Toxoplasma gondii-associated cholecystitis in a cat receiving immunosuppressive treatment.

A 9-year-old female neutered domestic shorthair cat diagnosed with immune-mediated thrombocytopenia that was treated with prednisolone and cyclosporine, was presented for anorexia, vomiting, increased liver enzymes, and hyperbilirubinemia. Abdominal ultrasound revealed a markedly thickened gallbladder and common bile duct wall. Bile cytology detected severe neutrophilic inflammation and protozoal zoites. Suspected Toxoplasma gondii infection was confirmed by real-time PCR of bile. The cat was treated with clindamycin and ursodeoxycholic acid for 6 weeks, recovered and remained stable for 2 years despite ongoing immunosuppressive treatment. Thereafter, the cat was presented with suspicion of intestinal lymphoma, and recurrence of toxoplasmosis was diagnosed. Following treatment with clindamycin and prednisolone over 4 weeks the cat was euthanized. This is the first report of Toxoplasma gondii zoites detected in bile fluid from a cat with cholecystitis. Pathogenesis of toxoplasmosis in cats is still not fully understood. Although immunosuppression can represent a relevant predisposing factor, other factors, such as virulence of the parasite and genetic polymorphism of the host, can also play an important role. Toxoplasmosis should be included as a differential diagnosis in cats developing clinical signs of an inflammatory disease while receiving immunosuppressive treatment.

Antimicrobial resistance patterns of Enterobacteriaceae in European wild bird species admitted in a wildlife rescue centre.

Wild birds have been considered to be reservoirs of enteric human pathogens and vectors of resistance dissemination to the environment. During annual migration, they potentially play a role in the epidemiology of human associated zoonoses. The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency of isolation and antimicrobial susceptibility profiles of Enterobacteriaceae members isolated from cloacal swabs of common European wild birds. Fifty-five cloacal swabs were taken during birds' entrance evaluation in a rescue centre for injured wild birds in the Province of Messina (Sicily, Italy). All samples were examined for the presence of members of the family Enterobacteriaceae using standard methods and on the isolated strains antibiotic susceptibility testing was performed. Eighty three Enterobacteriaceae strains were isolated from raptors, waterbirds and passerines. The bacterial species isolated were: Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis, Proteus vulgaris, Citrobacter freundii, Enterobacter cloacae, Klebsiella oxytoca, Salmonella Typhimurium, Escherichia vulneris, Enterobacter amnigenus biogroup 2, Salmonella Duesseldorf and Hafnia alvei. The isolates showed significant frequencies of antibiotic resistance. Multiresistance to three or more groups of antibiotics also occurred. None of them have shown a phenotypic Extended Spectrum Beta Lactamase (ESBL) profile.