Mycobacterium paratuberculosis was isolated in low numbers from the small intestine and associated mesenteric lymph nodes of a saiga antelope (Saiga tatarica) using routine culture techniques in spite of histologic evidence of high numbers of acid-fast bacteria in these tissues. Two newborn domestic sheep were fed the ground intestinal tissue containing acid-fast bacteria and the progression of the experimental disease was followed by fecal culture, immunodiffusion (AGID) and lymphocyte stimulation (LST) tests. One experimentally infected sheep developed progressive clinical illness 1 yr postinoculation. Few M. paratuberculosis were isolated from feces or tissues although an extensive granulomatous mycobacterial enteritis, lymphadenitis and lymphangitis were observed containing large numbers of typical acid-fast organisms. No clinical illness was observed in the second inoculated sheep after 18 mo of observation, although infection was demonstrated at necropsy. Both sheep developed AGID and LST reactions indicative of paratuberculosis. This study demonstrated that a difficult to culture isolate of M. paratuberculosis was responsible for paratuberculosis in captive wild ruminants and was transmissible to domestic sheep. Diagnosis of paratuberculosis in four of eight of the imported saiga antelope and in eleven of their 18 offspring indicates the importance of this disease in management of captive wild ruminants and the ease with which this organism can be transmitted.

An epizootic of infectious keratoconjunctivitis occurred in bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) in Yellowstone National Park during the winter of 1981–82. The causative organism was identified as Chlamydia sp. Mortality related to the epizootic was approximately 60% of an estimated 500 bighorn sheep in the northern range population. The infection probably affected all sex and age classes, but field surveys of live animals and mortality suggested that mature rams died disproportionately. Limited field observations the following winter on individuals having both normal and cloudy-appearing eyes suggested that half of the bighorns then present on the core units of winter range had contracted the disease and survived. By 1988, there were about 300 bighorn sheep in the population.

To determine the seroprevalence of Lyme disease in gray wolves (Canis lupus) from various counties of Minnesota and Wisconsin (USA), 589 serum samples were collected from 528 wolves from 1972 to 1989. An indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA) test was used to detect the presence of antibodies against Borrelia burgdorferi. Titers of ≥1:100 were considered positive. Results were confirmed by testing a few selected sera by Western blotting. Of the 589 sera tested, 15 (3%) had IFA titers of ≥1:100. Three of the positive samples were collected from Douglas County in Wisconsin and twelve were from Minnesota counties. This study indicates that wolves are exposed to B. burgdorferi and are susceptible to Lyme disease.

Six mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus hemionus) and one white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), approximately 5-mo-old, each were inoculated orally with 500 metacercariae of Fascioloides magna. All mule deer died from liver fluke infection between 69 and 134 days (mean =114, SE = 9.9) after inoculation. Between 38 and 326 immature F. magna (mean =102, SE =45.5) were recovered from each deer at necropsy. Flukes were present in livers, lungs, and free in pleural and peritoneal spaces. Infection was characterized by necrotizing hepatitis, fibrosing peritonitis and pleuritis, and hematin pigment accumulation in liver, lung, and many other internal organs. Eggs of F. magna first were detected in feces of the white-tailed deer 28 wk after inoculation, and weekly thereafter until the healthy deer was euthanized at 31 wk. At necropsy, 205 F. magna, including 12 encapsulated mature and 193 nonencapsulated immature flukes were recovered from liver, lungs, and free in abdominal and thoracic spaces of the white-tailed deer. Based on these results, F. magna may be fatal to mule deer within 5 mo of infection. Like domestic sheep and goats, mule deer may be highly susceptible to infection, and it is unlikely mule deer can survive infection with large numbers of F. magna.

Chacma baboons (Papio ursinus) living in an arid environment in Namibia were heavily infested with ticks of the genus Rhipicephalus. A survey to assess tick numbers and identity was undertaken in the baboons' habitat. It appears that there is a strong correlation between the number of ticks and the amount of time the baboons spend in an area. It is speculated that tick infestations were responsible for more than half (n = 18) of recorded infant deaths amongst these baboons.

Blood-feeding midges (Culicoides sp. and Leptoconops sp.) were sampled in the Santa Rosa Mountains, Riverside County, California (USA), to determine which species might be involved in the transmission of bluetongue and epizootic hemorrhagic disease viruses to peninsular bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis cremnobates). Host-seeking midges were sampled with CO₂-baited suction traps over a period of 30 mo. Nineteen species of Culicoides and seven of Leptoconops were collected. Five of the Culicoides sp. recovered are previously undescribed. The most abundant and widely distributed Culicoides sp. during spring (presumed virus transmission period to lambs) were C. (Selfia) brookmani, C. variipennis, C. (Avaritia) sp. (a new species near C. pusillus), and C. lahontan. Of these, C. brookmani (all elevations) and C. (Avaritia) sp. (elevations >750 m) were common in the mountainous terrain inhabited by bighorn sheep. Culicoides variipennis, a vector of bluetongue virus in agricultural settings, and C. lahontan were numerous in sandy washes but were much less common in the mountains themselves. Leptoconops belkini and L. foulki were occasionally common in upper Deep Canyon in spring (April–June), while L. torrens was very abundant in the same area for 2 wk following heavy summer rains. Parity (an indicator of longevity and success in finding hosts and oviposition sites) in mountain areas was very low in C. variipennis (5%), low-moderate in C. (Avaritia) sp. (13%) and C. lahontan (21%), and relatively high in C. brookmani (40%). Vectorial capacity of Culicoides spp. for these hemorrhagic disease viruses is discussed, and it is suggested that species in addition to C. variipennis be considered as potential vectors of hemorrhagic disease viruses to desert bighorn sheep.

Between 1982 and 1986, 402 (290 live, 112 dead) exotic, migrant or native resident birds on Guam were surveyed for disease-causing agents to determine the role of disease in the decline of native forest bird populations on Guam. Traumatic injury, primarily from collisions with motor vehicles and predation, was the most prevalent (46%) cause of death. Thirty-eight percent of the carcasses examined were in poor body condition largely as a result of inadequate nutrition in captive native birds and poultry and adipose exhaustion in errant migrants. A variety of commensal or opportunistic bacteria, including Salmonella spp., were cultured from 220 birds, and nothing remarkable was found in 15 fecal samples. Lastly, no haematozoans, the suspected cause for the decline of the Hawaiian avifauna, were observed in blood slides examined from 260 birds. Based on the results of the survey and other lines of evidence presented in the discussion, we concluded there were no data implicating disease in the decline of Guam's avifauna.

During January to March 1991, 38 mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) found dead from a group of approximately 600 overwintering on the South Saskatchewan River were examined. Thirty birds died from starvation, four had disseminated Staphylococcus aureus infection, and the cause of death of four birds was not determined. All six birds from which the esophagus was examined microscopically, including the four birds with staphylococcosis, had squamous metaplasia of the submucosal glands, a lesion pathognomonic for vitamin A deficiency. Vitamin A deficiency may occur in mallards and other waterfowl that overwinter north of traditional wintering areas and rely on grains deficient in carotenoids.

The island fox is listed as a threatened species in California. A serologic survey of 194 island foxes (Urocyon littoralis) was conducted over the entire range of the species on the Channel Islands (California, USA). Antibody prevalence against canine adenovirus and canine parvovirus reached 97% and 59%, respectively, in some populations sampled. Antibody prevalence of canine herpesvirus, canine coronavirus, leptospirosis and toxoplasmosis were low. Antibodies against canine distemper virus were not detected.

A 1:1 combination by weight of tiletamine hydrochoride and zolazepam hydrochloride was administered to 30 adult Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii) in doses varying from 100 to 300 mg. Full immobilization was achieved in 16 seals, moderate sedation in seven and light sedation in seven. Three animals died; two were fully immobilized and one was moderately sedated prior to death. The drug combination was considered satisfactory, although its usefulness was limited by the lack of chemical antagonists when complications were encountered in immobilized animals.

Forty captive wapiti (Cervus elaphus) and thirty-two bison (Bison bison bison) were tested in April and October 1988, respectively, for their response to the sedative R51163. Treatment animals were injected with either 0.1, 0.2, or 0.3 mg of R51163/kg and then observed for 72 hr. Behavior was significantly altered by the drug. Hyperactive, aggressive, and milling behavior was characteristic of treated wapiti and they were extremely dangerous and reared when hind quarters were touched. Although treated plains bison displayed some milling behavior, they were generally more calm than wapiti. There was a marked difference between sexes in plains bison for all behavioral categories. Male bison were more ataxic, often observed in sternal or lateral recumbency, less conscious, and were slower to respond than females or controls. Respiratory rate increased in treated wapiti and plains bison, and heart rates of treated wapiti increased. Because of the powerful sedative effect on large, male bison, R51163 may be useful for handling unmanageable or dangerous animals and warrants further studies.

In order to study the effect of high population density on the condition, blood characteristics and helminth parasitism of mountain hares (Lepus timidus), 12 specimens were shot in December 1982 and 12 more in February 1983 on the west coast of central Finland (group 1, dense population). In addition 14 hares were shot in December 1982 about 100 km from group 1 (group 2, dense population). Group 3 consists of 15 hares from stable, rather low density populations shot in southern Finland during three previous winters. The hares in group 1 were the lightest, had the least fat and were the most seriously infected with Protostrongylus pulmonalis and Trichostrongylus retortaeformis, while those in group 2 were the heaviest and had the highest Ca, Mg, alkaline phosphatase and creatinine values. The group 3 hares had the most fat. The group 1 animals shot in February 1983 had higher Ca, Mg, triglyceride and cholesterol values than those shot in December 1982. It seems that high population density combined with a lack of suitable food leads to poor condition and high endoparasite abundances. The differences in Ca and Mg are probably due to diet. The higher creatinine values in group 2 and in the hares with little or no T. retortaeformis infection may be due to the greater muscle mass.

Forty-seven bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis nelsoni) were captured within a 3-day period in December, 1989 as part of a California Department of Fish and Game effort to repopulate historic ranges in California. They were captured on the Mojave Desert in the Kelso Mountains near Old Dad Peak, San Bernardino County, California. Venous blood gases measured at the site of capture demonstrated a severe metabolic acidosis (base deficit, 23 mEq/liter), with no evidence of respiratory acidosis. There were moderately elevated plasma epinephrine (1.25 ng/ml), norepinephrine (2.60 ng/ml), and dopamine (114 pg/ml) levels. These data appear to reflect animals that have been moderately stressed. These acid-base-catecholamine values differ from values in resting domestic sheep, and are similar to those reported in greyhounds after brief strenuous exercise.

Homogeneous Silastic^® rods containing ethinylestradiol (EE) (1.5 or 4 g), estradiol-17β (E) (4 g) or progesterone (P) (6 g) were implanted into feral mares (Equus caballus) between 4-and 10-yr-old. Six treatment groups (≥10 mares/group) of non-pregnant mares received 36 g P and 12 g E (P E), 36 g P and 8 g EE (P HEE), 1.5 g EE (LEE), 3 g EE (MEE), 8 g EE (HEE) or control-implanted mares (CI). CI received implants containing no steroid. Two groups of pregnant mares received P HEE or HEE. Stallions were placed with the mares 15 to 26 mo after implanting. Blood was collected biweekly for up to 28 mo after implanting and serum analyzed for P by radioimmunoassay. A single P value ≥2.5 ng/ml indicated ovulation and 2 consecutive values ≥2.5 ng/ml indicated pregnancy. Serum from blood collected before and at 4, 12, 24, 50, 64 and 89 wk after implanting was analyzed for EE concentrations. All animals pregnant at the time of contraceptive placement delivered normal foals. Contraceptive efficacy for groups LEE, MEE, HEE and P HEE were 75, 75, 100, and 100%, respectively after two breeding seasons. Suppression of ovulation appeared to be inversely related to the concentration of EE used in the implant. The percent of animals ovulating after 2 yr of contraception in each group was 100, 100, 88, 62, 20, and 12 for groups CI, P E, LEE, MEE, HEE and P HEE, respectively. The pregnancy rate for the same groups was 100, 78, 25, 25, 0 and 0%, respectively. Contraceptive efficacy was followed for 3 yr in one group, P HEE, and was 88%. Pregnancy rates for groups P E and CI after 3 yr was 78 and 82%, respectively. Our data demonstrate effective contraception of feral mares for up to 36 mo without compromising a pregnancy in effect at the time of implanting. Calculating the decline in EE concentrations to 150% of pre-implantation concentrations, these data suggest an effective contraceptive life of approximately 16, 26, and 48 to 60 mo for LEE, MEE and HEE implants, respectively. Mechanisms that appear to be involved in contraceptive efficacy include preventing ovulation at higher concentrations of steroids and either suppressing ovulation or implantation at lower concentrations of steroid.

Nine fairways of a golf course located in Bellingham, Washington were treated with diazinon AG500 at a target application rate of 2.2 kg active ingredient (AI) per ha. The chemical application with a "boomless" sprayer resulted in a variable distribution of diazinon residues on the turf (associated with a deep thatch layer) that ranged from 1.0 to 6.2 kg Al/ha. The diazinon treated turf was irrigated with 1.3 cm of water immediately following application. The post-irrigation diazinon residue levels ranged from 100 to 333 ppm (x̄ = 209; SD =88; n= 8). These residue levels were higher than expected based on results of turf studies in other regions of the United States. Eighty-five American wigeon (Anas americana) died after grazing on one treated fairway on the day of application following irrigation. The brains of all 85 wigeon were analyzed for acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity. Wigeon that died on the study area (n =85) showed 44% to 87% depression of AChE (x̄ =76%; SD =7.1%) when compared to control wigeon (n = 3; AChE Activity =1.86) AChE levels. Upper GI tract contents of 15 of the 85 dead wigeon contained 0.96 to 18.1 ppm diazinon. Extensive carcass searches revealed no other avian mortality attributable to diazinon toxicity on the treated study area. Although initial post irrigation diazinon residues in grass samples were higher than expected, diazinon levels in grass samples on day seven post-application had declined to an average of 29 ppm. American wigeon appear to be vulnerable to exposure to diazinon. Use restrictions based on migration times of wigeon may be effective in reducing potential exposure to diazinon or to other pesticides used on turf grasses that may be toxic to grazing waterfowl.

A retrospective review was done of traumatic and osseous lesions in 241 wolves (Canis lupus) and 316 coyotes (Canis latrans) necropsied at the University of Saskatchewan between 1971 and 1990. Most lesions were the result of interspecific conflict. The most frequently occurring lesion in wolves was fracture of one or more bones, primarily ribs. Lesions were healed in most cases and appeared to be compatible with injuries caused by prey animals. One wolf, found dead, died as a result of thoracic trauma. Limb and skull fractures were less common. Fractures were uncommon in coyotes. The most frequent injuries in coyotes were related to gunshot wounds. Four coyotes had been killed but not eaten by wolves. One wolf had been killed and another attacked by wolves. Porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum) quills contributed to the death of a wolf and two coyotes. Degenerative joint disease, involving the spinal column and limb joints, was found in a few individuals of both species. A coyote had severe anomalies of the spinal column and a wolf had anomalous external genitalia.

Microflora of the pouch epithelium of 17 female koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) were examined in relation to their current reproductive status and recent reproductive history. No microbial growth was observed in pouch swabs from 13 of 17 (76%) koalas, including four females without young, seven with pouch young and two with back young (i.e. permanently emerged from the pouch). Growth of bacteria or yeasts was observed in pouch swabs from four koalas, each of which had experienced mortality of its pouch young during the current breeding season. Seven species of microorganisms were isolated, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Serratia marcescens and Enterococcus faecalis. Based on the absence of microflora in the majority of females examined, we propose that the pouch epithelium normally provides a hostile environment for microbial colonization.

Borrelia burgdorferi was isolated from a field caught Peromyscus leucopus from central Oklahoma (USA). The strain was identified as B. burgdorferi by reaction with monoclonal antibody H5332 specific for the outer surface protein OspA of B. burgdorferi. This represents the first isolation of B. burgdorferi from a wild mouse outside of the normal range of the known vectors Ixodes dammini and I. pacificus.

A red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) with signs of respiratory distress and diarrhea was captured in the Manchac Wildlife Management Area, Louisiana (USA) and died the following day. At necropsy, the carcass was emaciated and there were splenomegaly, and fibrinous pericarditis, airsacculitis, and perihepatitis. Microscopically, there were fibrinous pericarditis and airsacculitis, myocardial necrosis, necrotizing hepatitis, splenic necrosis with reticuloendothelial cell hyperplasia, interstitial pneumonia and focal pancreatic necrosis. Intracytoplasmic chlamydial inclusion bodies were noticed in macrophages in the fibrinous exudate covering air sac and pericardium, and in spleen, liver, heart, lung, and pancreas. Schizonts compatible with a Sarcocystis sp.-like protozoon were present in the walls of air capillaries in the lung. A Chlamydia sp.-like organism was isolated in embryonating chicken eggs and cell culture and identified as C. psittaci with immunofluorescent staining.

Serum samples and tracheal cultures were collected from eastern wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo sylvestris) trapped for relocation in South Carolina (USA) during 1985 to 1990. Sera were tested for Mycoplasma gallisepticum and M. synoviae by the rapid plate agglutination and hemagglutination inhibition tests and were found to be negative. Tracheal cultures were negative for all pathogenic Mycoplasma spp., including M. gallisepticum, M. synoviae, M. meleagridis, and M. iowae. However, M. gallopavonis was isolated from every group of wild turkeys tested in 1986 to 1990. These data suggest that M. gallopavonis, which is generally considered nonpathogenic, may be a common microorganism in eastern wild turkeys.

Studies of pregnancy and lactation in vampire bats (Desmodus rotundus) in northern Argentina over a 4 yr period showed an inverse relationship between prevalence of pregnancy and lactation, the consequence of birth and onset of lactation, which was correlated with the wet season. The seasonal influx of young susceptibles into the vampire population in the wet season coincided with the well known increase in vampire transmitted rabies in that season.

Lumpy skin disease caused by a capripoxvirus was observed in a captive-bred female Arabian oryx (Oryx leucoryx) at the National Wildlife Research Center, Taif, Saudi Arabia. Clinical signs included severe general depression with fever, anorexia, > 1,000 nodular cutaneous lesions and gradual recovery over 2 mo. The virus was found by electron microscopy and paired sera showed an increasing virus neutralization antibody titer against capripoxvirus. A serologic survey of the herd of 90 oryx showed a low prevalence (2%) of this infection. This report describes the first case of lumpy skin disease in an Arabian oryx.

Over a 4-mo period 23 of 28 white tailed deer kept at a small zoo in New Jersey (USA) died. Clinical signs prior to death were minimal and consisted of depression, central nervous system disorders, and watery diarrhea in a few animals only. Histopathology revealed widespread acute vascular lesions, ranging from modest accumulations of blast like mononuclear cells and edema in the adventitia through to disruption of the tunica media and thrombosis. These vascular lesions were seen in a variety of organs but were most prominent in lung, heart, liver and intestine. Severe vascular changes were associated with necrosis. Lymphoreticular hyperplasia was evident in the lymphoid tissue of all animals.

The feasibility of using dried blood samples for serologic testing of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) for antibodies to blue-tongue virus (BTV) and epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV) was tested with matched samples of serum and eluted dried whole bood. Results from matched serum virus neutralization (SN) tests indicated that a 1-ml elution from a 1- × 2-cm section of filter paper strip containing dried blood approximated a 1:10 serum dilution. Neutralizing antibody titers detected from 34 matched titrations of serum and dried blood samples were equivalent in 25 (74%) titrations and were within a single dilution in the remaining nine (26%) titrations. Eluted blood samples from SN-positive deer, however, did not produce detectable precipitin lines on agar gel immunodiffusion tests for antibodies to either BTV or EHDV. In a trial using serum and dried blood samples from 108 hunter-killed deer from five locations in Georgia (USA), antibody prevalence and serotype distribution results were similar. Use of dried blood samples for serologic testing for antibodies to BTV and EHDV provides a reliable alternative to serum but should be considered only when serum collection is not feasible.

Longissimus dorsi muscles from 42 white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) from Maine (USA) were examined for the Parelaphostrongylus andersoni. No adult nematodes were found. Prevalence based on the Poisson approximation of a binomial distribution could have been between 0 and 9% (95% C.I.). However, based on prevalence documented elsewhere (10 to 18%), it is unlikely that P. andersoni occurs in white-tailed deer in central Maine.

Gastrointestinal helminths of the cetaceans Cephalorhynchus eutropia and Phocoena spinipinnis accidentally entangled in gill-nets off the coast of Queule, Chile, were identified from 1989 to 1990. Pseudoterranova sp., Polymorphus (Polymorphus) cetaceum and Synthesium tursionis occurred in both cetaceans. Additionally, Anisakis sp. and Braunina cordiformis were found in C. eutropia, and Anisakis simplex was identified from P. spinipinnis. The species with the highest prevalence and mean intensity of infection in P. spinipinnis and C. eutropia were P. (P.) cetaceum and B. cordiformis, respectively. The diet of both cetaceans consists mainly of fishes.

Fifty-seven wild boars (Sus scrofa) from protected regions of Iran were examined for helminths. Sixteen species of helminths were collected; there were ten nematodes, one acanthocephalan, two trematodes and three larval cestodes. New host and distribution records were established for all helminths except of Taenia solium cysticerci. Wild boar shared nine of these helminths with domestic pigs, six with ruminants and three with human beings in Iran. Metastrongylus pudendotectus and M. salmi are reported for the first time from Iran.

This paper reports a case of inclusion body hepatitis with intranuclear inclusion bodies in the liver and the intestine of a Yellownaped Amazon parrot (Amazona ochrocephala). Structurally, basophilic intranuclear inclusion bodies were found in hepatic cells and enterocytes. Ultrastructurally, icosahedral adenovirus-like particles, 60–75 nm in diameter, were found in the same cells.

The first case of lymphangiomyomatosis in a marine mammal is reported from a stranded male Atlantic bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). This progressive proliferative disease involved the lungs and the mediastinal and probably mesenteric lymph nodes. An extraordinarily low level of testosterone may have been pathologically significant since all reported cases of this disease in humans occur in females.

Macroscopic cysts measuring ≤860 × 500 μm were found in the testes of a flat backed toad, Bufo maculatus, collected in Cameroon, West Africa. On histologic examination, the cysts contained numerous spores of a Myxobolus sp. (Myxozoa: Myxobolidae). Spores in fixed tissues measured 9.2 μm long, 8.9 μm wide, and 4.0 μm thick; the range of values for length, width, and thickness were 8.8 to 9.6/mi, 8.6 to 9.4 μm, 3.6 to 4.4 μm, respectively (n =20). The shape index (length/width) was 1.03, and ranged from 1.00 to 1.09. Pathology was limited to a slight constriction of adjacent seminiferous tubules by the cysts. No host inflammatory response was noted. This myxozoan is distinct from all other members of the genus infecting anurans and is assigned the name Myxobolus bufonis sp. n.

The horns of a 13-yr-old Dall sheep ram (Ovis dalli dalli) from the Sheep Mountain herd in Kluane National Park (Yukon, Canada) had unique characteristics. The right horn was 1,127 mm long, while the left horn was only 861 mm long and compressed and distorted at its base. The reduced growth of the left horn was due to chronic epidermitis and osteomyelitis of the cornual process, which began when the ram was 5 yr of age.