Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Protothecosis in dogs: species types and drug resistance patterns
By Proskurnicka, Angelika et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2025·Department of Medical Microbiology·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Genotyping and drug susceptibility profiling of Prototheca sp. strains isolated from cases of protothecosis in dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A dog with a rare and serious infection called protothecosis was studied to understand the best treatment options. This infection is caused by a type of algae, with the most common species being Prototheca bovis. Researchers found that efinaconazole, an antifungal medication, was the most effective treatment against this infection, while fluconazole was much less effective. The findings suggest that efinaconazole could be a good option for treating dogs with this condition, which can be quite aggressive and has a high fatality rate if not addressed properly.
People also search for: dog protothecosis treatment · efinaconazole for dog infections · symptoms of protothecosis in dogs
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Protothecosis in dogs is a rare, yet emerging disease, distinguished by its often-aggressive clinical course and high fatality rate. Our study was conducted to enhance treatment protocols for affected dogs by better understanding the genetic diversity and drug resistance patterns of Prototheca species. OBJECTIVES: To identify species and drug susceptibility profiles of an international collection of 28 Prototheca strains isolated from cases of protothecosis in dogs. ANIMALS: None. METHODS: Retrospective study. Species-level identification was made for isolates from 28 dogs in 6 countries by molecular typing with the partial cytb gene as a marker. For the determination of minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and minimum algicidal concentrations (MACs), the Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) protocol (M27-A3) was used. RESULTS: Prototheca bovis was the most prevalent species, accounting for 75% (21/28) of the cases, followed by P. wickerhamii (18%; 5/28) and P. ciferrii (7%; 2/28). Of the 6 drugs tested, efinaconazole (EFZ) was the most potent in vitro, with its median MIC and MAC values equal to 0.125 mg/L. The lowest activity was found for fluconazole (FLU), with MIC and MAC medians of 48 mg/L and 64 mg/L, respectively. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Our study identifies P. bovis as the species that most frequently causes protothecosis in dogs, which suggests the possibility of cross-species infection from other animals, especially cows. Additionally, it indicates that EFZ could be used in the treatment of infection in the colon.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39564964/