American kestrel (Falco spaverius) fledgling with severe bilateral periorbital swelling and infection with Mycoplasma buteonis, Avibacterium (Pasteurella) gallinarum, and Staphylococcus pasteuri.

Abstract: A female American kestrel (Falco spaverius) fledgling was found on the ground with a suspected trauma to the right eye and open-mouth breathing. During the first 2 days of hospitalization, the bird developed severe bilateral periorbital cellulitis, blepharoedema, and sinusitis. The periocular tissues of the right globe were devitalized and communicated with a fistula at the commissure of the right side of the beak. The blepharoedema of the left eye was aspirated and yielded a dark colored malodorous fluid, which was submitted for aerobic bacterial and Mycoplasma cultures. Results showed a mixed infection with Mycoplasma buteonis, Avibacterium gallinarum, and Staphylococcus pasteuri, all of which are not commonly isolated from birds of prey. With antimicrobial therapy, supportive care, and surgical debridement of the right periocular necrotic tissues and adhesed phthisical globe, the kestrel recovered from this severe mixed upper respiratory infection.

Management of wounds in a loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) caused by traumatic bycatch injury from the spines of a spotted eagle ray (Aetobatus narinari).

A subadult female loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) was caught in a trawl net off the west coast of Florida with a spotted eagle ray (Aetobatus narinari) spine lodged in the left stifle. Surgical removal of the spine was performed and antibiotic treatment was initiated. Four weeks later, endoscopy revealed a second spine entering an intestinal lumen. The fistulous tract of the left prefemoral fossa was surgically excised and the intestinal perforation was repaired. Dehiscence occurred and a vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) system was used on the wound for approximately 18 days to help reduce infection and increase the rate of healing. The left stifle wound was treated to heal by second intention. The turtle remained in rehabilitation for 19 mo before being released off the west coast of Florida. This case describes stingray envenomation injuries as a complex and potentially life-threatening bycatch effect to sea turtles caught in trawl nets.

Characterization and cryopreservation of semen from endangered markhor goats (Capra falconeri heptneri) with evaluation of reproductive seasonality.

The aims of this study were to determine the reproductive seasonality of four captive markhor goats (Capra falconeri heptneri), to characterize semen collected by electroejaculation, and to compare extenders and processing techniques for semen cryopreservation. Over the course of 1 yr, mean monthly scrotal circumference, serum testosterone, and fecal testosterone were measured and found to be inversely associated with day length. Maximum scrotal circumference (25.2 +/- 0.9 cm), serum testosterone (521.0 +/- 103.4 ng/dl), and fecal testosterone (382.5 +/- 90.3 ng/g) occurred in November, when day length was short (9.7 +/- 0.1 hr). Once a month for 3 mo (December, January, and February), bucks were anesthetized for electroejaculation and semen evaluation. Semen samples were divided into six aliquots for extension and cryopreservation in soy-based Bioxcell or Tris-based extender with 5 or 15% egg yolk, with and without centrifugation. Samples were then thawed for repeat evaluation 1-3 mo later. Postthaw evaluation revealed no significant differences between centrifuged and noncentrifuged samples. Sperm in Tris 5% and 15% egg yolk displayed higher total motility at 0, 3, and 6 hr postthaw and higher progressive motility postthaw compared with sperm in Bioxcell (P < 0.05). Sperm in Bioxcell displayed higher viability than sperm in both Tris-egg yolk extenders (P < 0.01), more intact acrosomes than sperm in Tris-15% egg yolk (P < 0.05), and a tendency for more intact acrosomes than sperm in Tris-5% egg yolk (P < 0.10). Sperm in Tris-5% egg yolk tended to have a higher percentage of morphologically normal sperm compared with Bioxcell (P < 0.10). This study provides evidence that markhor goats exhibit seasonality in scrotal circumference and testosterone levels and that centrifugation may be eliminated from the processing of markhor semen.

Chinese Box turtle (Cuora flavomarginata) with lymphoid leukemia characterized by immunohistochemical and cytochemical phenotyping.

Lymphoid leukemia of T-cell origin was diagnosed in a male Chinese Box turtle, Cuora flavomarginata, of approximately 25 years of age. The turtle presented with a history of anorexia, open-mouth breathing, and lethargy for one week. The CBC findings included a mildly increased PCV, and severe leukocytosis due to high numbers of atypical cells interpreted to be blasts. The blasts were medium-sized cells with round to pleomorphic nuclei, slightly clumped chromatin, indistinct nucleoli, and scant moderate-to-dark blue cytoplasm with occasional red-to-purple cytoplasmic granulation. Cytochemical and immunohistochemical staining indicated that the neoplastic cells were positive for CD3 and α-naphthyl butyrate esterase (ANBE), leading to the diagnosis of T-cell lymphoid leukemia. Histology of tissues collected at necropsy showed multifocal infiltrations of neoplastic round cells in the liver, spleen, kidneys, testicles, pancreas, thyroid, duodenum, bone marrow, epicardium, and myocardium. Transmission electron microscopy failed to identify viral particles within the neoplastic cells. This article describes the hematologic, histologic, and ultrastructural abnormalities associated with lymphoid leukemia in this turtle, and advanced diagnostic methods used for phenotyping the T-cell origin.

Coprologic evidence of gastrointestinal helminths of forest baboons, Papio anubis, in Kibale National Park, Uganda.

The gastrointestinal parasites of baboons have been well characterized from savannah and desert habitats, but little is known about their gastrointestinal parasites in forest habitats. From May to June 2004, we collected 41 fecal samples from free-ranging olive baboons (Papio anubis) within the forested Kibale National Park, Uganda. Samples were examined to determine the prevalence of gastrointestinal helminths in this forest dwelling population of olive baboons. The prevalence of nematodes identified from fecal flotation was Oesophagostomum sp. (85%), Trichostrongylus sp. (22%), Trichuris sp. (46%), Strongyloides sp. (44%), Ternidens sp. (5%), Abbreviata sp. (2%), and Molineus sp. (2%). Flotation techniques also recovered unidentified eggs, probably of hookworm origin (22%). No parasite eggs were recovered by sedimentation of eight samples. Coproculture techniques using 13 of the 41 samples recovered larvae from Oesophagostomum sp., Strongyloides sp., and Trichostrongylus sp. The high prevalence of nematodes recovered in this study seems to support previous theories of high nematode infections in forested habits.