title: Osteomyelitis caused by Salmonella enterica serovar derby in boa constrictor.
abstract: After demonstrating chronic weight loss, prostration, and muscle flaccidness, a captive-bred 9-mo-old boa constrictor (Boa constrictor constrictor) died and was submitted for necropsy. Along the spinal column there were multiple, yellowish white, macroscopic nodules of 1-5 mm in diameter in the ventral side of the vertebral body and in the intervertebral spaces. Severe multifocal necrotizing osteomyelitis associated with granulomatous inflammation was the main histologic finding in the vertebral column. In the liver, there was discrete but similar granulomatous changes. Positive anti-Salmonella immunostaining was observed in the spinal column and in the liver. Salmonella enterica serovar Derby was isolated from fragments of the spinal column. These bacteria are important cause of disease in captive reptiles.
authors.forename: Suyene O
authors.initials: SO
authors.lastname: de Souza
authors.forename: Renata A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Casagrande
authors.forename: Priscila R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Guerra
authors.forename: Cláudio E F
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Cruz
authors.forename: Evandro
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Veit
authors.forename: Marisa R I
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Cardoso
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Driemeier
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017821:Boidae; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D010019:Osteomyelitis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D012481:Salmonella Infections, Animal / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D019779:Salmonella enterica / Q000145:classification*