This study investigated the frequency of infection by Anaplasma platys and Ehrlichia canis in dogs submitted to animal health centers in Campo Grande, state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. E. canis and A. platys showed infection frequencies of 55.75% and 16.96%, respectively. The identity of the two species was confirmed by DNA sequencing.

Trypanosomiasis caused by Trypanosoma evansi can seriously affect both domestic and wild animals. This article reports on an outbreak of canine trypanosomiasis on a farm in the Pantanal region of Brazil. The farm had 38 dogs, 20 of which died before receiving veterinary care. The remaining 18 dogs were underwent anamnesisn, clinical examination, hematological and biochemical evaluations. Blood smears and PCR analysis were performed for the diagnosis. The treatment protocols used according to the clinical recovery or parasitological cure of the dogs, using diminazene diaceturate, isometamidium chloride or quinapyramine sulfate. Post-treatment parasitological evaluation was performed by the microhematocrit technique. 7/18 dogs were PCR positive for T. evansi (confirmed by sequencing). There was clinical findings, which were consistent with both the acute and chronic stages of the disease in dogs. The infected dogs all exhibited at least one clinical sign of the disease. The hematological findings were compatible with trypanosomiasis, highlighting the hypochromic microcytic anemia as the main outcome. No treatment protocol was fully effective and the prolonged use of diminazene diaceturate caused the death of an animal. The trypanosomiasis can cause high rates of morbidity and mortality in dogs and difficulty in establishment an effective and safe therapeutic protocol.

Hemotropic mycoplasmas in dogs, such as Mycoplasma haemocanis, have been described worldwide. Recently, these pathogens have been reported to be causative agent of zoonosis. It is known that its transmission may occur through the action of blood-sucking arthropods (e.g. ticks or fleas), through blood transfusion, contaminated fomites and/or transplacentally. In Brazil, M. haemocanis is present in practically all regions and the tick Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato is suspected the main vector. In the municipality of Campo Grande, state of Mato Grosso do Sul, there is little information about infection of dogs by M. haemocanis, or on the main epidemiological features associated with it. Thus, the aim of the present study was to determine the occurrence of M. haemocanis among dogs infested by ticks and to assess possible associations with some epidemiological factors. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and DNA sequencing were used to analyze dog blood samples (n = 94). DNA from M. haemocanis was detected in four samples. No significant associations were observed with any epidemiological parameter analyzed here. However, the results from this study confirm that this pathogen is circulating in this region and should be considered in the differential diagnosis of diseases among anemic dogs.

No abstract

The aim of the present study was to detect Cercopithifilaria bainae and other tick-borne pathogens and to perform molecular characterization of the tick Rhipicephalus sanguineus s.l. collected from dogs. Ticks (n = 432, including 8 larvae, 59 nymphs, and 365 adults) were sampled from domiciled dogs (n = 73) living in Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul (Midwest Brazil). All ticks were morphologically identified as R. sanguineus. Genomic DNA was extracted in pools (three to five ticks per animal) and was used for definition of R. sanguineus haplotypes (based on 16S rRNA analysis) and pathogen identification (Cercopithifilaria sp., Ehrlichia canis, Anaplasma platys, Hepatozoon canis, Babesia vogeli and Rickettsia spp.). Rhipicephal us sanguineus specimens were identified as haplotypes A and B. DNA of Cercopithifilaria bainae (43.83%; 32/73), Ehrlichia canis (24.65%; 18/73), Anaplasma platys (19.17%; 14/73), and Hepatozoon canis (5.47%; 4/73) was detected. The identity of pathogens was confirmed by DNA sequence analysis. The present study confirms the presence of haplotypes A and B of R. sanguineus in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul and its importance as a vector of several pathogens of veterinary concern. Finally, this is the first report to identify C. bainae in ticks in the Midwestern region of Brazil.

Fatal infections with Cytauxzoon felis are common in domestic cats, and jaguars ( Panthera onca ) are believed carriers of this protozoan. Fatal C. felis infections have never been described in jaguars before. Thus, this study describes such an infection in a 5-month-old captive-reared jaguar that presented hyporexia and died at 26 days after the first clinical signs. During necropsy, samples were taken from several tissues, some were fixed in 10% formalin and process for histopathological diagnosis, and some samples were used for DNA extraction, amplification via PCR and sequencing of the potential pathogens. Grossly, marked splenomegaly and icterus were observed. Histologically, numerous structures that are morphologically compatible with Cytauxzoon spp. schizonts obliterated multiple blood vessels in the brain, leptomeninges, spinal cord, lungs, heart, skeletal muscle, adrenal gland, kidneys, spleen, small intestine and pancreas. C. felis was identified by PCR in many organs. Thus, C. felis infection in jaguars can be fatal, and the clinicopathological findings are similar to those of cytauxzoonosis in other wild and domestic felid species.

Cercopithifilaria bainae is a nematode belonging to the family Onchocercidae that parasitizes the subcutaneous tissue of dogs. Its transmission occurs through the tick Rhipicephalus sanguineus and its geographical distribution overlaps that of this vector. The present study reports the detection of microfilaremia by C. bainae in an eight-year-old male dog that presented anorexia, hyperthermia, motor incoordination, mydriasis, a nodule in the left testicle and concomitant infection by Ehrlichia sp. Blood samples were analyzed using microscopy, PCR and DNA sequencing. Microfilariae measuring 150±5.5μm in length and 7±1.8μm in width were retrieved. The DNA sequence exhibited 98% identity with C. bainae sequences available in Genbank. This is the first report of microfilaremia by C. bainae in a dog in the central western region of Brazil.

Chromobacterium violaceum is a rare opportunistic pathogen that causes highly fatal infections in domestic animals and humans. This report describes a fatal case suggestive of septicemia in a four-dayold female calf with chromobacteriosis. The calf had suppurative omphalophlebitis, suppurative fibrinous polyarthritis, anterior uveitis with bilateral fibrin deposition, fibrinous peritonitis, lymph node abscess and multifocal lymphocytic and neutrophilic encephalitis with multifocal hemorrhages. C. violaceum was isolated from the spleen and peri-renal lymph node and its identity was confirmed by PCR and sequencing. The pathogen was sensitive to azithromycin, gentamicin, enrofloxacin, norfloxacin, marbofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, erythromycin, sulphazotrim, fluorfenicol, tetracycline and doxycycline as well as resistant to penicillin, ampicillin, vancomycin, amoxicillin, amoxicillin + clavulanic acid, cephalothin, cephalexin, oxacillin, B polymyxin, neomycin and bacitracin. This is the first report of chromobacteriosis in a calf from Brazil. RESUMOChromobacterium violaceum é um patógeno oportunista raro, que causa infecção fatal em animais domésticos e em humanos. Este relato descreve um caso fatal suspeito de septicemia em um bezerro de quatro dias, fêmea, infectado por C. violaceum. O bezerro apresentava onfaloflebite supurativa, poliartrite supurativa fibrinosa, uveíte anterior com deposição bilateral de fibrina, peritonite fibrinosa, abscesso de linfonodos e encefalite multifocal linfocítica e neutrofílica com áreas hemorrágicas multifocais. C. violaceum foi isolado no baço e no linfonodo, e sua identidade foi confirmada por PCR e sequenciamento. O patógeno foi sensível aos antibióticos azitromicina, gentamicina, enrofloxacina, norfloxacina, marbofloxacina, ciprofloxacina, eritromicina, sulfazotrim, florfenicol, tetraciclina, doxiciclina e foi resistente à penicilina, ampicilina, vancomicina, amoxicilina, amoxicilina + ácido clavulânico, cefalotina, cefalexina, oxacilina, polimixina B, neomicina e bacitracina. Este é o primeiro relato de cromobacteriose em bezerro no Brasil. Palavras-chave: C. violaceum, bovino, Brasil