The results showed that caspofungin has limited fungistatic activity against P. insidiosum. This work is the first study to analyse the susceptibility of this oomycete to inhibitors of beta-glucans of the cellular wall.

We evaluated the in vitro activities of voriconazole, itraconazole, and terbinafine against 30 clinical isolates of Pythium insidiosum using a checkerboard macrodilution method. The combined activity of terbinafine plus itraconazole or plus voriconazole was synergic against 17% of the strains. Antagonism was not observed.Pythium insidiosum is classified in the kingdom Stramenopila, class Oomycetes (3). It causes pythiosis, a disease mainly diagnosed in horses, dogs, and humans (14). Human pythiosis was first documented in 1985 (3). Since then, several cases have been reported, with high rates of morbidity and mortality (12). It is found mostly in Thailand, and two factors contribute to importance of pythiosis in that country: the prevalence of ␤-thalassemia and the presence of large flooded areas used for agriculture (18). Combinations of antifungal agents have been poorly studied in medical mycology, and their activities against P. insidiosum are almost unknown (17).The aim of the present study was to investigate the in vitro activity of terbinafine (TRB) combined with itraconazole (ITC) and of TRB combined with voriconazole (VRC) against 30 isolates of Pythium insidiosum from animal pythiosis by using a macrodilution methodology based on the M38-A technique (10).This study included 28 Brazilian P. insidiosum strains obtained from animal pythiosis (horses, dogs, and sheep) and two standard strains (ATCC 58637 and CBS 101555). The identities of the isolates were confirmed by a PCR-based assay (13). The inocula consisted of P. insidiosum zoospores obtained as previously described (11). These were counted in a hemacytometer and diluted in RPMI 1640 broth containing L-glutamine and buffered to pH 7.0 with 0.165 M morpholinepropanesulfonic acid, yielding a final concentration of 2 ϫ 10 3 to 3 ϫ 10 3 zoospores/ml. Candida parapsilosis (ATCC 22019) and Aspergillus flavus (ATCC 204304) were used as quality control organisms (10).The antifungal agents tested were TRB (Novartis) at 1 to 64 mg/liter, ITC (Sigma Pharma) at 0.125 to 32 mg/liter, and VRC (Pfizer) at 0.125 to 32 mg/liter. The interactions of the combinations (TRB-ITC and TRB-VRC) were evaluated by using the checkerboard technique according to the broth macrodilution design (2). The range of drug concentrations for use in the checkerboard assay was the same used in individual tests. Aliquots (50 l) containing different concentrations of each antifungal agent (seven of TRB and nine of triazole agents) were placed in tubes to provide 63 drug combinations; 0.9 ml of inoculum was added to each tube. The interactions were interpreted as synergistic (fractional inhibitory concentration index [FICI] Յ 0.5), indifferent (0.5 Ͻ FICI Յ 4), or antagonistic (FICI Ͼ 4) based on the respective FICI (5), using the following formula: FICI ϭ (MIC A in combination/MIC A) ϩ (MIC B in combination/MIC B). Off-scale MICs were converted to the next higher dilution for calculation purposes.MIC-1 and MIC-0 were used as the reading criteria for TRB and were determined as the lowest dru...

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Two outbreaks of a neurological disease affecting herds of dairy cattle that were fed moldy beer residues contaminated with Aspergillus clavatus in the county of Viamão, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, are described. The morbidity of both outbreaks was 30% and the lethality 50% and 100%. The clinical course varied from 5 to 64 days. Only one of the animals that recovered from the disease remained with slight locomotor sequels. Clinical signs were predominantly locomotor and included muscle tremors of varied intensity, hyperesthesia and progressive posterior ataxia, paresis and paralysis with knuckling of fetlocks of the hind limbs. Gait abnormalities were more pronounced after exercises which in general led to falling down. There was also reduced milk production, but appetite and water intake were maintained until close to death or euthanasia. From five cattle necropsied, two showed macroscopic lesions characterized by necrotic changes and mineralization in pelvic muscles and thoracic limbs. The main histological findings consisted of chromatolytic neuronal degeneration and necrosis in selected nuclei of the brain stem, the ventral horn of the spinal cord, and of the trigeminal, stellate celiac and spinal ganglions. In two cattle there was wallerian degeneration in dorsal funiculi of the spinal cord and ischiadic and fibular nerves. The diagnosis was based on epidemiological data, clinical signs, necropsy findings, histological lesions and mycological examination. Epidemiologic, clinical and pathologic aspects, pathogenetic mechanisms and differential diagnoses are discussed.

RESUMO

Sporotrichosis is a disease caused by thermally dimorphic fungi belonging to the Sporothrix schenckii complex. We report the occurrence of multiple cases of sporotrichosis in cats in Porto Alegre (RS), Brazil, from 2015 to 2019. A set of 21 fungal isolates were collected and the partial sequence of calmodulin (CAL) gene compared. All isolates were identified at phenotypic and molecular level as S. brasiliensis. Phylogenetic analysis showed the isolates clustered in two distinct groups, suggesting the presence of multiple genetic variants of S. brasiliensis in the region.

RESUMO: A colibacilose é a principal causa infecciosa de condenação total de carcaça em frangos de corte no sul do Brasil. Esse trabalho tem por objetivo determinar o grau de concordância entre a condenação total por colibacilose de frangos de corte abatidos em estabelecimento sob Serviço de Inspeção Federal (SIF) com o diagnóstico anatomopatológico e bacteriológico. O estudo foi realizado com 45 frangos de corte condenados totalmente por colibacilose (caso) e seus respectivos 45 controles (frangos sem lesões). Em todos os frangos condenados pelo SIF havia lesões macroscópicas e, nos controles não se observou. Através do teste Kappa-Cohen´s essas duas variáveis apresentaram concordância quase perfeita. As aves condenadas apresentaram lesões em fígado (27/45); em fígado e sacos aéreos (11/45); em fígado e coração (2/45); fígado, sacos aéreos e coração (2/45); fígado, sacos aéreos e oviduto (1/45); fígado, sacos aéreos, coração e tecido subcutâneo (1/45); e fígado, sacos aéreos, oviduto e baço (1/45). Observou-se concordância quase perfeita entre condenação e lesão hepática. Histologicamente, em 41 casos e 12 controles observaram-se lesões, sendo os mais frequentes hepatite necrosante aleatória, bronquite fibrino-heterofílica, pericardite aguda e traqueíte linfoplasmocitária. Nas aves com hepatite identificou-se E. coli, Enterococcus sp. e Streptococcus sp. (10/38) e, nas aves com bronquite ou broncopneumonia isolou-se Escherichia coli e Staphylococcus coagulase positiva (9/14). O PCR em tempo real e a imuno-histoquímica para Mycoplasma gallisepticum e M. synoviae foram negativos. Nos casos de condenação total por colibacilose o fígado foi o principal órgão acometido, portanto, o critério de condenação deveria ser revisto, sugerindo condenação por hepatite nesses casos, já que outras bactérias podem causar hepatite, como foi demonstrado nesse estudo.

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