Research Project Abstracts Msc Wild Animal Biology and Wild Animal
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Research Project Abstracts Urolithiasis in Asian short-clawed otters (ASCOs) – a review of urolith development and MSc Wild Animal Biology and diet practice over the last 20 years at BIAZA Wild Animal Health Student collections Conference 2019/20 Vanessa Lee Tuesday 8 September 2020 The prevalence of urolithiasis is unusually high in captive Asian small-clawed otters (Aonyx cinereus; SESSION ONE ASCO), but little is known about the condition. There is no literature that describes urolithiasis in free-living Chair: Maria Diez-Leon ASCOs, causing multiple authors to propose that the differences between captive and wild diets are to blame Female-biased sexual size dimorphism and for the higher prevalence of urolithiasis in captivity. We the determination of sex by morphometrics in reviewed the medical records and diets of 34 ASCOs in the curl-crested aracari (Pteroglossus the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) collection over beauharnaesii) a 20-year period to investigate the potential associations between diet and urolithiasis. Selected Storm Heaven dietary components were: (i) proportion of crustaceans, (ii) proportion of meat, (iii) dietary calcium, (iv) dietary The Ramphastidae family is mainly monomorphic oxalate, (v) dietary sodium, and (vi) crude protein. with only some species in the Selenidera and However, no meaningful conclusions were obtained due to various limitations. Future work should consider a Pteroglossus genus exhibiting phenotypic larger, more diverse sample, ideally with otters that had dimorphism. The Curl-crested Aracari (Pteroglossus only been fed a single diet throughout their lives. To find beauharnaesii) is a small, monomorphic toucan out if urolithiasis was associated with mortality or species inhabiting rain forest habitat in Brazil, Peru morbidity, we reviewed post-mortem (PM) examination and Bolivia. With no existing field methodology for reports and assigned scores depending on whether: (i) sex determination, little is known about the natural histopathology had been conducted, and (ii) there was history, ecology and evolutionary selection kidney damage. Urolithiasis was found to have minimal impact on mortality and morbidity, suggesting that pressures of this species. Six standard ornithological uroliths were incidental findings. The lack of routine parameters were measured from eighty-six adult monitoring proved to be a severe limitation. All skins obtained from museum collections and used in institutions should include regular radiographs at conjunction with the prior determination of sex via appropriate time intervals as an essential part of care identification of gonads, to establish the degree of for captive ASCOs. Furthermore, uroliths should sexual dimorphism within the species. For five of the specifically be looked for on necropsy, and histopathology conducted on kidneys to assess if six parameters, males generally measured larger uroliths had caused any organ damage. than females. Identified using univariate analyses, bill length was the only statistically significant Keywords: Asian small-clawed otter, urolithiasis, parameter differing between males and females (p dietary, captivity <0.001). A binary two-step logistic regression analyses with prior sex determination as the Cholelithiasis in Captive Mountain Chicken dependent variable was then used to determine the Frogs (Leptodactylus fallax): Diagnostic Imagine probability of a bird being male or female, based on and Histopathological Features the length of its bill. Using this method, the sex of 66.3% of specimens (females: 50%, males: 78%) Sara Martinez could be correctly determined. The results show that Mountain chicken frogs (Leptodactylus fallax) are a although cryptic sexual dimorphism is present for critically endangered species highly reliant on ex-situ most body measurements within Curl-crested conservation programs. In captivity, cholelithiasis has Aracaris, bill length is the only suitable ornithological been reported as an incidental finding during routine parameter for sex determination. health checks on ultrasonography and radiology and observed at postmortem. Furthermore, some Keywords: sexual dimorphism; Curl-crested individuals have presented non-specific clinical signs Aracari; Ramphastidae; morphometrics potentially associated with this condition, but little is known about its clinical relevance for the captive population. A retrospective evaluation of ultrasonographic (n = 139) and radiographic (n = 156) images and histopathology samples (n = 32) obtained between 2014 and 2020 from 133 individuals was performed. An ultrasound scoring system was infectious agents which could cause disease and proposed and proved suitable for evaluating jeopardise the translocation programme. Of the changes in the gallbladder, with 38% (53/139) of the infectious agents analysed, four posed non-negligible images showing abnormal contents in the risks to the translocation. The infectious agents gallbladder. Gallbladder distension appeared assessed to be of highest risks to the programme are associated with these findings (Generalized Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis and ranavirus, while estimating equation model, p< 0.001). In contrast, Chlamydia pneumoniae poses a medium risk and fungi radiography proved to have low overall sensitivity causing phaeohyphomycosis pose low risks. As such, (48%) when compared to ultrasonography for risk mitigation measures e.g. in the form of biosecurity identifying abnormal gallbladder contents. A weak barriers are crucial to prevent introduction of these level of agreement (Cohen’s Kappa, CK = 0.535) pathogens. was seen between the imaging modalities. A biosecurity assessment of the five zoological Description of the normal histology of the gallbladder collections was subsequently conducted against the in Leptodactylus fallax is presented. four infectious agents which posed non-negligible risks Histopathological features of cholelithiasis were to the translocation, through questionnaires and video varied: cholecystitis was present in 86% (12/14) of walk-throughs of the facilities. All five collections had the individuals, intrahepatic cholangitis in 90% biosecurity protocols guided by the ‘European (18/20) and thickening of the gallbladder wall in 71% Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) Best Practice (10/14). There was no evidence of cholestasis in any Guidelines for Mountain Chickens’, which was of the affected individuals. A significant difference assessed to be sufficient to safeguard against the four was observed in the hepatic melanomacrophage infectious agents studied. However, implementation of density between animals with and without the guidelines differed between facilities. cholelithiasis (Welch Two Sample t-test, p< 0.001). Several areas in each collection were identified as This study provides an overview on the use of potential points where pathogen incursion could occur. diagnostic imaging modalities to evaluate For example, substrate and live feed brought into the cholelithiasis and proposes a convenient ultrasound facilities, as these were often sourced from general score to standardize monitoring of the condition in suppliers with no treatment, disinfection or testing Leptodactylus fallax. To the author’s knowledge, this before introduction. Disinfection protocols also differed constitutes the first systematic review of between facilities and some facilities used disinfectants histopathological changes associated with which were not recommended or at concentrations cholelithiasis in this species. lower than recommended by the EAZA guidelines. Poor facility conditions resulting in fungal and algal growth, Biosecurity assessment of European zoos entry of pest invertebrates, barrier breach during housing mountain chickens (Leptodactylus personal protection equipment (PPE) change and fallax) for conservation translocation absence of water testing were other areas identified as risks to pathogen incursion. Audrey Chen Vast resources are required to house captive breeding programmes outside range states and the risk of The mountain chicken (MCF) (Leptodactylus fallax) pathogen incursion is high. However, constraints in is an IUCN listed Critically Endangered frog which is some range states might make it impossible to support of cultural and ecological significance to the nations such programmes e.g. proximity to original cause of of Dominica and Montserrat. Five zoological decline. It is important that all stakeholders involved in collections in Europe currently hold the ex-situ such programmes constantly review their processes breeding populations of MCF for conservation based on the latest scientific information and share best translocation. Being located outside the range states practices between institutions. and in zoological collections which house amphibians of different origins increase the risks of Keywords: Leptodactylus fallax; mountain chicken; alien pathogen incursion. disease risk analysis; biosecurity; conservation The IUCN recommends that a disease risk analysis translocation (DRA) be conducted before wildlife translocations. A DRA is a tool which helps to systematically identify Disease Consideration and The Use Of Disease animal health hazards associated with the Risk Analysis In Conservation Translocations: A translocation, assess the risk of those hazards and Review propose mitigation measures to address those risks. Justin Kaiser Due to time constraints of the project, a partial DRA using a method published by Zoological Society of As human populations and urbanization