Biomedical subjects

Minna Nylund

Publications and source records attributed to Minna Nylund.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2005

European brown hare syndrome in free-living mountain hares (Lepus timidus) and European brown hares (Lepus europaeus) in Finland 1990-2002.

We investigated the epidemiology of the European brown hare syndrome (EBHS) in Finland among free-living mountain hares (Lepus timidus) and European brown hares (Lepus europaeus). Carcasses of 297 European brown hares and 843 mountain hares submitted for postmortem examination were analyzed between 1990 and 2002. One hundred thirty-six cases of EBHS were detected during the examination, 20 cases in European brown hares and 116 in mountain hares. Liver samples from 56 histopathologically positive and 135 negative cases were analyzed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The results of RT-PCR correlated well with histopathology. Cases of EBHS appeared only sporadically in a restricted area in eastern Finland during 1990-97. In 1998, the number of cases increased, and the disease spread to the north. In 1998-99, EBHS was the most common disease of mountain hares in necropsy material from northern and eastern Finland. Special features were the occurrence of the disease in areas in which European brown hares are rare and the seasonal distribution of cases, most of which appeared in spring or summer. This is the first report of an outbreak of EBHS occurring mainly among free-living mountain hares from Finland.

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PubMed2005

Contagious mucocutaneous dermatitis of the mountain hare (Lepus timidus): pathology and cause.

Contagious mucocutaneous dermatitis is a frequently encountered disease of mountain hares (Lepidus timidus) in Finland. We describe the histopathologic changes and propose an etiologic cause for this disorder. Fifty-three cases collected during 1982-2000 were examined histologically. Transmission electron microscopy was performed in one case. In fully developed lesions, keratinocytes in epidermis and follicular infundibula were swollen and contained large eosinophilic intracytoplasmic inclusion bodies with marked reticular and ballooning degeneration. In later stages, there was marked necrosis and ulceration with severe pyogranulomatous and suppurative inflammation. At this stage, no viral inclusions were detectable, but secondary Staphylococcus warnerii infection was present in most cases. In late lesions, there was dermal fibrosis with epidermal hyperplasia. No spiral-shaped bacteria suggesting treponematosis were detected at any stage. Ultrastructurally, swollen epidermal and follicle infundibular cells contained round intracytoplasmic inclusion bodies with a myriad of virions typical of poxvirus with a biconcave nucleocapsid core, two lateral bodies, and a clearly discernible outer lipoprotein capsule. The findings suggest that contagious mucocutaneous dermatitis in mountain hares is a viral disease caused by a poxvirus. The disease is often complicated by secondary bacterial infection, most commonly S. warneri.

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PubMed2003

Echinococcus granulosus in Finland.

Echinococcus granulosus is shown to occur in eastern Finland in a sylvatic cycle involving wolves (Canis lupus) as the definitive host and reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) and probably also elk (Alces alces) and the wild forest reindeer (Rangifer tarandus fennicus) as intermediate hosts. Even though the prevalence of E. granulosus in reindeer has increased in recent years, it is still very low (<0.013%). The results suggest, however, that the reindeer is a good sentinel animal to show the contamination of soil with Echinococcus eggs. This is the first report of wolves acting as a definitive host for E. granulosus in northern Europe. The parasite seems to be quite common in the Finnish wolf population, with a prevalence of approximately 30% in both intestinal and faecal samples. The present results and previous ones indicate that E. granulosus infection has not spread to dogs in the reindeer herding area.

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