Staphylococcus felis C4 exhibits in vitro antimicrobial activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius in a novel canine skin explant model.

Background: Canine superficial pyoderma is a common bacterial skin infection of dogs, generally caused by Staphylococcus pseudintermedius. The C4 strain of Staphylococcus felis was recently discovered to have strong antimicrobial activity against S. pseudintermedius in mice.

Telangiectatic osteosarcoma in four dogs: Cytologic, histopathologic, cytochemical, and immunohistochemical findings.

Telangiectatic osteosarcoma is a rare variant of osteosarcoma histologically and clinically similar to hemangiosarcoma (HSA). This case series describes the imaging and cytologic features of four histologically confirmed telangiectatic osteosarcomas, including the use of cytochemical stains. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) was applied to Wright-Giemsa-stained cytology slides, and Factor VIII immunohistochemistry was evaluated.

Case report: Intraneural perineurioma in dogs: a case series and brief literature review.

Intraneural perineurioma is an exceptionally rare neoplasm in animals. This case study comprises a series of three cases and a brief literature review focusing on canine intraneural perineurioma. The pathological and immunohistochemical findings are documented, revealing that canine intraneural perineurioma frequently affects adult dogs aged between 3 and 10 years old, with a male predominance.

The feline skin microbiome: interrelationship between health and disease.

Practical Relevance: As with other species, the skin microbiome of cats has been assessed over the past few years utilizing modern technologies. This has resulted in the identification of many more bacterial and fungal organisms compared with what had been recorded historically on the skin in various states of health and disease using culture-based studies. This information is expanding the knowledge of how microbial communities are impacted by various changes in the skin health of cats.

Tolerability and the effect on skin Staphylococcus pseudintermedius density of repeated diluted sodium hypochlorite (bleach) baths at 0.005% in healthy dogs.

Background: Dilute sodium hypochlorite (bleach) baths at 0.005% concentration twice weekly have been shown to markedly reduce the severity of atopic dermatitis in children, yet no tolerability and efficacy data are available for this treatment in dogs.

Objectives: To determine the local tolerability and the longitudinal effect on the density of Staphylococcus pseudintermedius of repeated diluted bleach baths on healthy dog skin.

Maternal exposure to ultrafine particles enhances influenza infection during pregnancy.

Background: Interactions between air pollution and infectious agents are increasingly recognized and critical to identify, especially to protect vulnerable populations. Pregnancy represents a vulnerable period for influenza infection and air pollution exposure, yet interactions during pregnancy remain unclear. Maternal exposure to ultrafine particles (UFPs, [Formula: see text] 100 nm diameter), a class of particulate matter ubiquitous in urban environments, elicits unique pulmonary immune responses.

Ultrafine Particulate Exposure Yields Sex- and Dose-Specific Responses to Neonatal Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection.

Exposure to particulate matter (PM) is associated with lower respiratory tract infections. The role of ultrafine particles (UFPs, ≤0.1 μm) in respiratory disease is not fully elucidated, especially in models of immunologically immature populations.

Childhood trauma subtypes may influence the pattern of substance use and preferential substance in men with alcohol and/or crack-cocaine addiction.

Objective: To compare the prevalence and subtypes of childhood maltreatment (CM) between individuals with and without substance use disorder (SUD) and investigate the influence of different traumas on the preferential use of substances and the severity of dependence.

Methods: The sample consisted of 1,040 men with SUD (alcohol users [n=315], crack-cocaine users [n=406], multiple-substance users [n=319]) and 201 controls. The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) and the Addiction Severity Index-6 (ASI-6) were used to assess CM and drug-use patterns.

NRF2-Dependent Placental Effects Vary by Sex and Dose following Gestational Exposure to Ultrafine Particles.

Exposure to ultrafine particles (UFPs, PM) during pregnancy triggers placental oxidative stress and inflammation, similar to fine PM (PM). The gene encodes a redox-sensitive transcription factor that is a major regulator of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory responses. Disruption of NRF2 is known to substantially enhance PM-driven oxidant and inflammatory responses; however, specific responses to UFP exposure, especially during critical windows of susceptibility such as pregnancy, are not fully characterized; To investigate the role of NRF2 in regulating maternal antioxidant defenses and placental responses to UFP exposure, wildtype (WT) and pregnant mice were exposed to either low dose (LD, 100 µg/m) or high dose (HD, 500 µg/m) UFP mixture or filtered air (FA, control) throughout gestation; HD-exposed female offspring exhibited significantly reduced fetal and placental weights.

NRF2 Protects against Altered Pulmonary T Cell Differentiation in Neonates Following In Utero Ultrafine Particulate Matter Exposure.

Early life exposure to particulate matter (PM) air pollution negatively impacts neonatal health. The underlying mechanisms following prenatal exposure, particularly to ultrafine particles (UFP, diameter ≤ 0.1 μm), are not fully understood; To evaluate the role of in response to in utero UFP exposure, we exposed time-mated -deficient () or wildtype (WT) mice to filtered air (FA) or 100 μg/m ultrafine PM daily throughout pregnancy.

Air pollution and children's health-a review of adverse effects associated with prenatal exposure from fine to ultrafine particulate matter.

Background: Particulate matter (PM), a major component of ambient air pollution, accounts for a substantial burden of diseases and fatality worldwide. Maternal exposure to PM during pregnancy is particularly harmful to children's health since this is a phase of rapid human growth and development.

Method: In this review, we synthesize the scientific evidence on adverse health outcomes in children following prenatal exposure to the smallest toxic components, fine (PM) and ultrafine (PM) PM.

Diagnostic Accuracy of a Direct Panfungal Polymerase Chain Reaction Assay Performed on Stained Cytology Slides.

Molecular techniques are increasingly being applied to stained cytology slides for the diagnosis of neoplastic and infectious diseases. Such techniques for the identification of fungi from stained cytology slides have not yet been evaluated. This study aimed to assess the diagnostic accuracy of direct (without nucleic acid isolation) panfungal polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by sequencing for identification of fungi and oomycetes on stained cytology slides from dogs, cats, horses, and other species.

Influence of the FIV Status and Chronic Gingivitis on Feline Oral Microbiota.

Feline chronic gingivostomatitis (FCGS) has an unclear pathogenesis with the oral microbiome and viral infections, such as feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), thought to contribute. Although the relationship between the FIV status and FCGS is not clear, one theory is FIV-induced immune dysregulation could contribute to oral dysbiosis, promoting FCGS development. To further understand the relationship between FCGS, FIV infection, and the oral microbiome, oral cavities of forty cats fitting within 4 groups (FIV- without gingivitis, FIV+ without gingivitis, FIV- with gingivitis, FIV+ with gingivitis) were swabbed.

Immersion Foot Syndrome in 6 Equids Exposed to Hurricane Floodwaters.

Prolonged exposure to water, known as immersion foot syndrome in humans, is a phenomenon first described in soldiers during World War I and characterized by dermal ischemic necrosis. In this report, we describe the pathologic findings of a condition resembling immersion foot syndrome in 5 horses and 1 donkey with prolonged floodwater exposure during Hurricane Harvey. At necropsy, all animals had dermal defects ventral to a sharply demarcated "water line" along the lateral trunk.

Malassezia species dysbiosis in natural and allergen-induced atopic dermatitis in dogs.

Malassezia dermatitis and otitis are recurrent features of canine atopic dermatitis, increasing the cost of care, and contributing to a reduced quality of life for the pet. The exact pathogenesis of secondary yeast infections in allergic dogs remains unclear, but some have proposed an overgrowth of M. pachydermatis to be one of the flare factors.

Analysis of Bacterial and Fungal Nucleic Acid in Canine Sterile Granulomatous and Pyogranulomatous Dermatitis and Panniculitis.

Next generation sequencing (NGS) studies are revealing a diverse microbiota on the skin of dogs. The skin microbiota of canine sterile granulomatous and pyogranulomatous dermatitis (SGPD) has yet to be investigated using NGS techniques. NGS targeting the 16S rRNA and ITS-1 region of bacterial and fungal DNA, respectively, were used to investigate if bacterial and fungal DNA were associated with skin lesions in cases of canine SGPD.

Characterization of the nasal and oral microbiota of detection dogs.

Little is known about physiological factors that affect the sense of olfaction in dogs. The objectives of this study were to describe the canine nasal and oral microbiota in detection dogs. We sought to determine the bacterial composition of the nasal and oral microbiota of a diverse population of detection canines.

Panfungal Polymerase Chain Reaction for Identification of Fungal Pathogens in Formalin-Fixed Animal Tissues.

Identification of fungal organisms often poses a problem for pathologists because the histomorphology of some fungal organisms is not specific, fresh tissues may not be available, and isolation and identification in culture may take a long time. The purpose of this study was to validate the use of panfungal polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to identify fungal organisms from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues. Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded curls were tested from 128 blocks containing canine, feline, equine, and bovine tissues with cutaneous, nasal, pulmonary, and systemic fungal infections, identified by the presence of fungi in histologic sections.

Evaluation of hyaluronic acid, procollagen type III N-terminal peptide, and tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase-1 as serum markers of canine hepatic fibrosis.

The only way to diagnose hepatic fibrosis in dogs is by histological assessment of a liver biopsy specimen. As this technique is invasive and susceptible to sampling variation, serum biomarkers are used to detect hepatic fibrosis in humans. The objective of this study was to assess the utility of hyaluronic acid (HA), procollagen type III N-terminal peptide (PIIINP), and tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) as serum markers of canine hepatic fibrosis.

SYSTEMIC HISTIOCYTIC SARCOMA IN A COMMON HIPPOPOTAMUS (HIPPOPOTAMUS AMPHIBIUS).

A 37-yr-old captive common hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) developed lethargy and decline in mobility that progressed to death, despite supportive therapy. Histopathologic examination revealed severe, diffuse, intravascular and interstitial infiltration of neoplastic histiocytes in the spleen, liver, lymph nodes, lungs, large intestine, kidneys, and thyroid gland. Neoplastic cells were pleomorphic with marked anisocytosis and anisokaryosis, scattered multinucleated giant cells, numerous bizarre mitotic figures, and marked erythrophagocytosis.

Histopathologic and Molecular Characterization of Sarcocystis calchasi Encephalitis in White-winged Doves ( Zenaida asiatica ) and Eurasian Collared Doves ( Streptopelia decaocto ), East-central Texas, USA, 2010-13.

Sarcocystis calchasi is a recently described apicomplexan parasite that causes encephalitis in avian hosts. We diagnosed one White-winged Dove ( Zenaida asiatica ) and two Eurasian Collared Doves ( Streptopelia decaocto ) in Texas, US, with a history of neurologic signs with protozoal encephalitis. On histologic examination, all three doves had moderate to severe meningoencephalitis characterized by large numbers of plasma cells, lymphocytes, and macrophages with gliosis and astrocytosis.

ABDOMINAL PREGNANCY IN A SERVAL (LEPTAILURUS SERVAL) SECONDARY TO UTERINE RUPTURE.

A 14-yr-old female serval (Leptailurus serval) died unexpectedly after 2 wk of inappetence and lethargy. Necropsy revealed a pyoabdomen with a full-term, well-developed fetus in the caudal abdomen covered by a mesenteric sac. The mesenteric sac communicated with a tear in the wall of the right uterine horn, supporting a diagnosis of secondary abdominal pregnancy.

Mitigation of colitis with NovaSil clay therapy.

Background/aims: Five million people currently live with Crohn's disease (CD) or ulcerative colitis, the two major forms of inflammatory bowel disease. Available treatments frequently result in side effects that compromise the immune health of the patient. Consequently, alternative therapies that cause fewer systemic effects are needed.

The effect of aflatoxin-B1 on red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) and assessment of dietary supplementation of NovaSil for the prevention of aflatoxicosis.

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a potent carcinogen that causes growth stunting, immunosuppression and liver cancer in multiple species. The recent trend of replacing fishmeal with plant-based proteins in fish feed has amplified the AFB1 exposure risk in farm-raised fish. NovaSil (NS), a calcium montmorillonite clay, has previously been shown to reduce AFB1 bioavailability safely and efficaciously in several mammalian species.