Intraoperative bleeding in dogs from Grenada seroreactive to Anaplasma platys and Ehrlichia canis.

BACKGROUND: Frequent exposure of Grenadian dogs to Rhipicephalus sanguineus results in Anaplasma platys, and Ehrlichia canis seroreactivity. During elective surgeries, substantial intraoperative hemorrhage occurs in some seroreactive dogs. OBJECTIVES: To assess hemostatic parameters and bleeding tendencies as well as prevalence of PCR positivity in apparently healthy A. platys and E. canis seroreactive and seronegative free-roaming dogs from Grenada. ANIMALS: Forty-seven elective surgery dogs allocated to 4 groups: Seronegative control (n = 12), A. platys (n = 10), E. canis (n = 14) and A. platys, and E. canis (n = 11) seroreactive. METHODS: Preoperatively, hemostasis was assessed by platelet count, prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, and buccal mucosal bleeding time. Intra- and postoperative bleeding scores were subjectively assigned. Blood, spleen, bone marrow, and lymph node aspirates were tested by PCR. RESULTS: Bleeding scores in dogs coseroreactive for A. platys and E. canis were higher (P = .015) than those of seronegative dogs. A. platys DNA was amplified from 7/21 (33%) A. platys seroreactive dogs and from 1 E. canis seroreactive dog; E. canis DNA was amplified from 21/25 (84%) E. canis seroreactive dogs. E. canis DNA was amplified most often from blood, whereas A. platys DNA was amplified most often from bone marrow. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Apparently healthy, free-roaming dogs coseropositive for A. platys and E. canis may have increased intraoperative bleeding tendencies despite normal hemostatic parameters. Future investigations should explore the potential for vascular injury as a cause for bleeding in these dogs. Improved tick control is needed for dogs in Grenada.

Prevalence of Salmonella spp. in cane toads (Bufo marinus) from Grenada, West Indies, and their antimicrobial susceptibility.

Cloacal swabs and caecal contents sampled from 58 cane toads (Bufo marinus) in St George's parish, Grenada, during a 7-month period in 2011 were examined by an enrichment and selective culture method for presence of Salmonella spp. Twenty-four (41%) toads were positive for Salmonella spp. of which eight were Salmonella enterica serovar Javiana, and eight were S. enterica serovar Rubislaw. The other serovars were as follows: Montevideo, 6; Arechavaleta, 1; and serovar: IV:43:-:-, 1. The high frequency of isolation of serovar Javiana, an emerging human pathogen associated with several outbreaks in the recent years in the eastern United States, suggests a possible role for cane toads in transmission of this serovar. Although S. Rubislaw has been isolated from lizards, bats and cases of some human infections, there is no report of its carriage by cane toads, and in such high frequency. The rate of carriage of S. Montevideo, a cause for human foodborne outbreaks around the world was also over 10% in the 58 toads sampled in this study. The antimicrobial drug susceptibility tests against amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, ampicillin, cefotaxime, ceftazidime, ciprofloxacin, enrofloxacin, gentamicin, imipenem, nalidixic acid, streptomycin, tetracycline and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole showed that drug resistance is minimal and is of little concern. Antimicrobial resistance was limited to ampicillin and amoxicillin-clavulanic acid in one isolate of S. Javiana and one isolate of S. Rubislaw. This is the first report of isolation and antimicrobial susceptibilities of various Salmonella serovars not identified previously in cane toads in Grenada, West Indies.

Tuberculosis in Kafue lechwe (Kobus leche kafuensis) and in a bushbuck (Tragelaphus scriptus) on a game ranch in central province, Zambia.

Mycobacteriosis was diagnosed for the first time outside a national park in free-ranging wild animals on a game ranch in Zambia. A Kafue lechwe (Kobus leche kafuensis) was found dead with tuberculous lesions on a ranch near Lusaka. Acid-fast bacilli were found in the affected organs. Mycobacteria were isolated from these tissues. A bushbuck (Tragelaphus scriptus) was found dead on the same ranch with multiple superficial abscesses in the neck region, extensive granulomatous lesions in the lung, the bronchial and mediastinal lymph nodes and several nodular lesions in the spleen. Few acid-fast bacilli were found in the exudate from the abscesses and lesions in the affected organs. Histologically the lesions resembled those of tuberculosis, but mycobacteria could not be isolated. In addition, 1 Kafue lechwe among 37 wild ungulates of 13 species shot on the ranch showed typical tuberculous lesions in the lungs, but the diagnosis was not confirmed by bacterial isolation. The role of the Kafue lechwe as maintenance host for tuberculosis as well as in the possible spread of this disease to other wildlife are discussed.

Dynamics of free-living ixodid ticks on a game ranch in the Central Province, Zambia.

Free-living ixodid ticks were collected at monthly intervals from January to December 1996 by dragsampling the vegetation of Mtendere Game Ranch in the Chisamba District of the Central Province, Zambia. Ticks belonging to 11 species were recovered. Rhipicephalus appendiculatus was most abundant, comprising 90% of the total number collected. All life stages of this tick showed a definite seasonal pattern of activity. The adults were present mainly during the rainy season (February and March), the larvae during the cool and dry season (May to August), and the nymphs during the hot and dry season (August to October). Adults were most abundant in the wooded areas and nymphs in the open grasslands. Larvae of Amblyomma variegatum were only found from May to September, while larvae of Boophilus decoloratus were present throughout the year with peaks of abundance from January to February and again from August to November. Rhipicephalus evertsi larvae occurred throughout the year. Recent burning of the vegetation did not seem to affect the number of ticks collected. A possible burning regime to achieve a degree of tick control is discussed.

Ixodid tick infestations of wild birds and mammals on a game ranch in central province, Zambia.

Ticks were collected at irregular intervals from December 1995 to November 1996 from wildlife on Mtendere Game Ranch in the Chisamba District of Central Province, Zambia. Total collections were made from two species of ground-nesting birds and 20 species of small and large mammals. Thirteen species/subspecies of ixodid ticks were recovered. Rhipicephalus appendiculatus was the most abundant, followed by Boophilus decoloratus and Rhipicephalus evertsi evertsi. Small numbers of immature ticks of only a few species were collected from the birds and rodents. The lagomorphs carried large numbers of predominantly immature R. appendiculatus. Most of the ungulates harboured several tick species and had high infestations of R. appendiculatus. The seasonal abundances of Amblyomma variegatum, B. decoloratus, R. appendiculatus and R. evertsi evertsi were determined.

Helminths and bot fly larvae of wild ungulates on a game ranch in central province, Zambia.

Helminths and bot fly larvae were collected from 11 wild ungulate species on a game ranch in the Central Province of Zambia. New host-parasite records are: Calicophoron sp. from defassa waterbuck Kobus ellipsiprymnus defassa and Kafue lechwe Kobus leche kafuensis; Avitellina centripunctata, Gaigeria pachyscelis and Gedoelstia cristata from tsessebe Damaliscus lunatus lunatus; Cooperia rotundispiculum from common reedbuck Redunca arundinum; Dictyocaulus filaria from greater kudu Tragelaphus strepsiceros; Dictyocaulus sp. from tsessebe and defassa waterbuck and Strobiloestrus sp. from sable antelope Hippotragus niger. Most of the other parasites collected are first records for Zambia and thus extend the distribution ranges of several species.

[Prenatal and postnatal diagnosis of triploidy in man (author's transl)]. / Die pränatale und postnatale Diagnostik der Triploidie beim Menschen.

Prenatal amniocentesis, chromosome analysis, as well as clinical and pathologicoanatomic approaches are some of the ways by which to diagnose triploidy. The methods are described against the background of triploidy (karyotype 69 XXX) in a bipara, 24 years of age. Prenatal examination of hydramnion, particularly in cases with concomitant gestosis, should include amnion cell culturing for early detection of triploidy. Postnatal diagnosis, in response to typical malformation of the foetus and placenta, is possible, provided that thought is given to that aspect.