Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar Farmingdale okozta elhalásos heregyulladás egyiptomi homoki boában (Eryx colubrinus colubrinus, Linnaeus, 1758)

Abstract

Background: The Egyptian sand boa is a small viviparous species, which is currently considered as a geographic variety of the Kenyan sand boa (Eryx colubrinus loveridgei, Stull, 1932). Reptiles are often asymptomatic carriers of Salmonella enterica. Their incidence has been confirmed in both captive and wild reptiles. Salmonella enterica can cause morbidity if the immune system is suppressed, and in these cases bacteria can spread to and colonise various organs. No pathological lesions caused by Salmonella enterica have been reported so far in sand boas. Materials and Methods: The carcass was brought in to the Department of Exotic Animal and Wildlife Medicine of the University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest for pathological examination. The right testis was found to show abnormalities during the necropsy performed in accordance with professional guidelines. Organ samples were inoculated onto Columbia blood agar and MacConkey agar plates and incubated for 48 hours at 25 °C and 37 °C in aerobic and anaerobic environment. Bacterial isolates were identified on genus level on the basis of morphological, cultural and biochemical features, and on species level using mass spectrometry (BRUKER MALDI-TOF Biotyper). The isolated Salmonella enterica strain was serotyped with standard methods (MSZ CEN ISO/TR 6579-3:2014). Histological sections from the abnormal testis were stained with hematoxylin and eosin. Results and Discussion: The right testis of the animal was enlarged and ten times the size of the left one, spindle-shaped, firm to the touch, and of a greyish-brown colour. The culture grown from samples from the testis contained bacteria of uniform colony morphology, which was identified as Salmonella enterica with the MALDI-TOF technique. The isolate belonged to the serotype Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar Farmingdale. Necrotic tissues with uniform eosin staining and a more intense colour were found centrally in the parenchyma during the histopathological examination. The bacteria colonised the testis in this case and caused a necrotic inflammation there, which led to septicaemia and the animal's death.