Page 1082 - Clinical Small Animal Internal Medicine

1020 Section 9 Infectious Disease

based on wet smear microscopy. PCR is able to diagnose Immunoglobulin deficiency and other congenital or
VetBooks.ir infection with high sensitivity and specificity, and cul- acquired states of immune suppression have been
reported in infected dogs [34]. Trophozoites and cysts
ture in an “in pouch” medium is also used for diagnostic
purposes. The drug of choice for treatment of T. foetus in
where the pathogen and its associated inflammatory
cats is ronidazole at 30 mg/kg PO q24h for 14 days. of Pneumocystis are found in the lung alveolar spaces
Ronidazole is neurotoxic to cats at higher doses and is response damage the alveolar septa. Dogs with pneu-
also teratogenic and should not be used to treat pregnant mocystosis suffer from respiratory distress, tachypnea,
or lactating queens or young kittens. weight loss, tachycardia, and exercise intolerance
which progress and worsen over weeks to months.
Thoracic radiographs show diffuse interstitial to
Pneumocystosis
alveolar patterns of lung disease and fluid collected on
Pneumocystis is a genus of pathogens most closely related bronchoalveolar lavage or lung aspirates may show
to Ascomycetes fungi. Current research has indicated Pneumocystis trophozoites and cysts by cytology. Lung
that Pneumocystis species appear to be host specific. Five histopathology and PCR are also helpful in confirming
species have been described, including Pneumocystis infection. Pneumocystis does not grow in fungal cul-
jirovecii which infects humans and P. carinii which is a ture and serologic tests have not provided a reliable
pathogen of rats, although much of the previous scien- diagnosis for canine infection.
tific literature has related to P. carinii as a human patho- The antimicrobial treatment of choice for canine
gen. Dogs may be infected with a different Pneumocystis pneumocystosis is trimethoprim‐sulfonamide at 15 mg/
species or strain provisionally termed P. canis. kg PO q8h for three weeks. Pentamidine isethionate at
Pneumocystis causes pneumonia in dogs and its 4 mg/kg IM q24h for two weeks is also used for pneumo-
transmission is thought to be air‐borne in inhaled res- cytosis treatment, as well as atovaquone at 15 mg/kg PO
piratory aerosol from infected hosts. Young dogs less q24h for three weeks, and a combination of clindamycin
than 1 year of age of either gender may be infected and and primaquine (3–13 mg/kg PO q8h for three weeks).
Cavalier King Charles spaniels, Shetland sheepdogs Supportive therapy to ease the respiratory distress is
and miniature dachshunds are predisposed to disease. necessary in acute pneumocystosis.

Selected Reading and References

1 Lappin MR. Update on the diagnosis and management 9 Watier‐Grillot S, Herder S, Marié JL, Cuny G,
of Toxoplasma gondii infection in cats. Top Compan Davoust B. Chemoprophylaxis and treatment of
Anim Med 2010; 25: 136–41. African canine trypanosomosis in French military
2 Baneth G, Thamsborg SM, Otranto D, et al. Major working dogs: a retrospective study. Vet Parasitol
parasitic zoonoses associated with dogs and cats in 2013; 194: 1–8.
Europe. J Comp Pathol 2016; 155(1 Suppl 1): S54–74. 10 Desquesnes M, Dargantes A, Lai DH, Lun ZR,
3 Esch KJ, Petersen CA. Transmission and epidemiology Holzmuller P, Jittapalapong S. Trypanosoma evansi and
of zoonotic protozoal diseases of companion animals. surra: a review and perspectives on transmission,
Clin Microbiol Rev 2013; 26: 58–85. epidemiology and control, impact, and zoonotic
4 Hartmann K, Addie D, Belák S, et al. Toxoplasma gondii aspects. Biomed Res Int 2013; 2013: 321237.
infection in cats: ABCD guidelines on prevention and 11 Rjeibi MR, Ben Hamida T, Dalgatova Z, et al. First
management. J Feline Med Surg 2013; 15: 631–7. report of surra (Trypanosoma evansi infection) in a
5 Dubey JP, Schares G. Neosporosis in animals – the last Tunisian dog. Parasite 2015; 22: 3.
five years. Vet Parasitol 2011; 180: 90–108. 12 Solano‐Gallego L, Koutinas A, Miró G, et al.
6 Lyon C. Update on the diagnosis and management of Directions for the diagnosis, clinical staging,
Neospora caninum infections in dogs. Top Compan treatment and prevention of canine leishmaniosis.
Anim Med 2010; 25: 170–5. Vet Parasitol 2009; 165: 1–18.
7 Ishigaki K, Noya M, Kagawa Y, Ike K, Orima H, Imai S. 13 Pennisi MG, Cardoso L, Baneth G, et al. LeishVet
Detection of Neospora caninum‐specific DNA from update and recommendations on feline leishmaniosis.
cerebrospinal fluid by polymerase chain reaction in a dog Parasit Vectors 2015; 8: 302.
with confirmed neosporosis. J Vet Med Sci 2012; 74: 1051–5. 14 Solano‐Gallego L, Miró G, Koutinas A, et al.
8 Madeira MF, Almeida AB, Barros JH, et al. Trypanosoma LeishVet guidelines for the practical management
caninum, a new parasite described in dogs in Brazil: of canine leishmaniosis. Parasit Vectors
aspects of natural infection. J Parasitol 2014; 100: 231–4. 2011; 4: 86.