scholarly journals Autochthonous Transmission of Angiostrongylus Cantonensis in a Domestic Rabbit (Oryctolagus Cuniculus) in Hawai`i: Detection in Multiple Tissues Using AcanITS1 and AcanR3990 PCR Assays

Author(s):  
Susan Jarvi ◽  
Kirsten Snook ◽  
Alfred Mina ◽  
Malia Lyons ◽  
Sarah Ortega ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Hawaii is the hotspot for rat lungworm disease (angiostrongyliasis) caused by the nematode Angiostrongylus cantonensis in the USA. In humans, PCR of the CSF is typically used for diagnosis, however, collection of CSF requires hospitalization. Here, we evaluate the efficacy of two different PCR tests to detect A.cantonensis DNA in multiple tissues including blood from a rabbit presumably infected by eating contaminated lettuce. Methods: Two different PCR assays (AcanR3990, and AcanITS1) were used comparatively to test DNA extracted from slug and rabbit tissues. Assays were conducted using established protocols and were run in triplicate, with negative (dH20) controls included throughout. Results: A juvenile Parmarian martensi (semi-slug) found in local lettuce tested positive for the presence of Angiostrongylus cantonensis DNA. A family and their two domestic rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) consumed this lettuce twice within the five days preceding testing. One rabbit exhibited symptoms consistent with eosinophilic meningitis 3-6 days after being fed the lettuce. Appropriate veterinary treatment was ineffective and the rabbit was subsequently euthanized. This study comparatively applies two different PCR assays to detect A. cantonensis DNA in the peripheral blood, cerebrospinal fluid, brain, heart, and lung tissue of this rabbit, and provides data implicating parasite transmission via contaminated home-grown lettuce. Six of the nine brain DNA samples, as well as the CSF sample, tested positive in replicate or triplicate for A. cantonensis DNA with both PCR assays. The AcanR3990 assay also detected A. cantonensis DNA from the lung, heart septum, all nine samples from the brain, and blood products (plasma, EDTA-treated whole blood, and buffy coat/red blood cells) in replicate or triplicate.

2017 ◽  
Vol 73 (4) ◽  
pp. 208-213
Author(s):  
Maria Chmurska ◽  
Natalia Sowińska ◽  
Agnieszka Pietsch-Fulbiszewska

The domestic rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus f. domesticus) has become a very popular companion animal kept at present in Europe. Dental problems in rabbits are prevalent. The medical procedure in these patients is based primarily on surgical treatment, which is associated with pain during treatment. This paper aims to familiarize readers with the techniques of local anesthesia, which can be used in dentistry of the domestic rabbit. The study summarizes the specifics of the anatomy of the rabbit skull. On the basis of original papers, in which the domestic rabbit or other small mammals were the research model, the drugs used for local anesthesia and techniques of local anesthesia with possible complications have been described in the present work.


2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 157
Author(s):  
A. Orihuela ◽  
R. Ungerfeld

Vocalisations can be used as reliable indicators of pain, but little information is available in rabbits, where acoustic tools for farming environments can be used for welfare judgements. The aim of this study was to compare vocalisations produced during copula ejaculation and electro-ejaculation (EE), with or without general anaesthesia, in domestic rabbits. Vocalisations of nine New Zealand white adult males were digitally recorded. The number of males vocalising and vocal characteristics including high, low, maximum and fundamental frequencies and duration of the vocalisations were analysed. There were no differences in the number of males vocalising or any vocalisation parameter between the 1<sup>st</sup> and 2<sup>nd</sup> ejaculation while copulating, even though the fundamental frequency increased in all males in the 2<sup>nd</sup> ejaculation (<em>P</em>=0.008). More males vocalised while mating than while being electro-ejaculated (<em>P</em>=0.03), and all vocalisation parameters were greater during EE than while mating (<em>P</em>=0.004). The use or not of anaesthesia during EE did not modify any of the parameters evaluated. It was concluded that: 1) more males vocalised during copula ejaculation than while being electro-ejaculated; 2) bio-acoustic analysis allowed us to identify aversive utterance vocalisations, which are characterised with higher frequencies, that those from non-aversive stimulus; and 3) at least with the anaesthetic combination and the responses studied, anaesthesia had no effect on the acoustic characteristics of the vocalisation emitted during EE in rabbits.


VCOT Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 03 (02) ◽  
pp. e182-e186
Author(s):  
Anthony Malak ◽  
Andrew S. Levien

Abstract Objective This study is a case description of the clinical application of locking plates to repair fractures in the radius and ulna of a 9-month-old, male domestic rabbit. Study Design This study is a case report. Results Double-threaded locking adaptation plates of 1.5 mm were fixated to the radius and ulna of the rabbit using the principles of orthogonal plating. Radiographs of the left radius and ulna were obtained at 8 weeks postoperatively depicting complete osseous union of the fracture and no implant complications were observed. Clinical Significance The authors describe the first clinical report of 1.5 mm locking adaptation plates having been used in repairing radius and ulna fractures in a domestic rabbit.


2019 ◽  
Vol 47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Halana Do Carmo Silva ◽  
Avisa Rodrigues De Oliveira ◽  
Rodrigo Dos Santos Horta ◽  
Betânia Souza Moereira ◽  
Tatiany Luiza Silveira ◽  
...  

Background: Malignant myoepithelioma is a rare neoplasm in humans and rats, poorly reported in dogs and not previously described in rabbits. This study aimed to report a case of malignant mammary myoepithelioma in a domestic rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus). Case: A domestic, hybrid, female, entire, nulliparous, seven-year-old rabbit was attended in the Veterinary Hospital Prof. Ricardo Alexandre Hippler at Universidade Vila Velha (UVV) with a history of apathy, lethargy and anorexia. In the clinical examination a 5 cm tumour was observed in the right abdominal mammary gland (M2), along with floating smaller lesions in M1 and M3. There were no palpable abnormalities in the axillary and inguinal lymph nodes. Complete blood count and serum biochemistry were within the normal range. Fine needle aspiration was performed for cytopathological evaluation of the tumour in M2 and it was suggestive of a malignant glandular neoplasm, with probable epithelial origin. Complete staging included chest and abdominal radiographs, but they were unremarkable. The patient was submitted to a right unilateral mastectomy, involving resection of the inguinal lymph node. The sample was sent to the Laboratory of Animal Pathology of UVV for routine histological evaluation. Histopathological evaluation in M2 was compatible with malignant myoepithelioma based on the literature, while nodules in M1 and M3 were classified as mammary cysts. The inguinal lymph node showed no significant abnormalities. An immunohistochemical panel was performed in the Comparative Pathology Laboratory of the Institute of Biological Sciences of the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), using immunomarkers (pan-cytokeratin, p63 and vimentin) to characterize the tumour and confirm its diagnosis. Immunohistochemistry revealed expression of p63, and was negative for pan-cytokeratin and vimentin, which confirmed the myoepithelial origin, without involvement of the epithelial compartment. Clinical follow-up was recommended every 2-3 months, including abdominal ultrasonography, chest X-rays, complete blood count and serum biochemistry. Ultrasonography showed thinning of the uterine wall, dilation of 3.7 cm in diameter and presence of endometrial cysts of varied sizes, around 0.7 cm. Neutering was recommended but it was not elected by the pet´s responsible. These findings remained stable throughout the follow-up, which was greater than 405 days.Discussion: This is the first report of a malignant myoepithelioma in rabbit, with a detailed description of the clinical, surgical, pathological and immunophenotypic aspects of this neoplasm in this species. This is a tumour characterized by proliferation of epithelioid to spindle-like myoepithelial cells, as observed in this case, forming an extensive and well delimited solid area with marked central necrosis, compatible with what has already been described in the literature on bitches and women. As observed in this case, the neoplastic cells usually exhibit moderate cellular and nuclear pleomorphism, moderate anisocytosis and anisokaryosis, and several mitotic figures; different from what is observed in women, in which mitotic figures vary from small to moderate amount. Neoplasia and mammary cysts were removed by mastectomy, and the owner choose not to castrate the animal. On ultrasonography, after 12 months, the endometrium presented structures similar to cysts and was hyperplastic, which is commonly reported in association to mammary neoplasia. Nervertheless, the pet´s owner choose not to spay the rabbit and the lesions were stable on imaging follow-up


2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 222-228
Author(s):  
Roman Ya. Vlasenko ◽  
Alexander V. Kotov

Aim. To carry out a comparative analysis of characteristics of drinking instrumental activity in rats with different manifestation of risk behavior before and after intracerebral introduction of equally productive dipsogenic doses of angiotensins. Materials and Мethods. The work was conducted on 19 Wistar male rats of 250300 g mass. All manipulations with animals were performed in accordance with the international ethic recommendations on biomedical research with use of animals. All rats were preliminarily scalped under ether anesthesia with removal of soft tissues and periosteum. The cannulae were introduced into rat’s brain through the trephine opening in the lateral ventricle. The length of each cannula was 8 mm, the internal diameter – 0.8 mm. All cannulae had a special restrictor at the distance of about 3.5 mm from the implantable end. Each animal was implanted one cannula into the lateral ventricle of the brain on the right or left side according to the coordinates of stereotaxic atlas for rats (L.D. Pellegrino at al., 1979) (AP = +1.0; L= 2; H= 2.5). Microinjections of substances were made into the brain of nonnarcotized animals using a microsyringe of 5 μL volume («Hamilton», the USA). For intraventricular microinjections, angiotensinII, angiotensinIII and [des – Asp1]angiotensinI («Sigma», the USA) were used. Results. In the article the mechanisms of realization of drinking instrumental activity in rats with different manifestations of risk behavior are described. In view of P.K. Anokhin’s general theory of functional systems, the effects of application of «equally productive» doses of angiotensins on initiation of specific patterns of drinking behavior in rats are discussed. Risk is considered as an independent component of systemic organization of purposive behavior of an individual. It is shown that the «integral pattern of individual behavior» of rats is selectively modulated by angiotensinII and angiotensinIII. This selectivity has a narrow focus and individual manifestations, depending on the background activity of the animals. Conclusion. Depending on the initial level of the intensity of instrumental activity of the animals (with different manifestations of risk behavior), angiotensin II and angiotensin III are involved into initiation of fullscale «integral pattern of individual drinking behavior» or participate in the directed modulation of complex purposive behavior manifested by enhancement of dipsogenic effect. At the same time, [des – Asp1]angiotensinI does not participate in the mechanisms of reproduction of the acquired drinking instrumental habits but induces only mechanisms of initiation of congenital individual forms of drinking behavior.


Ethology ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 103 (11) ◽  
pp. 893-901 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margarita Martínez-Gómez ◽  
Madai Guarneros ◽  
René Zempoalteca ◽  
Robyn Hudson

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