Article
Geology
Tito Aureliano, Carolina S. I. Nascimento, Marcelo A. Fernandes, Fresia Ricardi-Branco, Aline M. Ghilardi
Summary: This research provides detailed histological descriptions of severe bone inflammation and the exceptional preservation of soft-bodied parasitical microorganisms in the vascular canals of a non-avian dinosaur for the first time, bringing new insights to parasitology, pathology, and histology. An old titanosaur from Southeast Brazil in the Upper Cretaceous exhibited acute osteomyelitis, with tens of parasites found in the specimen's vascular canals, indicating a potential association between parasitic infestation and infectious bone disease.
CRETACEOUS RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Parasitology
Donatas Sneideris, Monika Stalpes, Dalius Butkauskas, Petras Prakas
Summary: This study investigated the potential use of restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) as an alternative method for identifying Sarcocystis species in birds. The results suggest that RFLP could be successfully used for identifying closely related avian Sarcocystis species with just two nucleases.
PARASITOLOGY RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Susan Doyle, Margaret Reilly, Theo De Waal, Barry J. McMahon
Summary: This study successfully cultured and isolated T. gallinae from greenfinch, goldfinch, and feral pigeon samples in Ireland. The results showed that avian trichomonosis infection is present among greenfinch and feral pigeon populations, which may contribute to the decline in greenfinch populations. The presence of yeast cells in some positive samples did not impede trichomonad growth, suggesting a potential symbiotic relationship between T. gallinae and yeast species.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE RESEARCH
(2022)
Letter
Veterinary Sciences
Kristina Maier-Sam, Taina Kaiponen, Anna Schmitz, Christoph Schulze, Sabine Bock, Andreas Hlinak, Philipp Olias
Summary: A juvenile Little Owl was diagnosed with granulomatous encephalitis and muscular sarcocysts, with Sarcocystis halieti identified as a potential encephalitis-causing pathogen in birds for the first time through PCR and sequencing.
JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Pathology
Audra L. L. Walsh, H. L. Shivaprasad
Summary: Avian chlamydiosis is a common disease in avian species caused by various species of chlamydiae. It presents with mild clinical signs initially and can progress to severe emaciation, dehydration, and sudden death. Unusual gross, histological, and immunohistochemical findings highlight the importance of thorough diagnostic approach for confirming or excluding chlamydiosis in psittacine birds.
VETERINARY PATHOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Margarida P. Santos, Elda Goncalves-Santos, Reggiani V. Goncalves, Eliziaria C. Santos, Camila C. Campos, Daniel S. S. Bastos, Marcos J. Marques, Raquel L. M. Souza, Romulo D. Novaes
Summary: This study found that doxycycline exacerbates granulomatous inflammation in the lungs of mice infected with Schistosoma mansoni, speeding up lung microstructural remodeling. Compared to untreated and praziquantel-treated mice, doxycycline-treated mice had increased number and size of granulomas, as well as elevated levels of inflammatory mediators and cell recruitment.
INTERNATIONAL IMMUNOPHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Parasitology
Luis Fernando Pita Gondim, Rodrigo Martins Soares, Gaston More, Rogerio Fernando de Jesus, Horwald Alexander Bedoya Llano
Summary: Sarcocystis parasites are obligate heteroxenous cyst-forming coccidia that infect a wide variety of animals, with species shed by South American opossums showing biological and genetic differences from those shed by North American opossums.
REVISTA BRASILEIRA DE PARASITOLOGIA VETERINARIA
(2021)
Article
Pathology
Devinn M. Sinnott, Jennifer Burchell, Carmel Witte, Rachel Burns, Steven Kubiski
Summary: Avian poxvirus infections have two forms: cutaneous pox and diphtheritic pox. Systemic involvement is rare but was found in 22 out of 151 cases in a zoological institution. Systemic cases showed lesions in the liver, spleen, and kidneys, and histopathologic examination confirmed the presence of poxvirus DNA within histiocytes.
VETERINARY PATHOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Parasitology
Umberto Molini, Mari De Villiers, Lourens De Villiers, Elfriede Hoebes, Siegfried Khaiseb, Giovanni Cattoli, William G. Dundon, Giovanni Franzo
Summary: The commercial farming and trading of parrots and ornamental birds as companion animals have significant economic importance. However, our knowledge of the epidemiology of beak and feather disease virus (BFDV) and avian poliomavirus (APV) is limited, particularly in African countries. The study conducted in Namibia revealed multiple introduction events and widespread circulation of BFDV and APV within the country, highlighting the need for additional resources to control their spread in commercial farming facilities, markets, and small-scale traders.
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Livio Galosi, Christian Falcaro, Patrizia Danesi, Claudia Zanardello, Sara Berardi, Lucia Biagini, Anna-Rita Attili, Giacomo Rossi
Summary: A retrospective study conducted in Italy reported four cases of atypical mycosis in parrots, with Mucor racemosus and M. circinelloides identified as the causative agents in lovebirds and A. alternata and Fusicladium spp. in macaws. This study provides new insights into the fungal pathogens affecting parrots.
FRONTIERS IN VETERINARY SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Martin Irestedt, Filip Thoern, Ingo A. Mueller, Knud A. Jonsson, Per G. P. Ericson, Mozes P. K. Blom
Summary: Biological specimens in natural history collections contain valuable genetic information and are increasingly being utilized in genomic research across various fields of natural history.
MOLECULAR ECOLOGY RESOURCES
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Sol Jeong, Nyamsuren Otgontogtokh, Dong-Hun Lee, Bayarmagnai Davganyam, Sun-Hak Lee, Andrew Y. Cho, Erdene-Ochir Tseren-Ochir, Chang-Seon Song
Summary: Highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N6) viruses were found in whooper swans in Mongolia. The spread of these infections in wild birds during fall migration is concerning for potential virus dissemination.
EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Evelina Juozaityte-Ngugu, Saulius Svazas, Donatas Sneideris, Egle Rudaityte-Lukosiene, Dalius Butkauskas, Petras Prakas
Summary: Members of the genus Sarcocystis are protozoan parasites that infect mammals, birds, and reptiles. Sarcocysts form in the muscles and central nervous system of the intermediate host, while oocysts and sporocysts develop in the small intestine of the definitive host. Corvids have been identified as potential definitive hosts for certain Sarcocystis species, with infections detected in a high percentage of examined birds.
Article
Microbiology
Tautvile Sukyte, Dalius Butkauskas, Evelina Juozaityte-Ngugu, Saulius Svazas, Petras Prakas
Summary: The study aimed to identify Sarcocystis species in intestinal scrapings of Northern Goshawks and Eurasian Sparrowhawks in Lithuania. Sarcocystis calchasi, a protozoan parasite causing respiratory and neurological diseases in birds, was detected for the first time in Lithuania. Different Sarcocystis species were identified, and the prevalence and species richness were higher in Northern Goshawks compared to Eurasian Sparrowhawks. This study provides important insights into the distribution and diversity of Sarcocystis species in avian hosts.
Article
Immunology
Eun-Ha Kim, Young-ll Kim, Se Mi Kim, Kwang-Min Yu, Mark Anthony B. Casel, Seung-Gyu Jang, Philippe Noriel Q. Pascua, Richard J. Webby, Young Ki Choi
Summary: This study highlights the ability of wild migratory birds to carry various low-pathogenic avian influenza viruses that can infect land-based poultry and mammalian hosts while causing minimal signs of clinical disease. These viruses pose a significant threat to human health, emphasizing the need for continued surveillance.
EMERGING MICROBES & INFECTIONS
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Pedro Enrique Navas-Suarez, Carlos Sacristan, Danilo Kluyber, Debora Regina Yogui, Amanda Carolina Alves, Gislaine Taimara Dalazen, Josue Diaz-Delgado, Juliana Mariotti Guerra, Natalia Coelho Couto de Azevedo Fernandes, Rodrigo Albergaria Ressio, Tereza Cristina da Silva, Bruno Cogliati, Arnaud Leonard Jean Desbiez, Jose Luiz Catao-Dias
Summary: The number of viral-associated neoplasms reported in wildlife has increased over the past few decades, with one case being a primary gastric T-cell lymphoma in a free-ranging giant armadillo in the Brazilian Pantanal infected by a novel gammaherpesvirus. This study suggests that the herpesvirus may be a plausible cause of the neoplasm in this species, but the implications for the giant armadillo remain uncertain. Further research is needed to assess the real significance of CiHV-1 and its potential oncogenic role in this species.
TRANSBOUNDARY AND EMERGING DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Fisheries
Laura Reisfeld, Natalia C. C. A. Fernandes, Angelica Sarmiento, Paloma Canedo, Fernanda Salvagni, Ana Carolina Ewbank, Tomas Zecchini Barrese, Cesar Cilento Ponce, Rodrigo Albergaria Ressio, Jose Luiz Catao-Dias, Carlos Sacristan
Summary: Histopathological and immunohistochemical methods were used to diagnose round cell tumors in two subantarctic fur seals. One of the seals was infected with otariid gammaherpesvirus 5 (OtHV-5), which was previously found in a stranded subantarctic fur seal in Brazil.
DISEASES OF AQUATIC ORGANISMS
(2022)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Aricia Duarte-Benvenuto, Carlos Sacristan, Laura Reisfeld, Priscilla C. Santos-Costa, Natalia C. C. dA Fernandes, Rodrigo A. Ressio, Daniela M. D. Mello, Cintia Favero, Katia R. Groch, Josue Diaz-Delgado, Jose L. Catao-Dias
Summary: Four species of eared seals have been reported as occasional or frequent vagrants along the coast of Brazil. However, limited information is available on the sanitary aspects of stranded seals in Brazil. An increased number of fur seal strandings were recorded during the 2018 winter season. Pathological examinations revealed various lesions, predominantly hemodynamic disturbances, endoparasitism, and inflammatory disease processes. Molecular analyses detected herpesvirus infections and other parasites in the seals. The most likely causes of stranding and/or death were starvation, aspiration pneumonia, asphyxia, predator attack, and infectious diseases.
JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ana Carolina Ewbank, Danny Fuentes-Castillo, Carlos Sacristan, Brenda Cardoso, Fernanda Esposito, Bruna Fuga, Eduardo Cavalcante de Macedo, Nilton Lincopan, Jose Luiz Catao-Dias
Summary: This study identified the presence of ESBL-EC in wild seabirds at Rocas Atoll, Brazil, with magnificent frigatebirds being the major carriers. The birds may act as a vector for the dissemination of ESBL-EC, posing a potential threat to both bird population and zoonotic transmission.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Alessandra Loureiro Morales dos Santos, Pedro Enrique Navas-Suarez, Juliana Mariotti Guerra, Ticiana Brasil Ervedosa, Luana Rivas, Adriana Joppert, Eduardo Ferreira Machado, Rodrigo Albergaria Ressio, Isis Paixao de Jesus, Julia de Carvalho, Patricia Sayuri Silvestre Matsumoto, Ketlyn Bolsachini Figueiredo, Jose Luiz Catao-Dias, Natalia Coelho Couto de Azevedo Fernandes
Summary: Toxoplasmosis in porcupines is rarely reported, and the understanding of its pathophysiology is limited. This case contributes to the comparative pathology knowledge of Neotropical Rodentia and reports a potential new genotype circulating in South America.
TRANSBOUNDARY AND EMERGING DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Henrique Christino Lial, Pedro Enrique Navas-Suarez, Ana Carolina Ewbank, Helena Exposto Novoselecki, Eduardo Ferreira-Machado, Cinthya dos Santos Cirqueira, Natalia Coelho Couto de Azevedo Fernandes, Fernando Esperon, Jose Luiz Catao-Dias, Carlos Sacristan
Summary: Landscape transformation facilitates the spread of new pathogens between domestic and wild animals. This study investigated adenovirus in free-ranging carnivores from Brazil and found that wild felids in South America can be infected by adenovirus, possibly representing a novel species.
INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Carlos Sacristan, Ana Carolina Ewbank, Angelica Maria Sanchez-Sarmiento, Aricia Duarte-Benvenuto, Joao Carlos Gomes Borges, Vanessa Araujo Rebelo, Josue Diaz-Delgado, Lara Borges Keid, Jose Luiz Catao-Dias
Summary: This study reports a case of erysipelas in an adult common bottlenose dolphin found in northeastern Brazil. The dolphin exhibited disseminated rhomboid cutaneous lesions, and the presence of Erysipelothrix sp. was confirmed through histopathologic and molecular analyses. The case highlights the importance of postmortem examination and PCR in poorly preserved cadavers, providing insights into the epidemiology of cutaneous erysipelas in free-ranging cetaceans.
BRAZILIAN JOURNAL OF MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Ana Carolina Ewbank, Danny Fuentes-Castillo, Carlos Sacristan, Fernanda Esposito, Bruna Fuga, Brenda Cardoso, Silvia Neri Godoy, Roberta Ramblas Zamana, Marco Aurelio Gattamorta, Jose Luiz Catao-Dias, Nilton Lincopan
Summary: This study investigated wild magnificent frigatebirds in the Alcatrazes Archipelago in Brazil and found highly virulent multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli strains in these birds. These strains carried both extended-spectrum-beta-lactamase (ESBL) and plasmid-encoded AmpC (pAmpC), indicating their resistance to multiple antimicrobial agents. The presence of these antibiotic-resistant bacteria suggests potential zoonotic transmission and highlights the importance of monitoring wildlife for pathogens of critical priority.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Lilja Fromme, Debora Regina Yogui, Mario Henrique Alves, Josue Diaz-Delgado, Arnaud Leonard Jean Desbiez, Andre Luis Quagliatto Santos, Juliana Mariotti Guerra, Marion Langeheine, Ursula Siebert, Ralph Brehm, Jose Luiz Catao-Dias, Pedro Enrique Navas-Suarez
Summary: Knowledge of reproductive health in wild southern tamanduas is limited. A case of ovarian filariasis was observed in an adult female tamandua during necropsy. This disease may have an impact on the reproductive success of this species and possibly other xenarthrans. Understanding the basic reproductive health of xenarthran species is crucial for conservation programs.
Article
Parasitology
Ana Carolina Ewbank, Aricia Duarte-Benvenuto, Roberta Zamana-Ramblas, Irene Sacristan, Samira Costa-Silva, Vitor L. Carvalho, Daniela Magalhaes Drummond de Mello, Vera Maria Ferreira da Silva, Jose Luiz Catao-Dias, Carlos Sacristan
Summary: This study detected herpesvirus and adenovirus in blood samples of wild West Indian and Amazonian manatees in Brazil. Herpesvirus DNA was found in one West Indian manatee and four Amazonian manatees, while no adenovirus was detected. This is the first detection of herpesvirus in manatees from South America and the first detection worldwide in West Indian and Amazonian manatees.
Article
Pathology
Pedro E. Navas-Suarez, Josue Diaz-Delgado, Mayara G. Caiaffa, Mauricio C. da Silva, Debora R. Yogui, Mario H. Alves, Julia F. Cereda, Marina P. da Silva, Marta J. Cremer, Fernando Ascensao, Carla A. B. Lorigados, Emilia P. Medici, Arnaud L. J. Desbiez, Jose L. Catao-Dias
Summary: Motor vehicle collisions pose a severe threat to wildlife biodiversity worldwide. A study on neotropical wild mammals in Brazil found that the abdomen/pelvis was the most affected body segment, with bone fractures and visceral organ rupture being the most prevalent pathological findings.
JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE PATHOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Danny Fuentes-Castillo, Daniela Castro-Tardon, Fernanda Esposito, Ingrith Neves, Larissa Rodrigues, Herrison Fontana, Bruna Fuga, Jose L. Catao-Dias, Nilton Lincopan
Summary: A study found ESBL-producing Escherichia coli in wild birds from a remote island in Chilean Patagonia, indicating the potential transhemispheric movement of international clones of critical priority ESBL-producing pathogens. These strains carried a wide range of resistance and virulence genes associated with human and animal infections.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Letter
Immunology
Samira Costa-Silva, Carlos Sacristan, Rodrigo M. Soares, Vitor L. Carvalho, Pedro V. Castilho, Marta J. Cremer, Ana Carolina Ewbank, Aricia Duarte-Benvenuto, Thalita Faita, Pedro E. Navas-Suarez, Jenyffer V. Vieira, Leticia G. Pereira, Carolina F. Alves, Gabriela C. Souza, Giulia G. Lemos, Natalia Silvestre-Perez, Jose L. Catao-Dias, Lara B. Keid
Summary: A pilot whale CeMV strain was discovered in three short-finned pilot whales stranded in Brazil between July and October 2020. This finding confirms the presence of the virus in this cetacean species.
EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Letter
Immunology
Aricia Duarte-Benvenuto, Carlos Sacristan, Ana Carolina Ewbank, Irene Sacristan, Roberta Zamana-Ramblas, Waleska Gravena, Daniela M. D. Mello, Vera M. Ferreira da Silva, Miriam Marmontel, Vitor L. Carvalho, Juliana Marigo, Jose L. Catao-Dias
Summary: A potentially novel hemoplasma species was detected in blood samples from wild river dolphins in the Amazon River Basin, Brazil. Further investigation is needed to determine the pathogenicity and zoonotic potential of the detected hemoplasma.
EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
