Yersinia pseudotuberculosis serotype O:1 infection in a captive Seba's short tailed-fruit bat (Carollia perspicillata) colony in Switzerland.

BACKGROUND: Between February and April 2016, a slight increase in mortality was observed in a colony consisting of 400 captive Seba's short-tailed bats (Carollia perspicillata). These animals cohabited with other nocturnal animal species in a dome of a private zoo in Switzerland. RESULTS: Gross and histological analysis of two (14.3%) out of the 13 animals submitted for necropsy within this period revealed a necrosuppurative pneumonia, hepatitis, splenitis, enterocolitis, and endometritis, with abundant intralesional colonies of Gram-negative rods. Yersinia (Y.) pseudotuberculosis serotype O:1 and biotype 1 belonging to the sequence type ST90 was isolated from the affected organs in both animals. Following this diagnosis, » of the colony (99 animals) was culled and submitted for gross and histopathological analysis, and a bacterial culture selective for Yersinia spp. of lung, liver, and spleen was performed. From these 99 animals, one gravid female was tested and found to be positive for Y. pseudotuberculosis in the absence of clinical symptoms and histopathological lesions. PCR analysis of altogether three bacterial isolates for virulence factors revealed the presence of the ail gene, and one isolate was also positive for the virF and yadA plasmid genes. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that Carollia perspicillata are susceptible to lethal yersiniosis but do not represent a regular reservoir for Y. pseudotuberculosis. Culling of » of the population was sufficient to limit the spread of this infection among the colony. Moreover, no infections were detected in cohabitant nocturnal animals and caretakers, indicating that the zoonotic risk in this case was low.

Congenital Cutaneous Panadnexal Papillomatous Hamartomas in a Calf.

Several cauliflower-like alopecic masses arose on the head of an otherwise healthy, full-term newborn Jersey × Belgian blue heifer, which was humanely destroyed shortly after birth due to the severity of the skin lesions. Microscopically, the masses were composed of multiple papillary projections displaying well-differentiated sebaceous glands surrounded by a moderate number of well-developed sweat glands, as well as embryonic and fully developed, but dysplastic hair follicles. Thick branching connective tissue stalks supported these adnexal components. The papillated surface, the predominance of sebaceous glands, the presence of embryonic hair follicles and the well-differentiated sweat glands were compatible with nevus sebaceous, a rare form of cutaneous hamartoma described in man, dogs, cats and cattle. However, the cauliflower-like growth pattern, the presence of supportive thick branching connective tissue stalks and the relative abundance of dysplastic hair follicles in association with nevus sebaceous has not been described in the human or veterinary literature. A diagnosis of panadnexal papillomatous hamartoma was made in this case.