trimethoprim--sulfamethoxazole-drug-combination and Cat-Diseases

The Republic of Zambia consists of only one veterinary teaching school at the University of Zambia (UNZA) where students and veterinarians are exposed to many bacterial pathogens including Staphylococcus aureus (SA) and Staphylococcus pseudintermedius (SP). The aim of this study was the characterization and antimicrobial susceptibility profile of eleven SA and 48 SP isolates from the veterinary hospitals' in- and outpatients and the environment. No isolate was resistant to cefoxitin by disk diffusion test and the corresponding resistance gene mecA was not found. In contrast, the resistance rates of SA to penicillin (63.6%) and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (36.4%) and SP to penicillin (52.1%) and tetracycline (25.0%) were the highest. A variety of sequence types (STs) without a predominant type including numerous novel types were determined, especially for SP (39.6%). The spa typing provided a clonal assignment for all SAs (100%) and 24 SPs (50%) with three and two novel types, respectively. This study has provided an overview of SA and SP in the veterinary teaching hospital at UNZA. However, for a better understanding of these species regarding pathogenesis and transmission, further studies on the prevalence and characterization of SA and SP from veterinary staff, pet owners, and farm animals in Zambia is needed.

Topics: Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Bacterial Typing Techniques; Base Sequence; Cat Diseases; Cats; DNA, Bacterial; Dog Diseases; Dogs; Drug Resistance, Bacterial; Hospitals, Animal; Hospitals, Teaching; Molecular Sequence Data; Penicillins; Pets; Prevalence; Staphylococcal Infections; Staphylococcus; Staphylococcus aureus; Tetracycline; Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination; Zambia

A 62-year-old patient with peritoneal dialysis (PD)-associated peritonitis is described. Identical strains of Pasteurella multocida and Streptococcus minor were cultured from the dialysate, and from the saliva of her recently adopted stray cat. Pasteurella is not often encountered as pathogen in PD-associated peritonitis, Streptococcus minor has never been cultured in human infection before. We emphasise the importance of hygiene in peritoneal dialysis and the need for testing pets when zoonotic pathogens are cultured.

Topics: Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Cat Diseases; Cats; Female; Humans; Middle Aged; Pasteurella Infections; Pasteurella multocida; Peritoneal Dialysis; Peritonitis; Saliva; Streptococcal Infections; Streptococcus; Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination; Zoonoses

A 4-month-old female kitten presented with chronic lower urinary tract signs and Escherichia coli cystitis, and was diagnosed with urinary bladder malakoplakia based upon histopathology. The kitten was treated with a prolonged antibiotic course and the malakoplakia resolved. Malakoplakia is a chronic granulomatous reaction characterized by the formation of Michaelis-Gutman bodies within von Hansemann macrophages. It is well described in humans, but has never been documented in a living veterinary patient. This case report describes the first successful treatment of malakoplakia in veterinary medicine.

Topics: Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Cat Diseases; Cats; Escherichia coli; Escherichia coli Infections; Female; Malacoplakia; Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination; Urinary Bladder Diseases; Urinary Tract Infections

Blastocystis is a common, enteric parasite. The pathogenicity of the organism is uncertain, but subtypes (ST) 1 and 3 have been reported more likely to cause irritable bowel-like symptoms.. We treated symptomatic patients positive for Blastocystis with conventional therapy and analysed 16 small-subunit (SSU) rDNA to assess clearance and carriage rates and ST prevalence of the parasite in the asymptomatic household members.. In a longitudinal, prospective case study, 11 symptomatic patients positive for Blastocystis underwent outpatient clinical assessment to exclude other diagnoses before 14 days of either metronidazole 400 mg three times daily or trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole 160/800 mg twice-daily therapy. Faecal specimens were collected from patients at baseline, day 15, 28 and 56 after therapy and from 17 family members and eight pets at day 15. Specimens were analysed using faecal smear, culture and polymerase chain reaction analysis of 16SSU rDNA.. No patient cleared the organism following therapy. ST 1 (45%), 3 (36%), 4 (36%) and 6 (9%) were found in the symptomatic Blastocystis patients, and ST identified before and after therapy were identical in each individual. All household contacts were positive for Blastocystis and 16/17 (94%) contacts showed identical Blastocystis ST to the symptomatic family member. All pets were positive for Blastocystis with polymerase chain reaction testing, 7/8 (88%) demonstrating ST concordance with the symptomatic Blastocystis patients.. Conventional therapy is ineffective for symptomatic Blastocystis infection. The high prevalence of Blastocystis infection within households suggested transmission between humans and their pets. Subtyping analysis of SSU rDNA alone in Blastocystis does not appear to predict pathogenicity.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Animals; Antiprotozoal Agents; Asymptomatic Diseases; Biopsy; Blastocystis; Blastocystis Infections; Carrier State; Cat Diseases; Cats; Disease Reservoirs; Dog Diseases; Dogs; Family Health; Female; Humans; Intestinal Mucosa; Male; Metronidazole; Middle Aged; Prospective Studies; Ribotyping; Treatment Failure; Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination; Young Adult