Apparent lack of spill-over of parasites from an invasive anuran: PCR detects in cane toads () but not in sympatric Australian native frogs.

The recent detection of a novel amoebozoan parasite ( sp. CT1) killing invasive cane toads ( in tropical Australia raises concerns of potential spill-over into native anuran populations. Considering the vulnerability of anuran communities globally, sp.

Melioidosis fatalities in captive slender-tailed meerkats (Suricata suricatta): combining epidemiology, pathology and whole-genome sequencing supports variable mechanisms of transmission with one health implications.

Background: Melioidosis is a tropical infectious disease which is being increasingly recognised throughout the globe. Infection occurs in humans and animals, typically through direct exposure to soil or water containing the environmental bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei. Case clusters of melioidosis have been described in humans following severe weather events and in exotic animals imported into melioidosis endemic zones.

A cluster of melioidosis infections in hatchling saltwater crocodiles () resolved using genome-wide comparison of a common north Australian strain of .

is a Gram-negative saprophytic bacillus and the aetiological agent of melioidosis, a disease of public-health importance throughout Southeast Asia and northern Australia. Infection can occur in humans and a wide array of animal species, though zoonotic transmission and case clusters are rare. Despite its highly plastic genome and extensive strain diversity, fine-scale investigations into the population structure of indicate there is limited geographical dispersal amongst sequence types (STs).

Invasive Colonic Entamoebiasis in Wild Cane Toads, Australia.

We detected a disease syndrome in free-ranging Australian cane toads involving atypical behavior and emaciation that is associated with a previously undescribed Entamoeba sp. that infiltrates the colonic lining, causing it to slough. The organism may become seasonally pathogenic when toads are under hydric and nutritional stress.

Impact of poxvirus lesions on saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) skins.

Cutaneous poxvirus infections are common in several crocodilian species and are of importance in crocodile farming due to their potential impact on the tanned hide. To confirm poxvirus infection and understand the impact on saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) skin, fourteen animals from different age groups (five hatchlings, five yearlings and four grow-outs) were selected based on a criterion of ten poxvirus-like lesions per animal. One lesion on each animal was extruded for genetic analysis and transmission electron microscopy.

The Change of a Medically Important Genus: Worldwide Occurrence of Genetically Diverse Novel Brucella Species in Exotic Frogs.

The genus Brucella comprises various species of both veterinary and human medical importance. All species are genetically highly related to each other, sharing intra-species average nucleotide identities (ANI) of > 99%. Infections occur among various warm-blooded animal species, marine mammals, and humans.

Stress in farmed saltwater crocodiles (Crocodylus porosus): no difference between individually- and communally-housed animals.

Minimising stress in farmed crocodiles is not only important for improving animal welfare, but may also improve skin blemish healing and infection resistance, which influence the quality of the final skin product. Forty near-harvest size saltwater crocodiles (1.6-1.

Paramyxoviruses in reptiles: a review.

In 1972, an outbreak of neurorespiratory disease in a Swiss serpentarium formed the basis for the first description of a paramyxovirus isolated from a reptile. In the forty years since this outbreak, there have been over 50 published reports about reptilian paramyxoviruses from all over the world. The majority of these investigations have concerned themselves with ferlaviruses (sometimes previously referred to as ophidian paramyxoviruses, or OPMV).

Sunshine virus in Australian pythons.

Sunshine virus is a recently discovered novel paramyxovirus that is associated with illness in snakes. It does not phylogenetically cluster within either of the two currently accepted paramyxoviral subfamilies. It is therefore only distantly related to the only other known genus of reptilian paramyxoviruses, Ferlavirus, which clusters within the Paramyxovirinae subfamily.

Invasion, stress, and spinal arthritis in cane toads.

The impact of invasive species on biodiversity has attracted considerable study, but impacts of the invasion process on the invaders themselves remain less clear. Invading species encounter conditions different from those in their ancestral habitats and are subject to intense selection for rapid dispersal. The end result may be significant stress on individual organisms, with consequent health problems.