Muscular dystrophy due to a sarcoglycan deficiency in a female Dobermann dog.

A four-month-old female Dobermann presented with myalgia, dysphagia, progressive weakness and loss of body condition. Diagnostic evaluation at nine months of age revealed markedly elevated serum creatine kinase activity, electromyographic abnormalities and histological evidence of chronic-active muscle necrosis. Imaging confirmed dysphagia and aspiration pneumonia. Muscular dystrophy was suspected and immunohistochemical staining of muscle cryosections demonstrated reduced sarcoglycans. Treatment consisted of gastrostomy, and over the next 5 months the dog gained weight, despite continued loss of muscle mass. The dog died at 14 months of age after developing clinical signs of aspiration pneumonia. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of muscular dystrophy in a Dobermann and only the second detailed report of a canine sarcoglycanopathy. Supportive care resulted in an acceptable quality of life for 10 months after clinical signs were first observed.

Identification of Tritrichomonas foetus and Giardia spp. infection in pedigree show cats in New Zealand.

AIMS: To establish the presence of Tritrichomonas foetus, to investigate the prevalence of co-infection with Giardia spp., and determine risk factors for T. foetus infection in pedigree show cats in New Zealand. METHODS: Freshly voided faecal samples were collected from cats attending two regional pedigree cat shows in the North Island during 2006. The samples were subjected to ZnSO4 floatation; ELISA for Giardia spp.; culture for T. foetus; and DNA isolation, amplification, and sequencing. Owners were asked to complete a questionnaire concerning aspects of the cats' environment, previous medical history, and diet. RESULTS: Faecal samples were collected from 22 cats from 12 separate catteries. Giardia spp. were identified using ELISA or faecal floatation in seven samples, and Sarcocystis spp. were identified in four samples. Tritrichomonas foetus was cultured from three samples, but 18 samples were positive on PCR. Two were randomly selected for representative sequencing. Basic local alignment search tool (BLAST) analysis results indicated 100% homology to T. foetus internal transcribed spacer 1. Poor faecal quality was apparent in only 8/22 samples, all of which were positive for T. foetus, and five of the eight were from cats with a previous history of chronic intermittent diarrhoea. Five samples were positive for both T. foetus and Giardia spp. Numbers of participants were too low to assess risk factors or significant associations. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first report of the presence of T. foetus-infected cats in New Zealand, and the large proportion of PCR-positive samples was much greater than previous surveys of pedigree cats in other countries. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Tritrichomonas foetus infection is recognised as an important cause of chronic large-bowel diarrhoea in cats, and may be highly prevalent in pedigree show cats in New Zealand, with the potential for co-infection with Giardia spp. Diagnosis is simple, and should involve PCR for the greatest sensitivity.

Clinically overt infections with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in animals in New Zealand: a pilot study.

AIM: To describe clinically overt infections with methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in animals in New Zealand, characterise clinical isolates, and track their sources. METHODS: MRSA isolates identified in 2005 and 2006 by a veterinary diagnostic laboratory were referred to Massey University for confirmation and characterisation. Clinical information was extracted from the laboratory records or obtained from referring clinicians. RESULTS: Seven MRSA isolates from animals and contact persons were characterised. All the isolates belonged to the British epidemic MRSA 15 strain (EMRSA-15). Three EMRSA-15 were isolated from post-operative infections in two dogs. An EMRSA-15 indistinguishable from the isolate recovered from one dog was isolated from the anterior nares of a healthy hospital staff member involved in the care of the animal, suggesting nosocomial transmission. Other EMRSA-15 isolates of uncertain clinical significance were isolated from the femoral head of a cat, and from a sample of cow's milk. AlleMRSA-15 isolates were resistant to ciprofloxacin, and four were resistant to erythromycin; the latter four isolates also exhibited inducible resistance to clindamycin. CONCLUSIONS: MRSA can cause clinically overt and difficult-to-treat infections in animals in New Zealand. The rapid emergence of EMRSA-15 as the dominant MRSA strain in humans has resulted in infection spill over to animals. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Little is known about the incidence of clinically overt infections with MRSA in animals. The cases described here illustrate the complexities involved in the pharmacological management of EMRSA-15 infections, which is compounded by the universal resistance to beta-lactams, and by the strain's fluoroquinolone resistance and frequent inducible resistance to clindamycin. Such complexities indicate there is a need to develop specific empirical antimicrobial treatment strategies and antibiotic susceptibility testing protocols in countries where EMRSA-15 is dominant.