The skin I live in: Pathogenesis of white-nose syndrome of bats.

The emergence of white-nose syndrome (WNS) in North America has resulted in mass mortalities of hibernating bats and total extirpation of local populations. The need to mitigate this disease has stirred a significant body of research to understand its pathogenesis. Pseudogymnoascus destructans, the causative agent of WNS, is a psychrophilic (cold-loving) fungus that resides within the class Leotiomycetes, which contains mainly plant pathogens and is unrelated to other consequential pathogens of animals.

Pathogenic strategies of during torpor and arousal of hibernating bats.

Millions of hibernating bats across North America have died from white-nose syndrome (WNS), an emerging disease caused by a psychrophilic (cold-loving) fungus, , that invades their skin. Mechanisms of invasion of bat epidermis remain obscure. Guided by our in vivo observations, we modeled hibernation with a newly generated little brown bat () keratinocyte cell line.

Combination Adjuvants Enhance Recombinant Protein Vaccine Protection against Fungal Infection.

The development of effective vaccines against fungal infections requires the induction of protective, pathogen-specific cell-mediated immune responses. Here, we asked whether combination adjuvants based on delta inulin (Advax) formulated with Toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists could improve vaccine protection mediated by a fungal recombinant protein, Bl-Eng2 (i.e.

Virally-vectored vaccine candidates against white-nose syndrome induce anti-fungal immune response in little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus).

White-nose syndrome (WNS) caused by the fungus, Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd) has killed millions of North American hibernating bats. Currently, methods to prevent the disease are limited. We conducted two trials to assess potential WNS vaccine candidates in wild-caught Myotis lucifugus.

Pathology and Case Definition of Severe Perkinsea Infection of Frogs.

Severe Perkinsea infection (SPI) is an emerging disease of frogs responsible for mass mortalities of tadpoles across the United States. It is caused by protozoa belonging to the phylum Perkinsozoa that form a distinct group referred to as the Pathogenic Perkinsea Clade of frogs. In this work, we provide detailed description of gross and histologic lesions from 178 naturally infected tadpoles, including 10 species from 22 mortality events and 6 amphibian health monitoring studies from diverse geographic areas.

Mortality of Little Brown Bats ( Myotis lucifugus carissima) Naturally Exposed to Microcystin-LR.

We describe a die-off of little brown bats ( Myotis lucifugus carissima) associated with acute intoxication with microcystin-LR in 2016 at Scofield Reservoir in Utah, US. High levels of this cyanotoxin in water from the reservoir and gastrointestinal content of bats supported this diagnosis.

Mass Mortality of Green Frog ( Rana clamitans) Tadpoles in Wisconsin, USA, Associated with Severe Infection with the Pathogenic Perkinsea Clade.

We documented mortality of green frog ( Rana clamitans) tadpoles in Wisconsin, US, attributed to severe Perkinsea infection. Final diagnosis was determined by histopathology. followed by molecular detection of pathogenic Perkinsea clade (PPC) of frogs in the liver.

MORTALITY TRENDS IN NORTHERN SEA OTTERS ( ENHYDRA LUTRIS KENYONI) COLLECTED FROM THE COASTS OF WASHINGTON AND OREGON, USA (2002-15).

During 2002-15 we examined the causes of mortality in a population of northern sea otters ( Enhydra lutris kenyoni). Beachcast sea otters were collected primarily from the US coast of Washington. Although there are no permanent sea otter residents in Oregon, several beachcast otters were collected from the Oregon coast.

Pathogenic lineage of Perkinsea associated with mass mortality of frogs across the United States.

Emerging infectious diseases such as chytridiomycosis and ranavirus infections are important contributors to the worldwide decline of amphibian populations. We reviewed data on 247 anuran mortality events in 43 States of the United States from 1999-2015. Our findings suggest that a severe infectious disease of tadpoles caused by a protist belonging to the phylum Perkinsea might represent the third most common infectious disease of anurans after ranavirus infections and chytridiomycosis.

Liposarcoma in animals: literature review and case report in a domestic pig (Sus scrofa).

Liposarcomas are malignant tumors of adipocytes. The current report describes a liposarcoma in a 2.5-year-old, mixed-breed commercial sow that was detected during meat inspection.

Brucella ceti infection in dolphins from the Western Mediterranean sea.

Background: Brucella ceti infections have been increasingly reported in cetaceans. Brucellosis in these animals is associated with meningoencephalitis, abortion, discospondylitis', subcutaneous abscesses, endometritis and other pathological conditions B. ceti infections have been frequently described in dolphins from both, the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

Central nervous system mucormycosis caused by Cunninghamella bertholletiae in a bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus).

In May 2012, an adult, male bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) was found stranded and dead on the Spanish Mediterranean coast. At necropsy, several areas of malacia were macroscopically observed in the periventricular parenchyma of the cerebrum. Microscopically a severe, diffuse, pyogranulomatous, and necrotizing meningoencephalomyelitis was associated with numerous intralesional highly pleomorphic fungal structures.