Novel Penicillium species causing disseminated disease in a Labrador Retriever dog.

This report describes the phenotypic characteristics of a novel Penicillium species, Penicillium labradorum, isolated from a 3-year-old male, castrated, Labrador retriever with disseminated fungal disease. The dog's presenting clinical signs included lethargy, lymphadenopathy, tachypnea, moderate pitting edema, and nonweight bearing lameness associated with the right hind limb. Fine-needle aspirate biopsies from the sublumbar and prescapular lymph nodes were initially examined. The cytologic findings were consistent with pyogranulomatous inflammation with abundant extracellular and phagocytized fungal fragments and hyphae. Based on the morphology of the organisms and lack of endogenous pigment, hyalohyphomycosis was considered most likely, with Fusarium, Penicillium, and Paecilomyces species being considerations. Fungal isolates were obtained via culture of samples from the lymph nodes, and molecular identification testing originally identified an undescribed Penicillium species belonging to the Penicillium section Exilicaulis. BLAST searches and phylogenetic analyses performed approximately 1 year and 9 months after the isolation date revealed an isolate within the Penicillium parvum clade in the Penicillium section Exilicaulis but phylogenetically distant from the other species in the section, thus representing a new species, Penicillium labradorum. Antifungal susceptibility testing was also performed on the isolate and low minimum inhibitory concentrations were observed with terbinafine, voriconazole, and posaconazole, while in vitro resistance was observed with fluconazole. The dog had been previously treated with fluconazole, itraconazole, amphotericin B lipid complex, voriconazole, and terbinafine. Approximately 587 days after the initial diagnosis, the dog was euthanized due to worsening of clinical signs and concerns for quality of life.

Intestinal Parasites and Anthelmintic Treatments in a Laboratory Colony of Wild-caught African Pouched Rats (Cricetomys ansorgei).

African giant pouched rats (Cricetomys spp.) are large rodents native to subSaharan Africa. Wild-caught pouched rats identified as Cricetomys ansorgei (n = 49) were imported from Tanzania. A survey of gastrointestinal parasitism by fecal flotation revealed the presence of multiple parasites, including Nippostrongylus spp., Heterakis spp., Trichuris spp., Hymenolepis spp., Raillietina spp., and Eimeria spp. Oral self-administered fenbendazole (150 ppm), topical moxidectin (2 mg/kg), pyrantel pamoate (15 mg/kg), piperazine (100 mg/kg daily), and injectable ivermectin (0.25 mg/kg) were used to determine effective treatment options for the gastrointestinal parasites present in the colony. Pyrantel pamoate in a treat vehicle and piperazine in water bottles were easily administered and significantly reduced the numbers of animals shedding Nippostrongylus spp. and Heterakis spp. during the study. Moxidectin and ivermectin were clinically ineffective at reducing fecal egg shedding. Fenbendazole was most effective at clearing infection with Trichuris spp. Although 10 mg/kg praziquantel was ineffective, a single dose of 30 mg/kg praziquantel significantly reduced the number of African pouched rats that shed cestode embryos. A combination treatment may be necessary to successfully treat all parasites present in any given animal.