RADIOGRAPHIC CARDIAC SILHOUETTE MEASUREMENT IN CAPTIVE LIVINGSTONE'S FRUIT BATS (PTEROPUS LIVINGSTONII).

Cardiomyopathies have been increasingly noted in the captive population of Livingstone's fruit bat ( Pteropus livingstonii ). The aim of this study was to produce a set of repeatable quantitative reference measurements that could be used to assess the cardiac size during radiographic examination of this species. Ventro-dorsal and lateral radiographs (n = 129) from a total of 42 individual Livingstone's fruit bats were examined. The control group radiographs (n = 102) consisted of 34 healthy individuals. Radiographic measurements were taken of structures within the thorax and then converted into ratios. These ratios from radiographs (n = 27) were also calculated for eight individuals with diagnosed cardiomyopathy. Vertebral Heart Scores (VHS) were calculated from right lateral radiographs and compared between the two groups. From all the data, only the width of the cardiac silhouette to the width of the thorax (the W : T ratio) in the ventro-dorsal view and the VHS were found to be significantly different between both groups (P < 0.05). The group with cardiomyopathies had a mean W : T ratio of 0.59 (±0.005) and a VHS of 9.77 (±0.89), while a mean W : T ratio of 0.54 (±0.004) and a VHS of 8.71 (±0.93) was established for healthy specimens.

HIGH PREVALENCE OF INTESTINAL ADENOCARCINOMA IN A CAPTIVE POPULATION OF AMAZON MILK FROG (TRACHYCEPHALUS RESINIFICTRIX).

: A series of eight cases of intestinal adenocarcinoma in Amazon milk frog (Trachycephalus resinifictrix) is described. All cases presented with signs of inappetence and weight loss, and evidence of large intestinal distention on gross postmortem, with six of the eight cases showing a grossly visible large intestinal mass. Histologic examination identified the mass as an intestinal adenocarcinoma in all cases. No specific etiologic agent could be identified. This is the first report of neoplasia in the Amazon milk frog, and the first reported series of amphibian gastrointestinal neoplasia.

Histopathological characterization and grading of chronic enterocolitis in Sulawesi crested macaques (Macaca nigra).

Sulawesi crested macaques (Macaca nigra) (SCMs) are critically endangered and frequently suffer from chronic intestinal disease in captivity. Often, despite routine diagnostic investigations and confirmation of intestinal inflammation, an aetiology cannot be identified, leading to a non-specific categorization as chronic enterocolitis rather than an aetiological diagnosis. This study evaluates the histological features of gastrointestinal tissues from 23 SCMs, comparing animals with a clinical history suggestive of chronic enterocolitis (n = 14) with those without gastrointestinal clinical signs (n = 9). Tissues were graded according to the Nancy index (NI), a scoring system used in human medicine to evaluate disease activity in ulcerative colitis, a common form of human inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Additionally, inflammatory cells in the colonic lamina propria were visually identified by type, counted and subsequently compared between diseased and control animals. Moderate to severe lymphoplasmacytic inflammation and structural changes were most common in the colons of affected SCMs, whereas histopathological changes were absent or mild in all examined small intestine (n = 17) and stomach (n = 11) tissues. The colonic NI had a significant positive correlation with clinical disease severity and 57% (n = 8) of animals with clinical signs had a NI grade of ≥2, consistent with moderate to severe, active IBD. Half of SCMs with recurrent rectal prolapse (n = 6) had a NI grade of 0, suggesting that intestinal inflammation is not always part of this condition's pathogenesis. The numbers of colonic lymphocytes, plasma cells, neutrophils, macrophages and total leucocytes were significantly higher in diseased animals. This study validated the use of the NI in SCMs, enabling a more standardized histopathological evaluation of the colon in this species.

Treatment of atoxoplasmosis in the Blue-crowned Laughing Thrush (Dryonastes courtoisi).

Passerines are frequently parasitized by coccidia, especially species of the genus Isospora, with extra-intestinal stages that can be highly pathogenic causing serious clinical damage in young birds. Whilst there is still no effective treatment to completely clear isosporoid coccidia with extra-intestinal stages from a host species, our results showed that prolonged treatment with toltrazuril (BAYER AG, Leverkusen, Germany) can decrease the oocysts in faeces and thus reduce the extra-intestinal phase of the infection. The toltrazuril treatment is therefore probably indirectly effective against the systemic form of atoxoplasmosis.