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Background and Aim: Despite worldwide case reports, including Brazilian cases, no frequency study on infection of pets by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been conducted to date in Brazil. Accordingly, the present study was aimed to assess dogs and cats belonging to positive owners in Recife, Northeastern Brazil. Materials and Methods: This was a longitudinal prospective study on dogs and cats in the city of Recife whose owners were in isolation at home due to a confirmed laboratory diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 through reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Oral and rectal swabs from the pets were tested for the presence of SARS-CoV-2-specific RNA by means of RT-qPCR. Results: Among the pets tested, 0/16 dogs and 2/15 cats were positive for SARS-CoV-2. Interestingly, the two positive cats were owned by two unrelated asymptomatic veterinary students, which, therefore, post a warning to veterinarians worldwide. Conclusion: The findings herein indicate that cats may act as sentinels for human cases, particularly sharing households with asymptomatic human cases. Although with small sampling and convenient recruiting, the presence of infected cats by SARS-CoV-2 was most likely due to close cat-human contact with positive owners, posting a human-animal health threat when pets share the same bed and interact with owners without protection, particularly during owner self-isolation. Thus, infected owners should follow the same human preventive guidelines with their pets to avoid spreading infection.

Chloride is an essential element, playing important roles in digestion, muscular activity, regulation of body fluids, and acid-base balance. As the most abundant anion in extracellular fluid, chloride plays a major role in maintaining electroneutrality. Chloride is intrinsically linked to sodium in maintaining osmolality and fluid balance and has an inverse relationship with bicarbonate in maintaining acid-base balance. It is likely because of these close ties that chloride does not get the individual attention it deserves; we can use these facts to simplify and interpret changes in serum chloride concentrations.

The clinical signs of hyperkalemia usually are less evident than hypokalemia. Arrhythmia and bradycardia could be the first changes noticed. Most cases of persistent hyperkalemia are associated with renal retention of potassium. Common causes for hyperkalemia include hypoadrenocorticism, ruptured bladder, and urethral or bilateral ureteral obstruction. Drug such as angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, potassium-sparing diuretics, and nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs can also lead to hyperkalemia.

Metabolic alkalemia is characterized by an increase in bicarbonate concentration and base excess, an increase in pH, and a compensatory increase in carbon dioxide pressure. This article outlines indications for analysis, reference ranges, causes, and clinical signs of metabolic alkalosis. Algorithms for evaluation of patients with acid-base disorders and metabolic alkalosis are included.

Hydrogen concentration is a critical determinant of many physiologic functions and is tightly regulated. Any alteration in acid-base equilibrium sets into motion a compensatory response by either the lungs or the kidneys. The compensatory response attempts to return the ratio between Pco2 and [HCO3-] to normal and thereby minimize the pH change. A primary increase or decrease in one component is associated with a predictable compensatory change in the same direction in the other component, and the expected compensation can be estimated clinically in dogs and cats.

Background Splenic nodules and heterogeneous parenchyma are seen frequently in abdominal ultrasound examinations of dogs, but the clinical importance of these lesions remains unclear. Objectives To determine whether specific ultrasonographic findings correlate with clinically relevant cytologic diagnoses and determine what sonographic features are correlated with these diagnoses. Another objective was to develop a scoring rubric to help clinicians make decisions on whether or not certain ultasonographic findings of the spleen warrant evaluation by fine-needle cytology. Animals One-hundred twenty-five adult client-owned dogs with ultrasonographically identified splenic nodules, heterogeneous parenchyma, or both. Methods Medical records were retrospectively searched for ultrasound-guided splenic fine-needle cytology reports. Ultrasonographic images were assessed for nodule number, size, echogenicity and distal enhancement, degree of splenic heterogeneity, and peritoneal fluid. Dogs were divided into 2 groups: those with clinically important or clinically irrelevant cytologic findings. Potentially useful and discriminatory ultrasonographic findings were identified by statistical analysis, and the most useful findings were used to generate the scoring rubric. Results The clinically important group included 25 of 125 dogs (22 malignancies, 3 suppurative inflammation). Splenic nodules 1-2 cm in diameter, peritoneal fluid, and >1 targetoid nodule were associated with clinically important cytologic findings. Receiver operator characteristic analysis showed that the scoring rubric was useful for identifying dogs in the clinically important group. Conclusions and clinical importance Splenic fine-needle cytologic findings identified a clinically relevant diagnosis in 20% of dogs, and larger nodule size, number of targetoid lesions, and presence of peritoneal fluid increase the likelihood of detection of clinically important disease.

Records of all Diagnostic laboratory submissions from 2012 to 2015 were examined and subjected to analysis according to species, location of infection, species of bacteria, and antibiotic resistance/susceptibility. A total of 23.8% of all culture isolates were Staphylococcus sp. Of those Staphylococcus, 43% were isolated from surgical site infections. Staphylococcus pseudintermedius accounted for approximately 28% of all staphylococcus cultures, while methicillin-resistant (MR) S. pseudintermedius accounted for 8% of all staphylococcus cultures. Environmental samples were also collected by swabbing surfaces in the intensive care unit (ICU) and anesthesia prep room at the OSU VTH. Isolated bacterial colonies were subjected to PCR for species identification and for the presence of the mecA gene. Ability of horizontal transfer in vitro of the mecA gene was evaluated by incubating the mecA positive bacterium, with the mecA negative bacterium, and then plated onto agar plates infused with known concentration of oxacillin. Colonies were then subjected to PCR for species and mecA identification. Horizontal transfer of the mecA gene was demonstrated and confirmed via PCR from MR S. epidermidis to MS S. pseudintermedius in an in vitro model that mimicked the veterinary hospital environment. Biofilms were established using four Staphylococcus species isolated from swabbing the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and anesthesia prep room and were resistant when exposed to the current cleaning agent. Staphylococcus species makeup nearly ¼ of all infections at OSU VDL during the four years of the study, and MS S. pseudintermedius was shown to acquire the mecA gene from an environmental strain.

Background: Urinary tract infection caused by Escherichia coli is a frequently observed condition both in humans and animals. Uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) has been shown to have a pathogenicity island that enables them to infect the urinary tract. Because there is little information about the presence of UPEC-associated virulent genes in animal isolates this work was carried out with the intent to enhance the understanding about the strains of E.coli that cause infections in animals. Results: We screened 21 E. coli strains isolated causing urinary tract infection in domestic animals. Primers were designed to amplify urinary infection-associated genes. Nine genes, papA, tcpC, fyuA, tpbA, Lma, hylA, picU, tonB, and flicC were then amplified and sequenced. Different from the human isolate CFT073, all the animals E. coli lack some of the pathogenesis-associated genes. Genes encoding for proteins used to scavenge iron appear not to be so necessary during animal infections as they are in human infection. In further investigation of phenotypic properties, it was observed that animal UPECs have significantly more impaired ability to form biofilms than human UPEC strain. Conclusions: This study identified significant differences between human and animal UPECs. This may have its roots in the fact that it is difficult to determine if an animal has symptoms. Future studies will focus on some of the observations.

High anion gap (AG) metabolic acidoses can be identified by a decrease in pH, decrease in HCO3- or base excess, and an increased AG. The AG represents the difference between unmeasured cations and unmeasured anions; it increases secondary to the accumulation of anions other than bicarbonate and chloride. The most common causes of high AG acidosis are renal failure, diabetic ketoacidosis, and lactic acidosis. Severe increases in concentration of phosphorus can cause hyperphosphatemic acidosis.

This article serves as a quick reference for the anion gap and strong ion gap. Guidelines for analysis and interpretation of changes are presented.

This article serves as a quick reference for hyponatremia. Guidelines for analysis and causes, signs, and a stepwise approach are presented.

This article serves as a quick reference for metabolic alkalosis. Guidelines for analysis and causes, signs, and a stepwise approach are presented.

This article serves as a quick reference for hypernatremia. Guidelines for analysis and causes, signs, and a stepwise approach are presented.

The recognition and management of acid-base disorders is a commonplace activity in the critical care unit, and the role of weak and strong acids in the genesis of metabolic acid-base disorders is reviewed. The clinical approach to patients with metabolic alkalosis and metabolic acidosis is discussed in this article.

For many vector-borne organisms, dogs can be used as sentinels to estimate the risk of human infection. The objective of this study was to use dogs as sentinels for multiple vector-borne organisms in order to evaluate the potential for human infection with these agents in southeastern Brazil. Blood from 198 sick dogs with clinicopathological abnormalities consistent with tick-borne infections were selected at the São Paulo State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Botucatu and tested for DNA and/or antibodies against specific vector-borne pathogens. At least one organism was detected in 88% of the dogs, and Ehrlichia canis DNA was amplified from 78% of the blood samples. Bartonella spp. seroreactivity was found in 3.6%. Leishmania chagasi antibodies were detected in 1% of the dogs. There was no serological or polymerase chain reaction evidence of infection with Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Borrelia burgdorferi, Ehrlichia chaffeensis, Ehrlichia ewingii, and Rickettsia rickettsii. The full E. canis 16S rRNA gene sequence of one of the Brazilian strains obtained in this study was identical to the causative agent of human ehrlichiosis in Venezuela. Ehrlichia canis may pose a human health hazard and may be undiagnosed in southeastern Brazil, whereas exposure to the other organisms examined in this study is presumably infrequent.

Nephrolithiasis has rarely been reported in marine mammals. During 2004 and 2005, two cases of nephrolithiasis were diagnosed during routine necropsy examination, one in a northern elephant seal (Mirounga angustirostris) and one in a California sea lion (Zalophus californianus). Nephroliths were found throughout both kidneys during necropsy examination, varying in size from 1-10 mm in diameter in the northern elephant seal and from 1-15 mm in diameter in the California sea lion. Necropsy and histopathology revealed nephroliths in association with renal pelvic dilation and pyelonephritis in both animals. In addition, hydronephrosis was noted in the sea lion. Nephroliths were composed of uric acid and ammonium urate in the northern elephant seal and of ammonium urate in the California sea lion. The underlying disease leading to nephrolith formation was not determined; however, it is hypothesized that unknown metabolic derangements due to morphologic or physiologic differences may have played a role. This is the first report of urate nephrolithiasis in the California sea lion and northern elephant seal.

Babesia gibsoni was first recognized in India in 1910. Analysis of 18S rRNA has shown that there are at least three distinct isolates that are morphologically identical. Although organisms similar to B. gibsoni have been identified in peripheral blood smears from one dog in Brazil, this isolate has not been molecularly characterized. Accordingly, we obtained blood samples from 16 dogs with intraerythrocytic inclusion bodies. DNA was extracted and amplified with primers that detect a segment of the 18S rRNA gene of the Babesia genus. Amplicons of the expected size for B. gibsoni were observed in 4 of the 16 dogs. The sequence of the 18S rRNA yield a 460 base pair segment that had a 99% homology with the B. gibsoni genotype Asia 1. Our findings suggest that the small piroplasm that naturally infects dogs in Brazil is B. gibsoni genotype Asia.

The two most common haemotropic Mycoplasma of cats, Mycoplasma haemofelis and ‘ Candidatus Mycoplasma haemominutum’ have been identified using molecular techniques in all continents, except Antarctica. We report the first molecular characterization in South America of a dual infection with M haemofelis and ‘ Candidatus Mycoplasma haemominutum’ in three domestic cats. The 16S ribosomal RNA gene was amplified in three anaemic cats in which haemoplasma organisms were seen attached to the erythrocytes in the peripheral blood smear. Bands of the expected size for M haemofelis and ‘ Candidatus Mycoplasma haemominutum’ were observed in all three cats. The 393 bp segment of one of the amplicons had a similarity value of 100% to M haemofelis, whereas the other amplicon, a 192 bp segment, was 100% similar to ‘ Candidatus Mycoplasma haemominutum’. After diagnosis, two cats received blood transfusion and they were all treated with doxycycline. All three cats recovered uneventfully.

Erliquiose é uma doença causada por rickettsias pertencentes ao gênero Ehrlichia. No Brasil, estudos sorológicos e moleculares têm avaliado a ocorrência de espécies de Ehrlichia em cães, gatos, animais selvagens e seres humanos. Ehrlichia canis é a principal espécie em cães no Brasil, embora a infecção por E. ewingii tenha, recentemente, despertado suspeita em cinco cães. O DNA de E. chaffeensis foi detectado e caracterizado em cervo-do-pantanal, enquanto que E. muris e E. ruminantium ainda não foram identificadas no Brasil. A erliquiose monocítica canina causada pela E. canis parece ser altamente endêmica em muitas regiões do Brasil, embora dados de prevalência não estejam disponíveis em muitas delas. O DNA de E. canis também foi detectado e caracterizado em três gatos domésticos, enquanto anticorpos contra E. canis foram detectados em felídeos neotropicais de vida livre. Evidências sorológicas sugerem a ocorrência de erliquiose humana no Brasil, entretanto, o agente etiológico ainda não foi identificado. A melhoria do diagnóstico molecular promoverá a identificação e caracterização de espécies associadas à erliquiose humana no Brasil. Ehrlichiosis is a disease caused by rickettsial organisms belonging to the genus Ehrlichia. In Brazil, molecular and serological studies have evaluated the occurrence of Ehrlichia species in dogs, cats, wild animals and humans. Ehrlichia canis is the main species found in dogs in Brazil, although E. ewingii infection has been recently suspected in five dogs. Ehrlichia chaffeensis DNA has been detected and characterized in mash deer, whereas E. muris and E. ruminantium have not yet been identified in Brazil. Canine monocytic ehrlichiosis caused by E. canis appears to be highly endemic in several regions of Brazil, however prevalence data are not available for several regions. Ehrlichia canis DNA also has been detected and molecularly characterized in three domestic cats, and antibodies against E. canis were detected in free-ranging Neotropical felids. There is serological evidence suggesting the occurrence of human ehrlichiosis in Brazil but its etiologic agent has not yet been established. Improved molecular diagnostic resources for laboratory testing will allow better identification and characterization of ehrlichial organisms associated with human ehrlichiosis in Brazil.

Hemotrophic mycoplasmas infect a variety of mammals. Although infection in humans is rarely reported, an association with an immunocompromised state has been suggested. We report a case of a Mycoplasma haemofelis–like infection in an HIV-positive patient co-infected with Bartonella henselae.

This article serves as a quick reference for the analysis of chloride abnormalities. Guidelines for causes, signs, and stepwise approaches for corrected hypochloremia and hyperchloremia are presented.

This article serves as a quick reference for metabolic acidosis. Guidelines for analysis and causes, signs, and a stepwise approach are presented.

Canine ehrlichiosis and babesiosis have a worldwide distribution with geographic variation in prevalence and main clinical manifestations. We prospectively determined seroprevalence of canine babesiosis and ehrlichiosis, and risk factors for seropositivity. Three hundred and eighty-one dogs were randomly selected to represent the canine population at a Veterinary Teaching Hospital in south Brazil (latitude 23 degrees S). Dogs were tested with a point-of-care ELISA for Ehrlichia canis antibodies and IFA to confirm previous exposure to Babesia vogeli. Multiple logistic regression analysis was then used to estimate adjusted odds ratio (OR) and their 95% confidence intervals. One hundred and thirty-six (36%) dogs were seropositive for B. vogeli antibodies, whereas 87 (23%) dogs were seropositive to E. canis antibodies. Fifty-four (14%) dogs seroreacted to both agents. Adult dogs previously infested with ticks were more likely to seroreact to B. vogeli or E. canis. Superficial bleeding (OR = 12.4) was more common in dogs exposed to B. vogeli, whereas neurological signs (OR = 7.7) were more common in dogs seropositive to E. canis. Neurological signs (OR = 12.0) and lameness (OR = 12.8) were more prevalent in dogs that seroreacted to both organisms. Owners of dogs with ticks were more likely to have been exposed to ticks themselves (OR = 3.2). Canine babesiosis and ehrlichiosis appear to be highly prevalent in this hospital population. Clinical signs differed from the most common signs in other regions with bleeding occurring more in dogs seropositive to babesiosis, but not ehrlichiosis; neurologic signs in dogs with E. canis antibodies; and lameness in dogs that seroreacted to both organisms.

OBJECTIVE To determine the nucleotide and amino acid sequence of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) in cats and its typical regions of cardiac expression. ANIMALS 5 healthy adult mixed-breed cats. PROCEDURE Total RNA was extracted from samples obtained from the left and right atrium, left and right ventricle, and interventricular septum of each cat. The RNA was used to produce cDNA for sequencing and northern blot analysis. Genomic DNA was extracted from feline blood samples. Polymerase chain reaction primers designed from consensus sequences of other species were used to clone and sequence the feline ANP gene. RESULTS The feline ANP gene consists of 1,072 nucleotides. It consists of 3 exons (123, 327, and 12 nucleotides) separated by 2 introns (101 and 509 nucleotides). It has several typical features of eukaryotic genes and a putative steroid-response element located within the second intron. Preprohormone ANP consists of 153 amino acids. The amino acid sequence of the active form of feline ANP (ANP-30) is identical to that of equine, bovine, and ovine ANP-30 and differs from that of human, canine, and porcine ANP-28 only by 2 carboxy-terminal arginine residues. The ANP mRNA was detected only in the left and right atria. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE The genetic and protein structure and principal regions of cardiac expression of feline ANP are similar to those of other species. Results of this study should be helpful in future studies on the natriuretic response in cats to diseases that affect cardiovascular function.

Recent studies have been conducted in Brazil using molecular techniques for the detection of hemotrophic mycoplasmas in several mammals. In domestic cats, Mycoplasma haemofelis, 'Candidatus M. haemominutum', and 'Candidatus M. turicensis' infections have been identified. These species have also been found in free-ranging and captive neotropical felid species. Two canine hemoplasmas, Mycoplasma haemocanis and 'Candidatus Mycoplasma haematoparvum', have been identified in dogs. In commercial swine populations, Mycoplasma suis was found to be highly prevalent, especially in sows. Moreover, novel mycoplasma species have been identified in Brazilian commercial pigs and domestic dogs. A hemoplasma infection in a human patient infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) was also recently documented. In conclusion, hemoplasma species are common and important infectious agents in Brazil. Further studies should be conducted to better understand their impact on pets, production animals, and wildlife fauna, as well as their role as zoonotic agents, particularly in immunocompromised patients. Estudos recentes utilizando técnicas moleculares para a detecção de micoplasmas hemotróficos em diferentes mamíferos têm sido conduzidos no Brasil. Em gatos domésticos, infecções por Mycoplasma haemofelis, 'Candidatus M. haemominutum' e 'Candidatus M. turicensis' foram identificadas. Estas espécies também foram encontradas em felídeos neotropicais de vida livre e de cativeiro. Dois hemoplasmas caninos, Mycoplasma haemocanis e 'Candidatus Mycoplasma haematoparvum', foram identificados em cães domésticos. Em populações comerciais de suínos, Mycoplasma suis possui alta prevalência, especialmente em porcas. Além disso, novas espécies de hemoplasmas foram detectadas em suínos comercias e cães. Infecção por um hemoplasma em um paciente humano infectado com o vírus da imunodeficiência humana (HIV) foi recentemente documentada. Em conclusão, espécies de hemoplasmas são comuns e importantes agentes de infecções no Brasil. Estudos futuros devem ser conduzidos para melhor entender seu impacto em cães e gatos, animais de produção e na fauna silvestre, e também para determinar o seu papel como agentes zoonóticos, particularmente em pacientes imunocomprometidos.