A report on Coenuruses cerebralis infection in a wild goat (Capra aegagrus)

Coenurus cerebralis is the larval stage of Taenia multiceps inhabiting the small intestine of dogs and wild carnivores as the definitive hosts. A two-year-old wild female goat (Capra aegagrus) was referred with signs of lateral recumbency and seizure for four days and loss of appetite. In clinical examination, paddling, convulsion, and unconsciousness were observed indicating central nervous system disorder. Biochemical analyses showed increased levels of hematocrit, creatinine phosphorous, total bilirubin, direct bilirubin, blood urea nitrogen and calcium. No bacteria has been grown on culture medium taken from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). The amount of total protein of the CSF was 1.10 g dL(-1) (normal range = 20 - 40 mg dL(-1)). Hematological changes represented a left shift degenerative leukocytosis. At necropsy, two cysts sized over the 3 × 3 cm were detected, one on occipital lobe of the right hemisphere and the other on superior colliculi. The cysts contained a translucent fluid with a number of clusters of scolice growing from the inner layer of the cysts. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of coenurosis occurrence in Capra aegagrus.