Lesions associated with Philometroides huronensis in the white sucker (Catostomus commersoni) of southern Ontario occurred during the spring (April-June) and were related to the development and release of first-stage larvae from the gravid nematode. With movement of the subgravid female into the membranous region of the fin, subepidermal tissues were mechanically disrupted and compacted near the nematode. Gravid females were encapsulated by fibrous tissue. Release of first-stage larvae from the gravid nematode was facilitated by a cutaneous opening, disruption of the fibrous capsule and rupture of the nematode. An acute local inflammatory response was associated with this function. Spent nematodes were sequestered and resorbed.

Blood and bone marrow samples were obtained from wild raccoons in the State of Connecticut to determine leukocyte and erythrocyte counts, hemoglobin, hematocrit, and peripheral blood and bone marrow differential counts. Calculations were made to determine mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration.

Muscle samples from 1497 Australian mammals, comprising 73 species (2 monotreme, 48 marsupial, 3 cetacean, 1 lagomorph, 10 rodent, 2 canid, 3 chiropteran and 4 cervid) were examined histologically for cysts of Sarcocystis. Cysts were recorded in 126 (8.4%) of the mammals examined. Type A cysts (cysts with thick walls and/or large zoites and/or internal trabeculation) were found in 77 (5.1%) of these mammals, representing 13 species (4 marsupial, 1 cetacean, 1 lagomorph and 7 rodent). Type B cysts (cysts with thin walls and small zoites) were found in 50 (3.3%) of the animals, representing 20 species (14 marsupial, 1 cetacean and 5 rodent).

The greatest prevalence of type A cysts (21.1%) was found in rabbits, Oryctolagus cuniculus. Among the rodents examined, type A cysts were more frequently encountered (11.1%) than type B (2.2%). In four species, Rattus fuscipes, R. lutreolus, R. rattus and Mus musculus, both types of cyst were found. Both types of cyst also were recorded in the macropodid marsupials, but type B cysts were encountered more frequently (7.2%) than type A cysts (1.7%) and only in one species, Macropus rufus, were both forms detected. Type B cysts were found in macropods in Tasmania as well as on the mainland of Australia, whereas only the mainland marsupials harbored type A cysts.

Scrapings of intestinal mucosa or feces were examined from 92 dasyurid marsupials, comprising 5 species, and from 55 feral cats (Felis domesticus). Sporulated sporocysts typical of Sarcocystis or Frenkelia were found in 1 Tasmanian devil, Sarcophilus harrisii, 1 tiger cat, Dasyurus maculatus, and 1 feral cat.

Twelve American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) were obtained from three different areas of South Carolina. One species of pentastome (Sebekia oxycephala), two species of nematodes (Dujardinascaris waltoni and Multicaecum tenuicolle), four species of trematodes (Polycotyle ornata, Acanthostomum coronarium, Archaeodiplostomum acetabulatum and Pseudocrocodilicola americaniense) and one species of hemogregarine (Haemogregarina crocodilnorum) were recovered. Polycotyle ornata was observed only in alligators from Par Pond while P. americaniense was found in Par Pond and coastal hosts, A. acetabulatum from Kiawah Island and coastal alligators, and A. coronarium only at Kiawah Island. These patterns suggest disjunct distributions for the trematode species in South Carolina alligators. The other parasites were found in alligators from all three locations. The only parasite observed to initiate damage or lesions in the alligator was the pentastome.

Four of 11 llamas (Lama guanicoe) from a ranch near Houston, Texas developed clinical signs of a neurologic disease. Tissues from 2 of the 4 llamas were submitted for microscopic examination. Lesions in the central nervous system of both llamas appeared to have been caused by a migrating parasite. An adult nematode having morphologic features of the meningeal worm (Parelap hostrongylus tenuis) was found in the brain of one llama. The findings suggest that the neurologic disease in the llamas were caused by P. tenuis.

A 16 year-old female California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) died in a zoological garden following a period of insidious weight loss. Necropsy revealed a loop of intestine strangulated by a fibrous ring connected to a pancreatic mass. Histopathologic diagnosis of the latter was pancreatic duct adenoma.

Normal mean values for packed cell volume, total erythrocyte count, total leukocyte count, total protein and mean corpuscular volume were obtained from 37 species of Strigiformes and Falconiformes representing 207 individuals.

Postmortem examination of a juvenile Australian fur seal, Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus, washed ashore on Phillip Island, Victoria, revealed traumatic fibrinous pericarditis and hemothorax. A foreign body lodged in the right ventricle was identified as the barbed spine of the ray Urolophus paucimaculatus. A small puncture wound through the esophagus indicated the initial perforation site.

One controlled and six critical tests were conducted in July, 1977 with northern fur seal pups (Callorhinus ursinus) to determine the efficacies of a single dose of dichlorvos capsules at 29.3 to 32.8 mg/kg, tablets at 10.5 to 11.5 mg/kg, or disophenol at 9.9 mg/kg given subcutaneously against natural infections of adult Uncinaria lucasi. In the controlled test, 20 pups were treated and 10 pups were nontreated. Removal of hookworms in this test was 99% for five pups receiving dichlorvos capsules, 99% for five pups receiving dichlorvos tablets, and 77% for 10 pups receiving disophenol. Also, both formulations of dichlorvos and the formulation of disophenol were highly active against natural infestations of two species of sucking lice (Proechinophthirus fluctus and Antarctopthirus callorhini).

In critical tests with four pups treated with dichlorvos capsules at 28.6 to 30.6 mg/kg, removal of hookworms was uniformly 100%. Disophenol at 9.9 mg/kg removed 100% and <1% of hookworms in two pups, respectively, in critical tests.

Direct and indirect immunoperoxidase (IP) techniques were evaluated for their potential in identifying infectious pancreatic necrosis (IPN) virus. Both techniques were shown to offer a relatively simple, rapid and efficient means for the specific identification of IPN virus in infected cells. The direct IP method resulted in less nonspecific staining; however, the indirect method was clearly specific and utilized commercially available reagents.

Sera from mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) and elk (Cervus canadensis) in central and northern Utah were tested for the prevalence of antibodies to 11 diseases communicable to man or domestic livestock. Antibodies to Francisella tularensis (at 1:20) were found in 47 of 88 (53.4%) elk and 1 of 89 (1.1%) deer. A screening slide agglutination test for titers to Brucella (at 1:20) showed two reactors in elk but none in deer sera. No positive antibody titers were obtained in tests for anaplasmosis, Colorado tick fever, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Q-fever, psittacosis, Powassan, western equine encephalitis, St. Louis encephalitis and California encephalitis.

Blood samples taken from five great horned owls (Bubo virginianus), eight red-tailed hawks (Buteo jamaicencis), four marsh hawks (Circus cyaneus), two prairie falcons (Falco mexicanus), five golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos), and five white leghorn chickens (Gallus domesticus) that had been fasted for 24 h were used to determine plasma levels of glucose by the glucose oxidase method. The mean plasma glucose levels were: great horned owls 374.6 mg/100 ml, red-tailed hawks 346.5 mg/100 ml, marsh hawks 369.3 mg/100 ml, prairie falcons 414.5 mg/100 ml, golden eagles 368.4 mg/100 ml, and white Leghorn chickens 218.2 mg/100 ml. The plasma glucose levels obtained for the raptorial birds in this study were considerably higher than those found for the chickens. These values are discussed in relation to the carnivorous food habits of raptors.

Salmonella typhimurium was isolated from an arthritic elbow joint of a crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) which also had bilateral osteomyelitis of proximal tibias. The prevalence of Salmonella organisms in wild birds is reviewed briefly.

Carnivores trapped in a rabies control program in Virginia were examined for rabies virus and serum neutralizing antibody. Local antibody prevalence ranged from 0% to 29% in gray foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus). Rabies virus was pantropic in naturally infected gray foxes and a bobcat (Lynx rufus).

Recent economic and aesthetic interest in North American bison (Bison bison) has lead to increased interstate transport of these animals. Serologic and hematologic standards for bison are needed to detect disease in transported animals as well as within herds. This paper describes variation in blood physiological parameters in bison caused by variations in diet and season. Blood was taken from six bison and analyzed for serologic and hematologic parameters. Significant variation was found in blood urea nitrogen, chloride, cholesterol, creatinine, eosinophil, glucose, hemoglobin, lactic dehydrogenase, leukocyte, packed cell volume, potassium, serum globulin, serum glutamic oxalacetic transaminase, SGPT, and sodium levels between animals receiving a high energy-high nitrogen diet and animals receiving a low energy-low nitrogen diet.

Ketamine and xylazine were combined to provide anesthesia for coyotes. The drugs were tested in eight adult animals divided equally by sex. A dosage combining 5.5 mg./kg. of each drug provided effective anesthesia for periods from 45 to 60 min.

Ten stranded cetaceans, representing five species, from the Oregon Coast were examined between 1973–1977. Fourteen genera of parasites, together with the pathogenesis and pathology associated with the presence of some of these parasites are reported.

Wildlife species made up 26 (2.0%) of 1,304 positive rabies cases received between 1969 and 1976. The jackal (Canis adustus) was the predominate wildlife species involved (69%) and played a role in the epidemiology of bovine rabies in remote farm areas. Rabies appears to be absent from the intact wildlife communities in Zambia, especially the National Parks; this is considered in the light of the epidemiology of the disease in wildlife.

Methoxyflurane inhalation was used a total of 58 times to anesthetize 23 hand-reared mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) fawns ranging from 25 to 85 days of age. Induction, maintenance, and recovery times were recorded for 28 anesthetizations. Induction time was unrelated to age and averaged 3 ± 1 min (X¯ ± SD). Recovery time was longest in the youngest fawns and varied with the depth but not with the length of anesthesia. Induction and recovery were smooth, the depth of anesthesia was easily controlled, and analgesia and muscle relaxation was excellent. No adverse effects or complications were encountered.

High mortality often occurs when many mule deer fawns (Odocoileus hemionus) are hand-raised together. Thymic atrophy frequently was observed in those that died. No specific pathologic agents could be identified. It was thought that there may be an adrenal corticoid-induced immunosuppression due to the stress of hand-rearing many fawns together. To study this problem, fawns were taken from the doe at two days of age and divided into four groups of five each. Two groups were from tame does and two from recently trapped wild does. Twins were separated into a single feeder group and into a multiple feeder group. There were no differences in stress between the groups as determined by urinary Cortisol and corticosterone/creatinine ratios. Humoral immunity following Clostridium toxoid vaccination was determined by immunodiffusion. Cell-mediated immunity was determined by dinitro-chlorobenzene skin tests. Serum protein electrophoresis, WBC counts, and weight gain were monitored. All groups showed similar weight gains, and humoral and cell-mediated immune responses. Serum gamma globulins, and total serum proteins were higher and segmented neutrophils lower in the fawns from the wild does throughout the duration of the eight-week study. This would indicate that these fawns had a greater passive immunity as a result of the ingestion of more colostrum, which most likely occurred as a result of better maternal care by the wild does.