Fatal Streptococcus anginosus-associated pneumonia in a captive Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii).

BACKGROUND: Bacterial infections commonly affect the lungs and air sacs of orangutans; culture and identification is rarely performed and may have clinical relevance. METHODS: Necropsy, histopathology and bacterial culture were performend on a captive adult male Sumatran orangutan with chronic air sacculitis. Bacterial speciation was confirmed by sequencing of the 16s-23s ribosomal DNA spacer region. RESULTS: Necropsy revealed severe suppurative pneumonia. Moderate growth of Streptoccocus anginosus was recovered from the lungs. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first report of S. anginosus as a cause of fatal suppurative pneumonia in a non-human primate.

Acute lymphocytic leukemia in a six-month-old western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla).

A 6-mo-old hand-raised male western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia based on complete blood count and bone marrow cytology. Clinical signs of the disease were pyrexia, abdominal distention, splenomegaly, and lethargy. Acute lymphocytic leukemia has rarely been reported in this species, and therapy was based on human oncologic protocols. Remission induction chemotherapy resulted in complete clearing of leukemia cells from the bone marrow. Consolidation and maintenance chemotherapy followed. Therapy was facilitated by the use of an infusion port for i.v. treatments and an indwelling lumbar catheter for intrathecal therapy. Side effects associated with chemotherapy were inappetence, moderate alopecia, pancytopenia resulting in sepsis, and bleeding tendency. In spite of initial success, the leukemia reappeared 120 days into treatment. The gorilla was euthanized 7 days later when respiratory distress developed. Intensive care by the animal staff was a key factor in the treatment of this gorilla.

Seasonal effects on ovarian responsiveness to exogenous gonadotrophins and successful artificial insemination in the snow leopard (Uncia uncia).

Ovaries of the seasonally-breeding snow leopard (Uncia uncia) were examined to determine whether they were responsive to exogenous gonadotrophins throughout the year. The potential of laparoscopic artificial insemination (AI) also was assessed for producing offspring. During the non-breeding, pre-breeding, breeding and post-breeding seasons, females (n = 20) were treated with a standardized, dual-hormone regimen given intramuscularly (600 I.U. of equine chorionic gonadotrophin followed 80-84 h later with 300 I.U. of human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG)). Laparoscopy was performed 45-50 h after administration of hCG, and all ovarian structures were described. Females with fresh corpora lutea (CL) were inseminated, and anovulatory females were subjected to follicular aspiration to examine oocyte quality. Snow leopards responded to exogenous gonadotrophins throughout the year. Mean number of total ovarian structures (distinct follicles mature in appearance plus CL) did not differ (P > or = 0.05) with season, but the proportion of CL: total ovarian structures was greater (P < 0.01) for the breeding season compared with all other seasons. The proportion of females ovulating was greater (P < 0.05) during the breeding and post-breeding seasons than during the pre-breeding and non-breeding seasons respectively. No Grade-1 quality oocytes were recovered from follicles of anovulatory females. Serum concentrations of oestradiol-17 beta appeared elevated in all females, and neither oestradiol-17 beta concentrations nor progesterone concentrations differed (P > or = 0.05) among seasons. Of 15 females artificially inseminated, the only one that was inseminated in the non-breeding season became pregnant and delivered a single cub. This is the first successful pregnancy resulting from AI in this endangered species.

Serum lipoprotein, thyroid hormone and resting cortisol levels in normal cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus).

Blood obtained from 20 cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) during annual physical examinations was analyzed for serum lipid concentration, for lipoprotein distribution by agarose gel electrophoresis, and for thyroid hormone and resting cortisol levels by solid-phase radioimmunoassay to develop normal reference ranges.

Hyperlipidemia in four related male cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus).

Hyperlipidemia was identified in an 11-yr-old male cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) and three related 3-yr-old male cheetah littermates. Hyperlipidemia in these four cheetahs was characterized by hypertriglyceridemia and hypercholesterolemia. The mean percentages of chylomicron and beta-lipoproteins were greater (P < 0.05) and the mean percent of alpha-lipoproteins was lower (P < 0.05) than the respective means for a group of 20 nonhyperlipidemic and clinically normal cheetahs. The etiology of the hyperlipidemia in these four cheetahs was not determined. However, the older cheetah also had chronic renal insufficiency and a parathyroid adenoma, conditions that have been associated with hyperlipidemia.

Effects of Pasteurella haemolytica leukotoxin on neutrophils from white-tailed deer and several exotic ruminant species.

Pasteurella haemolytica leukotoxin is a pore-forming cytolysin which acts as a virulence factor in pasteurellosis of domestic ruminants. Leukocytes from cattle, sheep and goats are susceptible to leukotoxin-induced lysis; however, leukocytes from non-ruminant species so far tested are resistant to leukotoxin-induced lysis. Neutrophils obtained from three white-tailed deer, four Saiga antelope, an Addra gazelle, a Grant's gazelle and a Sable antelope were tested for susceptibility to the lytic effects of P. haemolytica leukotoxin using lactate dehydrogenase release. Results were compared to those obtained using neutrophils from a steer and cultured bovine lymphoma cells. Neutrophils obtained from all these ruminants, except the Addra gazelle, were susceptible to P. haemolytica leukotoxin. Individual variation among the Saiga and the deer did not appear to be due to the percentages of neutrophils or the percentage of contaminating erythrocytes in the cell preparations.