Fusarium spp. in Loggerhead Sea Turtles (Caretta caretta): From Colonization to Infection.

With the aim of evaluating the presence of Fusarium spp. in sea turtles with and without lesions and assessing the risk factors favoring colonization and/or infection, 74 loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) admitted to rescue and rehabilitation clinics in Italy were analyzed. The study compared 31 individuals with no apparent macroscopic lesions and 43 individuals with macroscopic lesions. Shell and skin samples were analyzed using Calcofluor white with 10% potassium hydroxide, standard histopathological examination, and fungal cultures. Fusarium spp. were isolated more frequently from animals with superficial lesions (39%) than from those with no macroscopic lesions (16%). Isolates from animals with superficial lesions were Fusarium solani species complex (FSSC) lineages haplotypes 9, 12, and 27 (unnamed lineages), FSSC-2 (Fusarium keratoplasticum), Fusarium oxysporum (27%), and Fusarium brachygibbosum (3%). In contrast, only F. solani haplotypes 9 and 12 were isolated from animals with no macroscopic lesions. The presence of lesions was identified as a risk factor for the occurrence of Fusarium spp. Of the 74 animals, only 7 (9.5%) scored positive on microscopic examination with Calcofluor, and histological examination of those 7 animals revealed necrosis, inflammatory cells, and fungal hyphae in the carapace and skin. The results of this study suggest that fusariosis should be included in the differential diagnosis of shell and skin lesions in sea turtles. Direct examination using Calcofluor and potassium hydroxide was not useful to diagnose the infection. Histopathological examination and fungal culture should be performed to ensure correct treatment and infection control.

Efficacy of an in-feed formulation containing ivermectin for the control of intestinal strongyles in captive zebras (Equus burchelli (Gray, 1824)).

The efficacy of medicated food pellets (containing 10mg of ivermectin per kg, UNIFEED, Veronesi, Verona, Italy) was evaluated for the control of intestinal strongyles in a group of captive zebras (Equus burchelli) at the Safari Park, Fasano (Apulia region, Brindisi Province, southern Italy). The egg reappearance period and the faecal egg counts in terms of eggs per gram of faeces were investigated. From day 0 until day +9, 30 zebras were fed with medicated pellets and pooled faecal samples were collected from the floor of paddocks. The drug showed an efficacy of 100% for up to 78 days post-treatment, with one exception. Strongyle eggs collected prior to the treatment were used to perform coprocultures and larvae harvested were molecularly identified as Cylicostephanus minutus and Cylicocyclus leptostomum with a reverse line blot hybridization assay. The administration of ivermectin with medicated food pellets was effective in controlling intestinal strongylosis in captive zebras. The opportunity to treat captive ungulates with an in-feed anthelmintic is discussed in relation to the fractious nature of these animals, which often impairs helminth control programs in zoo-parks.