Frenkelia Sp.-Iike Infection in the Small Intestine of a Red-Tailed Hawk

Journal of Wildlife Diseases, 23(4), 1987, pp. 677-679 © Wildlife Disease Association 1987

Frenkelia sp.-Iike Infection in the Small Intestine of a Red-tailed Hawk

David S. Lindsay, Sandra I. Ambrus, and Byron L. Blagburn, Department of Pathology and Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Alabama 36849, USA

ABSTRACT: Developmental stages of a Fren- available that indicate that I. buteonis-like kelia sp.-!ike coccidium were observed in tissue sporocysts isolated from B. borealis, B. sections of the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum swainsoni, Accipiter coopeni or Asio flam- Downloaded from http://meridian.allenpress.com/jwd/article-pdf/23/4/677/2232576/0090-3558-23_4_677.pdf by guest on 25 September 2021 of a naturally infected red-tailed hawk (Buteo meus are actually a species of Frenkelia. jamaicensis borealis) that died and was exam- med at necropsy. Developmental stages were These birds are not reported to serve as located in the lamina propria of these tissues. definitive hosts for a Sarcocystis species

Thirty sporulated sporocysts measured 1 1 . 1 x (Levine and Tadros, 1980; Cawthorn et a!., 8. 1 sm in tissue sections. Four sporozoites were 1984; Levine, 1986). present in each sporulated sporocyst. The coc- The present study reports intestinal in- cidial infection was not a contributing factor in the death of this ned-tailed hawk. fection of a red-tailed hawk (Buteo ja- Key words: Frenkelia sp. , Sarcocystis sp., maicensis borealis) with a coccidium that Isospora buteonis, red-tailed hawk, Buteo ja- sporu!ates endogenously to form oocysts maicensis borealis. containing two sporocysts each with four sporozoites. Because there is no way to dif- Henry (1932) described Isospora bu- ferentiate Sarcocystis spp. from Frenkelia teonis from two red-tailed hawks (Buteo spp. in the definitive host, we will refer to borealis), a Swainson’s hawk (Buteo the coccidium observed in the present study swainsoni), a Cooper’s hawk (Accipiter as a Frenkelia sp.-like coccidium. cooperi), and a short-eared owl (Asioflam- In October 1986, an immature red-tailed meus) from California. The oocysts of this hawk was submitted to the Auburn Uni- species sporulate endogenously to form two versity Raptor Rehabilitation Center (Col- sporocysts each containng four sporozoites. lege of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn Uni- Therefore, it is either a species of Sarco- versity, Alabama 36849, USA). The hawk cystis or Frenkelia. died approximately 3 hr after submission; Rommel and Krampitz (1975) demon- the 550 g carcass was emaciated. Portions strated that I. buteonis-!ike sporocysts from of brain, pectoralis muscle, trachea, lung, buzzards (Buteo buteo) were actually those gizzard, kidney, liver, duodenum, jejun- of Frenkelia glareoli (=F. clethniono- um, ileum, and colon were obtained at myobuteonis). They demonstrated also that necropsy, fixed in 10% neutral-buffered F. glareoli was apparently host specific for formalin, and processed for routine light the definitive host (B. buteo) because the microscopic examination. brains of experimentally infected bank Examination of a!! small intestinal tis- voles (Clethnionomys glareolus) were not sues revealed numerous sporulated spo- infectious for three European kestrels rocysts of a Frenkelia sp. -like coccidium

(Falco tinnunculus) , a goshawk (Accipiter in the lamina propria (Fig. 1). The oocyst gentilis), four long-eared owls (Asio otus), wall surrounding the sporocysts was very a barn owl (Tyto alba), and four tawny thin and membrane-like. A few macro- owls (Strix aluco). Dubey (1977) believed gamonts and unsporulated and sporulating that I. buteonis should be combined with oocysts were observed also. Microgamonts F. glareoli to form F. buteonis. However, and asexual stages were not observed. Spo- perhaps this is premature because there rocysts were concentrated in the lamina are no experimental transmission data propria within the distal three-fourths of

677 678 JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE DISEASES, VOL. 23, NO. 4, OCTOBER 1987

Acute, necrotizing myositis and marked diffuse atrophy of myofibers were observed in sections of the pectoralis muscle. Injury to the breast muscles with resultant starvation was considered to be the cause of death. Our interpretation was that infection with the Frenkelia sp.-!ike coccidium was not a contributing factor in the death of this hawk. However, intestinal infection by some Sarcocystis spp. may Downloaded from http://meridian.allenpress.com/jwd/article-pdf/23/4/677/2232576/0090-3558-23_4_677.pdf by guest on 25 September 2021 cause clinical disease in avian hosts (Caw- thorn et a!., 1984). The measurements of I. buteonis sporocysts (9.6-13.0 x 8.0-10.4 /sm) given by Henry (1932) are similar to those observed in the present study. Henry (1932) observed a prominent sporocyst residuum in the sporocysts of I. buteonis she examined, but this was not observed in the Frenkelia sp.-!ike coccidium in the present study. She also believed that the infection was limited to the duodenum, whereas in the present study the infection was found

j.. ‘-r throughout the small intestine. ., Further studies are needed to determine

- . ‘ the taxonomic status of the Frenkelia sp. like coccidium infecting red-tailed hawks. .: --. Present knowledge of coccidian life cycles FIGURE 1. Histological section of the small intestine from a red-tailed hawk infected with a Frenkelia indicates that B. borealis, B. swainsoni, sp.-like coccidium. The lamina propria of the villi and Accipiter coo pen might be the defin- contain numerous cells infected with sporulated spo- itive hosts for the same species of coccid- rocysts (several are labeled with arrows), H&E stain. ium. However, it is unlikely that Asio flammeus would be a definitive host for the villi; they were observed rarely in the this species. tunica propria of the crypts. Develop- This paper is College of Veterinary mental stages were not observed in entero- Medicine publication number 1888. cytes. All the villi that were examined had parasites. Thirty sporocysts that were not LITERATURE CITED collapsed by fixation or embedding mea- CAWTHORN, H. J., A. A. CAJADHAR, AND H. J. BROOKS. sured 10.0-12.0 x 7.0-9.0 jtm ( = 11.1 ± 1984. Description of Sarcocystis rauschorum sp. n. (Protozoa: Sarcocystidae) with experimental 0.12 x 8.1 ± 0.07 tm, mean length/width cyclic transmission between varying lemmings ratio = 1.4). Sporocysts each contained four (Dicrostonyx nichardsoni) and snowy owls (Nyc- sporozoites and neither a Stieda body nor tea scandiaca). Canadian Journal of Zoology 62: a sporocyst residuum were observed. An 217-225. inflammatory response was not associated DUBEY, J. P. 1977. Toxoplasma, Hammondia, Be- with the presence of this Frenkelia sp.-!ike snoitia, Sarcocystis and other tissue cyst-forming coccidia of man and animals. In Parasitic pro- coccidium in the lamina propria. tozoa, Vol. III, J. P. Kreier (ed). Academic Press, Parasites were not observed in the colon New York, New York, pp. 101-237. or in the extraintestina! tissues examined. HENRY, D. P. 1932. Isopora buteonis sp. nov. from SHORT COMMUNICATIONS 679

the hawk and owl, and notes on Isosopora lacazii HOMMEL, M., AND H. E. KRAMPITZ. 1975. Beitr#{227}ge (Labb#{233}) in birds. University of California Pub- zum Lebenszyklus der Frenkelien. I. Die Iden- lications in Zoology 37: 291-299. tit#{227}tvon Isospora buteonis aus dem M#{227}usebus- LEVINE, N. D. 1986. The taxonomy of Sarcocystis sard mit einer Frenkelienart (F. clethniono- (Protozoa, Apicomplexa) species. The Journal of myobuteonis spec. n.) aus der H#{246}telmaus. Berliner Parasitology 72: 372-382. und M#{252}nchener Tier#{228}rztliche Wochenschrift 88: AND W. TADROS. 1980. Named species and 338-340. hosts of Sarcocystis (Protozoa: Apicomplexa: Sar- cocystidae). Systematic Parasitology 2: 41-59. Received for publication 12 December 1986. Downloaded from http://meridian.allenpress.com/jwd/article-pdf/23/4/677/2232576/0090-3558-23_4_677.pdf by guest on 25 September 2021