Abstract
In the present study a severe outbreak of hemorrhagic pneumonia (HP) in neonatal minks
concomitant with Leismania infantum (L. infantum) detection is reported. The outbreak took
place on a Greek mink farm and affected 1,362 mink kits, with 524 dying. Macroscopic lesions of
14 necropsied affected kits were confined to the respiratory system with dark red, consolidated
lung lobes and to the small intestine with severe, acute, hemorrhagic and necrotic enteritis. Microscopic
examination of lung sections revealed severe hemorrhagic pyogranulomatous pneumonia.
Bacteria were obtained in pure culture from the lungs of all necropsied animals and were
confirmed as Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa). Three out of 14 (21.4%) animals were
positive for the presence of L. infantum DNA. The outbreak was attributed to the infection of
minks with P. aeruginosa, possibly as a consequence of being immuno-suppressed by L. infantum.
Further research is necessary, especially on the pathogenesis of P. aeruginosa/L. infantum co-infection
and the implications of this interaction on HP disease outcome.
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