Ranavirus causes mass die-offs of alpine amphibians in the southwestern Alps, France

Pathogenic fungi and viruses cause mortality outbreaks in wild amphibians worldwide. In the summer of 2012, dead tadpoles and adults of the European common frog Rana temporaria were reported in alpine lakes in the southwestern Alps (Mercantour National Park, France). A preliminary investigation using molecular diagnostic techniques identified a Ranavirus as the potential pathogenic agent. Three mortality events were recorded in the park, and samples were collected. The amphibian chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis was not detected in any of the dead adult and juvenile frogs sampled (n = 16) whereas all specimens were positive for a Ranavirus. The genome sequence of this Ranavirus was identical to previously published sequences of the common midwife toad virus (CMTV), a Ranavirus that has been associated with amphibian mortalities throughout Europe. We cultured virus from the organs of the dead common frogs and infecting adult male common frogs collected in another alpine region where no frog mortality had been observed. The experimentally infected frogs suffered 100% mortality (n = 10). The alpine die-off is the first CMTV outbreak associated with mass mortality in wild amphibians in France. We describe the lesions observed and summarize amphibian populations affected by Ranaviruses in Europe. In addition, we discuss the ecologic specificities of mountain amphibians that may contribute to increasing their risk of exposure to and transmission of Ranaviruses

RESAMA: A Network for Monitoring Health and Husbandry Practices in Aquatic Research Facilities.

International audienceHealth monitoring is a crucial aspect of the management of any research animal house. RESAMA is a network strong of 60 academic and private partners acting in France since the end of 2012. The network aims to increase awareness of animal caretakers and researchers on health management issues in facilities holding aquatic model species (zebrafish, Xenopus, medaka, Mexican tetra). To do so, each partner research facility will be visited at least once. The visiting team is composed at least of one veterinarian and one zootechnician specialized in aquatic species. The visit results in a health-monitoring assessment of the facility, which includes a sampling for histo-pathological, bacteriological, and molecular pathogen detection. During the visit, rearing practices are also reviewed through an interview of animal caretakers. However, the present report essentially focuses on the health-monitoring aspect. The ultimate goal of the project is to provide a network-wide picture of health issues in aquatic facilities. Performed in parallel, the rearing practice assessment will ultimately help to establish rational relationship between handling practices and animal health in aquatic facilities. The study is still in progress. Here, we describe the results to be drawn from an analysis of the 23 facilities that had been visited so far. We sampled 720 fish and 127 amphibians and performed a little less than 1400 individual tests

Caprine nodular thelitis due to Mycobacterium uberis: A series of 26 cases in 11 dairy goat farms in Western France

International audienceBovine Nodular Thelitis (BNT) is a granulomatous dermatitis of teat skin associated with acid-fast bacilli. A similar condition has been recorded in a dairy goat flock in France recently. The causative agent was shown to be related to the leprosy-causing bacilli Mycobacterium leprae and M. lepromatosis, then sequenced and named M. uberis. Following the initial report in goats, the aim of this study was to investigate new cases of Caprine Nodular Thelitis (CNT) in the same area to confirm the presence of M. uberis by molecular techniques and to get a better description of the clinical signs and of the affected flocks. Twenty-six animals (25 females and 1 male) from 11 flocks were included in the study. Lesions were located on the udder/teat skin (24/25), on the body skin (6/25) or on the scrotum skin (1/1). Udder skin lesions were circular, nodular and/or ulcerate covered with a crust and associated with supramammary lymph node enlargement. Body skin lesions were located at different parts of the body, showed large necrotizing ulcers with undetermined edges and were associated with regional lymph node enlargement. Histopathological results indicated granulomatous dermatitis and lymphadenitis of varying intensity with no acid-fast bacilli seen after Fite-Faraco staining. M. uberis DNA was amplified from 26 samples out of 47 (udder: 11/22; lymph node: 11/20; body: 4/5). The female goats were mostly older than 4 year of age and originated from breeding units characterized by large flock size and high proportion of goat in continuous lactation

Cancer prevalence and etiology in wild and captive animals

Despite the evolution of numerous natural cancer suppressor mechanisms (DeGregori, 2011), neoplasia has been recorded in most metazoans (Leroi et al., 2003). Although, a few exceptional species, such as the naked mole-rat (Heterocephalus glaber) and sharks have been claimed to be resistant to cancer (Finkelstein, 2005; Tian et al., 2013). Recent studies have, however, shown that even these species may develop cancer (Delaney et al., 2016; Finkelsetein, 2005) strongly suggesting that the vast majority of multicellular organisms are indeed susceptible to cancer. The frequent occurrence of cancer in metazoans suggests that neoplasia, similar to pathogens/parasites, may have a significant negative impact on host fitness in the wild (Vittecoq et al., 2013). This is supported by a recent review of wildlife cancer by McAloose and Newton (2009) demonstrating that high prevalence of cancer in, for example, Tasmanian devils (Sarcophilus harrisii) and belugas (Delphinapterus leucas) resulted in concomitant significant increase in levels of mortality and reduction in fitness. Wildlife cancer statistics are, however, highly scattered in the scientific literature and hence challenging to access. Moreover, tumors in wildlife are most commonly detected during post-mortem examination and therefore hard to confirm without histopathological examinations. However, even such analyses can be inaccurate because of high levels of autolysis (organ disintegration) (McAloose and Newton, 2009). In addition, individuals harbouring tumors often display a decrease in body condition frequently resulting in higher levels of parasite/pathogen infections and concomitant increased levels in morbidity and mortality (Vittecoq et al., 2013) further impeding a correct analysis of the ultimate cause of death. The combination of the negative effects of cancer and/or pathogen/parasite infections has also been shown to result in increased levels of predation (Vittecoq et al., 2013). In our view, the combination of the problems involved in accurately recording wildlife cancer, the increased risk of succumbing to pathogens/parasites, and/or predation has often led to a somewhat erroneous assumption that although cancer is common in domestic animals, it remains rare in the wild. If, as we suggest, cancer may be a significant determinant of animal fitness it is therefore crucial to determine cancer prevalence in the wild. The etiology and prevalence of transmissible cancers are presented and discussed in Chapter 12; this chapter will therefore focus on the prevalence and etiology of nontransmissible cancers. Via thorough searches of the available literature we provide a comprehensive and an updated list of cancer prevalence in wild animals ranging from fish to whales. We also provide a list of cancer recorded in captive animals from French Zoological parks and compare our findings to that recorded at other zoological parks. Finally we provide an updated list of cancers recorded as single cases in the wild, as well as in captive animals demonstrating that cancer occurs in nearly every taxonomic order of the animal kingdom

Rare and unique adaptations to cancer in domesticated species : an untapped resource?

Strong and ongoing artificial selection in domestic animals has resulted in amazing phenotypic responses that benefit humans, but often at a cost to an animal's health, and problems related to inbreeding depression, including a higher incidence of cancer. Despite high rates of cancer in domesticated species, little attention has been devoted to exploring the hypothesis that persistent artificial selection may also favour the evolution of compensatory anticancer defences. Indeed, there is evidence for effective anti-cancer defences found in several domesticated species associated with different cancer types. We also suggest that artificial selection can favour the “domestication” of inherited oncogenic mutations in rare instances, retaining those associated to late and/or less aggressive cancers, and that by studying these seemingly rare anticancer adaptations, novel cancer treatments may be found

Toxic Effects of Fumonisins, Deoxynivalenol and Zearalenone Alone and in Combination in Ducks Fed the Maximum EUTolerated Level

International audienceToxic effects among fumonisins B (FB), deoxynivalenol (DON) and zearalenone (ZEN) administered alone and combined were investigated in 84-day-old ducks during force-feeding. 75 male ducks, divided into five groups of 15 animals, received daily during the meal a capsule containing the desired among of toxin. Treated animals received dietary levels of toxins equivalent to 20 mg FB1+FB2/kg (FB), 5 mg DON/kg (DON), 0.5 mg ZEN/kg (ZEN) and 20, 5 and 0.5 mg/kg of FB, DON and ZEN (FBDONZEN), respectively. Control birds received capsules with no toxin. After 12 days, a decrease in body weight gain accompanied by an increase in the feed conversion ratio was observed in ducks exposed to FBDONZEN, whereas there was no effect on performances in ducks exposed to FB, DON and ZEN separately. No difference among groups was observed in relative organ weight, biochemistry, histopathology and several variables used to measure oxidative damage and testicular function. A sphinganine to sphingosine ratio of 0.32, 1.19 and 1.04, was measured in liver in controls and in ducks exposed to FB and FBDONZEN, respectively. Concentrations of FB1 in liver were 13.34 and 15.4 ng/g in ducks exposed to FB and FBDONZEN, respectively. Together ZEN and its metabolites were measured after enzymatic hydrolysis of the conjugated forms. Mean concentrations of α-zearalenol in liver were 0.82 and 0.54 ng/g in ducks exposed to ZEN and FBDONZEN, respectively. β-zearalenol was 2.3-fold less abundant than α-zearalenol, whereas ZEN was only found in trace amounts. In conclusion, this study suggests that decreased performance may occur in ducks exposed to a combination of FB, DON and ZEN, but does not reveal any other interaction between mycotoxins in any of the other variables measured

Impact des principales fusariotoxines en mono et multi- contamination, sur les performances, la santé et la qualité des produits chez le canard au cours du gavage

The aim of this study was to compare zootechnical and health impact of deoxynivalenol (DON), fumonisins(FBs) and zearalenone (ZEN) and to assess their residual persistence level in edible tissues, following a mono ormulti-contamination of ducks during chronic exposure in the gavage phase. The mycotoxins were obtained byculturing toxinogenic fungal strains and incorporated in capsules distributed to ducks, to constitute the followinggroups:DON group (5 mg / kg), FBs group (20 mg / kg), ZEN group (0.5 mg / kg) and a multi-contaminatedgroup (5 mg/kg DON + 20 mg/kg FBs + 0,5 mg/kg ZEN); Ducks of control group received capsules containingflour free of mycotoxins. These capsules were given during 21 meals (2 meals/day), during the maizedistribution, to 80 ducks (MMG x PKL), 12 weeks aged, divided into 5 groups. Performance analysis revealed asignificant (P <0.05) decrease in growth in the multi-contaminated group without significant decrease in feedintake. At day 70, blood analysis showed no significant difference between groups on routine plasmabiochemistry and various markers of oxidative stress, except an elevation of sphinganine/sphingosine ratio inplasma for animals exposed to FBs compared to unexposed, without difference between single or multicontaminated groups. The search for residues revealed higher levels of FB1 in the liver than in the muscles, and no interactive effect of multi-contamination on the persistence of this contaminant.L’objectif était de comparer l’impact zootechnique et sanitaire du déoxynivalénol (DON), des fumonisines (FBs)et de la zéaralénone (ZEA) et d’évaluer leur niveau de persistance à l’état résiduel dans les produits comestibles, suite à une mono ou multi-contamination chez le canard lors d’une exposition chronique en phase de gavage. Les mycotoxines ont été obtenues par culture de souches fongiques toxinogènes et incorporées dans des gélules distribuées aux canards, permettant de constituer les groupes suivants : lot DON (5 mg/kg), lot FBs (20 mg/kg), lot ZEA (0,5 mg/kg) et lot multi-contaminé (5 mg/kg DON + 20 mg/kg FBs+ 0,5 mg/kg ZEA) ; les canards du lot témoin recevaient des gélules contenant de la farine exempte de mycotoxines. Ces gélules ont été administrées au cours des 21 repas (2 repas/jour), en milieu de gavage, à 80 canards (MMG x PKL) de 12 semaines répartis entre les 5 groupes. L’analyse des performances a révélé, sur le lot multi-contaminé, une diminution significative (P<0,05) de la croissance sans diminution notable de la prise d’aliment. A J70, l’analyse de sang n’a révélé aucune différence significative entre lots sur la biochimie plasmatique de routine et différents marqueurs de stress oxydatif. Seule une élévation significative du rapport sphinganine/sphingosine, chez les animaux exposés aux FBs par rapport aux animaux non exposés, a été observée dans le plasma, sans différence entre canards mono- ou multi-exposés. La recherche de résidus a révélé des teneurs plus élevées en FB1 dans le foie que dans les muscles, et l’absence d’effet interactif de la multi-contamination sur la persistance de ce composé

Metabolic changes in Medaka fish induced by cyanobacterial exposures in mesocosms: an integrative approach combining proteomic and metabolomic analyses

Author Correction: The original version of this Article contained an error in the spelling of the author Giovanni Chiappetta, which was incorrectly given as Giovanni Chiapetta. This error has now been corrected in the HTML and PDF versions of the Article, and in the accompanying Supplementary Information document. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-20638-0International audienceCyanobacterial blooms pose serious threats to aquatic organisms and strongly impact the functioning of aquatic ecosystems. Due to their ability to produce a wide range of potentially bioactive secondary metabolites, so called cyanotoxins, cyanobacteria have been extensively studied in the past decades. Proteomic and metabolomic analyses provide a unique opportunity to evaluate the global response of hundreds of proteins and metabolites at a glance. In this study, we provide the first combined utilization of these methods targeted to identify the response of fish to bloom-forming cyanobacteria. Medaka fish (Oryzias latipes) were exposed for 96 hours either to a MC-producing or to a non-MC-producing strain of Microcystis aeruginosa and cellular, proteome and metabolome changes following exposure to cyanobacteria were characterized in the fish livers. The results suggest that a short-term exposure to cyanobacteria, producing or not MCs, induces sex-dependent molecular changes in medaka fish, without causing any cellular alterations. Globally, molecular entities involved in stress response, lipid metabolism and developmental processes exhibit the most contrasted changes following a cyanobacterial exposure. Moreover, it appears that proteomic and metabolomic analyses are useful tools to verify previous information and to additionally bring new horizons concerning molecular effects of cyanobacteria on fish

Lack of toxic interaction between fusariotoxins in broiler chickens fed throughout their life at the highest level tolerated in the european union

International audienceFusarium mycotoxins (FUS) occur frequently in poultry diets, and regulatory limits are laid down in several countries. However, the limits were established for exposure to a single mycotoxin, whereas multiple contamination is more realistic, and different studies have demonstrated that it is not possible to predict interactions between mycotoxins. The purpose of this study was thus to compare the toxic effect of deoxynivalenol (DON), fumonisins (FB) and zearalenone (ZON), alone and in combination on broiler chickens, at the maximum tolerated level established by the EU for poultry feed. Experimental corn-soybean diets incorporated ground cultured toxigenic Fusarium strains. One feed was formulated for chickens 0 to 10 days old and another for chickens 11 to 35 days old. The control diets were mycotoxin free, the DON diets contained 5 mg DON/kg, the FB diet contained 20 mg FB1 + FB2/kg, and the ZON diet contained 0.5 mg ZON/kg. The DONFBZON diet contained 5, 20, and 0.5 mg/kg of DON, FB1 + FB2, and ZON, respectively. Diets were distributed ad libitum to 70 broilers (male Ross PM3) separated into five groups of 14 chickens each reared in individual cages from one to 35 days of age. On day 35, after a starvation period of 8 h, a blood sample was collected, and all the animals were killed and autopsied. No difference between groups that could be attributed to FUS was observed in performances, the relative weight of organs, biochemistry, histopathology, intestinal morphometry, variables of oxidative damage, and markers of testicle toxicity. A significant increase in sphinganine and in the sphinganine to sphingosine ratio was observed in broilers fed FB. Taken together, these results suggest that the regulatory guidelines established for single contamination of broiler chickens fed with DON, FB, and ZON can also be used in the case of multiple contamination with these toxins

Impact des principales fusariotoxines en mono et multi-contamination sur les performances, la santé et la qualité des produits chez le poulet de chair

The aim of this study was to compare the zootechnical and health impact, and residues in edible tissues ofdeoxynivalenol (DON), fumonisins (FBs) and zearalenone (ZEN) in single and multi-contamination in broilerfor a chronic exposure (0 to 35 days of age). The mycotoxins were obtained by culturing toxinogenic fungalstrains and incorporated into the experimental feeds to obtain a DON diet (5 mg / kg), a FBs diet (20 mg / kg),ZEN diet (0.5 mg / kg) and a multi-contaminated diet (5 mg/kg DON + 20 mg/kg FBs+ 0.5 mg/kg ZEN),whereas the control diet did not contain mycotoxins. These feeds were individually given to 70 animals allocatedto the 5 groups. Exposure to mycotoxins did not significantly impact the zootechnical performance of broiler. Atday 35, blood analysis revealed no significant difference among groups on routine plasma biochemistry andvarious markers of oxidative stress, except an elevation of sphinganine/sphingosine ratio (plasma and liver) foranimals exposed to FBs compared to unexposed, without difference between single or multi-contaminatedgroups. The search for residues revealed higher levels of FB1 and ZEN (free and conjugated forms) in liver thanin muscle, and no interactive effect of multi-contamination on the persistence of these contaminants.L’objectif était de comparer l’impact zootechnique et sanitaire du déoxynivalénol (DON), des fumonisines (FBs)et de la zéaralénone (ZEA) et d’évaluer leur niveau de persistance à l’état résiduel dans les produits comestibles,suite à une mono ou multi-contamination chez le poulet de chair lors d’une exposition chronique (J0-J35). Lesmycotoxines ont été obtenues par culture de souches fongiques toxinogènes et incorporées aux alimentsexpérimentaux pour obtenir un lot DON (5 mg/kg), un lot FBs (20 mg/kg), un lot ZEA (0,5 mg/kg) et un lotmulti-contaminé (5 mg/kg DON + 20 mg/kg FBs+ 0,5 mg/kg ZEA) ; l’aliment du lot témoin ne contenait pas demycotoxines. Ces aliments ont été individuellement distribués à 70 animaux répartis entre les 5 lots.L’exposition aux mycotoxines n’a pas significativement altéré les performances zootechniques des poulets. AJ35, l’analyse de sang n’a révélé aucune différence significative entre lots sur la biochimie plasmatique deroutine et différents marqueurs de stress oxydatif. Seule une élévation significative du rapportsphinganine/sphingosine chez les animaux exposés aux FBs par rapport aux animaux non exposés a été observée dans le plasma, sans différence entre poulets recevant l’aliment mono- ou multi-contaminé. La recherche de résidus a révélé des teneurs plus élevées en FB1 et ZEA (formes libres et conjuguées) dans le foie que dans les muscles, et l’absence d’effet interactif de la multi-contamination sur la persistance de ces composés