Skip to main content
PMC home page
Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica logoLink to Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica
. 1982 Dec 1;23(4):503–514. doi: 10.1186/BF03546769

Experimental Encephalitozoonosis in the Blue Fox

Clinical and Serological Examinations of Affected Pups

Eksperimentell encephalitozoonose hos blårev — Kliniske og serologiske undersøkelser av syke valper

Svein Fredrik Mohn 1,✉
PMCID: PMC8295774  PMID: 6820235

Abstract

Two groups of blue fox pups about 1½— 2 and 2½—3 months old, respectively, suffering from experimental encephalitozoonosis, were examined clinically and serologically. Antibodies to Encephalitozoon cuniouli were detected in all pups, the titres varying within the range 10–12,800. In addition to unspecific signs of disease the pups showed various neurological disturbances including ataxia, posterior weakness, lameness and circling behaviour, terminaiting in recumbency, paralysis or convulsions. Reduced sight or blindness was observed occasionally. Some of the pups appeared thirsty. Haematological examinations revealed pronounced leukocytosis without any conspicuous shift within the various groups of leukocytes. Biochemical examinations of serum showed significant elevated values of urea nitrogen, creatinine, and magnesium concentrations, reflecting renal dysfunction. Alanine aminotransferase was found significantly depressed in both groups. Raised levels of total protein were demonstrated due to pronounced hyperglobulinaemia. This finding, together with the common occurrence of generalized polyarteritis nodosa and proliferations of plasma cells in clinically affected pups, is probably a result of autoimmune disturbances initiated directly or indirectly by the protozoan infection.

Keywords: blue fox pups, encephalitozoonosis, clinical signs, serology

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (1.2 MB).

References

  1. Arnesen K, Nordstoga K. Ocular encephalitozoonosis(nosematosis) in blue foxes. Polyarteritis nodosa and cataract. Acta ophthal. 1977;55:641–651. doi: 10.1111/j.1755-3768.1977.tb05662.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Berestov, V. A.: Biokhimiya i morfologiya krovi pushnykh zverei (Biochemistry and blood morphology of fur bearing animals). Monograph 1971. Transl, from Russian by G. Saad, U.S. Dep. Agr. & Nat. Sci. Found., Washington 1974 (TT-74-53001).
  3. Canning, E. U.: Microsporida. In: Parasitic Protozoa. Vol. 4 (Kreier, J. P., ed.). Academic Press, New York, San Francisco & London 1977, pp. 155–196.
  4. Doumas B T, Watson W A, Biggs H G. Albumin standards and measurement of serum albumin with bromcresol green. Clin. Chim. Acta. 1971;31:87–96. doi: 10.1016/0009-8981(71)90365-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Gocke D J, Hsu K, Morgan C, Bombardieri S, Lockshin M, Christian C. Vasculitis in association with Australia antigen. J. exp. Med. 1971;134:330–336. doi: 10.1084/jem.134.3.330. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Keiding R, Gerhardt W, Pitkänen E, Tenhunen R, Strømme J H, Theodorsen L, Waldenström J, Tryding N, West-lund L. Recommended methods for the determination of four enzymes in blood. Scand. J. clin. Lab. Invest. 1974;33:291–306. doi: 10.3109/00365517409082499. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Kellett B S, By water J. E. C. A modified india-ink immunoreaction for the detection of encephalitozoonosis. Lab. Anim. 1978;12:59–60. doi: 10.1258/002367778780953189. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Mohn S F. Encephalitozoonosis in the blue fox — Comparison between the india-ink immunoreaction and the indirect fluorescent antibody test in detecting Encephalitozoon cuniculi antibodies. Acta vet. scand. 1982;23:99–106. doi: 10.1186/BF03546826. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Mohn S F, Landsverk T, Nordstoga K. Encephalitozoonosis in the blue fox — Morphological identification of the parasite. Acta path, microbiol. scand. Section B. 1981;89:117–122. doi: 10.1111/j.1699-0463.1981.tb00162_89b.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Mohn S F, Nordstoga K. Electrophoretic patterns of serum proteins in blue foxes with special reference to changes associated with nosematosis. Acta vet. scand. 1975;16:297–306. doi: 10.1186/BF03546684. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Mohn S F, Nordstoga K. Experimental encephalitozoonosis in the blue fox — Neonatal exposure to the parasite. Acta vet. scand. 1982;23:344–360. doi: 10.1186/BF03546786. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Mohn S F, Nordstoga K, Dishington I W. Experimental encephalitozoonosis in the blue fox — Clinical, serological and pathological examinations of vixens after oral and intrauterine inoculation. Acta vet. scand. 1982;23:490–502. doi: 10.1186/BF03546768. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Mohn S F, Nordstoga K, Krogsrud J, Helgebostad A. Transplacental transmission of Nosema cuniculi in the blue fox (Alopex lagopus) Acta path, microbiol. scand. Section B. 1974;82:299–300. doi: 10.1111/j.1699-0463.1974.tb02328.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Mohn S F, Nordstoga K, Möller O M. Experimental encephalitozoonosis in the blue fox — Transplacental transmission of the parasite. Acta vet. scand. 1982;23:211–220. doi: 10.1186/BF03546807. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Nordstoga K. Nosematosis in blue foxes. Nord. Vet.-Med. 1972;24:21–24. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Nordstoga, K., S. F. Mohn & G. Loftsgård: Nosematose hos blårev (Nosematosis in the blue fox). Proc. 12th Nordic Vet. Congr., Reykjavik 1974, pp. 183–186.
  17. Nordstoga K, Westbye Kr. Polyarteritis nodosa associated with nosematosis in blue foxes. Acta path, microbiol. scand. Section A. 1976;84:291–296. doi: 10.1111/j.1699-0463.1976.tb00102.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Paronetto, F.: Systemic nonsuppurative necrotizing angiitis. In: Textbook of Immunopathology. Vol. 2 (Miescher, P. A. & H. J. Muller-Eberhard, eds.). Grune & Stratton, New York and London 1969, pp. 722–732.
  19. Paronetto F, Strauss L. Immunocytochemical observations in periarteritis nodosa. Ann. intern. Med. 1962;56:289–296. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-56-2-289. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Schalm, O. W., N. C. Jain & E. J. Carroll: Veterinary Hematology. 3rd ed. Lea & Febiger, Philadelphia 1975.
  21. Shadduck J A, Pakes S P. Encephalitozoonosis (nosematosis) and toxoplasmosis. Amer. J. Path. 1971;64:657–674. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Simesen, M. G.: Calcium, inorganic phosphorus, and magnesium metabolism in health and disease. In: Clinical Biochemistry of Domestic Animals. 2nd ed. Vol. 1 (Kaneko, J. J. & C. E. Cornelius, eds.). Academic Press, New York and London 1970, pp. 313–375.
  23. Sodikoff, C: Laboratory Profiles of Small Animals Diseases, a Guide to Laboratory Diagnosis (Pratt, P. W., ed.). American Veterinary Publications Inc., Santa Barbara 1981.
  24. Talke H, Schubert G E. Enzymatische Harnstoffbestimmung in Blut und Serum im optischen Test nach Warburg (Enzymatic urea determination in blood and serum by an optical test according to Warburg) Klin. Wschr. 1965;43:174–175. doi: 10.1007/BF01484513. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Waller T. The india-ink immunoreaction: a method for the rapid diagnosis of encephalitozoonosis. Lab. Anim. 1977;11:93–97. doi: 10.1258/002367777781005604. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Waller T, Morein B, Fabianson E. Humoral immune response to infection with Encephalitozoon cuniculi in rabbits. Lab. Anim. 1978;12:145–148. doi: 10.1258/002367778780936331. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Weichselbaum T E. An accurate and rapid method for the determination of proteins in small amounts of blood serum and plasma. Amer. J. clin. Path. 1946;16:40–49. doi: 10.1093/ajcp/16.3_ts.40. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Wilson J M. The biology of Encephalitozoon cuniculi. Med. biol. 1979;57:84–101. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica are provided here courtesy of BMC

RESOURCES