An 18-year-old 454-kg (1,000-lb) American Quarter Horse gelding was evaluated because of chronic intermittent malodorous right-sided nasal discharge. Endoscopy revealed a mycotic plaque in the nasal cavity adjacent to the nasomaxillary opening of the right caudal maxillary sinus. The nasomaxillary opening appeared to be larger than normal. Fungal culture of specimens of the mycotic plaque yielded Pseudallescheria boydii. The horse was treated with 2% miconazole intranasally, sodium iodide i.v., and potassium iodide p.o. Thirty and 60 days after treatment was initiated, the nasal cavity was found to be free of infection.

Strain BV1 was isolated from the exudate of the footpad abscess of a black vulture (Coragyps atratus). The colonies had a "fried-egg" appearance consistent with that of mycoplasmal species. Electron microscopic examination of the cells revealed irregular elongated or elliptical forms and smaller circular budding processes. Profuse growth was observed in Frey medium supplemented with 20% swine serum at 37°C in a humidified atmosphere of 10% CO, and air. Typical of mycoplasma, strain BV1 required sterol for growth and catabolized glucose but did not hydrolyze arginine or urea. The guanine-plus-cytosine content of the DNA was 28 mol%. The organism demonstrated the ability to hemolyze, absorb onto, and agglutinate the elythrocytes from several animal species. Strain BV1 was serologically unrelated by the growth inhibition test to previously established Mycoplusmu, Achokplasnw, Entomoplasma, and Mesoplusma species, as well as to strains belonging to these genera but not identified to species level. Moreover, BV1 had a 16s rRNA gene with a nucleotide sequence distinct from reported sequences of other mycoplasmas. This organism represents a new species for which the name Mycoplusmu corogypsi is proposed. Strain BV1 (ATCC 5114sT) is the type strain of Mycophmu corogypsi sp. nov.Cell wall-less procaryotes (in the class Mollicutes) have been previously isolated from a variety of domestic and free-living avian species (2, 9, 17, 18, 25,34,38). Most of the known pathogenic and nonpathogenic species of Mollicutes isolated from avian hosts belong to the family Mycoplasmataceae and the genus Mycoplasma (16, 27). Species belonging to the genera Acholeplasma (34) and Ureaplasma (20) have been isolated less frequently from birds, and their role as pathogens remains vague.We describe the characteristics of a mycoplasma isolated from the footpad abscess of a black vulture, Coragyps atratus. The black vulture is native to North America and subsists chiefly or entirely on carrion (33). On the basis of proposed standards for the description of new species of the class Mollicutes (15), we find that the mycoplasma isolated from the vulture possesses distinctive characteristics that differentiate it from other previously classified mycoplasma species. We therefore propose the recognition of strain BV1 (Mycoplasma corogypsi) as a new species in the genus Mycoplasma . MATERLALS AND METHODSMycoplasma. The mycoplasma designated strain BV1 was isolated from an abscess in the footpad of a black vulture which was presented to the Raptor Rehabilitation Center, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama. The abscess was incised surgically, and the exudate was initially cultured on blood agar base (Bacto Tryptose Blood Agar Base with yeast extract; Difco Laboratories, Detroit, Mich.) supplemented with 5% bovine blood. Other avian mycoplasma type cultures used for comparison in this study (Mycoplasma gallisepticum ATCC 19610T, Mycoplasma synoviae ATCC * Corresponding author.25204T, Mycoplasma gallinarum ATCC 19708T, Mycoplasma gallinaceum ATCC 33550T, Myco...

Feces collected from 40 horses with diarrhea and 34 horses without diarrhea were examined to determine if an association existed between isolation of Aeromonas spp. and diarrhea. Samples were also examined for Salmonella spp., and identification of viruses and parasite ova. Neither Salmonella spp. nor Aeromonas spp. were isolated from the feces of 34 control horses. Aeromonas spp. were isolated from feces of 22 of 40 (55%) horses with diarrhea. Salmonella spp. were isolated from feces of 8 (20%) horses, and of these, 5 (12.5%) were also positive for Aeromonas spp. Twenty-nine isolates of Aeromonas spp. were recovered from the feces of 22 diarrheic horses. Of these isolates, more than 80% were susceptible on in vitro testing to amikacin, ceftiofur, chloramphenicol, and gentamicin. All isolates were susceptible to enrofloxacin. Diarrheic horses positive for Aeromonas were significantly (P = .04) older than diarrheic horses negative for Aeromonas spp. A significantly greater number of fecal samples were positive for Aeromonas spp. during March through August than samples examined in other months (P = .014). Results of this study indicate that Aeromonas spp. should be considered as a cause of diarrhea in horses.

A 4-year-old spayed female German Shepherd Dog was evaluated because of left forelimb lameness. A fungal granuloma on the distal portion of the radius was determined to be the cause of the lameness; the infecting organism was identified as Phialemonium obovatum. Despite aggressive treatment with amphotericin B, itraconazole, and ketoconazole and curettage of the local area, the dog developed systemic disease and was euthanatized 5 months after initial evaluation. Immune dysfunction may have played a role in development of disseminated disease, because although serum concentrations of total IgG, IgA, and IgM were within or greater than reference ranges, results of lymphocyte proliferation assays were abnormal, which indicated cellular immune dysfunction. Infection with Phialemonium obovatum should be considered as a differential diagnosis when branching fungal organisms are detected during histologic, cytologic, or microbiologic evaluation of tissue specimens.

Feces collected from 40 horses with diarrhea and 34 horses without diarrhea were examined to determine if an association existed between isolation of Aeromonas spp. and diarrhea. Samples were also examined for Salmonella spp., and identification of viruses and parasite ova. Neither Salmonella spp. nor Aeromonas spp. were isolated from the feces of 34 control horses. Aeromonas spp. were isolated from feces of 22 of 40 (55%) horses with diarrhea. Salmonella spp. were isolated from feces of 8 (20%) horses, and of these, 5 (12.5%) were also positive for Aeromonas spp. Twenty-nine isolates of Aeromonas spp. were recovered from the feces of 22 diarrheic horses. Of these isolates, more than 80% were susceptible on in vitro testing to amikacin, ceftiofur, chloramphenicol, and gentamicin. All isolates were susceptible to enrofloxacin. Diarrheic horses positive for Aeromonas were significantly (P = .04) older than diarrheic horses negative for Aeromonas spp. A significantly greater number of fecal samples were positive for Aeromonas spp. during March through August than samples examined in other months (P = .014). Results of this study indicate that Aeromonas spp. should be considered as a cause of diarrhea in horses.