Cutaneous toxoplasmosis in two dogs

Abstract

Abstract. Cutaneous toxoplasmosis has been previously reported in human beings, rarely reported in cats, and reported in 1 dog with systemic toxoplasmosis. The present report describes 2 cases of cutaneous toxoplasmosis in 2 dogs treated with immunosuppressive therapy. One of the dogs developed generalized cutaneous pustules and pruritus, and the other dog only had a single subcutaneous nodule. Microscopically, skin biopsies showed moderate to severe pyogranulomatous and necrotizing dermatitis and panniculitis, with multifocal vasculitis and vascular thrombosis. Single or aggregates of protozoal tachyzoites were mostly intracytoplasmic and occasionally extracellular. The etiology was confirmed in both cases by immunohistochemistry and by polymerase chain reaction assays, which were followed by nucleic acid sequencing. Both patients were treated with clindamycin. The dog with generalized lesions developed pulmonary and neurological signs and was euthanized. The dog with a single nodule recovered completely with no remission of cutaneous lesions.

Placental thrombosis in acute phase abortions during experimental Toxoplasma gondii infection in sheep

“…Such infiltration was absent in all the studied cases of acute phase abortions, so the pathogenesis of the thrombosis is thought to be triggered by mechanisms other than the inflammation of the vascular wall. T. gondii tachyzoites can replicate in a broad range of cell types such as endothelial cell [3], and thrombosis due to the direct damage of endothelial cells provoked by tachyzoite replication in these cells has been described in immunosupressed patients suffering human acquired immunodefiency syndrome [26,27] or elderly dogs with underlying diseases causing immunosupression [28]. However, in those cases, T. gondii tachyzoites were numerous in the lesions and readily demonstrable by immunohistochemichal labeling [27,28].…”

“…T. gondii tachyzoites can replicate in a broad range of cell types such as endothelial cell [3], and thrombosis due to the direct damage of endothelial cells provoked by tachyzoite replication in these cells has been described in immunosupressed patients suffering human acquired immunodefiency syndrome [26,27] or elderly dogs with underlying diseases causing immunosupression [28]. However, in those cases, T. gondii tachyzoites were numerous in the lesions and readily demonstrable by immunohistochemichal labeling [27,28]. In the current study, the absence of parasite antigen in all the placentomes from the abortion cases, plus the very low frequency of detection of parasite DNA by the highly sensitive ITS- nested PCR, suggest that the cause for thrombosis, and thus abortion, was other than the direct damage of the endothelium by the parasite.…”

Sarcocystis spp. Infection in two Red Panda Cubs (Ailurus fulgens)

“…Slides with tissue sections were heated in a 60 C oven for 1 h. IHC for Toxoplasma, Neospora and Sarcocystis spp. were performed as previously described (Soldati et al, 2004;Mullaney et al, 2005;Hoffman et al, 2012).…”

Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection in domestic dogs in an area from northwest of Iran: a cross-sectional study using immunodominant surface antigen 1 (SAG1)

“…Clinical toxoplasmosis in dogs is often associated with immunosuppression induced by canine distemper virus infection (Hosseininejad et al 2011). Clinical manifestations of toxoplasmosis can be significantly different in each infected dog and include neuro-mascular, gastrointestinal, respiratory or skin disorders but clinical symptoms mainly appears in respiratory which is due to reactivation of concealed infection (Dubey et al 1989;Hoffmann et al 2012). However felidae are the only main host for T. gondii, dogs can swallow the infected feces of cats and play a role in the mechanical transmission of the of T. gondii oocyte to human (Frenkel et al 2003;Lindsay et al 1997).…”