Tularemia in a group of nonhuman primates.

In an episode of tularemia in a Canadian zoologic garden, three black and red tamarins (Sanguinus nigricollis) and one talapoin (Cercopithecus talapoin) died. A second talapoin developed abscesses in the tongue and submandibular area; this animal recovered with treatment. Francisella tularensis was isolated from lung, liver, and spleen from each dead monkey and from pus collected from the tongue abscess of the sick talapoin. The attending veterinarian contracted the disease from a tamarin bite. The source of the disease was identified as wild ground squirrels, and the causative organism was recovered from the liver and spleen of one squirrel and from fleas found on it.     

鼠源重组UBC13蛋白对脂多糖诱导的小鼠急性炎症的影响

试验旨在探讨鼠源重组UBC13蛋白对脂多糖(lipopolysaccharide,LPS)诱导的小鼠急性炎症的影响。将24只SPF雌性小鼠随机分成4组:PBS组,LPS模型组,重组UBC13蛋白高、低剂量组(分别为100和25μg/只),每组6只。LPS模型组与各蛋白剂量组腹腔注射20 mg/kg LPS,PBS组腹腔注射等体积PBS;注射结束1 h后,各蛋白组按相应剂量背部皮下多点注射重组UBC13蛋白,PBS组与LPS模型组注射等体积PBS。给予蛋白24 h后处死小鼠。收集小鼠肺脏、脾脏、胸腺及肝脏组织,计算脏器指数,HE染色观察组织病理学变化,实时荧光定量PCR检测肺脏、脾脏、胸腺和肝脏中IL-1β、TNF-α、IL-6 mRNA的相对表达量,以及肺脏中iNOS mRNA的相对表达量,综合评价鼠源重组UBC13蛋白对LPS诱导小鼠急性炎症的影响。结果显示,与PBS组相比,LPS模型组小鼠肺脏、脾脏及肝脏指数均显著或极显著升高(P<0.05;P<0.01),且肺脏、脾脏和肝脏组织均出现病理变化。实时荧光定量PCR结果显示,与PBS组相比,LPS模型组肺脏、脾脏、胸腺和肝脏中IL-1β、TNF-α、IL-6 mRNA相对表达量均极显著升高(P<0.01),肺脏中iNOS mRNA相对表达量也极显著升高(P<0.01);与LPS模型组相比,UBC13蛋白高剂量组肺脏、脾脏和肝脏中病理变化明显改善,肺脏、肝脏、脾脏中IL-1β、TNF-α、IL-6及肺脏中iNOS mRNA表达量均极显著降低(P<0.01);胸腺中TNF-αmRNA表达量显著降低(P<0.05),IL-6 mRNA和IL-1β表达量极显著降低(P<0.01)。表明鼠源重组UBC13蛋白可下调炎性因子的表达,从而改善LPS诱导的小鼠急性炎症反应。     

Bone haemangio-sarcoma in a young Belgian malinois

Bone haemangiosarcoma in a young Belgian malinois initially presented as an abscess involving the Tight 10th rib. The dog responded promptly to abscess drainage and antibiotics. Anaemia and thrombocytopenia began one week later and ultrasonography revealed splenic and liver lesions. Exploratory surgery identified tumour masses in the spleen, liver, lung and rib. Histopathological diagnosis was hemangiosarcoma, possibly of bone origin.     

Analysis of myostatin and its related factors in various porcine tissues

Myostatin is expressed in skeletal muscle tissue where it functions to suppress myoblast proliferation and myofiber hypertrophy. Recently, myostatin was detected in the tendon, mammary gland, and adipose tissue of mice. We sought to determine whether myostatin is expressed in the liver, spleen, lung, and kidney of pigs. Real-time PCR and Western blots demonstrated that myostatin, follistatin, decorin, and activin receptor IIB (ActRIIB) mRNA and proteins were expressed in skeletal muscle, heart muscle, and adipose tissue, and also in liver, spleen, lung, kidney, and cultured fibroblasts. The relative abundance of myostatin was closely related to follistatin and decorin in porcine tissues. Immunohistochemical analysis further demonstrated the presence of myostatin, follistatin, and decorin in the skeletal muscle, adipose tissue, heart muscle, liver, spleen, lung, and kidney of pigs. These results suggest that myostatin could be associated with certain functions of the internal organs, such as energy metabolism or fibrosis. We conclude that myostatin is a factor broadly expressed in the internal organs and muscle tissues of pigs.     

Mouse model of haemorrhagic septicaemia: dissemination and multiplication of Pasteurella multocida B:2 in vital organs after intranasal and subcutaneous challenge in mice

Haemorrhagic septicaemia (HS) is an endemic disease of bovines, occuring in most tropical regions of Asia and Africa. In the present study, the suitability of using mice to study pathogenesis of HS was assessed using mortality, mean death time and bacterial multiplication in vital organs after infection with live P multocida. Mice were infected with 10⁵, 10³ and 10¹?cfu of P. multocida B:2 via intranasal and subcutaneous routes along with control groups. Bacterial multiplication in lung, liver and spleen of mice were determined at 24 h interval after intranasal and subcutaneous challenge. More than 80 % of challenged mice died within 48 h of inoculation, irrespective of the dose and route of inoculation. A heavy bacterial load (up to 10⁸?cfu) was observed in lung, liver and spleen of mice titrated at 24 h and following death of mice. Results of the present study indicate that even ten bacteria are enough to cause mortality in mice and the organism multiplies rapidly in respiratory epithelium and disseminated to other vital organs viz liver and spleen suggesting the important role of mouse model in investigating the pathogenesis and challenge studies during vaccine development.     

Atypical presentation of mycobacteriosis in a collection of frogfish (Antennarius striatus).

Severe systemic mycobacteriosis without typical granuloma formation was diagnosed in a group of six mature, captive, striated frogfish Antennarius striatus approximately 5 mo after fish originating from Brazil were purchased by Mote Marine Laboratory Aquarium. Beginning 1 mo after spawning, over a period of 9 mo, individuals began to show a variety of signs including egg retention, ocular opacity, poor buoyancy control, ascites with coelomic distension, skin lesions, and anorexia. Two fish died, and four were euthanatized. At necropsy, raised pigmented skin nodules; pale pink gills; and pale yellow or tan, fatty livers were noted. A systemic fungal infection was diagnosed histopathologically in one female, and the remaining fish had severe, systemic, histiocytic inflammation and necrosis. Although large numbers of acid-fast bacterial rods were identified in each fish, no bacteria were cultured aerobically from skin, kidney, spleen, liver, or brain. Mycobacterium marinum was cultured from the liver of the last fish that was euthanatized after it became moribund and failed to respond to symptomatic treatment.     

Protective effects of rapamycin induced autophagy on CLP septic mice

Sepsis is a life-threatening condition that may develop to multiple organ failure and septic shock. Autophagy is considered to play an important role in the regulation of inflammation. The present study aims to investigate the protective role of mTORC1 inhibitor, rapamycin, on septic death using cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) mice model. Here, results showed that pretreatment with rapamycin reduced the pyroptosis of peritoneal macrophages stimulated by cecal contents and the release of inflammatory factors such as interleukin-1β (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α); In septic mice, rapamycin treatment decreased the activation of inflammasome in lung, and alleviated the pathological injuries in lung, liver and spleen tissues during acute stage of sepsis. Treatment of rapamycin rescued animals from septic death significantly. Our results indicated that activation of autophagy is a potential strategy to regulate the excessive inflammation in acute stage of sepsis.     

Isolation of feline herpesvirus 1 from a young kitten

Five kittens exposed neonatally to older cats exhibiting fever with nasal and ocular discharge became ill and died within 10 days of the onset of illness. One kitten which died at 16 days old was examined post mortem and feline herpesvirus 1 was isolated from the brain, liver, lung and spleen.     

An outbreak of erysipelas in 2-day-old poults

Systemic erysipelas infection was seen in 2-to-4-day-old poults from three separate ranches owned by the same company. The affected poults were all from the same breeder source; poults from other breeder sources were seemingly unaffected. Mortality increased on days 2 and 3, ranging from 2% to 8.5%. Birds submitted were dehydrated and very weak, with one half of the poults submitted having died during transport to the lab. Gross lesions included swollen, congested livers and spleens, as well as hemorrhagic breast muscle in one case. Toes were swollen and reddish-purple in color. The poults had been toe-trimmed during hatchery processing using a commercial microwave. Histologically, periportal inflammation with heterophilic infiltration in the liver was noted. Spleens showed hyalinization of arteries, lymphoid depletion, and necrosis. Toe joints showed purulent synovitis and cellulitis. Gram stains done on impression smears of liver and spleen showed rare to moderate numbers of small gram-positive rods. Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae was isolated from 18 of 22 livers cultured, five of six toe joints cultured, and from the yolk sac in two birds.     

孔雀新城疫病毒与大肠杆菌混合感染的诊断

从1只病死孔雀的肝、脾及脑组织悬浊液中分离到1株病毒,经HA和HI试验、病毒中和试验及荧光PCR试验,证明该病毒为新城疫病毒。取其肝及心血做细菌分离培养,经革兰氏染色、镜检及各多种生化试验鉴定为大肠杆菌,动物试验结果证明其具有致病性。由此说明,该孔雀死于新城疫和大肠杆菌混合感染。     

Streptococcus pneumoniae septicaemia in an Angora goat kid

Streptococcus pneumoniae, a bacterium frequently associated with pneumonia in man, was isolated from the spleen, liver, lung and kidney of an Angora goat kid which had died suddenly. Signs of septicaemia were pronounced with widespread petechial haemorrhages on internal organs. Histologically, the spleen and liver were severely congested and necrotic changes were most marked in these organs. The goat kid had been reared as a household pet and the possibility that the goat kid had acquired the Str. pneumoniae from a human infection is discussed.     

Listeriosis in a cockatiel (Nymphicus hollandicus)

Listeriosis was diagnosed in a 4-yr-old female cockatiel (Nymphicus hollandicus) that died after exhibiting clinical signs that included a fluffed-up appearance, weakness, and loss of weight of several days duration. Grossly, the bird was moderately emaciated, and the liver and spleen were enlarged. Microscopically, there was mild-to-moderate inflammation associated with rod-shaped, gram-positive bacteria in the liver, spleen, kidneys, adrenal glands, bone marrow, and esophagus. Listeria monocytogenes was isolated from the liver, trachea, and intestine. The isolate was identified as type 1 by agglutination with specific antisera, and it further identified as belonging to serovar group 1/2a, 3a by multiplex polymerase chain reaction assay. Listeria monocytogenes also was detected in affected tissues by immunohistochemistry.     

Prevalence of a septicemia disease in the crested ibis (Nipponia nippon) in China

This study investigated six cases of septicemia in young crested ibises (Nipponia nippon). These birds all died with similar clinical signs, including sudden death, anorexia, diarrhea, and lameness. Immediately after death, the birds were necropsied; a blood sample was taken from heart and tissues were sampled from liver, lung, spleen, peritoneal mucus, and feces for bacteriologic examination. Anatomic observation showed that the main findings common to the sick birds were arthrocele, associated with congestion in the femur, tibiotarsus, and ventral side; swelling in the liver; hemorrhagic pericarditis; miliary tubercles in lung; and fibrous tubercles in the synovial capsule of the knee joint with suppurative abscesses. Through bacterial examination, the colonial type of Escherichia coli strain was represented prominently in cultures of the feces, heart blood, liver, lung, spleen, suppurative mucus of the synovial capsule, and peritoneal exudate. These symptoms suggested that the death of a number of endangered crested ibis within a short period was evidence of septicemia. The bacterial inoculation tests were also conducted using domestic pigeon, native chicken, and mice for the presence of and infection with E coli. The study provided indications of the possible role of E. coli strains as bird pathogens and a potential risk in endangered species. Further work is needed to characterize E. coli strains and the toxin production in this bird. This disease occurrence also adds a note of caution to the continued efforts and interest in the reintroduction of the ibis back into its former wild ranges to ensure that formerly captive individuals do not transmit disease to the wild populations of its own or other sympatric species.     

A role for Toll-like receptor 4 in the host response to the lung infection of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis in mice

Although a Yersinia pseudotuberculosis (Yptb) lung infection model has been developed to study Y. pestis pathogenesis, it is still necessary to establish a new animal model to mimic the pathophysiological features induced by Y. pestis infection. Here, we provide a new lung infection model using the Yptb strain, IP2777, which displayed rapid spread of bacteria to the liver, spleen, and blood. In addition, we examined whether TLR4 is involved in Yptb-induced pathogenesis in the lung infection model of mice we generated. Following lung infection of WT and TLR4-deficient mice with the Yptb strain IP2777, the survival rate, bacterial colonization, histopathology, and level of cytokines and chemokines in the lung, spleen, liver, and blood were analyzed. TLR4-deficient mice had a lower survival rate than WT mice in response to Yptb lung infection. Although the bacterial colonization and pathology of the lung were comparable between WT and TLR4-deficient mice, those of the spleen and liver were more severe in TLR4-deficient mice. In addition, the levels of TNF-α and CXCL2 in the liver and IL-6 and CXCL2 in the blood were higher in TLR4-deficient mice than in WT mice. Our results demonstrate that TLR4 is necessary for optimal host protection against Yptb lung infection and TLR4-deficient mice may serve as a better genetic model of Yptb infection for mimicking Y. pestis infection.     

Chromobacterium violaceum infection in two dogs

Chromobacterium violaceum is a saprophyte of soil and water in tropical and subtropical environments that is associated with rare but highly fatal infections in animals and humans. Systemic infection was diagnosed in two critically ill dogs from Florida. Fever was absent in both dogs. Both dogs were treated surgically and provided with intensive care, but only one survived. The identification of characteristic, violet-pigmented bacterial colonies on routine microbial cultures should alert microbiologists and clinicians to the likelihood of this dangerous pathogen. Because of the rapidly progressive nature of this infection, empirical antibiotic administration with fluoroquinolones should be employed pending susceptibility testing.     

Mycobacterium ulcerans infection in an Indian flap-shelled turtle (Lissemys punctata punctata)

We report an atypical mycobacterial infection in an Indian flap-shelled turtle, Lissemys punctata punctata, that died in an aquarium in Japan. At necropsy, the turtle showed multiple white nodules on the capsular surface and parenchyma of various organs such as the liver, spleen, intestine, and lung. Histologically, granulomatous inflammation surrounding a central zone of necrosis was observed. Sections stained by the Ziehl-Neelsen method revealed numerous acid-fast bacilli in the cytoplasm of macrophages and in the central area of necrosis. The organisms were identified as a mycobacterial species by PCR and nucleotide sequence analysis and revealed 98-100% homology to M. ulcerans. This is, to our knowledge, the first report of mycobacteriosis due to M. ulcerans in a turtle.     

Pathogenicity of Fusobacterium necrophorum biovar C in mice by intraperitoneal and intraportal injections

Three strains of Fusobacterium necrophorum biovar C were injected into mice intraperitoneally and intraportally. All the mice survived. In one mouse out of 15 mice injected intraperitoneally, a few focal abscesses were formed in the liver. The microorganisms were recovered from the liver abscess and the tissue of liver with abscess. No changes were observed in the organs of other 14 mice and no bacteria were recovered from them. In the 15 mice injected intraportally, no liver abscesses and no macroscopic changes in the organs were formed. However, the inoculated bacteria were recovered from the liver of four mice. The pathogenicity of F. necrophorum biovar C was weaker than that of other two biovars.     

仔猪巴氏杆菌病病原的分离与鉴定

采取病死猪的心、肝、脾、肺、肾、淋巴结等病料,进行巴氏杆菌病病原的分离培养与鉴定。根据流行病学资料、临床症状、病理变化和实验室检查结果,确诊为仔猪巴氏杆菌病。同时,通过药敏试验筛选出敏感抗生素并有效控制了疫情。     

Disseminated mycobacteriosis due to Mycobacterium avium in captive Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris).

A 2-year-old captive female Bengal Tiger (Panthera tigris) died after prolonged anorexia in the Gwangju Uchi Park Zoo, Gwangju, Republic of Korea. Necropsy revealed multiple nodules of varying sizes in the lung, liver, kidney, and spleen. Histopathologic examination revealed a typical granuloma composed of caseous necrotic areas surrounded by lymphocytes with a few giant cells and foamy macrophages. Periodic acid-Schiff stain and Gomori methenamine silver stain did not reveal any fungal bodies. The Ziehl-Neelsen acid-fast stain revealed few acid-fast organisms in the lung, liver, kidney, and spleen. A polymerase chain reaction assay of the lung, liver, kidney, and spleen yielded a positive result for Mycobacterium avium subsp. avium. This is an unusual case of disseminated infection of a wild mammal with avian mycobacteriosis, and is believed to be most likely associated with the feeding of tigers with culled chickens infected with M. avium.