title: Disseminated histoplasmosis with concurrent oral candidiasis in an Eclectus parrot (Eclectus roratus).
abstract: Disseminated histoplasmosis caused by Histoplasma capsulatum, a zoonotic fungal organism, is an important disease in animals and humans, particularly those with compromised immune systems. Reports of disseminated histoplasmosis in an avian species are not available within the current literature. Candida albicans, another fungal agent with zoonotic importance, is a commensal of the avian digestive tract that is often associated with opportunistic infections particularly in young or immunocompromised birds. This report describes a case of concomitant histoplasmosis and candidiasis in an Eclectus parrot (Eclectus roratus) characterized by severe granulomatous glossitis, blepharitis and osteomyelitis with numerous intrahistiocytic and extracellular yeasts (H. capsulatum) as well as intralesional hyphae, pseudohyphae and conidia (C. albicans). To our knowledge, co-infection with H. capsulatum and C. albicans has not been reported in an avian species.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College Station, Texas A&M University, TX, USA. equist@cvm.tamu.edu
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Quist
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Belcher
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Levine
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Heatley
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kiupel
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Giri
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001715:Bird Diseases / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D001762:Blepharitis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000472:pathogenicity; D002180:Candidiasis, Oral / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D037901:Euthanasia, Animal; D005143:Eyelids / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D005928:Glossitis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary; D006658:Histoplasma / Q000472:pathogenicity; D006660:Histoplasmosis / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D010019:Osteomyelitis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary; D010311:Parrots / Q000382:microbiology*; D014059:Tongue / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D015047:Zoonoses / Q000382:microbiology