Prevalence of Bartonella species, hemoplasmas, and Rickettsia felis DNA in blood and fleas of cats in Bangkok, Thailand.

Flea infestations are common in Thailand, but little is known about the flea-borne infections. Fifty flea pools and 153 blood samples were collected from client-owned cats between June and August 2009 from veterinary hospitals in Bangkok, Thailand. Total DNA was extracted from all samples, and then assessed by conventional PCR assays. The prevalence rates of Bartonella spp. in blood and flea samples were 17% and 32%, respectively, with DNA of Bartonella henselae and Bartonella clarridgeiae being amplified most commonly. Bartonella koehlerae DNA was amplified for the first time in Thailand. Hemoplasma DNA was amplified from 23% and 34% of blood samples and flea pools, respectively, with 'Candidatus Mycoplasma haemominutum' and Mycoplasma haemofelis being detected most frequently. All samples were negative for Rickettsia felis. Prevalence rate of B. henselae DNA was increased 6.9 times in cats with flea infestation. Cats administered flea control products were 4.2 times less likely to be Bartonella-infected.

Fluorescence in-situ hybridization for the identification of bacterial species in archival heart valve sections of canine bacterial endocarditis.

Bacterial endocarditis (BE) is defined as inflammation of cardiac valve structures and/or the endocardium secondary to bacterial infection. Canine valvular BE is associated with significant morbidity and mortality and ante-mortem diagnosis and post-mortem identification of causative organisms is problematic. Identification of bacteria in canine BE has traditionally relied on visualization of organisms on histological sections stained with haematoxylin and eosin (HE), Gram and modified Steiner's stains. Each of these staining techniques has limitations with respect to identification of bacterial species in cases of BE. Fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH) has been introduced recently as a technique to identify bacteria in biological specimens. To our knowledge, FISH has not been used previously to identify bacteria in archival samples of heart valves from dogs with naturally occurring BE. We sought to determine whether FISH could detect the presence and species of bacteria in archival heart valve sections from dogs with BE, and to compare FISH to histochemical stains in the identification of bacteria. FISH detected bacteria in seven of 17 cases of canine BE and showed near perfect agreement with modified Steiner's stain for the detection of bacteria. FISH identified Streptococcus spp. and/or Staphylococcus spp. in all of these cases, but Bartonella spp. were not identified.

Spontaneous diabetes mellitus in captive Mandrillus sphinx monkeys: a case report.

Case history The two obese mandrills (Mandrillus sphinx) showed clinical signs of depression, anorexia, hyperglycemia, hypertriglyceridemia, glucosuria, proteinuria and ketonuria. Septic bed sore wounds were noted on both fore and hind limbs. Results Histopathological study revealed severe islet amyloidosis in both mandrills. Immunohistochemical study using polyclonal anti-cat amylin antibody confirmed derivation of the islet amyloid from islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP). Cardiomyopathy and myocardial fibrosis were also evident. Conclusions The present study documents diabetes mellitus in two obese mandrills. Diabetes in these animals had features very similar type 2 diabetes mellitus of humans, including the development of severe, IAPP-derived islet amyloidosis. The mandrill may, therefore, serve as an animal model of human type 2 diabetes mellitus.