Abstract
Two outbreaks of progressive hind limb paresis in cats (Felis catus) caused by parasitic meningomyelitis in Uruguay are reported. The case studies occurred in 2008 and 2009 respectively, in the rural areas of Fray Bentos (33° 07' 40.39'' S) and were characterized by hindquarter paralysis. This paralysis was progressive and had a chronic progression of approximately 12 months until the death or euthanasia of the animals. Clinical symptoms started with ataxia of the hindquarters with lateral side-to-side swaying and culminated in total paralysis. Two animals were sent for necropsy in 2009. The main histopathological findings were severe myelitis in the lumbar spinal cord with perivascular cuffing and white matter necrosis, severe nonsuppurative meningitis with thrombi in subarachnoid blood vessels, and intravascular presence of multiple adult parasites. From the morphological characteristics of the parasites and location in the leptomeninges, the parasite was identified as the nematode Gurltia paralysans.
Highlights
Neurological diseases are common in small animals (DA COSTA; MOORE, 2010)
The main histopathological findings were in the lumbar spinal cord including severe myelitis with perivascular cuffing and some polymorphonuclear cells, necrosis of the white matter and severe nonsuppurative meningitis (Figure 1)
Parasites were found in blood vessels associated with thrombi and ischemia, causing necrosis of the underlying tissue of the spinal cord
Summary
Neurological diseases are common in small animals (DA COSTA; MOORE, 2010). pure meningomyelitis and myelitis are rare (TIPOLD; STEIN, 2010). There are other reports of migration of larvae of this parasite to the eyeball, cerebellum and spinal cord, with the presence of adult worms in lungs of dogs (PERRY et al, 1991). Another parasite has been identified as a causative agent of granulomatous myelitis in dogs, Strongyloides spp., probably Strongyloides stercoralis (SNOOK et al, 2009).
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