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Infectious diseases are contributing to the decline of the iconic Australian marsupial, the koala ( Phascolarctos cinereus ). Infections with the obligate intracellular bacteria, Chlamydia pecorum, cause debilitating ocular and urogenital-tract disease while the koala-retrovirus (KoRV) has been implicated in host immunosuppression and exacerbation of chlamydial pathogenesis. Although histological studies have provided insight into the basic architecture of koala immune tissues, our understanding of the koala immune response to infectious disease has been limited, until recently, by a lack of species-specific immune reagents. Recent advances in the characterisation of key immune genes have focused on advancing our understanding of the immune response to Chlamydia infection, revealing commonalities in disease pathologies and immunity between koalas and other hosts and paving the way for the development of a koala Chlamydia vaccine. This review summarises these recent findings and highlights key aspects of the koala immune system requiring further attention with particular regard to their most prominent infectious diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infectious bronchitis (IB) is a highly contagious respiratory and urogenital disease of chickens caused by infectious bronchitis virus (IBV). This disease is of considerable economic importance and is primarily controlled through biosecurity and immunization with live attenuated and inactivated IB vaccines of various serotypes. In the present study, we tested the safety and efficacy of an attenuated predominant Chinese QX-like IBV strain. The results revealed that the attenuated strain has a clear decrease in pathogenicity for specific-pathogen-free (SPF) chickens compared with the parent strain. Strain YN-inoculated birds had clinical signs of varying severity with 30% mortality, while the attenuated group appeared healthy, with less tissue damage. The attenuated strain also had relatively low tissue replication rates and higher antibody levels. The superior protective efficacy of the attenuated strain was observed when vaccinated birds were challenged with a homologous or heterologous field IBV strain, indicating the potential of the attenuated YN (aYN) as a vaccine. Producing a vaccine targeting the abundant serotype in China is essential to reducing the economic impact of IB on the poultry industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tritrichomonas foetus was described as a commensal of the stomach, caecum and nasal cavity of pigs before it was recognised as the cause of reproductive tract disease of cattle. T. foetus also causes chronic large bowel diarrhoea in domestic cats. Multi-locus genotyping and comparative transcriptome analysis has previously revealed that T. foetus isolated from cat and cattle hosts are genetically distinct, referred to as the ‘feline genotype’ and ‘bovine genotype’ , respectively. Conversely, multi-locus genotyping has grouped porcine T. foetus with the ‘bovine genotype’. To compare the extent of the similarity between porcine T. foetus and cattle ‘bovine genotype’ isolates, RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) was used to produce the first cell-wide transcriptome library of porcine T. foetus PIG30/1. Comparative transcriptome analysis of the PIG30/1 with the published bovine (BP-4) and feline (G10/1) transcriptomes revealed that the porcine T. foetus shares a 4.7 fold greater number of orthologous genes with the bovine T. foetus than with the feline T. foetus . Comparing transcription of the virulence factors, cysteine proteases (CP) between the three isolates, the porcine T. foetus was found to preferentially transcribe CP8 like the ‘bovine genotype’ T. foetus, compared to thehigh transcription of CP7 seen for ‘feline genotype’ T. foetus. At the cell-wide transcriptome level, the porcine T. foetus isolate (PIG30/1) groups closer with the ‘bovine genotype’ T. foetus rather than the ‘feline genotype’ T. foetus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Otarine herpesvirus (OtHV)-1-associated urogenital carcinoma has been well documented in the California sea lion (Zalophus californianus, CSL), but this is the first report of this tumour in a captive South American fur seal (Arctocephalus australis, SAFS). The gross and microscopical morphology of the tumour in the SAFS was identical to that described previously in CSLs and the tumour in the present case had metastasized within the urogenital tract and draining lymph nodes and to the lungs and one kidney. Immunohistochemistry revealed intra- and extracytoplasmic labelling of herpesvirus antigen in the cells of the tumour tissue and transitional epithelium of the urethra. OtHV-1 nucleic acids were detected within tumour tissue and from a urogenital swab by polymerase chain reaction. The ranges of these two species of pinniped do not overlap normally in the wild, suggesting that transmission of OtHV-1 probably occurred in captivity. This confirmed susceptibility of the SAFS to the development of OtHV-1-associated urogenital carcinoma suggests that all species of Otariidae should be screened for OtHV-1 infection prior to movement within and between zoological collections. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: To identify immunodominant antigens and MHC-restricted antibody responses, seven different strains of mice were intravaginally infected with Chlamydia muridarum and compared for antibody responses to 257 C. muridarum proteins. The 7 strains of mice recognized a total of 109 proteins as antigens, of which, 5 antigens (TC0660, TC0727, TC0828, TC0726 & TC0268) were each recognized by 60% or more mice from each mouse strain and thus designated as immunodominant antigens. Furthermore, antibody responses to 19 other antigens displayed strong associations with mouse H-2 haplotypes, including 6 antigens (TC0480, TC0912, TC0229, TCA04, TC0289 & TC0892) whose antibody responses were linked to H-2b, 8 (TC0035, TC0387, TC0052, TC0781, TC0373, TC0117, TC0066 & TC0396) to H-2d and 5 (TC0512, TC0177, TC0589, TC0794 & TC0596) to H-2k haplotypes respectively. Interestingly, H-2b was negatively associated with antibody responses to most of the antigens that were positively linked to H-2d or H-2k haplotypes. These results by mapping Chlamydia trachomatis antigens commonly recognized by mice with different strain background and H-2 genes and revealing antigen association with H-2 haplotypes have provided important information for developing chlamydial subunit vaccines and understanding chlamydial pathogenesis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Determination of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is a valuable, yet underused, diagnostic tool for evaluating renal function in dogs and cats. This article first reviews the hormonal and hemodynamic factors which contribute to GFR, followed by a description of considerations when selecting a pharmacokinetic model and methods of animal-to-animal standardization. The best-characterized existing GFR markers. including creatinine, radiolabeled markers, and iohexol, are reviewed in depth, as well as alternative but lesser used techniques. A weighted means analysis of reported GFR measurements in healthy dogs and cats and a review of selected studies that have examined GFR alterations in animals with naturally occurring and experimental diseases provide the reader with preliminary guidelines on expected GFR results in these species and disease conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Urinary tract disease is not an uncommon presentation for pet rabbits. It is beneficial for the veterinarian treating these patients to have a thorough understanding of a rabbit''s urogenital anatomy, renal physiology, and diseases that affect the kidney and urinary tract. The evaluation of the rabbit urinary tract requires a multidisciplinary approach including the procurement of a thorough history, signalment, assessment of clinical signs, physical examination, and diagnostic test results. To obtain a definitive disease diagnosis, more intensive diagnostic testing may be required, including contrast radiography, ultrasound evaluation, and histopathological assessment of biopsy samples. This article will provide information to aid in the diagnosis and treatment of rabbit urinary tract diseases. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The Julia Creek dunnart (Sminthopsis douglasi) is an endangered carnivorous marsupial belonging to the family Dasyuridae. This study investigated the oestrous cycle of this species in terms of its reproductive physiology and behaviour to explore more efficient methods of oestrus detection. Ten sexually mature captive female dunnarts were monitored daily at David Fleay Wildlife Park, Burleigh Heads, Australia, from mid September to late December 2006 for changes in urogenital cytology within the urine (0, 1+, 2+ and 3+), running wheel activity, body weight, uneaten food, faecal steroid metabolites (progesterone and oestradiol) and pouch development. Periods of increased running wheel activity were associated (p =0.004) with an increase in the proportion of cornified urogenital epithelial cells found in the urine; periods of decreasing weight (p <0.001) and uneaten food (p <0.001) were also associated with changes in urogenital cytology but not to the point where they would be useful for oestrus detection. Between 60.3% and 92.0% of peak distances (confidence interval 95%) occurred when the epithelial cell index was 2+ or 3+. Only 15.5–37.5% of peak weights (CI: 95%) and 28.1–49.9% of incidences of uneaten food (CI: 95%) occurred when the epithelial cell index was 2+ or 3+. There was no significant difference in the mean length of the oestrous cycle when measured by urogenital cytology (mean±SD: 25.0±5.7 days; n =20) or peak distance travelled (mean±SD: 25.4±5.7 days; n =20). Changes in the concentration of oestradiol metabolites in Julia Creek Dunnart faeces were not useful in characterising the oestrous cycle. Wheel running activity declined markedly with increased faecal progestagen concentration. The majority of the pouch variables examined showed maximum development during the inter-oestrus period but as there was considerable variation between animals, the pouch was not considered a useful index of oestrus. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Summary: The purpose of this study was to determine if Otarine Herpesvirus-1 (OtHV-1) is associated with the presence of urogenital carcinomas in California sea lions. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis with primers specific for OtHV-1 was used to compare the prevalence of OtHV-1 infection in 15 sea lions affected by urogenital carcinoma with that of age-matched and juvenile tumour-free animals, and animals with tumours of non-urogenital origin. The herpesvirus was more prevalent (100%) and more widespread in the 15 animals with urogenital carcinoma than in 25 control animals, and was most often found in the urogenital tissue (vagina and prostate) and in the draining lymph nodes. Moreover, OtHV-1 DNA was not found in any juvenile animal, or in the neoplastic tissues of animals with non-urogenital tumours. Papillomavirus-specific PCR analysis of urogenital carcinoma tissues detected papillomavirus sequences in only one carcinomatous tissue. Further studies are needed to determine if OtHV-1 contributes to oncogenesis in the California sea lion; these data show, however, that OtHV-1 is associated with urogenital carcinomas, is preferentially present in urogenital tissues, and may be sexually transmitted. Papillomaviruses, which are known to contribute to urogenital tumours in other species, did not appear to be associated with the sea lion carcinomas. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The contractile activity of the isolated myometrium of pregnant women with mycoplasma, chlamydia and mixed infections has been studied by pharmacological organ bath method. We found that mycoplasma infection decreased while chlamydia or mixed infection increased myometrium contraction evoked by oxytocin or prostaglandin F2α. The results of this study could be important for the prediction of possible complications during pregnancy and labour in women with chronic specific urogenital infections. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]