod that is a common inhabitant of soil, 
and very rarely can be found in the intestinal 
content of clinically healthy animals. It can in-
vade wounds and tissues pre and post mortem. 
It has been be associated with enteric disease of 
several animal species, but still remains contro-
versial (9–11) including several clostridial species. 
P. sordellii is also responsible for fatal toxic shock 
and bacteraemia in humans (10).
A. Garcês, V. Soeiro, S. Lóio, F. Silva, I. Pires118
An adult female of European hedgehog (E. 
europaeus) weighing 560 g was admitted to the 
Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre of Parque Biologico 
de Gaia (Portugal), after being found during the 
day in a suburban area, with prostration and 
respiratory difficulties. On examination, the 
animal had a poor body condition, weakness of 
the limbs, pallid mucosa’s, respiratory distress, 
an abnormal position of the neck and dehydration. 
Its neck was displaced 60 degrees caudally, as 
observed in Figure 1A. Unfortunately, the animal 
died during the treatment. 
Figure 1: A Erinaceus europaeus with the neck pushed in 60 degrees caudally. In B encapsulated nodule with 1cm 
in diameter, filled with a whitish purulent exudate, on the C2-C3 vertebras
On the post-mortem examination, an encapsu-
lated nodule with 1cm in diameter, filled with a 
whitish purulent exudate, was observed adjacent 
to the C2-C3 vertebras. The consistence was fresh 
cheese-like (Figure 1B) and the pus invaded C2 
and C3 vertebras, that also presented osteoly-
sis. The lungs presented congestion and oedema. 
There was an absence of food content in the stom-
ach that contained mucus. The urinary bladder 
was distended with urine. No more gross lesions 
were detected. 
An impression smear of the nodule was per-
formed and gram-positive bacteria  (rods) and 
neutrophils (some degenerated) were observed. 
Representative tissues specimens were collected 
for histologic examination (12). Histopathology 
of the vertebras was not possible due to the ex-
tensive osteolysis which caused fragmentation of 
the material. Other microscopic findings included 
parasitic interstitial pneumonia and multifocal 
hepatitis. The purulent material was also submit-
ted to microbiological analysis. The agent Paeni-
clostridium sordellii was identified using VITEK® 
system (ANC ID Car REF 21347, Biomérieux, 
France), after the grown in anaerobioses of small 
colonies with 1-4 mm in diameter that spread on 
the plate in a continuous firm, with a translucid 
coloration on the Blood BHI, for 24h at 35-37° C.
Discussion and conclusion
Although maxillary osteomyelitis had already 
been reported in E. europaeus (8), it is the first 
time that a cervical osteomyelitis is reported in 
this specie.
In this particular case, the diagnosis was only 
made during the post-mortem exam because it 
was not possible to perform any complementary 
diagnostic exams (e. g. radiography) before the 
animal die. After death has not possible to perform 
radiographic exams due to limitations on the 
resources.
The clinical signs that the animal presented 
could be associated not only to the deformation 
of the spine and compression of the spinal cord 
but also associated with the toxic effects of the 
bacteria. The port of entry for bacteria could 
have been a small skin wound that had already 
healed at the time of clinical presentation but 
60˚60˚
Osteomyelitis on the cervical vertebras of a free-living European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) by Paeniclostridium sordellii 119
was not possible to collect tissue of those areas to 
posterior histopathology exam. Since E.europeus 
have scavengers behaviours, live close to the 
ground and even in underground holes, and this 
pathogenic agent is common in soils, is possible 
that have invade a premortem wound leading to 
the development of the abscess. Local proliferation 
of the agent may had occurred, and the suppurate 
exudate formed may have extended by contiguity 
to the adjacent vertebrae. There are only a few 
reports of osteomyelitis in cervical vertebras in 
wild mammals (13), and this case report for the 
first time a cervical osteomyelitis in a wild E. 
europaeus.
In veterinary P. sordellii has an important role 
particular in farm animals, having been associated 
to gas gangrene in ruminants, pigs, and horses, 
ulcerative enteritis in quail, abomasitis in lambs, 
necrotic enteritis in chickens, omphalitis in foals, 
and other enteric infections in wild species (e.g. 
bears, pelicans) (9). But it is the first time that P. 
sordellii is associated to an osteomyelitis.
Reports as this are import not only to improve 
the knowledge on disease in that E. europaeus, 
but also in other domestic and non-domestic 
species, including humans, since this agent has 
the potential of becoming zoonotic.
Acknowledgements
We are grateful to Parque Biológico de Gaia, 
Laboratory of Histology and Anatomic Pathology 
of UTAD and INNO Veterinary Laboratory for the 
support in the execution of this work. 
The author(s) declare that there are no conflicts 
of interest. This research did not receive any 
specific grant from funding agencies in the public, 
commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.
No ethical approval was obtained because this 
study did not involve a prospective evaluation 
and did not involve laboratory animals. Informed 
consent for publication of clinical information’s 
and images was obtained from the Wildlife 
Rehabilitation Centre of Parque Biologico of Gaia 
and from the ICNF (Instituto da Conservação da 
Natureza e das Florestas).
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A. Garcês, V. Soeiro, S. Lóio, F. Silva, I. Pires120
OSTEOMIELITIS VRATNIH VRETENC PRI PROSTOŽIVEČM EVROPSKEM JEŽU  
(Erinaceus europaeus), POVZROČEN Z BAKTERIJO Paeniclostridium sordellii
A. Garcês, V. Soeiro, S. Lóio, F. Silva, I. Pires
Izvleček: Prosto živeča odrasla samica evropskega ježa (Erinaceus europaeus) je bila sprejeta v Center za rehabilitacijo divjih 
živali Parque Biológico de Gaia (Portugalska) s hudo dihalno stisko in slabim telesnim stanjem. Njen vrat je bil premaknjen kav-
dalno za 60 stopinj. Med sekcijo po smrti so opazili absces na vratnih vretencih. Iz gnojnega eksudata lezije je bila izolirana bak-
teerija Paeniclostridium sordellii. V članku poročamo o prvem zabeleženem primeru osteomielitisa, povezanega s P. sordellii, na 
vratnih vretencih in o prvem primeru opisa tovrstne patologije pri evropskem ježu, povezani s tem povzročiteljem.
Ključne besede: Erinaceus europaeus; Portugalska; Paeniclostridium sordellii; osteomielitis