Pneumonia from Angiostrongylus Vasorum Infection in a Red Panda (Ailurus Fulgens Fulgens)

Abstract

Abstract. A 9-year-old, male, captive red panda (Ailurus fulgens fulgens) in an urban zoo in the United Kingdom presented with respiratory distress and weight loss. The animal was euthanatized, and a postmortem examination was performed. The lungs were diffusely consolidated with extensive mineralization. Microscopically, there was extensive obliteration of normal pulmonary architecture by sheets and coalescing nodules of partially mineralized fibrous tissue and granulomatous inflammation centered on large numbers of nematode larvae and eggs. First stage nematode larvae were isolated from lung tissue and were characterized as Angiostrongylus vasorum on the basis of their morphology and sequencing of the 18S ribosomal RNA gene and the entire second internal transcribed spacer. Although A. vasorum has previously been reported in red pandas in a zoological collection in Denmark, this study is the first reported case in the United Kingdom and occurs against a background of geographical spread and increased incidence of disease in domestic and wild canids. Angiostrongylus vasorum should be considered a differential diagnosis for respiratory disease in the red panda and taken into account when planning parasite and pest control programs for zoological collections.

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS OF INFECTION WITH A NOVEL METASTRONGYLOID SPECIES IN THE RED PANDA (AILURUS FULGENS)

“…Deaths etiologically attributed to infections with A. vasorum have been reported in a total of five cases in red pandas in European zoos. 9,11,15 One animal died with no premonitory signs, but the remaining animals died after treatment or were euthanized. Abnormal breathing and weight loss were the clinical signs observed in a male red panda in Bristol Zoo Gardens in 2006.…”

“…3 It infects canids and related species such as fox (Vulpes vulpes), wolf (Canis lupus), coyote (Canis latrans), jackal (Canis aureus), European otter (Lutra lutra), ferret (Mustela putorius), and badger (Meles meles) 14 as well as in red pandas kept in captivity. 9,15 Clinical signs originating from the respiratory tract such as cough and exercise intolerance as a consequence of verminous pneumonia are the clinical manifestations most often related to A. vasorum infections in dogs. Severe complications such as bleeding disorders and even death may ensue.…”

“…Abnormal breathing and weight loss were the clinical signs observed in a male red panda in Bristol Zoo Gardens in 2006. 15 Lesions found on necropsy were described as verminous pneumonia with different degrees of mineralization and fibrosis. In a recent study, 115 red pandas originating from 54 European zoos were coprologically examined for excretion of metastrongyloid L 1 nematode larvae by using the Baermann method.…”

Fatal Parastrongylus dujardini Infection in Captive Callitrichids

“…2 It has been described in several exotic species in Europe. 18 However, nematodes were ruled as morphologically distinct from A. vasorum.…”

Natural infection of Crenosoma vulpis (Nematoda: Crenosomatidae) in an urban Korean dog

“…abstrusus, Angiostongylus (An.) vasorum and Crenosoma vulpis belonging the family Metastrongylidae [7,13,14]. Crenosoma (C.) vulpis is a nematode lungworm that infects the bronchi, bronchioles and trachea of various carnivores, including wild and domestic canids.…”