Veterinary students' attitudes toward anesthesiology as a specialty.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the perceptions of veterinary students interested in specialization regarding veterinary anesthesiology. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional, multi-institutional, voluntary, anonymous, nonrandomized survey. POPULATION: Veterinary students (303 of 557 total respondents) from 10 veterinary schools. METHODS: Quantitative data were obtained via 5-point Likert scale questions about anesthesia-related topics. Open-ended questions were used to obtain qualitative data. A multivariate logistic regression model assessed the likelihood of choosing a career as an anesthesiologist. Spearman's rank correlation coefficient was used to assess the relationship between 'anesthesia is interesting' and other variables. RESULTS: Of the respondents, 14 (6%) indicated veterinary anesthesia as their chosen specialty. There was a significant positive relationship between 'anesthesia is interesting' and the following variables: age, enjoyment in anesthesia class, belief in the importance of anesthesia for their career, belief in the importance of analgesia for their career, belief that anesthesia and analgesia have a large impact on patient care, interest in pharmacology, interest in physiology, interest in learning technical skills, belief that anesthesiologists are respected by their colleagues and belief that anesthesiologists are an important part of the health care team. More weeks on the anesthesia clinical rotation was positively and significantly associated with increased rotation enjoyment. Enjoyment in the anesthesia class [p = 0.001, Exp(ß) = 2.1, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.3-3.4] and belief that anesthesia is interesting [p = 0.013, Exp(ß) = 2.6, 95% CI: 1.2-5.4] were predictors that respondents would be more likely to consider a career as a veterinary anesthesiologist. CONCLUSIONS: Those veterinary students with an interest in pharmacology and who enjoyed their anesthesia course were more likely to consider a career as a veterinary anesthesiologist. If students indicated no interest in specializing in veterinary anesthesia, they appreciated the value the specialty brings to animal care and believed that veterinary anesthesiologists are respected by their peers.

Effect of Wei Qi Booster on immune and anti-oxidative function in aged mice.

This research was conducted to examine the impact of Wei Qi Booster (WQB) on immune parameters and anti-oxidative function in aged mice. Fifty aged mice were randomly assigned to five different groups. Group A was designated as the control group. Mice in Group B were receiving Levamisole at 10 mg/kg body weight. Each mouse in groups C, D and E received 0.1, 1, and 2% WQB, respectively. Another ten young mice, designated as group F, were fed regularly. The mice were fed according to the above methods for 28 days. Results showed that relative to the control group, the body weight and immune organs indexes experienced a substantial rise in the group with 1% WQB. In addition, 1% WQB could improve the activity of SOD and reduce the MDA levels. Expressions of CD4 and sIgA increased while CD8 decreased in the jejunum of aged mice treated with WQB. IL2 and IFN-γ levels increased in the 1% WQB group, showing no notable difference compared to the young mice group. The results demonstrated that WQB can elevate immune levels and enhance anti-oxidative functions in aged mice.

The intersection of Interprofessional Education and One Health: A qualitative study in human and veterinary medical institutions.

Interprofessional Education (IPE) and One Health are two common and overlapping frameworks for teaching collaborative practice. IPE is common at human medical institutions, while One Health is more common in graduate and veterinary programs. The connection between IPE and One Health is still being explored both in scholarship and in real-world professional settings. This prospective, qualitative research study examines the intersection of IPE and One Health at institutions that are members of the Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) One Health Alliance (COHA). COHA consists of veterinary schools partnered with medical institutions through the National Institutes of Health CTSA funding mechanism with the specific goal of advancing the understanding of diseases shared by humans and animals. Twenty-four interviews were conducted with professionals across eight professions. Subjects noted that some of the biggest barriers to IPE education were awareness, accessibility, efficacy, and implementation beyond the classroom. Competency across multiple institutions and a consistent, validated evaluation tool were noted to be lacking. Interviews highlighted a lack of a shared mental model for IPE and One Health across the medical professions, major hurdles for implementation in professional curricula, and a disconnection between bridging IPE and One Health to the workforce and global challenges. Future work in this area may be focused on assessing the IPE and One Health offerings beyond COHA institutions, giving a more holistic understanding on how IPE and One Health are being deployed. One Health can be operationalized through the adoption of IPE principles and practices into curriculum. This research is critical to educate others on current applications, role, and definitions of One Health and IPE. The ultimate goal of this work is to help cultivate transdisciplinary leaders in the human and animal medicine who will have the skills to solve systemic problems.

Emerging therapeutic avenues against Cryptosporidium: A comprehensive review.

Cryptosporidium is among the top causes of life-threatening diarrheal infection in public health and livestock sectors. Despite its high prevalence and economic importance, currently, there is no vaccine. Control of this protozoan is difficult due to the excretion of many resistant oocysts in the feces of the infected host, which contaminate the environment. Paromomycin shows inconsistent results and isn't considered a reliable therapy for cryptosporidiosis. Nitazoxanide (NTZ), the only FDA-approved drug against this parasite, is less productive in impoverished children and PLWHA (people living with HIV/AIDS). The absence of mitochondria and apicoplast, its unique location inside enterocytes separated by parasitophorous vacuole, and, most importantly, challenges in its genetic manipulations are some hurdles to the drug-discovery process. A library of compounds has been tested against Cryptosporidium during in vitro and in vivo trials. However, there has still not been sufficient success in finding the drug of choice against this parasite. Recent genome editing technologies based on CRISPR/Cas-9 have explored the functions of the vital genes by producing transgenic parasites that help to screen a collection of compounds to find target-specific drugs, provided the sufficient availability of in vitro culturing platforms, efficient transfection methods, and analytic techniques. The use of herbal remedies against Cryptosporidium is also an emerging area of interest with sufficient clinical success due to enhanced concern regarding anthelmintic resistance. Here, we highlighted present treatment options with their associated limitations, the use of genetic tools and natural products against it to find safe, effective, and inexpensive drugs to control the ever-increasing global burden of this disease.

Life with pets study: lower income veterinary clients' perception of pets' quality of life.

Perception of quality of life for cats and dogs of low-income Spanish and English-speaking veterinary clients attending problem focused or routine veterinary visits is an important area of focus for community based veterinary service providers. Using a qualitative approach, 50 New York City based American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) veterinary clients completed semi-structured interviews as well as a survey about their perception of life with their pets. Veterinary clients shared both human-animal bond (HAB) related and quality of life (QoL) related factors in their daily experience of life with their pets. Results indicated that this demographic perceives QoL similarly to previous QoL research that either does not report sample demographics or reports sample demographics with more affluence. Moreover, 60% of qualitative excerpts included both HAB and QoL themes and 40% were discretely HAB or QoL. An analog single item 10-point scale measuring veterinary client perception of their pets QoL did not differentiate between sample demographics at a statistically significant level. Finally, pet QoL literature has not traditionally reflected diverse demographic identities of veterinary clients or widely included reliable and valid measures of the human-animal bond (HAB). These results support the importance of measuring the HAB when researching pet QoL and provide evidence that lower-income Spanish and English-speaking veterinary clients are similarly bonded and attentive to their pets as other demographics.

Development, validation, and cut-off points for a questionnaire to measure sources of stress in veterinary medicine (SOS-VetMed).

BACKGROUND: Occupational stress is a serious problem in veterinary medicine; however, validated instruments to measure this problem are lacking. The aim of the current study was to address this literature gap by designing and validating a questionnaire and establishing the cut-off points for identifying veterinarians with high and low levels of stress. METHODS: The study involved two sub-studies with two Spanish samples. The first study (N = 30 veterinarians; 66.7% women; 63.33% from small animal clinics) investigated the factors related to the work environment that caused the most stress; the results were analyzed using thematic content analysis. The second study (N = 1082; 70.8% women; 71.4% from small animal clinics) involved designing and validating a questionnaire to measure sources of stress in veterinary medicine, as well as establishing the cut-off points for interpreting the results using receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve analysis. RESULTS: The first study showed the main sources of stress and allowed items to be defined for the questionnaire. The second study validated the Sources of Stress in Veterinarian Medicine (SOS-VetMed) questionnaire and confirmed five sources of stress with adequate reliability and validity indices: "work overload," "work-family conflict," "emotional burden of work," "organizational factors," and "emergency problems." Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses verified a structure of five factors (Cronbach's alpha values ranging between 0.92 and 0.69). The five subscales of the SOS-VetMed questionnaire were positively correlated with two indicators of distress: "psychological complaints" and "psychosomatic complaints." The cut-off points indicated that 45.83% and 19.95% of the veterinarians surveyed had high and low levels of stress, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The results confirmed that the SOS-VetMed questionnaire could be used to determine the stress levels of veterinarians and to design intervention programs to improve their workplace health.

Merging the Worlds of Pets and Pills: Development and Evaluation of an Interprofessional Activity Linking Pharmacy and Veterinary Medicine.

Interprofessional education (IPE) is noticeably lacking between pharmacy and veterinary medicine students despite the two health professions overlapping in practice. To address this, an asynchronous IPE activity was developed together with practicing pharmacists and veterinarians. Students worked in groups across two campuses to discuss clinical cases, specifically requiring input from both professions. Students reported they learned more about the two professions' interconnection, felt prepared to interact with the other professionals in the future, and found value in learning from each other. Overall, the results of this study outline a successful pilot IPE activity between veterinary medicine and pharmacy students.

Corrigendum: How does chronic pain impact the lives of dogs: an investigation of factors that are associated with pain using the Animal Welfare Assessment Grid.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2024.1374858.].

Building a Diverse Pipeline: The Current State of Outreach and Engagement Efforts in Veterinary Medicine.

African Americans make up less than 3% of veterinarians despite being over 14% of the population. The lack of diversity stems from a history of racial inequality, Southern schools and universities were not integrated until the 1950s, and there is only one historically Black veterinary school (Tuskegee University College of Veterinary Medicine [TUCVM]), which was founded in 1945. Since the founding of TUCVM, the number of African American veterinarians skyrocketed. With the diversity efforts of veterinary schools, mentoring and outreach programs, and the founding of new veterinary schools (including another HBCU), the diversity in veterinary medicine will increase exponentially.

Development of a novel scoring system to predict mortality in canine patients with infection.

OBJECTIVES: To develop a novel illness severity scoring system to identify canine patients with infection that are at higher risk of mortality. KEY FINDINGS: Mentation (Modified Glasgow Coma Scale and the Acute Patient Physiologic and Laboratory Evaluation mentation score), heart rate, pH, Pvco2, potassium, and total plasma protein were found to be associated with mortality on univariate analysis. Logistic regression found that mentation, heart rate, and Pvco2 combined to form the following score: [(100 × mentation score) + (3 × heart rate) + (10 × Pvco2], which was predictive of mortality (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve: 0.88). A cutoff of 900 provided a sensitivity of 80% and a specificity of 80%. If the cutoff was changed to 800, the sensitivity was 100% and the specificity was 50%. SIGNIFICANCE: A novel scoring system was developed to predict mortality in hospitalized dogs with confirmed or suspected infection. Further prospective evaluation in a larger patient cohort is necessary to validate this score.

Penalization and Color Code-Technical Approaches for Methods' Greenness and Whiteness Appraisal in Veterinary Medication: Assay of Toltrazuril Suspension.

BACKGROUND: Intestinal coccidiosis is a debilitating disease in poultry and livestock, leading to economic impact worldwide. Coccidiosis is prevented and treated in broilers by the inclusion of anticoccidials in feed. Toltrazuril is administered in potable water to treat coccidiosis. OBJECTIVE: Three robust analytical methods for quantitation of toltrazuril in pure and pharmaceutical formulations are developed. Furthermore, ecological metrics; either penalization- or color-code-based techniques are applied for the appraisal of assays. METHODS: Firstly, Second-Derivative (Δλ; 5 nm) spectrophotometric method; Toltrazuril is measured from peak to peak at 244-260 nm within a linearity range of 5-25 µg/mL. The second one is a high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) analysis performed on an aluminum sheet of silica gel using ethyl acetate, methanol, ammonium chloride buffer, and water (8:1:0.5:0.5) (%V/V) as the elution phase. Toltrazuril, at a retardation factor of 0.66 ± 0.01, is linearly determined in the range of 1-9 µg/spot at 243 nm. The third one is Reversed Phase-HPLC-diode array detection, using Agilent column C18 (5 µm, 4.6 x 150 mm) in isocratic elution mode with a mobile phase of acetonitrile and water in a ratio of 80:20 (v/v), respectively, at 1 mL/min flow rate. Toltrazuril elutes at a retention time of 2.58 ± 0.1 min and is linearly determined at 243 nm in the range of 0.25-25 µg/mL. RESULTS: Calculated 2D-values and peak areas are highly correlated to their corresponding drug concentrations at coefficients; r > 0.999. All methods were ICH validated and applied to dosage form with satisfactory % recoveries (97-103%). Statistical comparisons reported one using t-test and F-test disclose insignificant variation. Examining greenness and whiteness norms, proposed methods were evaluated and ranked alongside four different reported methods. CONCLUSION: The proposed methods are green, accurate, and can be applied in routine quality control for the determination of toltrazuril in pharmaceutical formulations.

Medical education during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic: an umbrella review.

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic affected many aspects of lifestyle and medical education during the recent years. We aimed to determine the impacts of COVID-19 pandemic on medical education to provide an overview of systematic reviews on it. Methods: We searched PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane library, Google Scholar, and medRxiv, with the following keywords: "SARS-CoV-2," "COVID-19," "Medical Education," "E-learning," "Distance Education," "Online Learning," "Virtual Education," "systematic review," and "meta-analysis," up to 15 April 2023. Studies were included if they were systematic reviews assessing the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on medical sciences students. We used A MeaSurement Tool to Assess systematic Reviews 2 (AMSTAR-2) checklist for quality assessment. Results: A total of 28 systematic reviews were included. The eligible reviews included between five and 64 primary studies, ranging from 897 to 139,381 participants. Technology-enhanced learning and simulation-based learning were the most frequently used strategies. Virtual teaching has several drawbacks like technical difficulties, confidentiality problems, lower student involvement, connection problems, and digital fatigue. The overall satisfaction rate for online learning was above 50%. Also, favorable opinions about perception, acceptability, motivation, and engagement were reported. The quality of 27 studies were critically low and one was low. Conclusion: There were reduced clinical exposure and satisfaction for medical students during the pandemic. Further high-quality systematic reviews are required.

Impact of veterinary pharmaceuticals on environment and their mitigation through microbial bioremediation.

Veterinary medications are constantly being used for the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of diseases in livestock. However, untreated veterinary drug active compounds are interminably discharged into numerous water bodies and terrestrial ecosystems, during production procedures, improper disposal of empty containers, unused medication or animal feed, and treatment procedures. This exhaustive review describes the different pathways through which veterinary medications enter the environment, discussing the role of agricultural practices and improper disposal methods. The detrimental effects of veterinary drug compounds on aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems are elaborated with examples of specific veterinary drugs and their known impacts. This review also aims to detail the mechanisms by which microbes degrade veterinary drug compounds as well as highlighting successful case studies and recent advancements in microbe-based bioremediation. It also elaborates on microbial electrochemical technologies as an eco-friendly solution for removing pharmaceutical pollutants from wastewater. Lastly, we have summarized potential innovations and challenges in implementing bioremediation on a large scale under the section prospects and advancements in this field.

Meta-transcriptomic analysis of companion animal infectomes reveals their diversity and potential roles in animal and human disease.

Companion animals such as cats and dogs harbor diverse microbial communities that can potentially impact human health due to close and frequent contact. To better characterize their total infectomes and assess zoonotic risks, we characterized the overall infectomes of companion animals (cats and dogs) and evaluated their potential zoonotic risks. Meta-transcriptomic analyses were performed on 239 samples from cats and dogs collected across China, identifying 24 viral species, 270 bacterial genera, and two fungal genera. Differences in the overall microbiome and infectome composition were compared across different animal species (cats or dogs), sampling sites (rectal or oropharyngeal), and health status (healthy or diseased). Diversity analyses revealed that viral abundance was generally higher in diseased animals compared to healthy ones, while differences in microbial composition were mainly driven by sampling site, followed by animal species and health status. Disease association analyses validated the pathogenicity of known pathogens and suggested potential pathogenic roles of previously undescribed bacteria and newly discovered viruses. Cross-species transmission analyses identified seven pathogens shared between cats and dogs, such as alphacoronavirus 1, which was detected in both oropharyngeal and rectal swabs albeit with differential pathogenicity. Further analyses showed that some viruses, like alphacoronavirus 1, harbored multiple lineages exhibiting distinct pathogenicity, tissue, or host preferences. Ultimately, a systematic evolutionary screening identified 27 potential zoonotic pathogens in this sample set, with far more bacterial than viral species, implying potential health threats to humans. Overall, our meta-transcriptomic analysis reveals a landscape of actively transcribing microorganisms in major companion animals, highlighting key pathogens, those with the potential for cross-species transmission, and possible zoonotic threats. IMPORTANCE: This study provides a comprehensive characterization of the entire community of infectious microbes (viruses, bacteria, and fungi) in companion animals like cats and dogs, termed the "infectome." By analyzing hundreds of samples from across China, the researchers identified numerous known and novel pathogens, including 27 potential zoonotic agents that could pose health risks to both animals and humans. Notably, some of these zoonotic pathogens were detected even in apparently healthy pets, highlighting the importance of surveillance. The study also revealed key microbial factors associated with respiratory and gastrointestinal diseases in pets, as well as potential cross-species transmission events between cats and dogs. Overall, this work sheds light on the complex microbial landscapes of companion animals and their potential impacts on animal and human health, underscoring the need for monitoring and management of these infectious agents.

Examining the Potential Applicability of Orexigenic and Anorexigenic Peptides in Veterinary Medicine for the Management of Obesity in Companion Animals.

This review article comprehensively explores the role of orexigenic and anorexigenic peptides in the management of obesity in companion animals, with a focus on clinical applications. Obesity in domestic animals, particularly dogs and cats, is prevalent, with significant implications for their health and well-being. Factors contributing to obesity include overfeeding, poor-quality diet, lack of physical activity, and genetic predispositions. Despite the seriousness of this condition, it is often underestimated, with societal perceptions sometimes reinforcing unhealthy behaviors. Understanding the regulation of food intake and identifying factors affecting the function of food intake-related proteins are crucial in combating obesity. Dysregulations in these proteins, whether due to genetic mutations, enzymatic dysfunctions, or receptor abnormalities, can have profound health consequences. Molecular biology techniques play a pivotal role in elucidating these mechanisms, offering insights into potential therapeutic interventions. The review categorizes food intake-related proteins into anorexigenic peptides (inhibitors of food intake) and orexigenic peptides (enhancers of food intake). It thoroughly examines current research on regulating energy balance in companion animals, emphasizing the clinical application of various peptides, including ghrelin, phoenixin (PNX), asprosin, glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1), leptin, and nesfatin-1, in veterinary obesity management. This comprehensive review aims to provide valuable insights into the complex interplay between peptides, energy balance regulation, and obesity in companion animals. It underscores the importance of targeted interventions and highlights the potential of peptide-based therapies in improving the health outcomes of obese pets.

Ex vivo diffusion tensor imaging of the plantar nerves is feasible in the horse.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to optimize an MRI-based diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) protocol for imaging the plantar nerves at the level of the tarsus in normal equine limbs. SAMPLE: 12 pelvic cadaver limbs from horses without evidence of proximal suspensory pathology were imaged with a 3T MRI system. METHODS: For diffusion-weighted imaging, b values of 600, 800, and 1,000 s/mm2 were tested. Data were processed with DSI Studio. Cross-sectional areas of the medial and lateral plantar nerve along the plantar tarsus were recorded. The length and number of fiber tracts, signal-to-noise ratio, and DTI variables were recorded. RESULTS: At the level of interest, the mean cross-sectional areas of the plantar nerves ranged from 5.03 to 7.42 mm2. The DTI maps consistently generated tracts in the region of the lateral and medial plantar nerves with DTI values in the range of values reported for peripheral nerves in humans. Our findings demonstrate that DTI of the medial and lateral plantar nerves can be performed successfully and used to generate quantitative parameters including fractional anisotropy and mean, axial, and radial diffusivity. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Quantitative data generated with this imaging technique can be used to noninvasively characterize the microstructural integrity of neural tissue with possible applications in the evaluation of pathologic changes to the plantar tarsal and metatarsal nerves of horses with proximal suspensory desmopathy.

Survey indicates addressing workplace environment, work-life balance, and flexibility are key to attracting and retaining veterinarians in academia.

OBJECTIVE: Referencing growing concerns over the recruitment and retention of faculty in academic veterinary medicine, the authors hypothesized that among surveyed veterinary residents and early-career faculty, work-life balance and workplace climate and culture are stronger motivators than financial considerations, regardless of demographic factors such as gender, race/ethnicity, and area of specialization. SAMPLE: 541 participants were included in data analysis. METHODS: A mixed methods approach was utilized, incorporating both quantitative data and qualitative, free-text responses to better understand veterinary career choices by contextualizing factors associated with academic medicine. RESULTS: Factors underpinning career-related decision-making were ranked by level of importance as (1) workplace environment/culture, (2) personal well-being/work-life balance, (3) salary and bonuses, (4) geographic location, (5) facilities and resources, (6) benefits, and (7) schedule flexibility. Desires for workload balance, schedule flexibility, support from leadership, and mentorship and collaboration were among the top themes of qualitative responses for both residents and early career faculty respondents. Factors influencing career decision-making for resident and early-career faculty are varied. Workplace environment, work-life balance, and schedule flexibility are areas that academic institutions can address and continue to improve and that are likely to positively impact entry into academia and the desire to stay. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This study sought to understand factors related to career decision-making and interest in academic veterinary medicine among residents and early-career faculty. Understanding these factors can support efforts to recruit and retain faculty in academic veterinary medicine.

Concentration-resistance relationship and PK/PD evaluation of danofloxacin against emergence of resistant Pasteurella multocida in an in vitro dynamic model.

AIMS: This study aimed to assess the pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) targets of danofloxacin to minimize the risk of selecting resistant Pasteurella multocida mutants and to identify the mechanisms underlying their resistance in an in vitro dynamic model, attaining the optimum dosing regimen of danofloxacin to improve its clinical efficacy based on the mutant selection window (MSW) hypothesis. METHODS AND RESULTS: Danofloxacin at seven dosing regimens and 5 days of treatment were simulated to quantify the bactericidal kinetics and enrichment of resistant mutants upon continuous antibiotic exposure. The magnitudes of PK/PD targets associated with different efficacies were determined in the model. The 24 h area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) to minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) ratios (AUC24h/MIC) of danofloxacin associated with bacteriostatic, bactericidal and eradication effects against P. multocida were 34, 52, and 64 h. This translates to average danofloxacin concentrations (Cav) over 24 h being 1.42, 2.17, and 2.67 times the MIC, respectively. An AUC/MIC-dependent antibacterial efficacy and AUC/mutant prevention concentration (MPC)-dependent enrichment of P. multocida mutants in which maximum losses in danofloxacin susceptibility occurred at a simulated AUC24h/MIC ratio of 72 h (i.e. Cav of three times the MIC). The overexpression of efflux pumps (acrAB-tolC) and their regulatory genes (marA, soxS, and ramA) was associated with reduced susceptibility in danofloxacin-exposed P. multocida. The AUC24h/MPC ratio of 19 h (i.e. Cav of 0.8 times the MPC) was determined to be the minimum mutant prevention target value for the selection of resistant P. multocida mutants. CONCLUSIONS: The emergence of P. multocida resistance to danofloxacin exhibited a concentration-dependent pattern and was consistent with the MSW hypothesis. The current clinical dosing regimen of danofloxacin (2.5 mg kg-1) may have a risk of treatment failure due to inducible fluoroquinolone resistance.

A Rare Case of Streptococcus equi Subspecies Zooepidemicus Bacteremia.

Streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus (S. zooepidemicus) is a zoonotic pathogen that primarily infects horses, pigs, and dogs. Although rare, it has also been shown to infect humans who consume unpasteurized dairy food or have direct contact with horses. Here, we present a case of S. zooepidemicus bacteremia in a patient without a clear mode of transmission. An 86-year-old male with a past medical history of coronary artery disease, heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, complete heart block status post pacemaker, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and type 2 diabetes mellitus presented to the Emergency Department with fever and chills. He had fevers and rigors for three days but denied weight loss, cough, sore throat, or rashes. In the Emergency Department, vital signs revealed a fever of 101.2 degrees Fahrenheit and a heart rate of 110 with other stable vital signs. The physical exam was unremarkable except for tachycardia, and laboratory work revealed no leukocytosis but elevated inflammatory markers and elevated lactate. Computed tomography of the chest, abdomen, and pelvis did not reveal any source of infection. Blood cultures grew S. zooepidemicus and the Infectious Diseases team was consulted, who started the patient on Penicillin G. Due to concern for pacer-lead infective endocarditis, transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiograms were performed, which did not show valvular vegetations. Repeat blood cultures showed clearance of the infection, and the patient was ultimately discharged on amoxicillin. While our patient denied consuming unpasteurized dairy products or having direct contact with horses, upon further questioning, he did endorse family members who occasionally interacted with horses. This case is valuable as it adds to the sparse literature on S. zooepidemicus infections specifically in humans. Extensive history taking is of utmost importance when a clear source of infection is not easily identifiable. Further research is also needed to better understand the various modes of transmission of this bacterium to better target and caution those at an increased risk of infection.