Your browser doesn't support javascript.
loading
Show: 20 | 50 | 100
Results 1 - 18 de 18
Filter
Add more filters










Publication year range
5.
Vet Rec ; 187(10): 408-409, 2020 11 14.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33188122
8.
Dis Aquat Organ ; 129(3): 239-244, 2018 08 14.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-30154283

ABSTRACT

Infectious disease is a significant driver of global amphibian declines, yet despite this, relatively little is known about the range of pathogens that affect free-living amphibians. Recent detection of the tentatively named Ranid herpesvirus 3 (RHV3), associated with skin disease in free-living common frogs Rana temporaria in Switzerland, helps to address this paucity in knowledge, but the geographic distribution and epidemiology of the pathogen remains unclear. Syndromic surveillance for ranid herpesvirus skin disease was undertaken throughout Great Britain (GB), January 2014 to December 2016. Reports of common frogs with macroscopic skin lesions with a characteristic grey appearance were solicited from members of the public. Post-mortem examination was conducted on one affected frog found dead in 2015 at a site in England. In addition, archived samples from an incident involving common frogs in England in 1997 with similar macroscopic lesions were further investigated. Transmission electron microscopy identified herpes-like virions in skin lesions from both the 1997 and 2015 incidents. RHV3, or RHV3-like virus, was detected in skin lesions from the 2015 case by PCR and sequencing. Our findings indicate that herpesvirus skin disease is endemic in common frogs in GB, with widespread distribution at apparently low prevalence. Further research into the role of host immunity, virus latency and the significance of infection to host survival is required to better understand the epidemiology and impact of cutaneous herpesvirus infections in amphibian populations.


Subject(s)
Herpesviridae Infections/veterinary , Herpesviridae/isolation & purification , Rana temporaria/virology , Skin Diseases, Viral/veterinary , Animals , Female , Herpesviridae Infections/epidemiology , Herpesviridae Infections/pathology , Herpesviridae Infections/virology , Male , Skin Diseases, Viral/epidemiology , Skin Diseases, Viral/pathology , Skin Diseases, Viral/virology , United Kingdom/epidemiology
11.
Vet Rec ; 171(7): 176, 2012 Aug 18.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-22791517

ABSTRACT

PCR was used to amplify adenoviral DNA, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to detect adenovirus particles in tissue and intestinal content samples from red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris) associated with a reintroduction study on Anglesey (North Wales), from other populations on the island and from stock held at the Welsh Mountain Zoo, 38 km to the east. Samples were collected during the routine surveillance postmortem examinations of all 60 red squirrels with carcases retrieved in a suitable condition between 2004 and 2010, including 29 captive and 31 free-living animals. Following significant clusters of mortality in captive red squirrels, adenovirus was identified retrospectively in faecal material from 12 of 13 (92 per cent) examined carcases from squirrels captive on Anglesey, and 14 of 16 (88 per cent) from the Welsh Mountain Zoo. Virus was identified in 13 of 31 (42 per cent) free-living wild animals, with evidence of both subclinical and clinically significant enteric adenoviral infections in wild squirrels. Without ancillary PCR and TEM testing, the extent of adenovirus infection in such populations would have been underestimated. Screening protocols that include examinations for adenovirus should, therefore, be part of the routine biosecurity measures protecting reintroduction or captive breeding programmes for red squirrels.


Subject(s)
Adenoviridae Infections/veterinary , Adenoviridae/isolation & purification , Rodent Diseases/mortality , Sciuridae/virology , Adenoviridae Infections/mortality , Animals , Animals, Wild/virology , Animals, Zoo , Conservation of Natural Resources , DNA, Viral/analysis , Feces/virology , Female , Male , Microscopy, Electron, Transmission/veterinary , Polymerase Chain Reaction/veterinary
14.
Vet Rec ; 167(8): 297-302, 2010 Aug 21.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-20729517

ABSTRACT

Postmortem and virological examinations for squirrelpox virus (SQPV) were carried out on 262 red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris) found dead or moribund in Scotland between September 2005 and July 2009, to determine the likely causes of death and highlight factors that might be threats to the red squirrel population. Most of the squirrels were submitted from Dumfries and Galloway, and 71 per cent of them were adults. Road traffic accidents, squirrelpox, trauma or starvation were responsible for death in a large proportion (73 per cent) of the squirrels. Thin or emaciated body condition was associated with deaths resulting from pneumonia SQPV infection and starvation, and with the presence of external parasites. There were differences between age groups with regard to the cause of death; a large proportion of juveniles died of starvation, whereas a large proportion of subadults and adults died in road traffic accidents. SQPV infection was associated with the presence of external parasites, but was not associated with the sex of the animals.


Subject(s)
Poxviridae Infections/veterinary , Rodent Diseases/epidemiology , Rodent Diseases/pathology , Sciuridae , Sentinel Surveillance/veterinary , Wounds and Injuries/veterinary , Accidents, Traffic , Age Factors , Animals , Disease Outbreaks/veterinary , Disease Reservoirs/veterinary , Disease Reservoirs/virology , Female , Male , Poxviridae Infections/epidemiology , Poxviridae Infections/mortality , Poxviridae Infections/pathology , Rodent Diseases/mortality , Scotland/epidemiology , Sex Factors , Wounds and Injuries/epidemiology , Wounds and Injuries/mortality , Wounds and Injuries/pathology
15.
Vet Rec ; 167(2): 59-63, 2010 Jul 10.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-20622205

ABSTRACT

Red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris) found dead or dying on the Isle of Wight and the island of Jersey were suffering from exudative, ulcerative dermatitis and superficial staphylococcal pyoderma. The principal gross lesions were on the lips, eyelids and feet and showed similarities to those of squirrelpox. The histopathological lesions were also similar and, although there was no ballooning degeneration of epidermal cells, intracytoplasmic inclusions resembling those seen in poxvirus infections were present. Examination of lesions by electron microscopy failed to identify any virions, and PCR analysis for squirrelpox virus proved negative. The skin lesions also resembled those of mange, but although numerous mites were present in the fur these were mostly Dermacarus sciurinus with small numbers of Metalistrophorus pagenstecheri. The occurrence of these species on red squirrels in Britain is confirmed, but neither is pathogenic and they were not considered to have been involved in the pathogenesis of the dermatitis, the primary cause of which was not established.


Subject(s)
Dermatitis/veterinary , Sciuridae , Animals , Dermatitis/mortality , Diagnosis, Differential , Exudates and Transudates , Female , Lip Diseases/pathology , Lip Diseases/veterinary , Male , Microscopy, Electron/veterinary , Mites , Polymerase Chain Reaction/veterinary , Pyoderma/veterinary , Sciuridae/microbiology , Sciuridae/parasitology , United Kingdom/epidemiology
16.
Vet Rec ; 167(26): 1007-10, 2010 Dec 25.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-21262731

ABSTRACT

Transmission electron microscopy identified adenovirus particles in 10 of 70 (14.3 per cent) samples of large intestinal content collected at postmortem examination from free-living wild red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris) across Great Britain between 2000 and 2009. Examination was limited to cases in which an enteropathy was suspected on the basis of predetermined macroscopic criteria such as semi-solid or diarrhoeic faeces, suspected enteritis or the presence of intussusception. In most cases, meaningful histological examination of enteric tissue was not possible due to pronounced autolysis. Two (2.9 per cent) of the samples were negative for adenovirus but were found to contain rotavirus particles, a novel finding in this species.


Subject(s)
Adenoviridae Infections/veterinary , Adenoviridae/isolation & purification , Feces/virology , Rodent Diseases/diagnosis , Sciuridae/virology , Adenoviridae Infections/diagnosis , Adenoviridae Infections/epidemiology , Animals , Diagnosis, Differential , Microscopy, Electron, Transmission/veterinary , Retrospective Studies , Rodent Diseases/epidemiology , Rotavirus/isolation & purification , United Kingdom/epidemiology
17.
Vet Rec ; 164(17): 528-31, 2009 Apr 25.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-19395718

ABSTRACT

Squirrelpox, caused by a poxvirus, is a major threat to the remaining UK red squirrel population. The spread of antibody-positive grey squirrels has been monitored in the UK for the past decade. In 2005 grey squirrels that had been exposed to the virus appeared in the south of Scotland for the first time, followed approximately two years later by the appearance of squirrelpox disease in the local red squirrels. Four squirrels were examined. They all had gross external lesions and histological lesions typical of squirrelpox disease, but no significant internal lesions. The diagnosis was confirmed by PCR, electron microscopy and serology.


Subject(s)
Poxviridae Infections/veterinary , Sciuridae/virology , Animals , Poxviridae Infections/blood , Poxviridae Infections/epidemiology , Scotland/epidemiology
18.
Analyst ; 119(12): 2727-9, 1994 Dec.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-7879884

ABSTRACT

This paper describes a detection system for beta-lactams using a commercially prepared carboxypeptidase enzyme (CPase) and a substrate system in which lactic acid is cleaved from a synthetic peptide, N alpha-N epsilon-diacetyl-L-lysyl-d-alanyl-d-lactic acid. The lactate is itself oxidized by lactate dehydrogenase to form NADH. Oxidized NAD+ is regenerated by diaphorase with the simultaneous reduction of the colourless 2-(p-iodophenyl)-3-(p-nitrophenyl)-5-phenyl tetrazolium chloride hydrate (INT) indicator substrate to produce a red-mauve colour that is proportional to CPase activity. The presence of beta-lactams decreases the intensity of colour produced. The lower limit of detection for benzyl penicillin (Pen G) by this system is 20 ng g-1 compared with 50 ng g-1 by the same assay but using a R-d-ala-d-ala substrate from a commercial kit.


Subject(s)
Anti-Bacterial Agents/analysis , Drug Residues/analysis , Kidney/chemistry , Penicillin G/analysis , Animals , Dihydrolipoamide Dehydrogenase , Indicators and Reagents , Kidney Cortex/chemistry , L-Lactate Dehydrogenase , Reagent Kits, Diagnostic , Reproducibility of Results , Sensitivity and Specificity , Spectrophotometry/methods
SELECTION OF CITATIONS
SEARCH DETAIL
...