title: First report of typhlitis/typhlohepatitis caused by Tetratrichomonas gallinarum in three duck species.
abstract: Two Red-breasted Mergansers (Mergus serrator), one Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus), and one Common Eider (Somateria mollissima) from a German zoological collection died of necrotizing typhlitis/typhlohepatitis within 2 years. Using a newly established chromogenic in situ hybridization assay, numerous intralesional trophozoites of Tetratrichomonas gallinarum could be detected in formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissues from the caeca and livers of the affected birds. Partial sequencing of the 18S rRNA-gene revealed two unique nucleotide sequences very similar to T. gallinarum strains isolated from avian and human hosts. One turkey kept in the same zoological collection succumbed to histomonosis (blackhead disease) confirmed with chromogenic in situ hybridization at the time of the first duck fatalities. This turkey also harboured T. gallinarum trophozoites within necrotic cell debris in the caecal lumen, which might be epidemiologically related to the T. gallinarum infections in the ducks.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathology and Forensic Veterinary Medicine, Department of Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinärplatz 1, Vienna, Austria. Barbara.Richter@vetmeduni.ac.at
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Richter
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schulze
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kämmerling
authors.forename: Meike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mostegl
authors.forename: Herbert
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Weissenbock
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000836:Animals, Zoo / Q000469:parasitology*; D001483:Base Sequence; D002432:Cecum / Q000473:pathology; D002863:Chromogenic Compounds / Q000378:metabolism; D004372:Ducks / Q000145:classification / Q000469:parasitology*; D005858:Germany; D006520:Hepatitis, Animal / Q000473:pathology; D017403:In Situ Hybridization / Q000379:methods; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009336:Necrosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary; D011529:Protozoan Infections, Animal / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology*; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S / Q000235:genetics; D016834:Trichomonadida / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014422:Turkeys / Q000469:parasitology; D053706:Typhlitis / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary
chemical_list: D002863:Chromogenic Compounds; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S