title: Blood values of captive beira antelope (Dorcatragus megalotis) prior to and during an outbreak of fibrinous pleuropneumonia syndrome (FPPS).
abstract: Currently the only captive population of beira antelope (Dorcatragus megalotis) is held at the Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation, Qatar. An outbreak of a severe respiratory disease--fibrinous pleuropneumonia syndrome, most likely caused by Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae--led to a marked population decline. Reactive systemic inflammatory (AA) amyloidosis was noted as a chronic manifestation of the disease. Blood samples had been collected for biochemistry and hematology baseline values prior to the outbreak. Population-level changes were analyzed before and during the course of the outbreak in selected blood parameters (white blood cells [WBC], blood urea nitrogen [BUN], and creatinine). The annual population WBC increased and decreased concurrently with the population size, with a significant correlation between the two measures (R = 0.92; P = 0.001). Both BUN and creatinine values were higher during the outbreak. These values peaked at the same time as mortality, which was 1 yr after the WBC peak. These changes were interpreted as the transition from an acute disease with a primary respiratory manifestation into a chronic condition where renal amyloidosis led to chronic renal failure and death. Also, elevated liver values in diseased animals were attributed to amyloidosis. Parallels to a literature report on a lung disease complex caused by M. ovipneumoniae in bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) were found. Trends in population-level blood values of the beira antelopes implicate amyloidosis as a significant, long-term consequence of the putative Mycoplasma infection.
authors: Jessica M
authors: JM
authors: Gull
authors: Christiana
authors: C
authors: Hebel
authors: Amrita
authors: A
authors: Deb
authors: Abdi
authors: A
authors: Arif
authors: Marcus
authors: M
authors: Clauss
authors: Jean-Michel
authors: JM
authors: Hatt
authors: Sven
authors: S
authors: Hammer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000836:Animals, Zoo; D000866:Antelopes / Q000097:blood*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000662:veterinary*; D011001:Pleuropneumonia / Q000097:blood / Q000382:microbiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000662:veterinary*; D013997:Time Factors