Novel detection of provenance in the illegal wildlife trade using elemental data.

Despite being the fourth largest criminal market in the world, no forensic tools have been sufficiently developed to accurately determine the legal status of seized animals and their parts. Although legal trading is permissible for farmed or captive-bred animals, many animals are illegally removed from the wild and laundered by masquerading them as captive bred. Here we present high-resolution x-ray fluorescence (XRF) as a non-invasive and cost-effective tool for forensic classification. We tested the efficacy of this technique by using machine learning on a training set of zoo specimens and wild-caught individuals of short-beaked echidnas (Tachyglossus aculeatus), a small insectivorous monotreme in Australia. XRF outperformed stable isotope analysis (δ13C, δ15N), reducing overall classification error below 4%. XRF has the added advantage of providing samples every 200 µm on a single quill, enabling 100% classification accuracy by taking the consensus of votes per quill. This accurate and cost-effective forensic technique could provide a much needed in situ solution for combating the illegal laundering of wildlife, and conversely, assist with certification of legally bred animals.

Nasofacial infection in a cat due to a novel bacterium in Neisseriaceae.

CASE SUMMARY: A 2-year-old female spayed domestic shorthair cat was presented for a progressive subcutaneous nasofacial swelling. Histology of biopsy tissue revealed pyogranulomatous inflammation and large numbers of gram-negative capsulated bacterial coccobacilli within macrophages. The isolate was fastidious and grew after 6 days under microaerophilic conditions in a candle jar. The molecular identity of the isolate, from comparative sequence analysis of the 16s rRNA gene, is an as yet to be classified bacterial species within a novel genus of Neisseria. Infection resolved after 7 months of antimicrobial therapy with doxycycline and trimethoprim sulfamethoxazole. There has been no further recurrence of clinical signs in a 3 year follow-up period. RELEVANCE AND NOVEL INFORMATION: Cats are susceptible to nasofacial infections as a result of traumatic inoculation of environmental bacteria, fungi and protozoa. We report a novel pathogen in the Neisseriaceae family, identified by 16 sRNA comparative sequence analysis, as a cause of nasofacial infection in a cat, and its subsequent successful treatment with combination antimicrobial therapy.

Papillomavirus-associated multicentric squamous cell carcinoma in situ in a cat: an unusually extensive and progressive case with subsequent metastasis.

BACKGROUND: Multicentric squamous cell carcinoma in situ (MSCCIS) is an uncommon cutaneous disease of middle-aged to older cats, with some cases being linked to papillomavirus infection. The disease course is usually benign. Initial eruption of multifocal, pigmented, hyperkeratotic plaques is typical, with gradual progression to thickly crusted ulcerative lesions. ANIMAL: A 5-year-old male neutered Devon rex cat in apparent good health was initially presented with a 16 month history of over 40 nonpruritic dorsally distributed hyperpigmented patches. Lesions progressed gradually over 2 years to larger, more pigmented, crusted plaques and ulcerated nodules. At 7 years of age the cat developed neurological signs and systemic illness and was euthanized. METHODS AND RESULTS: Initial skin histopathology revealed discrete regions of epidermal and follicular epithelial hyperplasia, with moderate numbers of apoptotic keratinocytes, and mild focal epithelial dysplasia. A diagnosis of erythema multiforme was considered; feline herpesvirus-1 immunohistochemistry was negative. Repeat histopathology 22 months after initial presentation confirmed MSCCIS with foci of invasive squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Postmortem examination 1 month later revealed SCC within the thoracic wall, lungs and vessels of the thoracic spinal cord and heart base, presumed to be metastases from skin lesions. Fluorescent in situ hybridization of initial and later histopathology samples was positive for Felis domesticus papillomavirus type 2. Immunoreactivity of p16 was prominent within early and late cutaneous lesions and internal SCCs. CONCLUSIONS: This case represents an unusual presentation of papillomavirus-associated MSCCIS with extensive lesions, atypical initial histopathology and progression to SCC with distant metastases.