Results suggest that a variety of potential pathogens may be isolated from young crias with diarrhea. Many crias shed coronavirus, which may also have been affecting older camelids. Protozoa were isolated most often during wetter months, suggesting that crias born during these months may have greater exposure to protozoal pathogens.
Abstract. Cryptococcus gattii was isolated from a 1.5-year-old dog with systemic cryptococcosis in Oregon. The dog had no link to Vancouver Island or British Columbia, Canada. Samples from a nasal swab and from a granulomatous mass within the cranial cavity were pooled for culture. Colonies on Sabouraud dextrose agar were mucoid and exhibited bimorphic morphology, melanin-pigmented and unpigmented. Pigmented colonies were encapsulated budding spherical yeast, whereas unpigmented colonies were of unencapsulated ovoid budding yeast. In addition to defective melanin production, the unpigmented colony type exhibited defective mating. Genetic analysis by high-resolution multilocus sequence typing revealed that the 2 isolates are genetically identical at 8 unlinked loci tested and that the 2 isolates are both the VGIIa Vancouver Island major genotype. Findings are consistent with expansion of the Vancouver Island outbreak onto the mainland Pacific Northwest region of the United States.
We have developed a sensitive and specific method for the identification of Clostridium difficile in stool specimens based on the detection of metabolic breakdown products of the organism by gas-liquid chromatography after incubation of stool samples in a selective broth medium containing cefoxitin. Use of this approach to test samples from two different populations of patients at separate medical centers showed this method to be superior to plate cultures or cytotoxin testing alone for both populations. The combined results from the two patient populations showed that 225 of 226 confirmed isolates were identified correctly, resulting in a sensitivity of 99.6% and a specificity of 99.0%. This method eliminates the delay caused by subculturing for tests requiring a pure isolate. The culture phase amplifies even low numbers of C. difficile in fecal samples (due to low in vivo concentrations or delayed transport) and thus increases sensitivity. Other advantages include the ability to detect C. difficile in the mixed flora of the stool and the ability of most clinical laboratories to use this procedure. Given the complexities of the detection of C. difficile toxins and the increasing importance of this organism as a nosocomical agent, culture-based methods remain the preferred approach to screening and routine workup for cases of diarrhea.
ABSTRACT:Although plague is relatively rare in wild ungulates, this report describes ocular lesions associated with Yersinia pestis infection in three free-ranging mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) from Wyoming and Oregon, USA. All deer were observed antemortem and seemed to be blind. Post-mortem examination revealed gross lesions of bilateral keratoconjunctivitis and/or panophthalmitis in the first two deer, but only partial retinal detachment in the third deer. Microscopically, all deer had moderate-to-severe necrotizing and fibrinopurulent endophthalmitis and varying degrees of keratoconjunctivitis with abundant intralesional coccobacilli. The lesions in the first (D1) and third deer (D3) suggested an acute course, whereas those in the second deer (D2) were subacute to chronic. Yersinia pestis was isolated from ocular tissue swabs or ocular fluids of D1 and D2, and it was demonstrated by immunohistochemistry within ocular lesions of D1 and D3. Although plague does not seem to be a major cause of morbidity or mortality in freeranging mule deer, keratoconjunctivitis or pinkeye is relatively common in these animals and plague should be considered as a differential diagnosis in such cases, with appropriate precautions taken to protect the human and animal health.
The Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at Oregon State University received 172 aborted ovine fetuses during the 1985-1987 lambing seasons; from 120 of these, body fluids were evaluated for IgG levels. Fifty-two (43%) of the fetal fluids had immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels greater than 15 mg/dl. Forty-five (87%) of the fluids with elevated IgG levels were confirmed or presumed toxoplasma or chlamydia abortions. A mean fetal fluid IgG concentration of 111.5 +/- 78 mg/dl was found for the 26 toxoplasma abortions; for the 19 chlamydia abortions, a mean IgG concentration of 109 +/- 91 mg/dl was found. Antibody titers equal to or greater than 1:40 against Toxoplasma gondii were detected in 23 fetal fluids. Fetal fluid IgG concentration less than 15 mg/dl was found to be associated with bacterial organisms (i.e., Campylobacter sp.) as the confirmed or presumed cause of abortion. These results suggest that measurement of fetal fluid IgG concentration is a useful, supportive diagnostic test in determining the cause of ovine abortion, and should be included as a routine laboratory procedure for ovine abortion diagnosis.
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