title: Pyogenic Ventriculitis and Ventricular Empyema associated with Staphylococcus pseudintermedius in a Puppy.
abstract: A 40-day-old male, blue heeler puppy with hindlimb ataxia, nystagmus, apathy, motor incoordination and hyperaesthesia of the forelimbs died 3 days after the onset of clinical signs. Significant gross findings included cerebellar herniation, cerebral oedema and dilation of the third and right lateral cerebral ventricles due to the accumulation of a purulent exudate. Histopathological examination revealed pyogenic ventriculitis and purulent meningoencephalitis. Pure colonies of a coagulase-positive Staphylococcus were isolated from the purulent cerebral exudate. A polymerase chain reaction assay that targeted the 16S rRNA gene of bacteria amplified the desired product from bacterial colonies. Direct sequencing revealed the organism to be Staphylococcus pseudintermedius. Phylogenetic analyses showed that the organism was antigenically similar to Staphylococcus intermedius and Staphylococcus delphini, being part of the S. intermedius group of bacteria. These findings confirmed the participation of S. pseudintermedius in the development of the pathological manifestations and lesions observed in this puppy.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Animal Pathology, Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, Brazil. Electronic address: selwyn.headley@uel.br.
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Headley
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Microbiology, Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, Brazil.
authors.forename: L G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Pretto-Giordano
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Animal Pathology, Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, Brazil.
authors.forename: D F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Nóbrega
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Genetics and Bacterial Taxonomy, Department of General Biology, Brazil.
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Altrão
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Genetics and Bacterial Taxonomy, Department of General Biology, Brazil.
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Villas-Boas
authors.affiliation: Multi-User Animal Health Laboratory, Molecular Biology Unit, Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Paraná, Brazil.
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Alfieri
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Animal Pathology, Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, Brazil.
authors.forename: A P F R L
authors.initials: APFRL
authors.lastname: Bracarense
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D058565:Cerebral Ventriculitis / Q000662:veterinary*; D004285:Dogs; D004653:Empyema / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D010802:Phylogeny; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000662:veterinary*; D057789:Staphylococcus intermedius / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S
keywords: Staphylococcus intermedius group; dog; meningoencephalitis; ventriculitis