ABSTRACT
The rowi is a critically endangered species of kiwi. Young birds on a crèche island showed loss of feathers from the ventral abdomen and a scurfy dermatitis of the abdominal skin and vent margin. Histology of skin biopsies identified cutaneous larval migrans, which was shown by molecular sequencing to be possibly from a species of Trichostrongylus as a cause of ventral dermatitis and occasional ulcerative vent dermatitis. The predisposing factors that led to this disease are suspected to be the novel exposure of the rowi to parasites from seabirds or marine mammals due to the island crèche and the limited management of roost boxes. This is the first instance of cutaneous larval migrans to be recorded in birds. Severe and fatal complications of the investigation resulted in the death of eight birds of aspergillosis and pulmonary complications associated with the use of bark as a substrate in hospital. Another bird died of renal failure during the period of hospitalisation despite oral and intravenous fluid therapy. The initiating cause of the renal failure was not determined. These complications have the potential to undermine the working relationship between wildlife veterinarians and conservation managers. This case highlights that intensive conservation management can result in increased opportunities for novel routes of cross-species pathogen transmission.
ABSTRACT
The variation in the thermic effect of a meal (TEM) was investigated in two groups of five subjects following a standard test meal. Results demonstrated a 50% lower response over 6 h, in the same subjects, when measured intermittently (protocol 2) as compared with a continuous measurement (protocol 1). The variation in TEM among occasions (measured on three occasions in each subject) was large (coefficient of variation (CV) 18.7%, P less than 0.02). However, the post-meal total energy output (CV 1.4%, P greater than 0.05), non-protein respiratory quotient (CV 1.9%, P greater than 0.05) and substrate oxidation rate were not different (P greater than 0.05) in the same individual on separate occasions. Small variations in the basal metabolic rate (BMR) from occasion to occasion (CV 2.6%) contributed to the variation in TEM. However, after allowing for the changes in BMR, variation in TEM (CV 8.6%, P greater than 0.05) was still sizeable though not statistically significant.
