Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Disseminated Mycobacterium avium infection in a Basset Hound dog
By Campora, Luca et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary diagnostic investigation : official publication of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, Inc·2011·Department of Animal Pathology, Italy·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Mycobacterium avium subspecies hominissuis disseminated infection in a Basset Hound dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 2-year-old female Basset Hound was brought to the vet with swollen lymph nodes, limping, and a history of intestinal infections and hair loss. Tests revealed a serious infection caused by Mycobacterium avium, which affected her lymph nodes, liver, and spleen. Despite efforts to diagnose and treat the condition, the extent of the disease was severe, and the dog was humanely euthanized. This case highlights potential health issues in certain Basset Hounds, particularly those with weakened immune systems.
People also search for: Basset Hound lymphadenopathy · dog persistent limping · Mycobacterium infection in dogs · dog immune system problems · Basset Hound health issues
Abstract
In the current report, a case in Italy of disseminated Mycobacterium avium subsp. hominissuis infection in a dog from an American lineage of Basset Hounds is described. A 2-year-old intact female Basset Hound presented with persistent lymphadenopathy, lameness, and a history characterized by coccidiosis, bacterial gastroenteritis, and alopecia. Lymphadenitis, with macrophages containing a few intracytoplasmic, negative staining, Ziehl-Neelsen-positive bacilli, was detected by a popliteal fine-needle aspirate leading to the diagnosis of mycobacteriosis. Ultrasound and X-ray examinations revealed visceral and mediastinal lymphadenopathy. Because of the extent of the disease, the dog was humanely euthanized. Significant gross abnormalities, such as enlargement of the cranial mediastinal lymph nodes with encapsulated areas of caseous necrosis and generalized lymphadenopathy, were observed at necropsy. Granulomatous lesions were histopathologically detected in the liver and spleen. Ziehl-Neelsen-positive bacilli were observed in all examined lymph node, liver, spleen, lung, and bone marrow smears. Lymph nodes and liver were collected in order to pursue speciation by bacterial culture and molecular biology; multiplex polymerase chain reaction results classified the pathogen as M. avium subsp. hominissuis. Although an immune system deficiency was not investigated, anamnesis suggests that the dog was immunocompromised. Furthermore, the dog came from an American stock of Basset Hound, and for some of this breed, a predisposition to this infection has been hypothesized.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21908381/