Is Vitamin D3 a Worthy Supplement Protecting against Secondary Infections in Dogs with Atopic Dermatitis?

Canine atopic dermatitis (CAD) is a common, chronic, inflammatory skin disease in dogs worldwide. This disease often predisposes for secondary organisms overgrowth and skin infections with pathogens, such as Staphylococcus pseudintermedius and Malassezia pachydermatis. Unfortunately, the causes of this disease in both humans and animals are not fully understood; therefore, the only possible option is a lifelong, symptomatic treatment. The management of CAD is mainly based on limiting contact with allergens and antipruritic therapy, most often with glucocorticoids and antihistamines. A serious problem in this situation is the fact, that long-term administration of glucocorticoids leads to side effects like polyuria, alopecia, increased susceptibility to infection, muscle atrophy, and many others. For this reason, great emphasis is placed on the development of replacement and supportive therapies. It is a well-documented fact that reduced concentrations of serum vitamin D3 contribute to the severity of atopic dermatitis symptoms in humans. Moreover, unlike the most commonly used therapeutic methods, of which the main goal is to ameliorate inflammation and pruritus, namely the symptoms of AD, vitamin D3 supplementation affects some underlying factors of this disease. Therefore, in this review, we summarize the current state of knowledge regarding the role of vitamin D3 in CAD, its protective effect against secondary bacterial and fungal infections, and the potential of its supplementation in dogs.

Pigeons as Carriers of Clinically Relevant Multidrug-Resistant Pathogens-A Clinical Case Report and Literature Review.

Pigeons are widespread bird species in urban regions (Columba livia forma urbana) and may carry pathogens with zoonotic potential. In recent years, more and more data indicate that these zoonotic pathogens are multidrug resistant. Our results confirmed that global trend. Three different multidrug-resistant pathogens were isolated from an oral cavity of a racing pigeon with lesions typical for pigeon pox virus infection. Staphylococcus aureus was recognized as methicillin resistant, thus resistant to all beta-lactams. Additionally, it was also resistant to many other classes of antibiotics, namely: aminoglycosides, tetracyclines, phenicols, lincosamides, and macrolides. Escherichia coli showed resistance to all antimicrobials tested, and it was classified as intermediate to amikacin. Moreover, Candida albicans resistant to clotrimazole, natamycin, flucytosine, and amphotericin and intermediate to ketoconazole, nystatin, and econazole was also isolated. This raises the question how pigeons acquire such highly resistant strains. Therefore, more data are needed concerning the resistance to antibiotics in strains from domestic and wild pigeons in Poland. Until the problem is fully understood, it will be challenging to implement adequate planning of any control measures and check their effectiveness.

Occurrence of various pathogenic and opportunistic fungi in skin diseases of domestic animals: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Fungal infection of animals or humans are common all over the world. Some of microorganisms like fungi, exist on the skin and can be transmitted onto other individuals, other animal species or even humans and cause skin infections. Moreover, they can be the causative agents of severe generalized infections especially in immunocompromised individuals. The study aimed to evaluate the most frequent etiological agents of skin diseases and to compare the prevalence of animal fungal infections in Poland, and to discuss the possibility of transmission to humans in Poland. RESULTS: The obtained results are culture based. The fungi most frequently isolated from group of animals with skin lesions were Malassezia pachydermatis (29.14%), and Candida yeasts (27.07%), and dermatophytes (23.5%), including Microsporum canis as majority of them (59.25%), and Trichophyton genus (40.7%), most of them T. mentagrophytes, while Malassezia pachydermatis represented (80%) of isolates in animals with otitis externa. In over 19% of positive fungal cultures obtained from external ear canals Candida yeasts, mainly C. albicans, were identified. CONCLUSIONS: Dermatomycoses in companion animals are caused by both, mycelial fungi and yeasts. Most frequently isolated were Malassezia pachydermatis and Candida spp. Dermatophytes (Trichophyton, Microsporum), were also cultured, but the total number of these isolates seems to decrease. We have not found Cryptococcus neoformans in tested clinical samples.

Mixed Infection of Respiratory Tract in a Dog Caused by Rhodotorula mucilaginosa and Trichosporon jirovecii: A Case Report.

This report describes the isolation of two environmental fungi: Rhodotorula mucilaginosa and Trichosporon jirovecii accompanied by Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli from a dog with bronchotracheitis. All microorganisms were isolated routinely from a mucopurulent discharge, obtained during bronchoscopy from laryngotracheal area. The initial identification of yeasts was confirmed by API Candida and by molecular analysis of internal transcribed spacer region. Administered antimicrobial treatment with Marbofloxacin and Canizol has brought the improvement in the dogs' health status. The final results of control mycological culture were negative. Most probably underlying hypothyroidism and the use of steroids were the factors predisposing this patient to opportunistic infection of mixed aetiology. As far as we are concerned, this is the first case of dogs' respiratory tract infection caused by R. mucilaginosa and T. jirovecii.

Comparison of lipid profiles of Malassezia pachydermatis strains isolated from dogs with otitis externa and without clinical symptoms of disease.

Malassezia pachydermatis can cause infections of the skin and mucous membranes, especially in animals. It becomes a problem also in medicine. It is considered that metabolic disorders as well as hormonal and immunological status of the host promote diseases caused by M. pachydermatis. Here we consider whether specific features of fungi could also favour infections. We checked whether there are differences in lipid profiles between strains obtained from dogs with otitis externa and strains obtained from healthy dogs. Lipid profiles were determined using thin layer chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. All analyses were carried out on 32 strains derived from dogs with otitis externa and 31 strains isolated from dogs without symptoms of disease. The results show that strains isolated from dogs without symptoms of otitis externa are characterised by a higher content of fatty acids. They contain significantly more behenic and lignoceric acids on medium without addition of lipids, and more oleic acid and total monounsaturated fatty acids on medium with lipids supplementation. These strains have also a higher content of esters of ergosterol and triglycerides. Data obtained show differences which may be specific features of M. pachydermatis-specific strains related to the ability of infection, which could be not directly related of the host condition.

Fungal colonization - an additional risk factor for diseased dogs and cats?

The aim of the presented mini-review is to review the literature data referring to opportunistic mycoses in pet dogs and cats suffering from other concurrent diseases, comparable to human medical disorders with high risk of secondary mycoses. This review also presents the preliminary results of a project aimed at understanding the fungal colonization and occurrence of secondary mycoses in pets suffering from metabolic disorders, neoplasms and viral infections. The incidence of opportunistic mycoses is higher in such individuals, mostly because of their impaired immunity. The main risk factors are primary and secondary types of immunodeficiency connected with anti-cancer treatment or neoplastic disease itself. Moreover, literature data and the results of our investigations show that Candida yeasts are prevalent among diabetic animals and indicate that these fungi are the main etiological agents of secondary infections of the oral cavity, GI and urogenital tracts. Other important conditions possibly favoring the development of mycoses are concurrent infections of cats with FeLV and FIV viruses. Thus, in all cases of the mentioned underlying diseases, animals should be carefully monitored by repeated mycological examination, together with inspection of other parameters. Also, the prophylaxis of opportunistic mycoses should be carefully considered alike other factors influencing the prognosis and the outcome of primary diseases.

High prevalence of Candida yeast in milk samples from cows suffering from mastitis in poland.

Mastitis is an economically important disease in which fungi belonging to the genus Candida may participate as etiological agents. This study focused on determining the frequency of fungal isolation and differentiation of fungal species isolated from milk of mastitic cows. Sixty-six milk samples from mastitic cows were studied, and 55 strains of fungi were isolated. Seven different species classified as Candida were identified basing on phenotypic properties, and the dominating species was C. parapsilosis. Genomic DNA was isolated and amplified in PCR with ITS1 and NL2 primers. Amplification products were digested with restriction enzymes HpaII and EcoRI. Amplification of DNA with ITS1 and NL2 primers resulted in products of different sizes. Comparison of product sizes in restriction fragment PCR REA confirmed differences among species. Strains grouped together on the basis of phenotype characteristics differed in restriction fragment profiles. None of the investigated species showed similar genetic profiles.

[Yeast-like fungi--occurrence in animals]. / Grzyby drozdzopodobne--wystepowanie u zwierzat.

The yeast-like fungi are typical opportunistic microorganisms which may be a part of normal commensally ontocenosis. Many species of Candida genus may be also a cause of candidosis in human and animals. Clinical symptoms occurred customly in patient with cellular immunity deficiencies. Horizontal (person-to-person) form of transmission is also possible, including family infection or group infection in animals, mostly in birds. According to actual data, zoonotic status of candidosis is still not fully documented. In animals, candidosis more often occurs as endogenic infection. The separate problem is infection of animals with significance suppressed immune system, e.g. with tumor diseases. In necroscopy investigation very often in these animals disseminated candidosis has been observed. On different way the infections of Candida spp. are manifested in birds, when Candida albicans occurs as marginal population of normal intestinal ontocenosis. During stress the intestinal fungal population is growing up for critical value and typical crop candidosis is developing. In our routine diagnostic work we have isolated Candida strains from nutritional tract in laboratory mice. This yeast were isolated also from the bottom of the boxes and from mice faeces.