title: Myonecrosis by Clostridium septicum in a dog, diagnosed by a new multiplex-PCR.
abstract: Clostridial myositis is an acute, generally fatal toxemia that is considered to be rare in pet animals. The present report describes an unusual canine clostridial myositis that was diagnosed by a new multiplex-PCR (mPCR) designed for simultaneous identification of Clostridium sordellii, Clostridium septicum, Clostridium perfringens type A, Clostridium chauvoei, and Clostridium novyi type A. A ten-month-old male Rottweiler dog, that had displayed lameness and swelling of the left limb for 12 h, was admitted to a veterinary hospital. The animal was weak, dyspneic and hyperthermic, and a clinical examination indicated the presence of gas and edema in the limb. Despite emergency treatment, the animal died in only a few minutes. Samples of muscular tissue from the necrotic area were aseptically collected and plated onto defibrinated sheep blood agar (5%) in anaerobic conditions. Colonies suggestive of Clostridium spp. were submitted to testing by multiplex-PCR. Impression smears of the tissues, visualized with Gram and also with panoptic stains, revealed long rod-shaped organisms, and specimens also tested positive using the fluorescent antibody technique (FAT). The FAT and mPCR tests enabled a diagnosis of C. septicum myonecrosis in the dog.
authors.affiliation: Departmento de Higiene Veterinária e Saúde Pública, Escola de Medicina Veterinária e Ciência Animal, Universidade Estadual Paulista-UNESP, Botucatu, CEP 18618-970, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Márcio Garcia
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
authors.forename: Rodrigo Otávio Silveira
authors.initials: RO
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Prhiscylla Sadanã
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Pires
authors.forename: Anna Paula Vitirito
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Martinho
authors.forename: Thays Mizuki
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Lucas
authors.forename: Ana Izabel Passarela
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Teixeira
authors.forename: Antonio Carlos
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Paes
authors.forename: Claudenice Batista
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Barros
authors.forename: Francisco Carlos Faria
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Lobato
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D052557:Clostridium septicum / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology*; D004285:Dogs; D005738:Gas Gangrene / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D025202:Molecular Diagnostic Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D060885:Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D009220:Myositis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary; D009336:Necrosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary