Disseminated zygomycosis caused by Conidiobolus incongruus in a deer

Entomophthoromycosis and mucormycosis as causes of pneumonia in Vietnamese potbellied pigs

Two Vietnamese potbellied pigs ( Sus scrofa) had respiratory disease and, on autopsy, both pigs had large masses in the lungs and thoracic cavity. Microscopically, pulmonary and pleural masses contained large areas with hyphae surrounded by hypereosinophilic cellular debris rimmed by abundant eosinophils, lymphocytes, plasma cells, and histiocytes with occasional multinucleate giant cells. The hypereosinophilic debris usually formed tight cuffs, or "sleeves" around the hyphae, compatible with Splendore-Hoeppli-like material. The fungal organisms were determined by PCR to be Conidiobolus incongruus in one pig and Mucor circinelloides in the other. Entomophthoromycosis and mucormycosis should be included in the differential diagnoses for swine pneumonia, particularly when there is evidence of granulomatous pulmonary masses and pleural effusion with eosinophilic inflammation.

Conidiobolomycosis in Sheep in Brazil

Conidiobolomycosis is reported in the state of Piauí, in the semiarid region of northeastern Brazil. Affected sheep had depression, weight loss, serous or mucohemorrhagic nasal discharge, and cranium-facial asymmetry from exophthalmos of 1 eye, generally with increased volume of the eyeball, keratitis, and corneal ulceration. At necropsy of 60 sheep, friable masses were observed in the posterior region of the nasal cavity, often destroying the ethmoturbinate bones. Frequently, the lesions invaded the nasal sinuses, cribiform plate, orbit, and brain. The masses were irregular, granular with moist surfaces, and soft and friable with white, yellow, or tan coloration. Dissemination of the lesion to lungs was observed in 27 sheep, to the brain in 26, to lymph nodes in 3, to the kidney in 2, and to the gallbladder and heart in 1. The microscopic examination showed granulomatous inflammation composed of central necrosis surrounded by lymphocytes, epithelioid and giant cells, and fibrous tissue. In all lesions, negatively stained structures representing hyphae were surrounded by Splendore-Hoeppli material. Coagulative necrosis, thrombosis, and vasculitis were also observed. Grocott methenamine silver stain showed 8–30-μm-thick hyphae, rarely septate or ramified, irregular in shape, and with black contoured wall, sometimes with bulbous dilatation in the extremities. On electron microscopy, the hyphae had a thick double wall surrounded by cellular remnants and an inflammatory exudate. Conidiobolus coronatus was isolated from the lesions of 6 sheep. Conidiobolomycosis is an important disease of sheep in the state of Piauí, and other regions of northeastern Brazil.

Disseminated Conidiobolus incongruus in a dog: A case report and literature review

Conidiobolomycosis is a rare fungal disease of both humans and animals, occurring mainly in tropical and subtropical climates. We describe a disseminated fungal infection in a young, apparently immunocompetent dog who initially presented for antibiotic resistant pneumonia. Histopathology and mycology identified a Conidiobolus sp., further confirmed as Conidiobolus incongruus through DNA sequencing of D1/D2 regions. This is the first report of this species causing disease in dogs and the fifth reported infection in animals.

Conidiobolomicose causada por Conidiobolus lamprauges em ovinos no Estado de Santa Catarina

Descreve-se um surto de conidiobolomicose em ovinos no Estado de Santa Catarina. O surto ocorreu entre os meses de dezembro e março de 2006, no município de Santo Amaro da Imperatriz, região litorânea do Estado. A propriedade possuía 75 ovinos da raça Santa Inês e seis desses animais adoeceram. Clinicamente os animais doentes apresentavam dificuldade respiratória, corrimento nasal seroso a mucossanguinolento e, por vezes exolftalmia. Na necropsia verificou-se uma massa amarelada na região etmoidal e adjacências que, às vezes, atingia os linfonodos regionais, cérebro, globo ocular e pleura. Microscopicamente a massa caracterizava-se por infiltrado inflamatório granulomatoso com áreas necróticas associadas a hifas largas pouco ramificadas. Através de exame molecular detectou-se DNA de Conidiobolus lamprauges. Os aspectos clínicos, epidemiológicos, macroscópicos, microscópicos e moleculares caracterizam a conidiobolomicose causada por Conidiobolus lamprauges em ovinos.

Molecular Characterization of Ovine Zygomycosis in Central Western Brazil

Zygomycosis is an important granulomatous disease that affects humans and animals, particularly sheep in tropical regions. Rhinofacial and nasopharyngeal zygomycosis were described in sheep in association with Conidiobolus spp. The present study characterized 5 samples of Conidiobolus isolated from 3 herds with clinical disease in Mato Grosso State, Brazil. The clinical and pathological findings were similar to nasopharyngeal zygomycosis. Based on morphological features, isolates were classified as Conidiobolus spp., and molecular phylogenetic analyses based on 18S ribosomal DNA grouped all isolates in a Conidiobolus lamprauges cluster. The current report describes the molecular characterization of ovine nasopharyngeal zygomycosis associated with C. lamprauges.

Morphologic and phylogenetic characterization of Conidiobolus lamprauges recovered from infected sheep

Conidiobolus lamprauges, a soil and plant entomophthoralean fungus, has been reported only in a horse and, more recently, in sheep with rhinopharyngeal entomophthoramycosis. Thus, little information is available to enable proper identification of this pathogen and its differentiation from other saprotrophic and pathogenic Conidiobolus species. Using classical mycological tools and molecular methodologies, we report for the first time the taxonomic and phylogenetic description of three C. lamprauges isolates recovered from sheep with rhinopharyngeal entomophthoramycosis. The distinctive clinical and pathological features of C. lamprauges are compared with those of other Conidiobolus spp. affecting sheep, as well as with those of the stramenopilan ovine agent Pythium insidiosum. The comparative morphological attributes of Conidiobolus spp. are also diagramed; along with the sequence data generated, they should assist laboratories in the identification of these uncommon species.

Hemograma, proteinograma, ionograma e dosagens bioquímicas e enzimáticas de ovinos acometidos por conidiobolomicose no nordeste do Brasil

Foram realizados eritrogramas, leucogramas, dosagens séricas de proteínas totais, albumina, globulinas, cálcio, fósforo, magnésio, cloretos, uréia, creatinina, bilirrubina total, direta e indireta e atividade sérica de aspartato aminotransferase (AST), fosfatase alcalina (FA) e gama-glutamiltransferase (GGT) de 56 ovinos afetados por conidiobolomicose e de 371 ovinos sadios provenientes dos mesmos rebanhos dos casos da doença. Os resultados revelaram que os ovinos com conidiobolomicose apresentam anemia arregenerativa normocítica normocrômica, leucocitose com neutrofilia e discreto desvio à esquerda regenerativo, com elevação da relação neutrófilo:linfócito, monocitose moderada, trombocitose, hipoproteinemia (hipoglobulinemia), hipomagnesemia, hipocalcemia e elevação dos teores de fósforo. As atividades séricas de AST e GGT estavam aumentadas e as de FA diminuídas. Não houve alteração nos níveis de uréia e creatinina, mas ocorreu hipoglicemia e hiperbilirrubinemia. Estes resultados podem ser utilizados para estudos experimentais da doença, em ensaios com tratamentos e para identificar casos precoces da enfermidade que não apresentem sinais clínicos. Além disso, os valores encontrados em 371 ovinos deslanados hígidos podem ser utilizados como valores referenciais para este tipo de ovinos na região semi-árida do Brasil.

Epidemiologia e sinais clínicos da conidiobolomicose em ovinos no Estado do Piauí

Foi realizado um estudo de ocorrência da conidiobolomicose ovina em 25 rebanhos no Estado do Piauí, de janeiro de 2002 a dezembro de 2004. A enfermidade acometeu apenas ovinos e ocorreu principalmente em abril-julho. A incidência média anual foi de 2,80% e a incidência semestral foi significativamente mais alta (P <0,05) no primeiro semestre (2,10%), durante a época chuvosa, do que no segundo semestre (0,69%), durante a seca. A incidência entre rebanhos variou de 0,1-14,3% e a letalidade foi de 100%. Ao exame clínico, os animais apresentavam apatia, emagrecimento progressivo, secreção nasal serosa, mucosa e/ou hemorrágica, dificuldade respiratória, respiração ruidosa, febre e na maioria dos casos assimetria crânio-facial e exoftalmia. Alguns ovinos permaneciam com a cabeça baixa ou a pressionavam contra objetos. O curso clínico foi de 1-5 semanas. As lesões macroscópicas, microscópicas e ultrastructurais e a identificação do agente são descritas separadamente. Este é o primeiro registro de conidiobolomicose em ovinos no Brasil, enfermidade endêmica no Estado do Piauí, associada à alta pluviosidade (1000-1600mm anuais) e alta temperatura (19-36ºC).

Gastric mucormycosis in a sika deer (Cervus nippon) associated with proliferation of Clostridium perfringens

Seven sika deer (Cervus nippon) died in a park where 30 deer were kept. One adult female deer died suddenly was necropsied. Severe hemorrhages were noted beneath the serous membranes of the forestomach and abomasum. Hyphal proliferation with neutrophil infiltration was observed in the mucous membranes of the stomaches, and the hyphae showed characteristics of order Mucorales. Catarrhal enteritis with hemorrhages was also observed. A large number of Clostridium perfringens was isolated from the contents of the abomasum and small intestine. The case was diagnosed as gastric mucormycosis associated with proliferation of Clostridium perfringens. The incidence occurred during breeding season and incorrect management was considered to be a predisposing factor for the infection.