Galietta Valentina, Eleni Claudia, Raso Caterina, Cocumelli Cristiano, Friedrich Klaus G, Di Cerbo Pilar, Iurescia Manuela, Diaconu Elena L, Alba Patricia, De Liberato Claudio
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Lazio e della Toscana "M. Aleandri", Via Appia Nuova 1411, 00178 Rome, Italy.
Fondazione Bioparco, Viale del Giardino Zoologico 20, 00197 Rome, Italy.
Pathogens. 2022 Aug 24;11(9):965. doi: 10.3390/pathogens11090965.
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.
本文报道了意大利中部一家动物园饲养的一只耳廓狐感染后圆线虫的病例。这只耳廓狐在死亡前出现了后肢麻痹、厌食、虚弱和呼吸症状。心脏肥大和肉芽肿性肺炎是主要的解剖病理学发现。组织学检查发现，耳廓狐的肺、脑、肝、心、脊髓和肾中存在与寄生幼虫相关的炎症病变。通过尸检时回收的成虫的形态学和分子鉴定确诊了感染。耳廓狐是活跃的捕食者，在圈养环境中仍保持其捕食行为。因此，这只动物很可能是通过捕食受感染的腹足纲动物（的中间宿主）而感染的，这些腹足纲动物从周围环境进入动物园围栏。这是意大利一家动物园圈养耳廓狐感染的首例全身性感染报告。
