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Case Reports
. 2016 Feb;78(2):297-9.
doi: 10.1292/jvms.15-0298. Epub 2015 Sep 5.

Yersiniosis caused by Yersinia pseudotuberculosis in captive toucans (Ramphastidae) and a Japanese squirrel (Sciurus lis) in zoological gardens in Japan

Shin-ichi Nakamura  1 , Hideki Hayashidani, Yukari Sotohira, Yumi Une
Affiliations
Case Reports

Yersiniosis caused by Yersinia pseudotuberculosis in captive toucans (Ramphastidae) and a Japanese squirrel (Sciurus lis) in zoological gardens in Japan

Shin-ichi Nakamura et al. J Vet Med Sci. 2016 Feb.

Abstract

Two captive Keel-billed toucans and a Chestnut-mandibled toucan in another zoological garden died suddenly without any pre-existing symptoms, and three months later, a Japanese squirrel died of diarrhea. All these animals showed necrotic enteritis and multifocal necrosis in the liver and spleen with Gram negative bacilli. The bacilli showed strong positive immunolabeling for Yersinia pseudotuberculosis O4 in the Keel-billed toucans, Y. pseudotuberculosis O2 in the Chestnut-mandibled toucan and Y. pseudotuberculosis O1 in the Japanese squirrel, while Y. pseudotuberculosis 4b, 2b and 1b were respectively isolated from the lesions. To our knowledge, this might be the first reported case of fatal yersiniosis in a Japanese squirrel in the world as well as in toucans in Japan.

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Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
The liver of No. 2. Note the areas of focal necrosis containing central bacterial clusters (arrows). Hematoxylin and eosin (HE) stain.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 2.
The liver of No. 4. Focal necrosis with neutrophilic infiltration. Note the greater neutrophilic infiltration and nuclear debris and unclear bacterial clusters than those observed in the toucans (arrows). HE stain.
Fig. 3.
Fig. 3.
The liver of No. 3. Strongly positive to immunoperoxidase staining for anti-Y. pseudotuberculosis O2 sera.
Fig. 4.
Fig. 4.
The liver of No. 4. Strongly positive to immunoperoxidase staining for anti-Y. pseudotuberculosis O1 sera.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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