Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss, Walbaum 1792) adenocarcinoma investigation with various diagnostic imaging techniques

Diagnostic imaging techniques provide a new aspect of the ante-mortem and post-mortem diagnostics in fish medicine. Ultrasonography, computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can provide more information about the internal organs and pathognomic lesions. The authors used diagnostic imaging techniques to evaluate and describe the neoplastic malformation in a 3-year-old female rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). The fish was examined with Siemens Somatom Definition AS + CT scanner and Siemens Biograph mMR scanner. The animal was lethargic and showed anorectic signs and muscular dystrophy. During the post-mortem investigation, histopathology and immunohistochemistry were also performed allowing us to identify the neoplasms. The results showed a large soft tissue mass in the first mid-intestine segment, which proved to be an adenocarcinoma. This subsequently led to digestion problems and absorption disorders. Immunohistochemically, neoplastic cells of carcinoma revealed E-cadherin and pancytokeratin positivity. This is the first study to report the use of MRI and CT for studying gastrointestinal adenocarcinoma in rainbow trout.

Structural similarity of human papillomavirus E4 and polyomaviral VP4 exhibited by genomic analysis of the common kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) polyomavirus

Polyomaviruses are widely distributed viruses of birds that may induce developmental deformities and internal organ disorders primarily in nestlings. In this study, polyomavirus sequence was detected in kidney and liver samples of a common kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) that succumbed at a rescue station in Hungary. The amplified 5025 nucleotide (nt) long genome contained the early (large and small T antigen, LTA and STA) and late (viral proteins, VP1, VP2, VP3) open reading frames (ORFs) typical for polyomaviruses. One of the additional putative ORFs (named VP4) showed identical localization with the VP4 and ORF-X of gammapolyomaviruses, but putative splicing sites could not be found in its sequence. Interestingly, the predicted 123 amino acid (aa) long protein sequence showed the highest similarity with human papillomavirus E4 early proteins in respect of the aa distribution and motif arrangement implying similar functions. The LTA of the kestrel polyomavirus shared <59.2% nt and aa pairwise identity with the LTA sequence of other polyomaviruses and formed a separated branch in the phylogenetic tree among gammapolyomaviruses. Accordingly, the kestrel polyomavirus may be the first member of a novel species within the Gammapolyomavirus genus, tentatively named Gammapolyomavirus faltin.

Prevalence of red panda amdoparvovirus infection in European zoos

Red panda amdoparvovirus (RPAV) was first described in captive red pandas (Ailurus fulgens) at a zoo in the United States in 2018. Subsequently, the prevalence of infection in zoos in the United States was reported to be 50%; however, RPAV prevalence outside the United States remains unstudied. This study was conducted to investigate the prevalence of RPAV in 134 red pandas from zoos in Europe. Overall, RPAV was detected with PCR in 21 of 62 zoos (33.9%), and the virus prevalence among individuals was estimated to be 24.2% (95% confidence interval, 17.4%-32.0%). Remarkably, adult females tested positive for RPAV more frequently than adult males. Zoos where RPAV was detected reported a significantly higher occurrence of alopecia (and clinical signs in general), whereas other commonly reported problems (fecal disorders and dental disease) showed no difference. A repeated pooled sampling of two positive individuals further showed that RPAV excretion in feces is intermittent, with the viral DNA being only detected on 8 out of 14 sampling days. The intermittent nature of excretion implies that RPAV prevalence may be higher than the estimated value.

3D Reconstruction of the Blood Supply in an Elephant's Forefoot Using Fused CT and MRI Sequences

Being the largest still-living terrestrial mammal on earth, an elephant's feet play an important role in its health status. The musculoskeletal structures in the forefoot are well described in the literature, but information about vascularization is limited. The novel aim of this work is to provide anatomical guidance to structures found in the forefoot, focusing on the arterial system. Initially, native CT and MRI sequences were taken of the left forefoot of a deceased 6-year-old female Asian elephant; the foot was then filled with an iodine-containing contrast medium through the a. mediana and the CT scans were repeated in the same position. The images obtained were processed with 3D Slicer software for the 3D reconstruction of the bones and arteries. The results clearly showed the palmar blood supply of the forefoot. A so far undescribed vessel was revealed, stemming from the a. metacarpea, supplying the first digit and the digital cushion. The course of the deep palmar arch's terminal section was also established. This paper provides the first description of the exact disposition of the arteries in the palmar aspect of an elephant's forefoot and may be used in planning surgeries in clinically affected animals.

Dermatologic Aspects of Zoo Mammal Medicine

The article deals with the primary aspects of how to maintain healthy integument in zoo mammals and in particular why husbandry-related health problems can occur in general in a zoologic setting. While working with these species we are often faced with diagnostic challenges, which may include a general approach (often requiring anesthesia or medical training), lack of "normal" references, and difficulties, especially if the cutaneous signs are not a primary ailment, but a manifestation of a generalized disease (eg, immune-suppression). The different etiologies of skin problems are discussed with clinical examples.

Home Range of the Caspian Whipsnake Dolichophis caspius (Gmelin, 1789) in a Threatened Peri-Urban Population

Semi-natural environments within cities can provide habitats for vulnerable reptile species. Better understanding of their habitat use and home range sizes is important for their conservation. We investigated the spatial ecology of Caspian whipsnakes (Dolicophis caspius) in a peri-urban habitat in Budapest, Hungary. We used radiotelemetry to track five adult snakes and analyzed their microhabitat preferences, home range sizes and daily movements. The Caspian whipsnakes intensively utilized areas covered with woody vegetation, with a high density of hibernacula. The tracked snakes used an area of 40.15 ha during the activity period from spring to autumn, but for the winter, they withdrew to a central area of 1.75 ha, abundant in hibernacula. During the activity period the individual home range sizes varied between 6.1 and 15.5 ha, estimated using the minimum convex polygon (MCP); however, for the entire datasets of the individuals, the adaptive kernel method gave the highest mean (13.8 ha), while the LoCoH-R yielded the smallest home ranges (5.19 ha). We found that the average daily displacement for the different individuals ranged between 12.6 and 36.6 m during their main activity season. In the study area, the whipsnakes currently have enough space for foraging, but the restricted spatial distribution of hibernacula, which is mainly available in the central dry rocky forest and partly in the shrubby areas, can limit the extent of the suitable habitat. Human activities and anthropogenic disturbances, especially around hibernacula, may exert pressure on this peri-urban snake population.

Molecular epidemiological study on ticks and tick-borne protozoan parasites (Apicomplexa: Cytauxzoon and Hepatozoon spp.) from wild cats (Felis silvestris), Mustelidae and red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris) in central Europe, Hungary

Background

Among live wild mammals adapted to urban and peri-urban habitats in Europe, members of the families Felidae, Mustelidae and Sciuridae deserve special attention as pathogen reservoirs because all of these families include members that are kept as pets. We report here the results of our study on two important groups of tick-borne protozoan parasites in ticks and tissues of wild cats, mustelids and red squirrels.

Methods

DNA was extracted from the tissues of carnivores (wild cats, mustelids; n = 16) and red squirrels (n = 4), as well as from ixodid ticks (n = 89) collected from these hosts. These DNA extracts were screened for piroplasms and Hepatozoon spp. using conventional PCR analysis and sequencing. In addition, 53 pooled samples of 259 questing Haemaphysalis concinna ticks were evaluated for the presence of Hepatozoon DNA, followed by phylogenetic analyses.

Results

One wild cat was found to be coinfected with Cytauxzoon europaeus and a new genotype of Hepatozoon felis, and two additional wild cats were infected with H. felis from a different phylogenetic group. In mustelids, Hepatozoon martis and two further Hepatozoon genotypes were detected. The latter clustered separately, close to others reported from eastern Asia. In addition, Hepatozoon sciuri was detected in red squirrels. Morphologic and molecular analyses verified eight tick species. One wild cat was infected with a H. felis genotype that was significantly different from that in Ixodes ricinus females infesting this cat. Only three pools of questing H. concinna nymphs tested positive for Hepatozoon, one of which contained H. martis.

Conclusions

This study provides the first evidence of the occurrence of any Cytauxzoon species and of three Hepatozoon species in Hungary. In addition to H. martis, two further mustelid-associated Hepatozoon genotypes were detected, one of which was new in terms of phylogenetic and broader geographical contexts. This may be the first indication that H. felis genotypes from both of its phylogenetic groups occur in Europe. This also appears to be the first evidence of H. felis and C. europaeus coinfection in felids in Europe, and of autochthonous H. felis infection in wild cats north of the Mediterranean Basin. New tick–host associations were also observed in this study. Based on the results, H. felis and H. martis might survive transstadially in I. ricinus and H. concinna, respectively.

Graphical Abstract

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13071-022-05271-1.

Novel Circoviruses from Birds Share Common Evolutionary Roots with Fish Origin Circoviruses

Circoviruses occur in a variety of animal species and are common pathogens of mammalian and avian hosts. In our study internal organ samples of wild birds were processed for screening of circoviral sequences. Two novel viruses were identified and characterized in specimens of a little bittern and a European bee-eater that suffered from wing injuries, were weakened, had liver or kidney failures, and finally succumbed at a rescue station. The 1935 nt and 1960 nt long viral DNA genomes exhibited a genomic structure typical for circoviruses and were predicted to encode replication-associated protein in the viral strand, and a capsid protein in the complementary strand of the replicative intermediate DNA form. The genome of the newly described viruses showed 37.6% pairwise identity with each other and ≤41.5% identity with circovirus sequences, and shared a common branch with fish, human and Weddel seal circoviruses in the phylogenetic tree, implying evolutionary relationship among the ancestors of these viruses. Based on the results the little bittern and European bee-eater circoviruses represent two distinct species of the Circovirus genus, Circoviridae family.

Gastrointestinal Parasitism in Przewalski Horses (Equus ferus przewalskii)

PURPOSE

Przewalski's horse (Equus ferus przewalskii) is a subspecies of Equus ferus classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), whose gastrointestinal (GI) parasitism has been studied in different populations, in situ and ex situ, during the last decades. We aimed to summarize the information available on the subject.

METHODS

In this review, we collected information from distinct published literature, interpreted it, compared it and related the Przewalski's horse biology and ecology with different findings.

RESULTS

Many similarities can be found between the Przewalski's horse populations and the domestic horses regarding their gastrointestinal parasite community. However, not all the GI parasites described in the domestic horse have been reported in Przewalski's horse's surveys. The most prevalent parasites found in Przewalski's horses belong to the Strongylidae family, namely the Cyathostominae.

CONCLUSIONS

More continuous monitoring studies should be carried on in different in situ and ex situ locations to consistently support the one-off surveys. It might be necessary to better correlate the parasitological findings of this subspecies with other animals that share the same habitat and ecosystem, for instance, intermediate and reservoir hosts, from different animal taxonomic groups.

Theory of medical scoring systems and a practical method to evaluate Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) foot health in European zoos

Several established models in human and veterinary medicine exist to evaluate an individual health or disease status. Many of these seem unsuitable for further epidemiological research aimed at discovering underlying influential factors. As a case example for score development and choice, the present study analyses different approaches to scoring the foot health of Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) living in European facilities. Sum scores with varying degree of detail, and without or with a weighting method, were compared using descriptive statistics, ie kurtosis, skewness, Shannon entropy, total redundancy, their maximum and their actual ranges. With increasing score complexity, a higher level of differentiation was reached. In parallel, the distribution of score frequencies in the population shifted systematically: with the least complex scoring model the pattern indicated a severely unhealthy population with an opposite skew to a hypothetically healthy population, whereas the most complex scoring model indicated a mildly affected population with a skew corresponding to that expected for a healthy population. We propose the latter, in the form of the Particularised Severity Score (ParSev), which accounts for every nail and pad individually and weights the sub-scores by squaring, as the most relevant score for further investigations, either in assessing changes within an elephant population over time, or correlating foot health in epidemiological studies to potentially influencing factors. Our results emphasise the relevance of choosing appropriate scoring models for welfare-associated evaluations, due to implications for the applicability as well as the perceived welfare status of the test population.

Full genome sequence analysis of a novel adenovirus from a captive polar bear (Ursus maritimus)

The presence of a novel adenovirus (AdV) was detected by PCR and sequencing, in the internal organs of a captive polar bear that had died in the Budapest zoo. The virus content of the samples proved to be high enough to allow for conventional Sanger sequencing on PCR-amplified genomic fragments. With this approach, the sequence of the entire genome of the putative polar bear adenovirus 1 (PBAdV-1) was obtained. Although the genome was found to be short, consisting of 27,952 base pairs merely, with a relatively balanced G + C content of 46.3 %, its organisation corresponded largely to that of a typical mastadenovirus. Every genus-common gene could be identified except that of protein IX. The short E3 region of the PBAdV-1 consisted of two novel, supposedly type-specific ORFs only, whereas no homologue of any of the E3 genes, usually conserved in mastadenoviruses, such as for example that of the 12.5 K protein, were present. In the E4 region, only the highly conserved gene of the 34 K protein was found besides two novel ORFs showing no homology to any known E4 ORFs. In silico sequence analysis revealed putative splicing donor and acceptor sites in the genes of the E1A, IVa2, DNA-dependent DNA polymerase, pTP, 33 K proteins, and also of U exon protein, all being characteristic for mastadenoviruses. Phylogenetic calculations, based on various proteins, further supported that the newly-detected PBAdV is the representative of a new species within the genus Mastadenovirus, and may represent the evolutionary lineage of adenoviruses that coevolved with carnivorans.

Influencing factors on the foot health of captive Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) in European zoos

Pathological lesions of feet occur frequently in captive elephant populations. To improve foot health, it is important to identify risk factors associated with such pathologies. Several previous studies have analyzed potentially influencing factors but were limited, for example, by small sample sizes. This study analyzed the relationship between 87 independent variables and the foot health score of 204 Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) in European zoos using bivariate correlation, multivariable regression models, and principal component analysis (PCA). Correlation and regression tests revealed significant results for 30 different variables, mainly with small effect sizes. Only three variables were significant in more than one test: sex, time spent indoors, and time spent on hard ground, with lower scores (i.e. less or less severe pathological lesions) in females, and when less time is spent indoors or on hard ground. Due to small effect sizes and differing results of the statistical tests, it is difficult to determine which risk factors are most important. Instead, a holistic consideration appears more appropriate. A biplot of the PCA shows that factors representing more advanced husbandry conditions (e.g. large areas, high proportions of sand flooring) were associated with each other and with decreased foot scores, whereas indicators of more limited conditions (e.g. high proportions of hard ground, much time spent indoors) were also associated with each other but increased the foot score. In conclusion, instead of resulting from just one or two factors, reduced foot health might be an indicator of a generally poorer husbandry system.

Sex determination using circulating cell-free fetal DNA in small volume of maternal plasma in elephants

The genetic sexing of animals having long gestation periods offers significant benefits in regard to breeding management among their populations living in captivity. In our study, a new increased-sensitivity PCR method for fetal sexing was developed and tested successfully on elephants, from only a small volume of maternal plasma. Suitable sensitivity was obtained by using short, reduced amplicon lengths with fluorescent labelling for capillary electrophoresis detection. The fundamental principle for this technique was based on the detection of two Y-specific markers (AmelY and SRY), the presence of which indicates the mother is carrying a male fetus and the absence of these markers designates a female fetus. As a reaction control, the X-chromosomal marker (PlpX) was used. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on this topic, confirming the presence of fetal cell-free DNA from the plasma of a pregnant captive elephant, and demonstrating a new opportunity for non-invasive assessment in fetal sex determination.

Adenoviruses of the most ancient primate lineages support the theory on virus-host co-evolution

The scarcity or complete lack of information on the adenoviruses (AdVs) occurring in the most ancient non-human primates resulted in the initiation of a study for exploring their abundance and diversity in prosimians and New World monkeys (NWMs). In order to assess the variability of these AdVs and the possible signs of the hypothesised virus-host co-evolution, samples from almost every family of NWMs and prosimians were screened for the presence of AdVs. A PCRscreening of 171 faecal or organ samples from live or dead, captive or wild-living prosimians and NWMs was performed. The PCR products from the gene of the IVa2 protein were sequenced and used in phylogeny calculations. The presence of 10 and 15 new AdVs in seven and ten different species of prosimians and NWMs was revealed, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the tentative novel AdVs cluster into two separate groups, which form the most basal branches among the primate AdVs, and therefore support the theory on the co-evolution of primate AdVs with their hosts. This is the first report that provides a comprehensive overview of the AdVs occurring in prosimians and NWMs, and the first insight into the evolutionary relationships among AdVs from all major primate groups.

Micrococcoides hystricis gen. nov., sp. nov., a novel member of the family Micrococcaceae, phylum Actinobacteria

A Gram-stain-positive bacterium, designated TSL3T, was isolated from faeces of a porcupine, Hystrix indica, from the Budapest Zoo and Botanical Garden, Hungary. On the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, the strain is phylogenetically related to the family Micrococcaceae. The highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity was found with Micrococcus terreus V3M1T (96.50 %) followed by Arthrobacter humicola KV-653T (96.43 %). Cells of strain TSL3T were aerobic, non-motile and coccoid-shaped. The main fatty acids were anteiso-C15 : 0 (54.4 %), iso-C16 : 0 (18.2 %) and iso C15 : 0 (9.7 %). The major menaquinone was MK-7, and the polar lipid profile included phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol, dimannosylglyceride, trimannosyldiacylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol, three unknown phospholipids and two unknown glycolipids. Strain TSL3T showed the peptidoglycan structure A4alpha l-Lys - Gly - l-Glu. The DNA G+C content of strain TSL3T was 58.4 mol%. Phenotypic and genotypic characterisation clearly showed that strain TSL3T could be differerentiated from the members of other genera in the family Micrococcaceae. According to these results, strain TSL3T represents a novel genus and species, for which the name Micrococcoides hystricis gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is TSL3T (=DSM 29785T=NCAIM B. 02604T).

Novel adenovirus detected in kowari (Dasyuroides byrnei) with pneumonia

A male kowari (Dasyuroides byrnei) originating from a zoo facility was delivered for post mortem evaluation in Hungary. Acute lobar pneumonia with histopathologic changes resembling an adenovirus (AdV) infection was detected by light microscopic examination. The presence of an AdV was confirmed by obtaining partial sequence data from the adenoviral DNA-dependent DNA-polymerase. Although the exact taxonomic position of this novel marsupial origin virus could not be determined, pairwise identity analyses and phylogenetic calculations revealed that it is distantly related to other members in the family Adenoviridae.

Urolithiasis in a captive group of Tammar wallabies (Macropus eugenii)

Urolithiasis is a well-known disease of the urogenital system in domestic animals, and it has also been described in captive and free-ranging wildlife. This article reports 15 cases of urolithiasis in a captive group of Tammar wallabies (Macropus eugenii) between 2004 and 2011. The analyzed stones were composed of pure calcium carbonate (n = 5), calcium carbonate with traces of calcium phosphate (n = 6), carbonate apatite (n = 2), and carbonate apatite mixed with calcium oxalate (n = 2). In 12 out of 15 cases uroliths were situated only in the renal pelvis; in two cases they were found in the renal pelvis and the ureter; while in one case in the ureter only. No common infectious agents were identified either by microbiological or histopathological methods. Although the exact cause remains unknown, the repetitive occurrence of calcium carbonate urolithiasis suggests husbandry-related causes. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first report on recurrent appearance of urolithiasis in a captive group of Tammar wallabies.

Assessing risk and guidance on monitoring of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in Europe through identification of taxonomic selectivity of infection

Amphibians are globally threatened, but not all species are affected equally by different threatening processes. This is true for the threat posed by the chytridiomycete fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis). We compiled a European data set for B. dendrobatidis to analyze the trends of infection in European amphibians. The risk of infection was not randomly distributed geographically or taxonomically across Europe. Within countries with different prevalence, infection was nonrandom in certain amphibian taxa. Brown frogs of the genus Rana were unlikely to be infected, whereas frogs in the families Alytidae and Bombinatoridae were significantly more likely to be infected than predicted by chance. Frogs in the 2 families susceptible to B. dendrobatidis should form the core of attempts to develop spatial surveillance studies of chytridiomycosis in Europe. Ideally, surveys for B. dendrobatidis should be augmented by sampling the widespread genus Pelophylax because this taxon exhibits geographically inconsistent overinfection with B. dendrobatidis and surveillance of it may facilitate recognition of factors causing spatial variability of infection intensity. Several European amphibian taxa were not represented in our data set; however, surveillance of unsampled species should also occur when warranted.

Novel mastadenovirus infection and clinical disease in a pygmy marmoset (Callithrix [Cebuella] pygmaea)

We describe the detection and successful isolation of a novel mastadenovirus from a pygmy marmoset (Callithrix [Cebuella] pygmaea) that died following an episode of severe respiratory signs. Pathologic/histopathologic examination revealed hydrothorax and catarrhal bronchopneumonia with pronounced desquamation of the bronchiolar epithelial cells, while in other airways a marked hyperplasia of the epithelial lining and numerous giant cells could be observed. We obtained partial sequence data from the adenoviral DNA-dependent DNA-polymerase gene of the isolated strain and analyses of this region showed the highest level of identity to the recently described bat adenoviruses (strains PPV1 and TJM) and the type 2 canine adenovirus. Similar results were gained by phylogenetic calculations indicating that this novel marmoset adenovirus is only distantly related to reference Old and New World primate adenoviruses and formed a monophyletic group with bat and canine adenoviruses and the equine adenovirus 1. Even though the source of the infection remained unknown, our results could imply the possibility of a cross-species transmission of the virus from an anonymous host to the pygmy marmoset.

Low Usutu virus seroprevalence in four zoological gardens in central Europe

BACKGROUND

Usutu virus (USUV), a mosquito-borne flavivirus of the Japanese encephalitis virus antigenic group, caused bird die-offs in Austria, Hungary and Switzerland between 2001 and 2009. While the zoological gardens of Vienna and Zurich recorded USUV-associated mortality in different species of birds during this period, incidences in Budapest were limited to areas outside the zoo, and in the greater Basel area avian mortality due to USUV infection was not observed at all. The objectives of this investigation were to gain insight into USUV infection dynamics in captive birds in zoos with varying degrees of virus exposure and to study differences in susceptibility to USUV of different species of birds.

RESULTS

372 bird sera were collected between October 2006 and August 2007. The samples were tested in parallel by hemagglutination inhibition (HI) and 90% plaque reduction neutralization tests (PRNT-90). 8.75%, 5.3% and 6.59% of birds in the zoos of Vienna, Zurich and Basel, respectively, showed USUV-specific antibodies by PRNT-90. No antibodies to USUV were detected in birds of the Budapest zoo. The order Strigiformes (owls) exhibited the highest USUV-seroprevalence, compared to other orders of birds.

CONCLUSIONS

USUV seems not to pose an imminent threat to zoo bird populations in central Europe at the moment. Depending on a variety of especially environmental factors, however, this may change at any time in the (near) future, as experienced with West Nile virus (WNV). It is therefore strongly suggested to continue with combined WNV and USUV surveillance activities in affected areas.

Toxoplasmosis in Tammar wallabies (Macropus eugenii) in the Budapest Zoo and Botanical Garden (2006-2010)

Smaller macropodid species (commonly referred to as wallabies) are extremely susceptible to toxoplasmosis: in most cases, infection with Toxoplasma gondii leads to death within a short time. Between June 2006 and July 2010, T. gondii was detected by immunohistochemical examination in six Tammar wallabies (Macropus eugenii) that died in the Budapest Zoo and Botanical Garden; in another four specimens histopathology revealed T. gondii-like organisms (which could not be differentiated from Neospora caninum solely by morphology), and in another 11 animals toxoplasmosis as the possible cause of death could not be excluded. The current zoo population of 12 Tammar wallabies was tested for T. gondii IgG antibodies by the modified agglutination test (MAT), with negative results. We suppose that most of the deaths were due to acute toxoplasmosis resulting from a recent infection.

Osteoblastic osteosarcoma in a Grey Mouse Lemur (Microcebus murinus) - short communication

The Grey Mouse Lemur (Microcebus murinus) is a nocturnal lemur species that lives only in Madagascar. It is one of the most abundant lemur species and its native populations are not endangered, but animals belonging to this species are rarely exhibited in zoos. While tumours are quite frequently described in other primates, there are very few publications about neoplasia in lemurs. In this case report we describe a mandibular osteoblastic osteosarcoma in a Grey Mouse Lemur (Microcebus murinus). To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first scientific article describing osteosarcoma in a prosimian and also reporting a tumour in the mandible in this taxon.

Autochthonous Dirofilaria immitis infection in a ferret with aberrant larval migration in Europe

A two-year-old male ferret (Mustela putorius furo) was presented to the Faculty of Veterinary Science, Szent István University, for investigation of somnolence. Following unsuccessful therapeutic attempts, the ferret was euthanased and a male Dirofilaria immitis worm was found in the pulmonary artery and a female D. immitis specimen in the subdural space of the cranial cavity. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first European record of D. immitis infection in a ferret, and the first case in which aberrant larval migration and consequent central nervous system signs were observed in a ferret in the course of D. immitis infection.

Detection of a novel bat gammaherpesvirus in Hungary

This paper describes the detection of a novel herpesvirus in a Serotine bat (Eptesicus serotinus) in Hungary. The rescued animal showed signs of icterus and anorexia and died within a day, in spite of immediate supportive therapy. Autopsy confirmed the clinical picture by the major lesions observed in the liver. Histopathology revealed vacuolar degeneration in the hepatocytes and leukocytosis in the sinusoidal lumina. By electron microscopy, hydropic degeneration and apoptotic cells with a pycnotic nucleus were found in the liver. Bacteriological examinations gave negative results. As part of a routine screening project, detection of adeno- and herpesviruses from homogenised samples of the liver, lungs and small intestines was attempted by nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays. The adenovirus PCR ended with negative results. The herpesvirus PCR resulted in an amplification product of specific size. The nucleotide sequence of the amplicon was determined and analysed by homology search and phylogenetic analysis. A novel herpesvirus was identified, which seemed to be most closely related to members of the genus Rhadinovirus within the subfamily Gammaherpesvirinae. The causative role of the detected rhadinovirus in the fatal condition of the Serotine bat could not be proven, but it is most likely that reactivation from a latent infection allowed the detection of the virus by PCR.

Artificial insemination in the anoestrous and the postpartum white rhinoceros using GnRH analogue to induce ovulation

The objective of this study was to develop AI and to achieve first time pregnancy in a nulliparous rhinoceros. For this, one 24-year-old irregular cycling female white rhinoceros was selected, which had never been mated. The endocrine function was monitored by faecal and serum pregnane analysis. Ultrasound determined the optimal day for AI by measuring follicle sizes of 2.0, 2.6, 3.0, 3.2 cm on days -6, -4, -1, 0 of the induced oestrous cycle, respectively. AI was performed and ovulation induced when a pre-ovulatory-sized follicle was present using GnRH analogue, deslorelin. Fresh semen was deposited in the uterine horn using a patented AI catheter overcoming the hymeneal membrane and torturous cervical folds non-surgically. Moreover, ultrasound monitoring of the uterine involution and ovarian activity on days 16, 26, 30 postpartum facilitated the induction of and the AI on the first postpartum oestrous in a rhinoceros using GnRH analogue. Two consecutive pregnancies were achieved by AI for the first time in the rhinoceros. Pregnancies were diagnosed by elevated serum and faecal 20-oxo-pregnane concentrations. In addition ultrasound measured biometric parameters of the two foetuses on days 86 and 133 of gestation. Two female calves were born after 490 and 502 days of gestation, yet one calf was stillborn. AI in rhinoceros might now be used as assisted reproduction technology tool to boost critically small captive rhinoceros populations.

Pulmonary tuberculosis due to Mycobacterium bovis subsp. caprae in captive Siberian tiger

We report the first case of pulmonary tuberculosis caused by Mycobacterium bovis subsp. caprae in a captive Siberian tiger, an endangered feline. The pathogen was isolated from a tracheal aspirate obtained by bronchoscopy. This procedure provided a reliable in vivo diagnostic method in conjunction with conventional and molecular tests for the detection of mycobacteria.