Dermatitis associated with Dirofilaria (Nochtiella) repens microfilariae in dogs from Central Italy

Pruritic dermatitis associated with Dirofilaria (Nochtiella) repens microfilariae in the blood was diagnosed in 22 dogs from Fermo (Central Italy). According to the history, previous unsuccessful treatments with corticosteroids, antibiotics, restricted diet, flea control, levamisole and ivermectin were recorded in 17 dogs (77.3%). The combined filtration tests and antigen tests, performed during the study, were negative for Dirofilaria immitis and Acanthocheilonema reconditum in each case. Dermatological lesions included erythema, papules, single or multifocal alopecia, eczema, lichenification, crusting and nodules. All dogs had pruritus. Concurrent babesiosis was diagnosed in the blood smears of each case (100%), and 60% of the dogs were found to be carriers of canine granulocytic ehrlichiosis (CGE). Three dogs (13.6%) were positive for leishmaniosis. Eradication of the concurrent infections followed by specific macro- and microfilaricide treatment led to complete recovery from the dermatological syndrome. The main conclusion of the study is that D. repens infection can be more pathogenic than is currently considered, and it is apparently an opportunistic disease with serious dermatological consequences

A review of the off-label use of selamectin (Stronghold®/Revolution®) in dogs and cats

Since its introduction approximately seven years ago, selamectin (Stronghold®/Revolution®, Pfizer Inc.) has been used off-label to treat a number of ecto- and endoparasite conditions in dogs and cats. It has been used as a successful prophylactic against Dirofilaria repens and as a treatment for Aelurostrongylus abstrusus in cats. It has also been used to treat notoedric mange, infestation with the nasal mite Pneumonyssoides caninum, Cheyletiella spp. and Neotrombicula autumnalis infestations and larval Cordylobia anthropophaga infection. However, to date attempts to treat generalised canine demodicosis have not been successful. In all cases, treatment was apparently well tolerated by the host

Hippobosca longipennis - a potential intermediate host of a species of Acanthocheilonema in dogs in northern India

Background Hippobosca longipennis (the 'dog louse fly') is a blood sucking ectoparasite found on wild carnivores such as cheetahs and lions and domesticated and feral dogs in Africa, the Middle East and Asia, including China. Known as an intermediate host for Acanthocheilonema dracunculoides and a transport host for Cheyletiella yasguri, it has also been suggested that H. longipennis may be a vector for other pathogens, including Acanthocheilonema sp.? nov., which was recently reported to infect up to 48% of dogs in northern India where this species of fly is known to commonly infest dogs. To test this hypothesis, hippoboscid flies feeding on dogs in Ladakh in northern India were collected and subjected to microscopic dissection. Results A total of 12 infective larvae were found in 10 out of 65 flies dissected; 9 from the head, 2 from the thorax and 1 from the abdomen. The larvae averaged 2, 900 (± 60) μm in length and 34 (± 5) μm in width and possessed morphological features characteristic of the family Onchocercidae. Genetic analysis and comparison of the 18S, ITS-2, 12S and cox-1 genes confirmed the identity of the larvae as the Acanthocheilonema sp.? nov. reported in dogs in Ladakh. Conclusion This study provides evidence for a potential intermediate host-parasite relationship between H. longipennis and the canine Acanthocheilonema sp.? nov. in northern India

Management of a caseous lymphadenitis outbreak in a new Iberian ibex (Capra pyrenaica) stock reservoir

Background: In 2010, an Iberian ibex (Capra pyrenaica hispanica) stock reservoir was established for conservation purposes in north-eastern Spain. Eighteen ibexes were captured in the wild and housed in a 17 hectare enclosure. Once in captivity, a caseous lymphadenitis (CLA) outbreak occurred and ibex handlings were carried out at six-month intervals between 2010 and 2013 to perform health examinations and sampling. Treatment with a bacterin-based autovaccine and penicillin G benzatine was added during the third and subsequent handlings, when infection by Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis was confirmed. Changes in lesion score, serum anti-C. pseudotuberculosis antibodies and haematological parameters were analyzed to assess captivity effects, disease emergence and treatment efficacy. Serum acute phase proteins (APP) Haptoglobin (Hp), Amyloid A (SAA) and Acid Soluble Glycoprotein (ASG) concentrations were also determined to evaluate their usefulness as indicators of clinical status.Once in captivity, 12 out of 14 ibexes (85.7%) seroconverted, preceding the emergence of clinical signs; moreover, TP, WBC, eosinophil and platelet cell counts increased while monocyte and basophil cell counts decreased. After treatment, casualties and fistulas disappeared and both packed cell volume (PCV) and haemoglobin concentration significantly increased. Hp, SAA and ASG values were under the limit of detection or showed no significant differences. Conclusions: A role for captivity in contagion rate is suggested by the increase in antibody levels against C. pseudotuberculosis and the emergence of clinical signs. Although boosted by captivity, this is the first report of an outbreak of caseous lymphadenitis displaying high morbidity and mortality in wild ungulates. Treatment consisting of both vaccination and antibiotic therapy seemed to prevent mortality and alleviate disease severity, but was not reflected in the humoural response. Haematology and APP were not useful indicators in our study, perhaps due to the sampling frequency. Presumably endemic and irrelevant in the wild, this common disease of domestic small ruminants is complicating conservation efforts for the Iberian ibex in north-eastern Spain

A possible relationship between bumblefoot responsive to potassium arsenite and micrococci in the blood of three birds of prey

Pododermatitis (bumblefoot) is a major health problem of falcons worldwide because healing processes in the talons are difficult and lengthy. A peregrine (Falco peregrinus), a merlin (Falco columbarius) and a saker falcon (Falco cherrug) with bumblefoot at different stages ranging from III to V, were all found to be carriers of micrococcus-like organisms in the blood and two of them were successfully treated with 0.5% potassium arsenite in low dosage given intravenously. A number of considerations are made on the immune dysfunction aspects of bumblefoot in birds of prey and on the emerging role of arsenic-based medicaments in the treatment of animal and human immune dysfunction syndromes