No abstract

A red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and a European badger (Meles meles) were found dead on a golf-course in October 1997 near Stockholm (Sweden). At necropsy, both animals were obese and the main finding was acute circulatory collapse. Theobromine intoxication was suspected as chocolate waste was available at a nearby farm and no other cause of death could be detected. Gastric contents and samples of liver from both animals were analyzed by reversed-phase high pressure liquid chromatography for the presence of methylxanthines. Theobromine and caffeine were detected in gastric contents and theobromine was identified in the liver samples from both animals. This appears to be the first report of theobromine intoxication in the red fox and the European badger.

No abstract

Plasma selenium (Se), haemoglobin (Hb) and packed cell volume (PCV) were measured in 53 malnourished Sudanese children, age 6-36 months, and 11 children who had tuberculosis. Twelve healthy well-nourished children served as controls. The mean ( ± SD) plasma Se (mg/kg) was 0.05 (0.036), 0.070 (0.040), 0.063 (0.015), 0.73 (0.012), 0.082 (0.014) in children with kwashiorkor/marasmic kwashiorkor (oedematous group), marasmus, tuberculosis and healthy controls. The mean Se level in the various groups showed a significant difference (p < 0.002). Whereas the oedematous group differed significantly from the rest, there was no difference between the means of the marasmic, underweight, tuberculous patients and controls. The mean plasma albumin ( ± SD) in oedematous group was 19.6 (6.6) g/l and ranged between 22.6 (5.0) and 33.1 (3.0) in the other groups. A significant positive correlation was found between plasma Se level, albumin, Hb and PCV (respectively, r = 0.46, p < 0.0001; r = 0.37, p < 0.001; r = 0.36, p < 0.002).

Environmental monitoring of metals on two trophic levels is presented: a biogeochemical technique developed at the Geological Survey of Sweden, using aquatic mosses and roots of aquatic plants, and a bioanalytical-chemical technique developed at the National Veterinary Institute based on organ tissues from the moose ( Alces alces L.), a wild ruminant living in the Swedish forests. The usefulness of the techniques is exemplified by monitoring of Cd in southern Sweden. The results of both monitoring systems are in close agreement. Together with analysis of crops and drinking water the results indicate a region with elevated Cd burden. Also the changing environment is monitored by the moose. Decreasing concentrations of essential and toxic metals (cations) and increasing molybdenum concentration (anion) were found in a strongly acidified region of Sweden by comparison with a reference material from 1982. pH increase of the environment of the moose is indicated, probably by liming. It resulted in severe copper and chromium deficiency of the moose and was suggested as the cause of a ‘mysterious’ disease in the moose. Comparison of the techniques confirms the advantage of using metal-monitoring maps in interpreting biological data and also the predictive value of the monitoring maps in biological contexts.