Francisella tularensis infection in dogs: 88 cases (2014-2016).

OBJECTIVE: To characterize the epidemiology, clinical signs, and treatment of dogs with Francisella tularensis infection in New Mexico. ANIMALS: 87 dogs in which 88 cases of tularemia (1 dog had 2 distinct cases) were confirmed by the New Mexico Department of Health Scientific Laboratory Division from 2014 through 2016 and for which medical records were available. PROCEDURES: Dogs were confirmed to have tularemia if they had a 4-fold or greater increase in anti-F tularensis antibody titer between acute and convalescent serum samples or F tularensis had been isolated from a clinical or necropsy specimen. Epidemiological, clinical, and treatment information were collected from the dogs' medical records and summarized. RESULTS: All 88 cases of tularemia were confirmed by paired serologic titers; the first (acute) serologic test result was negative for 84 (95%) cases. The most common reported exposure to F tularensis was wild rodent or rabbit contact (53/88 [60%]). Dogs had a median number of 3 clinical signs at initial evaluation; lethargy (81/88 [92%]), pyrexia (80/88 [91%]), anorexia (67/88 [76%]), and lymphadenopathy (18/88 [20%]) were most common. For 32 (36%) cases, the dog was hospitalized; all hospitalized dogs survived. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Dogs with F tularensis infection often had nonspecific clinical signs and developed moderate to severe illness, sometimes requiring hospitalization. Veterinarians examining dogs from tularemia-enzootic areas should be aware of the epidemiology and clinical signs of tularemia, inquire about potential exposures, and discuss prevention methods with owners, including reducing exposure to reservoir hosts and promptly seeking care for ill animals.

Yersinia pestis infection in dogs: 62 cases (2003-2011).

OBJECTIVE: To describe the epidemiology, clinical signs, and treatment practices in dogs with Yersinia pestis infection in New Mexico. DESIGN: Retrospective case series. ANIMALS: 62 dogs with plague in New Mexico. PROCEDURES: Confirmed case animals had isolation of Yersinia pestis from a clinical specimen, a positive direct fluorescent antibody test result, or a minimum 4-fold change between acute and convalescent serum antibody titers with clinically compatible illness. Retrospective review of cases of laboratory-confirmed plague from 2003 to 2011 was performed with a standardized chart abstraction form. Epidemiologic, clinical, and treatment data were evaluated. RESULTS: 62 confirmed cases of canine plague were identified from 2003 to 2011. Most cases (85%) were confirmed by serologic titers alone or in conjunction with other testing methods. Clinical signs included fever (100%), lethargy (97%), anorexia (77%), lymphadenopathy (23%), vomiting (13%), diarrhea (8%), and abscesses (2%). Most case animals (73%) were treated with multiple antimicrobials. Sixty (97%) case animals survived; of the 2 nonsurvivors, one was euthanized and another died. Potential sources of exposure to Y pestis included hunting, rodent or rabbit exposure, and residence in rural areas. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results indicated that dogs with exposure to Y pestis can develop moderate to severe illness or die as a result of infection. Veterinarians practicing in and examining animals from the western United States need to be familiar with the epidemiology of plague and query owners about potential plague exposures when consistent clinical signs are present. Veterinarians are often the first to recognize signs of plague among sentinel populations and have the opportunity to intervene and prevent zoonotic disease transmission.

Comparative genomics of 2009 seasonal plague (Yersinia pestis) in New Mexico.

Plague disease caused by the gram-negative bacterium Yersinia pestis routinely affects animals and occasionally humans, in the western United States. The strains native to the North American continent are thought to be derived from a single introduction in the late 19(th) century. The degree to which these isolates have diverged genetically since their introduction is not clear, and new genomic markers to assay the diversity of North American plague are highly desired. To assay genetic diversity of plague isolates within confined geographic areas, draft genome sequences were generated by 454 pyrosequencing from nine environmental and clinical plague isolates. In silico assemblies of Variable Number Tandem Repeat (VNTR) loci were compared to laboratory-generated profiles for seven markers. High-confidence SNPs and small Insertion/Deletions (Indels) were compared to previously sequenced Y. pestis isolates. The resulting panel of mutations allowed clustering of the strains and tracing of the most likely evolutionary trajectory of the plague strains. The sequences also allowed the identification of new putative SNPs that differentiate the 2009 isolates from previously sequenced plague strains and from each other. In addition, new insertion points for the abundant insertion sequences (IS) of Y. pestis are present that allow additional discrimination of strains; several of these new insertions potentially inactivate genes implicated in virulence. These sequences enable whole-genome phylogenetic analysis and allow the unbiased comparison of closely related isolates of a genetically monomorphic pathogen.

Subtype analysis of Cryptosporidium specimens from sporadic cases in Colorado, Idaho, New Mexico, and Iowa in 2007: widespread occurrence of one Cryptosporidium hominis subtype and case history of an infection with the Cryptosporidium horse genotype.

Subtyping was conducted in late 2007 on 57 Cryptosporidium specimens from sporadic cases in Colorado, Idaho, New Mexico, and Iowa. One previously rare Cryptosporidium hominis subtype was identified in 40 cases (70%) from all four states, and the Cryptosporidium horse genotype was identified in a pet shop employee with severe clinical symptoms.