Immunohistochemical Cross-Reactivity Between Paracoccidioides sp. from Dolphins and Histoplasma capsulatum.

Paracoccidioidomycosis ceti is a cutaneous disease of cetaceans caused by uncultivated Paracoccidioides brasiliensis or Paracoccidioides spp. Serological cross-reactions between paracoccidioidomycosis ceti and paracoccidioidomycosis, paracoccidioidomycosis and histoplasmosis, and paracoccidioidomycosis and coccidioidomycosis have been reported before. The present study aimed to detect immunohistochemical cross-reaction between antibodies to Paracoccidioides sp.

Isolation of dermatophytes and related species from domestic fowl (Gallus gallus domesticus).

We investigated 793 bird combs [645 chickens and 148 fighting cocks (Shamo)] to determine the prevalence of dermatophytes and their related fungal species. The targeted fungal species were recovered from 195 of the 793 examined birds (24.6 %).

Survey of Coxiella burnetii in ticks collected from dogs in Japan.

For a survey of Coxiella burnetii, the Q fever agent, ticks infesting companion dogs were collected in Aomori, Tochigi, Gifu and Okinawa Prefectures, Japan. A total of 261 ticks were collected, and their species were identified morphologically. Five tick species were identified: Ixodes ovatus, Haemaphysalis concinna, H.

Isolation of Microsporum gallinae from a fighting cock (Gallus gallus domesticus) in Japan.

A case of tinea corporis caused by Microsporum gallinae was found in 2011 in Okinawa, located in the southern part of Japan. The patient was a 96-year-old, otherwise healthy, Japanese man, who had been working as a breeder of fighting cocks for more than 70 years. He was bitten on his right forearm by one of the cocks and a few weeks later, two erythematous macules appeared on the right forearm, accompanied by a slight itchy sensation.

Isolation of Fusarium sp. from a claw of a dog with onychomycosis.

An 8-year-old male Golden Retriever had lameness and claw abnormality in the second digit of the left forelimb. Radiography revealed osteomyelitis in the distal phalanx bone of the affected limb. Microscopic examination of the claw revealed numerous hyphae in the claw matrix.

Giardia and other intestinal parasites in dogs from veterinary clinics in Japan.

The present study is the first report that describes the national survey of intestinal parasites in private household dogs brought to veterinary clinics in Japan. A total of 2,365 fresh feces were collected. Giardia-specific coproantigen was examined by ELISA kit (SNAP(®) Giardia, IDEXX Laboratories, Inc.

The infectivity and pathogenicity of a group 2 bovine coronavirus in pups.

Canine respiratory coronavirus (CRCoV), which is more closely related to the bovine coronavirus (BCoV), has recently been detected in dogs. In this study, we examined whether BCoV was capable of infecting and exhibiting pathogenicity in dogs. Three 1-month-old pups were oronasally given field isolates of BCoV, and were kept together with 2 control animals.

The prevalence of a group 2 coronavirus in dogs in Japan.

Canine coronavirus (CCoV) has been reported to cause acute diarrhea mainly in young pups. CCoV and feline coronavirus are classified as group 1 coronaviruses. However, it has recently been reported in the United Kingdom that the group 2 coronavirus gene, which is more closely related to the bovine coronavirus (BCoV) and human coronavirus strain OC43, has been detected in respiratory tract tissue samples from dogs with respiratory disease.

Vaccine efficacy of a cell lysate with recombinant baculovirus-expressed feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) virus nucleocapsid protein against progression of FIP.

The Type II feline infectious peritonitis virus (FIPV) infection of feline macrophages is enhanced by a monoclonal antibody (MAb) to the S protein of FIPV. This antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) activity increased with the MAb that showed a neutralizing activity with feline kidney cells, suggesting that there was a distinct correlation between ADE activity and the neutralizing activity. The close association between enhancing and neutralizing epitopes is an obstacle to developing a vaccine containing only neutralizing epitopes without enhancing epitopes.

Ability of CD8(+) T cell anti-feline immunodeficiency virus activity correlated with peripheral CD4(+) T cell counts and plasma viremia.

In the host defense mechanism against feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) infection, CD8(+) T cells specifically attack virus-infected cells and suppress the replication of the virus in a non-cytolytic manner by secreting soluble factors. In this study, we measured CD8(+) T cell anti-FIV activity in 30 FIV-infected cats. We investigated its relationship with the number of peripheral blood lymphocytes, particularly the CD4(+) T cell and CD8(+) T cell counts, and the relationship between anti-FIV activity and the number of T cells of CD8alpha(+)beta(lo) and CD8alpha(+)beta(-) phenotypes.