RESUMO
This case report presents findings in three German Shepherd placed outdoor, dead after a night of thunderstorm.
Assuntos
Lesões Provocadas por Raio , Animais , Cães , Lesões Provocadas por Raio/veterinária , Masculino , FemininoRESUMO
Estimation of age represents a central focus in the veterinary forensic pathology field. Currently, the visual examination of the dentition and the skeletal age are the main methods to estimate the age of puppies. Nevertheless, these methods are affected by a broad range of variables. In contrast, the kidney is characterized by a specific postnatal development. In human glomerulogenesis, fetal mesangial cells change their immunohistochemical phenotypes with maturation. Therefore, we hypothesized that histological and immunohistochemical examinations of the kidney can be used together as an indirect parameter for age determination in puppies' cadavers. Forty-five puppies' cadavers were divided into five groups defined by age (Group A= 0-15 days, Group B = 16-45 days, Group C = 46-85 days, Group D = 86-105 days, Group E= 105-365 days). For each case, kidney samples were collected and processed for histopathological (for morphometrical study of the glomerulus) and immunohistochemical (for the immunolocalization of the α-SMA protein) studies. Morphometrical study allowed us to observe statistical differences in the mean glomerulus numbers per field among assessed groups. Similarly, immunohistochemical examination showed differences in SMA expression among groups. Our findings suggest a potential use of kidney morphometrical and immunohistochemical examinations together as an indirect parameter to assess the age of illegally imported puppies.
RESUMO
A case of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection is described in a dead adult male dog in Southern Italy. The carcass was found by the Health Authority in a gypsy encampment. It was admitted to our forensic veterinary medicine unit, with a suspicion of cruelty to the animal. Necropsy showed beating and traumatism signs, and mistreating was confirmed. Gross lesions included multiple nodular hepatic lesions, hemorrhagic enteritis with enlarged mesenteric lymph nodes, body cavity effusions, and an adrenal neoplasm. Bacteriological and molecular analyses were carried out on the liver lesions that enabled to identify M. tuberculosis SIT42 (LAM9). Drug-resistance patterns were evaluated by screening mutations on the rpoB and katG genes that showed susceptibility to both rifampin and isoniazid, respectively. Very few studies report canine tuberculosis, and little is known about the disease in Italy. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of Mycobacterium tuberculosis SIT42 infection in a dog in Italy.
RESUMO
A case of Mycobacterium bovis infection is described in a death adult female wild boar in the province of Avellino, Campania Region (Southern Italy). The carcass was sent to the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno (IZSM) of Portici, Naples, Italy, where postmortem examination was performed. At necropsy, a disseminated granulomatous infection was observed, with involvement of various lymph node districts, spleen and lungs. Therefore, all lymph nodes were collected, together with spleen and lung lesions, in order to carry out bacteriological and molecular analyses that confirmed an uncommon disseminated Mycobacterium bovis infection. Subsequently, an analysis of the spoligotype, performed by the National Reference Center of Mycobacterium bovis in Brescia (Northern Italy), resulted in the spoligotype SB0134, previously identified in bovine outbreaks in the same area where the wild boar was found.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND: In December 2019 an outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 was first observed in Wuhan, China. The virus has spread rapidly throughout the world creating a pandemic scenario. Several risk factors have been identified, such as age, sex, concomitant diseases as well as viral load. A key point is the role of asymptomatic people in spreading SARS-CoV-2. An observational study in Southern Italy was conducted in order to elucidate the possible role of asymptomatic individuals related to their viral loads in the transmission of the virus within two nursing facilities. METHODS: Oro-nasopharyngeal swabs from 179 nursing health care workers and patients were collected. SARS-CoV-2 RT-qPCR was performed and viral loads were calculated by using standard curve. A statistical correlation between viral loads, the presence/absence of symptoms, age and sex variables was investigated. RESULTS: SARS-CoV-2 was confirmed in the 50.8 % (n = 91) of the cases. Median age of positive individuals resulted higher than negative ones. Over 65 year as well as female individuals showed higher susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection, OR = 3.93 and 2.86, respectively. Among 91 tested positive, the 70.3 % was symptomatic while the 29.7 % was asymptomatic. Median viral loads of asymptomatic individuals were found statistically significant higher than symptomatic ones (p = 0.001), while no influence was observed in age and sex variables. The presence of comorbidities was 8.9 folds higher in patients who showed and developed symptoms compared to non-symptomatic ones. Moreover, higher viral loads were found in patients who remained asymptomatic than pre-symptomatic (p = 0.022). CONCLUSIONS: A range from 9.2 to 69 % of confirmed SARS-CoV-2 cases remains asymptomatic, moreover, sporadic transmissions from asymptomatic people are reported, that makes their involvement an important issue to take into account in the spreading control of the virus. An asymptomatic clinical course was observed in the 29.7 % of positive individuals, moreover, median viral loads resulted to be statistically significant when compared to symptomatic ones. Surely, such a relevant frequency should not be ignored in relation to the spread of the disease in an environment which has not only important intrinsic (age, sex, concomitant diseases) but also extrinsic factors such as high population density and close contacts.