Salmonella enterica ssp. houtenaeokozta vérfertőzés ivarérett nőstény közönséges chuckwallában (Sauromalus ater Duméril, 1856) - Patológiai esetismertetés

Abstract

SUMMARY Background: Salmonellosis is a well-known zoonotic disease in different reptilian taxa. Keeping reptiles in captivity has a high zoonotic risk because of the Salmonella bacteria, which can be found in the intestinal tract of the animals. The authors examined and dissected a common chuckwalla (Sauromalus ater Duméril, 1856) brought to the clinic of the Department of Exotic Animal and Wildlife Medicine of the University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest.Objectives: The authors identified a case of septicaemia in a carcass of a female chuckwalla with acute inflammatory-necrotic areas appearing in the spleen, lungs and ovarian follicles. Materials and Methods: The authors dissected the lizard according to standard reptile necropsy techniques. The macroscopic inspection was followed by the collection of samples from the lesions for histological examinations. From the spleen, lungs and ovaries samples were put on Columbia's and MacConkey agar. They were incubated for 48 hours under aerobic and anaerobic conditions at 26 °C. The primary morphological, culture and biochemical properties of the bacterium colonies were examined. The species-level identification of the bacterial isolate was performed using a carbon-based metabolic-fingerprint assay using the GN2 plate of the Biolog system. Sub-species identification was performed by PCR. Results and Discussion: The in vitro bacteriological examination was per-formed on the organs of the carcass and determined that the septicaemia was caused by Salmonella enterica ssp. houtenae. To avoid this type of infection the most important thing is the prevention. The pet owners should keep their animals in the best condition and provide for the optimal enclosure. They should also reduce the stress, because it (with its’ immunosuppressant effect) can contribute to the spread of the bacteria and the infection of the animal.