DEBILITATION AND MORTALITY ASSOCIATED WITH BESNOITIOSIS IN FOUR VIRGINIA OPOSSUMS (DIDELPHIS VIRGINIANA)

• DOI: 10.1638/2011-0181.1
• Publication Date: 2012-06-22T22:39:31Z
• Authors: Angela E Ellis; Elizabeth Mackey; Philip A Moore; Stephen J Divers; B VetMed; D ZooMed; Patrick Hensel; K. Paige Carmichael; Peter Accola; Justin Brown; Nicole Gottdenker; M. Kevin Keel; Barbara C Shock; Michael J Yabsley
• Keywords: Didelphis

Besnoitia spp. are coccidian parasites that infect a variety of wild and domestic mammals as well some reptiles. Although infection with is common in Virginia opossums (Didelphis virginiana), clinical signs or death due to rare. This manuscript describes four had severe disease inflammation associated besnoitiosis. Clinical included trembling, incoordination, circling, blindness, poor body condition, sudden death. Gross lesions parasitic cysts eyes, skin, visceral organs. Histologically, were often degenerate mild marked inflammation, amyloidosis was noted one animal. Polymerase chain reaction sequencing confirmed darlingi three the opossums.