An athrax outbreak in wild felidae kept in a local zoo [Yerel bir Hayvanat Bahçesindeki Yabani Kedigillerde Antraks Salgını]

This report presents cases of anthrax infection in the leopard (panthera pardus),tiger (panthera tigris) and lion (panthera leo). of wild felidae kept in the same zoo,7 animals (2 lions,1 tiger,2 leopards,1 jaguar,and 1 puma) died within 2 days with clinical manifestations including swelling of the tongue and lips,bleeding from the mouth and nose,listlessness. of the animals,2 sick lions were examined cytologically from the haemorrhagic exudate in the mouth and nose. macroscopic examination revealed the presence of anthrax carbuncles in the skin and lesion in the spleen of the dead leopards. the microscopic examination of the skin lesions demonstrated haemorrhage,oedema and the infiltration of neutrophils and mononuclear cells in the dermis and hypodermis. microscopically,the splenic lesions consisted of widespread haemorrhagic areas,the atrophy of the white pulp and multifocal necrosis in the red pulp. bacillus anthracis spores were observed in the cytological examination of the skin and spleen lesions and the haemorrhagic nasal exudate. bacillus anthracis spores were observed in smears of the haemorrhagic mouth and nasal exudates,in histological sections of the skin and spleen. based on clinical,macroscopical,microscopical and cytological examinations,infection of the animals was diagnosed as an anthrax infection. © 2015,kafkas university. all rights received.