First report of Toxocara vitulorum infection in a dairy calf in Tennessee.

The ascarid nematode, Toxocara vitulorum, is a destructive parasite of ruminants with a world-wide distribution that causes mortality in calves, especially those with poor nutrition. Reports of T. vitulorum are scarce in the continental U.

Comparative genomics of the sexually transmitted parasite reveals relaxed and convergent evolution and genes involved in spillover from birds to humans.

is the causative agent of the venereal disease trichomoniasis which infects men and women globally and is associated with serious outcomes during pregnancy and cancers of the human reproductive tract. Trichomonads parasitize a range of hosts in addition to humans including birds, livestock, and domesticated animals. Recent genetic analysis of trichomonads recovered from columbid birds has provided evidence that these parasite species undergo frequent host-switching, and that a current epoch spillover event from columbids likely gave rise to in humans.

Metabolic Profile of in Dwyer's Media with and Without Rice Starch.

Background And Objectives: , the causative agent of histomonosis (i.e., blackhead disease), threatens the poultry industry with serious economic losses due to its high mortality and morbidity in turkey and chicken flocks.

Survey for spp. in wildlife in the eastern United States.

is a diverse genus of piroplasms that parasitize the red blood cells of a wide variety of mammals and avian species, including humans. There is a lack of knowledge on the species of carnivores and mesomammals in the eastern United States and the potential impacts of these species on the health of humans and domestic animals. We surveyed 786 wild mammals in the eastern United States by testing blood, spleen, and heart samples with PCR targeting the 18S rRNA region of apicomplexan parasites.

WITHDRAWN: First report of Toxocara vitulorum infection in a dairy calf in Tennessee.

This article has been withdrawn: please see Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal (https://www.elsevier.com/about/policies/article-withdrawal).

RAPID POINT-OF-CARE TESTING FOR DETECTION OF ANTIBODIES TO TOXOPLASMA GONDII IN BLACK VULTURES AND RING-BILLED GULLS FROM PENNSYLVANIA.

Toxoplasma gondii is a zoonotic protozoan parasite that infects most warm-blooded animals, including birds. Scavenging birds are epidemiologically important hosts because they can serve as indicators of environmental T. gondii levels.

A Whole Genome Assembly and Annotation of .

causes ungulate morbidity and mortality in eastern and central North America, but no reference genome sequence exists to facilitate research. Here, we present a genome assembly and annotation, generated with PacBio and Illumina technologies. The assembly is 491 Mbp, with 7285 scaffolds and 185 kb N50.

Toxoplasma gondii Survey in Waterfowl and Gulls from Eight USA States.

Sera from 391 waterbirds from eight USA states were tested for Toxoplasma gondii antibodies using the modified agglutination test. Fifteen different waterbird species (26.6%; n=104) were seropositive.

Isolation of Toxoplasma gondii in cell culture: an alternative to bioassay.

Toxoplasma gondii is an apicomplexan protozoan parasite that can infect mammals and birds. The infection can cause acute toxoplasmosis and death in susceptible hosts. Bioassay using cats and mice has been the standard for the isolation of T.

Hepatozoon spp. infection in wild canids in the eastern United States.

Background: Hepatozoon spp. are apicomplexan parasites known to cause musculoskeletal disease in a variety of animals. Two species are known to infect wild and domestic canids in the US: Hepatozoon canis and H.

Persistent Trichomonas vaginalis infections and the pseudocyst form.

Recent studies have proposed that Trichomonas vaginalis, the causative agent of trichomoniasis [the most common nonviral sexually transmitted infection (STI) in humans] can establish persistent infections in the vagina. T. vaginalis infections are often asymptomatic but can have adverse consequences such as increased risk of HIV-1 infection and cervical cancer.

Novel methods of immunogenic antigen selection for serological diagnosis of Parelaphostrongylus tenuis infection.

This paper outlines methods used to identify novel antigens for use in the development of serological assays. Specifically, we applied these methods to a neurogenic parasitic nematode of cervids called Parelaphostrongylus tenuis. This parasite is of particular concern in both wild and domestic ungulates as it causes significant neurological signs and definitive diagnosis is only possible post-mortem, necessitating the development of serologic assays for antemortem diagnosis.

USE OF A POINT OF CARE TEST TO DETERMINE THE PREVALENCE OF ANTIBODIES TO TOXOPLASMA GONDII IN BLACK BEARS FROM NORTH CAROLINA AND PENNSYLVANIA.

Toxoplasma gondii is an important protozoan parasite of humans and animals throughout the world. Black bears are among the animals with the highest seroprevalence of T. gondii in the United States.

MORTALITY, SURVIVAL, AND SEROLOGIC RESULTS FOR ELK (CERVUS CANADENSIS) IN THE CUMBERLAND MOUNTAINS OF TENNESSEE, USA.

Comprehensive disease surveillance has not been conducted in elk (Cervus canadensis) in Tennessee, US, since their reintroduction to the state 20 yr ago. We identified causes of death, estimated annual survival, and identified pathogens of concern in elk at the North Cumberland Wildlife Management Area (NCWMA), Tennessee, US. In 2019 and 2020, we captured 29 elk (21 females, eight males) using chemical immobilization and fitted individuals with GPS collars with mortality sensors.

Coccidiosis in Wild Eastern Newts (Notophthalmus viridescens): An Unexpected Finding in Consecutive Mortality Events in Tennessee, USA.

Wildlife diseases are a major threat for species conservation, and there is a growing need to implement more comprehensive disease response programs to better identify these diseases of concern. During March 2017, we observed moribund and dead eastern newts, Notophthalmus viridescens, in a single pond in middle Tennessee. All moribund individuals were emaciated.

Parasite Prevalence in Feral Swine (Sus scrofa) from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, USA.

Feral swine (Sus scrofa) are an introduced species to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP), US, and serve as carriers of several diseases that are considered a threat to other wildlife, domestic animals, and humans. During 2013 and 2015, fecal samples from 67 feral swine from the GSMNP within both Tennessee and North Carolina, US, were opportunistically collected as part of a feral swine removal program and submitted to the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine, Knoxville, Tennessee, for parasite screening by centrifugal sugar flotation. Ten taxa from the phyla Acanthocephala, Apicomplexa, and Nematoda were identified: Ascaris spp.

Case report: Halicephalobus gingivalis in a Tennessee pony.

A 17-year-old female grade pony presented to University of Tennessee Veterinary Medical Center in May of 2021 for evaluation of multifocal, firm, sessile, circular lesions of various diameters on the ventrum and flank. The lesions had been present for two weeks at presentation. An excisional biopsy found numerous adult and larval rhabditid nematodes most consistent with Halicephalobus gingivalis.

EVALUATING THE EFFICACY OF NONINVASIVE FECAL SAMPLING FOR PREGNANCY DETECTION IN ELK (CERVUS CANADENSIS).

Elk (Cervus canadensis) were reintroduced to Tennessee, USA in the early 2000s, with limited reproductive monitoring since initial release. We assessed the efficacy of noninvasive sampling for determining pregnancy using invasive (capture) and noninvasive (fecal collection in the field) techniques at the North Cumberland Wildlife Management Area (NCWMA), Tennessee. We captured 20 female elk 2019-2020, used pregnancy-specific protein B (PSPB) in blood to determine pregnancy and compared results to fecal progesterone metabolite (FPM) concentrations using two commercially available enzyme immunoassay (EIA) kits.

Prevalence and Molecular Analysis of Hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis) Trypanosomes in Tennessee.

Populations of eastern hellbenders (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensis) have been declining for multiple decades because of a variety of stressors associated with anthropogenic habitat disturbance followed by riparian sedimentation. The influence of parasite-associated morbidity and mortality on wild hellbender populations is poorly understood. Research has detected widespread trypanosome infection in hellbenders in Virginia, US, with no other reported detections within the eastern hellbender's extensive range.

MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY OF FREE-RANGING AMERICAN BLACK BEARS (URSUS AMERICANUS) UNDERGOING REHABILITATION IN EASTERN TENNESSEE, USA, 1996-2021.

Free-ranging American black bears (Ursus americanus) often share habitat with humans and domestic animals, predisposing them to anthropogenic conflicts. Rehabilitation under professional care is a management option for orphaned, injured, and/or ill bears. Across several southeastern states, rescued bears are assessed and treated at the University of Tennessee and rehabilitated at Appalachian Bear Rescue (ABR).