Regional alopecia and dermatitis due to Lodderomyces elongisporus in a North American porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum).

BACKGROUND: Lodderomyces elongisporus is a yeast with a worldwide distribution that has been reported as a cause of infection in immunocompromised humans and in a dog that had been quilled by a porcupine. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this report is to describe the clinical presentation, diagnosis and treatment of dermatitis caused by L. elongisporus in a North American porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum). ANIMAL: One wild adult male North American porcupine from New York state, USA. METHODS AND MATERIALS: The porcupine was presented for alopecia and scaling dermatitis over the caudal dorsum. Diagnostic testing included cytological evaluation, trichogram, bacterial and fungal culture, and histopathological examination of skin biopsies. RESULTS: Histopathological findings from skin specimens demonstrated mild eosinophilic perivascular-to-interstitial dermatitis with superficial dermal fibrosis, mild epidermal hyperplasia with moderate-to-marked intracorneal and intrafollicular yeast. Fungal culture with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization confirmed L. elongisporus as the cause of the dermatitis. The porcupine was treated with a six week course of oral itraconazole with clinical resolution. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Infection with L. elongisporus should be included as a differential diagnosis for North American porcupines exhibiting signs of dermatitis including scaling and alopecia. This case report may be relevant for the diagnosis and treatment of porcupines with dermatitis and for animals or humans that have been quilled by a porcupine.

External ear cytological results and resident flora of clinically normal alpacas (Vicugna pacos).

BACKGROUND: Otitis is common in alpacas. Suppurative otitis media/interna can be an extension from the external ear canal or from a respiratory infection. Cytological evaluation provides rapid and inexpensive information to assist in therapeutic decision; to date, there is no published information regarding the normal cytological results and flora of the alpaca external ear canal. HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES: To describe normal resident cytological findings and flora and possible variation over time, we sampled clinically normal alpaca external ear canals during two different seasons. ANIMALS: Fifty privately owned, healthy alpacas of different ages and sexes in two northeastern United States flocks. METHODS AND MATERIALS: One ear per alpaca had both cytological swabs (ectoparasites, inflammatory and epithelial cells, bacteria and yeast) and sterile swabs (bacterial and fungal cultures) taken. This was done in August 2017 and repeated in January 2018. RESULTS: Yeast organisms were noted cytologically in 2-4% of the samples. Prevalence of total yeast genera was 6% in August and 30% in January. Cytologically, rod-shaped bacteria [maximum 4-10/high power field (HPF); median 0-0.5/HPF] were seen in 50% of alpacas in August and 26% in January. Coccal bacteria (maximum 6-10/HPF; median 0/HPF) were seen in 32% of alpacas in August and 16% in January. No statistically significant findings were noted between sampling months. Common bacterial genera isolated in August were Bacillus (44%), Arthrobacter (40%) and nonhaemolytic Staphylococcus (26%), and in January were Bacillus (42%) and Pantoea (38%). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: This information may be useful when evaluating alpaca external ear canal samples, which subsequently may help dictate empirical therapy.

Elevated circulating Th2 but not group 2 innate lymphoid cell responses characterize canine atopic dermatitis.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is an allergic skin disease that causes significant morbidity and affects multiple species. AD is highly prevalent in companion dogs, and the clinical management of the disease remains challenging. An improved understanding of the immunologic and genetic pathways that lead to disease could inform the development of novel treatments. In allergic humans and mouse models of AD, the disease is associated with Th2 and group 2 innate lymphoid cell (ILC2) activation that drives type 2 inflammation. Type 2 inflammation also appears to be associated with AD in dogs, but gaps remain in our understanding of how key type 2-associated cell types such as canine Th2 cells and ILC2s contribute to the pathogenesis of canine AD. Here, we describe previously uncharacterized canine ILC2-like cells and Th2 cells ex vivo that produced type 2 cytokines and expressed the transcription factor Gata3. Increased circulating Th2 cells were associated with chronic canine AD. Single-cell RNA sequencing revealed a unique gene expression signature in T cells in dogs with AD. These findings underline the importance of pro-allergic Th2 cells in orchestrating AD and provide new methods and pathways that can inform the development of improved therapies.