Mortality due to infectious canine hepatitis in sloth bears (Melursus ursinus) in captivity

Abstract

Sloth bears (3 males and 2 female) of a rescue facility in Agra district of Uttar Pradesh, which died acutely due to emaciation, anorexia, non-specific nervous signs, and widely spread petechial hemorrhages/congestion on serosal surfaces, were subjected to histopathological examination. The clinical blood picture in one of the cases showed leucocytosis (15.9×103/μl) associated with marked absolute neutrophilia. The hemoglobin (15.4 g/dl), packed cell volume (43.4%), ESR (5 mm/h) and the platelet counts (290×103/μl) were within the normal range. The derived MCV (64 FL), MCH (22.7 pg), and MCHC (35.5 g/dl) values were not much changed. Serum ALT and AST were significantly high: 136 U/ L and 1159 U/L, respectively, reflecting hepatic injury, however, total bilirubin in serum remained unaffected. In addition, total protein (3.9 g/dl: albumin 1.94 g/dl, globulin 1.96 g/dl) and alkaline phosphates (306 U/L) values deviated from the reference range showing damages to the liver and other body organs. The urea and creatinine levels were high, 79 mg/dl and 1.7 mg/dl, respectively, indicating renal damage. The histopathological changes in different organs showed necrosis of parenchymatous organs together with edema and hemorrhages, presence of intranuclear inclusions of Cowdry type A in hepatocytes, renal tubules, lymphoid tissues, and in wide spread vascular endothelial cells of the organs, including brain. The inclusions were sparingly few in liver, lung, stomach and intestine compared with spleen, brain and kidneys, where these were in abundance. In pancreas, these were almost not traceable. Interestingly, the intertubular vascular endothelial cells had plenty of inclusions.