Bacterial cholecystitis with cardiac and pulmonary dissemination in a blue-naped mousebird (Urocolius macrourus). Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • A blue-naped mousebird (Urocolius macrourus) was diagnosed by gross necropsy and histopathology as having a chronic, fibrosing bacterial cholecystitis. Acute, severe, necrotizing pneumonia and myocarditis also were present with intralesional gram-negative bacteria. The bacteria within the lungs and heart were suspected to have spread from the biliary tract because of the pattern of distribution and similar gram-staining characteristics. Enterobacter sp. and Escherichia coli were cultured from the pulmonary lesions. Cloacal cultures in clinically normal blue-naped mousebirds and speckled mousebirds (Colius striatus) yielded both Enterobacter sp. and E. coli. We hypothesize a pathogenesis in this bird consisting of biliary stasis of unknown etiology and eventual infection of the biliary tract by the normal gram-negative gastrointestinal flora. Death was believed to be a result of cardiac and respiratory dysfunction secondary to the bacterial dissemination from the biliary tree and endotoxemia.

published proceedings

  • Avian Dis

author list (cited authors)

  • Ferrell, S. T., Phalen, D., & Weeks, B. R.

citation count

  • 2

complete list of authors

  • Ferrell, ST||Phalen, D||Weeks, BR

publication date

  • April 2000

publisher