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Demography, common disorders, cause-specific mortality and life expectancy of Ragdoll cats under primary veterinary care during 2019 in the UK
No full textObjectives This study aimed to characterise the demography, common disorders, cause-specific mortality and lifeexpectancy of the general population of Ragdoll cats under primary veterinary care in the UK in 2019.Methods The study used a retrospective cohort design of all cats under UK primary veterinary care withinVetCompass Programme during 2019. The clinical records of a random sample of 2,025 Ragdolls were reviewed toidentify every disorder recorded during 2019.Results Ragdolls comprised 21,358 (1.70%) of 1,254,484 study cats. Annual proportional birth rates showedincreasing Ragdoll popularity from 0.70% of all cats born in 2005 to 3.72% in 2019. Median adult Ragdoll bodyweightwas 4.46 kg (IQR 3.79–5.19). The most prevalent precise-level precision disorders recorded were periodontal disease(8.84%, 95% CI: 7.60-10.08), diarrhoea (7.11%, 95% CI: 5.99–8.23) and obesity (6.91%, 95% CI: 5.81–8.02). The mostcommon disorder groups were dental (14.52%, 95% CI: 12.98–16.05), enteropathy (13.48%, 95% CI: 11.99–14.97), skin(7.75%, 95% CI: 6.59–8.92) and obesity (6.91%, 95% CI: 5.81–8.02). From 133 Ragdolls that died during the study period,the median age at death was 12.85 years (IQR 5.71–16.11). The most common causes of death at group level precisionwere kidney disorder (21.18%, 95% CI: 12.49–29.86) and poor quality of life (12.94%, 95% CI: 5.81–20.08)
Land use gradients drive spatial variation in Lassa fever host communities in the Eastern Province of Sierra Leone
No full textThe natal multimammate mouse (Mastomys natalensis) is the primary reservoir host of Mammarenavirus lassaense (LASV), a zoonotic pathogen causing Lassa fever and endemic to West Africa. The occurrence and abundance of this species is regulated by the human environment and biotic interactions with other small-mammal species, but these ecological drivers remain poorly understood in the regions where Lassa fever outbreaks are observed. We developed a Bayesian multi-species occupancy model incorporating incomplete detection to assess habitat use from data obtained as part of a multi-year small-mammal trapping study (43,226 trap nights across four village sites in Sierra Leone, 2020-2023). We investigated the effects of land use gradients and small-mammal community dynamics on the spatial distribution of M. natalensis. Mastomys natalensis occupancy increased along a gradient from forest to agriculture to village habitats but was reduced in the peri-urban site compared to rural settings. Invasive rodent species influenced this pattern, with Mus musculus presence associated with reduced M. natalensis occupancy in the peri-urban site. We did not observe a similar effect when considering the co-occurrence of invasive Rattus rattus with M. natalensis in rural settings. These findings suggest that land use and species interactions drive spatial heterogeneity in M. natalensis populations, potentially explaining reduced Lassa fever incidence in urban areas. The results highlight the importance of considering community dynamics when predicting the risk of outbreaks of endemic zoonoses and the need to widen the context of studies of LASV transmission beyond the primary reservoir host species. To better assess public health risk and improve allocation of limited resources, we recommend more precise characterisation of small-mammal communities in LASV endemic regions, particularly in areas undergoing rapid land use change which may alter community-level small-mammal biodiversity
Primary extraskeletal duodenal osteosarcoma with peritoneal sarcomatosis in a cat
No full textThis case report describes an extraskeletal intestinal osteosarcoma with sarcomatosis in an 11-year-old female neutered Domestic Longhair cat that presented with a 2-week history of hyporexia, lethargy, vomiting and polydipsia. Clinical examination identified a cranial abdominal mass and ultrasound examination revealed liver nodules and an irregularly shaped, partly mineralized mass around the proximal duodenum and pancreas. Cytological examination of the intestinal and liver lesions identified plump to fusiform to stellate cells with scattered foci of mineralization. Post-mortem examination identified an extraskeletal intestinal osteosarcoma originating in the wall of the duodenum with sarcomatosis on the serosal surface of the liver, gallbladder and omentum. Local infiltration into the pancreas, liver and diaphragm was also present. Increased awareness and reporting of sarcomatosis in cats are important for expanding the knowledge base, guiding clinical management and understanding its impact on survival in such rare cases. (c) 2025 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Hybrid, vaccine-induced and natural immunity against SARS-CoV-2 in traditional food markets in Bolivia (2020-2022): A cross-sectional analysis of a serological survey
No full textBackground: In low-and middle-income countries, market vendors played a crucial role in food security during the coronavirus pandemic. High numbers of contacts, combined with social, political and health system upheaval in Bolivia, meant they were highly exposed to SARS-CoV-2 infections. Methods: Demographic, clinical and serological data were collected at survey rounds between 2020 and 2022 from a cohort of market vendors in two purposively selected markets where the community and researchers copromoted health and safety. We used these longitudinal data to examine SARS-CoV-2 anti-spike antibody levels between those vaccinated with and without previous infection and those unvaccinated. The association between antibody levels, and vaccine status, socio-demographic and health information was assessed using linear regression. Findings: A total of 213 market vendors had repeated serological sampling in July, and November 2021, and again in May 2022. In November 2020, 105 (49.3 %) of this cohort had participated in a pre-vaccination municipal serological survey. Seroprevalence then was 45.7 % (95 %CI 36.3-55.4). By November 2021, 67.8 % of the full cohort had one vaccination and seroprevalence was 83.6 %. We showed IgG levels in those seropositive were higher in participants with evidence of vaccination and prior infection compared to those unvaccinated. By May 2022, the majority of participants developed antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, and these differences were attenuated. Interpretation: A substantial proportion of vendors were susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 in late 2020 when, nationally, excess mortality was high. Our analyses suggested a combination of natural infection and vaccination provided better protective antibody levels than natural infection alone at the peak of the pandemic. Future pandemic planning requires timely targeted serological surveys to understand pandemic dynamics and support prompt interventions. In addition, communication with organized communities can inform effectiveness of pandemic mitigation strategies including improved vaccination uptake. Timely quantitative IgG level monitoring can also inform waning immunity
Eyelid disorders in dogs
No full textIntroduction Natural eyelid conformation is essential for normal function and health of the ocular surface. However, many modern dog types are deliberately bred for abnormal eyelid conformation associated with severe health and welfare issues. This study aimed to report the prevalence, demographic risk factors and clinical management under primary veterinary care for conformational eyelid disorders in dogs. Methods The study explored the anonymised clinical records of all dogs under UK primary veterinary care within the VetCompass Programme during 2019. Risk factor analysis used multivariable logistic regression modelling. Results From 2,250,417 dogs under primary veterinary care in 2019, the analysis included a random sample of 3,029 confirmed conformational eyelid disorder cases that included 2,752 (90.86%) entropion and 344 (11.36%) ectropion cases. After accounting for the subsampling process, the annual prevalence for overall conformational eyelid disorder in dogs was 0.36% (95% CI: 0.35–0.37). The annual prevalence for entropion in dogs overall was 0.33% (95% CI: 0.32–0.34). Breeds with highest annual prevalence for entropion were Shar-Pei (15.41%, 95% CI 14.00–16.91), Chow Chow (9.28%, 95% CI 7.64–11.14) and Neapolitan Mastiff (6.88%, 95% CI 3.02–13.14). The estimated annual prevalence for ectropion in dogs overall was 0.04% (95% CI: 0.04–0.05). Breeds with the highest annual prevalence for ectropion were Neapolitan Mastiff (4.30%, 95% CI 1.41–9.77), Saint Bernard (1.72%, 95% CI 0.86–3.05) and Basset Hound (1.59%, 95% CI 0.94–2.49). Surgical management was carried out for 414/2275 (18.20%) of the incident (2019) entropion cases and 12/305 (3.93%) of the incident (2019) ectropion cases. Conclusions Normalisation of conformation-related health issues in certain high profile dog breeds have been discussed as a canine welfare priority for over half a century. The current results suggest that substantial work remains to be done to ensure good innate health for all dogs
Intraoperative urethrocystoscopy reduces operating time and may improve urolith detection during open cystotomy in male dogs over 7 kg
No full text
Long bone microanatomy in elephants: microstructural insights into gigantic beasts
Get PDFOne of the greatest challenges of terrestrial locomotion is gravity. The morphological adaptive features of the limb long bones of extant elephants, the heaviest living terrestrial animals, have previously been highlighted; however, their bone microanatomy remain largely unexplored. Here we investigate the microanatomy of the six limb long bones in Elephas maximus and Loxodonta africana, using comparisons of virtual slices as well as robustness analyses, to understand how they were adapted to heavy weight-bearing. We find that the limb long bones of elephants display a relatively thick cortex and a medullary area almost entirely filled with trabecular bone. This trabecular bone is highly anisotropic with trabecular orientations reflecting the mechanical load distribution along the limb. The respective functional roles of the bones are reflected in their microanatomy through variations of cortical thickness distribution and main orientation of the trabeculae. We find microanatomical adaptations to heavy weight support that are common to other heavy mammals; despite these shared characteristics, the long bones of elephants are closer to those of sauropods due to their shared columnar posture, which allows a relaxation of morphofunctional constraints, and thus relatively less robust bones with a thinner cortex than would be expected in such massive animals. Abstract
