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This study investigated the birth of a brownbanded bamboo shark Chiloscyllium punctatum at the Steinhart Aquarium. Genetic analyses suggest this is the longest documented case of sperm storage for any species of shark (45 months).

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This study was undertaken to characterize the population pharmacokinetics (PK), therapeutic dose, and preferred route of administration for pyrazinamide (PZA) in elephants. Twenty-three African (Loxodonta africana) and Asian (Elephas maximus) elephants infected with or in contact with others culture positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis were dosed under treatment conditions. PZA was dosed daily at 20-30 mg/kg via oral (fasting or nonfasting state) or rectal (enema or suppository) administration. Blood samples were collected 0-24 h postdose. Population PK was estimated using nonlinear mixed effect modeling. Drug absorption was rapid with T(max) at or before 2 h regardless of the method of drug administration. C(max) at a mean dose of 25.6 (+/-4.6) mg/kg was 19.6 (+/-9.5 microg/mL) for PZA given orally under fasting conditions. Under nonfasting conditions at a mean dose of 26.1 +/- 4.2 mg/kg, C(max) was 25% (4.87 +/- 4.89 microg/mL) and area under concentration curve (AUC) was 30% of the values observed under fasting conditions. Mean rectal dose of 32.6 +/- 15.2 mg/kg yielded C(max) of 12.3 +/- 6.3 microg/mL, but comparable AUC to PZA administered orally while fasting. Both oral and rectal administration of PZA appeared to be acceptable and oral dosing is preferred because of the higher C(max) and lower inter-subject variability. A starting dose of 30 mg/kg is recommended with drug monitoring between 1 and 2 h postdose. Higher doses may be required if the achieved C(max) values are below the recommended 20-50 microg/mL range.

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We recently described the clinical presentation and treatment of 18 elephants from six herds infected with TB. Treatment protocols and methods varied between herds to include both oral and rectal dosing using multiple drug doses and formulations. In this paper we present information regarding the pharmacokinetics (PK) of isoniazid (INH) in elephants and provide suggestions regarding initial treatment regimens. Forty-one elephants received INH daily by either oral or rectal administration with different formulations. Population PK analysis was performed using Non-linear Mixed Effect Modeling (NONMEM). Results of oral administration indicated that compared with premixed INH solution, the drug exposure was highest with a suspension prepared freshly with INH powder. When INH was concomitantly given as an admixture over food, Tmax was delayed and variability in drug absorption was significantly increased. Compared with oral administration, similar drug exposures were found when INH was dosed rectally. The data generated suggest that a starting dose of 7.5 mg/kg of INH is appropriate for initial TB treatment in elephants when premixed solution is administered directly into the oropharynx or rectal vault and 4 mg/kg are when INH is administered following immediate suspension from powdered form.

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The deaths of two Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) in August 1996 led the United States Department of Agriculture to require the testing and treatment of elephants for tuberculosis. From August 1996 to September 1999. Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection was confirmed by culture in 12 of 118 elephants in six herds. Eight diagnoses were made antemortem on the basis of isolation of M. tuberculosis by culture of trunk wash samples; the remainder (including the initial two) were diagnosed postmortem. We present the case histories, epidemiologic characteristics, diagnostic test results, and therapeutic plans from these six herds. The intradermal tuberculin test, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay serology, the blood tuberculosis test, and nucleic acid amplification and culture are compared as methods to diagnose M. tuberculosis infection in elephants.

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Toxoplasma gondii tachyzoites were seen in the placenta of a late-term aborted Greenland muskox (Ovibos moschatus wardi) fetus in a captive herd at the San Francisco Zoo. The organism stained with anti-T. gondii polyclonal rabbit serum but not with anti-Neospora caninum serum. The dam had a Toxoplasma titer of > or =1:3,200 at the time of abortion and in each of the previous 3 yr (modified agglutination test). The muskox is a new host record for T. gondii.

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A blacktip reef shark (Carcharhinus melanopterus) with a history of recurrent eversion or prolapse of the valvular intestine, arrived at the Steinhart Aquarium in June 1996 and was placed in a mixed species shark display. The eversion soon reappeared, and the animal became thin and anorexic. The everted portion of the intestine was bitten by another shark and became infected. Treatment included force-feeding, manual reduction of the eversion, hydrocortisone suppositories held in place with purse-string sutures, and injections of enrofloxacin. All treatments ultimately failed, and the animal died in March 1997. Necropsy revealed that the intestine had separated into two segments at the distal portion of the pyloric stomach (duodenum); both ends were scarred and sealed off. It is suggested that a torsion (twisting along the long axis) of the intestine was responsible for the condition.

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Inflammatory bowel disease was diagnosed in a 3-year-old, captive-born, hand-raised, female spider monkey (Ateles geoffroyi). The diagnosis was based on clinical signs, positive-contrast radiographic series, endoscopy, histologic appearance of intestinal biopsy specimens, and the monkey's response to treatment. Treatment consisted of oral administration of prednisone, sulfasalazine, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. Supportive care included a bland diet and an electrolyte solution given free choice. Although several infective agents were considered, this case illustrates that recurrent enteritis in primates may be noninfectious and may respond to anti-inflammatory agents.

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