title: Sarcocystis calchasi encephalitis in a rock pigeon.
abstract: A rock pigeon (Columba livia) caught in Akihabara, Tokyo, showed neurological symptoms, such as head tilt and circling. Pathological examinations revealed abundant Sarcocystic cysts in the skeletal muscle and myocardium with mild myositis, and numerous schizonts and sarcocysts with severe multifocal granulomatous T-lymphocytic infiltration in the central nervous system. A Sarcocystis calchasi-specific gene was detected in the muscle and brain. This case indicates S. calchasi was distributed in Japan and caused severe encephalitis to rock pigeons.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Pathology, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan.
authors.forename: Nanako
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ushio
authors.forename: Ken-ichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: James K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Chambers
authors.forename: Tokuhiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shibato
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nakayama
authors.forename: Kazuyuki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Uchida
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001715:Bird Diseases / Q000469:parasitology*; D010856:Columbidae; D004660:Encephalitis / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012522:Sarcocystis / Q000145:classification*; D012523:Sarcocystosis / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*