After three dogs died from acute Chagas cardiomyopathy at one location, an investigation was conducted of the home, garage, and grounds of the owner. A serologic study was conducted on stray dogs, and an ecologic niche model was developed to predict areas where the vector Tryiatoma gerstaeckeri might be expected.

To provide molecular and virologic evidence that domestic dog rabies is no longer enzootic to the United States and to identify putative relatives of dog-related rabies viruses (RVs) circulating in other carnivores, we studied RVs associated with recent and historic dog rabies enzootics worldwide. Molecular, phylogenetic, and epizootiologic evidence shows that domestic dog rabies is no longer enzootic to the United States. Nonetheless, our data suggest that independent rabies enzootics are now established in wild terrestrial carnivores (skunks in California and northcentral United States, gray foxes in Texas and Arizona, and mongooses in Puerto Rico), as a consequence of different spillover events from long-term rabies enzootics associated with dogs. These preliminary results highlight the key role of dog RVs and human-dog demographics as operative factors for host shifts and disease reemergence into other important carnivore populations and highlight the need for the elimination of dog-related RVs worldwide.

The findings of this study are primarily representative of more seriously ill patients with human ehrlichiosis. Although rates are low, ehrlichiosis is found in many areas of the United States. Patients with a history of tick exposure, acute febrile illness, decreasing leukocyte counts, and decreasing platelet counts may have ehrlichiosis. Prompt treatment with tetracycline or chloramphenicol markedly decreases the morbidity.

No abstract

A long‐term follow‐up study of hyperthyroid cats treated with iodine‐131 was conducted at the Texas A&M University Veterinary Teaching Hospital. Between January 1985 and December 1990, 255 cats were treated. Basic demographic data, information on treatment, and diseases at the time of diagnosis were recorded. Two hundred and thirty seven cats had long‐term follow‐up data collected by telephone interviews with the referring veterinarian and/or the owner on outcome of therapy, diseases that developed during the follow‐up period and survival. Risk for developing hyperthyroidism was highest for cats greater than 10 years of age. There was no breed predisposition. Neutered cats were slightly over‐represented among the cases compared to intact animals. Eighty‐five percent of treated cats became clinically normal and remained euthyroid for a median time of 17.5 months. Four percent remained hyperthyroid and 9% became hypothyroid, requiring thyroid hormone supplementation.