Coinfection by Mycobacterium marinum and Mycolicibacterium fortuitum in a captive adult diamondback water snake causing disseminated mycobacteriosis with acute cutaneous ulceration.

An adult male captive diamondback water snake (Nerodia rhombifer) was found dead after a 1-d history of lethargy and cutaneous ulcers. The snake had eaten 2 sunfish (Mola spp.) 5 d before death. Gross examination revealed white-to-tan nodules in the lung and liver and segmental intestinal impactions with digested fish. Histopathology confirmed disseminated granulomas with numerous intrahistiocytic acid-fast bacteria in the skin, skeletal muscle, lung, liver, and intestines. Mycobacterium marinum and Mycolicibacterium fortuitum were identified by culture of the hepatic granuloma, followed by PCR and rpoB gene sequencing. To our knowledge, this is the first description of M. marinum and M. fortuitum coinfection in this species. Although M. fortuitum has been isolated from reptiles, lesions associated with its presence in tissues have not been described previously. Interestingly, the mineralization within granulomas that we observed in our case is not reported in mycobacterial infection in reptiles, whereas this finding is common in mammals.

SELECTED OPHTHALMIC PARAMETERS AND POTENTIAL RISK FOR LIGHT-INDUCED CATARACTS IN TWO COLONIES OF CAPTIVE INDIAN FLYING FOXES ( PTEROPUS GIGANTEUS).

Indian flying foxes ( Pteropus giganteus) are adapted to visual foraging in dim light. Nine Indian flying foxes were taken from a captive colony of 25 animals and placed in quarantine, off exhibit, in preparation for shipment to another institution. The exhibit had indirect, natural sunlight and was large enough to allow for flight. The quarantine enclosure was subject to >12 hr/day artificial lighting and did not allow for flight or gliding. Diet was identical between groups. After 13 mo, ophthalmic examination was performed on each animal including evaluation of the anterior chamber, rebound tonometry in upright and hanging positions, measurement of palpebral fissure length, and vertical and horizontal corneal diameters. Bilateral cataracts were observed in 55% (5/9) of the quarantined animals but in none of the animals that remained on exhibit (0/16). Bats housed in the quarantine enclosure had a risk of having cataracts 18 times greater than did bats in the exhibit enclosure (relative risk [RR]: 18.70; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.15-303.77). There was no association between cataract presence and age (odds ratio [OR]: 0.99; 95% CI: 0.97-1.02; P = 0.7) or sex (OR: 1.24; 95% CI: 0.17-9.25), but lower body weight was associated with presence of cataracts (OR: 0.98; 95% CI: 0.96-0.99). Other ophthalmic parameters observed were similar to those previously reported for other captive Megachiroptera. This study suggests that chronic exposure to artificial lighting predisposes fruit bats to developing light-induced cataracts.