Tuyển tập các báo cáo nghiên cứu khoa học quốc tế về bệnh thú y đề tài: Balantidiasis in the gastric lymph nodes of Barbary sheep (Ammotragus lervia): an incidental finding | J. Vet. Sá. 2006 7 2 207-209 JOURNAL OF Case Report Veterinary Science Balantidiasis in the gastric lymph nodes of Barbary sheep Ammotragus lervia an incidental finding Ho-Seong Cho1 Sung-Shik Shin2 Nam-Yong Park1 1 Department of Veterinary Pathology and1 Department of Veterinary Parasitology. College of Veterinary Medicine Chonnam National University. Gwangju 500-757 Korea A 4-year-old female Barbary sheep Ammotragus lervia was found dead in the Gwangju Uchi Park Zoo. The animal had previously exhibited weakness and lethargy but no signs of diarrhea. The carcass was emaciated upon presentation. The main gross lesion was characterized by severe serous atrophy of the fat tissues of the coronary and left ventricular grooves resulting in the transformation of the fat to a gelatinous material. The rumen was fully distended with food while the abomasum evidenced mucosal corrugation with slight congestion. Microscopic examination revealed the presence of Balantidium coli trophozoites within the lymphatic ducts of the gastric lymph node and the abdominal submucosa. On rare occasions these organisms may invade extra-intestinal organs in this case the gastric lymph nodes and abomasum. Key words Ammotragus lervia. Balantidium coll Barbary sheep mesenteric lymph node Balantidiasis is an infectious disease which occurs worldwide and is caused by the protozoan. Balantidium coll. This single-celled organism is characterized primarily by its large size which ranges from 50 pm to over 500 pm. including the cilia on its cell surface 4 This parasite has been detected in the lumen of the cecum and the colon of swine humans and nonhuman primates as a commensal organism but can become a pathogenic opportunist via the invasion of tissues that have been previously damaged by other diseases 5 . The clinical diagnosis of this disease has proven somewhat difficult as it is asymptomatic and can be complicated by other diseases or parasites 10 . Here we report the incidental detection of .
