There are at least 29 serotypes of Streptococcus suis, with types 1, 2, 3, and 8 being the most common in North America.) Streptococcus suis may cause disease outbreaks in pigs of all ages.2 Many of the serotypes have been associated with septicemia resulting in meningitis, pneumonia, arthritis, endocarditis, and polyserositis. Summary: To determine the possible sources of Streptococcus suis th...

Background: Macrophage activation syndrome (MAS) is a life-threatening complication of systemic-onset juvenile idiopathic arthritis (sJIA) characterized by fever, hepatosplenomegaly, lymphadenopathy, coagulopathy, and rapid development multiple organ failure. MAS triggered viral bacterial infections, most often Epstein-Barr viruses, cytomegalovirus, influenza parainfluenza parvavirus B19, yersi...

The Meigs’ Syndrome (MS) described in 1937 by Meigs and Cass was characterized by benign ovarian fibroma, ascites and hydrothorax that resolve after the tumor removal. Peritoneal and pleural fluids of the patients originally with MS were transudates [1]. In pseudo-MS similar features are due to other benign or malignant tumors; Pseudo Pseudo-MS (PPMS) occurs in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE...

BACKGROUND Despite its global recognition as a ruminant pathogen, cases of Chlamydia pecorum infection in Australian livestock are poorly documented. In this report, a C. pecorum specific Multi Locus Sequence Analysis scheme was used to characterise the C. pecorum strains implicated in two cases of sporadic bovine encephalomyelitis confirmed by necropsy, histopathology and immunohistochemistry....

BACKGROUND B cells play a central role in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Rituximab is expected to induce apoptosis of all the CD20-positive B cells. A proportion of patients are refractory or intolerant to standard immunosuppression. These are candidate to new therapeutic options. METHODS Eight patients [six women, two men, mean age 41-year-old (27-51), with severe multiorgan involvement...

Sir, The Gram-negative bacterium Haemophilus parasuis is the causative agent of Glässer’s disease, which is characterized by various combinations of meningoencephalitis, polyserositis, polyarthritis and bacterial pneumonia, resulting in major economic losses to the swine industry worldwide. Florfenicol is used exclusively in veterinary medicine and was approved for the treatment of porcine resp...

Haemophilus parasuis is a commensal bacterium of the upper respiratory tract of healthy pigs. However, in conjunction with viral infections in immunocompromised animals H. parasuis can transform into a pathogen that is responsible for causing Glasser's disease which is typically characterized by fibrinous polyserositis, polyarthritis, meningitis and sometimes acute pneumonia and septicemia in p...

Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is an autosomal recessive hereditary disease, characterized by recurrent attacks of fever, polyserositis, and a marked tendency to develop secondary amyloidosis (1). FMF is mostly diagnosed in Jews, Armenians, Arabs, and Turks. The gene responsible for FMF was identified on chromosome 16p, named MEFV, and this gene product is a 781-amino-acid protein called ‘p...

The enteric nematode parasite Ascaridia galli modulate the immune system, of the hosts and eventually leads to malnutrition in the chicks which eventually results in the decreased return of products derived from poultry. The accurate interpretation of avian plasma proteins and the dramatic changes in protein fraction are important events in several diseases and may help in procuring a diagnosis...