| Autor: |
Velez ED; Metropolitan Veterinary Hospital Exotics Department, Norton, OH 44302, USA, emily.velez@nva.com., Garner MM; Northwest ZooPath, Monroe, WA 98272, USA., Jacobson ER; Department of Comparative, Diagnostic, and Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA., Badial P; Department of Comparative, Diagnostic, and Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA., Bonar CJ; Zoo New England, Boston, MA 02121, USA., Riggs GL; Metropolitan Veterinary Hospital Exotics Department, Norton, OH 44302, USA., Adair JE; Metropolitan Veterinary Hospital Exotics Department, Norton, OH 44302, USA., Wellehan JFX; Department of Comparative, Diagnostic, and Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA., Ossiboff RJ; Department of Comparative, Diagnostic, and Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA. |
| Abstrakt: |
This report describes Schizangiella infections in colubrid and viperid snakes. A captive eastern ratsnake ( Pantherophis alleghaniensis ) was presented for a large intraoral mass associated with the mandible. The mass was debulked and histologic examination revealed severe, granulomatous stomatitis with intralesional fungi exhibiting morphologic features consistent with Schizangiella serpentis . PCR and sequencing of affected tissues confirmed S. serpentis . Because of declining health, the ratsnake was euthanized and postmortem examination identified a disseminated S. serpentis infection involving the skeletal musculature, lung, kidney, mesentery, and mandible. A wild-caught timber rattlesnake ( Crotalus horridu s) was presented for cutaneous lesions, weakness, and lethargy and later died. Postmortem examination revealed a mass-like structure in the esophagus characterized by high numbers of Schizangiella -like fungi associated with extensive granulomatous inflammation; the snake also had cutaneous mycosis suggestive of ophidiomycosis. This is the first report to document the unique morphologic features of S. serpentis in tissues and the presentation of schizangiellosis in snakes. Schizangiellosis should be considered as a differential diagnosis for nodular lesions involving the oral cavity and/or the gastrointestinal tract of snakes. |
