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This study characterized the clinical, radiological, ultrasound, and necroscopic findings of a case of Arnold-Chiari type II malformation in a Gir breed calf from Brazil. The animal was hospitalized at sixty days of age, in permanent sternal recumbency, cutaneous appendix at the 4th lumbar vertebra and kyphoscoliosis of the caudal and lumbosacral thoracic spine. Radiographic examination of the spine and skull revealed spina bifida and suspected occipital hypoplasia. Upon examination of myelography with an injection of lumbar and atlantooccipital contrast, it was possible to visualize the meningocele at the 4th lumbar vertebra region and findings at the rhombencephalon level of increased regional pressure with failure to fill the contrast in the posterior fossa, in the presence of clear demarcation of the circumvolutions of the cerebral cortex and the subarachnoid space of the cervical spinal cord. Ultrasonographic examination of the cerebellum showed an insinuation of the cerebellar worm through the foramen magnum. The animal did not show changes in complete blood count, biochemical series, and cerebrospinal fluid and was negative for Pestivirus. There was a worsening of the clinical conditions and the animal died. This malformation of unknown etiology must be studied as a differential diagnosis of the nervous system disorders.

A leptospirose é uma zoonose causada por uma bactéria do gênero Leptospira. Trata-se de uma enfermidade infecciosa de distribuição mundial, de ocorrência maior em países de clima tropical e subtropical, principalmente, nos períodos mais chuvosos, quando existem condições ambientais, que aumentam a sobrevivência da bactéria no ambiente. Esta enfermidade acomete os seres humano e, praticamente, todos os animais domésticos e selvagens, que podem se tornar portadores e contribuírem para a disseminação do micro-organismo na natureza. Nos ovinos, a enfermidade pode provocar falhas reprodutivas e abortamentos, morte de cordeiros, inanição, infecção grave, febre e insuficiência hepática e/ou renal. Este trabalho teve como objetivo revisar importantes aspectos sobre a leptospirose em ovinos, abordando sobre o histórico, etiologia, epidemiologia, patogenia, sinais clínicos, diagnóstico, tratamento, controle e prevenção. Foram lidos 58 trabalhos publicados, a busca ocorreu através de portais indexadores e livros, que citam como descritores as palavras: lepstospiras em animais, Leptospiras em ovinos, sorovares de Leptospiras, leptospirose em ovinos. A compreensão de todos os fatores envolvidos na leptospirose em ovinos é uma condição fundamental para a adoção de medidas estratégicas médicas e epidemiológicas, que possibilitem o controle e a prevenção da doença nos rebanhos, evitando assim queda na produtividade e redução dos prejuízos econômicos. Palavras-chave: Leptospira spp. MAT Zoonoses. Abstract Leptospirosis is a zoonosis caused by a bacterium of the genus Leptospira. It is an infectious disease worldwidely distributed, occurring more frequently in countries with tropical and subtropical climates, especially in the rainiest periods, when there are environmental conditions that increase the bacteria survival in the environment. This disease affects humans and most of the domestic and wild animals, which can become carriers and contribute to the microorganism spread in nature. In sheep, the disease can cause reproductive failures and miscarriages, lamb death, starvation, severe infection, fever and liver and / or kidney failure. This work aimed to review important aspects about leptospirosis in sheep, addressing the history, etiology, epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical signs, diagnosis, treatment, control and prevention. 58 published works were read, the search was performed through indexing portals and books that mention the words as descriptors: leptospirae in animals, leptospirae in sheep, serovars of leptospirae, leptospirosis in sheep. Understanding all the factors involved in leptospirosis in sheep is a fundamental condition for the adoption of strategic medical and epidemiological measures that enable the disease control and prevention in herds, thus avoiding a fall in productivity and a reduction in economic losses. Keywords: Leptospira spp. MAT. Zoonosis.

The objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of mineral supplementation with organic selenium (Se) on rabies humoral immune response in ewes. It was randomly selected 18 Texel ewes without antirabic vaccination in the last 12 months and divided into 2 groups: treated group (TG) supplemented with a mineral mixture additioned of organic selenium and immunized against rabies and a control group (CG) supplemented with mineral mixture without organic selenium addition and immunized. Determination of Se serum was obtained by the enzyme glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity in two moments, the title and the persistence of anti-rabies neutralizing antibodies in five times by the Rapid Fluorescent Focus Inhibition Test (RFFIT). The mean values found in D210 GSH-Px were higher in TG with 981.8 ± 105.2 U/g Hb and 628.2 ± 188.2 U/g Hb in the CG (p-value < 0.001). The mean values of titers of anti-rabies neutralizing antibodies 30 days after primary vaccination, demonstrated statistically similar titles in the GT and GC, 1,020 IU/ mL in GT and 1,885 IU/ mL CG. Oral mineral supplementation of organic selenium during 210 days did not enhance the humoral immune response and persistence of evidence of rabies neutralizing antibodies, however caused increased serum retention of selenium in ewes.

Canine distemper virus (CDV) is a highly contagious disease pathogen which causes disease in the domestic dog and species classified in the Canidae, Procyonidae, Mustelidae, Hyaenidae, Ursidae, Viveridae, Felidae, Tayassuidae, and Cercopithecidae families. A combined strategy that involved the direct sequencing of amplicons from genes coding for nucleocapsid, large polymerase, and hemagglutinin proteins of CDV, as well as the pathological findings and the immunohistochemical detection of viral nucleocapsid protein in diverse tissues, confirmed the participation of CDV in the development of a neurological disease in a southern tamandua ( Tamandua tetradactyla ) from Midwestern Brazil. Phylogenetic analysis based on the hemagglutinin gene sequences revealed that the strain from this study grouped with isolates from the Europe 1/South America 1 lineage. The specific polymorphisms at the SLAM receptor-binding site of the hemagglutinin gene, previously linked to disease emergence in novel hosts, were not detected in this genome. These findings represent the first description of CDV-induced infection in the Tamandua tetradactyla and extend the distribution of this infection to include members of the family Myrmecophagidae, order Pilosa.

According to experimental studies with healthy dogs, omeprazole might decrease the CSF production by about 26%; therefore, book texts have been suggested the usage of omeprazole in medical protocols for hydrocephalus treatment. However, to the best knowledge of the authors, the usage and medical response of the omeprazole with substantial group of illness dogs, such as hydrocephalic animals, was lacking. This report describes clinical, diagnostic, and therapeutic findings in 12 dogs with hydrocephalus in which omeprazole were used for medical treatment. The diagnosis of hydrocephalus was accomplished by transcranial sonography (TCS) and/or computed tomography. The ventricular measurement was assessed periodically by TCS during medical treatment. Six dogs were diagnosed with non-obstrutive hydrocephalus and in the other 6 cases hydrocephalus occurred with other concomitant anomalous encephalic disease often related with obstructive hysdrocephalus, such as quadrigeminal cist, arachnoid cyst, chiary-like malformation, and syringomyelia. All of them had medical improvement after the use of omeprazole and the most of the cases had ventricular size reduction. In 10 dogs, the omeprazole was used as single drug, and in 2 dogs medical treatment with steroids and/or diuretics was previously being performed, and omeprazole was added because conventional treatment was resulting in mild to unsatisfactory medical control of the neurological status. The results of this paper shown that omeprazole may be used to ameliorate the neurological status in symptomatic hydrocephalic dogs. This work may represent the first description about the use of omeprazole in order to treat a substantial group of affected dogs with suspected increased intracranial pressure by hydrocephalus, probably due to limitation of CSF production. RESUMO: O omeprazol diminui a produção do fluido cerebrospinal (FCE) por cerca de 26% de acordo com estudos experimentais em cães saudáveis. Segundo o conhecimento dos autores, embora utilizado na prática clínica e recomendado em livros textos, não há até o momento estudos clínicos em um grupo substancial de animais avaliando a resposta terapêutica ao uso do omeprazol em pacientes enfermos, tais como cães hidrocefálicos sintomáticos. Este trabalho descreve os achados clínicos, diagnósticos e terapêuticos em 12 cães com hidrocefalia que foram submetidos ao tratamento com omeprazol para o manejo médico de hidrocefalia. O diagnóstico de hidrocefalia e doenças neurológicas concomitantes foi realizado por ultrassonografia transcraniana (USTC) e/ou tomografia computadorizada. A mensuração do tamanho ventricular foi realizada pela USTC durante o tratamento médico. Seis cães foram diagnosticados com hidrocefalia não obstrutiva e os outros 6 casos apresentaram hidrofalia concomitante com outras afecções encefálicas anômalas comumente associada à hidrocefalia obstrutiva, tal como cisto quadrigêmio, cisto aracnóide, síndrome de chiari-like e seringomegalia. Em 10 cães o omeprazol foi utilizado como droga única e em 2 cães a terapia inicial foi a convencional utilizando esteroides e diuréticos, e o omeprazol foi adicionado, pois a resposta clínica a terapia convencional foi insatisfatória. Todos os animais obtiveram melhora dos parâmetros neurológicos e a maioria teve uma redução do tamanho ventricular após o uso do omeprazol. Os resultados deste estudo demonstram que o omeprazol pode ser utilizado para melhorar o estado neurológico em cães com hidrocefalia. Este estudo representa a primeira descrição clínica usando o omeprazol para tratar uma série de cães com suspeita de aumento da pressão intracraniana devido à hidrocefalia, provavelmente pela capacidade do fármaco em limitar a produção do FCE.

We describe the pathologic, histochemical, and immunohistochemical findings associated with pulmonary and encephalitic cryptococcosis in a 3-y-old, mixed-breed, nanny goat from central-west Brazil. The goat had progressive neurologic signs over 30 d; cryptococcosis was diagnosed antemortem by cytologic evaluation of cerebrospinal fluid. Treatment was initiated, but the animal died spontaneously shortly thereafter. Grossly, there was a large space-occupying gelatinous mass (cryptococcoma) in the left lung and smaller masses in the cerebral temporal and frontal cortex, thalamus, hippocampus, basal nuclei, and mesencephalon with consequent internal hydrocephalus. Histologic evaluation revealed marked granulomatous cryptococcal pneumonia and meningoencephalitis. Intralesional narrow-necked budding cryptococcal yeasts were identified on special stains (Mayer mucicarmine and Grocott methenamine silver) in sections of lung and brain. Immunohistochemistry utilizing a panel of monoclonal antibodies that selectively label capsules of Cryptococcus spp. was consistent with C. neoformans var. grubii.

Feline leishmaniasis (FeL) is an emerging infectious disease of cats caused by Leishmania infantum with global distribution. This study investigated the cause of chronic progressive cutaneous lesions in two cats from Central-west Brazil by using cytological, histopathologic, and immunohistochemical (IHC) analyses. Clinically, both cats had ulcerative cutaneous lesions at the nasal planum and ear resulting in a tentative diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Moreover, both cats had varying degrees of onychogryphosis. However, cytology revealed chronic inflammatory reactions associated with intralesional amastigotes; histopathology confirmed chronic ulcerative dermatitis associated with intralesional and intracytoplasmic parasitic organisms consistent with amastigotes of Leishmania spp. within histiocytes. The IHC assay demonstrated that the intralesional parasitic structures identified by cytology and histopathology were immunoreactive to antigens of Leishmania spp., confirming the participation of this infectious disease agent in the development of the cutaneous lesions of these cats. The observation of onychogryphosis must be highlighted, since this lesion is frequently observed in dogs with visceral leishmaniasis but is underreported in FeL. Collectively, the pathologic and IHC findings of the chronic cutaneous disease confirmed active infections due to Leishmania spp. in these cats. Additionally, FeL with associated lesions to the ear and nasal planum must be considered as differential diagnosis for SCC in cats.

Medical therapy for hydrocephalus includes the administration of medications to limit the production of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) resulting in reduced intracranial pressure (ICP). This report describes the clinical findings in one dog with congenital hydrocephalus that was unresponsive to conventional medical treatment (steroids) but demonstrated good response to omeprazole when this drug was added to the steroid. Omeprazole might decrease the CSF production by about 26% according to experimental studies with healthy dogs, but the usage of the omeprazole in clinical trials with affected dogs such as hydrocephalic animals is lacking. The results of this report might suggest that omeprazole can be used added to steroids to ameliorate the neurological status in dogs with increased ICP by hydrocephalus.

Feline morbillivirus was first identified in healthy and diseased stray cats captured in Hong Kong. Recently, it was demonstrated that the virus circulates within cat populations in Japan, Italy, Germany, and the USA. Importantly, an association between feline morbillivirus infection and chronic kidney disease was suggested by histological analysis of kidney tissue of infected cats. The aim of this study was to verify the presence and examine the genetic diversity of feline morbilliviruses associated with infections of domestic cats in Brazil. Seventeen cats without clinical manifestations of urinary tract diseases from a multi-cat household and 35 random client-owned cats admitted to the Teaching Veterinary Hospital for a variety of reasons were evaluated for paramyxoviral infection and the presence of uropathy. A fragment of the paramyxoviral L gene was amplified from urine samples using a reverse transcription semi-nested PCR assay. For the first time, we detected a feline morbillivirus strain that was genetically related to viral strains previously characterized in Japan in urine samples from cats in South America, in Brazil. This together with the recent description of feline morbillivirus identification within cat populations in the USA, suggests a possible widespread distribution of this viral agent on the American continent. Our data demonstrated feline morbillivirus RNA shedding mostly in the urine of cats without clinical, laboratorial, or ultrasonographic signs of urinary tract diseases. In contrast to previously published findings that associated feline morbillivirus infection with chronic kidney disease, we did not observe a clear relationship between feline morbillivirus RNA shedding in urine and kidney disease in the cats evaluated.

Esse manuscrito fornece uma revisao critica das tendencias epidemiologicas associadas ao virus da cinomose canina (CDV) e as sindromes relacionadas a encefalite por cinomose com referencia especifica a situacao no Brasil. Os dados epidemiologicos relativos as populacoes de animais suscetiveis, prevalencia, sazonalidade e os padroes relacionados a idade foram discutidos. Tambem e enfocada nessa revisao a participacao de caes de rua na manutencao do CDV nas populacoes caninas nas areas rurais e nas regioes semiurbanas e a sua importância na epidemiologia da cinomose. Foi ainda estimado o impacto economico relacionado ao tratamento das manifestacoes clinicas associadas a cinomose no Brasil. Adicionalmente, as manifestacoes neurologicas e neuropatologicas da cinomose no Brasil sao discutidas e uma manifestacao neuropatologica inedita da infeccao e sugerida.

Bovine herpesvirus 5 is a DNA virus that has been associated with meningoencephalitis in young cattle. While its clinical diagnosis is obscured by other major diseases that also produce similar neurological disease in cattle, the use of conventional virological techniques is hampered by the establishment of a lifelong latent infection in the host and the difficulty in differentiating BoHV-1 and BoHV-5. The aim of the current report is to describe the clinical and epidemiological aspects observed in a natural outbreak of BoHV-5 meningoencephalitis in a dairy cattle herd from Brazil. In the outbreak, the affected animals consisted of nine calves, which presented three possible forms of the neurological disease, subjectively classified as peracute, acute, and subacute/chronic. In contrast to conventional herpetic meningoencephalitis, characterized mainly by progressive multifocal brain dysfunctions, BoHV-5 infection resulted in focal non-progressive caudal brainstem dysfunction (pontomedullary syndrome) in an animal presented with subacute/chronic BoHV-5 meningoencephalitis. The evaluation of CNS tissue of affected calves through both histological examination and multiplex-PCR was able to confirm BoHV-5 infection. Additionally, the analysis of CSF samples through PCR allowed ante-mortem BoHV-5 diagnosis during the outbreak, which enabled the implementation of several measures of control for the disease.O herpesvírus bovino 5 é um vírus DNA que tem sido associado a casos de meningoencefalite em bovinos jovens. Enquanto o diagnóstico clínico da doença é dificultado pelo fato de outras enfermidades importantes também determinarem quadro neurológico em bovinos, a utilização de técnicas virológicas convencionais no diagnóstico laboratorial tem sido inviabilizada pela latência viral que ocorre no hospedeiro e pela dificuldade em se diferenciar o BoHV-1 do BoHV-5. O objetivo deste relato é o de descrever alguns aspectos clínicos e epidemiológicos observados em um surto de meningoencefalite determinado pelo BoHV-5 em um rebanho bovino leiteiro do estado do Paraná, Brasil. Neste surto, nove bezerros afetados apresentaram três formas distintas da doença, subjetivamente classificadas como hiperaguda, aguda e subaguda/crônica. Diferentemente da meningoencefalite herpética convencional, caracterizada principalmente por disfunções cerebrais multifocais progressivas, a infecção pelo BoHV-5 resultou em disfunção focal não-progressiva do tronco encefálico (síndrome pontobulbar) em um animal apresentando a meningoencefalite subaguda/crônica por BoHV-5. As avaliações de tecido do sistema nervoso de bezerros afetados, por meio do exame histológico e da técnica de multiplex-PCR, confirmaram a infecção pelo BoHV-5. Adicionalmente, a análise de amostras de líquor por meio da PCR permitiu o diagnóstico ante-mortem da infecção pelo BoHV-5, fato que possibilitou a implementação de várias medidas de controle para a doença durante o surto.

The current article describes a spontaneous case of old dog encephalitis (ODE) in a 7–year-old, intact, female Miniature Schnauzer dog from Londrina, Paraná, southern Brazil. Unlike conventional distemper encephalomyelitis, ODE is a poorly understood and extremely rare manifestation of Canine distemper virus (CDV) infection. The dog was presented with progressive clinical manifestations consistent with cerebral dysfunction. Briefly, histopathologic lesions were restricted to the forebrain and included chronic multifocal lymphoplasmacytic encephalitis with extensive perivascular cuffing, astrocytosis, and intranuclear inclusions within astrocytes and giant cells, with both intracytoplasmic and intranuclear inclusions. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was used to identify the antigens of the nucleoprotein (NP) of CDV and to detect cluster of differentiation (CD)3, CD79a, macrophage (MAC) 387, glial fibrillary acidic protein, and vimentin to characterize the neuroparenchymal lesions. By IHC, CDV NP was demonstrated predominantly within neurons and astrocytes. Cells that formed perivascular cuffs and some astrocyte-like cells reacted intensely to vimentin. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction assay from brain sections further confirmed a role for CDV in this disease by the amplification and partial sequence analysis of the NP gene. These findings confirmed simultaneous detection of CDV in ODE by IHC and molecular assays. In addition, results of the current study could contribute to the neuropathologic characterization of this rare manifestation of CDV.

The clinical diagnosis of distemper is difficult in dogs presented with nervous deficits in the absence of extraneural signs and myoclonus. The aim of this study is to verify how the clinicopathological findings may suggest distemper encephalomyelitis in such cases. We prospectively investigated 20 necropsied dogs presented with neurological signs without those characteristic signs of distemper at the time of hospital admission. Eight out of 20 dogs were diagnosed with distemper encephalomyelitis at post mortem by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and histological examination. Cerebellar and/or vestibular signs progressing to tetraparesis/plegia were frequent neurological signs. Abnormalities in hematologic findings were non-specific, nevertheless the cerebrospinal fluid evaluation could suggest canine distemper virus (CDV) infection by a lymphocytic pleocytosis. At post mortem chronic CDV encephalomyelitis was predominant. Our clinical results, as well as the predominance of chronic encephalomyelitis, differ from other studies about CDV encephalomyelitis with naturally infected dogs presenting extraneural signs and myoclonus.

In dogs with neurological disturbances without myoclonus and extraneural signs, the clinical diagnosis of distemper is difficult perform. Considering the great infectious potential of the disease, the possibility of carrying out an antemortem diagnosis of distemper is important, particularly in hospitalized patients with neurological disease. The present study was carried out to evaluate RT-PCR for antemortem CDV detection in hospitalized dogs with neurological disturbances without the typical findings of distemper. We investigated five dogs with canine distemper virus (CDV) encephalomyelitis, in which the clinical diagnosis was not performed owing to the absence of characteristic signs of the disease, such as myoclonus and systemic signs. We observed an apparent high sensitivity of RT-PCR in urine samples for detection of CDV: four out of five urine samples were RT-PCR positive. The results of the present study suggest that urine is a good biological sample for antemortem CDV detection by RT-PCR in dogs with distemper encephalomyelitis in which the clinical diagnosis is likely to be difficult owing to the absence of suggestive distemper signs. The use of two different body fluids (urine and CSF) may increase the RT-PCR sensitivity for antemortem diagnosis of distemper in such cases.

A case of multifocal distemper encephalomyelitis in a mature dog is described. In the presented case the ante mortem clinical diagnosis of canine distemper virus (CDV) infection could not be ideally performed due to the absence of typical signs of distemper, such as myoclonus and systemic signs accompanying the nervous signs. The definitive diagnosis of distemper encephalomyelitis was only carried out at post mortem through virus isolation in cell culture from fresh central nervous system (CNS) fragments and CDV nucleoprotein gene detection in the CNS by RT-PCR.

Submitted by Guilherme Lemeszenski (guilherme@nead.unesp.br) on 2013-08-22T18:56:36Z No. of bitstreams: 1 S0102-09352012000100032.pdf: 123319 bytes, checksum: 2eec616549457bf971468e6f387ae7e0 (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2013-08-22T18:56:36Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 S0102-09352012000100032.pdf: 123319 bytes, checksum: 2eec616549457bf971468e6f387ae7e0 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-02-01 Made available in DSpace on 2013-09-30T19:50:41Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 S0102-09352012000100032.pdf: 123319 bytes, checksum: 2eec616549457bf971468e6f387ae7e0 (MD5) S0102-09352012000100032.pdf.txt: 12924 bytes, checksum: d172bef8774f077c028dca7085802505 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-02-01 Submitted by Vitor Silverio Rodrigues (vitorsrodrigues@reitoria.unesp.br) on 2014-05-20T13:39:53Z No. of bitstreams: 2 S0102-09352012000100032.pdf: 123319 bytes, checksum: 2eec616549457bf971468e6f387ae7e0 (MD5) S0102-09352012000100032.pdf.txt: 12924 bytes, checksum: d172bef8774f077c028dca7085802505 (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2014-05-20T13:39:53Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 S0102-09352012000100032.pdf: 123319 bytes, checksum: 2eec616549457bf971468e6f387ae7e0 (MD5) S0102-09352012000100032.pdf.txt: 12924 bytes, checksum: d172bef8774f077c028dca7085802505 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-02-01 Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) O presente estudo relata a ocorrência de co-infecção entre o vírus da cinomose canina (CDV) e Toxoplama gondii em cães com sinais neurológicos. Amostras de soro e tecido nervoso (pos-mortem) de 21 cães, suspeitos de cinomose canina foram analisadas pela Reação de Imunofluorecência indireta (RIFI) para pesquisa de anticorpos contra T. gondii e N. caninum e por RT-PCR para CDV. Dezessete (80,9%) cães foram positivos para o CDV pela RT-PCR e 8 (38,1%) foram positivos para anticorpos contra T. gondii. Sete cães (41,1%) apresentaram-se positivos para ambos agentes, caracterizando processo de co-infecção. Somente 1 (4,7%) cão foi soropositivo para N. caninum (RIFI=100), entretanto este mesmo animal foi positivo para T. gondii (RIFI=4096) e para CDV (RT-PCR). Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso Faculdade de Agronomia, Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia Universidade de Cuiabá Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária Universidade Estadual Paulista Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia Universidade Estadual de Londrina (UEL) Universidade de São Paulo Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia Universidade Estadual Paulista Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia

This report describes the naturally occurring atypical neuropathological manifestation of systemic canine distemper virus (CDV) infection in two 16-day-old Pit Bull pups. CDV-induced changes affected the gray and white matter of the forebrain while sparing the hindbrain. Histologically, there was necrosis with destruction of the nervous parenchyma due to an influx of inflammatory and reactive cells associated with eosinophilic intranuclear inclusion bodies within glial cells. Positive immunoreactivity against CDV antigens was predominantly observed within astrocytes and neurons. RT-PCR was used to amplify CDV-specific amplicons from brain fragments. These findings suggest the participation of CDV in the etiopathogenesis of these lesions.

The objective of this study was to report for the first time infection by Hepatozoon spp. and Babesia spp. in 10 dogs from the city of Cuiabá, State of Mato Grosso, central-western Brazil. A pair of primers that amplifies a 574 bp fragment of the 18S rRNA of Hepatozoon spp., and a pair of primers that amplifies a 551 bp fragment of the gene 18S rRNA for Babesia spp. were used. Six dogs were positive for Babesia spp., and 9 were positive for Hepatozoon spp. Co-infection of Babesia spp. and Hepatozoon spp. was seen in 5 dogs. Sequenced samples revealed 100% identity with B. canis vogeli, and H. canis. This is the first molecular detection of H. canis in domestic dogs from Cuiabá. Additionally, it is described for the first time the presence of B. canis vogeli circulating among dogs in Cuiabá.

A 7-month-old dog was presented to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of the Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Parana, Brazil with a 1-week history of seizure-like activity and compulsive walking. Neurological deficits included seizures, nystagmus, absence of a menace reaction, depressed postural reactions, spastic tetraparesis, opisthotonos, and spasticity of the thoracic limbs. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) evaluation showed severe lymphocytic pleocytosis (554 cells/microL, with 70% lymphocytes) and a protein concentration of 17 mg/dL. The histopathologic findings in cerebrum, cerebellum, and brainstem obtained at necropsy were compatible with acute encephalomyelitis caused by canine distemper virus (CDV). Using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), CDV RNA was detected in both CSF and fragments of fresh brain tissue. The results indicated that CDV was the agent responsible for the clinical and laboratory presentation. Severe pleocytosis with lymphocyte predominance is an unusual finding in canine distemper and must be differentiated from granulomatous meningoencephalitis. RT-PCR on CSF is a useful, fast, and specific method to diagnose CDV infection in dogs.

Canine ehrlichiosis and babesiosis have a worldwide distribution with geographic variation in prevalence and main clinical manifestations. We prospectively determined seroprevalence of canine babesiosis and ehrlichiosis, and risk factors for seropositivity. Three hundred and eighty-one dogs were randomly selected to represent the canine population at a Veterinary Teaching Hospital in south Brazil (latitude 23 degrees S). Dogs were tested with a point-of-care ELISA for Ehrlichia canis antibodies and IFA to confirm previous exposure to Babesia vogeli. Multiple logistic regression analysis was then used to estimate adjusted odds ratio (OR) and their 95% confidence intervals. One hundred and thirty-six (36%) dogs were seropositive for B. vogeli antibodies, whereas 87 (23%) dogs were seropositive to E. canis antibodies. Fifty-four (14%) dogs seroreacted to both agents. Adult dogs previously infested with ticks were more likely to seroreact to B. vogeli or E. canis. Superficial bleeding (OR = 12.4) was more common in dogs exposed to B. vogeli, whereas neurological signs (OR = 7.7) were more common in dogs seropositive to E. canis. Neurological signs (OR = 12.0) and lameness (OR = 12.8) were more prevalent in dogs that seroreacted to both organisms. Owners of dogs with ticks were more likely to have been exposed to ticks themselves (OR = 3.2). Canine babesiosis and ehrlichiosis appear to be highly prevalent in this hospital population. Clinical signs differed from the most common signs in other regions with bleeding occurring more in dogs seropositive to babesiosis, but not ehrlichiosis; neurologic signs in dogs with E. canis antibodies; and lameness in dogs that seroreacted to both organisms.

Cryptococcosis is a systemic mycosis caused by yeast-like organism Cryptococcus neoformans. The infection in dogs occurs commonly by inhalation of the airborne or yeast. The neurological signs in dogs are similar to other inflammatory and infectious diseases of the central nervous system. The aim of the present paper is to report three cases of cryptococcosis in the nervous system of dogs, and reinforce the importance of this disease in differential diagnosis of progressive or multifocal alterations in the nervous system whether linked or not to systemic alterations. The diagnosis can only be confirmed through fungal culture and/or the visualization of the agent after adequate staining of the cerebral spinal fluid, or antibody titer when it is available.

RESUMO: Esse trabalho teve como objetivo estudar a prevalência e respectivos fatores de risco para infecção do Toxoplasma gondii em cães provenientes de uma população hospitalar. Além disso, avaliou-se as taxas de ocorrência e as repercussões clínico-patológicas da infecção aguda pelo T. gondii nesses animais. Anticorpos foram detectados em 7% (26/386) da população estudada, composta de 386 cães de ambos os sexos e diferentes raças e idades. Somente as variáveis, ingestão de vísceras, origem rural e contato com bovinos apresentaram valores significativos com p