Diabetes mellitus in a koala (Phascolarctos cinereus)

Objective To describe a case of diabetes mellitus in a koala (Phascolarctos cinereus).
Design A case report with controls.
Procedures We describe clinical and laboratory findings in a 6-year-old, free-living, female koala presented with traumatic injury and subsequently found to have polydipsia, hyperglycaemia and glucosuria. Over a 5 week period, serum biochemical analyses, haematological examinations, urinal-yses, measurement of serum insulin and fructosamine concentrations, necropsy, histopathological examination of a range of tissues and immunohistochemical examination of the pancreas for insulin-containing cells were done. For reference purposes, serum insulin and fructosamine concentrations were determined in four and two healthy koalas, respectively, and three healthy koalas pancreases were examined histo-logically and immunohistochemically.
Results The koala had persistent hyperglycaemia, hyperlipidaemia, hyponatraemia, hypochloraemia and glucosuria. Serum insulin concentration of the diabetic koala was only marginally smaller than that of healthy koalas, but all concentrations were smaller than reference concentrations in dogs and people. Fructosamine concentration did not allow the diabetic koala to be distinguished from healthy koalas and concentrations of all koala analytes were greater than expected for healthy dogs and people. Histopathological examination revealed extensive degeneration of pancreatic islet cells and fatty infiltration of hepatocytes. Immunoperoxidase staining revealed decreased or absent insulin in the b cells of the affected koala.
Conclusion Clinical signs, clinicopathological results and histopathological changes were consistent with diabetes mellitus. The pathogenesis of the condition could not be determined but may have been related to the administration of a parenteral corticosteroid preparation, the stress of capture or tissue damage and inflammation.     

Comparison of inoculation regimes for the experimental production of swine erysipelas arthritis: II Serological findings in a gel diffusion precipitin test and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay

The serological response of pigs to Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae inoculation was monitored by a gel diffusion precipitin test (GDPT) using a crude, serotype-specific, autoclaved antigen and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using a heat-extracted, alcohol precipitated and molecular seived antigen previously shown to react with serum from pigs infected with serotypes 1 or 2. All pigs receiving 3 or 5 weekly intravenous inoculations of either a highly virulent (VRS 229) or a lowly virulent isolate (VRS 252) produced GDPT-reactive antibody within 3 weeks, but only 44% were still reactive at 8 to 9.5 weeks. The ELISA response was significantly higher in pigs inoculated with the highly virulent strain, and was similar in pigs receiving 3 or 5 doses of either strain. In a dose-response trial, after 3 doses of VRS 229, GDPT reactivity occurred earlier and was stronger in pigs given higher doses of E. rhusiopathiae, but the response peaked 3 to 5 weeks after the start of challenge and was short lived. GDPT reactivity correlated with dose, but not with the severity of arthritis. The ELISA demonstrated specific IgG antibody was present by 2 weeks, and persisted to at least 11 weeks. The ELISA reactivity was significantly higher in pigs with arthritis than in pigs that received low doses and were not arthritic. Within groups of pigs with arthritis a significant, dose dependent, linear ELISA response developed but did not correlate with the presence or degree of arthritis at slaughter. Non-arthritic pigs had similar low ELISA responses to uninoculated controls.     

Clinical and pathological findings of Babesia infection in dogs

The clinical and pathological findings of Babesia infection in 32 dogs in northern Australia are presented. Eleven different breed types were represented from 6 localities in north Queensland and one locality in northern Western Australia. Twenty three (72%) were males. Babesia-infected dogs were grouped by the degree of haematological disturbance and clinical severity: Acute babesiosis (25/32), all pups with severe haemolytic anaemia; subclinical carriers (5/32) with non-specific malaise, characterised haematologically by a normal erythrogram but marked leucopenia; chronic anaemia, observed in 2 adult dogs. Pups were azotaemic (serum urea greater than 6.6 mmol/l) and had elevated serum bilirubin levels (20.8 to 48.5 mmol/l). Total serum protein was usually within the normal range. Pups that died were also hypoglycaemic and severely hyperkalaemic (K+ greater than 10 mmol/l). Low parasitaemias in routine blood smears complicated diagnosis but smears made from ear or toe capillaries, or after haematocrit concentration, greatly enhanced finding parasitised cells. At necropsy, pallor and jaundice were the most consistent observations. Haemoglobinuric nephrosis, an active reticulo-endothelial system and capillaries packed with large numbers of infected erythrocytes were the main histopathological findings. A combination of imidocarb dipropionate at 5 mg/kg body weight, given intramuscularly, with fluid therapy and blood transfusion was the most successful treatment.     

Disease of geese caused by a new herpesvirus

A goose flock farmed outdoors in south-eastern Queensland suffered an outbreak of peracute disease with high death rate (97%). Small button ulcers and large plaques overlying lymphocyte aggregates were present on the mucosa of the small intestine of affected birds. Small white foci of necrosis and focal haemorrhages were seen in the livers. Numerous intranuclear inclusion bodies were observed microscopically in hepatocytes and a herpesvirus which grew rapidly in chicken kidney cells was isolated from tissues. Duck virus enteritis (DVE) was suspected but DVE antiserums failed to neutralise the virus. Further serological studies with a limited range of known avian herpesviruses have failed to identify the virus. Experimental transmission resulted in high mortality in geese (100%), lower mortality in ducklings and nil mortality in chickens. Surveillance studies showed no evidence of infection in domestic and wild birds beyond the original farm and the infection appears not to have been established in the area. Wild ducks, which were frequent visitors to the farm dam, were considered the most likely source of the infection.     

Antimicrobial sensitivity testing of Australian isolates of Bordetella avium and the Bordetella avium-like organism

SUMMARY: The in-vitro sensitivity of 16 Australian isolates of Bordetella avium and 15 isolates of B avium -like organism to 11 antimicrobial agents or combinations of agents was determined using a microtitre plate system to establish minimal inhibitory concentrations. All the B avium isolates were sensitive to ampicillin but resistant to erythromycin, lincomycin, spectinomycin, sulphamethoxazole, trimethoprim, and lincomycin + spectinomycin. Most of the B avium isolates were sensitive to tetracycline and resistant to streptomycin and sulphadiazine. All the B avium -like isolates were resistant to ampicillin, erythromycin, lincomycin, spectinomycin, streptomycin, tetracycline, trimethoprim, and lincomycin + spectinomycin. Most B avium -like isolates were sensitive to sulphadiazine, sulphamethoxazole and trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole.     

Soil and agronomic factors associated with cadmium accumulations in kidneys of grazing sheep

SUMMARY Mean concentration of cadmium (Cd) in kidneys of hogget sheep from 67 flocks grazing in the Agricultural Region of Western Australia was tested for association with soil, pastoral, climatic and nutritional factors. Hoggets grazing pastures on acidic soils and soils with a sandy-textured surface had higher Cd concentrations in kidneys than hoggets grazing pastures on more alkaline soils or soils with a clay-textured surface. Application of more than 100 kg of phosphatic fertiliser during the past 3 years to loamy soils was also associated with greater Cd concentration in kidneys of the grazing animals.     

Serological characterisation of Haemophilus parasuis isolates from Australian pigs

A total of 31 isolates of Haemophilus parasuis obtained from Australian pigs were serotyped by the Kielstein-Rapp-Gabrielson scheme. The isolates were assigned to serovar 1 (1 isolate), serovar 2 (1 isolate), serovar 4 (4 isolates), serovar 5 (7 isolates), serovar 9 (2 isolates), serovar 10/7 (4 isolates), serovar 12 (1 isolate) and serovar 13 (6 isolates). The remaining 5 isolates could not be assigned to a serovar. Two different serovars (5 and 13) were detected in one herd. The only 2 isolates obtained from clinically normal pigs (from the same herd) were serovar 9. The common serovars were isolated from pigs with pneumonia as well as from pigs with conditions of the Glässer's disease type. The serological heterogeneity amongst Australian isolates of H parasuis has important implications for the use of vaccines to control Glässer's disease.