Vasculitis Associated with Parrot Bornavirus 4 Infection in a Rose-Crowned Parakeet (Pyrrhurarhodocephala).

A 3-month-old, female rose-crowned parakeet (Pyrrhura rhodocephala) was found dead after a 24-h course of lethargy and passing blood-tinged faeces. Fine white streaks were seen in the pectoral muscles on necropsy. Microscopic examination revealed typical lesions of avian ganglioneuritis and vascular necrosis in the pectoral muscles, myocardium, kidneys, air sacs, adrenal glands, pancreas and thyroid gland.

Intestinal-peritoneal Coelioscopy for the Diagnosis of a Mesothelioma in a Pet Chicken.

An adult female chicken, from a small backyard flock, was presented to the Ontario Veterinary College Avian and Exotics Service for evaluation of dyspnea and recurrent ascites. An antemortem diagnostic evaluation included a coelomocentesis, coelomic ultrasound, and a coelioscopy procedure. A sample of the fluid collected during the coelomocentesis was submitted for analysis and was determined to be a nonspecific modified proteinaceous transudate.

A Subset of Equine Gastric Squamous Cell Carcinomas Is Associated With Equus Caballus Papillomavirus-2 Infection.

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the most common neoplasm of the equine stomach. However, the mechanisms underlying malignant transformation are unknown. As papillomavirus-2 (EcPV-2) is a likely cause of some genital SCCs, we hypothesized that EcPV-2 is associated with a subset of equine gastric SCCs.

URINARY BLADDER TRANSITIONAL CELL CARCINOMA AND CARCINOMATOSIS IN A LINNAEUS'S TWO-TOED SLOTH, .

A 19-yr-old female Linnaeus's two-toed sloth () with a history of urinary incontinence, ascites, and behavioral changes was euthanized after diagnostic imaging revealed a large bladder mass. On gross necropsy, the sloth had a severely thickened bladder mucosa, partial urinary obstruction, and nonseptic exudate in the peritoneal cavity. Histopathology showed a malignant and highly invasive transitional cell (urothelial) carcinoma with transmural and intra-abdominal invasion and diffuse carcinomatosis.

Maraba virus-vectored cancer vaccines represent a safe and novel therapeutic option for cats.

Direct killing of malignant cells combined with induction of tumour-specific immune responses makes oncolytic vaccines attractive for cancer therapy. We previously developed a heterologous cancer immunization strategy that utilized a replication-defective adenovirus-vectored primary vaccine encoding a tumour antigen followed by boosting with a replication-competent Maraba virus expressing the same antigen. To assess the safety of oncolytic Maraba virus-based booster vaccines and inform the design of clinical trials, we conducted translational studies in cats, which have immune systems that are similar to people and spontaneously develop cancers of comparable types and etiologies.

Evaluation of the effect of umbilical hernias on play behaviors in growing pigs.

Umbilical hernias (UH) are common in pigs and are an animal welfare concern. This study used an assessment of play behavior to evaluate the welfare of pigs with UH. Twenty-one grower pigs with UH and 17 without hernias (WUH) were assigned to 16 playing groups (PG) of 2 or 3 pigs (with at least 1 UH pig per PG).

Retro-orbital and disseminated B-cell lymphoma in a yellow-collared macaw .

A yellow-collared macaw was presented with unilateral left exophthalmia. The complete blood cell count and biochemistry revealed a heterophilic leukocytosis and elevation in liver parameters, respectively. A computed tomography scan showed a contrast-enhancing retrobulbar mass and hepatomegaly.

Postmortem findings in Ontario racehorses, 2003-2015.

Postmortem lesions and cause of death were evaluated retrospectively for 963 horses examined as part of the Ontario Racing Commission Death Registry over a 13-y period. The Death Registry was established in 2003 to identify factors leading to death or euthanasia of racehorses in this Canadian province. Postmortem examination was carried out on 56% of horses reported to the Death Registry and included Standardbred, Thoroughbred, and American Quarter Horses.

Uterine angioleiomyoma in an African green monkey (Chlorocebus aethiops sabaeus).

Background: A uterine neoplasm was observed, as an incidental finding, during post-mortem examination of a 26-year-old female multiparous African green monkey (Chlorocebus aethiops sabaeus). The intramural, expansile, 2 to 3 cm well-demarcated, dark-red, nodular neoplasm was located on the anterior uterine body (corpus) wall.

Methods: The mass was examined by light microscopy and by immunohistochemistry.

Persistence of clinical signs associated with rotavirus following an outbreak of porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) on a farrow-to-grow swine operation in southwestern Ontario.

Clinical signs attributed to porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) persisted for several months in a southwestern Ontario farm following an outbreak of PED. Extensive testing revealed rotavirus infection and absence of PED in nursing and nursery pigs, highlighting the importance of repeated diagnostic testing following a disease outbreak.

Characterization of the 5-HT2C receptor agonist lorcaserin on efficacy and safety measures in a rat model of diet-induced obesity.

The 5-HT2C receptor agonist lorcaserin (Belviq®) has been Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved for the treatment of obesity. The present study is a back translational investigation into the effect of 28-day lorcaserin treatment in a diet-induced obesity (DIO) model using male, Sprague-Dawley rats. An assessment of drug effect on efficacy and multiple safety endpoints including cardiac function was undertaken.

Focal thoracolumbar spinal cord lymphosarcoma in a ferret (Mustela putorius furo).

A 6-year-old, castrated male domestic ferret (Mustela putorius furo) was euthanized following progressive hind limb paresis and atonia of the bladder of 1-year duration. Neurological evaluation localized the lesion to the thoracolumbar spinal region, and magnetic resonance imaging showed a focal intramedullary spinal cord lesion. Histopathology revealed an extensive, unencapsulated, poorly demarcated mass within the thoracolumbar spinal cord, diagnosed as lymphosarcoma.

Detection of Leptospira spp. in wildlife reservoir hosts in Ontario through comparison of immunohistochemical and polymerase chain reaction genotyping methods.

A total of 460 kidney samples from wildlife (beavers, coyotes, deer, foxes, opossums, otters, raccoons, skunks) were obtained from road-kill and hunter/trapper donations in Ontario between January 2010 and November 2012. The objectives of the study were to detect Leptospira spp. by immunohistochemistry and polymerase chain reaction (PCR), to map presence of leptospires in wildlife relative to livestock and human populations, and to characterize positive samples by sequencing and comparison to leptospires known to affect domestic animals and humans.

Detection of Avian bornavirus in multiple tissues of infected psittacine birds using real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction.

Avian bornavirus (ABV), the cause of proventricular dilation disease in psittacine birds, has been detected in multiple tissues of infected birds using immunohistochemical staining (IHC) and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). In the current study, real-time RT-PCR, using primers targeting the ABV matrix gene, was used to detect ABV in 146 tissues from 7 ABV-infected psittacine birds. Eighty-six percent of the samples tested positive, with crossing point values ranging from 13.

Lawsonia intracellularis-associated ulcerative and necro-hemorrhagic enteritis in 5 weanling foals.

This report describes 5 cases of fatal Lawsonia intracellularis-associated ulcerative and necro-hemorrhagic enteritis in weanling Thoroughbred and Standardbred foals. The lesions are similar to those of the L. intracellularis-associated ulcerative and necro-hemorrhagic enteritis syndrome in pigs.

An investigation of ear necrosis in pigs.

Porcine ear necrosis was investigated in 23 conveniently chosen farms, consisting of 14 case farms and 9 control farms. Biopsies of lesions and oral swabs from pigs on 11 case farms were examined by histology and bacterial culture. All farms were visited for observations and a survey on management, housing, and the presence of other clinical signs or behavioral vices.

A retrospective study on the etiological diagnoses of diarrhea in neonatal piglets in Ontario, Canada, between 2001 and 2010.

Laboratory surveillance data from the Animal Health Laboratory, University of Guelph, on the etiological diagnoses of neonatal diarrhea in piglets were analyzed to determine the relative importance and trends of different enteric pathogens in Ontario. A total of 237 cases, including live and dead 1- to 7-day-old piglets, were submitted for diagnosis of gastrointestinal illness between 2001 and 2010. The combined frequencies for cases of gastrointestinal illness involving Escherichia coli, Clostridium perfringens type A, rotavirus, and Clostridium difficile, either as single pathogens or a complex of pathogens, accounted for 56% of the total cases.

An investigation into the association between cpb2-encoding Clostridium perfringens type A and diarrhea in neonatal piglets.

To investigate the possible role of cpb2-positive type A Clostridium perfringens in neonatal diarrheal illness in pigs, the jejunum and colon of matched normal and diarrheic piglets from 10 farms with a history of neonatal diarrhea were examined grossly and by histopathology, and tested for C. perfringens, for C. perfringens beta2 (CPB2) toxin, as well as for Clostridium difficile toxins, Salmonella, enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli, rotavirus, transmissible gastroenteritis (TGE) virus, and coccidia.

Pathology and diagnosis of avian bornavirus infection in wild Canada geese (Branta canadensis), trumpeter swans (Cygnus buccinator) and mute swans (Cygnus olor) in Canada: a retrospective study.

Nine hundred and fifty-five pathology cases collected in Ontario between 1992 and 2011 from wild free-ranging Canada geese, trumpeter swans and mute swans were retrospectively evaluated for the pathology associated with avian bornavirus (ABV) infection. Cases were selected based on the presence of upper gastrointestinal impaction, central nervous system histopathology or clinical history suggestive of ABV infection. The proportion of birds meeting at least one of these criteria was significantly higher at the Toronto Zoo (30/132) than elsewhere in Ontario (21/823).

A prospective study of sheep and goat abortion using real-time polymerase chain reaction and cut point estimation shows Coxiella burnetii and Chlamydophila abortus infection concurrently with other major pathogens.

From 2009 to 2011, 163 sheep and 96 goat abortion submissions were received at the Animal Health Laboratory, University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada, for gross and histologic examination, as well as real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing for Chlamydophila abortus and/or Coxiella burnetii. Additional testing included immunohistochemistry for Toxoplasma gondii and Chlamydophila spp., routine bacterial culture and selective culture for Campylobacter spp.

Laboratory and postmortem diagnosis of bovine respiratory disease.

Pathologic and laboratory investigations are essential when identification of the specific cause of bovine respiratory disease is needed. Considerations for planning a diagnostic investigation include the goals of the inquiry, the potential impact of the diagnosis, the plausible causes based on the clinical and epidemiologic appearance, and the relative merits of the available diagnostic strategies. This review uses 4 cases to outline different approaches to laboratory diagnosis.

First confirmed case of the bovine brachyspina syndrome in Canada.

Brachyspina syndrome is a congenital inherited lethal defect in Holstein cattle. Although cases have previously been reported from Europe, the first confirmed North American case is reported herein. This case was genetically related to the European cases, but pedigree analysis indicates that the founder may be more remote than previously expected.

Avian bornavirus is present in many tissues of psittacine birds with histopathologic evidence of proventricular dilatation disease.

Proventricular dilatation disease (PDD) is a neurologic disease of psittacine birds suspected to be caused by a recently identified Avian bornavirus (ABV). In the current report, data supporting the causal association of ABV with PDD are presented. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) with rabbit polyclonal antiserum raised against ABV nucleocapsid protein was used to identify cell and organ distribution of viral antigen.