Probable Blastomyces dermatitidis infection in a young rat

Vet Pathol. 2013 Mar;50(2):343-6. doi: 10.1177/0300985812451624. Epub 2012 Jun 18.

Abstract

A 21-week-old male untreated control SHR/NCrlNarl rat was found dead during an experiment. Grossly, pulmonary lesions were characterized by multifocal to coalescing firm gray-white nodules randomly scattered on the surface. Microscopically, bronchopneumonia was found with pyogranulomas containing neutrophils, macrophages, and numerous thick-walled yeast cells. Yeast cells, 5 to 25 μm in diameter, with no branching of hyphae were observed by staining with hematoxylin and eosin, Diff-Quik, and periodic acid-Schiff. Furthermore, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using panfungal and nested PCR primers were used for detection of Blastomyces dermatitidis DNA in the lung tissue. After sequencing and matching with DNA sequences in the GenBank, the sample showed a similarity of 94.6% and 97% to Ajellomyces dermatitidis (B. dermatitidis), respectively. On the basis of these results, probable pulmonary blastomycosis was diagnosed. The origin of the infection in the colony rat is undetermined.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Base Sequence
  • Blastomyces / genetics*
  • Blastomycosis / veterinary*
  • DNA Primers / genetics
  • Fatal Outcome
  • Histological Techniques / veterinary
  • Lung / microbiology
  • Lung / pathology*
  • Male
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Rats
  • Rats, Inbred SHR*
  • Rodent Diseases / microbiology*
  • Rodent Diseases / pathology*
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA / veterinary
  • Sequence Homology

Substances

  • DNA Primers