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Unusual Necrotizing Encephalitis in Raccoons and Skunks Concurrently Infected With Canine Distemper Virus and
S V Kubiski1, S Sisó2, M E Church2
1Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA skubiski@gmail.com.
Veterinary Pathology
|September 17, 2015
Summary
Canine distemper virus can lead to severe brain infections in wild animals. This study details a rare necrotizing encephalitis caused by Sarcocystis in raccoons and skunks coinfected with canine distemper virus.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Pathology
- Wildlife Disease Ecology
- Parasitology
Background:
- Canine distemper virus (CDV) is a significant pathogen in wild mesopredators, causing immunosuppression.
- Opportunistic infections frequently complicate CDV, with protozoal infections being documented in various species.
- Systemic protozoal infections following CDV have not been extensively characterized in North American mesopredators.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report an unusual neurological manifestation of Sarcocystis spp. infection in wild carnivores coinfected with CDV.
- To characterize the pathological findings associated with this concurrent infection.
- To investigate the potential link between CDV-induced immunosuppression and severe protozoal encephalitis.
Main Methods:
- Necropsy and histopathological examination of affected animals (raccoons and skunk).
- Immunohistochemistry using a monoclonal antibody specific to Sarcocystis neurona for confirmation.
- Gross and microscopic evaluation of brain lesions, including mineralization and inflammation.
Main Results:
- Four raccoons and one skunk presented with necrotizing encephalitis.
- Lesions were characterized by cavitations with mineralization, inflammation, and protozoa.
- Sarcocystis spp. infection was confirmed via immunohistochemistry.
- Pathological changes resembled those seen in human toxoplasmosis associated with AIDS.
Conclusions:
- Concurrent Sarcocystis spp. infection can cause severe necrotizing encephalitis in CDV-infected mesopredators.
- CDV-induced immunosuppression may predispose wildlife to severe opportunistic protozoal infections.
- This finding highlights the complex interplay between viral and parasitic pathogens in wildlife health.
