This report presents the first detection of canine circovirus (CanineCV) in South Korea, which was identified in a dog with hemorrhagic diarrhea. A 5-year-old male Golden Retriever presented with acute, watery and bloody diarrhea that had persisted for three weeks. Pathologically, granulomatous inflammation, fibrinoid vasculitis, and hemorrhagic foci were observed in the small intestine and mesenteric lymph nodes. Characteristic intracytoplasmic amphophilic inclusion bodies were observed in histiocytic cells within the granulomatous lesions. CanineCV was amplified by polymerase chain reaction from the small intestine, mesenteric lymph nodes, and fecal samples. A genomic analysis of the complete capsid gene from the Korean strain of CanineCV revealed that it shares the highest nucleotide and amino acid sequence similarities, at 94.2% and 94.1% respectively, with the American UCD3-478 isolate. Phylogenetic analysis based on the nucleotide sequence of the capsid gene classified the Korean strain as type 4 CanineCV. This case highlights the importance of genomic surveillance for emerging pathogens in South Korea and lays the groundwork for further research into the epidemiology and pathogenicity of CanineCV in canine enteric diseases.

The Philippine Darag native chicken demonstrates favorable health and welfare indicators that are comparable to those of slow-growing Redbro broiler chickens. This study analyzed the histomorphometric characteristics of the small intestinal segments in these 2 breeds over an 8-week growth period. Small intestinal samples were collected weekly from both breeds from week 1 to week 8. Tissues were fixed and stained with hematoxylin and eosin, and analysis was performed using ImageJ to quantify villus height (VH), crypt depth (CD), villus-to-crypt ratio, epithelial thickness (ET), mucosal thickness (MT), and tunica muscularis thickness. The effects of age and breed, as well as their correlations with body weight, relative organ weight, and total feed consumption, were evaluated using a mixed-effects model, Pearson’s correlation, and multiple linear regression. Additionally, a binomial logistic regression model was applied to examine the occurrence of zigzag villi patterns. All histomorphometric parameters exhibited a significant increase with age. Redbro displayed earlier and more rapid intestinal development, whereas Darag demonstrated slower yet more comprehensive maturation across parameters. The zigzag villi pattern emerged earlier in Redbro, particularly in the jejunum. The identified age- and breed-specific differences in small intestinal development suggest that intestinal adaptation may contribute to variations in growth performance and may indicate potential advantages to Darag in low-input production systems. Furthermore, the significant correlations of VH, CD, ET, and MT with production indices indicate that growth performance is influenced by a complex interaction of absorptive capacity, intestinal health, and motility, rather than solely by villus surface area.

Deer antlers are regenerate annually under hormonal control, particularly testosterone. Here, we report a case of antler deformity associated with testicular atrophy in a wild roe deer (Capreolus pygargus) in South Korea. Both antlers were abnormally enlarged and entangled in agricultural netting. Gross and histopathological examination revealed severe testicular atrophy, interstitial fibrosis, and hindlimb muscle necrosis. Serum testosterone was extremely low (0.032 ng/mL). These findings explain the abnormal antler growth and suggest susceptibility to capture myopathy due to hormonal imbalance. This is the first documented case in South Korea linking antler abnormalities to testicular atrophy in wild roe deer, highlighting the impact of endocrine disruption on cervid health.

Caudal aberrant turbinate is a relatively common turbinate bone anomaly in brachycephalic breeds with an undetermined etiology. This paper presents a 5-year-old Pug with a history of otitis media and interna, showing left ear discharge and respiratory distress. Radiography and advanced imaging, including computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), revealed bilateral otitis externa and media, an elongated and thickened soft palate, a narrowed nasopharynx, and caudal extension of bilateral turbinate structures into the nasopharynx. MRI also revealed left otitis interna. Twenty-six days later, the patient developed severe respiratory distress with radiographic signs of an increased caudodorsal lung opacity and gastric dilation, indicative of non-cardiogenic pulmonary edema from a chronic airway obstruction. Surgical treatment involved folded flap palatoplasty and left total ear canal ablation. Despite treatment, the dog expired due to the persistent respiratory distress. This case highlights that a caudal aberrant turbinate can contribute to airflow obstruction in brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS), particularly when compounded by other upper airway anomalies. CT imaging is valuable for identifying nasal structural abnormalities, including aberrant turbinates. Accordingly, an awareness of such anatomical variations is critical for the diagnosis and management of brachycephalic breeds presenting BOAS-related symptoms.

An 8-year-old intact male mixed-breed dog presented with a 6-day history of anorexia, lethargy, and vomiting. Antigen testing for Dirofilaria immitis was positive, and circulating microfilaria was detected on a peripheral blood smear. Thoracic radiography showed a normal cardiac silhouette with a generalized bronchial pattern. Abdominal ultrasonography revealed segmental thickening and a loss of layering of the small intestine with marked mesenteric lymphadenopathy. Echocardiography showed heartworms in the main pulmonary artery and an echogenic structure on the right atrial wall. Cardiac computed tomography (CT) angiography (CTA) identified the right atrial structure as a non-enhancing lesion, which was presumed to represent thrombus or granulomatous inflammation. Cardiac CTA confirmed the presence of multiple heartworms and pulmonary thromboembolism and incidentally identified an aneurysmal dilation of the left subclavian artery with a centrally located intimal flap, suggesting an arterial dissection. Abdominal CT revealed a thickened small intestine, fat stranding, and generalized lymphadenopathy. Fine-needle aspiration of a mesenteric lymph node and cytology of the peritoneal fluid confirmed lymphoma. This case presents a rare subclavian artery dissection in a dog with a concurrent heartworm infection and lymphoma and highlights the clinical value of a cardiac CTA protocol for precise visualization of the cardiac and vascular walls.

A 13-year-old neutered male Shih Tzu presented with diffuse intestinal thickening extending from the lower part of the duodenum to the middle part of the jejunum. A portion of the jejunum was biopsied and submitted for histopathological diagnosis. Microscopically, the villi of the mucosal layer were thickened and atrophied, and round tumor cells had infiltrated the intestinal epithelial cells, crypt epithelial cells and lamina propria. Immunohistochemically, the neoplastic cells were immunoreactive to CD3. Based on these results, the intestinal mass from jejunum was diagnosed as epitheliotropic intestinal T-cell lymphoma.

Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is a zoonotic arbovirus transmitted by mosquitoes and poses a significant public health concern. JEV is classified into 5 genotypes (G1–G5). Since 2010, JEV genotype 5 (G5) has been predominant in the Republic of Korea; however, a specific antigen for hemagglutination (HA) inhibition (HI) assays has been lacking. This study aimed to develop a novel antigen to enable genotype-specific HI antibody detection for JEV G5. The Sangju strain of JEV G5 was serially passaged 30 times in Vero and C6/36 cells, resulting in Sangju-30, which exhibited 2 envelope protein mutations and an HA titer of 8, increasing to 512 following polyethylene glycol 8000 concentration. The antigen demonstrated a strong correlation (R = 0.95, p < 0.05, 95% confidence interval, 6.3–31.9) with HI antibody levels in pig sera. These findings suggest that the Sangju-30 antigen is a viable alternative for JEV G5 serological monitoring, enhancing diagnostic accuracy and offering a replacement for traditional murine-derived antigen production.

Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) is a highly contagious and lethal pig coronavirus, particularly in neonatal piglets. The main route of PEDV transmission is the fecal-oral route via direct contact with infected pigs. As pigs are commonly transported to slaughterhouses in trucks, PEDV can infect farms through contact with contaminated trucks. In South Korea, there is insufficient understanding of pig transportation as a major source of virus transmission. Therefore, this study evaluated the presence of PEDV in transportation and slaughterhouses and investigated possible contamination sources. In total, 401 environmental samples were collected by swabbing surface areas with cotton gauze and classified into 4 categories based on their sampling location: vehicle interior, vehicle exterior, drivers, and slaughterhouses. The swab samples exhibited a relatively high PEDV detection rate of 19.2% (77/401). The detection rate was highest for the slaughterhouse (38.2%, 21/55) and lowest for the vehicle interior (13.0%, 12/92). Genetic and phylogenetic analysis revealed that all sequenced isolates belonged to the highly pathogenic genotype 2b currently circulating in South Korea. The high PEDV detection rates in transport vehicles and slaughterhouses suggest that transportation plays a major role in PEDV introduction into farms. Our findings emphasize the need to enforce biosecurity protocols, including adequate hygiene measures, to mitigate the risks associated with pig transportation.

A 5-month-old mixed-breed dog was presented with progressive ambulatory paraparesis. Neurological examination was consistent with thoracolumbar myelopathy. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a spinal (sub)arachnoid diverticulum (SAD) at T8–T9 with spinal cord compression associated with central canal dilation and intramedullary edema. Computed tomography (CT) showed generalized caudal articular process dysplasia (CAPD) from T2 to T9 vertebras. Considering diagnostic imaging results, symptoms were strongly suspected to be due to spinal cord compression associated with CAPD-induced SAD. Surgery was performed and cystic structure was detached. One month after the surgery, no progression of clinical symptoms was observed. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of SAD causing thoracolumbar myelopathy in a non-brachycephalic dog with generalized CAPD. These findings highlight the potential role of CAPD as a contributing factor to SAD formation. A combination of CT and MRI is recommended for thorough evaluation of vertebral structures and alignment in similar cases.