1Department of Veterinary Parasitology, Faculty of
Veterinary Medicine, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef 62511, Egypt;
2Department
of Veterinary Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kafr-El-Sheikh
University, Egypt; 3Department
ofVeterinary Pathology,
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef
62511, Egypt; 4Laboratory
of Veterinary Pathology, Faculty of Applied Biological Sciences,
Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu 501-1193 Japan.
*Corresponding author:
yanai@gifu-u.ac.jp
Abstract
Toxoplasmosis was investigated in aneastern grey kangaroo, Macropus giganteus, and
fourcape hyraxes,Procavia capensis, in a Japanese zoo.
Clinically, the kangaroo showed
neurological signs,
emaciation,
diarrhea,
elevated AST andCK, and subjected to coma
before death. One
young cape hyrax had severeanorexia,
while the other three died without
exhibiting clinical signs.
Grossly, lungs of the kangaroo were dark red in color, while hyraxes, besides,
showed hepatic multifocal white foci, and intestinal multifocal hemorrhages.
Histologically,the kangaroo had frequent
Toxoplasma
gondiipseudocysts
in brain, heart and skeletal muscles.All hyraxes had
multifocal necrosis with cysts containing numerous bradyzoites in liver and
spleen, along with necrotic gastroenteritis and intestinal hemorrhages. Immunohistochemically,
cysts showed positive reaction to anti-T.
gondii antibodies. These
findings
indicate possible outbreaks of toxoplasmosis in eastern grey kangaroos and cape hyraxes, zoo habitants;
therefore, they could be susceptible intermediate hosts for T. gondii
in terms of zoonosis. This is the first report of toxoplasmosis in eastern grey kangaroos and cape hyraxes in Japanese
zoos.