Teresa Fernandes

Tuberculosis in mandrills at the Lisbon zoo.

SIR, — We would like to report two tuberculosis cases in a group of 10 mandrill baboons ( Mandrillus sphinx ) at the Lisbon zoo. In early 2006, a 16-year-old female, brought in from France in 1998, started to show signs of apathy, coughing and weight loss. Identical clinical signs were observed

SEVERE FIBRINONECROTIC ENTERITIS CAUSED BY PSEUDOMONAS AERUGINOSA IN A CAPTIVE MONITOR LIZARD (VARANUS NILOTICUS)

Abstract: Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an important pathogen that has been implicated in a number of serious conditions in humans and animals. Studies regarding the efficacy of antimicrobial drugs against virulent strains of P. aeruginosa in human and animal hosts have demonstrated that common therapeutic options are sometimes ineffective. In captive animals, in particular reptiles, literature on this topic is scarce. In this study, a 6-yr-old monitor lizard, Varanus niloticus, died suddenly without previous symptoms. Postmortem examination and bacteriologic analysis of necropsy samples revealed severe fibrinonecrotic enteritis caused by P. aeruginosa. The isolate presented a typical resistance profile, showing resistance to amoxycillin-clavulanic acid, ampicillin, cephotaxime, and sulphamethoxazole-trimethoprim. Virulence characterization demonstrated that the bacterium was able to express hemolysins, DNases, gelatinases, and lipases and had biofilm-forming ability. This study highlights the importance of surveillance for antimicrobial resistance and virulence traits in captive animals, which may present a challenge to practitioners.

Ovarian down Regulation by GnRF Vaccination Decreases Reproductive Tract Tumour Size in Female White and Greater One-Horned Rhinoceroses.

Reproductive tract tumours, specifically leiomyoma, are commonly found in female rhinoceroses. Similar to humans, tumour growth in rhinoceroses is thought to be sex hormone dependent. Tumours can form and expand from the onset of ovarian activity at puberty until the cessation of sex-steroid influences at senescence. Extensive tumour growth results in infertility. The aim of this study was to down regulate reproductive function of tumour-diseased and infertile females to stop further tumour growth using a Gonadotropin releasing factor (GnRF) vaccine. Four infertile southern white (Ceratotherium simum simum) and three Greater one-horned rhinoceroses (rhinoceros unicornis) with active ovaries and 2.7 ± 0.9 and 14.0 ± 1.5 reproductive tract tumours respectively were vaccinated against GnRF (Improvac®, Zoetis, Germany) at 0, 4 and 16 weeks and re-boostered every 6–8 months thereafter. After GnRF vaccination ovarian and luteal activity was suppressed in all treated females. Three months after vaccination the size of the ovaries, the number of follicles and the size of the largest follicle were significantly reduced (P<0.03). Reproductive tract tumours decreased significantly in diameter (Greater-one horned rhino: P<0.0001; white rhino: P<0.01), presumably as a result of reduced sex-steroid influence. The calculated tumour volumes were reduced by 50.8 ± 10.9% in Greater one-horned and 48.6 ± 12.9% in white rhinoceroses. In conclusion, GnRF vaccine effectively down regulated reproductive function and decreased the size of reproductive tract tumours in female rhinoceros. Our work is the first to use down regulation of reproductive function as a symptomatic treatment against benign reproductive tumour disease in a wildlife species. Nonetheless, full reversibility and rhinoceros fertility following GnRF vaccination warrants further evaluation.

A possible Madura foot from medieval Estremoz, southern Portugal

Maduromycosis, commonly called Madura foot, is an infectious pathology caused by fungi or bacteria, and it is native of the tropical, subtropical and equatorial areas. This paper presents a well preserved male skeleton, between 23 and 57 years old from a medieval necropolis (13th-15th centuries) in Estremoz, Portugal.The left foot of this individual showed marked alterations on the morphology of the calcaneus and cuboid that are ankylosed, which led to arthrosis of the calcaneous and talus. The five metatarsals have bone destruction and irregular subperiosteal new bone formation with multiple lytic foci and progressive osteoporosis with very little reactive bone formation. After a careful differential diagnosis, taking into consideration various pathological conditions,it was concluded that this is a possible case of maduromycosis.This study suggests that in the past this pathology could have been present in Europe, particularly in the Mediterranean region, and especially when the climatic conditions were conducive.This could be one of the first cases of maduromycosis infection published in an archaeological context.

Did military orders influence the general population diet? Stable isotope analysis from Medieval Tomar, Portugal

This study integrates bone collagen stable isotope data (carbon, nitrogen and sulphur) from 33 human adult tibiae (15 females; 18 males) and 13 faunal remains from Tomar, while it was under the Military Orders domain (eleventh–seventeenth centuries). Historical literature indicates that the amount of meat consumption amongst Templars was lower than in individuals with similar social status. In Medieval times, these Military Orders had total control of towns and angling and fishing rights, but their influence on the general population diet remains unknown. While no statistically significant differences (p > 0.05) were found between sexes, social status, or for bone collagen δ13C and δ34Sbetween age groups, δ15N did differ significantly with age, which may be related to tooth loss in old individuals. Additionally, the human samples have higher stable isotope differences, in comparison with faunal samples, than would be expected within the food web, particularly for δ13C. This human bone collagen δ13C enrichment may reflect a diet rich in aquatic protein intake, which is also supported by δ34S archived in human and faunal samples, and the presence of oysters and cockles shells at the excavation. The religious diet restrictions might have led to a higher intake of aquatic protein when meat consumption was not allowed.

Área funerária romana em Évora: dos restos ósseos aos rituais funerários

Apos intervencao parcial numa area funeraria romana (datada entre os secs. I e II d.C.) identificada em Evora, foi analisado em laboratorio o conteudo osteologico e odontologico de 11 estruturas funerarias de cremacao e uma de inumacao. Cruzando os resultados da analise antropologica com o espolio arqueologico associado foram obtidas informacoes em torno dos rituais funerarios, nomeadamente os associados a cremacao, e tracado o perfil biologico dos individuos. Verificou-se uma alta variabilidade na construcao e utilizacao das estruturas funerarias, quer na tipologia das mesmas, quer no processamento pos-crematorio, fenomeno comum em areas funerarias romanas de Hispania, tal como no restante espaco do Imperio romano. Nao foi identificada qualquer relacao entre o tipo de estruturas, as oferendas e a distribuicao etaria e sexual presente. No entanto, foi possivel observar, na area intervencionada, a tendencia para a utilizacao de graus de combustao elevados, a aplicacao da cremacao exclusivamente a cadaveres e nao a esqueletos e a forte presenca de nao adultos, a maioria com menos de um ano de vida (5/10). Este ultimo facto, se se estendesse a toda a area funeraria, poderia indicar uma alta mortalidade infantil na epoca, e surpreende pela conservacao de restos deindividuos muito jovens, face a fragilidade dos seus ossos.