Mandibular and maxillary osteomyelitis and myositis in a captive herd of red kangaroos (Macropus rufus).

Jaw infections in macropods are common and will result in mortality if not promptly diagnosed and aggressively treated. They have most often been reported in wallabies; however, in the current case, the gross and histopathologic findings, microbial culture, and management of jaw infections in a population of red kangaroos (Macropus rufus) housed in a zoological park are described. Three red kangaroos, among a group of 23, were submitted for necropsy after death after progressively invasive and nonresolving jaw infections. Extensive bone and soft-tissue inflammation and necrosis were observed in all animals. A mixed population of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria was cultured; however, Pseudomonas spp. was consistently isolated from the sites of infection in all animals. Parental administration of gentamicin and penicillin, along with daily oral flushing of the wounds with Betadine, removal of all rough forage, and hand feeding soft-pelleted feed, was effective in controlling the progression of disease in 1 affected animal. This case documents an important disease in an additional macropod species and identifies predisposing factors, possible etiologies, and treatment and/or management options.

Two herpesviruses associated with disease in wild Atlantic loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta).

Herpesviruses are associated with lung-eye-trachea disease and gray patch disease in maricultured green turtles (Chelonia mydas) and with fibropapillomatosis in wild sea turtles of several species. With the exception fibropapillomatosis, no other diseases of wild sea turtles of any species have been associated with herpesviral infection. In the present study, six necropsied Atlantic loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) had gross and histological evidence of viral infection, including oral, respiratory, cutaneous, and genital lesions characterized by necrosis, ulceration, syncytial cell formation, and intranuclear inclusion bodies. Nested polymerase chain reaction targeting a conserved region of the herpesvirus DNA-dependent-DNA polymerase gene yielded two unique herpesviral sequences referred to as loggerhead genital-respiratory herpesvirus and loggerhead orocutaneous herpesvirus. Phylogenetic analyses indicate that these viruses are related to and are monophyletic with other chelonian herpesviruses within the subfamily alpha-herpesvirinae. We propose the genus Chelonivirus for this monophyletic group of chelonian herpesviruses.