title: Acute onset of encephalomyelitis with atypical lesions associated with dual infection of Sarcocystis neurona and Toxoplasma gondii in a dog.
abstract: A two-year-old male, neutered, basset hound-beagle mix with progressive neurological impairment was examined postmortem. Grossly, the dog had multiple raised masses on the spinal cord between nerve roots. Microscopically, the dog had protozoal myeloencephalitis. Toxoplasma gondii and Sarcocystis neurona were detected in the CNS by immunohistochemistry and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Sarcocysts in formalin-fixed muscle were negative for Sarcocystis by PCR. Banked serum was negative for T. gondii using the modified agglutination test, suggesting an acute case of T. gondii infection or immunosuppression; however, no predisposing immunosuppressive diseases, including canine distemper, were found. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of dual T. gondii and S. neurona infection in a dog.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, 2407 River Drive, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA. Electronic address: rgerhold@utk.edu.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gerhold
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, 2407 River Drive, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA.
authors.forename: Shelley J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Newman
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, 1414 W. Cumberland Avenue, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA.
authors.forename: Caroline M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Grunenwald
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, 2407 River Drive, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA.
authors.forename: Amanda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Crews
authors.affiliation: Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, 2407 River Drive, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA.
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hodshon
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, 1414 W. Cumberland Avenue, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA.
authors.forename: Chunlei
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Su
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000372:Agglutination Tests / Q000662:veterinary; D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D060085:Coinfection / Q000662:veterinary; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology; D004285:Dogs; D004679:Encephalomyelitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000662:veterinary; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D012522:Sarcocystis / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012523:Sarcocystosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000473:pathology; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014124:Toxoplasmosis, Animal / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D016054:DNA, Protozoan
keywords: Canine; Myeloencephalitis; Protozoa; Sarcocystis neurona; Toxoplasma gondii