Systemic Infection by in a Fennec () in an Italian Zoological Garden.

This paper reported a case of a metastrongyloid nematode infection in a fennec () kept in a zoo in central Italy. The fennec had shown paralysis of the hind limbs, anorexia, weakness and respiratory signs before death. Cardiomegaly and granulomatous pneumonia were the major anatomopathological findings. Inflammatory lesions associated with parasitic larvae were observed in the lungs, brain, liver, heart, spinal cord and kidney of the fennec at histology. diagnosis was confirmed by both morphological and molecular identification of adult worms recovered at necropsy. Fennecs are active predators and maintain their hunting behaviour in captivity. Hence, it is likely that the animal was exposed to infection by preying on parasitised gastropods, intermediate hosts of , entering zoo enclosures from the surrounding environment. This is the first report of systemic infection in a captive fennec ( in a zoo in Italy.