Infectious Disease Module 2

Question 1

What is toxoplasma and how is it transmitted?

Answer 1

Intestinal protozoan parasite
- Cat is the definitive host (sexual stage)
- Asexual development in intermediate hosts (dogs and birds) which can lead to myositis and stiff gait (bradyzoites incysting in muscle)

Eating meat with bradyzoities
Fecal-oral

Question 2

Diagnosing toxoplasma

Answer 2

Paired serum samples
IgM correlates best with in fection
Tachy/Brady seen in effusions

Question 3

What is neospora and how is it transmitted?

Answer 3

Coccidian protozoa - definitive host is a do
No zoonosis, similar morphologically to toxo

Transmission through
Transplacental - Animals will be affect <1year - progressive paraplegia, stiff gait
Oral - cause subtle signs of multifocal CNS disease, cerebral atorphy

Question 4

Diagnosis of neospora?

Answer 4

CK and AST increased
Serology - rising titre
Non-specific EMG chages
PCR - can be found in non-clinical dogs

Question 5

Possible DDx for infectious resp disease?

Answer 5

• FCV
• FHV
• Chlamydophilia
• Bordetella
• Mycoplasma
• Influenza

Question 6

FHV: clinical signs and transmission

Answer 6

CS: URT (sneezing, pyrexia, inappettance, rhinitis, eosinophilic dermatitis), latent infection within trigeminal nerve ganglia, abortion, neuro signs rare

Transmission: close contact, aerosol (rare)
- Kitten with low MDA go straight to latent phase with subclinical infection
- clinical disease worse in kittens and immunocompromised cats
- Lasting immunity is short lived and lasts for about 6mths

Question 7

Calici Virus: Transmission, pathophys

Answer 7

Transmission: close and direct contact, also fleas (ingested through grooming)

CS: severe URT, anorexia, fever, ulceration (oral/pedal) can be FCV-VSD (virulent systemic disease) - affecting pancreas/liver/coag

Question 8

Vaccines for FHV/FCV

Answer 8

Good at preventing C.S of disease but do not prevent shedding or latent disease - carriers should be boosted once recovered to increase immunity

Question 9

What are the feline retroviruses?

Answer 9

FeLV and FIV

Question 10

What is Leishmaniasis caused by?

Answer 10

Protozoal disease of dogs and occasionally cats
Sand fly is a vector
Zoonotic risk

Question 11

Common clinical signs of Leish?

Answer 11

IM disease: glomerulonephritis, polyarthritis, uveitis, bleeding
PUPD
Lymphadenopathy
Skin lesions: exfoliative dermatitis, hyperkeratotic foot pads

Question 12

What causes lymes disease? Vectors? Transmission?

Answer 12

Caused by spirochete bacteria - borrelia burgdorfi
Ixodes sp.
Takes 1-6mths to develop

Question 13

What infections can affect kidneys?

Answer 13

• Lymes disease
• FIP
• Leishmania

Question 14

How to diagnose lymes disease?

Answer 14

Serology - needs marked increase to prove
- IgG increase good takes weeek s
PCR - poorly sensitive but can do on tissue -
blood/joints

Question 15

Diagnosing leishmaniasis?

Answer 15

Sick animals
- Cytology on LN, BM, spleen to find
promastigotes
- PCR blood, BM, tissue to find promastigotes
- Serology

Chronic Leish
- Cytology/PCR starting point
- Serology if above is negative

Question 16

What is babesiosis? Vector? CS? Dx:

Answer 16

Tick borne parasitic disease which leads to infection of the erythrocytes and can result in severe and life threatening anaemia

Dermacetor/Rhicip tick - transmitted through feeding after being attached for 48-72hrs

CS:
Anaemia, SIRs - Acute illness
IMHA, IMTP
Splenomegaly

Dx:
Mainly in immature red cells - pyriform organisms best in peripheral ear/feet samples
PCR on EDTA bloods - allows speciation
Serology possible but not great

Question 17

What are rickettsial diseases found in Uk/Europe? and what do they affect?

Answer 17

Ehrlichia - Rhipicephalous
- Multiplies in macrophages - intracytoplasmic inclusions in monocytes/macrophages
- Visualisation: peripheral vein + buffy coat analysis
- Serology rising titre (IFA)
- ELISA
- PCR - good for confirming if cleared

Anaplasma - rarely cause disease
- Some strains granulocytes and another in platelets intracellular
- PCR EDTA, Direct visualisation