Piroplasmosis in a captive Grant’s Zebra Equus quagga boehmi (Mammalia: Perissodactyla: Equidae) - a case study

Abstract

An apparently healthy 2½-year-old male Grant’s Zebra weighing approximately 200kg located at Nandankanan Zoological Park, Odisha, India, procured from Zoological Centre, Tel Aviv- Ramat Gan, Israel during September 2015 was noticed in a sitting position making frequent attempts to get up. The zebra was immobilised the same day with a combination of 1.96mg etorphine hydrochloride, 8.0mg of acepromazine and 40.0mg of xylazine hydrochloride to facilitate diagnosis and treatment. Clinical examinations did not reveal any signs suggestive of disease or disorder of the musculoskeletal system. Microscopic examination of blood smears stained in Giemsa’s stain revealed the presence of intra-erythrocytic inclusions, either single or pairs, suggestive of haemoprotozoans, i.e., B. caballi and/or T. equi. The zebra was administered with two divided doses of imidocarb injection @4.0mg/kg b.wt. deep intramuscularly in the neck region with supportive therapy. Progressive improvement in posture, gait, and appetite were noticed following 24h of medication. Three more doses of imidocarb were administered at 72h intervals, each time after immobilisation.

Keywords

• babesia caballi
• imidocarb
• immobilisation
• sub-clinical carriers
• theileria equi