title: Haemolytic anaemia associated with Theileria sp. in an orphaned platypus.
abstract: METHODS
  The clinical and laboratory findings in an orphaned juvenile female platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) that presented with a severe anaemia and tick infestation are reported. The animal developed a terminal septicaemia and died. Antemortem clinical pathology, postmortem histopathology and 18S rDNA sequencing supported a diagnosis of extravascular haemolytic anaemia secondary to Theileria ornithorhynchi infection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although T. ornithorhynchi infection is common in the platypus, this is the first case in which it has been shown to cause a haemolytic anaemia in this species and molecular characterisation of the organism has been described. A review of the previous literature concerning T. ornithorhynchi and possible treatment options for future cases are discussed.
authors.affiliation: School of Animal and Veterinary Science, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: A E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Kessell
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Boulton
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Dutton
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Woodgate
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shamsi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Peters
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Connolly
mesh_terms: D000743:Anemia, Hemolytic / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D000818:Animals; D001344:Autopsy / Q000662:veterinary; D030561:Databases, Nucleic Acid; D005260:Female; D009517:New South Wales; D010987:Platypus / Q000097:blood* / Q000469:parasitology*; D016794:Theileria; D013801:Theileriasis / Q000150:complications*; D013984:Tick Infestations / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*
keywords: Ixodes; Theileria; anaemia; haemolysis; platypus; septicaemia