S-100 immunoreactivity in melanomas of two marsupials, a bird, and a reptile

S-100 proteins are abundant in melanocytes of the skin; thus, S-100 immunoreactivity has been used as a diagnostic criterion for melanoma in humans and other placental mammals. We tested cutaneous melanomas of two marsupials, a bird, and a snake for S-100 immunoreactivity, using a polyclonal rabbit antibovine S-100 antibody. The tumor from a Tasmanian Pademelon (Thylogale billaridierii) was composed of large epithelioid cells, most of which had S-100-positive cytoplasm. In general, there were only scattered individual spindle-shaped S-100-positive cells or groups of cells in the primary mass from a Spotted-tailed Quoll (Dasyurus maculatus); S-100 staining was primarily nuclear. Cells comprising the melanomas of the Australian Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) and the Death Adder (Acanthophis antarcticus) were S-100-negative, although peripheral nerve bundles in both were S-100-positive.

Encephalomyocarditis virus infections in an Australian zoo

Fatal encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV) infections in a ring-tailed lemur (Lemur catta), a squirrel monkey (Saimiri sciureus), three mandrills (Mandrillus sphinx), a chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes), a pygmy hippopotamus (Choeropsis liberiensis), and two Goodfellows tree kangaroos (Dendrolagus goodfellowi) occurred at Taronga Zoo. This is the first description of EMCV in a zoological collection outside of the United States. Regardless of species, the most common clinical presentation was sudden death. The gross pathologic changes were diffuse or focal pallor of the myocardium with occasional marked pulmonary congestion. Necrotizing nonsuppurative myocarditis was consistently present. EMCV was isolated from only one of 54 feral rodents examined. No antibodies to EMCV were detected with a serum neutralization test in 79 stored sera from a wide variety of zoo mammals. Titers of 1:16, 1:16, and 1:4 were recorded for a spider monkey (Aeteles geoffroyi), a lion (Panthera leo), and an orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus), respectively. Of seven mandrills tested in 1988, six had measurable virus titers. Later testing indicated that these titers did not persist, and one mandrill with a titer > 1:128 in 1988 subsequently succumbed to EMCV infection in 1991.

Genetic differences in susceptibility of chicken lines to infection with infectious bursal disease virus

Mortality rates in 11 inbred and partially inbred chicken lines inoculated with a very virulent strain (CS89) of infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) varied considerably, being highest (almost 80%) in a Brown Leghorn line (BrL). Bursa of Fabricius to body weight ratios were depressed in the survivors in each line, but no differences were observed between lines. However, histological examination of bursae from survivors showed that, although bursal damage occurred in every line, it was most severe in the two lines (BrL and White Leghorn W1) in which the highest mortality was recorded. Experiments with F1 matings between highly susceptible and highly resistant lines showed that resistance was partially dominant and that there were no maternal effects. Experiments using F2 and backcross chicks suggested the involvement of a single gene and indicated no involvement of the MHC. There was considerable variation between lines in IBDV-specific antibody, measured by ELISA, both in the vaccinated parent hens and in the amounts of inherited maternal antibody and its rate of decay in the progeny.

Experimental factors affecting mortality following inoculation of chickens with avian nephritis virus (G-4260)

Groups of approximately 20 one-day-old chickens were inoculated with G-4260, the reference strain of avian nephritis virus (ANV), or saline. Based on mortality rates from severe nephritis in comparable experiments, light Sussex chickens generally were more susceptible than Rhode Island red (RIR) chickens. Mortality was greater in those given broiler starter than those given other feeds, and was greater when light Sussex chickens were given broiler starter feed and cold-stressed at 15 +/- 1 C for 2 hr daily during the first week rather than brooded normally. Inoculation with G-4260 either orally or by intraperitoneal injection produced similar results in RIR chickens. Thirty-three inoculated chickens died of severe nephritis between 4 and 12 days postinoculation, and 24 (73%) of them had visceral urate deposits. Inoculated inbred white leghorn Line 15 chickens with maternal antibody to ANV were brooded normally and given broiler feed: they were susceptible to infection as evidenced by subsequent histological lesions in the kidneys and serology, but mortality was not a feature. There were no deaths from nephritis in inoculated non-inbred white leghorn chickens free of maternal antibody to ANV that were given broiler feed and brooded normally. These results have implications in standardizing experimental conditions for the study of mortality induced by G-4260 and similar viruses.

Some unusual diseases in the birds of Victoria, Australia

The following unusual diseases were diagnosed in birds submitted to the Veterinary Research Institute, Victoria, between 1978 and 1987: the viral diseases beak and feather disease of psittacines, infectious laryngotracheitis in peafowls, a papovavirus-like inclusion body disease in psittacines, and pox; chlamydiosis; the bacterial diseases actinomycosis, listeriosis and mycobacteriosis; the fungal diseases favus, yeast infections and systemic zygomycosis; the protozoan diseases cryptosporidiosis, hexamitiasis, suspected leucocytozoonosis, sarcosporidiosis, toxoplasmosis, trichomoniasis and an unidentified protozoan-like organism which caused pneumonia in ducks; a variety of parasites; the metabolic disorders curled-toe paralysis in pheasant poults, encephalomalacia and parenchymatous goitre; toxicity due to dimetridazole and the ingestion of the leaves of the tobacco tree; and other non-infectious conditions including asphyxiation, burns, cataracts, cerebellar degeneration and atrophy, cystic right oviducts and exertional rhabdomyolysis.

Ascites syndrome in SPF Light Sussex chickens

An ascites syndrome was induced in 17 to 28 per cent of specific pathogen-free (SPF) Light Sussex (LSX) chickens given a low protein (16 per cent crude protein) high calcium (3.5 per cent calcium) layer crumble feed on two separate occasions 6 months apart. Affected chickens had increased right ventricular weight as a proportion of either total heart weight or live-weight at 3 weeks of age, compared with non-affected LSX chickens on the same feed, thus indicating right ventricular hypertrophy. The incidence of ascites was not increased by infection with avian nephritis virus, nor by limited cold-stress during brooding. It was not produced in LSX chickens given other feeds, nor in SPF Rhode Island Red chickens.

A recombinant fowlpox virus that expresses the VP2 antigen of infectious bursal disease virus induces protection against mortality caused by the virus

The coding sequences of VP2 from a virulent strain, 52/70, of infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) were excised from a cDNA clone and inserted into a fowlpox plasmid insertion vector. The resulting plasmid, pIBD 1, was used to construct a recombinant fowlpox virus, fpIBD 1, which expressed VP 2 as a beta-galactosidase fusion protein. Chickens vaccinated with fpIBD 1 at 1 and 14 days of age, were challenged at 28 days with either IBDV strain 52/70 or the highly virulent strain CS 89. These chickens were protected against mortality, but not against damage to the bursa of Fabricius. The protection achieved by the use of fpIBD 1 shows that VP 2 is a host protective antigen.

Minnesota's fifteen-year romance. Managed care: lessons learned and survival approaches for hospitals and physicians

For the last 15 years, Minnesota has lived with managed care. The Minnesota story is important because it is a singularly unique example of the natural history of managed care in the United States, from the indemnity response to HMOs to PPOs to "open-ended" HMOs to comprehensive managed care.