Alimentary necrobacillosis in alpacas.

Ulcers of the oral cavity, esophagus, and gastric compartments of South American camelids are uncommon. Multifocal-to-coalescing ulcers were identified in the oral cavity, esophagus, and/or gastric compartments of 5 alpacas submitted for postmortem examination. Fusobacterium necrophorum was isolated from the lesions in all alpacas, in combination with other aerobic and anaerobic bacteria. In 4 of these cases, F. necrophorum-associated lesions were considered secondary to neoplasia or other chronic debilitating conditions; in 1 case, the alimentary ulcers were considered the most significant autopsy finding. It is not known if this agent acted as a primary or opportunistic agent in mucosal membranes previously damaged by a traumatic event, chemical insult, immunodeficiency, or any other debilitating condition of the host.

Paeniclostridium (Clostridium) sordellii-associated enterocolitis in 7 horses.

Enteric disease in horses may be caused by a variety of microorganisms, including several clostridial species. Paeniclostridium sordellii (previously Clostridium sordellii) has been frequently associated with gas gangrene in humans and several animal species, including horses. However, its role in enteric diseases of animals has not been fully determined. We describe herein 7 cases of enteric disease in horses associated with P. sordellii infection. Grossly, the small and/or large intestines were necrotic, hemorrhagic, and edematous. Microscopically, there was severe mucosal necrosis and hemorrhage of the small and/or large intestine of all horses. P. sordellii was isolated and/or demonstrated by immunohistochemistry and/or PCR in the intestine of all horses. All other known causes of enteric disease in horses were ruled out in these 7 cases. P. sordellii should be considered among the differential diagnoses in cases of enteric disease in horses.

Pathology of blackleg in cattle in California, 1991-2015.

Blackleg is an infectious disease of cattle and rarely other ruminants, produced by Clostridium chauvoei and characterized by necrotizing myositis. In most cases of blackleg, the large muscles of the pectoral and pelvic girdles are affected, with other skeletal muscles and the heart involved less frequently. We studied 29 blackleg cases selected from the archives of the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory, 1991-2015. Immunohistochemistry was also evaluated to detect C. chauvoei in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues of cattle. Nineteen animals had gross and/or microscopic lesions in both skeletal muscle and heart, 9 had lesions in the skeletal musculature alone, and 1 in the heart alone. Gross lesions in the skeletal musculature involved the following muscle groups: hindquarters ( n = 8), forequarters ( n = 5), neck ( n = 5), lumbar area ( n = 3), brisket ( n = 2), diaphragm ( n = 2), abdominal wall ( n = 1), thoracic wall ( n = 1), and tongue ( n = 1). Of the 20 animals that had lesions in the heart, 11 had pericarditis and myocarditis; 7 had pericarditis, myocarditis, and endocarditis; and 1 each had pericarditis and myocarditis. Immunohistochemistry was 100% sensitive to detect C. chauvoei in FFPE skeletal muscle and/or heart of cattle with blackleg. Simultaneous lesions in skeletal musculature and heart were relatively common in blackleg cases in California; the most affected skeletal muscles were those of the hindlimbs.

Pathology of coccidioidomycosis in llamas and alpacas.

Coccidioidomycosis is a fungal disease caused by either Coccidioides immitis or Coccidioides posadasii. Anecdotal evidence suggests that camelids are particularly susceptible to this disease and that a relatively large percentage of pneumonias in these animals are caused by Coccidioides spp. In a search of 21 y (1992-2013) of records from the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory, we found 79 cases of coccidioidomycosis diagnosed in camelids; 66 (84%) had pneumonia and 13 (16%) had lesions only in organs other than the lungs. The organs most frequently affected were lung (84%) and liver (78%). Coccidioides spp. were the cause of pneumonia in 66 of 362 (18%) camelid cases during the study period. The lesions in affected organs were multifocal-to-coalescing pyogranulomas, which in most cases were visible grossly. Ten of the 12 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded lung samples tested by a universal Coccidioides spp. PCR assay were positive (4 C. immitis, 2 C. posadasii); the species could not be determined in 4 of the 10 cases positive by PCR. Coccidioidomycosis is an important cause of pneumonia in camelids in California, and can be caused by either C. immitis or C. posadasii.

Retrospective study of fatal pneumonia in racehorses.

Respiratory diseases have a major impact on racehorses in training and are often cited as the second most common reason of horses failing to perform. Cases were submitted by the California Horse Racing Board to the California Animal Health and Food Safety laboratory for postmortem examination between January 1, 2005 and December 31, 2014. We determined the demographics of racehorses with fatal pneumonia, characterized the pathologic findings in animals with a postmortem diagnosis of respiratory infection, and determined the most significant pathogens associated with lower respiratory tract disease. We analyzed autopsy reports from 83 horses with a diagnosis of pneumonia, bronchopneumonia, and/or pleuropneumonia. The most common presentation was pleuropneumonia (71% of cases), with extensive areas of lytic necrosis and abscesses of the pulmonary parenchyma. Streptococcus equi ssp. zooepidemicus, a normal mucosal commensal of the upper respiratory tract of healthy horses, was the most commonly isolated organism (72% of cases), either in pure culture or accompanied by other aerobic or anaerobic bacteria. Its presence in the pulmonary parenchyma is associated with severe and extensive damage to the lung. Furthermore, this agent has zoonotic potential, which stresses the importance of early detection and proper management of cases of pneumonia in racehorses.

Sudden death in racehorses: postmortem examination protocol.

In racehorses, sudden death (SD) associated with exercise poses a serious risk to jockeys and adversely affects racehorse welfare and the public perception of horse racing. In a majority of cases of exercise-associated sudden death (EASD), there are no gross lesions to explain the cause of death, and an examination of the cardiovascular system and a toxicologic screen are warranted. Cases of EASD without gross lesions are often presumed to be sudden cardiac deaths (SCD). We describe an equine SD autopsy protocol, with emphasis on histologic examination of the heart ("cardiac histology protocol") and a description of the toxicologic screen performed in racehorses in California. By consistently utilizing this standardized autopsy and cardiac histology protocol, the results and conclusions from postmortem examinations will be easier to compare within and across institutions over time. The generation of consistent, reliable, and comparable multi-institutional data is essential to improving the understanding of the cause(s) and pathogenesis of equine SD, including EASD and SCD.

Diagnostic approach to catastrophic musculoskeletal injuries in racehorses.

Catastrophic musculoskeletal injuries are the most common cause of euthanasia or spontaneous death in racehorses, and the most common cause of jockey falls with potential for serious human injury. Horses are predisposed to the vast majority of these injuries by preexisting lesions that can be prevented by early diagnosis and adequate bone injury management. A thorough examination of the musculoskeletal system in racehorses often determines the cause of these injuries and generates data to develop injury prevention strategies. We describe the diagnostic approach to musculoskeletal injury, review the methodology for the examination of racehorse limbs, and provide anatomy and pathology tools to perform an organized and thorough postmortem examination of the musculoskeletal system in equine athletes.

Gastritis, Enteritis, and Colitis in Horses.

The gastrointestinal system of horses is affected by a large variety of inflammatory infectious and noninfectious conditions. The most prevalent form of gastritis is associated with ulceration of the pars esophagea. Although the diagnostic techniques for alimentary diseases of horses have improved significantly over the past few years, difficulties still exist in establishing the causes of a significant number of enteric diseases in this species. This problem is compounded by several agents of enteric disease also being found in the intestine of clinically normal horses, which questions the validity of the mere detection of these agents in the intestine.

Cluster of cases of massive hemorrhage associated with anticoagulant detection in race horses.

Five horses originating from 4 different California race tracks were submitted to the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory for necropsy and diagnostic workup. The 5 horses had a history of sudden collapse and death during exercise. In all of them, massive hemoperitoneum and hemorrhages in other cavities or organs were observed. The liver from these 5 animals and from 27 horses that had been euthanized due to catastrophic leg injuries (controls) were subjected to a rodenticide anticoagulant screen. Traces of brodifacoum, diphacinone, or bromadiolone were detected in the 5 horses with massive bleeding (5/5), and no traces of rodenticides were detected in control horses (0/27). Other frequent causes of massive hemorrhages in horses were ruled out in 4 of the cases; one of the horses had a pelvic fracture. Although only traces of anticoagulants were found in the livers of these horses and the role of these substances in the massive bleeding remains uncertain, it is speculated that exercise-related increases in blood pressure may have reduced the threshold for toxicity of these anticoagulants.

Necrotizing gastritis associated with Clostridium septicum in a rabbit.

Clostridium septicum is the causative agent of histotoxic infections, including malignant edema and braxy (necrotizing abomasitis) in several animal species. The carcass of a 2-year-old, female New Zealand white rabbit with a history of acute depression and obtundation followed by death was received at the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System (San Bernardino, California) for necropsy and diagnostic workup. No gross lesions were detected at necropsy. Microscopically, there was moderate to severe, multifocal fibrinonecrotizing, transmural gastritis with numerous intralesional Gram-positive, sporulated rods, and disseminated thrombosis of the brain, lungs, heart, and liver, with occasional intravascular rods. The rods observed within the gastric wall and thrombi in the stomach and lung were positive for C. septicum by immunohistochemical staining. However, this microorganism was not isolated from stomach content. Clostridium septicum should be included in the list of possible etiologies of gastritis in rabbits.

Air sac adenocarcinoma of the sternum in a Quaker parrot (Myiopsitta monachus).

Respiratory neoplasia is rarely reported in avian species. A 17-yr-old Quaker parrot (Myiopsitta monachus) was admitted with a 2-wk history of anorexia, depression, and respiratory distress. Clinical examination revealed a large, firm mass in the left pectoral muscle. Radiology showed a mass silhouetting the heart and the liver. Supportive treatment was provided, but the bird died during the seventh weekly visit to drain thoracic cavity fluid. Necropsy showed a white, 3 x 3 x 2-cm, hard, gritty sternal mass. Histology showed a nonencapsulated, moderately differentiated air sac carcinoma of the sternum. Immunohistochemically the neoplasm was cytokeratin positive and vimentin and calretinin negative. This is the first report of an air sac neoplasia in a Quaker parrot and one of few respiratory tumors in psittacines.

Gastrointestinal parasite control during prepuberty improves mammary parenchyma development in Holstein heifers.

Parasitism during development impairs normal growth and delays the onset of puberty through altered hormone profiles, including insulin-like growth factor one (IGF-1). As mammary gland development during prepuberty is strongly dependent on IGF-1, we determined if antiparasitic treatment during this stage of growth improved mammary gland development. One group of Holstein heifers was treated monthly, rotationally with antiparasitic drugs from birth to 70 weeks of age, a second group was untreated. Treated heifer calves had between 56% and 65% less EPG counts than untreated ones. Presence of Ostertagia, Cooperia, Haemonchus and Trichostrongylus was demonstrated. Treatment effectively advanced the onset of puberty and increased IGF-1 levels. At 20, 30, 40 and 70 weeks of age biopsies from the mammary gland were taken and histological sections were prepared and stained with hematoxylin-eosin. Pictures were analyzed to compare parenchyma area in relation to total mammary tissue between groups. Mammary samples from treated heifers had higher ratios of parenchyma/total area than untreated ones. As mammary development during prepuberty is crucial for mammary performance during lactation, these results add new evidence to the importance of gastrointestinal parasite control in heifers.

Mortality of a captive axis deer (Axis axis) and a llama (Lama glama) due to ingestion of Wedelia glauca.

The current study describes a naturally occurring cluster of cases of Wedelia glauca intoxication. Seven of 14 axis deer (Axis axis) and 1 of 8 llamas (Lama glama) in a zoo of Buenos Aires province, Argentina, died suddenly after ingestion of a new batch of alfalfa (Medicago sativa) hay bales contaminated with the hepatotoxic plant W. glauca. Necropsies of 1 deer and 1 llama were performed. Pathological findings in both animals included severe diffuse acute centrilobular hepatocellular necrosis and hemorrhage, and clear yellowish translucent gelatinous edema on the wall of the gall bladder and the serosa of the choledochoduodenal junction. Fragments of W. glauca plants were identified in the hay based on the botanical characteristics of the leaves. Samples of gastric contents were examined by microhistological analysis, which identified epidermal fragments of W. glauca based on the presence of characteristic uniseriate glandular hairs (trichomes), confirming recent ingestion of W. glauca in both cases. The fragments were quantified and represented 5% of all examined vegetal fragments in the deer and 10% in the llama.

Cerebrospinal nematodiasis outbreak in an urban outdoor aviary of cockatiels (Nymphicus hollandicus) in southern California.

An outbreak of cerebrospinal nematodiasis due to Baylisascaris sp. was documented in an urban outdoor aviary in southern California. Thirty-four out of 35 cockatiels (Nymphicus hollandicus, 97%) showed a variety of neurological signs including ataxia, lateral recumbency, opisthotonus, and torticollis. Thirteen carcasses were submitted for necropsy; the histological lesions were restricted to the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) and were predominantly degenerative, characterized by multifocal white matter vacuolation, gliosis, axonal swelling, gitter cell infiltration, and mild hemorrhage, rarely accompanied by mild granulomatous inflammation and mild lymphocytic perivascular cuffs. Nematode larvae morphologically compatible with Baylisascaris sp. were observed in the brain of 5 birds, away from the lesion site.

Infection with a Hepatozoon sp. closely related to Hepatozoon felis in a wild Pampas gray fox (Lycalopex -Pseudalopex -gymnocercus) co-infected with canine distemper virus.

A species of Hepatozoon closely related to Hepatozoon felis found in the skeletal and cardiac muscle of a wild Pampas gray fox (Lycalopex gymnocercus) is described. The fox was euthanized after showing severe incoordination. On necropsy and histopathology there was bilateral, diffuse, severe, sub-acute, necrotizing bronchointerstitial pneumonia, with intracytoplasmic and intranuclear eosinophilic inclusion bodies. Canine distemper virus was detected by immunohistochemistry in the bronchiolar epithelium, syncytial cells, alveolar macrophages and pneumocytes. The skeletal muscle and myocardium contained multiple round to oval protozoan cysts ranging from 64 µm × 75 µm to 98 µm × 122 µm, with a central eosinophilic meront-like core surrounded by concentric rings of mucinous material resembling Hepatozoon americanum cysts but smaller in size. Macrophages within rare pyogranulomas and monocytes/macrophages in adjacent sinusoidal blood vessels in the skeletal muscle contained intracytoplasmic round protozoa consistent with merozoites or developing gamonts of Hepatozoon. Hepatozoon sp. infection was confirmed by PCR of skeletal muscle and the sequenced 18S rRNA PCR product was found to be 99% identical to H. felis by BLAST analysis and deposited in GenBank as accession number HQ020489. It clustered together in the phylogenetic analysis with published H. felis sequences and separately from H. canis, H. americanum and other Hepatozoon species. However, the close relatedness of the fox Hepatozoon to H. felis does not rule out infection with a different and possibly unknown Hepatozoon species.