Successful surgical management of a pyothorax in a Guinea baboon (Papio papio).

A 16-year-old male Guinea baboon (Papio papio) was evaluated for weakness and focal wet fur of 1-week duration. A pyothorax caused by Streptococcus anginosus was diagnosed. A surgical approach was chosen, combined with a systemic antibiotic therapy. Medical imaging and C-reactive protein follow-up revealed the resolution of the pyothorax.

Aspergillosis in a colony of Humboldt penguins (Spheniscus humboldti) in a french zoological park: evaluation of environmental exposure.

Aspergillosis is a major health problem in captive penguins due to the inhalation and the development of airborne spores of opportunistic environmental molds of the genus Aspergillus. Diagnosis is often delayed and treatments, based on the use of azole antifungals, are not fully effective. This study assesses the risk of exposure to Aspergillus sp. and determines the environmental reservoirs in the direct environment of a colony of Humboldt penguins (Spheniscus humboldti) in a zoological park in Paris, and the risk of contamination with resistant isolates. Every 15 days between February and May 2022, environmental samples (air and subtract from the nests, pond water, pigeon and penguin droppings) were carried out in the penguin enclosure as well as clinical samples (one-time non-invasive sampling on chicks), and screened for Aspergillus sp. conidia. From 191 environmental samples, 264 strains of Aspergillus including 221 strains of A. fumigatus were isolated, mostly from ambient air, in the nests, and pond water. No "at risk" areas in the penguin environment have been highlighted, nor an increased risk because of the proximity with urban wild birds. However, the load of airborne Aspergillus in the nests increased significantly with outdoor temperature. Of the 221 strains isolated, we identified only one azole-resistant strain, displaying the TR34/L98H mutation in the cyp51A gene. This low prevalence of resistant strains may probably be partly explained by the urban location of the zoological park, surrounded by kilometers of urban areas without agricultural activities.

EFFECTS OF A GNRH VACCINE AND DESLORELIN ACETATE IMPLANTS IN MALE FRESHWATER STINGRAYS (POTAMOTRYGON SP.).

Very little information is available in veterinary literature concerning chemical contraception in elasmobranchs. To decrease breeding and adverse reproductive behaviors, male Potamotrygon sp., housed in two zoologic institutions, were treated using methods used in other elasmobranchs. Four animals received deslorelin acetate implants (Suprelorin 4.7 mg and 9.4 mg), four animals received a gonadotropin-releasing hormone vaccine (Improvac 50-100 µg) twice separated by 1 mon, and two animals were not treated to serve as controls. Health checks, including blood sampling, coelomic ultrasound, and sperm analysis, were performed bimonthly and then monthly over almost 2 yr. Microscopic examination of sperm never revealed any significant change in concentration or motility. Size of testes and seminal vesicles glands did not change significantly after treatment. Plasma testosterone concentrations were stable (∼1 ng/ml) in intact and vaccinated animals throughout the study period. Plasma testosterone level increased significantly after deslorelin implantation and remained very high for at least 13 mon, never returning to initial values. Peak concentration varied according to the deslorelin acetate concentration used. Aggression toward females continued despite the use of contraception. Histopathologic examination on dead stingrays revealed active testicular tissue. These results suggest that deslorelin acetate implants and GnRH vaccine are ineffective at dosages used in our cases. Implants caused a continuous stimulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis that could be harmful for the animals.

New insights in Cercopithecinae spermatozoa.

Sperm morphometric and morphologic data have been shown to represent useful tools for monitoring fertility, improving assisted reproduction techniques and conservation of genetic material as well as detecting inbreeding of endangered primates. We provide here for the first time sperm morphologic and morphometric data from Cercopithecus neglectus, Cercopithecus cephus, Papio papio and critically endangered Cercopithecus roloway, as well as comparative data from other Cercopithecinae species, i.e. Allochrocebus lhoesti, Mandrillus sphinx and Papio anubis. Following collection from the epididymis, spermatozoa were measured for each species for the following parameters: head length, head width, head perimeter, head area, midpiece length and total flagellum length, and the head volume, ellipticity, elongation, roughness and regularity were then calculated. Our data are consistent with both the general morphology and the morphometric proportions of Cercopithecinae sperm. Some specificities were observed, with C. cephus displaying a narrow head (width = 2.76 ± 0.26 µM) and C. roloway displaying a short midpiece (6.65 ± 0.61 µM). This data set represents an important contribution, especially for Cercopithecus roloway, one of the most endangered monkeys in the world, and further data on additional specimens coupled to data on mating systems and reproductive ecology should allow a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying these morphological differences across primate species.