Aborto infeccioso por Neospora spp. em equino ˗ relato de caso / [Neospora spp infectious abortion in the horse ˗ case report]

O abortamento na espécie equina é responsável por grandes perdas econômicas e, entre as possíveis causas, está a neosporose, uma enfermidade que nem sempre é investigada como provável diagnóstico. Assim, o objetivo deste trabalho foi relatar um caso de aborto equino aos 129 dias de gestação, resultante da infecção por Neospora spp.. Amostras sanguíneas da égua e do feto abortado foram enviadas para um laboratório especializado. À necrópsia, constatou-se edema gelatinoso e hemorrágico em subcutâneo, fígado ictérico e friável com autólise de alguns órgãos, como baço, rins e glândulas adrenais. Fragmentos dos órgãos coletados na necrópsia foram submetidos à histopatologia e à pesquisa de agentes infecciosos, em que se identificou hepatite e epicardite não purulentas e onfalite purulenta, bem como exame positivo para Neospora spp. pela técnica de reação em cadeia da polimerase (PCR) convencional e Nested. O soro sanguíneo obtido da égua foi submetido à pesquisa de Neospora spp. pela técnica de imunofluorescência indireta, de herpesvírus por soroneutralização em cultura de células e de Leptospira sp. por PCR, todas com resultados negativos. Dessa forma, é importante considerar a neosporose como diagnóstico diferencial em casos de abortamento e natimortalidade, uma vez que a presença de cães nas propriedades é extremamente comum, representando uma importante fonte de infecção.(AU)

Abortion in the equine species is responsible for major economic losses, and among the possible causes is neosporosis, a disease that is not always investigated as a probable diagnosis. Thus, the objective of this study was to report an abortion at 129 days of gestation resulting from Neospora spp. Blood samples from the mare and the aborted fetus were sent to a specialized laboratory. Under necropsy, gelatinous and hemorrhagic edema was detected in subcutaneous tissue, friable and jaundiced liver with autolysis in spleen, kidneys and adrenal glands. Fragments of the organs collected at necropsy were submitted to histopathology and infectious agent tests, which identified non-purulent hepatitis and epicarditis and purulent omphalitis. Also, a positive result for Neospora spp. by the conventional and nested Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) technique. Blood serum obtained from the mare was subjected to analyses to Neospora spp. by indirect immunofluorescence technique, herpesvirus by serum neutralization in cell culture and Leptospira sp. by PCR, all with negative results. Thus, it is important to consider neosporosis as a differential diagnosis in cases of abortion and stillbirth, since the presence of dogs in the properties is extremely common and represent an important source of infection.(AU)

Systemic mycobacteriosis in an aborted thoroughbred fetus in Japan.

A male Thoroughbred fetus was aborted on day 251 of pregnancy. Gross and histological examinations detected systemic granulomatous lesions in many superficial and visceral lymph nodes and organs including the liver, tonsils, lungs, thymus, spleen, right thyroid gland and gastrointestinal tract, and suppurative placentitis, pyogranulomatous amnionitis and intralesional acid-fast bacilli were also detected. An examination of the DNA base sequence of the ß subunit of RNA polymerase demonstrated that Mycobacterium avium strain 104 had infected several organs. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of equine fetal mycobacterial infection in Japan.

Identification of Mycoplasma bovigenitalium and Mycoplasma canadense from outbreaks of granulopapular vulvovaginitis in dairy cattle in Israel.

A syndrome in which white foci and granulopustular lesions appeared on the vaginal mucous membranes of Holstein cows in several dairy herds in Israel is described. During clinical and diagnostic investigations, Mycoplasma bovigenitalium was isolated from 11 of 20 clinical cases. Vaginal swabs taken from the same cows yielded three isolates of Mycoplasma canadense, which were all associated with the M bovigenitalium infection. Two isolates of small, round, non-enveloped viral particles were approximately 25 nm in diameter and characteristic of enteroviruses on negative-staining electron microscopy.

Isolation of Yersinia enterocolitica from aborted fetuses and sows in pig farms with reproductive disturbances.

The purpose of the study was to determine the occurrence of Yersinia enterocolitica in tissues of aborted fetuses, placentas, vaginal and rectal swabs of aborting sows from pig farms where reproductive disturbances were found and to determine and analyze the biotype and serotype affinity of the strains isolated. Altogether 97 fetuses aborted in various stages of pregnancy, 25 placentas and swabs from 231 sows were taken. All sows originated from farms where reproductive disorders appeared. In general, 1069 samples were collected. Two enrichment methods were used in this study; fast enrichment techniques in ITC broth, then plating onto CIN agar (ITC/CIN), and cold enrichment in phosphate buffered saline followed by plating onto CIN agar (PBS/CIN). From all samples examined, 96 Y. enterocolitica strains were isolated including 57 (59.4%) from rectal swabs of sows, followed by 6 (6.3%) from vaginal swabs and 2 (2.1%) from placentas. The bacteria were isolated from tissues of 18 out of 97 aborted fetuses. A total of 60 strains were selected for further examination--29 strains originated from aborting sows and 31 from aborted fetuses. Among strains examined 54 isolates (90%) belonged to the biotype 1A of Y. enterocolitica and to the different serotypes O:3, O:5, O:6, O:7/13, O:8 and NT (not typable). Only 6 strains belonged to serotype O:3, biotype 4 Y. enterocolitica. Our study has revealed the possibility of Y enterocolitica isolation from internal organs of aborted swine fetuses and sows from farms with reproductive disturbances. The results suggest the connection between fetal death, pregnancy course disorders and Y. enterocolitica infection.

Identification of Bartonella henselae in an aborted equine fetus.

This report describes the characterization of a Bartonella henselae abortion in an equine fetus by gross, histologic, immunohistochemical, ultrastructural, and molecular methods. Bartonella henselae can cause cat scratch disease, bacillary angiomatosis, bacillary peliosis, and endocarditis in humans and other animals. The bacterium has been isolated from several mammalian species but only recently from equids; however, it has not been linked to abortion in equids. An aborted equine fetus exhibited necrosis and vasculitis in multiple tissues, with intralesional Gram-negative short-to-spirillar bacteria. Nucleotide sequence analysis of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene amplified from the DNA extracted from fetal tissues revealed 99.9% homology to that of B. henselae. The presence of B. henselae in the fetal tissues was further confirmed by polymerase chain reaction amplification and nucleotide sequence analysis of other Bartonella species-specific genes. Microorganisms were immunohistochemically labeled with a monoclonal antibody to B. henselae and were ultrastructurally characterized. Attempts to detect known causative agents of equine abortion were unsuccessful. Given the severity of vasculitis and the presence of intralesional bacteria, we concluded that B. henselae infection caused the abortion of this foal.

Isolamento de Campylobacter jejuni em feto ovino abortado: relato de caso / Isolation of Campylobacter jejuni from ovine aborted fetus: case report

Relata-se o isolamento de Campylobacter jejuni de um feto ovino abortado no terço final da gestação. Em uma semana, observaram-se quatro casos de aborto em ovelhas com quatro meses de gestação. Imediatamente após o terceiro aborto, um dos fetos foi submetido a exame patológico, quando se realizou a colheita do conteúdo do abomaso para análise bacteriológica. A necropsia, somente foram evidenciadas alterações autolíticas. Apenas na microaerofilia encontrou-se crescimento bacteriano puro com características morfo-tintoriais de Campylobacter sp., identificado fenotípica e molecularmente como C. jejuni. Alerta-se para a possibilidade de quadros de abortos em ovinos serem causados por esse patógeno.

Candidosis and aspergillosis as autopsy findings from 1994 to 2003.

We analysed the autopsy records of the Greifswald University Institute of Pathology (located in Eastern Germany) in respect of findings of candidosis and aspergillosis from 1994 to 2003. We also present eight immature aborted fetuses and premature infants with a mycosis. In a total of 2027 autopsies we found 164 cases of invasive candidosis and aspergillosis (8.1%) including a combination of both on four occasions. Other authors cited between 0.7 and 7.3%. In these 10 years in our material mycoses and in particular candidosis increased in spite of slightly decreased numbers of autopsies. The differences comparing the 5-years periods (1994-98 and 1999-2003) are highly significant for both mycoses and candidosis. They are not significant for aspergillosis. A similar relationship was observed in the distribution of mycotic organs and causative origin for candidosis alone. In the last 5 years the gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts, including the peritoneum, were more frequently infected by Candida. Non-haematological neoplasia and pneumonia as basic diseases more often appeared in cases of candidosis. All eight immature aborted fetuses and premature infants suffered from candidosis. The survey confirms the importance of autopsy as a tool for education and quality control in medical diagnostic and therapeutic activity in the field of mycoses, too.