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Actinomycosis in the Dog
14
T H B B ll I T I S H V E T E R I N A R Y J 0 U R N A L
ACI'INOMYCOSIS IN THE DOG By WASSEF MANSI Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Y eterinary Laboratory, WeybrUip
WHILE · working on canine-distemper virus at the Veterinary Senun Institute, Cairo, between May, 1943, and May,' 1947, many cases ol actino· mycosis in dogs were noticed. Every year cases appeared between April and October, but none was ever encountered ' during the winter. The affected dog usually showed a rise in temperature, dullness, and swollen face (Fig. 1 ) • The swelling of the lymphatic .glands developed very quickly : they would increase from the size of a hazel nut to a walnut in a matter of a few hours. In the majority of cases all the lymphatic glands were affected (Figs. 1 and 2). Bursting of local abscesses, sometimes associated with a drop in temperature, did not indicate recovery. The case almost invariably ended with the death of the· animal. In a few instances multiple lentil-sized, greyish nodules were observed distributed throughout both lungs. Th'e peritoneal and pleural cavities were usually filled with dark, bloqd-stained, purulent fluid which contained many small, soft, yellowish granules. The sublumbar _a nd the deep inguinal lymphatic glands contained abscesses, and their bursting was responsible for the peritonitis.. , The counie of the disease was very short and death usually occurred within three to ~ve days from the appearance of the swollen glands. McGaughey et al. (1951) reported survival for eleven days: this may have· been due to treatment. An organism was isolated from both the purulent materials in supp'urating glands and from lung nodules. It was a Gram-positive, aerobic, slightly acid-fast (resisted decolorisation with 5 per cent sulphuric acid) organism, and .occurred as dense mycelia. The filaments showed true branching. -On Sabouraud's medium, mycelium was not produced. Only small coccal forms were found • in ·smears made from cultures. This organism appears to belong to the same group of actinomycosis as those dCS<:ribed by Ginsberg and Little (1948) and McGaughey et al. ( 1951 ). Experimentally, the subcutaneous inoculation of young puppies and full~wn dogs with fresh, purulent material and with suspensions of fungi grown ' in cultures, did not produce any ill effect. During the period 1943 to 1947, 24 dogs were inoculated at the Serum Institute, Cairo. Acknowledgment
· I am grateful to Mr. note.
J.
R. Hudson for his encouragement in preparing this
REFERENCES McGaughey, C. A, Bateman, ]. K., and Mackenzie, P . Z. (1951): Brit. Vet. /1., 1fJ1, 428. Ginsberg, A., and Little, A. C. W. (1948) : Jl. Path. Bact. , 60, 563.
FH;, I. - Alsatian bitch showing e nku·gem ent of th e lymp hatic g land s of the h ead and of the left foreleg-.
F\c . 2.-Enlar gement of the su pe rfi cial inguinal g lan d of the sam e animal.
(Ar ticle by Mausi, page 14)
T H B B ll I T I S H V E T E R I N A R Y J 0 U R N A L
ACI'INOMYCOSIS IN THE DOG By WASSEF MANSI Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Y eterinary Laboratory, WeybrUip
WHILE · working on canine-distemper virus at the Veterinary Senun Institute, Cairo, between May, 1943, and May,' 1947, many cases ol actino· mycosis in dogs were noticed. Every year cases appeared between April and October, but none was ever encountered ' during the winter. The affected dog usually showed a rise in temperature, dullness, and swollen face (Fig. 1 ) • The swelling of the lymphatic .glands developed very quickly : they would increase from the size of a hazel nut to a walnut in a matter of a few hours. In the majority of cases all the lymphatic glands were affected (Figs. 1 and 2). Bursting of local abscesses, sometimes associated with a drop in temperature, did not indicate recovery. The case almost invariably ended with the death of the· animal. In a few instances multiple lentil-sized, greyish nodules were observed distributed throughout both lungs. Th'e peritoneal and pleural cavities were usually filled with dark, bloqd-stained, purulent fluid which contained many small, soft, yellowish granules. The sublumbar _a nd the deep inguinal lymphatic glands contained abscesses, and their bursting was responsible for the peritonitis.. , The counie of the disease was very short and death usually occurred within three to ~ve days from the appearance of the swollen glands. McGaughey et al. (1951) reported survival for eleven days: this may have· been due to treatment. An organism was isolated from both the purulent materials in supp'urating glands and from lung nodules. It was a Gram-positive, aerobic, slightly acid-fast (resisted decolorisation with 5 per cent sulphuric acid) organism, and .occurred as dense mycelia. The filaments showed true branching. -On Sabouraud's medium, mycelium was not produced. Only small coccal forms were found • in ·smears made from cultures. This organism appears to belong to the same group of actinomycosis as those dCS<:ribed by Ginsberg and Little (1948) and McGaughey et al. ( 1951 ). Experimentally, the subcutaneous inoculation of young puppies and full~wn dogs with fresh, purulent material and with suspensions of fungi grown ' in cultures, did not produce any ill effect. During the period 1943 to 1947, 24 dogs were inoculated at the Serum Institute, Cairo. Acknowledgment
· I am grateful to Mr. note.
J.
R. Hudson for his encouragement in preparing this
REFERENCES McGaughey, C. A, Bateman, ]. K., and Mackenzie, P . Z. (1951): Brit. Vet. /1., 1fJ1, 428. Ginsberg, A., and Little, A. C. W. (1948) : Jl. Path. Bact. , 60, 563.
FH;, I. - Alsatian bitch showing e nku·gem ent of th e lymp hatic g land s of the h ead and of the left foreleg-.
F\c . 2.-Enlar gement of the su pe rfi cial inguinal g lan d of the sam e animal.
(Ar ticle by Mausi, page 14)