Encephalitis Associated with Sarcocystis halieti Infection in a Free-Ranging Little Owl (Athene noctua)
Kristina Maier-Sam, Taina Susanna Kaiponen, Anna Schmitz, Christoph Schulze, Sabine Bock, Andreas Hlinak, Philipp Olias
Abstract
A juvenile Little Owl (Athene noctua) was diagnosed with granulomatous encephalitis and muscular sarcocysts. Sarcocystis halieti was identified in the brain and muscle tissue by PCR and subsequent sequencing. This is the first report of S. halieti as a potential encephalitis-causing pathogen in birds.
Topics & Concepts
BiologyEncephalitisSarcocystisPathologyVirologyParasite hostingMedicineVirusComputer scienceWorld Wide WebToxoplasma gondii Research StudiesBartonella species infections researchHerpesvirus Infections and Treatments