Safety and immunogenicity of an adjuvanted recombinant spike protein-based severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccine, SpikeVet™, in selected Carnivora, Primates and Artiodactyla in Australian zoos.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) can infect a broad range of animal species and has been associated with severe disease in some taxa. Few studies have evaluated optimal strategies to mitigate the risk to susceptible zoo animals. This study evaluated the safety and immunogenicity of a protein-based veterinary SARS-CoV-2 vaccine (SpikeVet™) in zoo animals.

Virome of Australia's most endangered parrot in captivity evidenced of harboring hitherto unknown viruses.

The impact of circulating viruses on the critically endangered, orange-bellied parrot (OBP) population can be devastating. The OBP already faces numerous threats to its survival in the wild, including habitat loss, predation, and small population impacts. Conservation of the wild OBP population is heavily reliant on supplementation using OBPs from a managed captive breeding program.

REPEAT SPILLOVER OF BEAK AND FEATHER DISEASE VIRUS INTO AN ENDANGERED PARROT HIGHLIGHTS THE RISK ASSOCIATED WITH ENDEMIC PATHOGEN LOSS IN ENDANGERED SPECIES.

Conservation efforts for the orange-bellied parrot (Neophema chrysogaster), one of the world's most critically endangered bird species, have been hampered by beak and feather disease virus (BFDV) spillover infection. To understand the vulnerability of orange-bellied parrots to potential reservoirs of infection we investigated geographic versus taxonomic structure in 160 full-genome and 319 partial Rep gene BFDV sequences from captive and wild orange-bellied parrots and other wild parrot species in Australia. We found that Australian BFDV populations are structured by host taxonomy.

PRADA: Portable Reusable Accurate Diagnostics with nanostar Antennas for multiplexed biomarker screening.

Precise monitoring of specific biomarkers in biological fluids with accurate biodiagnostic sensors is critical for early diagnosis of diseases and subsequent treatment planning. In this work, we demonstrated an innovative biodiagnostic sensor, portable reusable accurate diagnostics with nanostar antennas (PRADA), for multiplexed biomarker detection in small volumes (~50 μl) enabled in a microfluidic platform. Here, PRADA simultaneously detected two biomarkers of myocardial infarction, cardiac troponin I (cTnI), which is well accepted for cardiac disorders, and neuropeptide Y (NPY), which controls cardiac sympathetic drive.

Assessing circovirus gene flow in multiple spill-over events.

The establishment of viral pathogens in new host environments following spillover events probably requires adaptive changes within both the new host and pathogen. After many generations, signals for ancient cross-species transmission may become lost and a strictly host-adapted phylogeny may mimic true co-divergence while the virus may retain an inherent ability to jump host species. The mechanistic basis for such processes remains poorly understood.

SURVEILLANCE FOR SPP. WITH MULTILOCUS SEQUENCE TYPING ANALYSIS IN WILD AND CAPTIVE BIRDS IN VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA.

typically infects birds and can cause outbreaks of avian chlamydiosis, but it also has the potential to cause zoonotic disease (psittacosis) in humans. To better understand the epidemiology of in Victoria, Australia, we conducted opportunistic sampling of more than 400 wild and captive birds presented to the Australian Wildlife Health Centre at Zoos Victoria's Healesville Sanctuary for veterinary care between December 2014 and December 2015. Samples were screened for the presence of chlamydial DNA using quantitative PCR, and positive samples were subjected to multilocus sequence typing analysis.

Psittacid Adenovirus-2 infection in the critically endangered orange-bellied parrot (Neophema chrysogastor): A key threatening process or an example of a host-adapted virus?

Psittacid Adenovirus-2 (PsAdv-2) was identified in captive orange-bellied parrots (Neophema chrysogastor) during a multifactorial cluster of mortalities at the Adelaide Zoo, South Australia, and an outbreak of Pseudomonas aeruginosa septicaemia at the Tasmanian Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment captive breeding facility, Taroona, Tasmania. This was the first time that an adenovirus had been identified in orange-bellied parrots and is the first report of PsAdv-2 in Australia. To investigate the status of PsAdv-2 in the captive population of orange-bellied parrots, 102 healthy birds from five breeding facilities were examined for the presence of PsAdv-2 DNA in droppings and/or cloacal swabs using a nested polymerase chain reaction assay.

Diagnosis of immunomarkers in vivo via multiplexed surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy with gold nanostars.

In this work, we demonstrate the targeted diagnosis of immunomarker programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) and simultaneous detection of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in breast cancer tumors in vivo using gold nanostars (AuNS) with multiplexed surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). Real-time longitudinal tracking with SERS demonstrated maximum accumulation of AuNS occurred 6 h post intravenous (IV) delivery, enabling detection of both biomarkers simultaneously. Raman signal correlating to both PD-L1 and EGFR decreased by ∼30% in control tumors where receptors were pre-blocked prior to AuNS delivery, indicating both the sensitivity and specificity of SERS in distinguishing tumors with different levels of PD-L1 and EGFR expression.

Avian viral surveillance in Victoria, Australia, and detection of two novel avian herpesviruses.

Viruses in avian hosts can pose threats to avian health and some have zoonotic potential. Hospitals that provide veterinary care for avian patients may serve as a site of exposure of other birds and human staff in the facility to these viruses. They can also provide a useful location to collect samples from avian patients in order to examine the viruses present in wild birds.

COLONIC DIVERTICULOSIS AND DIVERTICULAR HEMORRHAGE IN A GERIATRIC FEMALE ORANGUTAN ( PONGO ABELII).

A 57-yr-old female Sumatran orangutan ( Pongo abelii) presented with signs of intermittent lethargy and inappetence, then subsequently developed profuse hemorrhagic diarrhea. Colonoscopy under anesthesia revealed diverticulosis of the descending colon, with multiple large diverticula containing fecoliths. There was no evidence of diverticulitis, but a regenerative anemia had developed following an acute diverticular bleed.

Theranostic Gold Nanoantennas for Simultaneous Multiplexed Raman Imaging of Immunomarkers and Photothermal Therapy.

In this study, we demonstrate the theranostic capability of actively targeted, site-specific multibranched gold nanoantennas (MGNs) in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells in vitro. By utilizing multiplexed surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) imaging, enabled by the narrow peak widths of Raman signatures, we simultaneously targeted immune checkpoint receptor programmed death ligand 1 (PDL1) and the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) overexpressed in TNBC cells. A 1:1 mixture of MGNs functionalized with anti-PDL1 antibodies and Raman tag 5,5-dithio-bis-(2-nitrobenzoic acid) (DTNB) and MGNs functionalized with anti-EGFR antibodies and Raman tag -mercaptobenzoic acid (MBA) were incubated with the cells.

A high prevalence of beak and feather disease virus in non-psittacine Australian birds.

Purpose: Beak and feather disease virus (BFDV) is a circovirus and the cause of psittacine beak and feather disease (PBFD). This disease is characterized by feather and beak deformities and is a recognized threat to endangered Psittaciformes (parrots and cockatoos). The role that non-psittacine birds may play as reservoirs of infection is unclear.

Shipping-Induced Aggregation in Therapeutic Antibodies: Utilization of a Scale-Down Model to Assess Degradation in Monoclonal Antibodies.

It is vital to understand the impact of transportation on monoclonal antibody (mAb) product quality during drug product development. Fully representative real-time shipment studies are resource intensive, so in this work, we studied laboratory agitation methods to mimic the effect of real-time shipment on aggregation, specifically subvisible particle formation. The agitation methods studied include a rotator, orbital shaker, vortexer, and shipping simulator vibration table.

How Carrier Size and Valency Modulate Receptor-Mediated Signaling: Understanding the Link between Binding and Endocytosis of ICAM-1-Targeted Carriers.

Targeting of drug carriers to endocytic cell receptors facilitates intracellular drug delivery. Carrier size and number of targeting moieties (valency) influence cell binding and uptake. However, how these parameters influence receptor-mediated cell signaling (the link between binding and uptake) remains uncharacterized.

Association of type 2 diabetes mellitus with plasma organochlorine compound concentrations.

The increased prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is associated with obesity, age, and sedentary lifestyle, but exposure to some organochlorine (OC) compounds has also been recently implicated. The hypothesis tested is that higher concentrations of bioaccumulative OC compounds are associated with T2DM. Plasma samples were obtained from a cross-section of adult male and female Caucasians and African Americans, either with or without T2DM from two US Air Force medical facilities.

Clinical and Pathological Findings in Green Turtles (Chelonia mydas) from Gladstone, Queensland: Investigations of a Stranding Epidemic.

An investigation into the health of green turtles was undertaken near Gladstone, Queensland, in response to a dramatic increase in stranding numbers in the first half of 2011. A total of 56 live turtles were subject to clinical examination and blood sampling for routine blood profiles, and 12 deceased turtles underwent a thorough necropsy examination. This population of green turtles was found to be in poor body condition and a range of infectious and non-infectious conditions were identified in the unhealthy turtles, including hepato-renal insufficiency (up to 81%, 27/33 based on clinical pathology), cachexia (92%, 11/12), parasitism (75%, 9/12), cardiopulmonary anomalies (42%, 5/12), gastroenteritis (25%, 3/12), masses (25%, 3/12) and mechanical impediments (17%, 2/12 based on necropsy).

A splendid tree frog with edema syndrome and intestinal adenocarcinoma.

A splendid tree frog (Pelodryas splendida) presented with subcutaneous edema extending along its dorsum from head to vent, which resolved with improvement of ambient temperature and humidity conditions in its enclosure. Four months later, this same frog presented in a moribund state with intracoelomic fluid accumulation. An intestinal adenocarcinoma, a rarely reported neoplasm in amphibians, was diagnosed post mortem.

An outbreak of mycobacteriosis in Gouldian finches caused by Mycobacterium peregrinum.

An outbreak of mycobacteriosis was detected in an aviary containing Gouldian finches (Erythrura gouldiae) and golden shouldered parrots (Psephotus chrysopterygius). Affected birds developed granulomatous lesions, usually of the liver and intestine. Mycobacterium peregrinum, a species of the Mycobacterium fortuitum group, was cultured on pooled samples of intestinal tract from 31 euthanized finches.