Hepatic Lipidosis in a Research Colony of Big Brown Bats (Eptesicus fuscus)

摘要

Duringanearbyconstructionproject,asuddendecreaseinfoodintakeandguanoproductionoccurredinanoutdoorcolonyofbigbrownbats(Eptesicusfuscus),andoneanimalwasfounddead.Investigationrevealedthattheprojectwasgeneratingalargeamountofnoiseandvibration,whichdisturbedthebats'feeding.Consequentlythebatsweremovedintoanindoorenclosureawayfromtheconstructionnoises,andthecolonyresumedeating.Overthenext3wk,additionalanimalspresentedwithclinicalsignsoflethargy,weightloss,ecchymoses,andicterusandwerenecropsied.Grossnecropsyoftheaffectedbatsrevealedlarge,paleyellowtotan,friableliverswithroundededgesthatfloatedwhenplacedin10%neutral-bufferedformalin.Somebatshadecchymosesonthewebbingandskinandgrossperirenalhemorrhage.Histologicexaminationshowedhepaticandrenaltubularlipidosis.Theclinicalandpathologicsignsofhemorrhageandicterusweresuggestiveofhepaticfailure.Hepaticlipidosiswasattributedtostressandinappetenceassociatedwithenvironmentalperturbations.Oncetheenvironmentalstressorwasremoved,thecolonymorbidityandmortalitydecreased.However,2ylater,aseriesofnewenvironmentalstressorstriggeredadditionaldeathsassociatedwithhepaticlipidosis.Overa9-yperiod,21casesofhepaticlipidosiswerediagnosedinthisbatcolony.