Septicemic pasteurellosis, a per acute form of Hemorrhagic septicemia, has been reported in domestic animals throughout the world (<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="bib002">Blood. 1994</xref>) and very few reports are available about this disease in wild animals (<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="bib004">Srivatsava <italic>et al.</italic>, 2003</xref>). This disease is characterized by sudden onset in animals exposed to stressful conditions like change of weather, transportation for longer durations, drastic changes in feed and similar other factors. The disease results in high mortality rates up to 100% due to acute pneumonic changes (<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="bib001">Alwis, 1981</xref>).The present study involves a case of per acute hemorrhagic septicemia in a barking deer (Muntiacus muntjak) at Bannerghatta National Park, Bangalore. A carcass of well fed female barking deer, aged about one year, was brought to Wild Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (WADDL), Bannerghatta, Bangalore, for necropsy by the zoo veterinarian with the history of sudden death, immediately after the feeding premises of the animal was changed.Ten days prior to the death, the animal had been translocated from a place about 250 kilometers away from Bannerghatta National Park. At Bannerghatta the animal had been kept in a small enclosure and feeding and watering was done by the hospital attendant. A day prior to the death, the animal was allowed to graze along with other native herd of deers at the park. A detailed postmortem examination of the carcass revealed acute pneumonic changes. Petichial hemorrhages throughout respiratory tract were characteristic. Lungs showed pulmonary odema, focal areas of hemorrhages on all the lobes. Hemorrhagic endocarditis, and intercostal hemorrhages were the other predominant lesions noticed. Intrestingly the lesions were confined to thoracic cavity only.Impression smears made from the heart blood and lungs revealed gram-negative bipolar organisms indistinguishable from Pasteurella species. Pure colonies of Pasteurella organisms were obtained when the heart blood was cultured on blood agar; staining of the smears prepared from these colonies revealed gram negative coccobacillary, bipolar organisms. Further the disease was confirmed by laboratory animal inoculation wherein, the rabbit, which was inoculated with the heart blood developed the pathognomonic lesions of hemorrhagic tracheitis.Septicemic pasteurellosis occurs during the periods of extreme stress and the causative organisms in the intervening periods persists on the tonsillar and nasopharyngeal mucosa of the carrier animals (<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="bib003">Mustafa, 1978</xref>). It is very difficult to pinpoint what factor is stressful to various species of animal. The barking deer being very sensitive to any variation in the routine habit or habitat, the transportation and the change in the place of feeding, from solitary type to herd grazing, obviously caused a great stress to the animal. High concentrations of corticosteroids released due to the stress induces immunosuppression leading to general weakening of the animal and fast multiplication of the Pasteurella organisms which are otherwise commensals in the respiratory tract.</sec></body><back><ack id="ack001"><title>Acknowledgment

IJCMIID

Indian Journal of Comparative Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases

0790-9320

Indian Association of Veterinary Microbiologists, Immunologists and Specialists in Infectious Diseases

ijcmiid-25-1-021

SHORT COMMUNICATION

Septicemic pasteurellosis in barking deer (Muntiacus muntjak)

Chandranaik

B.M.

Harish

B.R.

Venkatesha

M.D.

Renukaprasad

Krishnappa

Institute of Animal Health And Veterinary Biologicals, Hebbal, Bangalore-560024 (Karnataka)

1–62004

2517171

Septicemic pasteurellosis, a per acute form of Hemorrhagic septicemia, has been reported in domestic animals throughout the world (<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="bib002">Blood. 1994</xref>) and very few reports are available about this disease in wild animals (<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="bib004">Srivatsava <italic>et al.</italic>, 2003</xref>). This disease is characterized by sudden onset in animals exposed to stressful conditions like change of weather, transportation for longer durations, drastic changes in feed and similar other factors. The disease results in high mortality rates up to 100% due to acute pneumonic changes (<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="bib001">Alwis, 1981</xref>).The present study involves a case of per acute hemorrhagic septicemia in a barking deer (Muntiacus muntjak) at Bannerghatta National Park, Bangalore. A carcass of well fed female barking deer, aged about one year, was brought to Wild Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (WADDL), Bannerghatta, Bangalore, for necropsy by the zoo veterinarian with the history of sudden death, immediately after the feeding premises of the animal was changed.Ten days prior to the death, the animal had been translocated from a place about 250 kilometers away from Bannerghatta National Park. At Bannerghatta the animal had been kept in a small enclosure and feeding and watering was done by the hospital attendant. A day prior to the death, the animal was allowed to graze along with other native herd of deers at the park. A detailed postmortem examination of the carcass revealed acute pneumonic changes. Petichial hemorrhages throughout respiratory tract were characteristic. Lungs showed pulmonary odema, focal areas of hemorrhages on all the lobes. Hemorrhagic endocarditis, and intercostal hemorrhages were the other predominant lesions noticed. Intrestingly the lesions were confined to thoracic cavity only.Impression smears made from the heart blood and lungs revealed gram-negative bipolar organisms indistinguishable from Pasteurella species. Pure colonies of Pasteurella organisms were obtained when the heart blood was cultured on blood agar; staining of the smears prepared from these colonies revealed gram negative coccobacillary, bipolar organisms. Further the disease was confirmed by laboratory animal inoculation wherein, the rabbit, which was inoculated with the heart blood developed the pathognomonic lesions of hemorrhagic tracheitis.Septicemic pasteurellosis occurs during the periods of extreme stress and the causative organisms in the intervening periods persists on the tonsillar and nasopharyngeal mucosa of the carrier animals (<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="bib003">Mustafa, 1978</xref>). It is very difficult to pinpoint what factor is stressful to various species of animal. The barking deer being very sensitive to any variation in the routine habit or habitat, the transportation and the change in the place of feeding, from solitary type to herd grazing, obviously caused a great stress to the animal. High concentrations of corticosteroids released due to the stress induces immunosuppression leading to general weakening of the animal and fast multiplication of the Pasteurella organisms which are otherwise commensals in the respiratory tract.</sec></body><back><ack id="ack001"><title>Acknowledgment

The authors are highly thankful to the authorities of Banneraghatta National Park, Bangalore for having provided all the necessary facilities to carry out the study.

ReferencesDE Alwis

MCL

(1981). Tropi Ani Health Prodn, 13: 195.Blood

D.C.

Radostits

O.M.

Gay

C.C.

(1994). Veterinary Medicine,. 8th edn. pp. 748. ELBS, Bailliere, Tindall and Casell, LondonMustafa

A.A.

(1978), British Vet J., 134: 375.Srivastava

A.B.

Verma

Yamini

Nogas

Dinesh

(2003) Abstract from 20th conference of Indian Association Of Veterinary Pathologists (IAVP). pp. 155.