Theileria infection with severe anemia and unhealed fracture in a sika deer Cervus nippon aplodontus (Cervidae: Cetartiodactyla)

Rie Maruko; Toshihiro Tokiwa; Junji Nakai; Shin-Ichi Nakamura

doi:10.1016/j.parint.2021.102349

Theileria infection with severe anemia and unhealed fracture in a sika deer Cervus nippon aplodontus (Cervidae: Cetartiodactyla)

Parasitol Int. 2021 Aug:83:102349. doi: 10.1016/j.parint.2021.102349. Epub 2021 Apr 16.

Authors

Rie Maruko¹, Toshihiro Tokiwa², Junji Nakai³, Shin-Ichi Nakamura⁴

Affiliations

¹ Nara Deer Preservation Foundation, 160-1 Kasuganocho, Nara City, Nara, Japan.
² Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology, Nippon Veterinary and Life Science University, 1-7-1 Kyonancho, Musashino City, Tokyo, Japan. Electronic address: tokiwa@nvlu.ac.jp.
³ United Nara Ayameike Animal Hospital, 2-1-19-1 Hikidacho, Nara City, Nara, Japan.
⁴ Kyoto Institute of Nutrition & Pathology Inc., 7-2 Furuiketani, Tachikawa, Ujitawaracho, Tsuzuki County, Kyoto, Japan.

PMID: 33865987
DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2021.102349

Abstract

An adult female sika deer (Cervus nippon aplodontus) inhabiting Nara Park, Nara, Japan, had broken bone injuries from a car accident. During its treatment, we found that the sika deer had severe anemia and the fracture remained unhealed throughout. Peripheral blood smear revealed piroplasms in the erythrocytes, which were identified as merozoites of undescribed Theileria species, widely found in sika deer in Japan. This is the report of a clinical case of Theileria infection, accompanied by severe anemia in a sika deer.

Keywords: 18S ribosomal RNA; Anemia; Deer; Piroplasm; Theileria; Wildlife.

MeSH terms

Anemia / diagnosis
Anemia / etiology
Anemia / veterinary
Animals
Deer* / injuries
Female
Fractures, Bone / pathology
Fractures, Bone / veterinary*
Theileria / classification
Theileria / isolation & purification*
Theileriasis / complications
Theileriasis / diagnosis*
Theileriasis / parasitology