Pigeons (Columba livia) infected with pigeon circovirus (PiCV) have been reported worldwide. The present study diagnosed PiCV infection in tissue samples of disqualified racing pigeons in Taiwan, using molecular and microscopy diagnostics. Among the 164 dead pigeons examined, 96.95% (159/164) tested positive for PiCV. Severe histopathological lesions, with characteristic inclusions, were observed in various organs of the PiCV-infected pigeons. Multiglobular basophilic intranuclear and intracytoplasmic inclusion bodies were found in the bursa of Fabricius and non-lymphoid tissues. The present study identified, for the first time, the presence of inclusion bodies in the thyroid gland, oesophagus, gizzard, and in the third eyelid of circovirus-infected pigeons. The presence of inclusion bodies in the third eyelid and mucosa of the gizzard was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy. A high detection rate of PiCV and some severe lesions evident in disqualified racing pigeons, as well as PiCV sequences in this study were highly similar with those detected in European countries suggesting an epidemiological association possibly due to imported pigeons.
Formosan pangolin, a sub-species of Chinese pangolin is a critically endangered insectivorous mammal found only in Taiwan. Pathological studies are helpful in the diagnosis and investigation of wildlife diseases. Pathological findings in pangolins have not been well documented. The present paper reports the pathological findings of 14 free-ranging Formosan pangolins. External injuries and superficial wounds (6/14) were common finding in gross examination and were mostly found in the legs. Respiratory system (78%, 11/14) lesions included interstitial pneumonia, atelectasis and emphysema. Hepatic changes (43%, 6/14) included necrosis, bile duct hyperplasia, lipidosis and extensive hepatocyte degeneration. Parasites were detected in 57% of pangolins (8/14) studied and included both endoparasites and ectoparasites. Urinary system (21%, 3/14) lesions were interstitial nephritis and nephrolithiasis. Brain lesions were found in three pangolins and included cerebral edema and hemorrhage and ventriculitis. Additional pathological lesions included thyroid gland hyperplasia and left ventricular hypertrophy. The presented pathological findings can aid in the understanding of diseases of pangolins and will contribute knowledge to future investigations on diseases of pangolins.
A total of 166 psittacines belonging to 22 species were received by the Animal Hospital of National Pingtung University of Science & Technology (NPUST) from 2013 to 2015. Only eclectus parrots (Eclectus roratus) were identified as hosts for microfilariae. All eclectus parrots were adult birds and had been kept in Taiwan for more than three years. The relevance of filariae to eclectus parrots is evident as indicated by the 35.7% (5/14) infection rate. At necropsy, adult filarial nematodes 57-75 mm in length and 0.4-0.7 mm in width were found in the hepatic veins. The microfilariae were 170-230 μm in length. Histopathological examination confirmed that eggs and larvae were observed in the ovaries and uteri of female filariae. These nematodes were closely related to an unidentified Filaria sp. (KJ612514.1) as indicated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis and phylogenetic analysis of nucleotide sequences from 18S ribosomal DNA gene (18S rDNA), mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COX1) gene, and internal transcribed spacers 1-5.8S ribosomal DNA gene (ITS 1-5.8S rDNA). However, structurally the filarial nematodes were similar to that of the Pelecitus sp. Eclectus parrot species are important pet birds and are highly traded, resulting in high uncertainty of the origin of the parasite infection. This study is the first of its kind to report the presence and potential impact of filarial nematode infection on eclectus parrots, suggesting parasite inspection prior to the international trade of these pet birds.
We documented a case of a free-living Formosan sambar deer (Rusa unicolor swinhoei) infected with a newly discovered ruminant Rhadinovirus (RuRv). Non-purulent encephalitis was the primary histological lesion of the sambar deer. We conducted nested PCR to screen for herpesvirus using generic primers targeting the DNA polymerase gene. In addition, we found that DNA polymerase gene of the sambar deer RuRv was present in the macrophage distributed in the Virchow Robin space with histopathologic lesions by chromogenic in-situ hybridization (CISH). The phylogenetic analysis indicated a high similarity between the viral sequence isolated from fallow deer and our case. This result suggests the possibility of cross-species transmission from other exotic Cervidae reservoir to the Formosan sambar deer.
The feedback strategy, or controlled exposure of pig herd to the porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), significantly decreased losses during a severe outbreak in late 2013 in Taiwan. However, some pig farms still suffered from recurrent outbreaks. To evaluate the association between antibody titers and clinical manifestations, sera and colostra were analyzed from one pig farm that employed the feedback strategy. Furthermore, spike (S) gene full sequences from six positive samples of two farms with and without using feedback were compared to investigate the evolution of PEDV variants circulating in pig herds. The results in this study showed that high PEDV antibody titers do not correlate with the high rate of protection from PEDV infection. In addition, repeated feedback generated the emergence of PEDV variants with unique substitutions of N537S and Y561H in the COE domain and S769F in the SS6 epitopes. These mutations indicated the pathogenetic evolution of PEDV strains existing in the cycle of the feedback method. A very strict biosecurity practice to block the routes of pathogen transfer should be followed to achieve successful control of PEDV infections in pig herds.
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