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Musk deer are of high conservation priority owing to poaching pressure because of its musk pod. Representation of musk deer status using genetics is poorly documented in India, and it is not confirmed as to how many species of musk deer are present. We characterize for the first time, the genetic diversity of musk deer from Uttarakhand using Cytochrome Oxidase sub-unit (COI) gene (486 bp) and compared with the data available for other species. Results revealed the presence of six haplotypes in the Uttarakhand population amongst 17 sequences. Of these, 12 sequences shared the single haplotype. The intra-species sequences divergence was 0.003–0.017, whereas divergence with other species of musk deer was 0.071–0.081. Bayesian phylogenetic tree revealed that samples from Uttarakhand formed a separate clade with respect to other species of musk deer, whereas three species distributed in China clustered in the same clade and showed low sequences divergence, i.e., 0.002–0.061. Because of different ecomorph reported, we suggest using the barcoding based approach for inter and intra-species distinction and delineating species boundaries across the range for effective conservation. Besides, systematic classification, DNA barcoding would also help in dealing wildlife offence cases for disposal of the legal report in court. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hangul (Cervus elaphus hanglu) is of great conservation concern because it represents the easternmost and only hope for an Asiatic survivor of the red deer species in the Indian subcontinent. Despite the rigorous conservation efforts of the Department of Wildlife Protection in Jammu & Kashmir, the hangul population has experienced a severe decline in numbers and range contraction in the past few decades. The hangul population once abundant in the past has largely become confined to the Dachigam landscape, with a recent population estimate of 218 individuals. We investigated the genetic variability and demographic history of the hangul population and found that it has shown a relatively low diversity estimates when compared to other red deer populations of the world. Neutrality tests, which are used to evaluate demographic effects, did not support population expansion, and the multimodal pattern of mismatch distribution indicated that the hangul population is under demographic equilibrium. Furthermore, the hangul population did not exhibit any signature of bottleneck footprints in the past, and Coalescent Bayesian Skyline plot analysis revealed that the population had not experienced any dramatic changes in the effective population size over the last several thousand years. We observed a strong evidence of sub-structuring in the population, wherein the majority of individuals were assigned to different clusters in Bayesian cluster analysis. Population viability analysis demonstrated insignificant changes in the mean population size, with a positive growth rate projected for the next hundred years. We discuss the phylogenetic status of hangul for the first time among the other red deer subspecies of the world and strongly recommend to upgrade hangul conservation status under IUCN that should be discrete from the other red deer subspecies of the world to draw more conservation attention from national and international bodies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Now-a-days processed and canned food products are consumed in increasing quantity in all developing and developed countries following changes in human lifestyle. However, customers are often fooled by products they buy and such frauds frequently go unreported since species identification requires technical inputs and considerable time and efforts. We bought two canned meat packets labelled as ‘classic delicious deer meat’ from Shanghai Pudong International Airport, Shanghai (People’s Republic of China) to understand its origin as deer meat is legally prohibited in many parts of the world. In this study, we screened these samples with DNA barcoding approach using conserved mitochondrial genes. Homology search on NCBI and phylogenetic analysis identified these samples to have originated from a domestic pig of China. We propose that the methodology used is appropriate for identifying the processed and canned food products and further suggest to check the labelling regulations to guarantee the protection of consumers’ rights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quadruple valve infective endocarditis of apparently normal native valves is a relatively uncommon condition, reported particularly in the setting of intravenous drug use, structural heart disease and immunocompromised state, but its occurrence outside these settings is rare. Multiple valve endocarditis is caused by Staphylococcus aureus in the majority of cases. Although Enterococcus faecalis is a common cause of bacterial infective endocarditis overall, it is rarely reported to cause multiple valve involvement. The present case is one such rare report of a patient who had quadruple valve endocarditis of normal native valves, caused by E. faecalis. Compared to single valve endocarditis, multiple valve disease is associated more frequently with heart failure, perivalvular complications and need for heart surgery; hence, early recognition of the extent of disease and number of valves involved is crucial, as this in turn influences the management, risk of complications and outcomes. Transthoracic echocardiography is a widely used first-line tool in the imaging of infective endocarditis, but transesophageal echocardiography, which is more sensitive, should be used more frequently to assess the extent of involvement. Extensive valvular involvement alone does not preclude medical management, and surgical management should be considered only in those who do not respond to antimicrobials or in the case of hemodynamic compromise or mechanical complications.