Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Where Pythium insidiosum infections occur in US dogs and horses
By Nguyen, Don et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2021·Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Geographic distribution of Pythium insidiosum infections in the United States.
Plain-English summary
A study found that Pythium insidiosum infections, which can cause serious skin and intestinal problems, are most commonly seen in dogs and horses in the southeastern United States. Infected animals often show non-healing skin lesions or intestinal masses. The research highlights that dog cases are typically diagnosed from September to February, while horse cases are more frequent in the summer and fall. If your dog has unusual skin issues or digestive problems and has been in these areas, it's important to discuss the possibility of this infection with your veterinarian.
People also search for: dog skin lesions · Pythium insidiosum infection in dogs · non-healing skin problems in pets · intestinal issues in dogs · southeastern US dog infections
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To describe the geographic distribution of infections caused by Pythium insidiosum in dogs, horses, and other animal species in the US. ANIMALS: For the last 20 years, we have collected data from cases of pythiosis in 1,150 horses, 467 dogs, and other species (59) from various geographic locations in the US. PROCEDURES: Due to lost data (from 2006 to 2016), the selected cases include years 2000 to 2005 and 2016 to 2020. The selection of cases was based on infected host clinical features, serum samples demonstrating strong positive anti-P insidiosum IgG titers in serologic assays, and positive results on ≥ 1 of the following diagnostic modalities: microbial culture on 2% Sabouraud dextrose agar, histologic evaluation, PCR assay, and wet mount cytologic evaluation (with potassium hydroxide). RESULTS: Most confirmed P insidiosum infections were found in horses and dogs in the southeastern US. Interestingly, in Texas, no cases were found west of longitude 100°W. Few pythiosis cases were diagnosed in west-coast states. Equine cases were more often diagnosed during summer and fall months, but canine cases were more often diagnosed between September and February. Cases in other species were discovered in the same geographic areas as those in dogs and horses. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: To our knowledge, this is the first report providing the ecological distribution of P insidiosum infection in affected species in the US. Results of this study illustrated the importance of including P insidiosum in the differential diagnostic scheme of nonhealing skin lesions or intestinal granulomatous masses, particularly in dogs and horses inhabiting or having visited endemic areas.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34968184/