TY - JOUR
T1 - Sarcocystis falcatula-assocmted encephalitis in a free-ranging great horned owl (Bubo virginianus)
AU - Wünschmann, Arno
AU - Rejmanek, Daniel
AU - Cruz-Martinez, Luis
AU - Barr, Bradd C.
PY - 2009/3
Y1 - 2009/3
N2 - A great horned owl (Bubo virginianus) was admitted to a rehabilitation clinic with severe neurologic signs that were unresponsive to supportive care. The animal was euthanatized because of a poor prognosis. Marked granulomatous encephalitis with focal brainstem malacia was detected microscopically. The brainstem was the most severely affected brain location and the only place in which schizonts and merozoites, morphologically compatible with Sarcocystis spp., were detected. Immunohistochemistry with the use of polyclonal antisera indicated the presence of Sarcocystis falcatula. The species identification of the protozoa as S. falcatula was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction. To the author's knowledge, this is the first report of spontaneous S. falcatula-assocmted encephalitis in a great horned owl.
AB - A great horned owl (Bubo virginianus) was admitted to a rehabilitation clinic with severe neurologic signs that were unresponsive to supportive care. The animal was euthanatized because of a poor prognosis. Marked granulomatous encephalitis with focal brainstem malacia was detected microscopically. The brainstem was the most severely affected brain location and the only place in which schizonts and merozoites, morphologically compatible with Sarcocystis spp., were detected. Immunohistochemistry with the use of polyclonal antisera indicated the presence of Sarcocystis falcatula. The species identification of the protozoa as S. falcatula was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction. To the author's knowledge, this is the first report of spontaneous S. falcatula-assocmted encephalitis in a great horned owl.
KW - Great horned owls
KW - Immunohistochemistry
KW - Polymerase chain reaction
KW - Protozoal encephalitis
KW - Sarcocystis falcatula
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U2 - 10.1177/104063870902100223
DO - 10.1177/104063870902100223
M3 - Article
C2 - 19286517
AN - SCOPUS:62549088224
SN - 1040-6387
VL - 21
SP - 283
EP - 287
JO - Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation
JF - Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation
IS - 2
ER -