Necrotizing interstitial pneumonia and suppurative myocarditis associated with Bartonella henselae infection in three Florida pumas.

ABSTRACT: Three Florida pumas ( Puma concolor coryi) that had spent time in captivity prior to being released in the wild were found exhibiting respiratory signs and reluctance to move. All 3 pumas died shortly after immobilization, despite supportive veterinary care. Significant autopsy findings included necrotizing interstitial pneumonia, with pulmonary edema and hyaline membranes, and suppurative myocarditis. Organisms morphologically consistent with Bartonella henselae were identified in intravascular histiocytes in the lung of one of the pumas on histopathology and confirmed via transmission electron microscopy. B. henselae was detected in fresh lung tissue and confirmed by PCR and sequence analysis (16S-23S spacer region, pap31, and rpoB genes) from one of the affected pumas. In all affected p

SUBMITTER: Elsmo EJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6505792 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature