Veterinary Research Communications最新文献

Ophidians host a wide range of pathogens, including many parasite species, some of which may be of public health concern because they can infect other animal species and humans. Herpetariums house snakes in captivity as part of ex-situ conservation initiatives aimed at preserving threatened species. However, stress, immunosuppression, and limited space increase the risk of parasitic infections, including zoonotic diseases. Here, we detect the presence of intestinal parasites in ophidian species housed under conditions of captivity. Twenty specimens representing sixteen species were examined using Teuscher's coproparasitological technique, which combines sedimentation and flotation for enhanced sensitivity. All snakes tested positive for at least one parasite species. Five taxa were identified: Oxyurid nematodes (Oxyurida) (50%), Isospora sp. (45%), Cryptosporidium sp. and Ophidascaris sp. (25% each), and Aspiculuris sp. (15%). Oxyurid sp. and Isospora sp. were the most prevalent parasite species, likely due to their direct life cycles. Although less frequent, Cryptosporidium sp. poses a significant health risk due to its potential morbidity in snakes. The presence of Aspiculuris, a parasite commonly found in rodents, suggests contamination from infected prey. These discoveries highlight the importance of implementing preventive veterinary care, routine parasitological monitoring, and improved biosecurity and feeding practices in captive snake populations. Finally, this study provides valuable data on parasite diversity in Mexican ophidians under human care.

Equine leishmaniosis, caused by Leishmania infantum and transmitted by infected sand flies, has been increasingly reported in Europe, although clinical and immunological data remain scarce. We describe a 10-year-old mare from southern Spain presenting with periocular nodular lesions. Histopathology and immunohistochemistry confirmed granulomatous dermatitis with intrahistiocytic Leishmania amastigotes. Additionally, Leishmania infantum DNA was detected in paraffin embedded skin biopsy. Following surgical removal of the lesions, sequential serological monitoring using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and immunofluorescent antibody tests were performed over 90 days. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Western Blot results varied depending on conjugate type (Protein A versus Protein A/G). Western Blot revealed immunoreactivity against multiple Leishmania infantum antigen fractions, including early infection markers 14-16 kDa by conjugated Protein A/G and the absence of band by conjugated Protein A. Immunofluorescent antibody test using an anti-horse IgG fluorescein-labeled conjugate, where titers declined from 1:160 at 45 days to seronegativity by day 90, indicating antibody seroreversion within three months post-surgery. Similar results were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with the absence of detection by Protein A but seropositivity was detected by Protein A/G. Finally, no parasitemia was detected by molecular test during the follow-up. This case represents the first documented seroreversion kinetics in equine leishmaniosis and highlights the low and transient humoral response in horses compared to dogs. Our findings underscore the importance of combining histopathology and immunohistochemistry, for the accurate equine leishmaniosis diagnosis, and emphasize the need for further studies to clarify the epidemiological role of horses in Leishmania infantum transmission.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of grazing pastures with low (Low group) and high (High group) percentages of Epichloë coenophiala-infected tall fescue on ovarian blood flow and activity in beef cows subjected to a Fixed-Time Artificial Insemination (FTAI) protocol. Cows in the Low group (n = 18) grazed for 79 days on a pasture where fescue accounted for 13% of the available forage, with an endophyte infection rate of 96%. Meanwhile, cows in the High group (n = 18) grazed for the same period on a pasture where fescue represented 73% of the available forage, with an endophyte infection rate of 94%. Consumption of pasture with a high percentage of endophyte-infected (E+) fescue was associated with an increase in the rectal temperature, a decrease in the size and the blood flow of the dominant follicle, lower plasma progesterone (P4) concentration, and an increased number of cysts. In addition, the plasma concentration of metabolic hormones, namely triiodothyronine and cortisol, was similar between groups. In conclusion, consuming pastures with a high percentage of endophyte-infected fescue affected the ovarian blood flow and activity without affecting the metabolic hormones in beef cows.

The red fox (Vulpes vulpes) is known to be a reservoir host of various vector-borne protozoan parasites. However, the impact of infections caused by Babesia canis on the health status of the red fox remains unknown, and research on this topic conducted on fox populations in Poland and worldwide has been fragmentary. It is known that these animals can become infected with Babesia canis, but it is unclear whether a clinical form of the disease can develop in them. This study aimed to present for the first time the cases of clinical babesiosis in foxes in Poland. The observations covered four foxes aged 3-6 years with apathy, anemia, brown color of urine and thrombocytopenia. The PCR and sequencing results confirmed that all the animals had been infected with Babesia canis protozoa. The diagnosis of clinical cases of babesiosis due to B. canis in foxes from this region of Europe suggests a contribution of red foxes to the establishment of this animal species as a new reservoir of B. canis. These animals may play a role as a host for B. canis, and previously unexposed red fox populations may be more prone to infection in areas colonized by D. reticulatus.

The intensive mariculture of S. aurata can promote aquaculture development, although it can also pose challenges because of predatory behavior and environmental stressors caused by intensification. The objective of this study is to alleviate stress and prevent cannibalism, thereby improving the fish's performance and welfare. A 90-day growth experiment investigated the dietary inclusion of melatonin (ML) on Sparus aurata performance, physiology, immunity, histopathology, and welfare when grown in saline groundwater (36 ppt) at stocking densities (SD) of 50 fish/500 L‒tank (SD₅₀) and 100 fish/500 L‒tank (SD₁₀₀). Six fish groups in triplicate were fed three increasing levels of ML (0, 25, and 50 mg/kg^- 1 diet) expressed as T1, T2 and T3 under SD₅₀, and T4, T5, and T6 under SD₁₀₀. Fish (n = 1350) weighing 16.46 ± 0.18 g/fish were grown using a flow-through system and a daily feeding rate of 4%. The results revealed significant declines in nitrogen by-product (NH₃ and NO₂) levels of fish fed ML in a dose density-dependent manner. Fish fed ML under both densities showed significantly improved growth indices, FCR, growth hormone, and crude protein content compared with those fed the control diet, with T2 and T6 groups achieving the highest values. ML augmentation enhanced serum lipase, protease, immunoglobulin, albumin, globulin, antioxidants, and proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-1β and lowered serum cortisol, glucose, ALT, AST, and ALP. Under both densities, the ML-fish presented healthier livers and intestines than those fed the control diet, which showed marked liver vacuoles and steatotic changes. The ML-SD interaction showed superior fish performance, particularly in groups T2 and T6; thus, it is recommended to administer dietary melatonin at 25 mg/kg for seabream reared at 50 fish per 500-liter tank and 50 mg/kg for those cultivated at 100 fish per 500-liter tank using groundwater.

Total hip arthroplasty effectively restores near-normal gait in most dogs with hip dysplasia unresponsive to conservative treatment. Total hip replacement (THR) requires high surgical accuracy for all surgeons, though errors and deviations are more common during the learning phase (Hayes et al. Vet Surg 40(1):1-5, 2011a). This study aimed to evaluate the technical performance and identify common intraoperative deviations in cemented THR performed by a novice surgeon using canine cadavers. Twelve adult cadavers underwent unilateral THR following a standardized protocol, with implant sizes determined through both radiographic and CT-based preoperative templating. All procedures were performed under expert supervision, with intraoperative corrections made when necessary. Postoperative radiographs were obtained not to detect missed errors but to objectively quantify final implant orientation after correction, thereby documenting technical inaccuracies, including those corrected intraoperatively. Postoperative radiographs were assessed for acetabular cup orientation, femoral stem alignment, canal fill, cement mantle quality, tip-to-cortex distance and cement quality. Overall, > 80% agreement was noted between templated and implanted components. A statistically significant association (p = 0.04) was observed between the matched acetabular cup and femoral stem. While implant positioning, including stem orientation, canal fill, and cement mantle thickness, cementation quality was within acceptable limits, increased canal fill correlated with mild varus or valgus deviations (r = 0.702, p = 0.01). These findings suggest that novice surgeons may achieve reproducible and acceptable outcomes through cadaver-based training with structured mentoring. However, optimal implant placement was not consistently achieved, indicating that further refinement is needed. Larger-scale cadaveric studies and more intensive surgical training protocols are recommended to enhance accuracy, reduce variability, and improve learning outcomes clinically in canine THR.

Bronopol (C₃H₆BrNO₄) is newly used as an antimicrobial in aquaculture. Our study investigates the time-dependent effects of the antimicrobial Bronopol during Aeromonas hydrophila infection on Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). Fish were divided into four groups: a control (G0), Bronopol (0.333 µl/L) water additives (G1), A. hydrophila-injected (G2), and the combined A. hydrophila-injected and Bronopol-added (G3) for 7 days. G2 generally led to significant (P < 0.05) decreases in RBCs, Hb, PCV, monocytes, lymphocytes, and digestive enzyme activities (amylase, lipase, and protease), alongside significant (P < 0.05) increases in heterophils, liver enzymes (AST, ALT, ALP), kidney markers (creatinine, urea), and indicators of oxidative stress (MDA). G1 often induced an initial inflammatory response (increased WBCs and RBCs at 6 h) and higher (P < 0.05) levels of immune parameters (lysozyme, phagocytic activity, and IgM). G3 exhibited some mitigation of pathological effects in histopathology compared to G2 but also showed significantly (P < 0.05) higher NBT reduction and distinct gene expression patterns. Gene expression analysis revealed tissue- and time-specific changes; notably, G3 showed significant upregulation (P < 0.05) of hsp70, cox-2, il-1β, and tnf-α in the liver at 6 h, but downregulation in the kidney. Conversely, in 7 days, all gene expressions were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in the G3 group in the liver, while in the kidney, they were lower in the same group. The study explores Bronopol's efficacy in enhancing fish immunity to fight A. hydrophila, dependent on exposure timing and dose (0.333 µl/L), necessitating careful management in aquaculture practices.

A 10-year-old lioness (Panthera leo persica), weighing 130 kg, was referred from Madrid Zoo to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of the Complutense University of Madrid for evaluation of a lumbar soft tissue mass, previously diagnosed by biopsy as a chondrosarcoma, with potential surgical excision planned. A coordinated safety protocol was established between zoo and hospital staff, including predefined emergency routes and continuous supervision by experienced personnel and animal keepers. Anaesthetic premedication included intramuscular medetomidine (0.05 mg kg⁻¹) and ketamine (3 mg kg⁻¹), followed by propofol induction (1.2 mg kg⁻¹ IV) and maintenance with isoflurane in oxygen. Mechanical ventilation and comprehensive monitoring (ECG, non-invasive blood pressure, pulse oximetry, capnography, oesophageal temperature) were used. After computed tomography evaluation, the lion was elected for the chondrosarcoma surgical excision. Perioperative analgesia included intravenous methadone (0.1 mg kg⁻¹) and a sacrococcygeal epidural block with bupivacaine (0.3 mg kg⁻¹) and morphine (0.1 mg kg⁻¹). This epidural technique was integrated into a multimodal analgesic protocol that proved effective, as no intraoperative nociceptive responses were observed and recovery was uneventful, aside from transient and self-limiting neurological deficits. This case illustrates the feasibility of incorporating sacrococcygeal epidural analgesia into a multimodal anaesthetic and analgesic plan for major surgical procedures in large felids.