Pulmonary Blastomycosis in a
Quarantined Red Panda in BC
Hein Snyman BVSc, DVSc, Dip. ACVP
14th Annual BC Zoonoses Symposium
Introduction
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Pulmonary Blastomycosis Case Report
Significance
Risk Factors
Remaining Questions
Case History
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~ 14 month old, intact male, Red Panda
(Ailurus fulgens)
Animal Health Centre (AHC) for necropsy
Recently transferred along with conspecific
panda to British Columbia from Manitoba
Pandas maintained in an isolated quarantine
facility
During quarantine, both pandas maintained a
normal demeanour and appetite
The panda presented with acute respiratory
distress and succumbed prior to clinical
intervention
wall.alphacoders.com
Gross Observations
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Poor body condition (BCS 2/9).
Disseminated multi-nodular pyogranulomatous
pneumonia
Multiple firm adhesions to the adjacent surfaces of
the diaphragm and chest (stars) and throughout
the mediastinum as and pericardial sac, diaphragm
and thoracic wall (arrow heads)
15 ml of a thick, tenacious, yellow-brown,
mucopurulent exudate in pericardial cavity
(arrow).
DDx:
– Actinomycosis
– Mycobacteriosis
– Parasitic infections (e.g. Aelurostrongylus sp.
Capillaria sp. etc.)
– Chronic aspiration pneumonia
– Neoplasia
– Systemic fungal diseases (e.g.
Cryptococcosis, Histoplasmosis, and
Blastomycosis)
Histopathology
Abundant yeast bodies (arrow heads)
H&E
Nasal Turbinates
• Multifocal
mucosal
ulceration
• Similar nodular
inflammatory
aggregates
• Abundant extracellular and
phagocytized
yeast bodies
H&E
H&E
Yeast Features
• PAS and GMS
positive
• 1-2 µm thick,
double contour,
clear and
mucicarmine
negative wall
Grocott`s Methenamine Silver (GMS)
Yeast Features
• PAS and GMS
positive
• 1-2 µm thick,
double contour,
clear and
mucicarmine
negative wall
H&E
Periodic Acid-Schiff (PAS)
Additional Testing
• Frozen samples of the
lung were submitted to
the Public Health
Microbiology & Reference
Laboratory at the BCCDC
• Universal ITS fungal gene
PCR and subsequent
sequencing confirmed the
presence of Blastomyces
dermatitidis.
Additional Findings
• Marked bone
marrow
hyperplasia
• Refractive
spores
H&E; Refraction
Conclusion
• Pulmonary Blastomycosis
• Infection occurring through inhalation
• Extensive involvement of the lung and
associated fibrous organisation, marked bone
marrow hyperplasia and accompanying poor
body condition
= Chronic infection
Conclusion
• Chronicity of the infection
• Strict quarantine
procedures
• Originated from a highly
endemic region
(Winnipeg Manitoba)
www.danharperphotography.com
Highly unlikely that
infection occurred in BC
Immediate Risk
• Mycelia and spores
• Risk for human infection and horizontal spread is
minimal
– dog bite
– cat scratch
– accidental inoculation during necropsy
• Direct transmission to the conspecific red panda
unlikely
• Same original environmental source
Environmental Risk Factors
• Endemic regions are well
known
• Little detail regarding specific
habitats or environmental
determinants
• Except:
– Warm, moist soils
– Wooded areas - rich in organic
debris
– Near water
• Specific climatic changes/factors
www.parrysound.com
Environmental Risk Factors
• Environmental isolation
of organisms extremely
difficult and reports
limited
– Animal inoculations
– In vitro culture with
selective and nonselective media
– Molecular DNA
www.mycology.adelaide.edu.au
Remaining Questions
• Likelihood & significance of
shedding?
• Biotic and abiotic factors to
allow survival, persistence and
propagation in the
environment?
• Different strains with better
adaptation to certain
environments and different
pathogenicity?
• Proximity and likely frequency
of travel to endemic areas?
www.skydivemag.com
Thank You
Dr. Melissa McLaws (Public Heath Veterinarian, BCCDC)
Dr. Linda Hoang (Medical Microbiologist, BCCDC)
References
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feline blastomycosis in the Canadian prairies. Can Vet J. 2013 Aug;54(8):753-60.
2. Nicole J. Fernandez, Debra W. Henderson, Tim Spotswood, and Richard Christmas.
Multi-systemic disease in a dog. Can Vet J. 2008 Jul; 49(7): 715–722.
3. Gray NA, Baddour LM. Cutaneous inoculation blastomycosis. Clin Infect Dis.
2002;34:E44–49.
4. Brömel, C., & Sykes, J. E. (2005). Epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment of
blastomycosis in dogs and cats. Clinical Techniques in Small Animal Practice, 20(4),
233–9.
5. Saccente M, Woods GL. Clinical and laboratory update on blastomycosis. Clin
Microbiol Rev. 2010 Apr;23(2):367-81. doi: 10.1128/CMR.00056-09.
6. Reed, K. D., Meece, J. K., Archer, J. R., & Peterson, A. T. (2008). Ecologic niche
modeling of Blastomyces dermatitidis in Wisconsin. PloS One, 3(4).