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Background: Anthropogenic disturbances are the main threats to nonhuman primates conservation, and infectious diseases may also play a key role in primate population decline. This study aimed to determine the main causes of death in neotropical primates. Methods: A retrospective study of post‐mortem examinations was conducted on 146 neotropical primates between January 2000 and December 2018. Results: Conclusive diagnoses were obtained in 68.5% of the cases, of which 59 corresponded to non‐infectious causes and 41 to infectious diseases. Trauma was the main cause of death (54/100), with anthropogenic stressors caused by blunt force trauma injuries (collision with vehicles) and puncture wound injuries associated with interspecific aggression (dog predation) were the most common factors. Other causes of death included bacterial diseases (27%), followed by parasitic diseases (12%), neoplasms (2%), and viral diseases (2%). Conclusions: Free‐ranging primates were mostly affected by non‐infectious causes, while captive primates were by infectious conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports the case of a carcass of a stranded South American sea lion at Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil that tested positive for tuberculosis caused by Mycobacterium pinnipedii. It describes the physical condition of the specimen, the observations of reddish serous fluid in the thoracic cavity, and the identification of the isolate through a multiprimer polymerase chain reaction assay. Also discussed is the cause of mortality of the animal.

The article presents a study which characterized fibropapilloma associated herpesvirus in sea turtles living in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. A total of 14 turtles were observed between the beaches of Torres and Tavares from October 2008 to July 2010. Skin and fibropapilloma samples were analyzed to detect and quantify herpesvirus. All skin samples were found to be negative for herpesvirus, though the fibropapilloma specimen was found to be positive in both conventional and real time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays.

This report describes comminuted fractures in 2 cats repaired by stabilization with cortical bone allografts that had been preserved in honey. Both cats exhibited appropriate post-operative weight-bearing. Preservation of bone in honey is a simple and widely available alternative for bone banking. This is the first report of a bone defect in cats repaired with bone preserved in honey.

Case Summary: A 4-month-old cat had bilateral swellings of the mandible, maxilla, humerus and femur, and angular deviations in the axial and appendicular skeleton. The biochemical profile indicated hypercalcemia, hyperphosphatemia and increased parathyroid hormone levels. Because of the poor prognosis, the cat was euthanized. At necropsy, malleable and fragile bones, associated with numerous cystic areas containing yellowish and translucent liquid, were observed. Histologically, the bones showed marked diffuse proliferation of fibrous connective tissue, and large numbers of osteoclasts surrounding numerous cystic structures were also observed within fibrotic areas at the periphery of the trabecular bone. In addition, enlargement of the parathyroid glands, which was associated with increased serum concentrations of calcium, phosphorus and parathyroid hormone, was detected., Relevance and Novel Information: The changes observed in this cat are consistent with hyperparathyroidism-associated osteitis fibrosa cystica, which is an unusual presentation in the cat. Hyperparathyroidism, either primary (neoplastic) or secondary (nutritional or renal), is the primary cause of this condition., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.