Clinical features and epidemiology of cryptococcosis in cats and dogs in California: 93 cases (1988–2010)

Abstract

Strains of Cryptococcus spp appeared to have host specificity in dogs and cats. Differences in lesion distribution between geographic locations may reflect strain differences or referral bias. Antigen assays alone may not be sufficient for diagnosis of cryptococcosis in cats and dogs.

Unusual Galactofuranose Modification of a Capsule Polysaccharide in the Pathogenic Yeast Cryptococcus neoformans

“…Finally, it is possible that Galf plays a role under conditions not included in our analysis. C. neoformans is an extremely adaptable environmental yeast that can withstand a variety of harsh conditions (63)(64)(65) and is capable of living in close association with numerous organisms, including plants (66,67), birds (68,69), predatory amoebae (70), and mammals (71,72), notably humans (73,74). The cryptococcal capsule in particular is a dynamic structure whose morphology and architecture change with growth conditions (75)(76)(77) and the local environment (52,55).…”

Antifungal Drug Susceptibility and Phylogenetic Diversity among Cryptococcus Isolates from Dogs and Cats in North America

“…Geographic locations within California were divided into north coastal (cities west of Fairfield and north of Big Sur; climate zones 1, 2, 3, and 4), north central (cities east of Fairfield and north of Merced; climate zones 11 and 12), central (cities in the central valley that are south of Merced and north of Cahente; climate zone 13), and south coastal (cities west of Palm Springs and south of Big Sur; climate zones 8 to 10). Sites of organ or tissue involvement were categorized as nasal (within the nasal cavity or a mass protruding from the nasal cavity), cutaneous (dermal nodules, including those originating on the bridge of the nose or eyelid; other superficial dermal masses; and draining wounds of the lips), CNS (central nervous system) (involving brain, spinal cord, or meninges), eyes (including conjunctiva), lungs (including pleura or parenchyma), lymph nodes, urinary tract (kidneys and urine), or other tissues, as described previously (6). Disease was described as local or disseminated (Ͼ1 organ system involved), although the possibility of disseminated disease could not be ruled out in animals with local lesions that did not subsequently have a full necropsy performed.…”

“…Cryptococcosis typically occurs in cats with no obvious underlying immunodeficiency, and infections are not associated with concurrent retroviral infection or other immunocompromised states (4,5). Among dogs, purebred animals are most commonly affected, and an increased risk for breeds such as American cocker spaniels suggests an underlying genetic immunodeficiency (6). In general, cryptococcosis in humans is treated with a combination of amphotericin B and flucytosine (5FC), but high-dose (1,200 mg/day) fluconazole monotherapy is often used in resource-poor health care settings, such as among humans with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa (7).…”

“…Of those VGIIa, VGIIb, and VGIIc have been implicated in disease in immunocompetent humans, cats, dogs, and other animal species in British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest of the United States (3,(13)(14)(15)). An epidemiological study of dogs and cats with cryptococcosis in California showed that cats were most often infected with C. gattii molecular type VGIII, whereas dogs were more likely to be infected with C. neoformans, possibly reflecting host differences in susceptibility (6). Infections with strains of molecular type VGIII in dogs have not yet been described, but C. gattii molecular type VGIII has emerged as a cause of disease in immunocompromised humans in southern California (16), and molecular type VGIII was the predominant C. gattii molecular type identified in humans from California in another recent report.…”

Clinical Signs, Imaging Features, Neuropathology, and Outcome in Cats and Dogs with Central Nervous System Cryptococcosis from California

“…In dogs and cats, the nasal cavity is thought to be the initial site of infection, although the lung and the gastrointestinal tract also have been suggested as portals of entry. [1][2][3] Other commonly reported sites of involvement include the skin, lymph nodes, central nervous system (CNS), and eyes. [1][2][3][4] Although the reported incidence of cryptococcosis is lower in dogs than in cats, CNS involvement may be more common in dogs 1 in addition to widespread dissemination to other parenchymal organs.…”