title: What causes canine sino-nasal aspergillosis? A molecular approach to species identification.
abstract: On the basis of phenotypic identification methods, Aspergillus fumigatus is reported as the most commonly identified aetiological agent of canine sino-nasal aspergillosis (SNA). However, definitive identification of Aspergillus spp. using phenotypic features alone is unreliable. The aim of this study was to determine the molecular identities of fungal species causing SNA in dogs. Genomic DNA was extracted from 91 fungal isolates from 90 dogs diagnosed with SNA in Australia, the USA and Belgium, and the ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 ribosomal DNA and partial β-tubulin regions were sequenced. Eighty-eight of 91 (96.7%) isolates were identified as A. fumigatus and 3/91 (3.3%) belonged to Aspergillus section Nigri spp. (Aspergillus tubingensis: 2/91; Aspergillus uvarum: 1/91). These findings confirm that A. fumigatus is the most common aetiological agent of canine SNA. This is the first report to document a pathogenic role for A. tubingensis and A. uvarum in dogs.
authors.affiliation: Valentine Charlton Cat Centre, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Jessica J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Talbot
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Lynelle R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.affiliation: Veterinary Pathology Diagnostic Services, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.affiliation: Valentine Charlton Cat Centre, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Julia A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Beatty
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio School of Medicine, San Antonio, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Deanna A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Sutton
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: Frédéric
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Billen
authors.affiliation: Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Westmead Hospital, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Catriona L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Halliday
authors.affiliation: School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Justine S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Gibson
authors.affiliation: Mycology Unit, SA Pathology, Women's and Children's Hospital, North Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kidd
authors.affiliation: Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Jörg M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Steiner
authors.affiliation: Valentine Charlton Cat Centre, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Beata
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ujvari
authors.affiliation: Valentine Charlton Cat Centre, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Electronic address: vanessa.barrs@sydney.edu.au.
authors.forename: Vanessa R
authors.initials: VR
authors.lastname: Barrs
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001228:Aspergillosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D001230:Aspergillus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001232:Aspergillus fumigatus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D001530:Belgium / Q000453:epidemiology; D002147:Calmodulin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009666:Nose / Q000382:microbiology*; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D012340:RNA, Ribosomal, 5.8S / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA / Q000662:veterinary; D014404:Tubulin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D002147:Calmodulin; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D012340:RNA, Ribosomal, 5.8S; D014404:Tubulin
keywords: Aspergillus fumigatus; Aspergillus tubingensis; Aspergillus uvarum; Canine; Sino-nasal aspergillosis