title: Cerebral Angiostrongylus cantonensis infection in a captive African pygmy falcon (Polihierax semitorquatus) in southern California.
abstract: A 10-month-old, female African pygmy falcon (Polihierax semitorquatus) hatched and housed at the San Diego Zoo developed neurologic signs and died from a cerebral infection with the rat lungworm Angiostrongylus cantonensis. There was an associated mild nonsuppurative meningoencephalitis. This infection was diagnosed on histology and confirmed by detection of species-specific A. cantonensis DNA in formalin-fixed and frozen brain tissue by a polymerase chain reaction assay. To the authors' knowledge, this infection has not previously been reported in a bird in the United States and has not been known to be naturally acquired in any species in this region of the world. The source of the infection was not definitively determined but was possibly feeder geckos (Hemidactylus frenatus) imported from Southeast Asia where the parasite is endemic.
authors.affiliation: Wildlife Disease Laboratories, Institute for Conservation Research, San Diego Zoo Global, San Diego, CA (Burns, Rideout)Veterinary Services, San Diego Zoo, San Diego, CA (Bicknese)Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Center for Global Health (Qvarnstrom) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GAInfectious Disease Pathology Branch, Division of High Consequence Pathogens and Pathology (DeLeon-Carnes, Drew) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GAVeterinary Pathology Service, Joint Pathology Service, Silver Spring, MD (Gardiner) burnre02@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Rachel E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Burns
authors.affiliation: Wildlife Disease Laboratories, Institute for Conservation Research, San Diego Zoo Global, San Diego, CA (Burns, Rideout)Veterinary Services, San Diego Zoo, San Diego, CA (Bicknese)Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Center for Global Health (Qvarnstrom) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GAInfectious Disease Pathology Branch, Division of High Consequence Pathogens and Pathology (DeLeon-Carnes, Drew) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GAVeterinary Pathology Service, Joint Pathology Service, Silver Spring, MD (Gardiner).
authors.forename: Elizabeth J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Bicknese
authors.affiliation: Wildlife Disease Laboratories, Institute for Conservation Research, San Diego Zoo Global, San Diego, CA (Burns, Rideout)Veterinary Services, San Diego Zoo, San Diego, CA (Bicknese)Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Center for Global Health (Qvarnstrom) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GAInfectious Disease Pathology Branch, Division of High Consequence Pathogens and Pathology (DeLeon-Carnes, Drew) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GAVeterinary Pathology Service, Joint Pathology Service, Silver Spring, MD (Gardiner).
authors.forename: Yvonne
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Qvarnstrom
authors.affiliation: Wildlife Disease Laboratories, Institute for Conservation Research, San Diego Zoo Global, San Diego, CA (Burns, Rideout)Veterinary Services, San Diego Zoo, San Diego, CA (Bicknese)Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Center for Global Health (Qvarnstrom) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GAInfectious Disease Pathology Branch, Division of High Consequence Pathogens and Pathology (DeLeon-Carnes, Drew) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GAVeterinary Pathology Service, Joint Pathology Service, Silver Spring, MD (Gardiner).
authors.forename: Marlene
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: DeLeon-Carnes
authors.affiliation: Wildlife Disease Laboratories, Institute for Conservation Research, San Diego Zoo Global, San Diego, CA (Burns, Rideout)Veterinary Services, San Diego Zoo, San Diego, CA (Bicknese)Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Center for Global Health (Qvarnstrom) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GAInfectious Disease Pathology Branch, Division of High Consequence Pathogens and Pathology (DeLeon-Carnes, Drew) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GAVeterinary Pathology Service, Joint Pathology Service, Silver Spring, MD (Gardiner).
authors.forename: Clifton P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Drew
authors.affiliation: Wildlife Disease Laboratories, Institute for Conservation Research, San Diego Zoo Global, San Diego, CA (Burns, Rideout)Veterinary Services, San Diego Zoo, San Diego, CA (Bicknese)Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Center for Global Health (Qvarnstrom) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GAInfectious Disease Pathology Branch, Division of High Consequence Pathogens and Pathology (DeLeon-Carnes, Drew) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GAVeterinary Pathology Service, Joint Pathology Service, Silver Spring, MD (Gardiner).
authors.forename: Chris H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Gardiner
authors.affiliation: Wildlife Disease Laboratories, Institute for Conservation Research, San Diego Zoo Global, San Diego, CA (Burns, Rideout)Veterinary Services, San Diego Zoo, San Diego, CA (Bicknese)Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Center for Global Health (Qvarnstrom) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GAInfectious Disease Pathology Branch, Division of High Consequence Pathogens and Pathology (DeLeon-Carnes, Drew) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GAVeterinary Pathology Service, Joint Pathology Service, Silver Spring, MD (Gardiner).
authors.forename: Bruce A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Rideout
mesh_terms: D017185:Angiostrongylus cantonensis; D000818:Animals; D000836:Animals, Zoo; D001715:Bird Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000473:pathology; D001921:Brain / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology; D002140:California / Q000453:epidemiology; D046093:Falconiformes; D005260:Female; D017206:Strongylida Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*
keywords: Angiostrongylus cantonensis; falcons; meningoencephalitis; polymerase chain reaction; rat lungworm