Estimation of age represents a central focus in the veterinary forensic pathology field. Currentl... more Estimation of age represents a central focus in the veterinary forensic pathology field. Currently, the visual examination of the dentition and the skeletal age are the main methods to estimate the age of puppies. Nevertheless, these methods are affected by a broad range of variables. In contrast, the kidney is characterized by a specific postnatal development. In human glomerulogenesis, fetal mesangial cells change their immunohistochemical phenotypes with maturation. Therefore, we hypothesized that histological and immunohistochemical examinations of the kidney can be used together as an indirect parameter for age determination in puppies’ cadavers. Forty-five puppies’ cadavers were divided into five groups defined by age (Group A= 0–15 days, Group B = 16–45 days, Group C = 46–85 days, Group D = 86–105 days, Group E= 105–365 days). For each case, kidney samples were collected and processed for histopathological (for morphometrical study of the glomerulus) and immunohistochemical (...
Poisoned wildlife and the law: a clinical case and a comment on the ministerial decree on poisone... more Poisoned wildlife and the law: a clinical case and a comment on the ministerial decree on poisoned baits The malicious use of poison is probably one of the major causes of wildlife mortality in Europe to date. It is no surprise then that a veterinary practitioner may be called to attend to critically ill wildlife. These situations, in addition to intrinsic diagnostic difficulties, can give rise to legal uncertainty about the correct way of proceeding and the responsibilities of the various stakeholders involved. This paper focuses on a specific event, namely the deliberate poisoning of wildlife. Starting from a clinical-pathological case of poisoning due to zinc phosphide in a European badger (Meles meles), the various procedural steps are followed by examining the responsibilities and actions provided by the veterinarian, according to the latter Ministerial Decrees on Poisoned Baits (OM 21/06/2017). The paper also provides information on signs of suspect poisoning in wildlife, samples to be submitted to toxicological analysis, interaction with the forensic veterinary pathologist and the importance of an accurate data collection to assess the poisoned baits phenomenon at a national scale.
In late February 2016, in Parma, Italy, the medical examiner was called on a crime scene investig... more In late February 2016, in Parma, Italy, the medical examiner was called on a crime scene investigation: a 43 years-old man was found dead in his bedroom inside his apartment. The quilt and the curtains of the room were partially burnt and a great amount of garbage was overall present. During the crime scene examination, the carcasses of a dog, a cat and a turtle were also found. The corpse and the pets were in different stage of decomposition and several insect specimens were present. Subsequent external examination, CT-scans, autopsy and anthropological-odontological examinations were performed on the body. The cause of death was determined in septic shock secondary to extended burns (degrees 1-4) which had not been treated at the time of the occurrence, death occurring several days after the fact. A forensic entomology analysis was performed on photographic records, no living insects were found at the scene or on the body, whereas empty puparia were present on the bed, the carcasses and in the surrounding areas. A forensic veterinary analysis has also been performed on the 3 long-time deceased pets, their cause of death was, most likely, determined in neglect and starvation. The aim of this case report presentation is to analyse the versatility of disciplines and experts needed when humans and animals are involved in the same forensic case. Considering that animal cruelty has been only recently deemed as a felony in many developed countries, a brief survey of the legal overview in some of these countries will be explained, together with statistics. The present case went to court on allegations of abandonment of a mentally incompetent person from the parents’ part, and suspicion of animal cruelty
The Northern Bald Ibis Geronticus eremita is an endangered species, and recently it was reintrodu... more The Northern Bald Ibis Geronticus eremita is an endangered species, and recently it was reintroduced in Europe by the Waldrappteam. The reintroduction program has been strongly threatened by several sudden deaths, mainly in Italy. The present study used a forensic approach to analyze all of the 27 Northern Bald Ibises found dead in Italy between 2016 and 2022, which were suspected to have been victims of poaching, and it followed the veterinary forensic guidelines. Human-related causes accounted for 60% of the deaths, including illegal hunting (30%), blunt force trauma (26%), and electrocution (4%). Natural causes, starvation (15%), predation (11%) and disease (7%), accounted for 33% of the deaths. 7% of the causes of deaths remained undetermined. This study uses a forensic approach to analyze, for the first time, the main causes of death in Geronticus eremita and highlights the relevance of detecting illegal actions related to endangered species and stopping the phenomenon of poach...
Among fossil vertebrates, oral pathologies are of particular interest, because of their considera... more Among fossil vertebrates, oral pathologies are of particular interest, because of their considerable effect on teeth and maxillary/dentary bones and, as a consequence, on mastication and feeding behaviour. This study focused on a pathological left hemimandible referred to the mustelid Meles meles unearthed from a Late Pleistocene karst filling deposit at San Sidero (Apulia, South Italy). This fossil shows unusual marked abnormalities related to a rare case of nonodontogenic chronic suppurative osteomyelitis. Clinical diagnosis of the disease and the timing of its development have been defined on the basis of a veterinary approach and X-ray analyses. Such a pathological condition can be explained as a consequence of a wound due to a porcupine quill. The analysis of the injury also provides information about the biomechanics of the bite and on the feeding behaviour. The study case confirms how palaeopathological analyses can be considered valuable tools to reconstruct the physiology of animals that lived in the past and to depict in detail the interactions among Late Pleistocene mammals, thus allowing a more accurate reconstruction of the ecology in fossil mammals.
Summary The analysis of verification procedures of livestock depredations currently employed in I... more Summary The analysis of verification procedures of livestock depredations currently employed in Italy underlines that they are carried out in an empirical manner and that personnel charged with verification are generally not trained to perform an accurate assessment. Therefore, the extent of livestock depredation in Italy caused by species of conservation value, such as wolf, and by free-roaming dogs may be highly overestimated. Also, damage compensation laws actually applied in many Italian Regions seem to account mostly for social demands of claimants than for management requirements. A practically-based approach should seek to achieve the re-organisation of predation assessment methods by revision of the claim validation procedure, tackling the practical aspect of predation management on the basis of reliable data. The differentiation between dog and wolf attacks on livestock is also discussed on the basis of their biological and behavioural characteristics. The results of a rese...
SummaryReports of Pearsonema plica and Eucoleus böhmi infections in wolves (Canis lupus) in Europ... more SummaryReports of Pearsonema plica and Eucoleus böhmi infections in wolves (Canis lupus) in Europe are limited and data on associated lesions are lacking. In the present study urinary bladders, nasal turbinates and faecal samples from 8 necropsied wolves were examined for P. plica and E. böhmi infections and associated lesions. P. plica was identified in the bladder of four wolves. At histological examination, follicular chronic cystitis and eosinophilic cystitis were found. E. böhmi nematodes and eggs were identified from the nasal turbinates and rectal faecal samples of three wolves. Worms and eggs were found embedded in the mucosa among the nasal bone laminae. Two wolves were found coinfected by P. plica and E. böhmi. This is the first report of P. plica and E. böhmi infections in wolves from Italy and the first description of pathological lesions associated with P. plica infection in wolves.
The identification of the earliest dogs is challenging because of the absence and/or mosaic patte... more The identification of the earliest dogs is challenging because of the absence and/or mosaic pattern of morphological diagnostic features in the initial phases of the domestication process. Furthermore, the natural occurrence of some of these characters in Late Pleistocene wolf populations and the time it took from the onset of traits related to domestication to their prevalence remain indefinite. For these reasons, the spatiotemporal context of the early domestication of dogs is hotly debated. Our combined molecular and morphological analyses of fossil canid remains from the sites of Grotta Paglicci and Grotta Romanelli, in southern Italy, attest of the presence of dogs at least 14,000 calibrated years before present. This unambiguously documents one of the earliest occurrence of domesticates in the Upper Palaeolithic of Europe and in the Mediterranean. The genetic affinity between the Palaeolithic dogs from southern Italy and contemporaneous ones found in Germany also suggest that these animals were an important common adjunct during the Late Glacial, when strong cultural diversification occurred between the Mediterranean world and European areas north of the Alps. Additionally, aDNA analyses indicate that this Upper Palaeolithic dog lineage from Italy may have contributed to the genetic diversity of living dogs.
Estimation of age represents a central focus in the veterinary forensic pathology field. Currentl... more Estimation of age represents a central focus in the veterinary forensic pathology field. Currently, the visual examination of the dentition and the skeletal age are the main methods to estimate the age of puppies. Nevertheless, these methods are affected by a broad range of variables. In contrast, the kidney is characterized by a specific postnatal development. In human glomerulogenesis, fetal mesangial cells change their immunohistochemical phenotypes with maturation. Therefore, we hypothesized that histological and immunohistochemical examinations of the kidney can be used together as an indirect parameter for age determination in puppies’ cadavers. Forty-five puppies’ cadavers were divided into five groups defined by age (Group A= 0–15 days, Group B = 16–45 days, Group C = 46–85 days, Group D = 86–105 days, Group E= 105–365 days). For each case, kidney samples were collected and processed for histopathological (for morphometrical study of the glomerulus) and immunohistochemical (...
Poisoned wildlife and the law: a clinical case and a comment on the ministerial decree on poisone... more Poisoned wildlife and the law: a clinical case and a comment on the ministerial decree on poisoned baits The malicious use of poison is probably one of the major causes of wildlife mortality in Europe to date. It is no surprise then that a veterinary practitioner may be called to attend to critically ill wildlife. These situations, in addition to intrinsic diagnostic difficulties, can give rise to legal uncertainty about the correct way of proceeding and the responsibilities of the various stakeholders involved. This paper focuses on a specific event, namely the deliberate poisoning of wildlife. Starting from a clinical-pathological case of poisoning due to zinc phosphide in a European badger (Meles meles), the various procedural steps are followed by examining the responsibilities and actions provided by the veterinarian, according to the latter Ministerial Decrees on Poisoned Baits (OM 21/06/2017). The paper also provides information on signs of suspect poisoning in wildlife, samples to be submitted to toxicological analysis, interaction with the forensic veterinary pathologist and the importance of an accurate data collection to assess the poisoned baits phenomenon at a national scale.
In late February 2016, in Parma, Italy, the medical examiner was called on a crime scene investig... more In late February 2016, in Parma, Italy, the medical examiner was called on a crime scene investigation: a 43 years-old man was found dead in his bedroom inside his apartment. The quilt and the curtains of the room were partially burnt and a great amount of garbage was overall present. During the crime scene examination, the carcasses of a dog, a cat and a turtle were also found. The corpse and the pets were in different stage of decomposition and several insect specimens were present. Subsequent external examination, CT-scans, autopsy and anthropological-odontological examinations were performed on the body. The cause of death was determined in septic shock secondary to extended burns (degrees 1-4) which had not been treated at the time of the occurrence, death occurring several days after the fact. A forensic entomology analysis was performed on photographic records, no living insects were found at the scene or on the body, whereas empty puparia were present on the bed, the carcasses and in the surrounding areas. A forensic veterinary analysis has also been performed on the 3 long-time deceased pets, their cause of death was, most likely, determined in neglect and starvation. The aim of this case report presentation is to analyse the versatility of disciplines and experts needed when humans and animals are involved in the same forensic case. Considering that animal cruelty has been only recently deemed as a felony in many developed countries, a brief survey of the legal overview in some of these countries will be explained, together with statistics. The present case went to court on allegations of abandonment of a mentally incompetent person from the parents’ part, and suspicion of animal cruelty
The Northern Bald Ibis Geronticus eremita is an endangered species, and recently it was reintrodu... more The Northern Bald Ibis Geronticus eremita is an endangered species, and recently it was reintroduced in Europe by the Waldrappteam. The reintroduction program has been strongly threatened by several sudden deaths, mainly in Italy. The present study used a forensic approach to analyze all of the 27 Northern Bald Ibises found dead in Italy between 2016 and 2022, which were suspected to have been victims of poaching, and it followed the veterinary forensic guidelines. Human-related causes accounted for 60% of the deaths, including illegal hunting (30%), blunt force trauma (26%), and electrocution (4%). Natural causes, starvation (15%), predation (11%) and disease (7%), accounted for 33% of the deaths. 7% of the causes of deaths remained undetermined. This study uses a forensic approach to analyze, for the first time, the main causes of death in Geronticus eremita and highlights the relevance of detecting illegal actions related to endangered species and stopping the phenomenon of poach...
Among fossil vertebrates, oral pathologies are of particular interest, because of their considera... more Among fossil vertebrates, oral pathologies are of particular interest, because of their considerable effect on teeth and maxillary/dentary bones and, as a consequence, on mastication and feeding behaviour. This study focused on a pathological left hemimandible referred to the mustelid Meles meles unearthed from a Late Pleistocene karst filling deposit at San Sidero (Apulia, South Italy). This fossil shows unusual marked abnormalities related to a rare case of nonodontogenic chronic suppurative osteomyelitis. Clinical diagnosis of the disease and the timing of its development have been defined on the basis of a veterinary approach and X-ray analyses. Such a pathological condition can be explained as a consequence of a wound due to a porcupine quill. The analysis of the injury also provides information about the biomechanics of the bite and on the feeding behaviour. The study case confirms how palaeopathological analyses can be considered valuable tools to reconstruct the physiology of animals that lived in the past and to depict in detail the interactions among Late Pleistocene mammals, thus allowing a more accurate reconstruction of the ecology in fossil mammals.
Summary The analysis of verification procedures of livestock depredations currently employed in I... more Summary The analysis of verification procedures of livestock depredations currently employed in Italy underlines that they are carried out in an empirical manner and that personnel charged with verification are generally not trained to perform an accurate assessment. Therefore, the extent of livestock depredation in Italy caused by species of conservation value, such as wolf, and by free-roaming dogs may be highly overestimated. Also, damage compensation laws actually applied in many Italian Regions seem to account mostly for social demands of claimants than for management requirements. A practically-based approach should seek to achieve the re-organisation of predation assessment methods by revision of the claim validation procedure, tackling the practical aspect of predation management on the basis of reliable data. The differentiation between dog and wolf attacks on livestock is also discussed on the basis of their biological and behavioural characteristics. The results of a rese...
SummaryReports of Pearsonema plica and Eucoleus böhmi infections in wolves (Canis lupus) in Europ... more SummaryReports of Pearsonema plica and Eucoleus böhmi infections in wolves (Canis lupus) in Europe are limited and data on associated lesions are lacking. In the present study urinary bladders, nasal turbinates and faecal samples from 8 necropsied wolves were examined for P. plica and E. böhmi infections and associated lesions. P. plica was identified in the bladder of four wolves. At histological examination, follicular chronic cystitis and eosinophilic cystitis were found. E. böhmi nematodes and eggs were identified from the nasal turbinates and rectal faecal samples of three wolves. Worms and eggs were found embedded in the mucosa among the nasal bone laminae. Two wolves were found coinfected by P. plica and E. böhmi. This is the first report of P. plica and E. böhmi infections in wolves from Italy and the first description of pathological lesions associated with P. plica infection in wolves.
The identification of the earliest dogs is challenging because of the absence and/or mosaic patte... more The identification of the earliest dogs is challenging because of the absence and/or mosaic pattern of morphological diagnostic features in the initial phases of the domestication process. Furthermore, the natural occurrence of some of these characters in Late Pleistocene wolf populations and the time it took from the onset of traits related to domestication to their prevalence remain indefinite. For these reasons, the spatiotemporal context of the early domestication of dogs is hotly debated. Our combined molecular and morphological analyses of fossil canid remains from the sites of Grotta Paglicci and Grotta Romanelli, in southern Italy, attest of the presence of dogs at least 14,000 calibrated years before present. This unambiguously documents one of the earliest occurrence of domesticates in the Upper Palaeolithic of Europe and in the Mediterranean. The genetic affinity between the Palaeolithic dogs from southern Italy and contemporaneous ones found in Germany also suggest that these animals were an important common adjunct during the Late Glacial, when strong cultural diversification occurred between the Mediterranean world and European areas north of the Alps. Additionally, aDNA analyses indicate that this Upper Palaeolithic dog lineage from Italy may have contributed to the genetic diversity of living dogs.
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