WildLife Group
of the SAVA
post mortal examination all of the carcasses had a severe watery foul-smelling diarrhoea. Formalin fixed tissue
samples were collected from all 3 animals and submitted in one batch through to the laboratory.
The pathology in all 3 animals was similar, and dominated by severe small intestinal pathology with heavy
infestation of almost all enterocytes by coccidial schizonts and gametocytes. This colonization was accompanied
by severe proprial inflammatory infiltrates of mixed mononuclear cells and lesser neutrophils. Clinical coccidiosis
is well documented in Impala, particularly under the favorable conditions of intensification. Large outbreaks
have been reported from animals on pasture or veld where they concentrated around water holes. Various
stress factors including transport, inclement weather or intercurrent disease (including digestive diseases), are
often associated with massive outbreaks of coccidiosis.
Suspected Coumarin Rodenticide Associated Abortion in Sheep.
We received a near term sheep fetus for an abortion investigation workup. Gross examination of the fetus
revealed a severe hemothorax with massive pulmonary hemorrhage and severe anemia of the tongue.
Histological examination of the lung revealed massive pulmonary hemorrhage with interlobular septae
distended with free lying blood, plus blood flooding many of the alveoli. There were also significant
hemorrhages in the brain and placenta and in the liver there was marked extra medullary hematopoiesis. Only
contaminants were isolated on bacterial cultures and the direct smears showed the same, and the acid fast
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