Presumptive Nocardia spp. infection in a dog treated with cyclosporin and ketoconazole

Abstract

CASE HISTORY: A dog that had received 8 months of cyclosporin and ketoconazole therapy for treatment of atopic dermatitis subsequently developed severe neurological disease, that failed to respond to treatment with trimethoprim-sulphadiazine and clindamycin.

HISTOPATHOLOGICAL FINDINGS: Histopathological examination of the pulmonary parenchyma and spinal cord revealed loose aggregates of Gram-positive, partially acid-fast, fine, beaded, filamentous bacteria, most consistent with Nocardia spp.

DIAGNOSIS: A presumptive diagnosis was made of disseminated nocardiosis of the spinal cord and lungs.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Nocardia spp. is an opportunistic actinomycete that may cause disseminated disease, particularly in immunocompromised animals. Cyclosporin is used in veterinary medicine to control immune-mediated and allergic disorders, with few reported adverse side effects. This case gives further evidence that involvement of the spinal cord in nocardiosis of the central nervous system (CNS) carries a poor prognosis, and opportunistic infection by Nocardia spp. may be a potential complication of immunosuppressive cyclosporin therapy in the dog.     

Effects of intensification of pastoral farming on greenhouse gas emissions in New Zealand

Abstract

AIMS: The aims of this cross-sectional study were to investigate the herd and cow-level prevalence of bovine digital dermatitis (BDD) in dairy farms in the northern Taranaki region of New Zealand, and to identify whether there was any spatial clustering of herds with the disease.

METHODS: A survey of 224 dairy farms in the northern Taranaki region of New Zealand was undertaken from September 2014 to February 2015. Following training in robust criteria to confirm BDD visually, a technician inspected the rear feet of every milking cow on the farms during milking. The identity of cows with lesions and the feet involved were recorded. The proportion of cows affected among the inspected population (cow-level prevalence), the proportion of a herd affected (farm-level prevalence), and proportion of farms with ≥1 cow with lesions, were calculated. A bivariate K function analysis was then used to assess whether farms with ≥1 cow with lesions were clustered, after accounting for the distribution of the farms involved in the study.

RESULTS: Bovine digital dermatitis lesions were observed on 143/224 (63.8 (95% CI=57.5–70.1)%) farms. Within-farm prevalence was 0% on 81 (36.2%) farms, between >0 and <3% on 120 (53.5%) farms, with a maximum prevalence of 12.7% on one farm. Overall, cow-level prevalence was 707/60,455 (1.2 (95% CI=0.9–3.0)%), and on affected farms was 707/41,116 (1.7 (95% CI=1.4–2.1)%). In affected cows, 268/707 (37.9%) had a lesion on left foot only, 262/707 (37.1%) on the right foot only and 177/707 (25.0%) on both feet. The K function analysis showed no evidence of clustering of farms with BDD.

CONCLUSIONS: Bovine digital dermatitis was widespread among the survey farms, but there was no evidence that there was any clustering of herds with BDD. The cow-level prevalence on affected farms was much lower than reported elsewhere.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Although the prevalence at the cow level was low, if these data are representative of other regions of New Zealand, BDD could easily become a major problem on dairy farms in New Zealand, as has been observed in other countries.     

Concentrations of interleukin-6, -8, -10 and tumour necrosis factor-α in the faeces of dogs with acute diarrhoea

Aim: To compare the concentration of faecal cytokines interleukin (IL)-6, -8, -10, and tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α in dogs with acute diarrhoea with clinically normal (non-diarrhoeic) dogs.

Methods: A total of 14 dogs presenting with acute diarrhoea, and 25 dogs with no history of gastrointestinal signs in the 2 months prior to enrolment, were recruited from two veterinary hospitals in Melbourne, Australia. Concentrations of IL-6, -8, -10, and TNF-α were measured in faecal samples using canine-specific ELISA.

Results: The diarrhoeic dogs were diagnosed with or managed for acute gastroenteritis (n?=?6), extra-intestinal neoplasia (n?=?2), parvoviral enteritis (n?=?1), hepatopathy (n?=?1), acute pancreatitis (n?=?1), hypoadrenocorticism (n?=?1), gastric dilatation volvulus (n?=?1) and myelopathy (n?=?1). IL-6 was detectable in the faeces of 10/14 (71%) diarrhoeic and 7/25 (28%) non-diarrhoeic dogs, and median concentrations were 10.8 (min 0.0, max?54.0) and 2.0 (min 0.0, max15.0) pg/mL, respectively (p?=?0.01). IL-8 was detectable in the faeces of all diarrhoeic and 11 non-diarrhoeic dogs, and median concentrations were 149.7 (min 3.72, max?730.1) and 3.4 (min 0.0, max?22.5)?pg/mL, respectively (p?<?0.001). TNF-α was detected in the faeces of two of the diarrhoeic dogs (3.4 and 15.6?pg/mL) and none of the non-diarrhoeic dogs. IL-10 was not detected in the faeces of any dog.

Conclusions: Faecal concentrations of IL-6 and -8 were higher in diarrhoeic compared to non-diarrhoeic dogs, and are therefore potential candidates for non-invasive biomarkers to assess the severity and resolution of acute intestinal disease in dogs. However their correlation with disease progression and severity needs to be further investigated before their full clinical application can be determined.