Aspergillus versicolor, a New Causative Agent of Canine Disseminated Aspergillosis

Abstract

Disseminated aspergillosis in dogs has been associated with Aspergillus terreus or A. deflectus infection. We report a case of disseminated A. versicolor infection presenting as diskospondylitis, osteomyelitis, and pyelonephritis. The diagnosis was made based on clinical, radiographic, and pathological findings. The etiologic agent was identified by fungal culture and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) ribosomal DNA (rDNA) sequencing. This is the first description of canine aspergillosis caused by A. versicolor. CASE REPORTA 31-kg, 2.5-year-old male castrated German shepherd dog was examined at the Texas A&M University Veterinary Medicine Teaching Hospital because of nonambulatory paraparesis, weight loss, and hyporexia for 3 months. At admission, the dog had a body temperature of 104.6°F, heart rate of 160 beats/min, respiratory rate of 80 breaths/min, and blood pressure of 173/99 mm Hg. Neurological examination revealed a hyperreflexive patellar reflex bilaterally. Motor function was absent in the right pelvic limb and questionable in the left. The patient had marked generalized muscle atrophy. A lateral radiograph of the cranial thorax revealed lysis and shortening of the first four sternebrae (Fig. 1A). The second and third sternebrae were most severely affected and had irregular margins with loss of their end plates. Lateral radiographs of the thoracic vertebral column showed lysis and shortening of the 9th (T9) and 10th (T10) thoracic vertebrae with loss of the end plates and spondylosis deformans ventrally (Fig. 1B). Narrowing of the intervertebral space, end plate sclerosis, and ventral spondylosis derformans were also found between the seventh and eighth thoracic vertebrae. The clinical diagnoses were diskospondylitis involving T9-T10, osteomyelitis of the sternum and left humerus, and T3-L3 myelopathy resulting in nonambulatory paraparesis. Suspected causes included disseminated aspergillosis, blastomycosis, coccidioidomycosis, bacterial infection, and neoplasia. Due to the poor prognosis, the dog was subsequently euthanized and a complete necropsy was performed.The major skeletal changes found at postmortem examination included marked bony proliferation of the cranial end of the sternum, extending from the first to the fourth sternebrae, with loss of the joint space between the second and third sternebrae ( Fig. 2A). A soft gray area of necrotizing osteomyelitis was in the center of the collapsed and fused sternebrae. In the thoracic vertebral column, there was loss of the intervertebral disk at T9-T10 with lysis of the associated vertebral end plates (Fig. 2B). The latter changes resulted in joint instability, overriding of the vertebral bodies, and spinal cord compression that was exacerbated with ventroflexion of the vertebral column. In the kidneys, there was dark red to purple mottling of the cortical region with dozens of white to tan areas throughout the cortex and medulla (Fig. 2C). The renal crests were ulcerated, and the pelvises were dilated and contained a small amount of cloudy fluid with ...

Clinical Features and Magnetic Resonance Imaging Findings in 7 Dogs with Central Nervous System Aspergillosis

“…In this cohort of cases, 6 of 7 dogs were German Shepherd dogs, five of which were young adults, consistent with previous reports . Previous investigations of German Shepherd dogs affected by Aspergillus have indicated a possible hereditary immunodeficiency .…”

“…Aspergillosis occurs most commonly in German Shepherd dogs and has the ability to spread systemically, including to the CNS . The dogs in this study were mainly young adult German Shepherds.…”

“…Aspergillus infections in dogs most commonly result in sinonasal disease, but may affect the pulmonary system or cause disseminated aspergillosis . Aspergillus fumigatus is the most common species involved in sinonasal and bronchopulmonary disease, whereas disseminated aspergillosis has been reported to be caused by A. terreus , A. deflectus or, less frequently, other species of Aspergillus . Illness because of Aspergillus has been reported in multiple species including dogs, cats, birds, horses, cattle, and humans .…”

“…Systemic aspergillosis in dogs may cause discospondylitis, osteomyelitis, lymphadenopathy, nephritis, splenitis, and meningoencephalitis . Systemic infections most commonly are reported in the German Shepherd dog, possibly because of heritable abnormalities of the humoral and cellular immune system in this breed . In a retrospective study of 30 dogs with systemic aspergillosis, the majority (57%) were euthanized within 1 week of diagnosis .…”

Case Report Associated with Aspergillosis and Hepatitis E Virus Coinfection in Himalayan Griffons

“…Both of these two species belong to Aspergillus genus. Zhang et al [ 21 ] once reported a case that Aspergillus versicolor could infect the canine and may be a new disseminated Aspergillosis. Like other members of Aspergillus species, A. versicolor is an opportunistic pathogen and is considered to be an important causative agent of Aspergillosis in the environment [ 22 ].…”