Malassezia pachydermatis is recognized as a normal inhabitant and an opportunistic pathogen of the external ear canal and skin of dogs and cats. In especial clinical conditions, and mainly in the cases of therapeutic failure related to external otitis and dermatitis complicated by this yeast, it is recommended test susceptibility to antifungal drugs. The purpose of this work was to evaluate the susceptibility of 44 isolates of M. pachydermatis from the external ear canal and skin of dogs and cats using two different in vitro antifungal susceptibility methods: the Etest® and the broth microdilution method. Thirty-five samples were tested using the Etest®, twenty-four samples were tested using the broth microdilution method and fifteen samples were tested using both tests. The antifungal agents used were ketoconazole (KTZ), fluconazole (FLZ) and itraconazole (ITZ). In the broth microdilution method the yeast was less susceptible to ITZ while KTZ had the strongest activity. On the other hand, the Etest® showed that M. pachydermatis was more susceptible to ITZ while the less active drug was FLZ. The simultaneous evaluation using both methods identified FLZ as the antifungal drug with the highest activity (64.3%), followed by KTZ (57.1%) and ITZ (28.6%). These results showed that there is an urgent need to standardize of the values considered as parameters for growth inhibition of this yeast so a simple and efficient method can be used routinely in the laboratory practice.

A disease named locally as churrío or churrido equino (i.e., equine scours) has occurred for at least 100 years in Uruguay and southern Brazil in farms along both shores of the Merín lake. This report describes cases of churrido equino and provides serologic, pathologic, and DNA-based evidence indicating that the disease is in fact equine monocytic ehrlichiosis (Potomac horse fever). Results of an epidemiological investigation conducted on an endemic farm are also presented. Clinical signs in 12 horses were fever, depression, diarrhea, dehydration, and sometimes colic and distal hind limb edema. Postmortem findings of 3 horses were of acute enterocolitis. Inclusion bodies containing ehrlichial organisms were found in the cytoplasm of macrophages of the large colon of 1 horse. Eleven of the 12 horses were serologically positive to Ehrlichia risticii (indirect fluorescent antibody assay) and, of 3 paired samples, 2 showed seroconversion. Ehrlichia risticii DNA was identified by a nested polymerase chain reaction in peripheral blood of an affected horse. A healthy horse inoculated with peripheral blood from an affected horse developed the disease and antibodies to E. risticii. The disease had a peak incidence in March (summer) and was statistically associated with a marshy ecosystem near the Merín lake, where large numbers of Pomacea spp. (Ampullariidae) snails were found. Incidence density was almost 8 times higher in nonnative horses than in native horses. It was concluded that the previous diarrheic disease of horses known in Uruguay and southern Brazil as churrido equino is equine monocytic ehrlichiosis.

Thiabendazole, classified as antiparasitic and also used as an antifungal drug, can be found as otological solution indicated for treatment of parasitic and fungal external otitis in small animals. Malassezia pachydermatis is a yeast recognized as a normal inhabitant on the skin and mucous membranes of dogs and cats. However, it is considered an opportunistic agent that causes external otitis and dermatitis in these animals. The aim of this study was to evaluate the in vitro effect of thiabendazole against 51 isolates of M. pachydermatis using the CLSI Broth Microdilution method that has been adapted for this yeast species (NCCLS, 2002). Based on this test, the Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations (MIC) of thiabendazol was calculated. Subsequently, the susceptibility of each isolate against this antifungal was determined. It was observed that the MIC of thiabendazole against M. pachydermatis ranged from 0.03 to > 4 µg/mL. A total of 13.7% of the isolates were found to be resistant, 47.1% were intermediate and 39.2% were sensitive to the drug. The rate of resistance of the yeasts against thiabendazole was similar to the results previously obtained with other antifungals, while the adapted broth microdilution technique used in this study proved to be efficient.

Brief communications 341 gone REA pattern alterations following only 1 passage through the host species.11 Some of the atypical WT-PRV identified in this study may have arisen in a similar manner. The similarities between the REA pattern of No. 89 and those of Nos. 90-92 suggests a possible iatrogenic V-PRV origin for these viruses. There is 1 report from Germany of a bovine origin PRV isolate with a pattern of split MAb reactivity similar to that found with isolate No. 95. 8 In that study, the molecular basis of the unusual MAb reactivity was associated with a truncated form of gI. 8 The simple phenotypic screening system described here will help identify those unusual isolates requiring further study to determine their possible origins and veterinary diagnostic significance.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the in vitro activity of the essential oil extracted from Origanum vulgare against sixteen Candida species isolates. Standard strains tested comprised C. albicans (ATCC strains 44858, 4053, 18804 and 3691), C. parapsilosis (ATCC 22019), C. krusei (ATCC 34135), C. lusitaniae (ATCC 34449) and C. dubliniensis (ATCC MY646). Six Candida albicans isolates from the vaginal mucous membrane of female dogs, one isolate from the cutaneous tegument of a dog and one isolate of a capuchin monkey were tested in parallel. A broth microdilution technique (CLSI) was used, and the inoculum concentration was adjusted to 5 x 10 6 CFU mL -1 . The essential oil was obtained by hydrodistillation in a Clevenger apparatus and analyzed by gas chromatography.

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RESUMO O estudo objetiva determinar a atividade in vitro da terbinafina e itraconazol através da técnica de microdiluição em caldo (NCCLSM27-A2) adaptado para um fungo dimórfico frente a 12 isolados deA esporotricose, micose subcutânea de evolução subaguda a crônica, causada pelo fungo dimórfico Sporothrix schenckii acomete o homem e várias espécies de animais. O felino doméstico representa importante papel na transmissão do agente a outros animais e para o homem, sendo que os relatos zoonóticos envolvendo essa espécie animal demonstra que o homem adquire a micose através de arranhadura, mordedura ou pela contaminação por solução de continuidade cutânea preexistente.A transmissão é facilitada devido a grande quantidade de células leveduriformes presentes nas lesões cutâneas dos felinos com esporotricose 1 2 22 . O tratamento da esporotricose é realizado, freqüentemente, com itraconazol, sendo este considerado atualmente o fármaco de eleição para as formas cutâneas e linfocutâneas da micose em humanos 9 . Porém, devido ao seu uso indiscriminado, têm sido freqüentes os relatos de isolados resistentes ao fármaco, levando

Atividade in vitro do óleo essencial de Origanum vulgare frente à Sporothrix Schenckii [In vitro 3 , e caracterizado em função do conteúdo de compostos fenólicos, timol e/ou carvacrol. Para isso, foi preparada uma solução do óleo a 5000mg/l em hexano e soluções de 40mg/l dos padrões: α-pineno, canfeno, β-pineno, mirceno, α-terpinemo, p-cimeno, limoneno, 1,8-cineol, γ-terpineno, terpinoleno, linalol, 4-terpineol, α-terpineol, timol, carvacrol, das quais foram injetadas 1µl. Os constituintes foram identificados por comparação entre o tempo de retenção desses padrões e das amostras.