Occurrence of intracytoplasmic inclusion bodies in the digestive epithelium of fallow deer (Dama dama L).

Intracytoplasmic inclusion bodies were observed in the digestive epithelium of fallow deer (Dama dama L) suffering from bovine virus diarrhea/mucosal disease. Similar inclusion bodies were also found in the ruminal epithelium of fallow deer subjected to overfeeding by supplementary food. Inclusion bodies were not found in the upper alimentary mucosa of clinically healthy deer but were frequently found when these tissues were subjected to autolysis. At electron microscopical studies the inclusion bodies were found to consist of granular protein-like material encircled by a single membrane. Such inclusion bodies may constitute a non-specific degenerative cell response which could be elicited by diverse factors including autolysis.