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Feline cytauxzoonosis is a disease caused by Cytauxzoon felis, a protozoan that infects the red blood cells and macrophages. It is responsible for an acute and often fatal disease in domestic cats. The purpose of this study was to investigate the occurrence of C. felis infections in healthy cats. Piroplasm forms were seen in the erythrocytes of 2 cats, and C. felis DNA was identified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in one of them. The results demonstrate that erythrocytic piroplasmids associated with tick-borne parasitic protozoa may be found circulating in the blood of healthy cats in Rio de Janeiro. These can be differentiated from the morphologically similar forms of species such as Babesia by analysis of DNA, thereby demonstrating the potential for further studies of feline populations in Brazil.

This retrospective study evaluated the impact of the clinical presentation of pyometra on the morbidity and mortality of the affected bitches. The medical records of 47 bitches surgically treated for pyometra between May and December 2017 were evaluated. The admission data were analyzed to classify the animals according to the clinical presentation of pyometra, presence of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and organic dysfunctions (cardiovascular, neurological, renal, and hemostatic). The outcomes were recorded for up to 14 days. The overall mortality rate was 13%. Open and closed pyometra were identified in 62% (n= 29) and 38% (n= 18) of the cases, respectively. The SIRS was present in 44 (94%) bitches, and 27 (57%) had at least one organ dysfunction. The most prevalent dysfunction was hemostatic, followed by neurological, cardiovascular, and renal dysfunction. The clinical presentation of pyometra and the presence of SIRS did not correlate with each other, or with the presence of organ dysfunction and mortality. However, cumulative organ dysfunction (r=0.532, P=<0.001) and the presence of neurological (r= -0.371; P=0.012) and renal dysfunction (r=0.303; P=0.041) were correlated with mortality. Thus, the identification of organ dysfunction through physical examination and routine laboratory analysis proved to be more effective in identifying and predicting the critically ill patients than the SIRS criteria or clinical presentation of the disease. RESUMO: O objetivo deste estudo retrospectivo foi avaliar o impacto da apresentação clínica da piometra na morbimortalidade das cadelas afetadas. Foram avaliados os registros clínicos de 47 cadelas tratadas cirurgicamente para piometra entre maio e dezembro de 2017. Os dados recolhidos na admissão foram analisados para classificar os animais quanto à apresentação clínica da piometra, presença de critérios da Síndrome da Resposta Inflamatória Sistêmica (SRIS) e disfunções orgânicas - cardiovascular, neurológica, renal e hemostática. Foi registrado o desfecho durante 14 dias. A mortalidade global foi de 13%. Piometra aberta e fechada foram identificadas em 62% (n= 29) e 38% (n= 18) respectivamente. SRIS esteve presente em 44 (94%) cadelas e 27 (57%) tiveram pelo menos uma disfunção orgânica. A disfunção mais prevalente foi a hemostática, seguida da neurológica, cardiovascular e renal. A apresentação clínica da piometra e a presença de SRIS não se correlacionaram entre si ou com presença de disfunção orgânica e mortalidade. No entanto, a quantidade de disfunções orgânicas (r=0.532, P=<0.001) e a presença das disfunções neurológica (r= -0.371; P=0.012) e renal (r=0.303; P=0.041) foram correlacionados com mortalidade. Assim, a identificação de disfunções orgânicas através do exame físico e análises laboratoriais de rotina mostrou-se mais eficaz na identificação e previsão de pacientes críticos do que os critérios de SRIS ou a apresentação clínica da doença.

The growing proximity of wildlife to large urban niches arouses greater interest in understanding wild reservoirs in the epidemiology of diseases of importance to animal and human health. The aim of the present study was to investigate the presence of piroplasmids in opossums rescued from the metropolitan region of Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil. Blood and bone marrow samples were collected from 15 Didelphis aurita and subjected to DNA extraction and PCR using primers for the 18S rRNA, cox1 , cox3 , and hsp70 genes of piroplasmids. Clinical and hematological evaluation of the animals was also performed. Five (33.3%) of the 15 opossums tested positive for piroplasms in the nested PCR based on the 18S rRNA, and in two animals, it was possible to observe intra-erythrocytic structures compatible with merozoites. One of the positive animals showed clinical signs of infection such as jaundice, fever, and apathy. Anemia, low level of plasma protein, leukocytosis, and regenerative erythrocyte signs were observed in positive animals. Phylogenetic analysis based on both 18S rRNA and cox-3 genes demonstrated that the piroplasmids detected in D. aurita formed a unique sub-clade, albeit related to piroplasmids previously detected in Didelphis albiventris and associated ticks from Brazil. This study proposes the novel Piroplasmida Clade, namely “South American Marsupialia Group,” and reinforces the need for new clinical-epidemiological surveys to understand the dynamics of these infections in didelphids in Brazil.

This retrospective study evaluated the impact of the clinical presentation of pyometra on the morbidity and mortality of the affected bitches. The medical records of 47 bitches surgically treated for pyometra between May and December 2017 were evaluated. The admission data were analyzed to classify the animals according to the clinical presentation of pyometra, presence of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and organic dysfunctions (cardiovascular, neurological, renal, and hemostatic). The outcomes were recorded for up to 14 days. The overall mortality rate was 13%. Open and closed pyometra were identified in 62% (n= 29) and 38% (n= 18) of the cases, respectively. The SIRS was present in 44 (94%) bitches, and 27 (57%) had at least one organ dysfunction. The most prevalent dysfunction was hemostatic, followed by neurological, cardiovascular, and renal dysfunction. The clinical presentation of pyometra and the presence of SIRS did not correlate with each other, or with the presence of organ dysfunction and mortality. However, cumulative organ dysfunction (r=0.532, P=<0.001) and the presence of neurological (r= -0.371; P=0.012) and renal dysfunction (r=0.303; P=0.041) were correlated with mortality. Thus, the identification of organ dysfunction through physical examination and routine laboratory analysis proved to be more effective in identifying and predicting the critically ill patients than the SIRS criteria or clinical presentation of the disease. Key words: dog, open cervix, closed cervix, kidney dysfunction, neurological dysfunction. O impacto da apresentação clínica, presença de SIRS e disfunção de órgãos em cadelas com piometra O objetivo deste estudo retrospectivo foi avaliar o impacto da apresentação clínica da piometra na morbimortalidade das cadelas afetadas. Foram avaliados os registros clínicos de 47 cadelas tratadas cirurgicamente para piometra entre maio e dezembro de 2017. Os dados recolhidos na admissão foram analisados para classificar os animais quanto à apresentação clínica da piometra, presença de critérios da Síndrome da Resposta Inflamatória Sistêmica (SRIS) e disfunções orgânicas - cardiovascular, neurológica, renal e hemostática. Foi registrado o desfecho durante 14 dias. A mortalidade global foi de 13%. Piometra aberta e fechada foram identificadas em 62% (n= 29) e 38% (n= 18) respectivamente. SRIS esteve presente em 44 (94%) cadelas e 27 (57%) tiveram pelo menos uma disfunção orgânica. A disfunção mais prevalente foi a hemostática, seguida da neurológica, cardiovascular e renal. A apresentação clínica da piometra e a presença de SRIS não se correlacionaram entre si ou com presença de disfunção orgânica e mortalidade. No entanto, a quantidade de disfunções orgânicas (r=0.532, P=<0.001) e a presença das disfunções neurológica (r= -0.371; P=0.012) e renal (r=0.303; P=0.041) foram correlacionados com mortalidade. Assim, a identificação de disfunções orgânicas através do exame físico e análises laboratoriais de rotina mostrou-se mais eficaz na identificação e previsão de pacientes críticos do que os critérios de SRIS ou a apresentação clínica da doença. Palavras-chave: cão, cérvix aberta, cérvix fechada, disfunção renal, disfunção neurológica.

This retrospective study evaluated the impact of the clinical presentation of pyometra on the morbidity and mortality of the affected bitches. The medical records of 47 bitches surgically treated for pyometra between May and December 2017 were evaluated. The admission data were analyzed to classify the animals according to the clinical presentation of pyometra, presence of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and organic dysfunctions (cardiovascular, neurological, renal, and hemostatic). The outcomes were recorded for up to 14 days. The overall mortality rate was 13%. Open and closed pyometra were identified in 62% (n= 29) and 38% (n= 18) of the cases, respectively. The SIRS was present in 44 (94%) bitches, and 27 (57%) had at least one organ dysfunction. The most prevalent dysfunction was hemostatic, followed by neurological, cardiovascular, and renal dysfunction. The clinical presentation of pyometra and the presence of SIRS did not correlate with each other, or with the presence of organ dysfunction and mortality. However, cumulative organ dysfunction (r=0.532, P=<0.001) and the presence of neurological (r= -0.371; P=0.012) and renal dysfunction (r=0.303; P=0.041) were correlated with mortality. Thus, the identification of organ dysfunction through physical examination and routine laboratory analysis proved to be more effective in identifying and predicting the critically ill patients than the SIRS criteria or clinical presentation of the disease.