FATAL HAEMORRHAGIC ENTERITIS ASSOCIATED WITH ELEVATED LOADS OF STRONGYLOIDES CHAPINI IN A CAPYBARA

MAGNI, C.; EBERHARDT, M. A,; MARINI, R.; COSTA, S. A.; BELOTTI, M.; PEZZONE, N.; MORENO, P.; CANAL, A.; BELDOMENICO, P.M.

Puerto Iguazú

Conferencia; 59th Annual International Conference of the Wildlife Disease Association; 2010

Wildlife Disease Association

Each Strongyloides species is typically associated with a single host species.  Capybaras are hosts to Strongyloides  chapini.    To  date,  parasitism  by  S.  chapini  has  not  been  reported associated  with disease.  Here we report a fatal case of haemorrhagic enteritis that was preceded by elevated loads of this  parasite.   On  28 August  2009,  30  capybaras were  transported  from  a  commercial  farm  to  an experimental station.  On September 3th, one 6-month-old female showed signs of diarrhoea and died three  days  later.    Its  faecal  egg  counts  on  September  3rd  revealed  high  Strongyloides  levels,  as compared to those of the other capybaras.  A full necropsy was conducted and relevant samples were taken  and  analyzed  by  routine  histopathology.    The  most  significant  lesions  were  found  in  the gastrointestinal  tract.   Macroscopic lesions  included pre-pyloric ulcers, fibrinous exudate attached  to the  small  intestine  mucosa,  and  the  content  was  bloody  and  liquid  along  the  whole  tract.  Microscopically,  there was  fibrinous-haemorrhagic  enteritis, with villi  and Lieberkuhn gland´s  cells loss. Lamina propria and submucosa were profusely  infiltrated with  leukocytes,  including abundant eosinophils. Mesenteric  lymph  nodes were  reactive, while  other  lymph  nodes were  depleted.  The fasciculated zone of the adrenal gland was hyperthofic and with signs of generation. Large numbers of S. chapini were recovered from the large intestine, but they were absent in the small intestine and stomach,  where  they  normally  belong.    Our  findings  suggest  that  the  ultimate  cause  of  the  fatal enteritis  might  have  originated  from an immunosuppression  due  to  stress,  nonetheless,  while  not necessarily the proximate cause of death, S. chapini most likely was an important contributory factor.