Marianne Richter

Parachlamydia acanthamoebae in domestic cats with and without corneal disease

Corneal samples of cats with and without corneal diseases were screened with a pan-Chlamydiales PCR and specific PCRs for Parachlamydia, Protochlamydia, Chlamydophila felis, Acanthamoeba and feline herpesviruses (FHV-1). Several corneal samples tested positive for Parachlamydia and related Chlamydiales, indicating cat exposure to these intracellular bacteria.

Clinical presentation, treatment, and outcome of dacryocystitis in rabbits: a retrospective study of 28 cases (2003–2007)

OBJECTIVE To document the clinical presentation, diagnostics, treatment, and clinical outcome of rabbits with dacryocystitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS This retrospective study included 28 rabbits diagnosed with dacryocystitis. Available records of clinical and ophthalmological examinations, bacteriological samplings, diagnostic imaging, and treatment were reviewed. A telephone survey of the owners was conducted to evaluate recovery and recurrences. RESULTS The mean age of the 28 rabbits presenting with ocular discharge from the nasolacrimal duct was 4.4 years. In 25 rabbits (89%), dacryocystitis was a unilateral finding. No underlying cause could be determined in 10 animals (35%). Dental malocclusion was observed in 14 rabbits (50%) and rhinitis in two animals (7%), with one animal showing both symptoms (4%). One rabbit (4%) presented with panophthalmitis. Most animals (96%) received topical antibiotic treatment. If necessary, additional topical (acetylcysteine, vitamin A ointment, nonsteroidals) or systemic treatment (antibiotics, nonsteroidals, paramunity inducer, and glucocorticoids) was provided. The mean duration of therapy was 5.8 weeks. The nasolacrimal duct was flushed in 27 of 31 affected eyes (87%). Dentistry was performed in 80% of the animals suffering from malocclusion. Regarding the clinical outcome, 12 animals (43%) showed complete recovery, eight rabbits (28%) were euthanized, three (11%) died due to unrelated causes, and three (11%) were lost to follow-up. Two rabbits (7%) continue to display signs of dacryocystitis and are being treated symptomatically by the owners. CONCLUSIONS This study reports the clinical presentation, treatment, and outcome of dacryocystitis in rabbits and outlines the importance of examination of the oral cavity, diagnostic imaging, and bacteriologic sampling.

Clinical, virological, and immunological parameters associated with superinfection of latently with FeHV-1 infected cats.

Infections with feline herpesvirus type 1 (FeHV-1) are frequently associated with recurrent ocular disease, which may occur even in vaccinated cats. The underlying pathogenesis is poorly understood. Specifically, the role of circulating, superinfecting virus strains is unknown. To begin addressing this complex question, we reconstituted a marker-tagged mutant FeHV-1 from a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) harboring the FeHV-1 genome. This mutant was deleted for the glycoprotein G gene (DeltagG) but carried instead a gene encoding the green fluorescent protein (GFP). Nine latently with wild-type (wt) FeHV-1-infected cats were superinfected with this mutant and monitored for clinical, virological, and immunological parameters. While the mutant virus replicated locally, induced a rise in neutralizing antibody titers, and stimulated the interferon system, no evidence for ocular illness or reactivation of the underlying wtFeHV-1-infection was detected. However, cyclophosphamide-dexamethasone (C-D) treatment, applied 16 months after the superinfection, was able to reactivate wtFeHV-1. Reactivation was accompanied by recrudescence of ocular disease signs. In contrast, reactivation of the superinfecting mutant virus was not detected. Since kittens are normally infected with wtFeHV-1 prior to the first immunization, the data described in this study may be valuable for designing future live attenuated FeHV-1 vaccines.

Surgical Removal of a Retrobulbar Adenoma in an African Grey Parrot (Psittacus erithacus)

Abstract An African grey parrot (Psittacus erithacus) was presented with exophthalmos and a semisolid mass dorsomedial to the left eye that led to ventrotemporal deviation of the globe. Ultrasonography of the eye revealed a well-demarcated mass of cystic appearance, retrobulbar to the left eye. Cultures of samples of the mass acquired by fine needle aspiration were negative for bacteria and Mycoplasma species. Metaplasia of a periorbital gland caused by hypovitaminosis A was suspected, and vitamin A supplementation was initiated. Because of unresponsiveness to therapy, the cystic mass was surgically removed. The histologic diagnosis was adenoma. The surgical wound healed well, and no recurrence was observed 10 months later. To our knowledge, this is the first report of surgical removal of a retrobulbar adenoma in this species with the eye remaining intact and functional.