title: Toxoplasmosis in a free-ranging mink.
abstract: A free-ranging mink (Mustela vison), estimated to be 3 mo old, was found on the campus of Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan; it exhibited clinical signs of left hind limb lameness, ataxia, head tremors, and bilateral blindness. Histologically, the animal had a mild, nonsuppurative meningoencephalitis and severe chorioretinitis with intralesional bradyzoites and tachyzoites. Protozoal organisms were identified as Toxoplasma gondii based on histology, immunohistochemistry, and polymerase chain reaction. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of clinical toxoplasmosis in a free-ranging mink.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathobiology and Diagnostic Investigation, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, USA.
authors.forename: Yava L
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Scott D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Fitzgerald
authors.forename: James G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Sikarske
authors.forename: Alice
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Grosjean
authors.forename: Matti
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kiupel
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild / Q000469:parasitology; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D008824:Michigan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008907:Mink / Q000469:parasitology*; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014124:Toxoplasmosis, Animal / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology