FIRST DETECTION OF CLINICAL DISEASE DUE TO ELEPHANT ENDOTHELIOTROPIC HERPESVIRUS 7A IN TWO AFRICAN ELEPHANTS (LOXODONTA AFRICANA) IN HUMAN CARE

Multiple species of elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV) have caused fatal hemorrhagic disease in African (Loxodonta africana) and Asian (Elephas maximus) elephants. To date, EEHV7 has been detected only in benign pulmonary and skin nodules and in saliva of African elephants and has not been associated with clinical illness. Low-level viremia due to EEHV7A was detected via qPCR in two subadult African elephants during routine surveillance. Hematologic changes were noted in both elephants, including leukopenia, lymphopenia, monocytopenia, and band heterophilia. Treatment was initiated with famciclovir, antimicrobials, and rectal fluids, and one elephant received plasma transfusions due to a progressive decrease in platelet count. Both elephants remained asymptomatic throughout the viremias, with rapid resolution of hematologic abnormalities. These cases add to the current understanding of the epidemiology of EEHV in African elephants; to the authors' knowledge, they represent the first documentation of clinical disease due to EEHV7 infection in any elephant.

Pharmacokinetics of robenacoxib after a single intramuscular dose in smooth dogfish (Mustelus canis)

OBJECTIVE

To determine the pharmacokinetics of robenacoxib after a single intramuscular dose (4.0 mg/kg) in smooth dogfish (Mustelus canis).

ANIMALS

8 healthy adult male smooth dogfish in human care within the same habitat.

METHODS

All sharks received a single intramuscular dose of robenacoxib (4.0 mg/kg) in the right caudolateral epaxial musculature. Blood samples were collected under manual restraint from the ventral tail vessel at 30 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours, 4 hours, 8 hours, and 24 hours after drug administration. Plasma drug concentrations were determined by HPLC followed by noncompartmental pharmacokinetic analysis of the data.

RESULTS

A maximum plasma concentration of 1.24 µg/mL was reached at a mean time of 30 minutes following robenacoxib administration with a plasma elimination half-life of 3.79 hours. Plasma concentrations did not fall below the lower limit of quantification (0.1 µg/mL) at the time points sampled in this study.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Intramuscular administration of a single dose (4.0 mg/kg) of robenacoxib in smooth dogfish resulted in rapid absorption to a maximum concentration at approximately 30 minutes after administration and persisted above levels considered to be therapeutic in domestic species for at least 8 hours.

Biochemical and molecular confirmation of alkaptonuria in a Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii)

A 6-yr-old female orangutan presented with a history of dark urine that turned brown upon standing since birth. Repeated routine urinalysis and urine culture were unremarkable. Urine organic acid analysis showed elevation in homogentisic acid consistent with alkaptonuria. Sequence analysis identified a homozygous missense variant, c.1081G>A (p.Gly361Arg), of the homogentisate 1,2-dioxygenase (HGD) gene. Familial studies, molecular modeling, and comparison to human variant databases support this variant as the underlying cause of alkaptonuria in this orangutan. This is the first report of molecular confirmation of alkaptonuria in a nonhuman primate.

UTILITY OF URINE ANTIGEN TESTING FOR DIAGNOSIS OF BLASTOMYCOSIS IN NONDOMESTIC FELIDS

Blastomycosis caused by the fungus Blastomyces dermatitidis has been reported to cause disease in numerous species of nondomestic felids. Diagnosis of blastomycosis in domestic species often relies on the combination of clinical signs, radiographic findings, and commercial urinary antigen testing. In this report, the sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values for urine blastomyces antigen testing for use in nondomestic felids were examined and compared with findings on postmortem examination. The study showed a sensitivity of 100%, specificity of 91.86%, positive predictive value of 50%, and negative predictive value of 100% for urine antigen testing. Furthermore, radiographic and hematologic findings were compared with those of animals diagnosed with blastomycosis. Radiographic evidence consistent with blastomycosis was found in those animals diagnosed via urine antigen testing, but no significant differences in plasma biochemistry parameters between diseased and nondiseased animals were found. This study provides evidence that a positive blastomycosis antigenuria test result should be combined with other diagnostic methods to confirm the presence of infection with B. dermatitidis, whereas a negative antigenuria test result is 100% effective in predicting the absence of disease.

Disseminated Mycobacterium genavense infection in a guinea pig (Cavia porcellus): a case report

Background

Mycobacteria are found in many environmental conditions and infect a variety of species, including rodents and rabbits. Guinea pigs are used experimentally as a model for Mycobacterium tuberculosis, but natural mycobacteriosis in guinea pigs has not been reported.

Case presentation

A 1.5-year-old female guinea pig was found acutely deceased with no premonitory illness. On gross post-mortem examination, multifocal to coalescing, raised, firm, pale tan nodules with discrete, irregular margins were noted over the surfaces of all lung lobes. Histopathology revealed nodules composed of clustered foamy macrophages and multinucleated giant cells containing numerous bacterial rods. Similar bacteria-laden macrophages were noted within sections of the liver, heart, palpebral conjunctiva, duodenum, and cecum. Polymerase chain reaction was performed on tissues collected during post-mortem examination. The 16S rRNA gene product was sequenced and was identical to the Mycobacterium genavense type strain.

Conclusions

To the best of the author’s knowledge, this report details the first documented case of Mycobacterium genvaense infection in a guinea pig and a follow up investigation of close-contact animals. Given their experimental susceptibility and this clinical case report, mycobacteriosis should be considered as a differential in guinea pigs exhibiting weight loss in the absence of other clinical signs. With the potential for zoonotic transmission in immunosuppressed individuals, precautions should be taken to safeguard human health in cases of guinea pigs with suspected M. genavense infection.