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Abstract. An outbrea k of vo m iting in a gro up of captive chee tahs (Acinonyx j ubat us) was inves tigated , and histologic examinati on revea led chro nic gastritis characterized by infiltration o f lymphocytes and nume rous pla sma cells and epithel ial erosio ns. Lymphoid follicles, globule leu kocytes, scatte red neutrophi ls, and (in on e ani ma l) abscessed gastric glands were incon sistent finding s. In addi tio n, necrop sy of three cheetahs revea led gastric mu cosal hyperplasia. T wo kinds of bacteria were identified in th e sto mac hs of infected cheetahs. Numerou s long, tightl y coi led motile Gastrospi rillum -like organis ms were seen in gastric mu cu s and in WarthinStarry-stai ned sections of m ucosa . T hese bacteria could not be cultured but were transmi tted to conventional mice in hom ogenates of gastric m ucosa from infected cheetahs. Ultrastructural exami natio n revea led helical filam ents on some of these bacteria. In add itio n, a sma ller Helicobacter sp. was isolated . Th is organism co uld be cultured in vitro und er m icroaeroph ilic co ndi tio ns. O ne or both of th ese bacterial species was proba bly respon sible for th e gastritis in these cheetahs.Key words: Bacteria; cheeta hs; gastritis; Gastrospirillum; Helicobacter pylori.In 1983 , a ba ct eri al organism now known as H elicobacter py lori was first isolated fro m th e sto machs of human pati ents with gastritis." This organism has since be en shown to be a co m m o n cause of gastritis and ha s be en associated with peptic ulcer di sease, gastric ca rcin oma , and a number o f othe r co nd it io ns .'>' Because of its association with peptic ulcer d isease, H. pylori has ev o ked a great deal of interest and stud y. Clinical trials have shown tha t erad icatio n of infection is asso ciated with healing of ulcers and that tr eatment for ulcers is in effecti ve in th e absen ce of bacterial era d ication ," suggesting that H. pylori is a n important fac to r in th e pathogenesis of human peptic ulc er di sea se.' > In addition to H. pylori, other gas tric bact eria ha ve been described in human beings.v-' but th ey are unco m mon and ha ve not been cult ured in vitro and thus cannot be taxonom icall y defin ed. They are m ost o fte n referred to as Gastrospirillum hominis or Gastrospir illum-like ba cteria (GLO). Like H. pylori, they may be as sociated with gastritis.s-" Bact eri a l ga stritis is po orl y docum ented in an imals. R ecent rep orts, however , suggest that gastri c ba ct eri a are relati vely co m m on and that gast ritis ca used by th ese ba cteria ma y ha ve been co m m o nly overloo ked in th e past. 12H. pylori-like o rganis ms ha ve been isolat ed fro m ferrets with gastritis a nd gastric ulce rsv -? and from macaques' a nd pigs" with gastritis. These ba ct eria are probably widespread in a nima ls, but their incidence and associa tio n with di sea se ha ve recei ved little a tte ntion. Althou gh th ey ha ve been incon sist entl y associat ed with hi stologic ga stritis, th ey have not previ ou sly been...

Transmural lymphocytic enteritis was diagnosed in thirteen Nashville warblers (Vermivora ruficapilla) during an epornitic with high mortality. In the intestinal lesions, asexual stages of coccidia were present within lymphocytes and asexual and sexual stages of coccidia were present within intestinal villar epithelium. Ultrastructurally, the infiltrating lymphocytes resembled granular ("intraepithelial") lymphocytes, a cell known to be important in the life cycle of some avian coccidia. Gross and histopathologic features of this enteritis resemble intestinal changes described for Isospora/Atoxoplasma spp. in other passeriformes and lymphoproliferative disease in gold-finches.

Abstract. Liver tissues from 126 captive cheetah were evaluated by light microscopy and histochemistry; eight animals were evaluated by electron microscopy. The main hepatic lesion, a vascular lesion resembling veno-occlusive disease (VOD) of the liver and characterized by subendothelial fibrosis and proliferation of smooth muscle-like cells in the central veins, was seen in 60% of the sexually mature cheetah. Although this hepatic vascular lesion was seen in cheetah as young as 1 year of age, the most severe lesions, usually associated with liver failure, were found in cheetah between the ages of 6 and 11. There was no sex predisposition, and in approximately 40% of the VOD cases, liver disease was not suspected clinically or at necropsy. VOD was found in other felidae, especially in the snow leopard. High levels of vitamin A in livers, as well as in diets of the cheetah, could be a contributing factor in the development of VOD in some groups of cheetah.

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