W. C. DOLOWY AND L. J. SWANGO 
1027 
species of wild sparrows, canaries, pi- 
geons, chickens, and turkeys. A se- 
quential study was done in sparrows 
inoculated by various routes in an at- 
tempt to elucidate the pathogenesis of 
the disease. The results have been pub- 
lished.^ This study was justified on the 
basis that the initial disease outbreak 
involved several hundred birds that 
were part of a large research project 
that had been ongoing for several years. 
The acute onset and high mortality re- 
sulted in a very costly outbreak. This 
outbreak was diagnosed by our facility 
because we had the personnel and tech- 
nical capabilities of investigating it in 
detail. We anticipate that our findings 
and recommendations of quarantine 
procedures for newly caught birds will 
aid in preventing another devastating 
outbreak of this type. 
Congenital porphyria in cats: 
Congenital porphyria was diagnosed 
in a female Siamese cat that had died 
postoperatively. Porphyria was clini- 
cally evident in two surviving male off- 
spring, one of which was obtained for 
clinical studies. The results of prelimi- 
nary investigations on the genetic, his- 
topathologic, and biochemical aspects 
of the disease were presented at the 
52nd annual meeting of the Conference 
of Research Workers in Animal Dis- 
eases held in Chicago, Illinois, Novem- 
ber 28-30, 1971. A manuscript is in 
preparation reporting the results in 
greater detail. 
This study was done and is presented 
here because of the potential value of 
feline porphyria as an animal model for 
studying inborn errors of porphyrin 
metabolism in man. Naturally occurring 
feline porphyria has only been reported 
twice previously and it has been char- 
acterized in only one genetic stock of 
cats.'' This is then an example of the 
value of a diagnostic laboratory in dis- 
covering new animal models for human 
disease. 
In addition to the above, the diagnostic lab- 
oratory has provided some support for other re- 
search projects which were supported primarily 
by funds obtained for specific studies by the 
professional personnel of the diagnostic lab- 
oratory. Studies of this type were usually more 
basic in nature although some were in part 
applied research. The following are examples 
of such research topics : 
1. The sand rat : An animal model for dia- 
betes mellitus 
A colony of sand rats (Psammomys 
obesus) has been established by several 
investigators at the University of 
Washington to study diabetes mellitus. 
Because of the value of the sand rat in 
comparative medicine, careful attention 
has been directed toward the study and 
characterization of naturally-occurring 
diseases, microbial flora, and normal 
physiologic parameters. In addition to 
clinicopathologic and bacteriologic de- 
terminations, the diagnostic laboratory 
has provided some support for histo- 
pathologic and histochemical studies for 
evidence of vascular disease in diabetic 
animals. 
Naturally-occurring salmonellosis 
was encountered in one of the sand rats 
soon after it was imported. There was 
no evidence of spread of the infection 
within the colony. Salmonella tijphi- 
murium was isolated and it has been 
used to experimentally reproduce the 
disease in gerbils, which closely re- 
semble sand rats taxonomically and 
anatomically. 
2. Viral-Toxoplasmal interactions in con- 
currently-infected cells. 
Toxoplasma gondii is not infre- 
quently associated with viral infections, 
malignant neoplasms, and immunosup- 
pressive therapy. Studies have been 
supported in part on the interaction be- 
tween T. gondii and virus infection in 
cell cultures. 
3. Oncogenic properties of a canine adeno- 
virus 
Studies on the transformational prop- 
erties and early oncogenic effects of the 
