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Survey of Gross and Histopathologic Findings In SURVEY OF GROSS AND HISTOPATHOLOGIC FINDINGS IN TWO WINTERING SUBPOPULATIONS OF SANDHILL CRANES (ANTIGONE CANADENSIS) Author(s): Martha Hensel, Miranda Bertram, Raquel Rech, Gabriel L. Hamer, and Sarah A. Hamer Source: Journal of Wildlife Diseases, 54(1):156-160. Published By: Wildlife Disease Association https://doi.org/10.7589/2017-02-036 URL: http://www.bioone.org/doi/full/10.7589/2017-02-036 BioOne (www.bioone.org) is a nonprofit, online aggregation of core research in the biological, ecological, and environmental sciences. BioOne provides a sustainable online platform for over 170 journals and books published by nonprofit societies, associations, museums, institutions, and presses. Your use of this PDF, the BioOne Web site, and all posted and associated content indicates your acceptance of BioOne’s Terms of Use, available at www.bioone.org/page/ terms_of_use. Usage of BioOne content is strictly limited to personal, educational, and non-commercial use. Commercial inquiries or rights and permissions requests should be directed to the individual publisher as copyright holder. BioOne sees sustainable scholarly publishing as an inherently collaborative enterprise connecting authors, nonprofit publishers, academic institutions, research libraries, and research funders in the common goal of maximizing access to critical research. DOI: 10.7589/2017-02-036 Journal of Wildlife Diseases, 54(1), 2018, pp. 156–160 Ó Wildlife Disease Association 2018 Survey of Gross and Histopathologic Findings in Two Wintering Subpopulations of Sandhill Cranes (Antigone canadensis) Martha Hensel,1 Miranda Bertram,2 Raquel Rech,1 Gabriel L. Hamer,3 and Sarah A. Hamer2,4 1Texas A&M University, Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, 4467 TAMU, College Station, Texas 77843, USA; 2Texas A&M University, Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, 4458 TAMU, College Station, Texas 77843, USA; 3Texas A&M University, Department of Entomology, 2475 TAMU, College Station, Texas 77843, USA; 4Corresponding author (email: [email protected]) ABSTRACT: Sandhill Cranes (Antigone canadensis) al hunters, there is little information regarding of the midcontinent population (MCP) and Rocky disease prevalence in the wild population. Mountain population (RMP) are migratory game Known agents of disease in captive and wild birds with stable populations that travel between Canada and the southern US and Mexico. In the Sandhill Crane populations include Eimeria winters of 2012–14, we performed gross and sp. (disseminated visceral coccidiosis), para- histologic examinations of 43 hunter-harvested sitic helminths, Haemosporida, inclusion body Sandhill Cranes in Texas (MCP) and New Mexico disease virus, West Nile virus, and mycotoxins (RMP) to assess the impact of disease on (Docherty and Romaine 1983; Forrester and populations. Lesions were significantly more common in the MCP relative to the RMP, likely Spalding 2003; Hansen et al. 2008). The MCP reflecting differential environmental exposure to consists of the Lesser (A. c. canadensis) and pathogens and parasites. Grossly, liver nodules Greater (A. c. tabida) subspecies and the and esophageal granulomas were present in 8– RMP consists of the Greater subspecies only 39% of birds. In feces from over half of birds, we (Dubovsky 2016). Our purpose was to docu- found coccidian oocysts with mitochondrial gene sequences identical to those of Eimeria gruis and ment necropsy findings from cross-sections of Eimeria reichenowi previously obtained from migratory Sandhill Cranes in Texas and New sympatric Whooping Cranes (Grus americana). Mexico to provide baseline health status data Over one-quarter of birds had liver and cardiac on these robust populations which can be lesions suggestive of disseminated visceral coc- evaluated with future studies of the birds in cidiosis. We documented proliferative colitis due to Cryptosporidium in a wild Sandhill Crane. changing environmental conditions. Additionally, several endoparasites were found in The Lesser and Greater Sandhill Cranes histologic sections from several cranes, including a from the MCP that were examined included bird with respiratory trematodiasis and two birds 24 wintering near Canyon, Texas (3485804600 N, with Tetrameres sp. in the proventriculus associ- 10185503300 W), and seven wintering near ated with ductal ectasia. In addition to describing 0 00 0 00 lesions and parasites that impact Sandhill Crane Francitas, Texas (28851 35 N, 96820 19 W). health, these pathology data may also be relevant The Greater Sandhill Cranes from the RMP for the conservation of endangered Whooping that were examined included 12 wintering Cranes using a surrogate species approach. near Socorro, New Mexico (348304200 N, Key words: Antigone canadensis, Eimeria, 10685305800 W). All birds were collected be- pathology, Sandhill Crane. tween November 2012 and January 2014. Birds were necropsied within 6 h of death. Sandhill Cranes (Antigone canadensis)of Birds were weighed and aged based on the midcontinent population (MCP) and the plumage, and sex was determined by visuali- Rocky Mountain population (RMP) migrate zation of the gonads. A systematic necropsy yearly from summer breeding grounds in the was performed and samples from tongue, northwestern US, western Canada, Alaska, larynx, trachea, esophagus, crop, proventricu- and eastern Siberia to wintering grounds in lus, ventriculus, duodenum, pancreas, jeju- Texas, New Mexico, California, Arizona, and num, ileum, cecum, colon, spleen, liver, lungs, Mexico (Dubovsky 2016). A popular species heart, thyroids, kidneys, adrenal glands, go- with birdwatching enthusiasts and recreation- nads, bursa (when present), skeletal muscle, 156 SHORT COMMUNICATIONS 157 TABLE 1. Sex, age, and weight range of hunter-killed TABLE 2. Histologic lesions in wintering Sandhill Sandhill Cranes (Antigone canadensis) examined by Cranes (Antigone canadensis) examined by necropsy necropsy for diseases by harvest site in Texas, USA for diseases, from the midcontinent population (MCP; (midcontinent subpopulation) and New Mexico, USA n¼31) and the Rocky Mountain population (RMP; (Rocky Mountain subpopulation), winter 2012–14. n¼12), winter 2012–14. Weight No. (%) Harvest site Sex Age range (kg) Histologic diagnosis MCP RMP Canyon, 16 male 5 adult 2.3–4.0 Texas 5 female 19 juvenile Necrotizing hepatitis 12 (39) 0 3 unknown Lymphohistiocytic hepatitis 7 (23) 0 Francitas, 4 male 6 adult 3.1–4.5 Submucosal esophageal granulomas 9 (29) 0 Texas 3 female 1 juvenile Myocarditis 11 (36) 0 Socorro, 7 male 11 adult 4.0–6.5 Enteritis secondary to intestinal 18 (58) 1 (8) New Mexico 4 female 1 juvenile occidiosis 1 unknown Enteritis without intestinal coccidiosis 0 4 (33) Air sac and tracheal granulomas 4 (13) 0 Proliferative colitis 2 (7) 0 sciatic nerve, and brain were collected from Proventricular tetramariasis 2 (7) 0 each bird and preserved in 10% neutral buffered formalin and trimmed for microscop- ic examination. Feces were collected when the Canyon, Texas, harvest had a presumably present in the lower intestinal tract and traumatic amputation of the right tarsometa- subjected to fecal flotation for the identifica- tarsus. tion of coccidian oocysts as previously de- A total of nine histologic diagnoses were scribed (Bertram et al. 2015). associated with the cranes (Table 2); in Of the 43 harvested birds, adults (n¼22) comparison to the Texas birds, birds in the and juveniles (n¼21) were equally represent- New Mexico population had fewer histologic ed, and the majority (63%) were male while lesions. The lower prevalence of both gross 28% were female with the remainder of and microscopic findings in the RMP relative unknown sex (Table 1). Gross lesions included to the MCP likely reflects differential envi- multifocal, tan, 2–3-mm nodules in the livers ronmental exposure to pathogens and para- of 39% (12/31) of birds harvested in Texas and sites. Random, mild to moderate, multifocal 8% (1/12) of birds harvested in New Mexico. necrotizing hepatitis or lymphohistiocytic Submucosal esophageal nodules interpreted hepatitis were noted in 39% and 23% of as granulomas were identified in 26% (8/31) birds, respectively, all from the MCP. Al- birds from Texas and a single bird from New though experimental and natural coccidian Mexico (8%, 1/12; v2¼10.9, df¼2, P¼0.004). infections have resulted in granulomatous or Additionally, coccidian oocysts consistent with necrotizing hepatitis depending on the stage Eimeria gruis and Eimeria reichenowi were of infection, lesions in naturally infected birds noted in 74% (17/23) and 57% (4/7) fecal are not as severe as those seen in experimental samples from birds harvested in Texas and models (Novilla and Carpenter 2004), and we New Mexico, respectively. The oocysts had did not note intralesional coccidia in the identical mitochondrial gene sequences to hepatic lesions. Eleven birds—all from the those we previously obtained from Eimeria MCP—had multifocal mild histiocytic and spp. in voided wild Whooping Crane (Grus heterophilic myocarditis with cardiomyofiber americana) feces (Bertram et al. 2015). There loss and necrosis. The heart and liver lesions was no association between the presence of are suggestive of disseminated visceral coc- granulomas grossly and the presence of cidiosis caused by E. gruis and E. reichenowi oocysts in the feces (v2¼0.068, df¼1, (Courtney et al. 1975; Novilla and Carpenter P¼0.794). Additionally, a juvenile bird from
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