title: Granulomatous hepatitis associated with Hepatozoon sp. meronts in a southern water snake (Nerodia fasciata pictiventris).
abstract: A wild-caught adult female southern water snake (Nerodia fasciata pictiventris) did poorly in captivity. A peripheral blood-film examination demonstrated numerous hemogregarines characterized as fusiform nondividing intraerythrocytic gametocytes. Xenodiagnostic typing in laboratory-reared mosquitoes demonstrated the parasite to be of the genus Hepatozoon. Gross and histopathologic examination of the liver demonstrated numerous granulomas centered on groups of one to six Hepatozoon sp. meronts, an unusual finding in naturally infected wild-caught snakes.
authors.affiliation: Animal Resource Center, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston 77555, USA.
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Wozniak
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Telford
authors.forename: D F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: DeNardo
authors.forename: G L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: McLaughlin
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Butler
mesh_terms: D000330:Aedes / Q000469:parasitology; D000818:Animals; D003048:Coccidiosis / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000469:parasitology; D016783:Eucoccidiida / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005260:Female; D005431:Florida; D006099:Granuloma / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D006520:Hepatitis, Animal / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000473:pathology; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000469:parasitology; D008099:Liver / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology; D008109:Liver Diseases, Parasitic / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D018512:Parasitemia / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D012911:Snakes / Q000469:parasitology*