Search Results (14)

A water deer (Hydropotes inermis argyropus) was rescued following a vehicle collision and presented with suspected hip injury. Radiographic examination confirmed coxofemoral luxation, and a femoral head ostectomy (FHO) was performed to restore functional mobility. Postoperatively, the water deer underwent intensive rehabilitation, including controlled movement and physical therapy, to enhance limb function. Following successful recovery, the water deer was equipped with a GPS collar and released into its natural habitat. GPS tracking data were collected to evaluate the water deer’s post-release adaptation and movement patterns. The Minimum Convex Polygon (MCP) method was used to determine the home range, showing an overall home range (MCP 95%) of 8.03 km² and a core habitat (MCP 50%) of 6.967 km². These results indicate a successful post-surgery outcome, with the water deer demonstrating mobility comparable to healthy individuals. This case demonstrates the clinical feasibility of an FHO in managing hip luxation in water deer and underscores the critical role of post-release monitoring in evaluating functional rehabilitation success in wildlife medicine. This study underscores the importance of integrating surgical intervention, structured rehabilitation, and post-release monitoring to ensure the successful reintroduction of injured wildlife. GPS tracking provides valuable insights into long-term adaptation and mobility, contributing to evidence-based conservation medicine. Full article

This study aims to report the dietary and daily management, clinical signs, complementary exams, and pathological findings related to an acute and fatal case of gastric dilatation and volvulus (GDV) in a captive Linnaeus’s two-toed sloth (Choloepus didactylus) in the Amazon Biome. An adult female sloth, rescued after being electrocuted, was housed at the Wildlife Section of the Veterinary Hospital (WSVH) of the Institute of Veterinary Medicine (IVM) at the Universidade Federal do Pará (UFPA). It was fed a diverse diet that included animal protein, fruits, vegetables, and greens, with vitamin and mineral supplementation. After five years, the sloth was found in its enclosure hyporesponsive, dehydrated, hypothermic, and hyperventilating, with an abdominal dilation of firm consistency. During emergency care, the animal died. Fecal samples collected two days before death were positive only for Clostridium perfringens type A. Necropsy findings included dilatation of the squamous gastric compartment due to gas accumulation, with necrotic and hemorrhagic mucosa, a 180–270° volvulus obstructing the gastroesophageal region, and intestinal mucosal hyperemia. Histopathology revealed marked congestion with hemorrhage and gastric mucosal necrosis, along with tertiary lymphoid follicles in the submucosa. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first report of GDV in a sloth in Brazil. Further research is needed to develop appropriate approaches to GDV in captive sloths. Full article

The oral cavity of snakes serves as a habitat for various microorganisms, some of which may include potential zoonotic pathogens posing risks to hosts and causing wound infections in snakebite victims. Clinical studies on snakebite cases in Taiwan have identified specific pathogens, such as Enterococcus faecalis (Gram-positive), Morganella morganii, Aeromonas hydrophila, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Gram-negative). However, the prevalence of these bacteria in the oral cavity of wild snakes remains largely unknown. This study investigated the occurrence of these bacteria in six wild snake species (Naja atra, Bungarus multicinctus, Trimeresurus stejnegeri, Protobothrops mucrosquamatus, Boiga kraepelini, and Elaphe taeniura friesi) from southern Taiwan, along with factors influencing their presence. Oropharyngeal swab samples were collected from a substantial number of wild-caught snakes (n = 1104), followed by DNA extraction, polymerase chain reaction, and gel electrophoresis. The band positions of samples were compared with positive and negative controls to determine the presence of target bacteria in each sample. The overall occurrence rates were 67.4% for E. faecalis, 31.5% for M. morganii, 8.2% for A. hydrophila, and 7.7% for P. aeruginosa. Among snake species, B. kraepelini exhibited dominance in E. faecalis (93.4%), A. hydrophila (17.1%), and P. aeruginosa (14.5%), while male N. atra showed dominance in M. morganii (51.3%). The occurrence of E. faecalis was lowest in winter. The results of multiple logistic regression analyses suggest that factors such as species, sex, temperature, season, and coexisting pathogens may have a significant impact on the occurrence of target bacteria. These findings have implications for wildlife medicine and snakebite management. Full article

Each year in the United States, thousands of sick, injured, or displaced wild animals are presented to individuals or organizations who have either a federal or state permit that allows them to care for these animals with the goal of releasing them back to the wild. The purpose of this review is to demonstrate the complexity of considerations rehabilitators and veterinarians face while trying to optimize the welfare of wild animals in need of care and rehabilitation. The process of rehabilitation is inherently stressful for wildlife. Maintaining an animal’s welfare during the rehabilitation process—from initial contact and tria+ge to the animal’s euthanasia, release, or captive placement—requires deliberate, timely and humane decision making. The welfare of wild animals can be improved by preventing human-related causes of admission, providing resources and support for wildlife rehabilitation (almost all rehabilitation in the United States is privately funded and access to veterinary care is often limited); further developing evidence-based wildlife rehabilitation methods and welfare measures, attracting more veterinary professionals to the field, harmonizing regulatory oversight with standards of care, training, and accountability, and increasing public education. Full article

The role of veterinarians is becoming more significant and necessary to support the welfare and health not only of non-traditional companion animals and wildlife animals, but also of humans and the environment. The importance of the One Health/One World concept and its social impact is increasing significantly, accompanied by the notoriety of new emerging and reemerging zoonoses. This paper aims to review and anchor the main concepts and professional applications of zoological medicine, which has been extensively discussed and adapted in recent decades. In addition, we analyse the main social demands, training, and educational needs and the perception of veterinary professionals relating to this specialised veterinary discipline. Our final goal is to reinforce the use of the term zoological medicine and contribute to highlight the need to foster and underpin specific educational policies and programs on this matter in the veterinary curricula. Zoological medicine should be the appropriate and agreed-upon term in the academic language concerning the veterinary medicine of pets, wild, or zoo species, excluding traditional domestic animals, and integrating the principles of ecology and conservation, applied to both natural and artificial environments. This discipline has suffered an intense evolution covering applications in private clinics, zoos, bioparks, and wildlife. All this implies current and future challenges for the veterinary profession that can only be addressed with greater and better attention from multiple perspectives, especially the education and training of professionals to improve and specialise in their professional scope of services. Full article

Veterinary facility admissions of wild animals are increasing alongside the interest in wildlife diseases. To improve animal welfare, it is therefore important to increase veterinarians’ knowledge of wild animal medicine and to improve the clinical and diagnostic procedures, especially in the case of patients affected by trauma or multiple traumas. Blood analysis can be a quick and minimally invasive way of gathering useful clinical information for adequate treatment and management, and, together with a good clinical examination, to help predict hospitalisation outcomes. Few papers have reported reference ranges for the haematological and biochemical parameters of roe deer. This study evaluates the haematological and biochemical parameters in traumatised roe deer in relation to animal hospitalisation outcomes. The study was carried out on a cohort of 98 roe deer divided into groups according to their age and hospitalisation outcome. For each animal, a panel of haematological and biochemical parameters was performed. Significant differences were found between unweaned (<4 months old) groups in terms of MCV, MCH, CK, creatinine, total bilirubin, direct bilirubin, and indirect bilirubin, and between weaned (>4 months old) groups for total bilirubin. Creatine kinase, creatinine, and bilirubin may be useful indicators to correlate with the severity of trauma and help predict prognosis. Full article

This study's concept was outlined around the principle of conservation medicine in a biodiversity hotspot from the Neotropical realm: the Galapagos Islands. The wildlife balance has been modified by multi-host parasites introduced with some domestic animals (dogs and cats). The endemic and endangered species, the Galapagos sea lion (GSL, Zalophus wollebaeki), has been exposed to pathogens of canine and feline origin that could become a significant conservation problem for this species. One of these potential cases is the filarial heartworm infection, Dirofilaria immitis, which has been reported on other pinnipeds, with fatalities and clinical symptoms. Therefore, this study evaluated the presence of the microfilaria of D. immitis in dogs from Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, San Cristobal Island, where the largest rookery of GSLs lives and where the proximity to domestic dogs is the most intimate compared to other rookeries of the archipelago. Between July and September 2021, 587 blood samples were collected from owned dogs of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno. Overall, 10 dogs (1.7%) were positive for the presence of the microfilaria of D. immitis with a confidence interval of 0.7–2.8%. No other filarial species were identified. Significant differences in prevalence between different dog categories were observed only for the age (p = 0.001). This study represents the first report of D. immitis, the agent of canine heartworm disease, in dogs from San Cristobal Island. Hence, the presence of the microfilaria of D. immitis in the blood of dogs could increase the risk of infection to which the GSL is exposed in the region. Full article

Differences in drug tolerability among vertebrate groups and species can create substantial challenges for wildlife and ex situ conservation programmes. Knowledge of tolerance in the use of new drugs is, therefore, important to avoid severe toxicity in species, which are both commonly admitted in veterinary clinics and are of conservation concern. Antimalarial drugs have been developed for use in human medicine, but treatment with different agents has also long been used in avian medicine, as haemosporidian infections play a major role in many avian species. This study investigates the effects of the application of atovaquone–proguanil (Malarone^®, GlaxoSmithKline) in common buzzards (Buteo buteo). The potential effects of treatment on body condition, growth rate, and chemical blood parameters of nestlings were assessed. All individuals survived the treatment, and no effects on body condition, growth rate, and chemical blood parameters were observed. Our results suggest the tolerability of Malarone^® in common buzzards at a single dose of on average 11 mg/kg body weight. For its safe use, we recommend further studies to determine pharmacokinetics in different avian species as well as to assess the effects of repeated treatment. Full article

Currently, human and veterinary medicine are threatened worldwide by an increasing resistance to carbapenems, particularly present in opportunistic Enterobacterales pathogens (e.g., Klebsiella spp.). However, there is a lack of comprehensive and comparable data on their occurrence in wastewater, as well as on the phenotypic and genotypic characteristics for various countries including Germany. Thus, this study aims to characterize carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella spp. isolated from municipal wastewater treatment plants (mWWTPs) and their receiving water bodies, as well as from wastewater and process waters from poultry and pig slaughterhouses. After isolation using selective media and determination of carbapenem (i.e., ertapenem) resistance using broth microdilution to apply epidemiological breakpoints, the selected isolates (n = 30) were subjected to WGS. The vast majority of the isolates (80.0%) originated from the mWWTPs and their receiving water bodies. In addition to ertapenem, Klebsiella spp. isolates exhibited resistance to meropenem (40.0%) and imipenem (16.7%), as well as to piperacillin-tazobactam (50.0%) and ceftolozan-tazobactam (50.0%). A high diversity of antibiotic-resistance genes (n = 68), in particular those encoding β-lactamases, was revealed. However, with the exception of bla_GES-5-like, no acquired carbapenemase-resistance genes were detected. Virulence factors such as siderophores (e.g., enterobactin) and fimbriae type 1 were present in almost all isolates. A wide genetic diversity was indicated by assigning 66.7% of the isolates to 12 different sequence types (STs), including clinically relevant ones (e.g., ST16, ST252, ST219, ST268, ST307, ST789, ST873, and ST2459). Our study provides information on the occurrence of carbapenem-resistant, ESBL-producing Klebsiella spp., which is of clinical importance in wastewater and surface water in Germany. These findings indicate their possible dissemination in the environment and the potential risk of colonization and/or infection of humans, livestock and wildlife associated with exposure to contaminated water sources. Full article

The involvement of veterinary medicine in wildlife research has played an important role in understanding the health status of various wildlife species. Health status is a very important aspect of species conservation. However, it requires a widely employed knowledge of veterinary clinical pathology, as a diagnostic tool in diagnosing the various disease conditions of wildlife species. Notwithstanding, a gap exists in the literature about the clinical pathology of the false gharial, due to the lack of normal reference values for hematological and serum biochemical analysis. The present study investigated the normal blood profile of 10 healthy false gharials, from two different zoos, and wildlife conservation centers located in three different states of Peninsular Malaysia. Blood samples were collected from the lateral caudal vein and divided into a vacutainer without anticoagulant for biochemical analysis, and a lithium heparin vacutainer (containing sodium heparin) for hematological studies. The results of the study indicated that the false gharial has a smaller erythrocyte dimension compared to other crocodilian species. At the same time the study revealed that the false gharial in a natural captive pond showed more leukocytes than false gharial kept in zoos, hence, habitat and environmental factors significantly affect hematological values. The biochemistry values also showed differences between the false gharial in different environmental conditions. Total protein, albumin (Alb), globulin (Glob), and Alb: Glob ratio were higher in false gharials kept in wildlife conservation centers than in false gharials kept in zoos. The values obtained in this study provide baseline data of hematological and serum biochemical values of the false gharial for future research and routine clinical diagnosis. Full article

The emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance pose a threat to public health globally. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria and genes can disseminate among environments, animals and humans. Therefore, investigation into potential reservoirs of multidrug-resistant bacteria is of great importance to the understanding of putative transmission routes of resistant bacteria and resistance genes. This study aimed to report the occurrence of Escherichia coli harboring the Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase-producing gene (bla_KPC) in Psittaciformes rescued from wildlife trafficking in Paraíba State, Brazil. Cloacal swabs were collected from thirty birds and cultured by conventional microbiology using MacConkey and serum tryptone glucose glycerol (STGG) media supplemented with selective antimicrobials. E. coli isolates (n = 43) were identified by phenotypic tests and confirmed by MALDI-TOF. Antimicrobial susceptibility profiles were determined by means of Kirby–Bauer test. All isolates were further screened for extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) production, and putative genes encoding ESBL were investigated by PCR. Additionally, bla_KPC-harboring strains were genotyped by REP-PCR. A total of 43 E. coli phenotypically resistant isolates were recovered. The highest resistance rate was observed against ciprofloxacin. Among the resistance genes, only bla_KPC was found in seven different birds from three species. According to the genotyping, these seven isolates belonged to four different strains. To date, this is the first report on the occurrence of KPC-E. coli in Psittaciformes rescued from trafficking in Northeastern Brazil. Due to the high clinical importance of KPC-E. coli, our findings suggest that wild animals in captivity at wildlife rescue centers can play a role as reservoirs of bacteria that are resistance to Critically Important antimicrobials in human medicine. Full article

Industrial food animal production uses huge amounts of antibiotics worldwide. Livestock, their excreta used for manure and meat subproducts not intended for human consumption can all play important roles in the transmission of bacterial resistance to wildlife. Vultures and other scavengers can be directly exposed to active antibiotics ingested while feeding on livestock carcasses. This study evaluates whether bacterial resistance in the red kite (Milvus milvus) differs between two wintering areas selected based on patent differences in farming practices—particularly in the industrial production of food animals (primarily swine and poultry) vs. scarce and declining sheep herding. The results support the hypothesis that intensification in food animal production is associated with increased bacterial multidrug resistance in wildlife. Resistance was positively correlated with time elapsed since the beginning of the commercial application of each antibiotic in human and veterinary medicine, with clear differences depending on farming intensification between areas. Monitoring programs are encouraged to use red kites and other avian scavengers as valuable sentinels of contamination by antibiotics and clinically relevant resistant pathogens from livestock operations of variable intensities. Farms authorized for supplementary feeding of threatened scavengers should avoid supplying carcasses with active antibiotic residues to avoid bacterial resistance in scavenger wildlife. Full article

The development of electronic-nose (e-nose) technologies for disease diagnostics was initiated in the biomedical field for detection of biotic (microbial) causes of human diseases during the mid-1980s. The use of e-nose devices for disease-diagnostic applications subsequently was extended to plant and animal hosts through the invention of new gas-sensing instrument types and disease-detection methods with sensor arrays developed and adapted for additional host types and chemical classes of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) closely associated with individual diseases. Considerable progress in animal disease detection using e-noses in combination with metabolomics has been accomplished in the field of veterinary medicine with new important discoveries of biomarker metabolites and aroma profiles for major infectious diseases of livestock, wildlife, and fish from both terrestrial and aquaculture pathology research. Progress in the discovery of new e-nose technologies developed for biomedical applications has exploded with new information and methods for diagnostic sampling and disease detection, identification of key chemical disease biomarkers, improvements in sensor designs, algorithms for discriminant analysis, and greater, more widespread testing of efficacy in clinical trials. This review summarizes progressive advancements in utilizing these specialized gas-sensing devices for numerous diagnostic applications involving noninvasive early detections of plant, animal, and human diseases. Full article

The orthopoxviruses (OPV) comprise several emerging viruses with great importance to human and veterinary medicine, including vaccinia virus (VACV), which causes outbreaks of bovine vaccinia (BV) in South America. Historically, VACV is the most comprehensively studied virus, however, its origin and natural hosts remain unknown. VACV was the primary component of the smallpox vaccine, largely used during the smallpox eradication campaign. After smallpox was declared eradicated, the vaccination that conferred immunity to OPV was discontinued, favoring a new contingent of susceptible individuals to OPV. VACV infections occur naturally after direct contact with infected dairy cattle, in recently vaccinated individuals, or through alternative routes of exposure. In Brazil, VACV outbreaks are frequently reported in rural areas, affecting mainly farm animals and humans. Recent studies have shown the role of wildlife in the VACV transmission chain, exploring the role of wild rodents as reservoirs that facilitate VACV spread throughout rural areas. Furthermore, VACV circulation in urban environments and the significance of this with respect to public health, have also been explored. In this review, we discuss the history, epidemiological, ecological and clinical aspects of natural VACV infections in Brazil, also highlighting alternative routes of VACV transmission, the factors involved in susceptibility to infection, and the natural history of the disease in humans and animals, and the potential for dissemination to urban environments. Full article