Infection and tissue distribution of highly pathogenic avian influenza A type H5N1 (clade 2.3.4.4b) in red fox kits (Vulpes vulpes).

Avian influenza H5N1 is a highly pathogenic virus that primarily affects birds. However, it can also infect other animal species, including mammals. We report the infection of nine juvenile red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) with Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A type H5N1 (Clade 2.3.4.4b) in the spring of 2022 in the central, western, and northern regions of New York, USA. The foxes displayed neurologic signs, and examination of brain and lung tissue revealed lesions, with brain lesions ranging from moderate to severe meningoencephalitis. Analysis of tissue tropism using RT-PCR methods showed a comparatively lower Ct value in the brain, which was confirmed by in situ hybridization targeting Influenza A RNA. The viral RNA labelling was highly clustered and overlapped the brain lesions, observed in neurons, and grey matter. Whole viral genome sequences obtained from the affected foxes were subjected to phylogenetic and mutation analysis to determine influenza A clade, host specificity, and potential occurrence of viral reassortment. Infections in red foxes likely occurred due to preying on infected wild birds and are unlikely due to transmission between foxes or other mammals.

Survival and Release of 5 American Crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos) Naturally Infected With West Nile Virus.

West Nile virus (WNV) has had a significant effect on avian populations in the United States since being first identified in 1999. Avian species in WNV endemic areas do not suffer the same level of mortality that has been reported in birds within the United States since the virus was first identified in North America. Because of their unique susceptibility, American crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos) are often used to monitor the spread and severity of WNV in North America. American crows with WNV infections are received and treated at the Janet L. Swanson Wildlife Hospital (Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA) on a regular basis during the summer and fall and have historically had a 100% mortality rate. This report describes WNV-positive American crows that were treated, recovered from the infection, and were subsequently released. The 5 American crows in this case series were tested, when possible, by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and plaque reduction neutralization on admission and monitored with both PCR and plaque reduction neutralization throughout their rehabilitation process. Four of the 5 birds had a negative PCR test before release, and 1 bird had a "suspect" positive PCR test result before release. One of the crows was confirmed to have survived for at least 2.5 years after release. Viral shedding was documented up to 93 days after initial hospitalization, which is longer than any previous report of WNV shedding in an American crow.

VITAMIN D STATUS OF INDOOR-HOUSED HOFFMANN'S TWO-TOED SLOTHS (CHOLOEPUS HOFFMANNI): A PILOT STUDY.

Disorders of calcium homeostasis have been reported with some frequency in two-toed sloths, yet little investigation has been performed on vitamin D and mineral metabolism in these species. This study evaluates biomarkers involved in vitamin D and calcium metabolism in a group of nine managed Hoffmann's two-toed sloths (Choloepus hoffmanni), correlated with diet analysis. Serum was analyzed for both vitamin D2 and D3 metabolites, minerals (calcium [Ca], phosphorus [P], and magnesium [Mg]), parathyroid hormone (PTH), and ionized calcium (iCa). The diet was analyzed for proximate nutrients, minerals and vitamins D2 and D3, and feed intake was estimated. Average values reported for D3 metabolites, including 25(OH)D3, 1,25(OH)2D3, and 24,25(OH)2D3, were 25.1 ng/ml, 52.23 pg/ml, and 7.65 ng/ml, respectively. Average PTH was 0.22 pmol/L while average iCa was 1.46 mmol/L. Values reported for Ca, P, Mg were within expected ranges. Dietary concentration of D3 was 6.7 ng/g and the average daily intake per sloth was 113.7 IU/kg body weight. No detectable levels of vitamin D2 metabolites 25(OH)D2, 1,25(OH)2D2, or 24,25(OH)2D2 were found in the diet or serum. These data will serve as a starting point for future investigations into the vitamin D metabolism and calcium homeostasis of two-toed sloths to improve the health in managed settings.

Regional alopecia and dermatitis due to Lodderomyces elongisporus in a North American porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum).

BACKGROUND: Lodderomyces elongisporus is a yeast with a worldwide distribution that has been reported as a cause of infection in immunocompromised humans and in a dog that had been quilled by a porcupine. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this report is to describe the clinical presentation, diagnosis and treatment of dermatitis caused by L. elongisporus in a North American porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum). ANIMAL: One wild adult male North American porcupine from New York state, USA. METHODS AND MATERIALS: The porcupine was presented for alopecia and scaling dermatitis over the caudal dorsum. Diagnostic testing included cytological evaluation, trichogram, bacterial and fungal culture, and histopathological examination of skin biopsies. RESULTS: Histopathological findings from skin specimens demonstrated mild eosinophilic perivascular-to-interstitial dermatitis with superficial dermal fibrosis, mild epidermal hyperplasia with moderate-to-marked intracorneal and intrafollicular yeast. Fungal culture with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization confirmed L. elongisporus as the cause of the dermatitis. The porcupine was treated with a six week course of oral itraconazole with clinical resolution. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Infection with L. elongisporus should be included as a differential diagnosis for North American porcupines exhibiting signs of dermatitis including scaling and alopecia. This case report may be relevant for the diagnosis and treatment of porcupines with dermatitis and for animals or humans that have been quilled by a porcupine.

A Novel Exophiala Species Associated With Disseminated Granulomatous Inflammation in a Captive Eastern Hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensis).

The genus Exophiala is composed of ubiquitous, pigmented, saprotrophic fungi and includes both terrestrial and waterborne species. Though Exophiala species are generally considered opportunistic pathogens, exophialosis can be an important cause of morbidity and mortality in aquatic and semi-aquatic species. Over a 6-year period, a captive 32-year-old male eastern hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensis), was treated for recurring, slow growing, ventral midline cutaneous masses. Excisional biopsies were characterized histologically by granulomatous dermatitis with low numbers of intralesional, pigmented fungal conidia and hyphae. Bacterial and fungal cultures of the masses and skin were negative on two separate submissions. Polymerase chain reaction amplification of a short fragment of the fungal 28S large subunit (LSU) ribosomal RNA was positive with 100% nucleotide sequence identity to several species of Exophiala. Following recurrence after successive rounds of antifungal therapy, euthanasia was elected. At necropsy, similar dermal granulomatous inflammation and intralesional pigmented fungal elements as observed in excisional biopsies formed a thick band in the dermis and extended through the coelomic body wall. Visceral dissemination was noted in the lung and kidney. Postmortem DNA sequence analysis of a large portion of the fungal LSU as well as the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) from a portion of frozen affected dermis identified the fungus as a novel species, Exophiala sp. 1 (UTHSCSA R-5437).