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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]

A 15-year-old captive female Urutu snake (Bothrops alternatus) was presented with anorexia, apathy, dehydration, pale mucous membranes and marked enlargement of the caudal third of the coelomic cavity. Radiographs and ultrasonography were suggestive of faecal impaction or neoplasia. Post-mortem findings consisted of solid faecal impaction of the intestines, secondary to obstruction caused by a rectal tumour. Cytological examination of impression smears of the tumour revealed polygonal to round neoplastic cells arranged in clusters in an abundant extracellular mucinous matrix. Histologically, there was transmural growth of neoplastic epithelial cells arranged in small nests or individually and immersed in abundant extracellular mucin lakes. The neoplastic cells were immunopositive for cytokeratin. Clinical and pathological aspects indicated a diagnosis of mucinous rectal adenocarcinoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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. Ce rapport décrit deux fractures comminutives réparées par la stabilisation à l'aide de l'allogreffe de la corticale qui avait été préservée dans du miel. Les deux chats ont manifesté une mise en charge postopératoire appropriée. La préservation de l'os dans du miel est une méthode de remplacement simple et facilement disponible comme ostéothèque. Il s'agit du premier rapport d'un défaut osseux chez des chats qui a été réparé à l'aide d'un os préservé dans du miel. [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.