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Biomedical subjects

D Forshaw

Publications and source records attributed to D Forshaw.

11 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2003

Avian cryptococcosis.

Clinical and laboratory findings in 15 unreported cases of avian cryptococcosis from Australia were collated and contrasted with 11 cases recorded in the literature. Cryptococcus species produced localized invasive disease of the upper respiratory tract of captive parrots living in Australia. This resulted in signs referable to mycotic rhinitis or to involvement of structures contiguous with the nasal cavity, such as the beak, sinuses, choana, retrobulbar space and palate. Parrots of widely differing ages were affected and of the seven birds for which sex was determinable, six were male. Cryptococcus bacillisporus (formerly C. neoformans var. gattii) accounted for four of five infections in which the species or variety was determinable, suggesting that exposure to eucalyptus material may be a predisposing factor. In these cases, Cryptococcus appeared to behave as a primary pathogen of immunocompetent hosts. One tissue specimen was available from an Australian racing pigeon with minimally invasive subcutaneous disease; immunohistology demonstrated a C. neoformans var. grubii (formerly C. neoformans var. neoformans serotype A) infection, presumably subsequent to traumatic inoculation of yeast cells into the subcutis. Two similar cases had been reported previously in pigeons domiciled in America. Data for parrots, one pigeon and other birds studied principally in America and Europe (and likely infected with C. neoformans) suggested a different pattern of disease, more suggestive of opportunistic infection of immunodeficient hosts. In this cohort of patients, the organism was not restricted to cool superficial sites such as the upper respiratory tract or subcutis. Instead, infections typically penetrated the lower respiratory tract or disseminated widely to a variety of internal organs. Finally, three captive North Island brown kiwis, one residing in Australia, the other two in New Zealand, died as a result of severe diffuse cryptococcal pneumonia (two cases) or widely disseminated disease (one case). C. bacillisporus strains were isolated from all three cases, as reported previously for another kiwi with disseminated disease in New Zealand.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Disseminated Mycobacterium avium infection in a dog with chronic diarrhoea.

A 3-year-old Maltese-cross dog presented with a 4-month history of chronic diarrhoea and inappetence. Poorly regenerative anaemia, leukocytosis and hypoproteinaemia were evident on several occasions. Biopsies of stomach, duodenum and colon revealed marked infiltration of mucosae by macrophages containing many acid-fast bacilli. Similar organisms were numerous in a faecal smear. Melaena, hematochezia and severe abdominal pain developed and were unresponsive to therapy. Following euthanasia and necropsy, histiocytic cells containing acid-fast bacilli were found throughout the gastrointestinal tract, mesenteric and peripheral lymph nodes, spleen, liver, kidney and lungs. The organism was identified as Mycobacterium avium by bacterial culture and polymerase chain reaction testing.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Tuberculosis in wild seals and characterisation of the seal bacillus.

Tuberculosis was diagnosed in 3 otariid seals found dead on beaches at 3 locations on the south coast of Western Australian between May 1990 and March 1991. This confirms that tuberculosis is present in the 2 native seals (Neophoca cinerea and Arctocephalus forsteri) in Western Australian waters. Mycobacterium sp isolated from the lungs of 2 of the seals were studied to determine the similarity of the strains to each other, to the strains isolated during 1986 from Australian sea lions and New Zealand fur seals kept in captivity at a marine park near Perth, Western Australia, and to a strain isolated in 1988 from a seal trainer who worked with the infected captive seals for 3 years. After restriction endonuclease analysis (REA) with the endonucleases Bst EII, Bcl I and Pvu II, one of the wild seal strains appeared to have identical DNA fragment patterns to the strains from the captive seals and the seal trainer. The other wild seal isolate had identical REA profiles using Bst EII and Bcl I, but a minor difference was detected using Pvu II. Differences in these isolates were more clearly seen in restriction fragment length polymorphisms after hybridisation with two DNA probes. The secretory protein MPB70, present in M bovis, was not detected in wild seal isolates using sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and Western blotting techniques. Analysis of protein and DNA fragment profiles indicated that seal tuberculosis isolates form a unique cluster within the M tuberculosis complex.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Tuberculosis in a captive colony of pinnipeds.

Tuberculosis was diagnosed in 10 of 16 otariid seals upon post mortem examination. The species involved were New Zealand fur seals (Arctocephalus forsteri), Australian sea lions (Neophoca cinerea) and an Australian fur seal (Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus). Five seals died, four as a direct result of mycobacterial infection. One seal died of unrelated disease. The remaining 10 animals were subsequently tuberculin tested and then killed and necropsied. Tuberculous lesions were seen in five. Gross pathological changes were most commonly seen in the respiratory system. However, a generalized infection, a case with lesions confined to the liver and draining lymph nodes, and a case with tuberculous meningitis also were seen. Histological lesions were characterized by spindle cell proliferation and necrosis without mineralization or giant cell formation. The mycobacteria isolated was identified as belonging to the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex but it appeared to be unique. Intradermal tuberculin testing showed promise as a diagnostic aid; however, the results were not statistically significant. Circumstances suggest that the initial infection was present when the seals were captured from the wild.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Four-year retrospective survey of fire incidents in a psychiatric hospital.

This paper describes a four-year retrospective survey of fire incidents in a psychiatric hospital. The results suggest that there were sufficient similarities between a fire incident and a violent incident for the former to be included in a hospital register of violent incidents. The authors recommend that fire incidents should be studied prospectively, and that hospital fire officers should be an integral part of the multidisciplinary team auditing such incidents.

Data Collection↗
PubMed1988

The Geriatric Mental State (GMS) used in the community: replication studies of the computerized diagnosis AGECAT.

Three studies are reported using the Geriatric Mental State in one of its community forms on a total of 647 subjects aged over 65 and living in their own homes. The concordance between the computer diagnosis AGECAT and psychiatrists' diagnosis is at least as good in these replication samples as in the original studies (Copeland et al. 1986). AGECAT has been shown to be useful for epidemiological surveys and as a diagnostic guide for non-medical interviewers.

Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted↗