A 16-year-old female Vietnamese pot-bellied pig was euthanized after a period of inappetence and weight loss. Diffuse cystic endometrial hyperplasia and endometrial adenocarcinoma with metastasis to lymph nodes, liver, and lung were diagnosed. This report follows the recent description of cystic endometrial hyperplasia and uterine leiomyomas in 3 aged female Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs. The findings in this report and previous reports suggest that pigs may develop some similar age-related uterine lesions as do women.

Abstract. Adenovirus infections are documented in at least 12 different species of reptiles. In contrast to their mammalian and avian counterparts reptilian adenoviruses are not well characterized as to their pathogenic potential and their ability to cause primary disease. In the diagnostic setting, fresh tissues are often not available for virus isolation, and the confirmation of reptilian adenovirus infections is dependent largely upon electron microscopy for the identification of intranuclear viral inclusions associated with histopathologic changes. The diagnosis of adenovirus infection in 2 different species of snake was confirmed by the application of DNA in situ hybridization. Using an aviadenovirus specific oligoprobe, adenoviral DNA was observed in the nuclei of hepatocytes, Kupffer cells, endothelial cells, and enterocytes. Electron microscopy of the liver confirmed the presence of intranuclear viral particles morphologically consistent with an adenovirus. DNA in situ hybridization on formalin-fixed tissues can serve as a suitable alternative to electron microscopy in the diagnosis of reptilian adenovirus infections. Both affected snakes had other concurrent diseases, suggesting that the adenovirus may not have been the primary pathogen.Adenoviruses have been reported in at least 12 different species of reptiles of the orders Crocodylia (crocodiles, alligators, caimans) and Squamata, including both the Serpentes (snakes) and Sauria (lizards) suborders. The reptiles in which adenoviruses have been identified include those belonging to zoologic collections and commercial breeders. In these species, adenoviruses have been incriminated as the cause of gastroenteritis, hepatitis, nephritis, pneumonia, and encephalitis. 1,[5][6][7][8][9]11,12,15,16 Adenovirus infection has been reported in reptiles with 5,6,12 and without 5,7-9,15,16 concurrent disease, and in the majority of communications, only individual animals have been affected. 15 Therefore, the pathogenic potential of the adenoviruses and their ability to cause primary disease in reptiles remains uncertain.Confirmation of adenovirus infection in the majority of the cases is based upon morphologic features of the virus or viral inclusions as determined by electron microscopy. In these accounts, tissues suitable for virus isolation were not available. In 3 reports, isolation and propagation of a reptilian adenovirus in cell culture was successful, with a virusinduced cytopathogenic effect. 7,11,15 However, in only 1 investigation were Koch's postulates fulfilled by the reproduction of disease, specifically identifying the isolated adenovirus as the primary etiologic agent of hepatitis and subsequent death in a common boa. 7 In contrast to reptilian adenoviruses, the pathogenesis and disease-causing potential of human adenoviruses and those of mammalian (mastadenovirus) and avian (aviadenovirus) origin are well characterized. In the diagnostic setting, DNA in situ hybridization (ISH) is a useful adjunct to microscopic and ultrastructural identification o...

An adult male Rio Fuerte beaded lizard (Heloderma horridum exasperatum) was examined because of a history of anorexia and lethargy of one week duration. Diagnostic tests included a physical exam, complete blood cell count, plasma biochemistries, whole-body radiographs, and ultrasonography. The physical exam revealed the presence of a large mass in the midcoelomic cavity. Radiographs confirmed the presence of the midcoelomic mass and showed a smaller mass in the right cranial lung field. The ultrasonogram showed a homogeneous mass with soft tissue echogenicity. A fine-needle aspirate was collected, and the cytology results were suggestive of a melanophoroma. Exploratory surgery revealed a large mass (10×6 cm) within the right lung, with extensive adhesions to the caudolateral margin of the right liver lobe. The smaller mass (2×3 cm) was within the cranial aspect of the right lung. A right pulmonectomy and partial hepatectomy were performed to remove the tumors. The animal died 3.5-yr postsurgery, and histopathologic evaluation did not show evidence of melanophoroma in any of the tissues evaluated.

There are some predictable patterns of trauma in captive rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) social groups. Several factors have been documented to contribute to these patterns, including group formation of unrelated animals, and the establishment of dominance ranks. Here, we report on how socially induced trauma in groups of rhesus monkeys is influenced by the breeding season, numbers of matrilines per group and matriline size. We analyzed 3 years of data collected from veterinary admittance logs for four groups in our specific pathogen free (SPF) breeding colony. Since the groups differed in time from formation, both the numbers of matrilines and the composition of those matrilines were different. Across the four groups, trauma rates were significantly higher during the fall breeding season than the spring and summer months when births occur. The group that was formed most recently, comprised of the greatest number of matrilines but fewest related animals, showed significantly higher rates of trauma than the older social groups. Further, the middle and lowest ranking families received signifincantly higher rates of trauma than the highest ranking families, suggesting a rank-related phenomenon. Additionally, there was a significant negative correlation between numbers of adult females in a matriline and rates of trauma observed in each matriline, but the numbers of adult females are significantly higher in the top ranked families compared to all of the other matrilines. These findings suggest that trauma rates increase during the breeding season and may be exacerbated in recently formed breeding groups that have smaller matrilines and reduced opportunities for social support to mitigate rank-related aggression. Management practices should be devised to ensure adequate matrilineal size to decrease rates of trauma in captive rhesus macaque groups.

Because tetanus can cause significant morbidity and mortality in NHP, colonywide vaccination with tetanus toxoid is recommended for outdoor breeding colonies of rhesus macaques, with primary immunizations commonly given to infants at 6 mo of age followed by booster vaccines every 10 y. Maternal antibodies are thought to offer protective immunity to infants younger than 6 mo. However, historical colony data from the Yerkes National Primate Research Center show a higher incidence of tetanus among infants (≤ 6 mo old) born to subordinate dams. Whether this higher incidence of infantile tetanus is due to a higher incidence of trauma among subordinate animals or is a stress-induced impairment of maternal antibody protection is unknown. Studies in other NHP species suggest that chronic exposure to social stressors interferes with the receptor-mediated transplacental transfer of IgG. Therefore, the primary aim of this study was to determine whether chronic stress associated with social subordination impairs prenatal transfer of antitetanus immunity in breeding female rhesus macaques. Subjects included 26 high- and 26 low-ranking adult female rhesus macaques that were nearly 5 or 10 y after their initial immunization and their nonimmunized infants. We hypothesized that infants born to subordinate dams that were nearly 10 y after immunization would have the lowest infant-to-dam antibody ratios and thus would be at greatest risk for infection. Results revealed no significant intergroup differences in infant antitetanus IgG levels. However, infant-to-dam IgG ratios against tetanus were significantly lower among subordinate animals compared with dominant macaques, after accounting for the number of years since the dam's initial vaccination. In addition, higher maternal hair cortisol levels predicted lower infantto-dam tetanus toxoid IgG ratios. Together, these findings suggest that chronic social stress in female rhesus macaques may hamper the prenatal transfer of antitetanus immunity to offspring.