Drivers of infection with Toxoplasma gondii genotype type II in Eurasian red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris).

Background: In September 2014, there was sudden upsurge in the number of Eurasian red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris) found dead in the Netherlands. High infection levels with the parasite Toxoplasma gondii were demonstrated, but it was unclear what had caused this increase in cases of fatal toxoplasmosis. In the present study, we aimed to gain more knowledge on the pathology and prevalence of T.

Microstructural differences in the osteochondral unit of terrestrial and aquatic mammals.

During evolution, animals have returned from land to water, adapting with morphological modifications to life in an aquatic environment. We compared the osteochondral units of the humeral head of marine and terrestrial mammals across species spanning a wide range of body weights, focusing on microstructural organization and biomechanical performance. Aquatic mammals feature cartilage with essentially random collagen fiber configuration, lacking the depth-dependent, arcade-like organization characteristic of terrestrial mammalian species.

Diagnosis and treatment of a congenital portosystemic shunt in a ferret (Mustela putorius furo).

A 3-year-old female neutered ferret presented with progressive weight loss was diagnosed with portosystemic shunting based on increased fasting bile acids, rectal ammonia tolerance testing and advanced imaging. Ammonia reference values were determined in 16 healthy ferrets. A congenital extrahepatic spleno-caval shunt was visualised with ultrasonography and CT angiography of the abdomen.

The pathology of co-infection with Usutu virus and spp. in naturally infected Eurasian blackbirds ().

Usutu virus (USUV) is a mosquito-borne zoonotic flavivirus causing mortality in Eurasian blackbirds () in Europe. In dead blackbirds, avian malaria co-infection due to mosquito-borne hemosporidians (e.g.

Genomic comparison of mecC-carrying methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus from hedgehogs and humans in the Netherlands.

Objectives: MRSA carrying the mecC gene (mecC-MRSA) have been found in humans and animals worldwide. A high carriage rate of mecC-MRSA has been described among hedgehogs in different countries. We performed genomic comparison of mecC-MRSA from hedgehogs and humans using next-generation sequencing (NGS) to investigate possible zoonotic transmission in the Netherlands.

Harbor Porpoise Deaths Associated with Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae, the Netherlands, 2021.

In August 2021, a large-scale mortality event affected harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) in the Netherlands. Pathology and ancillary testing of 22 animals indicated that the most likely cause of death was Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae infection. This zoonotic agent poses a health hazard for cetaceans and possibly for persons handling cetacean carcasses.

Zoonotic Mutation of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1 Virus Identified in the Brain of Multiple Wild Carnivore Species.

Wild carnivore species infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus subtype H5N1 during the 2021-2022 outbreak in the Netherlands included red fox (), polecat (), otter (), and badger (). Most of the animals were submitted for testing because they showed neurological signs. In this study, the HPAI H5N1 virus was detected by PCR and/or immunohistochemistry in 11 animals and was primarily present in brain tissue, often associated with a (meningo) encephalitis in the cerebrum.

Gross, Histologic and Immunohistochemical Characteristics of Keratoacanthomas in Lizards.

The present study describes the clinical behavior as well as the histopathologic and immunohistochemical characteristics of keratoacanthomas (Kas) in three different saurian species. While Kas presented as two dermal lesions in a bearded dragon (), multicentric Kas were observed in three panther chameleons () and a veiled chameleon (). Macroscopically, Kas presented as dome-shaped skin tumors with a centralized keratinous pearl and a diameter ranging from 0.

Diversity of Hepatozoon species in wild mammals and ticks in Europe.

Background: Hepatozoon spp. are tick-borne parasites causing subclinical to clinical disease in wild and domestic animals. Aim of this study was to determine Hepatozoon prevalence and species distribution among wild mammals and ticks in Europe.

Mass Mortality Caused by Highly Pathogenic Influenza A(H5N1) Virus in Sandwich Terns, the Netherlands, 2022.

We collected data on mass mortality in Sandwich terns (Thalasseus sandvicensis) during the 2022 breeding season in the Netherlands. Mortality was associated with at least 2 variants of highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) virus clade 2.3.

Evidence of Hearing Loss and Unrelated Toxoplasmosis in a Free-Ranging Harbour Porpoise ().

Evidence of hearing impairment was identified in a harbour porpoise () on the basis of scanning electron microscopy. In addition, based on histopathology and immunohistochemistry, there were signs of unrelated cerebral toxoplasmosis. The six-year old individual live stranded on the Dutch coast at Domburg in 2016 and died a few hours later.

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N1) Virus in Wild Red Foxes, the Netherlands, 2021.

We detected infection with highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) virus clade 2.3.4.

Pathology and Pathogenesis of Eurasian Blackbirds () Naturally Infected with Usutu Virus.

The Usutu virus (USUV) is a mosquito-borne zoonotic flavivirus. Despite its continuous circulation in Europe, knowledge on the pathology, cellular and tissue tropism and pathogenetic potential of different circulating viral lineages is still fragmentary. Here, macroscopic and microscopic evaluations are performed in association with the study of cell and tissue tropism and comparison of lesion severity of two circulating virus lineages (Europe 3; Africa 3) in 160 Eurasian blackbirds (Turdus merula) in the Netherlands.

The Legend of the Buffalo Chest.

Background: The "buffalo chest" is a condition in which a simultaneous bilateral pneumothorax occurs due to a communication of both pleural cavities caused by an iatrogenic or idiopathic fenestration of the mediastinum. This rare condition is known by many clinicians because of a particular anecdote which stated that Native Americans could kill a North American bison with a single arrow in the chest by creating a simultaneous bilateral pneumothorax, due to the animal's peculiar anatomy in which there is one contiguous pleural space due to an incomplete mediastinum.

Research Question: What evidence is there for the existence of buffalo chest?

Study Design And Methods: The term "buffalo chest" and its anecdote were first mentioned in a ''personal communication'' by a veterinarian in the Annals of Surgery in 1984.

Circulation of Species and Their Exposure to Humans through .

Human babesiosis in Europe has been attributed to infection with and, to a lesser extent, with and which are all transmitted to humans through a bite of . These species circulate in the Netherlands, but autochthonous human babesiosis cases have not been reported so far. To gain more insight into the natural sources of these species, their presence in reservoir hosts and in was examined.

What a stranded whale with scoliosis can teach us about human idiopathic scoliosis.

Scoliosis is a deformation of the spine that may have several known causes, but humans are the only mammal known to develop scoliosis without any obvious underlying cause. This is called 'idiopathic' scoliosis and is the most common type. Recent observations showed that human scoliosis, regardless of its cause, has a relatively uniform three-dimensional anatomy.

Challenges in the Assessment of Bycatch: Postmortem Findings in Harbor Porpoises () Retrieved From Gillnets.

Bycatch is considered one of the most significant threats affecting cetaceans worldwide. In the North Sea, bottom-set gillnets are a specific risk for harbor porpoises (). Methods to estimate bycatch rates include on-board observers, remote electronic monitoring, and fishermen voluntarily reporting; none of these are systematically conducted.

Iron Regulation in Elderly Asian Elephants () Chronically Infected With .

Restriction of nutrients to pathogens (nutritional immunity) is a critical innate immune response mechanism that operates when pathogens such as have the potential to evade humoral immunity. Tuberculosis is of growing concern for zoological collections worldwide and is well-illustrated by infections of Asian and African elephants, where tuberculosis is difficult to diagnose. Here, we investigated hematological parameters and iron deposition in liver, lung, and spleen of three Asian elephants () infected with .

The nocturnal leopard gecko (Eublepharis macularius) uses UVb radiation for vitamin D synthesis.

Vitamin D is an important regulator of calcium and phosphorus homeostasis in animals. It can be acquired from the diet or synthesised de novo when skin is exposed to UVb. Vitamin D deficiency can lead to a complex of diseases collectively called metabolic bone disease (MBD).

Fatal Chlamydia avium Infection in Captive Picazuro Pigeons, the Netherlands.

In 2016, an outbreak of Chlamydia avium infection occurred among Picazuro pigeons (Patagioenas picazuro) living in an aviary in the Netherlands. Molecular typing revealed a unique strain of C. avium.

Pathological Findings in White-Beaked Dolphins () and Atlantic White-Sided Dolphins () From the South-Eastern North Sea.

In the North Sea, white-beaked dolphins () occur regularly and are the second most common cetacean in the area, while their close relative, the Atlantic white-sided dolphin (), prefers the deeper waters of the northern North Sea and adjacent Atlantic Ocean. Though strandings of both species have occurred regularly in the past three decades, they have decreased in the southern North Sea during the last years. Studies describing necropsy findings in stranded spp.

Genomic monitoring to understand the emergence and spread of Usutu virus in the Netherlands, 2016-2018.

Usutu virus (USUV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus circulating in Western Europe that causes die-offs of mainly common blackbirds (Turdus merula). In the Netherlands, USUV was first detected in 2016, when it was identified as the likely cause of an outbreak in birds. In this study, dead blackbirds were collected, screened for the presence of USUV and submitted to Nanopore-based sequencing.

Trichomonosis in Greenfinches () in the Netherlands 2009-2017: A Concealed Threat.

Finch trichomonosis in Europe is caused by a subtype A1 strain, considered to be clonal because lacking genetic heterogeneity in partial genotyping. The disease recently emerged and has been associated with a 66% reduction of the British breeding greenfinch () population. In contrast, in the Netherlands, where trichomonosis was detected in 2009, the breeding greenfinch population continued to grow in subsequent years.

Lack of evidence for the presence of leprosy bacilli in red squirrels from North-West Europe.

Leprosy is a human infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae or Mycobacterium lepromatosis that can also occur in animals and even manifest as zoonosis. Recently, both mycobacteria were detected in red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris) from the British Isles. To further explore the presence of leprosy bacilli in North-West Europe, we screened Belgian and Dutch squirrels.