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Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) is an important animal health and economic problem for the cattle industry and a potential zoonotic threat. Wild badgers ( Meles meles ) play a role on its epidemiology in some areas of high prevalence in cattle, particularly in the UK and Republic of Ireland and increasingly in parts of mainland Europe. However, little is known about the involvement of badgers in areas on the spatial edge of the cattle epidemic, where increasing prevalence in cattle is seen. Here we report the findings of a study of found-dead (mainly road-killed) badgers in six counties on the edge of the English epidemic of bTB in cattle. The overall prevalence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTC) infection detected in the study area was 51/610 (8.3%, 95% CI 6.4–11%) with the county-level prevalence ranging from 15 to 4–5%. The MTC spoligotypes of recovered from badgers and cattle varied: in the northern part of the study area spoligotype SB0129 predominated in both cattle and badgers, but elsewhere there was a much wider range of spoligotypes found in badgers than in cattle, in which infection was mostly with the regional cattle spoligotype. The low prevalence of MTC in badgers in much of the study area, and, relative to in cattle, the lower density of sampling, make firm conclusions difficult to draw. However, with the exception of Cheshire (north-west of the study area), little evidence was found to link the expansion of the bTB epidemic in cattle in England to widespread badger infection.

The generic term “Gill disease” refers to a wide range of disorders that affect the gills and severely impact salmonid aquaculture systems worldwide. In rainbow trout freshwater aquaculture, various etiological agents causing gill diseases have been described, particularly Flavobacterium and Amoeba species, but research studies suggest a more complex and multifactorial aetiology. Here, a cohort of rainbow trout affected by gill disease is monitored both through standard laboratory techniques and 16S rRNA Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) analysis during a natural disease outbreak and subsequent antibiotic treatment with Oxytetracycline. NGS results show a clear clustering of the samples between pre- and post-treatment based on the microbial community of the gills. Interestingly, the three main pathogenic bacteria species in rainbow trout ( Yersinia ruckeri , Flavobacterium psychrophilum , and Flavobacterium branchiophilum ) appear to be weak descriptors of the diversity between pre-treatment and post-treatment groups. In this study, the dynamics of the gill microbiome during the outbreak and subsequent treatment are far more complex than previously reported in the literature, and environmental factors seem of the utmost importance in determining gill disease. These findings present a potential novel perspective on the diagnosis and management of gill diseases, showing the limitations of conventional laboratory methodologies in elucidating the complexity of this disease in rainbow trout. To the authors’ knowledge, this work is the first to describe the microbiome of rainbow trout gills during a natural outbreak and subsequent antibiotic treatment. The results of this study suggest that NGS can play a critical role in the analysis and comprehension of gill pathology. Using NGS in future research is highly recommended to gain deeper insights into such diseases correlating gill’s microbiome with other possible cofactors and establish strong prevention guidelines.

Cetacean neuropathology is a developing field that aims to assess structural and neurochemical changes involved in neurodegenerative, infectious and traumatic processes, however markers used previously in cetaceans have rarely undergone systematic validation. This is a prerequisite to investigating the potential damage inflicted on the cetacean auditory system by anthropogenic noise. In order to assess apoptotic, neuroinflammatory and structural aberrations on a protein level, the baseline expression of biomarker proteins has to be characterized, implementing a systematic approach to validate the use of anti-human and anti-laboratory animal antibodies in dolphin tissues. This approach was taken to study 12 different antibodies associated with hypoxic-ischemic, inflammatory, plastic and excitatory-inhibitory changes implicated in acoustic trauma within the ventral cochlear nuclei and inferior colliculi of 20 bottlenose dolphins ( Tursiops truncatus ). Out of the 12 tested antibodies, pro-apoptotic protease factor 1 (Apaf-1), diacylglycerolkinase-ζ (DGK-ζ), B-cell lymphoma related protein 2 (Bcl-2), amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) and neurofilament 200 (NF200) were validated employing Western blot analyses and immunohistochemistry (IHC). The results of the validation process indicate specific patterns of immunoreactivity that are comparable to those reported in other mammals, thus suggesting a key panel of IHC biomarkers of pathological processes in the cetacean brain. As a consequence, the antibodies tested in this study may constitute a valid tool for supporting existing diagnostic methods in neurological diseases. The approach of systematic validation of IHC markers in cetaceans is proposed as a standard practice, in order for results to be transparent, reliable and comparable.

Background Metabolic adaptations can sustain the pro-neoplastic functions exerted by macrophages in the tumor microenvironment. Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNSTs), aggressive and incurable sarcomas that develop either sporadically or in the context of the genetic syndrome Neurofibromatosis type 1, are highly infiltrated by macrophages, whose contribution to MPNST growth remains poorly characterized. Here, we analyze the role played by the molecular chaperone TRAP1, a regulator of mitochondrial metabolic pathways, in shaping the pro-tumoral activity of macrophages associated to MPNST cells. Methods We have studied the phenotypic changes elicited by a MPNST cell-conditioned medium in macrophages with or without TRAP1, and their subsequent ability to support MPNST cell growth and migration and endothelial cell angiogenesis. Results The presence of TRAP1 is required in both naive and M2-like macrophages for eliciting phenotypic changes that lead to the acquisition of pro-neoplastic features. TRAP1-expressing macrophages become able to sustain MPNST cell growth and migration and to exert pro-angiogenic properties on endothelial cells through accumulation of the metabolite succinate and the ensuing activation of a HIF-1α-dependent transcriptional program. Conclusions Our data provide evidence of a molecular crosstalk between MPNST cellular components, in which soluble factors released by cancer cells drive phenotypic changes in macrophages that in turn enhance pro-tumoral biological routines in both MPNST and endothelial cells. TRAP1-dependent metabolic rewiring in macrophages is mandatory for sustaining this interplay, as a TRAP1-succinate-HIF-1α signaling axis orchestrates their acquisition of tumor-promoting features. Graphical abstract

The griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus fulvus) is a scavenger species that plays a vital ecological role in carrion removal. Successful survival and reproduction in captive and wildlife conditions require optimal physical status and plumage integrity. Nutritional and environmental factors, systemic diseases, and various etiological agents can influence feather alterations. Although frequently documented in captive psittacine species, feather abnormalities are extremely rare in wild birds. Since 2020, two free-living griffon vultures in northeastern Italy have been found in poor physical condition, unable to fly due to partial feather loss and malformation of remiges and rectrices. Histopathologic examination of follicles and peri-follicular tissue revealed atrophy, keratin replacement, vasculitis, and calamus dystrophy with lymphohistiocytic perivasculitis. Immunohistochemical and ultrastructural analysis identified the presence of virus-like particles in epithelial and inflammatory cells. Although virome analysis did not confirm the presence of this virus in pooled affected samples, this study provides the first report of an emerging plumage disorder in free-ranging griffon vultures, which requires further characterization.

A 10-year-old Labrador Retriever bitch, spayed at 2 years of age, was presented to our veterinary care facility with a history of vulvar swelling, vaginal discharge, and male attraction for over 1 month. Vaginoscopy revealed edema and reddening of the vaginal mucosa. Vaginal cytology was consistent with estrus, while serum progesterone levels remained at baseline. On abdominal ultrasound, the uterus was hyperplastic, and fluid-filled cysts were visualized at both ovarian anatomic sites. Hysterectomy and excision of tissue from both ovarian sites were performed 10 days after the initial presentation. The gross appearance of the uterus was consistent with cystic endometrial hyperplasia (CEH), confirmed by histopathology. Ovaries were not detected microscopically; however, small multifocal nests, occasionally forming pseudocysts or follicle-like structures, were observed in continuity with the uterine horns and embedded within the myometrium. These nests consisted of well-differentiated round to polygonal and occasionally spindle-shaped cells that underwent luteinization. These cells were immunopositive for inhibin- α , weakly immunopositive for progesterone receptor, and immunonegative for estrogen receptor α. Serum anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) was elevated before hysterectomy and returned to basal levels afterward. Based on these findings, the cells were identified as granulosa cells embedded within the uterine tissue. We propose an embryological defect or iatrogenic seeding of ovarian tissue within the uterus as the most likely differential diagnosis, although neoplastic granulosa cells could not be completely ruled out, even though this is extremely unlikely. All clinical signs resolved after surgery, and the bitch did not exhibit any recurrence of estrus behavior until her death, approximately 2.5 years later.

The genus Macavirus, subfamily Gammaherpesvirinae, comprises ungulate viruses that infect domestic and wild ruminants and swine. They cause asymptomatic latent infections in reservoir hosts and malignant catarrhal fever in susceptible species. Lung, spleen, bronchial lymph node, and tongue were collected from 448 cattle (348 necropsied, 100 slaughtered) in Switzerland, United Kingdom, Finland, Belgium, and Germany to determine their infection with bovine herpesvirus-6 (BoHV-6) and gammaherpesviruses of other ruminants, i.e., ovine herpesvirus-1 and -2, caprine herpesvirus-2, and bison lymphotropic herpesvirus, using quantitative PCR. Only BoHV-6 was detected, with an overall frequency of 32%, ranging between 22% and 42% in the different countries. Infection was detected across all ages, from one day after birth, and was positively correlated with age. There was no evidence of an association with specific disease processes. In positive animals, BoHV-6 was detected in all organs with high frequency, consistently in the lungs or spleen. Viral loads varied substantially. In BoHV-6-positive gravid cows, organs of fetuses tested negative for infection, indicating that the virus is not vertically transmitted. Our results confirm previous data indicating that BoHV-6 is a commensal of domestic cattle not associated with disease processes and confirm that infections with other macaviruses are rare and sporadic.

Background AMBRA1 is an intrinsically disordered protein, working as a scaffold molecule to coordinate, by protein-protein interaction, many cellular processes, including autophagy, mitophagy, apoptosis and cell cycle progression. The zebrafish genome contains two ambra1 paralogous genes ( a and b ), both involved in development and expressed at high levels in the gonads. Characterization of the zebrafish paralogous genes mutant lines generated by CRISPR/Cas9 approach showed that ambra1b knockout leads to an all-male population. Results We demonstrated that the silencing of the ambra1b gene determines a reduction of primordial germ cells (PGCs), a condition that, in the zebrafish, leads to the development of all-male progeny. PGC reduction was confirmed by knockdown experiments and rescued by injection of ambra1b and human AMBRA1 mRNAs, but not ambra1a mRNA. Moreover, PGC loss was not rescued by injection with human AMBRA1 mRNA mutated in the CUL4-DDB1 binding region, thus suggesting that interaction with this complex is involved in PGC protection from loss. Results from zebrafish embryos injected with murine  Stat3 mRNA and stat3 morpholino suggest that Ambra1b could indirectly regulate this protein through CUL4-DDB1 interaction. According to this, Ambra1 +/− mice showed a reduced Stat3 expression in the ovary together with a low number of antral follicles and an increase of atretic follicles, indicating a function of Ambra1 in the ovary of mammals as well. Moreover, in agreement with the high expression of these genes in the testis and ovary, we found significant impairment of the reproductive process and pathological alterations, including tumors, mainly limited to the gonads. Conclusions By exploiting ambra1a and ambra1b knockout zebrafish lines, we prove the sub-functionalization between the two paralogous zebrafish genes and uncover a novel function of Ambra1 in the protection from excessive PGC loss, which seems to require binding with the CUL4-DDB1 complex. Both genes seem to play a role in the regulation of reproductive physiology.

and are common protozoan parasites affecting several animal species and humans. The aim of this survey was to investigate, for the first time, their prevalence in red fox ( ) faecal samples in central Italy. Seventy-one red foxes of different ages and sexes were examined for antigenic detection of and in fecal samples by means of a commercial rapid immunochromatographic test. The sample was randomly selected from foxes culled during a population control program. They were divided into groups based on sex and age (≤1-year-old and >1-year-old). Five (7%) and one (1.4%) out of 71 fecal samples were positive for the or antigens by immunochromatographic assay, respectively, and no coinfections were observed. The present prevalence rates of and antigens in faeces from suggest that this host species is likely to play only a limited role in the spread of the two protozoa in the study area. A concise review of the literature related to and in is presented.

Coronaviruses (CoVs) are worldwide distributed RNA-viruses affecting several species, including humans, and causing a broad spectrum of diseases. Historically, they have not been considered a severe threat to public health until two outbreaks of COVs-related atypical human pneumonia derived from animal hosts appeared in 2002 and in 2012. The concern related to CoVs infection dramatically rose after the COVID-19 global outbreak, for which a spill-over from wild animals is also most likely. In light of this CoV zoonotic risk, and their ability to adapt to new species and dramatically spread, it appears pivotal to understand the pathophysiology and mechanisms of tissue injury of known CoVs within the “One-Health” concept. This review specifically describes all CoVs diseases in animals, schematically representing the tissue damage and summarizing the major lesions in an attempt to compare and put them in relation, also with human infections. Some information on pathogenesis and genetic diversity is also included. Investigating the lesions and distribution of CoVs can be crucial to understand and monitor the evolution of these viruses as well as of other pathogens and to further deepen the pathogenesis and transmission of this disease to help public health preventive measures and therapies.