Bello Aimara, Frei Samuel, Peters Martin, Balkema-Buschmann Anne, Baumgärtner Wolfgang, Wohlsein Peter
Department of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover Foundation, Hannover, Lower Saxony, Germany.
Zoo Wuppertal, Wuppertal, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
PLoS One. 2017 Apr 12;12(4):e0173873. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0173873. eCollection 2017.
A retrospective study was carried out to define the spectrum of spontaneous diseases in ostriches and few other captive ratites, order Struthioniformes, in northwestern Germany. The investigation included 71 ratites necropsied between 1968 and 2014. They consisted of 54 ostriches, 5 emus, and 12 rheas with 37 adults, 23 juveniles and 11 neonates and embryonated eggs. Necropsy reports were reviewed, histologic preparations were re-examined and additional histochemical and immunohistochemical stains were carried out in selected cases. In many animals more than one morphologic diagnosis attributable to different disease processes was found. In adult animals (n = 37), the most commonly altered organ systems were the musculoskeletal system (49%), the digestive system (46%), and the cardiovascular system (46%) affected by traumatic lesions, inflammatory and degenerative changes, respectively. A spongy degeneration was found in the brain (35%); however, immunohistochemistry and western blotting failed to detect pathological prion protein. In juvenile animals (n = 23), the musculoskeletal (44%) and the digestive system (43%) were mainly affected by traumatic and inflammatory lesions, respectively. In embryonated eggs and neonates (n = 11) the major cause of death was circulatory failure associated with generalized subcutaneous edema as described for improper incubation conditions (64%). Summarized, most of the findings observed in adult and juvenile ratites in northwestern Germany are related to trauma, inflammatory and degenerative disorders, whereas death in embryonated eggs and neonates was most likely related to breeding conditions. A spongy encephalopathy awaits further studies to elucidate cause and pathogenesis.
在德国西北部开展了一项回顾性研究，以确定鸵鸟及少数其他圈养平胸鸟类（鸵形目）的自发性疾病谱。该调查涵盖了1968年至2014年间剖检的71只平胸鸟，包括54只鸵鸟、5只鸸鹋和12只美洲鸵，其中有37只成年鸟、23只幼鸟以及11只新生鸟和胚胎蛋。回顾了尸检报告，重新检查了组织学切片，并对部分病例进行了额外的组织化学和免疫组织化学染色。在许多动物中发现了不止一种可归因于不同疾病过程的形态学诊断。在成年动物（n = 37）中，最常发生改变的器官系统是肌肉骨骼系统（49%）、消化系统（46%）和心血管系统（46%），分别受到创伤性病变、炎症和退行性变化的影响。在大脑中发现了海绵状变性（35%）；然而，免疫组织化学和蛋白质印迹法未能检测到病理性朊病毒蛋白。在幼鸟（n = 23）中，肌肉骨骼系统（44%）和消化系统（43%）主要分别受到创伤性和炎症性病变的影响。在胚胎蛋和新生鸟（n = 11）中，主要死亡原因是循环衰竭，伴有如不当孵化条件所描述的全身性皮下水肿（64%）。总之，在德国西北部成年和幼年平胸鸟中观察到的大多数发现与创伤、炎症和退行性疾病有关，而胚胎蛋和新生鸟的死亡最可能与繁殖条件有关。一种海绵状脑病有待进一步研究以阐明病因和发病机制。
