Pulmonary Mycobacterium bovis infection in a dog

Authors: Dupont C, Burbidge HM, Murray A, Bennett P, Fenwick SG, Gay G, Alley MR
Publication: New Zealand Veterinary Journal, Volume 48, Issue 3, pp 78-81, Jun 2000
Publisher: Taylor and Francis

Animal type: Companion animal, Dog
Subject Terms: Bacterial, Notifiable organisms/exotic disease, Mycobacterial, Disease/defect, Pneumonia/pleurisy, Respiratory system, Infectious disease, Public health, Zoonosis
Article class: Clinical Communication

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Abstract: AIM:  To describe the clinical course of a dog infected with Mycobacterium bovis causing a granulomatous pneumonia.
CLINICAL FINDINGS:  The dog initially presented with a persistent cough, inappetence and weight loss. Clinical findings included a fever, dyspnoea and tachypnoea, with haematological evidence of a mild neutrophilia and hypoalbuminaemia. Radiographs of the chest demonstrated a concomitant pneumothorax, pleural effusion, and a consolidated area within the left caudal lung lobe. An exploratory thoracotomy revealed this to be a ruptured granulomatous lesion. Subsequent histopathological, microbiological and genetic studies identified M. bovis as the causal agent.
CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Mycobacterium bovis  infections should be included in the differential diagnosis of pulmonary disease and pleural effusions in dogs living in regions of New Zealand known to have a high incidence of mycobacterial infection in wildlife and farm animals.
KEY WORDS: Dog, Mycobacterium bovis , pneumonia, pneumothorax, pleural effusion.

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