First report on natural infection with Leishmania infantum in a domestic ferret (Mustela putorius furo) in Spain

A pet domestic ferret (Mustela putorius furo) with a papular lesion involving the right pinna was diagnosed with chronic pyogranulomatous dermatitis by histopathologic examination. Intralesional, intracytoplasmic oval microorganisms compatible with Leishmania spp. or Histoplasma spp. were observed in macrophages and multinucleate giant cells. Leishmania infantum (L. infantum) infection was diagnosed by PCR, culture in Novy-MacNeal-Nicolle medium, and immunohistochemistry. Abnormal clinicopathological results included increased alanine transferase, alkaline phosphatase, serum gamma glutamyl transferase and polyclonal gammpathy. Anti-Leishmania antibodies were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, immunofluorescence antibody test and western blot using L. infantum antigen. Immunoreactivity against the 16 kDa specific L. infantum antigen fraction was observed by western blot. PCR performed in blood samples obtained from this patient after positive parasite isolation detected L. infantum DNA. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first diagnosis and isolation of L. infantum in a domestic ferret naturally infected in an endemic region (Spain) where canine and feline leishmaniosis is frequently detected. According to these findings, ferrets should be included as potential reservoir hosts of L. infantum. Future investigations should analyze the epidemiological role of ferrets in L. infantum infection including the prevalence of infection

Klossiella dulcisn. sp. (Apicomplexa: Klossiellidae) in the kidneys of Petaurus breviceps(Marsupialia: Petauridae)

Two cases of renal klossiellosis were diagnosed by histopathology in pet sugar gliders (Petaurus breviceps). In both cases, parasites were associated with tubular dilation and mild interstitial nephritis. Rare schizonts were seen in the proximal convoluted renal tubular epithelium, whereas all other life cycle stages were found within distal convoluted tubule cells or the urinary space of the structures distal to the loop of Henle. Conventional optical and transmission electron microscopies were used to assess the life stages of the parasite. The morphologic characteristics and measurements observed differ from those of previously described species of Klossiella infecting marsupial hosts, and the name Klossiella dulcis n. sp. is hereby proposed. This is the first report of a Klossiella sp. infection in Petaurus brevicep

Encephalitozoon hellem infection in aviary passerine and psittacine birds in Spain

A European goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis), a canary (Serinus canaria), and a lovebird (Agapornis roseicollis) captive-bred at three different private aviaries in Spain were submitted for necropsy with a history of weakness and ruffled feathers, weight loss associated with glossitis, and respiratory disease, respectively. Microscopically, enterocytes in the jejunum and ileum contained colonies of gram- and Stamp-positive, oval to elliptical microorganisms within parasitophorous vacuoles in the apical cytoplasm. Nested PCR using MSP primers that target microsporidian RNA genes produced amplicons of expected size for Encephalitozoon species, and analysis of forward and reverse DNA sequences confirmed the presence of Encephalitozoon hellem in all cases. The main cause of death of all three birds consisted of concurrent infections. However, intestinal encephalitozoonosis may have contributed to exacerbated catabolism. Encephalitozoonosis (or microsporidiosis) has been rarely described in passerine birds

Identification of the source of histoplasmosis infection in two captive maras (Dolichotis patagonum) from the same colony by using molecular and immunologic assays Identificación de la fuente de infección de histoplasmosis de dos maras (Dolichotis patagonum) cautivas procedentes de la misma colonia, utilizando ensayos moleculares e inmunológicos

Histoplasma capsulatum was isolated from the spleen of a first infected mara (Dolichotis patagonum) and from a second mara's liver and adrenal gland, both in the same colony at the Africam Safari, Puebla, Mexico. Studies of H. capsulatum isolates, using nested-PCR of a 100-kDa protein coding gene (Hcp100) fragment and a two-primer RAPDPCR method, suggest that these isolates were spreading in the environment of the maras' enclosure. By using a Dot- ELISA method, sera from mice inoculated with three homogenates of soil samples from the maras' enclosed space developed positive brown spot reactions to a purified H. capsulatum antigen, which identified the probable source of the maras' infection.Histoplasma capsulatum fue aislado del bazo de una primera mara (Dolichotis patagonum) infectada y del hígado y la glándula suprarrenal de un segundo ejemplar, ambos de la misma colonia en el Africam Safari, Puebla, México. Los estudios de los aislamientos de H. capsulatum mediante PCR anidada para un fragmento del gen Hcp100 que codifica una proteína de 100 kDa y RAPD-PCR empleando doble iniciador sugieren que estos aislamientos estaban dispersos en el ambiente del refugio de las maras. Los sueros de ratones inoculados con tres homogenatos de muestras de suelo del refugio desarrollaron reacciones positivas a un antígeno purificado de H. capsulatum (manchas color castaño oscuro) por el método de Dot-ELISA; con lo cual se identificó la probable fuente de infección de las maras