Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Mycobacteria infections in Miniature Schnauzer dogs and cats
By Barandiaran, Soledad et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary diagnostic investigation : official publication of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, Inc·2017·Department of Infectious Diseases·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Mycobacterioses in dogs and cats from Buenos Aires, Argentina.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of Miniature Schnauzers in Buenos Aires showed vague symptoms like weight loss and lethargy, which made it hard for their owners to pinpoint the issue. Testing revealed that eight of these dogs had a type of bacteria called Mycobacterium avium, while one had M. fortuitum. This suggests that Miniature Schnauzers might be more prone to these infections. The findings indicate that pets can carry these bacteria and potentially spread them to humans and other animals. Treatment details were not specified, but early diagnosis is crucial for managing these infections.
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Abstract
Mycobacterioses can produce nonspecific clinical signs in dogs and cats that make diagnosis difficult. Furthermore, the full characterization of mycobacterial agents is not always possible or practical. We characterized mycobacteria detected through cytology in 12 dogs and 7 cats with generalized clinical signs from the province of Buenos Aires in Argentina. In dogs, molecular testing confirmed the presence of Mycobacterium avium subsp. hominissuis (MAH) in 8 cases and M. fortuitum in 1 case. All dogs were Miniature Schnauzers, suggesting that this breed may be more susceptible to M. avium than other dog breeds. The cat isolates were 2 M. bovis, 1 M. fortuitum, and 1 MAH. Mycobacterial interspersed repetitive unit-variable-number tandem repeat patterns suggested possible links with cattle, swine, and humans studied previously in Argentina. The results show that pets may act as susceptible hosts with the potential risk of transmitting the infection to humans and other animals.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28599612/