Andreia Garcês

Cooperativa de Ensino Superior, Politécnico e Universitário | CESPU

In the last decades, the increase of antimicrobial resistance bacteria has become a concern for public health. Bats' ability to fly, form colonies for a long lifespan, and inhabit a variety of diverse ecological niches make them successful species in terms of adaptation and distribution on earth. Moreover, these characteristics let them act as the...

A free-living red kite (Milvus milvus, Lineu 1758) adult male was admitted to the CERAS-Centro de Estudos e Recuperação de Animais Selvagens (Castelo Branco, Portugal) debilitated and with injuries caused by lead projectiles. During the physical exam small lesions, not larger than 7 mm, were observed in the distal portion of the soft palate, latera...

Antimicrobial resistance has become a concern for public health in the last decades due to overuse and misuse of antibiotics. Hedgehogs live in close contact with humans, their pets, and livestock. Their numbers have been rising in gardens, farms, and green areas in the cities. This close contact with humans and pets poses a potential risk for zoon...

Aneurysm of the pulmonary artery is a rare condition in animals, and to our knowledge it has never been reported in association with pulmonary neoplasia. This report describes a case of an adult female sheep of the “Churra Galega Bragançana” breed with an aneurysm of the pulmonary artery associated with lung cancer (ovine pulmonary adenocarcinoma).

The Carolina duck (Aix sponsa, Linnaeus 1758) is an Anatidae species originating from North America. Several types of neoplasms have been reported in this species. The aetiology is undefined and spontaneous tumours are rare within this species. The authors present an unusual case of spontaneous fibrosarcoma occurring in an interclavicular air sac i...

Immediate disinfection after used with 0.5% hypochlorite solution will go a long way in preventing colonization of these tubes by environmental pathogens and subsequent infections. ABSTRACT Background: Superficial fungal skin disease in cats and dogs is commonly caused by pathogenic fungi from the genera Microsporum and Trichophyton. It is an impor...

Pyometra is a pus accumulation in the uterine lumen. This paper reports an unusual case of pyometra in a female Sus scrofa of Parque Biologico de Gaia (Avintes, Portugal). The animal was of advanced age, and the clinical signs (e.g., anorexia, lethargy) were originally associated with geriatric conditions. The animal presented a large uterus, which...

Proteinuria is often defined as the “presence of protein in urine”, but a better definition would be the “detection of excessive protein in urine”. This means that to confirm the presence of proteinuria not only we have to detect protein in urine but also quantify it, by means of a urine protein to creatine ratio (UPC ratio), a test that at least f...

A free-living European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) adult female was admitted to the Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre of Parque Biológico de Gaia (Portugal), with severe breathing distress and poor body condition. Its neck was displaced 60 degrees caudally. During the post- mortem exam, an abscess in the cervical vertebras was observed. Paeniclostr...

An ecosystem’s health is based on a delicate balance between human, nonhuman animal, and environmental health. Any factor that leads to an imbalance in one of the components results in disease. There are several bioindicators that allow us to evaluate the status of ecosystems. The red fox (Vulpes vulpes, Linnaeus, 1758) has the widest world distrib...

Ovine pulmonary adenocarcinoma (OPA), also known as sheep pulmonary adenomatosis and jaagsiekte, is a contagious pulmonary tumor of sheep, characterized by neoplastic proliferation of type II pneumocyte and club cells. OPA is induced by the oncogenic activity of the envelope glycoprotein (Env) of exogenous jaagsiekte sheep retrovirus (JSRV). This d...

This study was focused to gather the data available concerning the mortality of 440 wild animals admitted in the Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre in Parque Biológico de Gaia from 2008-2017. Only the species with unfavorable conservation status according to the Portuguese Red Book of Vertebrates were included. The animals belonged to the classes Mamma...

The importance of illustration in veterinary is usually overshadowed by its use in human medicine and forget. Nonetheless, it is important to recognize the importance of illustration in the development of veterinarian, as this is also a profession based on observation. Through history there are several examples of how illustration help to increase...

The data from 78 native species of reptiles and amphibians admitted to the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Parque Biológico de Gaia (Portugal) from 2009 to 2017 were revised to determine the main causes of morbidity and mortality. These data include four different orders: order Squamata (51.3%), order Testudinata (12.8%), order Anura (12.8%), and...

One of the major causes of death of wild animals worldwide is vehicle collisions. In Portugal the number of animals killed by vehicle collisions has grown in the past years. In order to characterize pathologic lesions sustained by wild animals injured in wildlife vehicle collisions, the necropsy reports of 170 animals (mammals and birds) performed...

The mara (Dolichotis patagonum) is a large rodent originating from Argentina, and is frequently kept in zoos worldwide. Little is known about their diseases, particularly those affecting the urinary system. In this report, the authors describe a case of renal and urethral bilateral lithiasis. The aetiology of urolith formation is multifactorial, wi...

Background Aspergillus species are found worldwide in a large variety of species, in particular in birds. Aspergillosis stands out, an opportunist mycosis caused by the Aspergillus genus, which affects mainly the respiratory system (lungs and air sacs) and is considered one of the most important causes of mortality in captive birds (1,2). The aim o...

Background and Aim: Wild mammals are among the most threatened species of the world in large part due to human activity. In this work, we used the method of partial least squares-path modeling associated with a geographic information system to analyze the impact of anthropogenic pressures on the mortality of wild mammals. Materials and Methods: We...

In this paper, the authors report a case of a swim bladder torsion at the ductus communicans in a 15-year-old goldfish (Carassius auratus, Linnaeus 1758). The lesion was observed at post-mortem exam. Its aetiology is not yet well understood, and in the presented case could have resulted of the conjugation of different factors: previously traumas, p...

In December 2019 emerged in Wuhan (China), an outbreak of fatal pneumonia, caused by the SARS-CoV-2, that rapidly became a pandemic infecting million worldwide. This virus had its origin on wild animals, although its transmission and mutations are still not very clear. Questions are rising with the development of the pandemic: if a reverse zoonosis...

Objective: This study aimed to analyze the results of urinary cultures admitted to the INNO veterinary laboratory (Braga, Portugal) in the period 2017-2019, in order to observe how the antimicrobial resistance in bacteria isolated from infections of the urinary (ITU) tract of companion animals has evolved. Materials and methods: All microbiological...

Objective: In this work we analyze the pattern of bacterial resistance of bacterial cultures of auricular exudates admitted to the INNO Veterinary Laboratory (Braga, Portugal), and describe their temporal variation in the period 2017-2019.Materials and methods: All microbiological cultures of ear exudates from dogs and cats submitted to the INNO Ve...

A free-living European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) adult female was admitted to the Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre of Parque Biológico de Gaia (Portugal), with severe breathing distress and poor body condition. Its neck was displaced 60 degrees caudally. During the post- mortem exam, an abscess in the cervical vertebras was observed. The agent w...

A volvulus is a twisting of the intestine on its mesenteric axis that could result in bowel obstruction and ischemic injury. Here the authors report a case of intestinal volvulus in a 20 years old captive hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius, Linnaeus, 1758), the first well described case in this specie. The animal died suddenly after a previous hi...

In the last decades the human population has grown exponentially and nearly three quarters of the land without ice is now dominated by anthropogenic biomes. Its presence and activity have led to altered ecosystems, leading to their destruction or fragmentation. These changes have enormous negative consequences on the wild populations, both directly...

There has been an increasing awareness on the impact of the Human activity on the Wildlife over the recent years in the field of veterinary, particularly pathology, forensic medicine and medicine of wildlife. In this chapter a review is made on the main causes of unnatural death of wild animals by accidental or intentional action of man and the mai...

There has been an increasing awareness on the impact of the Human activity on the Wildlife over the recent years. In this chapter a review is made on the main causes of unnatural death of wild animals associated to urbanization and human activity, with a description of the main injuries observed in post-mortem examination.

Necropsy is an important tool not only for the diagnosis of the cause of death, but also in the conservation of wild animals that are so threatened at the moment. In this paper, the authors made a brief summary of the necropsy technique in marine and coastal birds, with emphasis on some of the anatomical characteristics of these birds. They therefo...

In this chapter we present a brief review about some cases of animals that apparently are resistance to the development of tumours, such as amphibians, sharks, elephants, whales and the naked mole rats. We describe some of the mechanisms suggested to be associated to their case resistance, such as the Peto´s paradox. Also, we demystify some of the...

In Necropsy Techniques for Examining Wildlife Samples, the authors provide a practical, easily accessible guide of necropsy techniques for examining wildlife. Chapters introduce the reader to the value of necropsy in studying wildlife in general, sample collection methods, cadaveric phenomena and necropsy techniques for a variety of organisms rangi...

This study aimed to analyze the admission causes, outcomes, primary causes of death, and main lesions observed in the post mortem examinations of Western European hedgehogs, Erinaceus europaeus (Linnaeus, 1758), in the north of Portugal. The data were obtained by consulting the records from the two main wildlife rehabilitation centers located in th...

The exponential growth of the human population and their activity in the last decades have adverse effects on biodiversity. The main objective of this review was to present a compilation of works on causes of mortality of native wildlife in Europe, in the last decades linked to human activity. Here, a total of 130 peer-reviewed publications were re...

The Bosca's newt (Lissotriton boscai) is a small species of newt from the family Salamandridae, endemic in the western part of the Iberian Peninsula. Reproductive disorders in amphibians are not common and are poorly described. The newt, an adult female, originated from the Espiríto Santo creek in Miramar (Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal), was admitted...

In the last decades, the increase of antimicrobial resistance bacteria has become a concern of public health, already affecting unintentional hosts as isolated wild populations. In the present study, we evaluated the incidence of antimicrobial resistance, molecular mechanisms of resistance and virulence genes among 42 strains of Escherichia coli is...

Capsule: A ten-year study of the causes of mortality in birds brought to a wildlife rehabilitation centre in Portugal, reveals that most deaths were due to trauma. Aims: This study aims to identify the main causes of morbidity and mortality in wild birds admitted to a wildlife rehabilitation centre in Northern Portugal, from 2008 to 2017. Methods:...

A Mediterranean turtle, Mauremys leprosa (Schweigger, 1812), was admitted to the Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre of Parque Biológico de Gaia with renal disease symptomology. In post-mortem examination, the animal presented pale and enlarged kidneys with cystic cavities containing a mucopurulent exudate. The histological examination confirmed the dia...

A pedunculated cauliflower-like mass was detected on the left posterior limb of a subadult male red deer ( Cervus elaphus) after a hunt in Portugal. Histologically the lesion was classified as cutaneous fibropapilloma. The identification of Cervus elaphus papillomavirus (CePV-1 variant) was based on sequencing of the L1 gene. The L2 sequence reveal...

In the last decades, the use and misuse of pesticides in the agriculture have increased, having a severe impact on ecosystems and their fauna. Although the various effects of pesticides on biodiversity have been already documented in several studies, to our knowledge no consistent overview of the impact of pesticides in vertebrates, both terrestria...

The microbiological examination of the mucus present in the kidney confirmed the existence of a bacterial agent-Enterococcus faecalis. Final diagnosis was a chronic bacterial nephritis by E. faecalis. The E. faecalis is an opportunistic pathogen when the conditions are appropriated, and the history of the animal lead us to consider that the turtle...

In this chapter, we present a brief review on neoplasias in wild animals, both in the wild or in captivity. The prevalence of cancer in wildlife is considered low, but it could be under evaluated. In the majority of the cases is not possible to access to the corpse of the animals that die due to many factors, as geographical obstacles and the lack...

Cancer is a common disease in cats, although a little less common that what seems to occur in dogs (Cannon, 2015). It is a multistage process with a multifactorial etiology, such as chemical, oncogenic viruses, genetic, hormonal and others (Graf et al., 2016). Similar to what has been observed in dogs, some pure breeds appear to have a genetic pred...

Cancer is a common disease in dogs and represents one of the major causes of canine mortality. All breeds and crossbred dogs can be affected (Komazawa et al., 2016). Although the aetiology of the majority of the tumours is most likely to be multifactorial, it appears that some breeds of pedigree dogs have an increased risk of certain types of cance...

A severely debilitated, free-living adult female European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) was presented for rehabilitation. It died overnight, and postmortem examination revealed a closed pyometra. Histopathology confirmed metritis with endometrial hyperplasia, and Staphylococcus lentus was isolated from the purulent uterine material. Staphylococcus...

In this study we aim to obtain a holistic view over the consequences of human-induced threats to the wild bird populations in the study area, based on data collected from a Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre (WRC) through the method of Partial Least Squares-Path Modelling (PLS-PM). The study area comprised 76 rural and urban municipalities located in n...

In this study, we aim to understand the effect of anthropogenic pressures in wild birds’ mortality in the last 10 years (2008-2017) in North of Portugal. A total of 6058 wild birds admitted in Wildlife Recovery Centre of Gaia’s Biological Park, originated from 76 different localities were examined. They belonged to 22 different orders, and the ones...

Every year all around the world new species became threatened with extinction. Only in Portugal at least 181 species of animals have an unfavourable conservation status. In order to monitor the main anthropogenic pressures responsible by the mortality of these animals, a total of 440 wild animals with an unfavourable conservation status admitted to...

Although there are many obstacles to perform post mortem exams in wild animals, important information can be gathered to improve the knowledge of the species and implement good conservation measures. Also, wild animals are excellent bioindicators, that can provide information about the health of the ecosystems and the human impact of Man in those....

Every year all around the world new species are vulnerable or threatened of extinction. Only in Portugal at least 181 species of animals have an unfavourable conservation status. Therefore, is important the identification of the main pressures and mortality causes in order to implement future effective conservation measures and rescue this species...

The Bosca's Newt (Lissotriton boscai) is a small species of newt from the family Salamandridae, endemic from the western part of the Iberian Peninsula. Reproductive disorders in amphibians are not common and poorly described. The newt, an adult female, originated from the Espiríto Santo creek in Miramar (Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal), was admitted...

Studies of morbidity/mortality provide critical information for the management of wildlife rehabilitation centers. Post-mortem examination of wild birds contributes, not only to increase pathology knowledge, but can also provide important data in several areas such as microbiology, parasitology, virology, epidemiology and genetics, providing inform...