Department of Special Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary. Medicine, University of florida, Gainesville, florida 32610, USA; and Chris M. Foggin,. Veterinary ...
RESEARCH NOTES/CASE REPORTS
with
immunodeficiency.
ported
here,
In
the
the
case
re-
immunocompetence
the sloth was logic findings
not of
Acinetobacter
anitratus
of
known. The Enterobacter
microbiospp. and
were
to be
findings
organisms. scopic current
of
other
invading
gross
or
micro-
significant
con-
considered
Sporulated Coccidian Oocysts Resembling in the Viscera of Nile Crocodiles Department
no
was
evidence disease.
of Wildlife
Journal
C. H. Gardiner,
of opportunistic
There
575
of Parasitology,
Goussia
Diseases,
22(4),
Labbe,
Naval Medical Research Institute Detachment,
1986,
pp. 575-577
1896
Lima, Peru, APO Miami,
D. Imes, Jr., Department of Veterinary Pathology, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Washington, D.C. 20306, USA; Elliott R. Jacobson, Department of Special Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of florida, Gainesville, florida 32610, USA; and Chris M. Foggin, Veterinary Research Laboraflorida
34031,
George
USA;
tory, P.O. Box 8101 Causeway,
Three crocodiles
dead adult (Crocodylus
Zimbabwe
(3-4 yr of niloticus
1768) were
from a crocodile farm submitted for evaluation.
been gross
dead lesions
age) Nile Launenti,
in Zimbabwe They had
1-2 hr prior to necnopsy. were seen at necropsy.
able for histology were pieces of spleen and lung fixed in neutral-buffered 10% fonmalin. Tissues were processed tinely (i.e., embedded
dehydrated in paraffin,
in
ethanol sectioned
No Availliver, rouseries, at 5
sm). For electron microscopy fommalinfixed tissues were post-fixed in Dalton’s osmium -dichnomate solution (Dalton, 1955, Anat. Rec. 121: 128), embedded in Epon, stained
and with
cut lead
at
8 citrate
nm.
Sections and
uranyl
were ace-
tate. Histologically the red pulp of the spleen was infiltrated by leucocytes, primarily lymphocytes, but the white pulp was still easily recognizable. There were many sporulated oocysts of a coccidian in the red pulp area and impinging on and within the periphery of the lymphoid sheaths. A mild hemosidenosis was present red pulp. Numerous oocysts were within the interstitium of the lung.
in the found It was
difficult
to determine
the oocysts. were within cells.
the
exact
It was determined macrophages or
Some
oocysts
were
location
extracellular.
Dif-
fuse hydropic changes were present patocytes. Oocysts were numerous soids and flattened probably been era! to the
parasites
Oocysts ters. The
in hein sinu-
often were found in cells nuclei. These parasites in Kupfer cells, but may
in circulating there was no
macrophages. inflammatory
in any
of
that they endothelial
with were have
In genresponse
organ.
were found singly only stage of parasite
or in found
cluswas
sporulating or sporulated oocysts (Fig. 1). The oocyst wall was thin (less than 0.5 tm) and was folded on collapsed during sectioning and proximately
oocysts 20 m
were spherical in diameter.
and apFour spo-
rocysts were present within each oocyst. These were ovoidal and measured approximately 15 x 6 m when mature. Each sporocyst contained two elongate sporozoites with their sides abutting one another. Sponozoites measured .im and each contained a small nucleus and large eosinophilic (when stained with hematoxylmn
12 x 2.5 basophi!ic globu!es and eo-
576
JOURNAL
OF WILDLIFE
DISEASES,
VOL.
22, NO.
1986
4, OCTOBER
.4
.,‘
#{149}1’
S1
(
-,
;
FIGURES oocyst.
(AFIP
two
MIS
Oocysts intact
lower
of
has
two
sutures
the
suture.
two
Goussia-like (s),
ruptured
TEM, x48,700
organism
each
2. Transmission has
(arrows). TEM,
of sporocysts
#84-9574).
the
sporocyst
2.
1, Note
electron at
suture.
x 15,650 (AFIP
liver
MIS
#84-12094-4).
of
two
sporozoites
are
contained
(TEM)
microscopy Sporocysts
(AFIP MIS
in
containing
#84-12094-5).
Nile
crocodile. (sp).
of
oocyst.
within
Inset.
1.
Histological
Hematoxylin
Two a thin
Higher
and
sporocysts oocyst
wall
magnification
section
of
x 1,500
eosin,
(s)
are
(o)
and of
seen, each intact
RESEARCH NOTES/CASE REPORTS
sin).
Sponozoites
were
formed
bodies in sponocysts. were acid fast stained sen acid fast procedure ual
of Histologic
by
globular
Mature sponozoites with a Zieh!-Nee!(Luna, 1960, Man-
Staining
Methods
Armed Forces Institute of McGraw-Hill Book Company, p. 220); developing sporozoites
Beltsvi!le,
Maryland
of the
Pathology, New York, were not
20705,
(Accession No. 79046). On transmission electron (Fig. 2) the oocyst merous places. The valved (i.e., contained
USA
had
no
nuclear
in nuwas hiWhen
membrane
of the before
et a!., 1984, Two genera
J.
Protozool. presently
are
sporocysts require (Ovenstreet
that
(1) sporocysts
California, features similar
in-
have
31: 332-339). in this family,
p. were to the
been organs
ticus
Gmelin,
oocysts previously
88), given. ones
Barberspan, J. Daniel
Republic
McLaughlin,
Department
Coot
of South of Biology,
(Fulica
have
by of
been (Gniner, ZoologDiego,
but no morphologic In addition oocysts reported in this case one
of
gavials
us
(CG)
(Gavialis
in
in-
gange-
1789).
of Wildlife
22(4), Disease
Diseases,
© Wildlife
of the Red-knobbed
is needed can be de-
of Zoo Animals, San Diego, San
seen
ternal
Journal
Helminths
of
report has feaof a veil places Although study
organism status
coccidian crocodiles
1983, Pathology ical Society of
1984 a new family, Ca!yptosponidae, was established for coccidians that possess sporulated oocysts within tissues of their have and hosts
fact
life cycle of this exact taxonomic
Sporulated noted in
(Fig.
In
ic hosts, Stieda bodies, intermediate
in the
Both gensporocysts,
termined, this preliminary report establishes the fact that Goussia-like organisms can be found in non-picine definitive hosts.
2).
poikilothenm which lack vertebrate
differ
The organism in this case tures of Goussia. The lack it in the subgenus Goussia.
collapsed the sporocyst wall coiled upon itself (Fig. 2, lower sponocyst). Sporulating on mature sporozoites were present within most sporocysts. Nuclear material in the sponozoite
but
and Goussia. with four
brane-covered apical opening with one associated suture while those of Goussia have no apical opening and have two sutures.
microscopy
wall fractured sporocyst wall two sutures).
Calyptospora possess oocysts
Calyptospora are covered with a thin veil supported by sporopodia and those of Goussia either lack a veil on if they have a veil lack supporting sporopodia and (2) sporocysts of Calyptospora have a mem-
acid fast. Representative sections are deposited in the U.S. National Parasite Collection,
i.e., era
577
cristata)
1986, pp. 577-579 Association 1986
from
Africa
Concordia
University,
1455
de Maisonneuve
Boulevard West, Montreal,
Quebec H3G 1M8, Canada
lica
The red-knobbed or crested coot (Fucristata) is a sedentary species which
is distributed opian region
widely throughout of Africa (Voous,
the 1960,
EthiAtlas
of European
Supp!. Received
for
publication
2 October
1985.
Birds,
and Sons, London, abundant waterbird western Tnansvaa! 10:
1-74;
Ostrich Suppl. ular breeder.
Vol.
Skead 12:
6, Thomas
Nelson
p. 87). It is the most at Barberspan in the (Milstein, 1975, Ostrich 3-42)
and where
Dean,
1977,
it is a reg-
