Spontaneous paratuberculosis in a sika deer : a case report

Sika deer의 paratuberculosis 자연발생예에 관한 병리학적 관찰

A male sika deer, 3 years old, which had the clinical history of chronic watery diarrhea with severe emaciation for 4 months was submitted and euthanized. On necropsy, there was diffuse mucosal hypertrophy of gastrointestinal tract with thickened intestinal walls and swollen mesenteric lymph nodes. In histologic lesions. diffuse proliferation of epithelioid cells are present in the laminar propria, submucosa muscle layer and subserosa of most gastroinlestinal organs except omasum. These epithelioid cells are also present in the cortex and medulla of meseriteric lymph nodes and in the portal triads of liver. Most these epithelioid cells contain acid-fast positive bacilli using Ziehl-Neelsen staining in the cytoplasm. Based on the clinical signs, gross findings and histological lesions, this deer was diagnosed as paratuberculosis. The wide range of target organs and the severity of the lesions observed in this case is quite different comparing to those of other ruminant.