RESUMO
The Tsushima leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis euptilurus) is a subspecies of the mainland leopard cat that lives on the small island of Tsushima, Japan. Captive breeding has been attempted in zoos in Japan because only approximately 100 animals remain in the wild and the Tsushima leopard cat is an endangered species. There are very few reports on diseases, including tumours, of this species. We analysed the deaths of 58 Tsushima leopard cats and confirmed that nine had neoplastic disease. The average age at death of the animals with neoplasia was 14 years and tumours were the primary cause of death in all animals. Eight of the nine cases involved primary tumours of the pancreas, liver, gallbladder, tongue and salivary glands, suggesting that Tsushima leopard cats may have a predilection for digestive system tumours. This is the first report of neoplastic disease in the Tsushima leopard cat.
Assuntos
Neoplasias , Animais , Japão , Neoplasias/veterináriaRESUMO
Tsushima leopard cats (TLC; Prionailurus bengalensis euptilurus) only inhabit Tsushima Island, Nagasaki, Japan and are critically endangered and threatened by infectious diseases. The feline foamy virus (FFV) is widely endemic in domestic cats. Therefore, its transmission from domestic cats to TLCs may threaten the TLC population. Thus, this study aimed to assess the possibility that domestic cats could transmit FFV to TLCs. Eighty-nine TLC samples were screened, and FFV was identified in seven (7.86%). To assess the FFV infection status of domestic cats, 199 domestic cats were screened; 14.07% were infected. The phylogenetic analysis revealed that the FFV partial sequence from domestic cats and TLC sequences clustered in one clade, suggesting that the two populations share the same strain. The statistical data minimally supported the association between increased infection rate and sex (p = 0.28), indicating that FFV transmission is not sex dependent. In domestic cats, a significant difference was observed in FFV detection in feline immunodeficiency virus (p = 0.002) and gammaherpesvirus1 infection statuses (p = 0.0001) but not in feline leukemia virus infection status (p = 0.21). Monitoring FFV infection in domestic cats and TLC populations is highly recommended as part of TLC surveillance and management strategies.