Immunohistochemical study of Pneumocystis carinii infection in pigs: evaluation of Pneumocystis pneumonia and a retrospective investigation

Infection with Pneumocystis carinii was demonstrated immunohistochemically in the lungs of pigs 15 to 75 days of age from a herd with epidemic pneumonia due to the organism. The distribution of the organism was centered on the airways, and extended progressively with age from the alveolar ducts to the alveoli. In a retrospective immunohistochemical study of 245 newborn to adult pigs which were necropsied between 1988 and 1995, P carinii infection was found in 87 pigs (35.5 per cent) aged between 17 days to seven months. In the pigs aged between one and three months the infection rate was 63.1 per cent. Pigs from herds in which suckler and weaner pigs shared the same air space were more heavily infected than those from the herds in which they were reared separately. There were no regional or seasonal variations in the level of infection, and the infection was not associated with any single disease.     

Application of fluorescent in situ hybridization for specific diagnosis of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in foals and pigs

Fluorescent in situ hybridization, immunohistochemistry, and Grocott's methenamine-silver nitrate staining were compared as diagnostic methods for Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in formalin-fixed lung tissue from foals and pigs. An oligonucleotide probe targeting 18S ribosomal RNA of P. carinii was designed for in situ hybridization, and a commercially available monoclonal antibody was used for immunohistochemistry. Samples from six foals and 10 pigs with P. carinii pneumonia, as verified by Grocott's methenamine-silver nitrate staining, were examined concurrently with samples from seven animals with pneumonia caused by other pathogens. Fluorescent in situ hybridization showed distinctive positive reactions for P. carinii in all test samples. The immunohistochemical procedure, however, only revealed P. carinii in the foals. The number of P. carinii organisms observed by fluorescent in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry far exceeded the number of organisms stained by Grocott's methenamine-silver nitrate staining. The results show that fluorescent in situ hybridization targeting ribosomal RNA can provide a specific diagnosis of P. carinii pneumonia in foals and pigs.     

猴卡氏肺孢子虫肺炎的实验研究

通过检测实验猴对卡氏肺孢子虫的易感性和致病性,使用1～4号实验猴经气管接种2.8×1O5卡氏肺孢子虫包囊,接种后,按25mg/kg体重肌注醋酸可的松;5～8号实验猴接种7.0×105包囊;9号猴为对照.结果表明:接种后27～33 d,1～4号实验猴出现体温上升,厌食,消瘦,虚弱,咳嗽和呼吸急促,其中1～2号实验猴显得极度衰弱和呼吸困难,于第29 d,31 d死亡.5～8号实验猴呈亚临床症状,接种后30 d亦即连续肌注醋酸可的松的第22 d,出现类似于1～4号实验猴的临床症状,其中5号实验猴于23 d死亡.对照猴无任何临床变化.结论用醋酸可的松处理的1～4号实验猴,接种卡氏肺孢子虫包囊后,出现典型的卡氏肺孢子虫肺炎,有显著的致病性.虽然5～8号实验猴接种大剂量卡氏肺孢子虫包囊,只呈现亚临床症状,接受醋酸可的松处理后,出现类似于1～4号实验猴的症状,说明隐性感染卡氏肺孢子虫的实验猴经免疫抑制剂处理后可激活病原体,导致严重发病.     

生猪宰后沙门氏菌的实验室检验

沙门氏菌是一种重要的人畜共患传染病的病原,是检疫过程中必须有针对性进行检验的细菌。本文选择沈阳市某屠宰场宰后的可疑生猪5头,无菌采集股内侧肌、淋巴结、肾脏,进行细菌的分离鉴定。通过培养特性、生化特性及血清学鉴定,从2头生猪中检出沙门氏菌,并对其肉品及内脏进行无害化处理。     

Nodular Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in SIV-infected macaques.

Pneumocystis carinii (PC) pneumonia is a frequent manifestation of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in humans and macaques. An unusual nodular type of PC pneumonia was observed in two simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV)-inoculated rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). These animals developed clinical signs of simian AIDS, including anorexia, weight loss, dyspnea, and collapse. Grossly, both animals had multifocal tan-white nodules 1-10 mm in diameter scattered throughout the lungs. One animal had similar nodules involving the diaphragm and thoracic wall. The lungs were characterized by severe PC pneumonia with numerous large nodules consisting of foamy material that compressed adjacent tissue. The nodules had central areas of necrosis and lysis of alveolar septa. Varying degrees of necrotizing vasculitis were observed in areas of nodular PC pneumonia. The presence of PC in intra-alveolar spaces and nodular lesions was confirmed by immunohistochemistry. No evidence of other agents, including viral inclusions, bacteria, fungi, and lung mites, was detected. The animal with the most severe nodular PC pneumonia had vascular involvement with extrapulmonary spread to the diaphragm, thoracic wall, and regional lymph nodes. This unusual type of nodular PC pneumonia has been rarely seen in human AIDS patients.     

CT findings in Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in five dogs

Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia is a rare disease in dogs. It is primarily reported in cavalier King Charles spaniels and miniature dachshunds with suspected underlying immunodeficiency. This case series reports the findings in five dogs (four cavalier King Charles spaniels and one Bedlington terrier) with confirmed P. carinii pneumonia. Thoracic (CT) revealed ground glass opacity of the pulmonary parenchyma with a diffuse or multifocal distribution. The severity of this pattern was variable. Less consistent imaging findings included parenchymal bands, bronchial dilation and signs consistent with pulmonary hypertension. Four dogs recovered well with treatment and there was resolution of CT abnormalities in all dogs with follow‐up.     

Prevalence of bovine cysticercosis in slaughtered cattle in Iran

Bovine cysticercosis is an important food safety issue and can cause economic loss. A cross sectional study on Taenia saginata cysticercosis was carried out in slaughtered cattle in Iran in order to determine the infection rate during a three-years period, from 2005 to 2007. A total of 4,534,105 cattle were examined by routine meat inspection. The results showed that 11,410 cattle (0.25 %) were infected with Cysticercus bovis; among those 1,041 carcasses (0.02%) were condemned. In such carcasses the metacestodes caused extensive damage in the vicinity of cysts in infected cattle. The rejected carcasses had an average of 410 thousands USD loss annually.     

Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia was diagnosed by postmortem examination of a one-year-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel with four-week history of dyspnea. Cytologic and histologic examination of lung tissues revealed numerous P. carinii trophozoites and cysts, and P. carinii specific DNA was detected by polymerase chain reaction. The dog showed hypogammagloblinemia and extremely low levels of serum IgG. It was considered that P. carinii pneumonia in this case was associated with an immunodeficient condition which has already been reported in Miniature Dachshunds.     

Isolation and buoyant density of Pneumocystis carinii in Percoll gradients

A new gradient material, Percoll, a collodial suspension of silica particles covered with polyvinylpyrolidon, has been used to isolate Pneumocystis carinii from infected rat and human lung tissues. The specific gravity of Pneumocystis carinii was shown to be within the range of 1.018-1.062 g/ml with most pneumocysts within 1.033-1.049 g/ml.     

Hepatitis E virus infection of slaughtered healthy pigs in Brazil

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is an emerging pathogen that can be transmitted through contaminated raw or undercooked meat derived from domestic pigs. HEV infections have been documented among pig herds, pig products and environmental samples raising concern about the spread of the virus. HEV genotypes 3 and 4 are considered zoonotic and have been linked to human cases. HEV was detected in 51 of 335 bile samples (15.2%) from healthy pigs in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Phylogenetic analysis of partial sequences from ORF1 and ORF2 regions yielded discordant results, assigning isolates to subtypes 3c and 3i, respectively, suggesting intragenotypic HEV recombination.     

Sarcoptic mite hypersensitivity and skin lesions in slaughtered pigs

The association between papular skin lesions in slaughtered pigs and hypersensitivity to Sarcoptes scabiei var suis was examined in experimental and field studies, and by the retrospective analysis of monitoring records obtained at slaughter. A causal role for S scabiei was indicated by the production of lesions in experimentally infested pigs, by increased clinical mange in herds having high lesion scores, and by a reduction in the severity of lesions after the implementation of more intensive mange control measures. The specificity of the lesions as an indicator of sarcoptic mite hypersensitivity was estimated to be 0.92 from experimental data and 0.79 from field data. Generalised lesions were rare in mange free pigs, indicating that such lesions were highly specific (1.0 from experimental data, greater than 0.98 from field data) for mange. The assessment of the severity of the lesions in samples of slaughtered pigs appears to be a useful aid to assessing the severity of sarcoptic mange in pig herds.