Disseminated protothecosis with central nervous system involvement in a dog in New Zealand.

CASE HISTORY: A 1-year-old Border Terrier presented with acute onset of neurological signs and neck pain. CLINICAL FINDINGS: Severe generalised ataxia, muscle tremors and cranial nerve deficits were noted. Multifocal brain lesions were suspected based on neurological examination. Computed tomography revealed an abdominal mass and cerebellar herniation through the foramen magnum. LABORATORY AND PATHOLOGICAL FINDINGS: Cytological and histopathological analysis of the abdominal mass revealed necrotising and granulomatous lymphadenitis with intralesional algal elements most consistent with Prototheca spp.. Culture of a sample from the mesenteric lymph node confirmed the presence of Prototheca spp. which was identified as P. bovis based on sequencing of a DNA fragment amplified by PCR. Following inadequate response to symptomatic therapy and poor prognosis, the dog was subjected to euthanasia. Histopathological evaluation of the central nervous system lesions, identified granulomatous meningitis and ventriculitis with the presence of intralesional algae. DIAGNOSIS: Disseminated protothecosis with granulomatous meningitis and ventriculitis caused by Prototheca bovis (formerly P. zopfii gen. 2). CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This is the first case report of disseminated protothecosis with central nervous system involvement in a dog in New Zealand.

Choice of the treatment method of the inflammatory process in the alveolar tooth socket

Introduction: Alveolitis ­ is one of the most common complications in surgical dentistry after tooth extraction and their roots, accompanied by symptoms, the leading of which are pain in the alveoli with irradiation and partial or complete decay of the blood clot. The aim of our research is to study the clinical efficacy of antihomotoxic drugs and colloidal silver in patients with inflammatory processes in the alveolar tooth socket. Material and methods: 58 patients with inflammatory process in the alveoli after extraction of teeth or their roots (38 - female, 20 - male), aged 18-60 years, were examined with the help of clinical and microbiological, cytological study. The main group consisted of 38 patients who were prescribed complex drug therapy after diagnosis of alveolitis. 20 patients were referred to the control group where allopathic treatments were used. Resilts: The main observation group in 93% ± 0.07% of patients with serous form alveolitis already on the 2nd day disappear pain, redness, swelling of the soft tissues. Gradually, the function of the mandible and the temperature response were restored. In purulent alveolitis, the function of the jaw was restored on days 3 and 4. Patients in the control group experienced a slow course of the inflammatory process in the wound, a late decrease in local pain response, swelling and hyperemia of the wound edges. Jaw function recovery averaged 3.4 ± 0.1 days longer. Conclusions: The complex effect of drug and surgical treatment of alveolitis was studied. The combined use of colloidal silver, Traumeel® S, Polymic®, makes it possible to eliminate the inflammatory process in the alveoli faster and to reduce the period of active disease up to 2 - 3 days.

Mycobacterium microti: Not Just a Coincidental Pathogen for Cats.

Public interest in animal tuberculosis is mainly focused on prevention and eradication of bovine tuberculosis in cattle and wildlife. In cattle, immunodiagnostic tests such as the tuberculin skin test or the interferon gamma (IFN-γ) assay have been established and are commercially available. Feline tuberculosis is rather unknown, and the available diagnostic tools are limited. However, infections with Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex members need to be considered an aetiological differential diagnosis in cats with granulomatous lymphadenopathy or skin nodules and, due to the zoonotic potential, a time-efficient and accurate diagnostic approach is required. The present study describes 11 independent cases of Mycobacterium microti infection in domestic cats in Switzerland. For three cases, clinical presentation, diagnostic imaging, bacteriological results, immunodiagnostic testing, and pathological features are reported. An adapted feline IFN-γ release assay was successfully applied in two cases and appears to be a promising tool for the ante mortem diagnosis of tuberculosis in cats. Direct contact with M. microti reservoir hosts was suspected to be the origin of infection in all three cases. However, there was no evidence of M. microti infection in 346 trapped wild mice from a presumptive endemic region. Therefore, the source and modalities of infection in cats in Switzerland remain to be further elucidated.