title: Bacterial cholecystitis with cardiac and pulmonary dissemination in a blue-naped mousebird (Urocolius macrourus).
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.
authors.affiliation: Fossil Rim Wildlife Center, Department of Animal Health Services, Glen Rose, TX 76043, USA.
authors.forename: S T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Ferrell
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Phalen
authors.forename: B R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Weeks
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001715:Bird Diseases / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D001717:Birds; D002764:Cholecystitis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D004754:Enterobacter / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000302:isolation & purification; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006321:Heart / Q000382:microbiology; D008168:Lung / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology