The genetic sexing of animals having long gestation periods offers significant benefits in regard to breeding management among their populations living in captivity. In our study, a new increased-sensitivity PCR method for fetal sexing was developed and tested successfully on elephants, from only a small volume of maternal plasma. Suitable sensitivity was obtained by using short, reduced amplicon lengths with fluorescent labelling for capillary electrophoresis detection. The fundamental principle for this technique was based on the detection of two Y-specific markers (AmelY and SRY), the presence of which indicates the mother is carrying a male fetus and the absence of these markers designates a female fetus. As a reaction control, the X-chromosomal marker (PlpX) was used. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on this topic, confirming the presence of fetal cell-free DNA from the plasma of a pregnant captive elephant, and demonstrating a new opportunity for non-invasive assessment in fetal sex determination.

Background: The barn swallow (Hirundo rustica) is a migratory bird with a characteristic color, shiny black on the back, dirty white feathers on the belly, rust-red throat, weighing 17–20 g. This species mainly hunts flying insects, catching them in flight and the swallows are constantly hunting in the air between sunrise and sunset. As the food-scarce autumn season approaches, swallows gather in large flocks and when the daytime temperature drops permanently below 15 ºC, they leave for their wintering grounds in Africa. The birds are preparing for the migration, replenishing their body's fat depots. By the time of leaving, thebirds reach a body weight of 22–25 g, which enables them to travel thousands of kilometers. The metabolism of birds is fast, which is especially noticeable in smaller species. Shortterm starvation is already associated with a significant deterioration in nutritional status. Objectives: The carcasses of the swallows that were still alive at the time of capture, but died during transport were examined to identify to cause of sudden death. Materials and Methods: On September 16, 2024, 34 immobile and flightless swallows were delivered to the Clinic of the Department of Exotic Animal and Wildlife Medicine from the beach in Csopak, Hungary (46° 58′ 10.4″ N, 17° 56′ 13.9″ E). Five randomly selected carcasses of swallows were examined according to the standard pathological methods (dissection, histopathology, special stainings, bacteriological examination, PCR). Results and Discussion: During the dissection the body weight of the swallows delivered to the clinic was 12.0–13.0 g (12.6 g on average) which is around half of the normal bodyweight of these birds before migration. The supplementary examinations were negative for known pathogens and histopathology showed extreme lack of glycogen. According to the weather data from 11th of September 2024, a cyclone with significant cooling and heavy rainfall hit Hungary. The reason behind the death of the swallows was starvation caused by the sudden disappearance of the population of flying insects that could be caught by swallows due to cold and rainy weather. This case draws attention to the dangers of sudden extreme effects of global climate change in the case of some sensitive animal populations.

Abstract: This the first report on the presence of Ehrlichia cf. ewingii in a reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) in Hungary. The animal started to show apathy and loss of appetite and subsequently died shortly after being placed in an enclosure with dense vegetation, following a quarantine period. During the diagnostic necropsy, a large volume of reddish pericardial and thoracic effusion was observed resembling heartwater disease. Ehrlichia cf. ewingii was detected from the thoracic effusion by PCR and sequencing. The selenium content of multiple organs (liver, kidney, heart and skeletal muscles) were measured, but no increase was found. PCR tests for the detection of adenoviruses from the liver, lungs and spleen were negative. The routine bacteriological culture from the liver did not yield specific results either. To establish a causal relationship between the presence of E. cf. ewingii and the animal's death, further investigations are necessary.

In late November 2021, a male serval (Leptailurus serval) which had escaped from an unknown holding facility was observed in the Bükk Mountains of Northern Hungary. A few days were needed to capture the animal with a live trap, after which it was transported to a national Rescue Centre at the Budapest Zoo and Botanical Garden. The exact origin of the specimen was never identified and apart from being emaciated, it seemed only to be stressed and weakened by the cold weather and starvation. Contrary to the initial fair prognosis, 2.5 days after admittance, the animal rapidly developed pronounced respiratory and central nervous system signs and despite intensive treatment died within a few hours. The subsequent diagnostic investigation revealed that the cause of death was SARS-CoV-2 infection. These diagnostic steps excluded other possible, lethal felid pathogens as causative agents and confirmed that the disease process was attributed to this virus.