PREVALENCE OF LAWSONIA INTRACELLULARIS INFECTION IN NONHUMAN PRIMATES AND PEST RODENTS IN A ZOOLOGICAL COLLECTION.

In 2016 and 2017, Lawsonia intracellularis was isolated from several pileated gibbons (Hylobates pileatus) presenting with diarrhea in Mulhouse Zoo (eastern France). To this day, infection with this bacterium has rarely been described in nonhuman primates (NHP) in captivity or in the wild and there are no data about the prevalence or transmission of the disease. This study focuses on finding the prevalence of this infection amongst Mulhouse Zoo's NHP collection and trying to identify a source of contamination responsible for this epizooty. Forty-eight real-time PCR were conducted on feces from all NHP species in the zoo and on small mammals trapped in the NHP housing structures. No NHP was experiencing symptoms at the time of the study, however test results showed that Lawsonia intracellularis can be found in 61.76% (21/34) of the group total (n = 34) and the prevalence even increases to 92.3% (12/13) in the Lemuriform infraorder (n = 13). In small mammals (n = 14), prevalence of the bacterium is 57.17% (8/14) including 77.78% in rodents (7/9). The results of this study show that several NHP species are healthy carriers and some species of small mammals can be considered as a potential source of contamination. Because of the difficulty encountered trying to isolate the bacterium, it is plausible that infections caused by Lawsonia intracellularis have been underdiagnosed to this day, and that it could be an emerging disease in Europe. Therefore, using real-time PCR to search for this bacterium seems essential in case of diarrhea occurring in nonhuman primates. Moreover, even though further studies on contamination sources need to be conducted, the issue of the presence of rodents in NHP housing structures has to be taken very seriously and tackled with the utmost care.

BIOMEDICAL EVALUATION OF A BROWN LEMUR (EULEMUR FULVUS SPP.) POPULATION FROM MBOUZI ISLET, MAYOTTE ISLAND.

The brown lemur population (Eulemur fulvus spp.) in Mbouzi islet is not native, and was introduced in 1997. Since then, the population has grown. In 2012 the National Council for Protection of Nature of Mayotte requested to remove this population of lemurs from Mbouzi, as they were suspected to be a threat to the protected endemic flora of the islet. The Association Francophone des Vétérinaires de Parcs Zoologiques (French-speaking Zoo Veterinarians Association, AFVPZ) was asked to conduct a biomedical evaluation of the population. Fifty-two animals were captured, anesthetized, and weighed. They all underwent a general physical examination. Feces were sampled for bacterial and parasitological screening. Hair was sampled for genetic studies and blood was sampled for hematology, biochemistry, viral serology, and haemoparasitology. Results showed that three individuals had a positive feces culture for Salmonella enterica and six had Lemuricola or Callistoura parasite infestations. Blood analyses for hematology and biochemistry showed 46 animals with elevated transferrin, 42 with low ferritin levels, 19 with hyperglycemia, and 10 with neutrophilia. Finally, 10 were positive for Toxoplasma serology, one was positive for α herpesvirus, five for pox virus, five for simian virus 40, and two for flavivirus. This publication reports the first complete biomedical evaluation of lemurs on Mayotte Island.

SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA IN TWO SNOW LEOPARDS (UNCIA UNCIA) WITH UNUSUAL AURICULAR PRESENTATION.

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is well documented in snow leopards ( Uncia uncia ) and most common locations are oral, facial, or pedal. These two cases illustrate an unusual auricular presentation, which is more often reported in white domestic cats. The animals were aged and presented clinical signs of otitis such as head shaking and ear scratching. Clinical examinations showed auricular canal masses with chronic purulent otitis. In both cases, clinical deterioration led to euthanasia and histology of the ear canal was consistent with SCC and showed numerous vascular emboli. These cases illustrate an unreported aggressive localization for SCC in snow leopards, which should be included in the differential diagnosis of otitis in this species. Auricular SCC may be underdiagnosed as the ear canal is infrequently sampled for histopathology. This auricular localization should be considered when metastases are found upon necropsy without internal primary tumor.

A CASE OF TRYCHOPHYTON RUBRUM DERMATOPHYTOSIS IN A PATAGONIAN SEA LION (OTARIA BYRONIA).

A 23-yr old female Patagonian sea lion (Otaria byronia) presented multifocal to coalescing and ulcerative skin lesions on the lumbar region. Skin scrapings were collected and a microscopic examination was conducted followed by a fungal culture that revealed a Trychophyton rubrum infection, an anthropophilic dermatophytosis agent. Oral terbinafine and topical eniconazole were used as a treatment for a period of 75 days and complete recovery was achieved. Epidemiological analysis revealed a dermatophytosis case in one of the carnivore section keepers a few weeks before the lesions were diagnosed in the sea lion.

Isochronous singing in 3 crested gibbon species (Nomascus spp.).

The search for common characteristics between the musical abilities of humans and other animal species is still taking its first steps. One of the most promising aspects from a comparative point of view is the analysis of rhythmic components, which are crucial features of human communicative performance but also well-identifiable patterns in the vocal displays of other species. Therefore, the study of rhythm is becoming essential to understand the mechanisms of singing behavior and the evolution of human communication. Recent findings provided evidence that particular rhythmic structures occur in human music and some singing animal species, such as birds and rock hyraxes, but only 2 species of nonhuman primates have been investigated so far (Indri indri and Hylobates lar). Therefore, our study aims to consistently broaden the list of species studied regarding the presence of rhythmic categories. We investigated the temporal organization in the singing of 3 species of crested gibbons (Nomascus gabriellae, Nomascus leucogenys, and Nomascus siki) and found that the most prominent rhythmic category was isochrony. Moreover, we found slight variation in songs' tempo among species, with N. gabriellae and N. siki singing with a temporal pattern involving a gradually increasing tempo (a musical accelerando), and N. leucogenys with a more regular pattern. Here, we show how the prominence of a peak at the isochrony establishes itself as a shared characteristic in the small apes considered so far.

Evidence for the possible occurrence of Grave's disease in a blue-eyed black lemur (Eulemur flavifrons).

The blue-eyed black lemur (Eulemur flavifrons) is classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as critically endangered. A 23-year-old male housed at Mulhouse Zoo presented with lethargy, polyphagia, alopecia, and chronic weight loss. Clinical examination suggested an endocrine pathology such as hyperthyroidism. Secondary examinations included cervical ultrasound, thyroid biopsy, and scintigraphy. The latter revealed elevated thyroid activity. Blood analysis was performed to measure the level of anti-receptor thyroid-stimulating hormone antibodies, which allowed us to test the autoimmune hypothesis. The high level of antibodies together with levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone and the scintigraphy images led to the diagnosis of Grave's disease. Carbimazole treatment followed by thyroidectomy resulted in a quick weight gain and general improvement in health status. The following breeding season, the treated individual sired an offspring. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of likely Grave's disease in a non-human primate.