Papers by Elliott Jacobson
Chelonian Conservation and Biology, 2002
... A similar appearing. diseasehasbeenseeninfree-ranging gophertortoises (Gopherus. polyphemus; ... more ... A similar appearing. diseasehasbeenseeninfree-ranging gophertortoises (Gopherus. polyphemus; Beyer, 1993;Epperson, 1997;McLaughlin, 1997; Smith et al., 1998; Diemer-Berish et al., 2000;McLaughlin et. ... (Jacobson et al., 1991; McLaughlin et aI., 2000). A. ...
Journal of Clinical Microbiology, Jun 1, 1993
Mycoplasma agassizii (proposed species novum) is the etiologic agent of an upper respiratory trac... more Mycoplasma agassizii (proposed species novum) is the etiologic agent of an upper respiratory tract disease in the desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii), which is threatened in most of its range. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the detection of M. agassizii-specific antibodies in desert tortoises was developed with a monoclonal antibody with specificity for desert tortoise immunoglobulin light chain. Plasma samples from one group of tortoises were tested immediately before and 1 month after challenge either with nasal exudate containing M. agassizii or with a purified preparation of M. agassizii. Plasma samples from a second group of known healthy and sick tortoises were also tested. In the first group, the ELISA detected seroconversion in individual tortoises following challenge with M. agassizii. In the second group, ELISA results were positively correlated with the health status of the tortoises, as determined by clinical and pathologic * Corresponding author. t This report is published as University of Florida Experiment Station journal series no. R-02817.
Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine, 1990
... H&E, x 400. nuk A had approximately 500 ml of clear yellow fluid with a few fibrin ta... more ... H&E, x 400. nuk A had approximately 500 ml of clear yellow fluid with a few fibrin tags in the thoracic cavity. The lungs were dark red, wet, and mottled. ... P. 37. 3. Dubey,J. P. 1977. Toxoplasma, Besnoitia, Sar cocystis and other tissue cyst-forming coccidia of man and animals. ...
Journal of Herpetology, Jan 9, 2020
While shell diseases may be often encountered in captive aquatic turtles maintained in less than ... more While shell diseases may be often encountered in captive aquatic turtles maintained in less than optimum conditions, cases of nonulcerating shell disease in wild populations are rare. We discovered lesions on the carapace of individual Kinosternon flavescens (Yellow Mud Turtle) adapted to a highly aquatic existence in the artificial ponds of a cattle ranch in the Chihuahuan Desert of west Texas. Because the carapacial lesions seemed to represent a continuum of a single process, we followed the gross changes in the lesions on turtles over a 13-yr period, testing the hypothesis that we were seeing a progressive shell disease. We confirmed our working hypothesis as we observed Arnoldiella chelonum, a common, filamentous alga, protruding from enlarged pores in newly formed shell and growing under translucent shell lamellae. As the disease advanced, our gross and histological studies revealed that algae were found between more of the shell lamellae, eventually culminating with sloughing of lamellae. Erosion of lamellae led to a localized but complete loss of portions of the scute and exposure of underlying bone. We provide data on the occurrence of this condition among the marked population and progression of the lesions to more-severe forms in individual turtles. Studies of specimens in research collections provided evidence of our observed disease process in K. flavescens across time and throughout the distribution of the species in Texas. We suggest that, by capitalizing on permanent artificial water sources, K. flavescens has serendipitously allowed A. chelonum to invade and damage the nonliving portion of the shell.
Springer eBooks, 1984
Mycotic diseases in reptiles encompass infection with any member of the kingdom Fungi. Approximat... more Mycotic diseases in reptiles encompass infection with any member of the kingdom Fungi. Approximately 100 species are considered pathogens or potential pathogens in mammals and birds. Reports of fungal disease in reptiles are rare compared to such reports in higher vertebrates. The integumentary, digestive and respiratory systems are most commonly affected. From a comparative standpoint, phycomycosis, aspergillosis, candidiasis, dermatophilosis and geotrichosis appear to be more common, while such systemic fungal diseases as histoplasmosis, North American blastomycosis, coccidioidomycosis, cryptococcosis and paracoccidioidomycosis have not been reported. However, some of the lesser known fungi such as the genera Trichosporon, Chrysosporium, Beauveria, Cephalosporium, Fusarium and Paecilomyces have been reported as causative agents of disease in reptiles.
PubMed, Dec 1, 1981
Of 438 snakes in a zoologic collection, 35 died during a 3-month period; all were members of the ... more Of 438 snakes in a zoologic collection, 35 died during a 3-month period; all were members of the family Viperidae. Clinical signs consisted of gaping of the mouth followed within 1 day by convulsions. All necropsied animals had a mucoid exudate throughout the respiratory tract. Histologic evaluation of lung revealed evidence of interstitial pneumonia, with occasional eosinophilic intracytoplasmic inclusions in epithelial cells. A paramyxo-like virus, isolated in viper heart cells from lung tissue, was observed by electron microscopy to be budding from cell membranes. The virus hemagglutinated chicken red blood cells at 5 C, and antibody titers were assayed by hemagglutination inhibition. In a random survey of 22 snakes from the zoologic collection, antibody titers to the virus ranged from 1/20 to 1/2,560.
PubMed, Dec 1, 1983
Steatitis and fat necrosis were identified in a group of 123 American alligators (Alligator missi... more Steatitis and fat necrosis were identified in a group of 123 American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) kept in an enclosed pond and fed a diet of only fish for more than 10 years. All affected animals were outwardly healthy and had had no signs of disease in the period immediately before slaughter. The diagnosis was made at the time of commercial slaughter for harvest of meat and hides. Lesions consisted of firm yellow-brown masses distributed in fat tissue throughout the body. The histopathologic diagnosis was granulomatous steatitis, with fat necrosis, based on the finding of multinucleated giant cells, ceroid, and multiple foci of inflammatory cells.
International journal of systematic bacteriology, Apr 1, 1995
The nucleotide sequences of the 16s rRNA genes of two mycoplasmas, Mycoplusma agassizii (proposed... more The nucleotide sequences of the 16s rRNA genes of two mycoplasmas, Mycoplusma agassizii (proposed sp. nov.) and Mycoplusma testudinis, isolated from tortoises were determined and used for taxonomic comparisons. Signature nucleotide sequence motifs and overall sequence similarities to other mollicutes positioned these mycoplasmas in the M. hyorhinis and M. pneumoniae phylogenetic groups, respectively. A third, previously unrecognized tortoise mycoplasma was detected by 16s rRNA gene amplification and sequence analysis and was positioned in the M. fernentans phylogenetic group. The 16s rRNA gene of Acholeplasma laidlawii was similarly detected in a tortoise isolate, showing that diverse mollicutes can share the same family of reptilian host.
Journal of Wildlife Diseases, Oct 1, 1996
Serum collected from 33 nondomestic felids and from six domestic cats experimentally inoculated w... more Serum collected from 33 nondomestic felids and from six domestic cats experimentally inoculated with Toxoplasma gondii were evaluated for evidence of toxoplasmosis using a latex agglutination (LA) kit, an indirect hemagglutination (IHA) kit, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) for IgM (IgM-ELISA), IgG (IgG-ELISA), and for antigen (AG-ELISA) to define optimal diagnostic procedures. The IgG-ELISA was positive earlier than the LA or IHA when used to assess domestic cat sera. More nondomestic felid sera were positive when evaluated by the IgG ELISA than by the LA or IHA. No nondomestic felid had detectable IgM antibodies. Antigen was detected in 36.4% of the nondomestic felid sera. Seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis was 75.8% (IgG ELISA), 60.6% (LA), or 57.6% (IHA) in the nondomestic felid sera. Although not statistically evaluated, the IgG-ELISA appears to be superior to LA or IHA for the detection of T. go ??///-specific IgG.
Journal of Clinical Microbiology, Nov 1, 2002
Colletotrichum acutatum is a cosmopolitan plant pathogen with a wide host range. While the organi... more Colletotrichum acutatum is a cosmopolitan plant pathogen with a wide host range. While the organism's phytopathogenic potential has been well documented, it has never been reported as an etiologic agent of disease in either animals or humans. In this case, a juvenile Kemp's ridley sea turtle, Lepidochelys kempi, probably with immune compromise following cold stunning (extended hypothermia), developed a disseminated mycotic infection in the lungs and kidneys. Prophylactic treatment with oral itraconazole did not prevent or cure the infection. This report of a Colletotrichum acutatum infection in an animal extends the range of disease caused by this organism beyond that of a phytopathogen.
Journal of Clinical Microbiology, Jul 1, 1999
Upper respiratory tract disease (URTD) has been observed in a number of tortoise species, includi... more Upper respiratory tract disease (URTD) has been observed in a number of tortoise species, including the desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) and the gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus). Clinical signs of URTD in gopher tortoises are similar to those in desert tortoises and include serous, mucoid, or purulent discharge from the nares, excessive tearing to purulent ocular discharge, conjunctivitis, and edema of the eyelids and ocular glands. The objectives of the present study were to determine if Mycoplasma agassizii was an etiologic agent of URTD in the gopher tortoise and to determine the clinical course of the experimental infection in a dose-response infection study. Tortoises were inoculated intranasally with 0.5 ml (0.25 ml/nostril) of either sterile SP4 broth (control group; n ؍ 10) or 10 8 color-changing units (CCU) (total dose) of M. agassizii 723 (experimental infection group; n ؍ 9). M. agassizii caused clinical signs compatible with those observed in tortoises with natural infections. Clinical signs of URTD were evident in seven of nine experimentally infected tortoises by 4 weeks postinfection (p.i.) and in eight of nine experimentally infected tortoises by 8 weeks p.i. In the dose-response experiments, tortoises were inoculated intranasally with a low (10 1 CCU; n ؍ 6), medium (10 3 CCU; n ؍ 6), or high (10 5 CCU; n ؍ 5) dose of M. agassizii 723 or with sterile SP4 broth (n ؍ 10). At all time points p.i. in both experiments, M. agassizii could be isolated from the nares of at least 50% of the tortoises. All of the experimentally infected tortoises seroconverted, and levels of antibody were statistically higher in infected animals than in control animals for all time points of >4 weeks p.i. (P < 0.0001). Control tortoises in both experiments did not show clinical signs, did not seroconvert, and did not have detectable M. agassizii by either culture or PCR at any point in the study. Histological lesions were compatible with those observed in tortoises with natural infections. The numbers of M. agassizii 723 did not influence the clinical expression of URTD or the antibody response, suggesting that the strain chosen for these studies was highly virulent. On the basis of the results of the transmission studies, we conclude that M. agassizii is an etiologic agent of URTD in the gopher tortoise.
Systematic and Applied Microbiology, 2002
The Chlamydiales are a family of unique intracellular pathogens that cause significant disease in... more The Chlamydiales are a family of unique intracellular pathogens that cause significant disease in humans, birds and a wide range of animal hosts. Of the currently recognized species, Chlamydophila (previously Chlamydia) pneumoniae, unlike the other chlamydial species, has been previously considered to be solely a pathogen of humans, causing significant respiratory disease and has also been strongly connected with cardiovascular disease. Here we report the finding that strains of C. pneumoniae are widespread in the environment, being detected by molecular methods in a range of reptiles (snakes, iguanas, chameleons) and amphibians (frogs, turtles). Of particular interest was the finding that genotyping of the chlamydial major outer membrane protein gene in these newly identified C. pneumoniae strains showed that many were genetically very similar, if not identical to the human respiratory strains. Whether these reptilian and amphibian strains of C. pneumoniae are still capable of infecting humans, or crossed the host barrier some time ago, remains to be determined but may provide further insights into the relationship of this common respiratory infection with its human host.
Journal of Wildlife Diseases, 1981
Phycomycosis (mucormycosis) was diagnosed in a 17-month old female gray squirrel. Characteristic ... more Phycomycosis (mucormycosis) was diagnosed in a 17-month old female gray squirrel. Characteristic fungal organisms were demonstrated in abscesses in the skin and lungs. The squirrel also had multiple fibromas in the skin from which a poxvirus was isolated.
Infection and Immunity, Oct 1, 1994
The desert tortoise is listed by the United States government as a threatened species in part of ... more The desert tortoise is listed by the United States government as a threatened species in part of its range. A major contributing factor in the decline of this animal has been the presence of an upper respiratory tract disease (URTD) which is characterized by a chronic disease which eventually leads to severe occlusion of the nares with viscous exudate and destruction of the respiratory epithelium. Electron microscopy of infected tissues demonstrated the presence of a mycoplasma-like organism attached to the respiratory surfaces. The mycoplasma was isolated and designated as a new species, with the proposed name Mycoplasma agassizii. The current study was designed to fulfill Koch's postulates and determine if M. agassizii was the etiologic agent of URTD. Clinically healthy animals with known antibody status were infused intranasally with pooled exudate (n = 8) from ill donor animals, with M. agassizii alone (n = 9) or in combination with PasteureUa testudinis (n = 8), with P. testudinis alone (n = 9), or with sterile broth (n = 12). The pooled exudate was culture positive for M. agassizii. Tortoises which received exudate or M. agassizii alone or in conjunction with P. testudinis were significantly more likely to develop clinical disease (P < 0.0004) than animals which received P. testudinis alone or the broth controls. Tortoises demonstrated a strong immune response to M. agassizii, and seroconversion was seen in all groups with clinical disease. M. agassizii was isolated from the upper respiratory tracts of clinically ill animals up to 6 months postinfection. On the basis of the results of these transmission studies, we conclude that M. agassizii is an etiologic agent of URTD in the desert tortoise.
Most of the 40 species of tortoises are experiencing population declines. Of the various causes o... more Most of the 40 species of tortoises are experiencing population declines. Of the various causes of mortality in wild populations of tortoises, the interactions of disease and population dynamics are least understood. Although habitat degradation is considered the most significant threat to wild populations of tortoises, disease is being observed more frequently in certain popu lations. An upper respiratory tract disease has been seen in populations of desert tortoise, Gopherus agassizi, in the Mojave Desert, USA, and certain populations of the gopher tortoise, Gopherus polyphemus, in Florida, USA. Much more information is available on diseases of captive tortoises than on those of wild tortoises. Of infectious diseases, viral, bacterial, mycotic, and parasitic diseases have all been reported. Noninfectious diseases identified in tortoises include various nutritional diseases, hypothyroidism, and neoplasia. Virtually nothing is known about the effects of pollutants/ toxicants in individual or populations of tortoises.
Journal of zoo animal medicine, 1982
... determination. Since ducklings affected with duck hepatitis virus, another herpesvirus infect... more ... determination. Since ducklings affected with duck hepatitis virus, another herpesvirus infecting the liver, showed significant elevations in SALT and SALP,8 serum levels of ALT and ALP were also determined for the three groups. SALT ...
Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine, Dec 13, 1992
... COLLECTION: PATHOLOGICAL, MICROBIOLOGICAL, AND SEROLOGICAL FINDINGS Elliott R. Jacobson, DVM,... more ... COLLECTION: PATHOLOGICAL, MICROBIOLOGICAL, AND SEROLOGICAL FINDINGS Elliott R. Jacobson, DVM, Ph.D., Jack M. Gaskin, DVM, Ph.D., Susan Wells, DVM, Kevin Bowler, BS, and Juergen Schumacher, DVM Abstract ...
... conventional technique for reptile and avian species.28 Hemoglobin concentrations were determ... more ... conventional technique for reptile and avian species.28 Hemoglobin concentrations were determined using an automated meth od (Coulter Hemoglobinometer ... detected, slides were stained with a modi fied Wright-Giemsa stain (Diff-Quick, AHS del Caribe, Aguada, Puerto Rico ...
Uploads
Papers by Elliott Jacobson