First clinical report of the Glanders in Siberian tiger (Panthera tigris altaica)

Subject Areas : clinical veterinary science

علی  Taghipour, ¹ (Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Karaj Branch, Islamic Azad University, Karaj, Iran)
Sh.M  Khaje Nassir, ² (Pasteur Veterinary Laboratory, Tehran, Iran)
S.M  Ghaazi Marashi, ³ (Department of environment, Tehran, Iran)
سیامک  Masoodi Zanjani, ⁴ (Department of environment, Tehran, Iran)
هومن  Molookpour, ⁵ (Veterinary surgeon, Private practitioner, Tehran, Iran)

Received: 2016-11-02 Accepted : 2016-11-02 Published : 2011-03-21

Keywords: Iran, Glanders, Siberian tiger, Burkholderia mallei,

Abstract :

In 27th of December 2010 a male Siberian tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) in Tehran zoo was visited and bilateral signs of acute systemic disease was noticed, epistaxis, inspiratory dispnea, polydipsia, coutaneus ulcers specially on tail, chest and limbs were recognized. After sampling and culture from nasal discharge an aerobic, gram negative, immotile and bipolar bacilli isolated. Clinical signs, characteristic of bacterial infection in addition to the history of feeding with donkey meat without performing Mallein test were our reason to become suspicious to Glanders that later was confrmed with PCR. Post mortem examination showed the multiple nasal mucosal nodules, mucosal erosions, cutaneous ulcers with fstula and sinus formation and yellowish discharge. The tiger was FIV positive too.