Granulomatous Lymphadenitis in a Dog Caused by Mycobacterium intracellulare

Background: Mycobacteriosis is caused by bacteria belonging to the genus Mycobacterium, with considerable zoonotic potential and risk to public health. Infection in dogs is rare and is usually associated with immunosuppression, resulting from eating meat or contact with contaminated soil or fomites. Dogs are also known as potential sources for the spread of atypical tuberculosis in humans and other animals. This paper aims to describe the clinical, cytological, histopathological, and molecular findings of a male canine seen at University Veterinary Hospital of Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, with generalized lymphadenomegaly associated Mycobacterium intracellulare infection.Case: A 2-year-old male Lhasa Apso dog was referred to the University Veterinary Hospital in Cuiabá city, located in the Midwest region of Brazil. The patient had a history of intermittent claudication of the left pelvic limb for approximately 6 months and lymphadenomegaly with progression for approximately 2 months. The dog had wheezing and generalized lymphadenopathy (submandibular, axillary, and popliteal lymph nodes); cryptorchidism was also observed. A complete blood count revealed nonspecific results, and in the serum biochemical profile, the values of urea, creatinine, albumin, and alanine aminotransferase were within the reference range. No changes were observed on the radiography of the femurotibiopatellar joints. Considering the generalised lymphadenopathy, fine needle aspiration cytology and histopathological examination through biopsy of the lymph nodes was performed. On the cytology and histopathology, numerous negative images of moderately refringent bacillary structures distending the cytoplasm from the macrophages was found. The samples were also subjected to special Ziehl-Neelsen staining, which confirmed an accentuated and diffuse granulomatous lymphadenitis associated with alcohol acid-resistant bacilli. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to amplify the DNA of the lymph node fragment for the hsp65 gene, which was subjected to genetic sequencing and construction of a phylogenetic tree, with 99.77% genetic similarity for the species M. intracellulare. As treatment, doxycycline (10 mg/kg twice a day for 60 days) and enrofloxacin (5 mg/kg once a day for 10 days) were prescribed. However, the canine suffered car trauma leading to a fractured pelvis, which motivated the owner to opt for euthanasia at another veterinary establishment.Discussion: In the reported case, it was not possible to determine the source of infection, as the owners reported that the animal lived inside the house with only sporadic access to the street. The clinical signs manifested by this dog were nonspecific, and only the signs of generalised lymphadenopathy could be correlated with the signs expected in the infection with this mycobacterium. The hematological and biochemical laboratory findings were nonspecific, and it did not demonstrate the involvement of other organs. Considering the findings in cytology and histology, mycobacterial infection can be suspected. The diagnosis was confirmed through pathological and molecular findings. In this case, the PCR technique was used with partial amplification of the hsp65 gene and subsequent genetic sequencing, making it possible to identify a species like M. intracellulare (99.77% similarity). Due to euthanasia for another reason, it was impossible to monitor the dog's treatment and investigate other changes in the post mortem examination, especially the pulmonary lesions frequently described in M. intracellulare infection in humans.Keywords: Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC), canine, infection, non-tuberculous mycobacteriosis

Brazilian Flora 2020: Leveraging the power of a collaborative scientific network

International audienceThe shortage of reliable primary taxonomic data limits the description of biological taxa and the understanding of biodiversity patterns and processes, complicating biogeographical, ecological, and evolutionary studies. This deficit creates a significant taxonomic impediment to biodiversity research and conservation planning. The taxonomic impediment and the biodiversity crisis are widely recognized, highlighting the urgent need for reliable taxonomic data. Over the past decade, numerous countries worldwide have devoted considerable effort to Target 1 of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC), which called for the preparation of a working list of all known plant species by 2010 and an online world Flora by 2020. Brazil is a megadiverse country, home to more of the world's known plant species than any other country. Despite that, Flora Brasiliensis, concluded in 1906, was the last comprehensive treatment of the Brazilian flora. The lack of accurate estimates of the number of species of algae, fungi, and plants occurring in Brazil contributes to the prevailing taxonomic impediment and delays progress towards the GSPC targets. Over the past 12 years, a legion of taxonomists motivated to meet Target 1 of the GSPC, worked together to gather and integrate knowledge on the algal, plant, and fungal diversity of Brazil. Overall, a team of about 980 taxonomists joined efforts in a highly collaborative project that used cybertaxonomy to prepare an updated Flora of Brazil, showing the power of scientific collaboration to reach ambitious goals. This paper presents an overview of the Brazilian Flora 2020 and provides taxonomic and spatial updates on the algae, fungi, and plants found in one of the world's most biodiverse countries. We further identify collection gaps and summarize future goals that extend beyond 2020. Our results show that Brazil is home to 46,975 native species of algae, fungi, and plants, of which 19,669 are endemic to the country. The data compiled to date suggests that the Atlantic Rainforest might be the most diverse Brazilian domain for all plant groups except gymnosperms, which are most diverse in the Amazon. However, scientific knowledge of Brazilian diversity is still unequally distributed, with the Atlantic Rainforest and the Cerrado being the most intensively sampled and studied biomes in the country. In times of “scientific reductionism”, with botanical and mycological sciences suffering pervasive depreciation in recent decades, the first online Flora of Brazil 2020 significantly enhanced the quality and quantity of taxonomic data available for algae, fungi, and plants from Brazil. This project also made all the information freely available online, providing a firm foundation for future research and for the management, conservation, and sustainable use of the Brazilian funga and flora

Growing knowledge: an overview of Seed Plant diversity in Brazil

Abstract An updated inventory of Brazilian seed plants is presented and offers important insights into the country's biodiversity. This work started in 2010, with the publication of the Plants and Fungi Catalogue, and has been updated since by more than 430 specialists working online. Brazil is home to 32,086 native Angiosperms and 23 native Gymnosperms, showing an increase of 3% in its species richness in relation to 2010. The Amazon Rainforest is the richest Brazilian biome for Gymnosperms, while the Atlantic Rainforest is the richest one for Angiosperms. There was a considerable increment in the number of species and endemism rates for biomes, except for the Amazon that showed a decrease of 2.5% of recorded endemics. However, well over half of Brazillian seed plant species (57.4%) is endemic to this territory. The proportion of life-forms varies among different biomes: trees are more expressive in the Amazon and Atlantic Rainforest biomes while herbs predominate in the Pampa, and lianas are more expressive in the Amazon, Atlantic Rainforest, and Pantanal. This compilation serves not only to quantify Brazilian biodiversity, but also to highlight areas where there information is lacking and to provide a framework for the challenge faced in conserving Brazil's unique and diverse flora