Systemic coccidioidomycosis in a dog in Northeastern Brazil / Coccidioidomicose sistêmica em um cão no Nordeste do Brasil

ABSTRACT: We described a case of systemic infection by Coccidioides sp. in a dog. An adult, mixed breed, free-ranging male dog presented with clinical signs that included apathy, cachexia, anorexia, limited mobility with sternal recumbency, bilateral mucopurulent ocular discharge, dyspnoea, pulmonary crepitation, erosive and nodular lesions on the skin, and swelling and stiffness of the left tibiotarsal joint. The dog was submitted to a postmortem examination. Grossly, there were multiple yellow to white nodules in various organs. Histologically, the lesions were characterized as pyogranulomatous inflammation associated with fungal spherules morphologically consistent with Coccidioides sp. The dog was concomitantly diagnosed with undifferentiated sarcoma affecting the skin, lymph nodes, liver, and testicles. The diagnosis of coccidioidomycosis was made based on the histologic changes associated with morphotintorial features and positive immunolabeling of organisms with anti-Coccidioides immunohistochemistry. This case demonstrated that Coccidioides sp. can infect dogs that inhabit urban centers in the semiarid region of Northeastern Brazil, likely due to exposure to dust from contaminated environments.

RESUMO: Descreve-se um caso de infecção sistêmica por Coccidioides em um cão. Um cão adulto, sem raça definida e errante, atendido com sinais clínicos que incluíram apatia, caquexia, anorexia, dificuldade de locomoção com decúbito esternal, secreção ocular bilateral mucopurulenta, dispneia, crepitação pulmonar, lesões erosivas e nodulares na pele, aumento de volume e rigidez na articulação tibiotársica do membro pélvico esquerdo. O cão foi submetido a um exame post-mortem. Macroscopicamente, haviam múltiplos nódulos amarelo-brancacentos em vários órgãos. Histologicamente, as lesões foram caracterizadas por inflamação piogranulomatosa associada a esférulas fúngicas morfologicamente consistentes com Coccidioides sp. O cão foi diagnosticado concomitantemente com sarcoma indiferenciado afetando a pele, linfonodos, fígado e testículos. O diagnóstico de coccidioidomicose foi realizado com base nas alterações histológicas associadas as características morfotintoriais e imunomarcação positiva dos organismos com anti-Coccidioides na imuno-histoquímica. Esse caso demonstra que Coccidioides sp. pode infectar cães que habitam centros urbanos no semiárido do Nordeste do Brasil, provavelmente devido à exposição a poeira de ambientes contaminados.

Reproductive losses caused by the ingestion of Poincianella pyramidalis in sheep.

Malformations have been observed in sheep and goats in the Brazilian semiarid region in areas where Poincianella pyramidalis is dominant. The objective of this trial was to determine whether Poincianella pyramidalis causes reproductive changes in pregnant sheep. Sixteen non-pregnant sheep were mated with two rams. After confirmation of the pregnancy by ultrasonography on the 18th day after mating, pregnant sheep were randomly divided into four groups (#1, 2, 3, and 4), with four animals each. Sheep received roughage in an amount equivalent to 2% of their body weight, mixed with 0%, 10%, 20% and 40% of dried leaves of P. pyramidalis for groups 1, 2, 3 and 4, respectively. In Groups 1 and 2, all animals lambed normally. In Group 3 (20% P. pyramidalis in the roughage), one lamb was born with arthrogryposis and three sheep gave birth to premature weak lambs within 128, 132, and 133 days of gestation. In Group 4 (40% P. pyramidalis in the roughage), one sheep lambed a normal lamb; another ewe had embryonic mortality after seven days of plant consumption, and two aborted on days 103 and 144 of pregnancy. One of the aborted fetuses was normal and the other showed arthrogryposis and prognathism. These results suggest that P. pyramidalis causes embryonic deaths, abortions, and malformations in sheep. Grazing pregnant sheep in areas where this plant is dominant should be avoided, and roughage for confined pregnant females should not contain more than 10% P. pyramidalis.

Megaesophagus in sheep and goats / Megaesôfago em ovinos e caprinos

ABSTRACT: Megaesophagus is a rare disease in ruminants characterized by regurgitation of rumen contents. In this paper it was described cases of megaesophagus in two sheep and two goats on a farm in the state of Paraíba, Northeastern Brazil. All animals showed regurgitation of rumen contents and weight loss, with a clinical course of several months. At necropsy all animals presented megaesophagus. Histological examination showed segmental muscle necrosis in the esophagus and skeletal muscles. Serum samples from one sheep and one goat were negative for the presence of blue tongue antibodies by ELISA, and whole blood and muscle samples from one goat were negative for this virus by RT PCR. Epidemiological data and pathology suggested that the disease could have been caused by some toxic plant, but known plants causing segmental muscle necrosis were not observed in the areas where the disease occurred.

RESUMO: Megaesôfago é uma enfermidade rara em ruminantes caracterizada por regurgitação do conteúdo ruminal. Neste trabalho, descrevem-se casos de megaesôfago em dois ovinos e dois caprinos no Estado da Paraíba. Todos os animais apresentaram regurgitação do conteúdo ruminal e emagrecimento, com evolução de vários meses. Nas necropsias dos animais, observou-se dilatação esofágica e, em exames histológicos, necrose muscular segmentar no esôfago e músculos esqueléticos. Não foram encontrados anticorpos para o vírus da língua azul nos soros de um ovino e um caprino pela técnica de ELISA. Sangue total e músculo de um caprino resultaram negativos para esse vírus por RT PCR. Sugere-se que a doença seja causada por alguma planta tóxica, mas não foram encontradas plantas conhecidas por causarem necrose segmentar muscular nos piquetes onde ocorreu a doença.