Suspected pulmonary nocardiosis in a duck

Abstract

A case of pulmonary nocardiosis in a duck is described. Macroscopically, the lesions were nodular, 1-2 ram. in diameter. Histologically there was replacement of normal parenchyma by areas of necrosis and epithelioid and giant cells. The organism was Gram + and PAS + but not acid and alcohol fast.Nocardiosis in not uncommon in cattle, dog, cat and man. It is rare in birds; there are only 2 cases reported in the literature, both in fowl, one involving the liver (Truche, 1926) and the other the abdominal cavity (Dodge, 1935). Nocardiosis involving the lung of birds has not been reported, and the condition in a duck described here is the first report in this species. MATERIAL AND METHODSA piece of lung from a duck (Anas boscas) was received in 10~/o formol-saline from the Veterinary Biologicals and Research Institute, Hyderabad-Deccan. The duck had shown progressive loss of condition and weight and was suspected as having a neoplasm. The tissue was embedded in paraffin, and sectioned at 5-6 ~ thickness. Stains used were H. & E., PAS, Ziehl-Neelsen and Gram in which differentiation was by 1-2 seconds exposure to acetone.A small portion of lung tissue was digested in 10% aqueous KOH solution for 24 hr. After centrifugation, smears were made from the sediment, fixed by heat and stained by dilute carbol fuchsin. RESULTSThe lung revealed multiple nodular lesions 1-2 ram. in diameter. Nodules were greyish white and scattered throughout the surface and substance of the lung, sometimes, coalescing to form large abscess-like areas.Histologically, there was complete disorganization of the normal architecture of lung parenchyma and its replacement by areas of necrosis and caseation, interspersed with areas of epithelioid and giant ceils. A few lymphocytes were also present at the periphery of necrotic areas. The majority of these cells and a few epithelioid cells showed karyorrhexis and pyknosis of their nuclei. Giant cells were numerous with granular or vacuolated cytoplasm and a variable number of vesicular nuclei arranged at the periphery of the cell in a circular or horse-shoe pattern.Gram stained sections revealed tangled masses of closely interwoven long thin branching Gram + filaments which did not take the stain uniformly, i" Deceased. 79 at RMIT University Library on July 15, 2015 http://sabouraudia.oxfordjournals.org/ Downloaded from 80 P. K. R. IYER AND P. P. RAOgiving them a beaded appearance. The organisms thus had a superficial resemblance to streptococci but individually were elliptical. They measured 0"3-0.5 ~ in thickness and were seen in caseo-necrotic areas ( fig. 1) and within the epithelioid and giant cells ( fig. 2).Sections stained by hot Ziehl-Neelsen carbol fuchsin and decolorised with 3% acid alcohol failed to reveal any organisms. However, smears prepared from sediment of KOH-digested tissue and stained by dilute carbol fuchsin revealed tangled masses of thin beaded filaments ( fig. 3), the wall of the filmanets being stained and the centre remaining unstained.Sections revealed PAS + thin branching ...

First case report of fatal Nocardia nova infection in yellow-bibbed lory (Lorius chlorocercus) identified by multilocus sequencing

“…We report the first case of N. nova infection in yellow-bibbed lory. Nocardiosis is uncommonly reported in birds, with only 13 reports in the English literature [1–13]. Two of the 13 reports involved outbreaks in 67 domestic pigeons and 8 black crakes respectively [3, 4], whereas the others were isolated cases.…”

“…Nocardiosis is often a multi-systemic disease in humans and other mammals. Nocardiosis in birds is uncommon, with only around a dozen reports in the English literature [1–13]. Currently, there are more than 90 recognized Nocardia species.…”

Nocardiain naturally acquired and experimental infections in animals

“…Nocardiosis is not commonly recognized in birds; however, there are reports of N. asteroides from chickens, and nocardiosis has been diagnosed in a duck (Anas boscas), hill mynah (Gracula religiosa) and an African fish eagle (Haliasetus vocifer) (Cooper, 1973;Iyer & Rao, 1971;Iyer et al 1972;Pier & Fichtner, 1981). In all cases the disease appeared to be pulmonary in origin with dissemination to other organs of the birds.…”

First report of nocardiosis due to Nocardia asteroides in a domestic canary (Serinus canaria domestica) in Mexico

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