Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University, Burdur, Turkey.
Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University, Burdur, Turkey.
J Mycol Med. 2024 Sep;34(3):101501. doi: 10.1016/j.mycmed.2024.101501. Epub 2024 Jul 29.
Cryptococcosis is a systemic zoonotic disease that is challenging to diagnose based on clinical findings in cats and dogs due to the nonspecific nature of its clinical presentation. This case report aims to document the first confirmed case of disseminated cryptococcosis caused by Cryptococcus neoformans in a dog in Turkey and to highlight the potential link between natural disasters such as earthquakes and the emergence of zoonotic diseases in domestic animals. A two-and-a-half-year-old spayed female Cocker Spaniel presented with increased respiratory sounds, skin lesions, facial swelling and enlarged lymph nodes. These symptoms appear to be a complication of Demodex infestation due to the stress experienced by the dog following exposure to a severe earthquake. Diagnostic procedures including cytologic examination, fungal culture and DNA sequence analysis, which confirmed the infection was caused by C. neoformans. Due to the delay in the correct diagnosis of the disease, which, contrary to common data, started as an allergic reaction on the skin and was later diagnosed as a Demodex infestation, the dog died of severe respiratory failure during the treatment with itraconazole. The case highlights the critical role of veterinary emergency and critical care in the diagnosis and management of zoonotic diseases post-natural disasters. It also highlights the need for increased awareness and preparedness among veterinary professionals to address animal health challenges following such events.
隐球菌病是一种系统性人畜共患病，由于其临床表现的非特异性，根据临床发现对猫和狗进行诊断具有挑战性。本病例报告旨在记录首例在土耳其由新型隐球菌引起的犬播散性隐球菌病，并强调地震等自然灾害与家养动物中出现人畜共患病之间的潜在联系。一只两岁半大的已绝育雌性可卡犬出现呼吸音增强、皮肤损伤、面部肿胀和淋巴结肿大。这些症状似乎是由于狗在经历强烈地震后受到压力而导致的犬螨虫感染的并发症。包括细胞学检查、真菌培养和 DNA 序列分析在内的诊断程序证实感染是由新型隐球菌引起的。由于疾病的正确诊断被延误，与常见数据相反，疾病最初表现为皮肤过敏反应，后来被诊断为犬螨虫感染，因此在使用伊曲康唑治疗期间，狗因严重呼吸衰竭而死亡。该病例强调了兽医急救和重症监护在自然灾害后诊断和管理人畜共患病方面的关键作用。它还强调了兽医专业人员在应对此类事件后提高动物健康挑战意识和做好准备的必要性。
