Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Fatal heart inflammation from Toxoplasma infection in a pet dog
By Dorsch, Matías A et al.·Published in Veterinary parasitology, regional studies and reports·2022·Plataforma de Investigació·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Fatal Toxoplasma gondii myocarditis in an urban pet dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 70-day-old Boxer puppy in Montevideo, Uruguay, died after showing signs of neurological issues, breathing problems, and gastrointestinal upset for six days. An autopsy revealed severe heart inflammation caused by Toxoplasma gondii, a parasite that usually doesn't cause noticeable illness in dogs but can lead to serious problems in some cases. Other potential causes of heart inflammation were ruled out. Unfortunately, this puppy did not survive, highlighting the need for awareness about the risks of toxoplasmosis in pets and its potential impact on human health.
People also search for: puppy breathing problems · Boxer dog heart inflammation · Toxoplasma gondii in dogs · why is my puppy sick · dog respiratory and gastrointestinal symptoms
Abstract
A 70-day-old Boxer dog from a household in Montevideo, Uruguay, died after presenting neurologic, respiratory, and gastrointestinal signs for 6 days. Autopsy findings included lymphadenomegaly, ascites and hepatomegaly. Histopathology revealed severe widespread lymphohistiocytic and plasmacytic myocarditis with cardiomyocyte necrosis, mineralization and numerous intrasarcoplasmic protozoa immunoreactive with anti-Toxoplasma gondii antisera on immunohistochemistry. The protozoa were ultrastructurally confirmed as T. gondii by transmission electron microscopy. Other lesions included diffuse centrilobular hepatocellular necrosis, multifocal lymphohistiocytic portal hepatitis and interstitial nephritis. Other causes of myocarditis, including Neospora caninum, Trypanosoma cruzi, Sarcocystis neurona, canine distemper virus, and canine parvovirus were ruled out by immunohistochemistry. Toxoplasma gondii infections in dogs are usually subclinical; however, clinical disease with fatal outcome can occur. To our knowledge, this is the first report of fatal toxoplasmosis in a dog in Uruguay. This case raises awareness for dogs as sentinels and possible sources of human toxoplasmosis in urban settings in Uruguay.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35012716/