Review of human and animal cases of coccidioidomycosis diagnosed in Canada

Abstract

The first Canadian case of coccidioidomycosis in a human was reported in 1952 and 11 more cases since then. This study provides details of other cases of coccidioidomycosis that have been diagnosed in Canada. Based on clinical details, isolation of Coccidioides immitis, detection of a specific antibody (F band) for coccidioidomycosis by macro- or microimmunodiffusion tests, concurrently used with the complement fixation procedure, and histopathological findings, 116 more cases of this disease were verified. The great majority (94%) of these cases were diagnosed in the western Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, and the others in Quebec, Ontario and Nova Scotia (5, 1, and 1 cases, respectively). Available information indicates that the C. immitis infections were contracted during visits to endemic areas in the United States (Arizona, California and New Mexico), Mexico, and Bolivia. Pulmonary infections were the most common type of coccidioidomycosis (93%) followed by the disseminated or meningeal types C. immitis infections occurred in individuals with or without predisposing factor(s) and were more common in males than in females. The exoantigen procedure was very useful and reliable in the accurate and rapid identification of suspected C. immitis isolates. Two cases of coccidioidomycosis were reported in animals in Ontario, Canada.

Invasive Fungal Infections in Canada from 1992 to 1994

“…This report also identifies geographical variation in incidence of coccidiodomycosis within Canada (9). Because coccidioidomycosis is not endemic anywhere in Canada, the observation of geographical variation is a reflection of social behaviour.…”

“…There is limited information describing experience with invasive fungal infections in Canada. The only comprehensive report was published almost 30 years ago (1), and more recent reports have been generally organism-specific (6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11). To gain a further understanding of the occurrence and importance of significant fungal infections in Canada in the 1990s, a case registry was developed to identify episodes of invasive fungal infection between March 1, 1992 andFebruary 28, 1994, and explore issues relevant to the impact of the diseases.…”

Serological Evidence of Increased Coccidioides immitis Infections in Western Canada in 1996

“…Our observations from 1993 through 1995 indicated only sporadic serological evidence of exposure to C immitis in travellers returning from the United States. Almost all requests for C immitis serology are for patients who reside in western Canada, and an earlier report on coccidioidomycosis in Canada indicated that 94% of C immitis cases were identified from western Canada (8). In 1996, we noticed a 100% increase in positive serology for C immitis in samples submitted to NCM.…”

Three cases of feline ocular coccidioidomycosis: presentation, clinical features, diagnosis, and treatment

“…Recent research suggested that dogs in endemic areas are at risk of exposure and those which spend a significant portion of time outdoors are at greater risk of developing coccidioidomycosis 16 . Additionally, people in Canada that were diagnosed with coccidioidomycosis have been linked to endemic areas of the southwestern United States, including Arizona, California, and New Mexico 17 . All cats in this study were native to Arizona and frequently allowed outdoors, possibly increasing the risk of developing the disease.…”

“…16 Additionally, people in Canada that were diagnosed with coccidioidomycosis have been linked to endemic areas of the southwestern United States, including Arizona, California, and New Mexico. 17 All cats in this study were native to Arizona and frequently allowed outdoors, possibly increasing the risk of developing the disease. None of the cats had a travel history outside of Arizona prior to diagnosis.…”