scholarly journals Review of idiopathic eosinophilic meningitis in dogs and cats, with a detailed description of two recent cases in dogs : review and clinical communication

Author(s):  
J.H. Williams ◽  
L.S. Koster ◽  
V. Naidoo ◽  
L. Odendaal ◽  
A. Van Veenhuysen ◽  
...  

Eosinophilic meningoencephalitis (EME) has been described in various species of animals and in humans. In dogs it has been associated with protozoal infections, cuterebral myiasis and various other aetiologies. Ten cases of idiopathic eosinophilic meningoencephalitis have been reported in dogs and one in a cat where the origin was uncertain or unknown. The dogs were all males, of various breeds but with a predominance of Golden Retrievers and Rottweilers; they generally had a young age of onset. Two cases with no apparent underlying aetiology were diagnosed on post mortem examination. The 18-month-old, male Boerboel presented with sudden onset of cerebellar ataxia, as well as various asymmetrical cranial nerve deficits of 2 weeks' duration and without progression. Haematology revealed a peripheral eosinophilia. Necropsy showed extreme generalised congestion especially of the meninges and blood smear and histological sections of various tissues showed intravascular erythrocyte fragmentation with the formation of microcytes. Histopathology revealed severe diffuse cerebrocortical subarachnoidal meningitis and submeningeal encephalitis, the exudate containing variable numbers of eosinophils together with neutrophils and mononuclear cells. There was also deeper white matter and hippocampal multifocal perivascular mononuclear encephalitis and multifocal periventricular malacia, gliosis and phagocytosis of white matter. The cerebellum, brain stem and spinal cord showed only mild multifocal oedema or scattered occasional axon and myelin degeneration respectively, with no inflammation. Immunohistochemical staining of central nervous tissue for Toxoplasma gondii failed to show any antigen in the central nervous tissue. Ultrastructure of a single submeningeal suspected parasitic cyst showed it to be chromatin clumping within a neuron nucleus indicating karyorrhexis. Gram stain provided no evidence of an aetiological agent. The 3-year-old Beagle bitch had a Caesarian section after developing a non-responsive inertia 8 days prior to presentation. This animal's clinical signs included status epilepticus seizures unrelated to hypocalcaemia and warranted induction of a barbiturate coma. She died 4 hours later. Post mortem and histopathological findings in the brain were almost identical to those of the Boerboel and she also showed histological evidence of recent active intravascular haemolysis with microcyte formation. Rabies, distemper and Neospora caninum immunohistochemical stains were negative in the brains of both dogs. Immunohistochemical staining of the cerebral and meningeal exudates of the Beagle for T- and B-lymphocyte (CD3 and CD79a) markers showed a predominance of T-lymphocytes with fewer scattered B lymphocytes. A possible allergic response to amoxicillin / clavulanate is considered, as this appeared to be the only feature common to the recent history of both animals. An overview of EME in humans, dogs and cats is given and the previously published cases of idiopathic EME in dogs and the single published cat case are briefly reviewed.

1947 ◽  
Vol 85 (1) ◽  
pp. 131-140 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabel M. Morgan

By subcutaneous injection of central nervous tissue emulsified with adjuvants according to Freund's technique it has been possible to induce in the majority of monkeys an acute disseminated encephalomyelitis which is interpreted as an isoimmunization to CNS tissue. Positive reactions occurred only in response to CNS tissue containing white matter; i.e., cerebral white matter, spinal cord (whether normal or poliomyelitis-infected), and cortical "gray" matter (with an estimated 10 per cent contamination with white matter). No reaction occurred when peripheral nerve or kidney suspension or saline alone was injected with adjuvants. The perivascular and extravascular infiltration induced was confined to the CNS.


1930 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 404-415 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. D. F. MURRAY ◽  
DORIS SELBY

1. Chorio-allantoic grafts were made of entire unincubated blastoderms of the chick. The differentiation which occurred in the grafted blastoderms involved the formation of the following organs and tissues: central nervous tissue, cartilage, mesonephros, smooth muscle of the gut wall, gut, liver, probably epidermis. Cardiac muscle is probably present. The notochord is probably absent. There was practically no resemblance to normal anatomy. 2. The central nervous tissue was always found in the form of tubes. It was differentiated into grey and white matter, the former nearer the lumen of the tubes, the latter more peripheral. A germinal layer lines the tubes. Nerve trunks run off from the nerve tubes, but these show no approach to the normal anatomical arrangement. There has been differential determination between brain and spinal cord; this is indicated by the presence of an eye in one specimen. 3. The endoderm is present as a series of tubes, probably histologically differentiated into intra- and extra-embryonic endoderm. The presence of the liver indicates differential determination within the alimentary canal. 4. Similar grafts were made of fragments of unincubated blastoderms. In connection with the interpretation of these, two important sources of error are indicated: (a) the doubt which always exists in regard to the orientation of the cut which divides the blastoderm, (b) the variability in the stage attained by chick embryos of equal age. The grafts were thirds of blastoderm, with the exception of one which was a quarter. The plane of section was always parallel to the long axis of the egg, i.e. supposedly transverse to the long axis of the embryo. 5. The following organs and tissues differentiated in the grafts of blastoderm fragments: central nervous system with tubular arrangement, differentiated into grey and white matter, and giving off a few nerve trunks, endoderm in the form of tubes apparently differentiated into extra- and intra-embryonic endoderm, and also apparently with differential determination within the alimentary tract as indicated by the presence of liver in one case. Cardiac muscle is very doubtfully identified in several cases. It should be noted that in several cases the only apparent differentiation was of endoderm tubes. 6. It is concluded that: (a) The inhibition of differentiation seen in grafts of fragments of blastoderms is a consequence of the fragmentation and not of the grafting per Se, i.e. it is a result of the isolation of the graft from the embryo as a whole. (b) It is probable that the extent of this inhibition varies inversely with the size of the fragment. (c) Since a high grade of histological differentiation may be attained in the absence of anything even remotely suggestive of a normal gross anatomy, it is evident that it is not dependent thereon.


2021 ◽  
Vol 74 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Inmaculada Cuevas-Gómez ◽  
Mark McGee ◽  
José María Sánchez ◽  
Edward O’Riordan ◽  
Nicky Byrne ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is the main cause of mortality among 1-to-5 month old calves in Ireland, accounting for approximately one-third of deaths. Despite widespread use of clinical respiratory signs for diagnosing BRD, lung lesions are detected, using thoracic ultrasonography (TUS) or following post-mortem, in calves showing no clinical signs. This highlights the limitation of clinical respiratory signs as a method of detecting sub-clinical BRD. Using 53 purchased artificially-reared male dairy calves, the objectives of this study were to: (i) characterise the BRD incidence detected by clinical respiratory signs and/or TUS, (ii) investigate the association between clinical respiratory signs and lung lesions detected by TUS, and (iii) assess the effect of BRD on pre-weaning growth. Results Clinical BRD (based on Wisconsin clinical respiratory score and/or rectal temperature > 39.6 ºC) was detected in 43 % and sonographic changes (lung lesions) were detected in 64 % of calves from purchase (23 (SD; 6.2) days of age) until weaning, 53 days post-arrival. Calves with clinical BRD were treated. Sixty-one per cent calves affected with clinical BRD had lung lesions 10.5 days (median) before detection of clinical signs. Moderate correlations (rsp 0.70; P < 0.05) were found between cough and severe lung lesions on arrival day, and between rectal temperature > 39.6 ºC and lung lesions ≥ 2 cm2 on day 7 (rsp 0.40; P < 0.05) post-arrival. Mean average daily live weight gain (ADG) of calves from purchase to weaning was 0.75 (SD; 0.10) kg; calves with or without clinical BRD did not differ in ADG (P > 0.05), whereas ADG of those with severe lung lesions (lung lobe completely consolidated or pulmonary emphysema) was 0.12 kg/d less (P < 0.05) than calves without lung lesions. Conclusions Thoracic ultrasonography detected lung consolidation in calves that did not show signs of respiratory disease. The presence of severe lung lesions was associated with reduced pre-weaning growth. These findings emphasise the importance of using TUS in addition to clinical respiratory scoring of calves for an early and accurate detection of clinical and sub-clinical BRD.


2021 ◽  
pp. 104063872199668
Author(s):  
Waléria Borges-Silva ◽  
Mariana M. Rezende-Gondim ◽  
Gideão S. Galvão ◽  
Daniele S. Rocha ◽  
George R. Albuquerque ◽  
...  

Parasites resembling Neospora caninum or Toxoplasma gondii were detected by cytologic examination of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from a dog with neurologic disease. The dog became severely ill and was euthanized. Canine tissue homogenates were used for direct parasite isolation in cell culture, bioassay in 2 mouse lineages, and PCR. T. gondii was isolated in monkey kidney cells, and species identity was confirmed by PCR. Inoculated parasites were highly virulent for mice, which developed clinical signs and were euthanized immediately. PCR-RFLP for T. gondii using the cultured isolate (TgDgBA22) was conducted with 12 genetic markers, and a unique recombinant strain was identified. Detection of T. gondii by CSF cytology, although described in humans, had not been reported previously in dogs, to our knowledge, and was crucial for the diagnosis of toxoplasmosis in the examined dog.


1986 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 121-126 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. D. Sutherland ◽  
J. D. Almeida ◽  
P. S. Gardner ◽  
M. Skarpa ◽  
J. Stanton

During 1983 a severe episode of respiratory infection occurred in a marmoset colony at these laboratories. Of 91 marmosets, 69 showed clinical signs of disease, one died and nine were so ill that euthanasia was necessary. Eight were examined post mortem and all showed consolidation of the lungs. Laboratory studies were carried out in an attempt to establish the cause of the outbreak and an interstitial pneumonia was found in seven animals which were examined histologically. Direct electron microscopy of nasal swabs and lung samples revealed the presence of a high titre of a paramyxovirus, and subsequent immunofluorescence studies established that the particular paramyxovirus involved was parainfluenza virus type I. Subsequent studies showed that surviving affected animals had seroconverted to parainfluenza I virus while animals that had not been implicated in the outbreak had not.


1990 ◽  
Vol 68 (7) ◽  
pp. 1595-1599 ◽  
Author(s):  
David S. Lindsay ◽  
J. P. Dubey

The susceptibility of laboratory rats (Rattus norvegicus) to experimental inoculation with tachyzoites of Neospora caninum was examined. Groups of female rats were intramuscularly injected with 0, 2, or 4 mg of methylprednisolone acetate (MPA) 7 days prior to, and on the day of, subcutaneous inoculation with 0 or 1.5 × 105 tachyzoites. Clinical signs of disease or deaths did not occur in rats given nothing or only N. caninum tachyzoites. Rats given only 4 mg MPA failed to grow as well as rats given nothing or only N. caninum tachyzoites but were otherwise healthy. All of 20 rats given 4 mg MPA and tachyzoites died of hepatitis and pneumonia within 12 days postinoculation. Hepatic necrosis was the most striking lesion seen in these rats, and other milder lesions consisted of pneumonia, encephalitis, and myositis. The response of rats given 2 mg MPA and tachyzoites was less severe. Three of 20 rats died with encephalitis, myositis, hepatitis, and pancreatitis. Mild lesions, but no N. caninum tachyzoites, were seen in 3 of 14 rats inoculated only with tachyzoites. Rats given the 4 mg MPA treatment and inoculated with N. caninum tachyzoites appear to be suitable subjects for examining acute neosporosis and could be used in studies designed to examine treatment of acute disease.


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