engleski

FIRST REPORT OF HISTOPATHOLOGICAL CHANGES IN A STONE MARTEN (MARTES FOINA) WITH MOLECULARLY AND MICROSCOPIC CONFIRMED HEPATOZOON SP. INFECTION

Introduction: Apicomplexan hemogregarines of the genus Hepatozoon, described in more than 300 animal species, are transmitted by various hematophagous arthropods. In the current report we provide the first morphological description, pathological changes and molecular characterization of a Hepatozoon sp. from a stone marten. Materials and Methods: A paralyzed young adult wild female stone marten from Western Croatia was euthanized for determination of cause of illness. During necropsy representative tissue samples were collected for histology and molecular analyses. Abscess content was sampled for bacterial culture and ectoparasites for morphological determination. Results: Necropsy revealed cachexia, head and neck abscesses at the site of bite wounds and severe ectoparasitic infestation. Severe emaciation was caused by massive concurrent bacterial and parasitic infections. Cultivation and histology results confirmed β-hemolytic Streptococcus pyogenes and E. coli within multifocal to coalescing subcutaneous purulent lesions. Although no gross lesions were visible in the heart and cervical muscles, microscopic examination revealed numerous Hepatozoon meronts and released merozoites from ruptured meronts associated with granulomatous inflammation. Macrophages often contained 1.17- 3.12 µm round to oval intracytoplasmatic merozoites. Meronts were sporadically found in the liver, spleen and kidneys without an apparent local inflammation. Sequences of 666 bp fragment of 18S rRNA from the spleen, liver, heart and cervical muscle were identical to Hepatozoon “Badger type” (KU198330). Identical Hepatozoon DNA was confirmed with sequencing in Ixodes ricinus ticks from the stone marten, while fleas from the animal were negative. Conclusions: Infection with Hepatozoon sp. from a stone marten showed similar lesions and organ distribution to those described from different Hepatozoon sp. in other marten species.

stone marten, martes foina, Hepatozoon, PCR, histology

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