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Aujeszky's disease in captive bears.
M Banks1, L S Torraca, A G Greenwood
1Veterinary Laboratories Agency, New Haw, Addlestone, Surrey.
The Veterinary Record
|November 26, 1999
Summary
Aujeszky's disease outbreak in circus bears, fed raw pig heads, resulted in five deaths. Virus isolation confirmed Aujeszky's disease virus in a polar bear, linked to local pig strains.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Virology
- Wildlife Disease Epidemiology
Background:
- Aujeszky's disease (AD) is a viral disease affecting various mammals, primarily pigs.
- Carnivores can contract AD by consuming infected raw meat.
- An outbreak occurred in circus bears in Spain, raising concerns about disease transmission and management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the cause of mortality in a group of circus bears.
- To identify the causative agent of the disease outbreak.
- To determine the source and characteristics of the infecting virus.
Main Methods:
- Clinical observation and postmortem examinations of affected bears.
- Histopathological analysis of tissues.
- Virus isolation, PCR, electron microscopy, and fluorescent antibody tests for viral detection.
- DNA sequencing to compare the isolate with known strains.
Main Results:
- Five of eight bears died during the outbreak.
- Clinical signs varied, including acute death with and without symptoms, and gastrointestinal issues.
- Aujeszky's disease virus was confirmed in one polar bear via multiple diagnostic methods.
- The isolated virus DNA was similar to strains circulating in pigs in northern Spain.
Conclusions:
- Raw pig heads were the likely source of Aujeszky's disease virus infection for the bears.
- The outbreak highlights the risk of AD transmission through contaminated feed in captive wildlife.
- Effective diagnostic methods were crucial in identifying the virus despite the absence of typical lesions in some cases.