[Tumors in wildlife]. / Nádory divoce zijící zvere.

Wild animal tumours have not been much studied yet. Authors found six mostly benign cases in Czech Republic in checking hunts between the years 1988 and 1993: Mature differentiated ovarian teratoma and apocrine skin adenoma in field hare, intraductal mammary papillomatosis in a roe, complex odontoma and pleomorphic mammary carcinoma (single malignancy in the group) in fox. A soft tissue tumour in a fallow-buck's neck could not be histogenetically classified. A high structural equivalence of animal and human tumours allows using ICD-O classification as a whole.

[Extracellular ceroid in the adipose tissue of the field hare (Lepus europaeus Pall.)]. / Extracelulární ceroid v tukové tkáni zajíce polního (Lepus europaeus Pall.).

Routine histology of hares caught for ecological monitoring showed extracellular curvilamellar ceroid in a focal degeneration process of reserve adipose tissue in 19 animals. The defect was localized most frequently in parametrial adipose tissue, in mesovary, close to suprarenals and in spleen hilus. Discussion concerned an analogical process in men and other animal species and a possible role of vitamin E deficiency.

[Detection of aflatoxin B1 in tissues of free-living game animals (Lepus europaeus, Phasianus colchicus, Capreolus capreolus, Anas platyrhynchos)]. / Erkennung von Aflatoxin B1 in den Geweben des freilebenden Wildes (Lepus europaeus, Phasianus colchicus, Capreolus capreolus, Anas platyrhynchos).

This contribution states concentrations of products of toxogenic mould fungus Aspergillus in livers, kidneys and testes of specific game animals. In hares (Lepus europaeus), there was determined an average concentration in livers of 0.407 microgram.kg-1 +/- 0.29, in kidneys 0.658 microgram.kg-1 +/- 0.60, in testes 0.523 microgram.kg-1 +/- 0.27 and in the ovaries 0.207 microgram.kg-1 +/- 0.19. Higher values were found in those animals with silage pits, hayricks and liquid manure pits nearby. In roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), average concentration of Aflatoxin showed the following results:livers--0.696 microgram.kg-1 +/- 0.59, kidneys--0.794 microgram.kg-1 +/- 0.48, testes--0.367 microgram.kg-1 +/- 0.22. The different values found in the organs are likely to be dependent upon the varying resistance of species when digesting, and also upon the wide-spread variance of intaken food. Average concentration of Aflatoxin B1 in pheasants (Phasianus colchicus) were recorded to be in livers 0.329 micrograms.kg-1 +/- 0.38, and in kidneys 0.676 micrograms.kg-1 +/- 0.59. Controlled contents of mycotoxin in livers of mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) was found to be 0.840 micrograms.kg-1, in kidneys 0.594 micrograms.kg-1 +/- 0.85. Animals living in ecologically strained localities showed maximum values of 3.605 micrograms.kg-1 in kidneys and 2.484 micrograms.kg-1 in livers. An alimentary and inhalatory path for mycotoxin or for solely mould fungus into the organism could be found in the rearing of chicken. Detection of Aflatoxin B1 was performed by the means of proved radioimmunological screening method (33) that had been accompanied by routine chromatographic methods.

[Selected biogenic elements in the blood of hares (Lepus europaeus Pall.)]. / Vybrané biogenní prvky v krevní plazme zajecí zvere (Lepus europaeus Pall.)

Blood samples were collected through aortic punctures in hares coming from different agricultural regions. Base biogenic elements (Ca, P, Mg, Na, K, chlorides) were determined in blood plasma not showing haemolysis. The values obtained in hares born and kept in captivity are presented for the purposes of comparison. Changes in element levels are described for different pollution load of ecosystems, from physiological aspects for more advanced stages of gravidity, for a higher lactation number and for young growth. The problems of qualitative fasting of hares can also be documented by mineral contents in blood plasma. The levels of some elements were evaluated for a group of adult male and female hares, and the youngs regardless of their sex until the disappearance of Stroh's outgrowth. The results were processed statistically and are summarized in tables (Tabs. 1-12) and they are compared with available literature.

[Antibodies against Hantaviruses in game and domestic oxen in the Czech Republic]. / Protilátky proti hantavirum u lovné zvere a turu domácího v Ceské republice.

Using the test of indirect immunofluorescence, the authors examined sera of animals for antibodies against the strain CG 18-20 of Hantavirus (identical with strain Puumala) and against the Hantaan strain. As a control and supplement of the examination the authors used cells containing the TBE virus, strain Hypr. In a group of 260 hares (Lepus europaeus) in 3.5% antibodies were present against Hantavirus CG 18-20. Of 41 deer (Capreolus capreolus) they were present in 14.1%. Of 11 fallow-deers none had antibodies against hantaviruses. Among 145 specimens of Bos taurus antibodies were present in two incl. one against the strain Hantaan. The findings are discussed in relation to previous research of natural foci of hantavirus infections and infections with the TBE virus in Bohemia and Moravia. The paper reveals hitherto unknown localities of foci and hitherto not studied participants of the circulation of hantaviruses.

[Occurrence of Borrelia antibodies in field hares (Lepus europaeus)]. / Výskyt borreliových protilátek u zajíce polního (Lepus europaeus).

Using the indirect haemagglutination reaction with an antigenic extract from Borrelia recurrentis, the author assessed in the hare the incidence of Borrelia antibodies, incl. antibodies against Borrelia burgdorferi, the causal agent of Lyme borreliosis, a multisystemic disease with natural foci, a disease transmitted mostly by ticks of the genus Ixodes. Sera of 113 hares from 11 localities in the CSSR examined by this method reacted in 41.6% by titres within the range from 1 : 16 to 1 : 512, only 26.5% sera reacted by titres of 1 : 64 and more. Positive values were recorded throughout the year with a maximum in the summer months, there was no age dependence, the incidence was more frequent in adults than juveniles (28.04% and 22.2% resp.). The mean positivity of the three most frequent localities was 28%, with a variation of +/- 5.3%. Despite the hitherto not proved incidence of Borrelia in positive subjects we may assume, based on crossed reactivity of Borrelia recurrentis and Borrelia burgdorferi and analogously with North American representatives of the hare family, the presence of this infectious agent also in the field hare.