Disease in elasmobranchs

Most of us are specialized on pet medicine but few on exotic animal medicine. We seldom regard wild animals as a matter of our veterinary condition though they are the essence of the animal kingdom. Articles like this on sharks and rays are examples that attempt to change this view and remember our profession.

 

In this paper, the authors review cases of illness in 1546 elasmobranchs representing 60 different species of sharks and rays. The results of the study reveal that infectious and inflammatory processes, followed by nutritional, traumatic, and toxic cardiovascular disorders are the most common diseases in elasmobranchs. Bacterial infections usually manifest as septicemia, dermatitis, branchitis and enteritis, and similarly fungal infections also cause hepatitis. Papilloma virus, herpesvirus and adenovirus are among the most common viral processes. Parasitic in its turn are represented by cases nematode infections, ciliate, trematode, coccidiosis, mixozoanosis, amebiasis, flagellate infections and cestoidiasis. Infectious diseases of unknown etiology include cases of enteritis, branchitis, encephalitis, dermatitis and pancreatitis. Finally, the most common toxicologic disorders are cases of “toxic gill disease”, air embolism, and those associated with fenbendazole, ammoniac, chlorine and chloramine. Depending on the process, some species are overrepresented.

A retrospective study of disease in elasmobranchs. Garner MM. Vet Pathol. 2013 50(3):377-389

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Comparative pathology of rhabdomyosarcoma

Rhabdomyosarcoma is a rare neoplasm in pets and an example of how outdated is veterinary pathology in respect to this some neoplasms, and unlike what happens in human medicine. The classification of rhabdomyosarcoma in domestic animals is based solely on histological criteria with little clinical significance, whereas in humans the combination of immunocytochemistry and molecular biology provides information about prognosis. The authors of this paper review from a comparative point of view this malignancy in human and veterinary medicine. If a day comes when rhabdomyosarcomas in domestic animals are studied at the genetic, immunocytochemical and ultraestructral level in veterinary medicine, then we’ll have arguments to establish the prognosis of this tumor. Until then, we will continue interpreting this neoplasm in an archaic form.

A comparative review of canine and human rhabdomyosarcoma with emphasis on classification and pathogenesis. Caserto BG. Vet Pathol 2013, 55(5):806-826

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Equine lymphoma

We are used to have plenty of information on lymphoid malignancies in different domestic species, either through revisions and updates classification systems or concerning treatment protocols. In horses, however, although it is the most common malignancy, much of the information is based on isolated cases. In this study, the authors evaluated the application of the WHO classification system of lymphomas since the morphological, immunophenotypic and clinical perspective, identifying 14 subtypes of neoplasia. The most common tumors are derived peripheral T-cell lymphoma and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma cells.

Two hundred three cases of equine lymphoma classified according to the World Health Organization (WHO) classificaction criteria. Durham et al. Vet Pathol 2013, 50 (1)

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Influenza in cats

In cats, it is well known that the virus infection of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAIV) produces pneumonia and necrosis in various organs (liver, adrenal, myocardium, enteric plexus, etc). The fact that cats are naturally susceptible to infection with HPAIV H5N1 and H1N1 (pandemic 2009) presents a risk of zoonosis. By contrast, susceptibility to infection by viruses of low pathogenicity (LPAIV) (H1N9, H6N4) and especially those derived from wild birds is poorly understood. In this paper, the authors demonstrate experimentally that domestic cats can also be infected by LPAIV, seroconvert and develop a mild interstitial pneumonia without showing clinical signs.

Domestic cats are susceptible to infection with low pathogenic avian influenza viruses from shorebirds. Diskell et al. Vet Pathol, 2013 50:39

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