2017 ACVIM Forum Research Abstract Program

Seroconversion was detected in all dogs by days 10 and 14 for WITNESS Lepto and MAT, respectively, and as early as day 4 for both methods. At day 7, WITNESS Lepto yielded positive results for 28/32 dogs (87.5%) whereas MAT yielded positive results for only 22/32 dogs (69%). In conclusion, WITNESS Lepto detects IgM to the four serovars included in this study and detects seroconversion earlier or concurrent to that of MAT. At the point-of-care, WITNESS Lepto may be useful as a screening test for acutely ill dogs suspected to have leptospirosis. Infection with Histoplasma capsulatum is routinely diagnosed in cats using a quantitative enzyme immunoassay (EIA) performed on urine +/or serum. Any level of antigenuria/antigenemia is considered indicative of active infection, and urine EIA has a > 90% sensitivity. The objective of this study was to determine if urine EIA results at the time of diagnosis (prior to the administration of antifungal agents) were predictive of outcome (i.e., survival to 6 months) for cats with histoplasmosis. Pre-treatment urine EIA results were available for 50 cats examined at four institutions between April 2012 and December 2015; 35 cats were alive at Day 180, 12 had died (median survival time: 24 days; range 2-124 days) and three were lost to follow up. For statistical purposes, positive results below the level of quantification (19 ng/mL) were listed as 19.1 ng/mL. The median EIA at the time of diagnosis for cats alive at 6 months was 5 ng/mL (range: 0-19.1); this was similar to findings for the non-survivors (median: 7.29 ng/mL; range of 0.78-19.1; P = 0.54) [ Figure 1 ]. Surviving cats were significantly younger (mean age: 6.9 yrs) than non-survivors (mean age 9.9 yrs; P = 0.03) but median body weights (3.8 kg v 3.6 kg) and rates of pulmonary involvement (22/35 v 9/12) were similar. These findings indicate that urine EIA results at the time of diagnosis are not predictive of outcome in cats with histoplasmosis and should not be used as a prognostic indicator. Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus spp. (MRS) carriage rates in companion animals have been well described in North America and Europe but not investigated in Australia. The aims of this study were to quantify the overall carriage rate of MRS in companion animals presenting to two major veterinary hospitals in the Brisbane area during 2016 and to identify geographical differences in carriage rates and risk factors for MRS carriage between a rural (R) and urban (U) veterinary hospital.