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Related Experiment Videos

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
PubMed
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.

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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.

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