Histopathological and immunohistochemical aspects of rabies in foxes Cerdocyon thous / Aspectos histopatológicos e imuno-histoquímicos da raiva em raposas Cerdocyon thous

ABSTRACT

Background: Several wild canids are considered reservoirs of rabies virus in the Northeast of Brazil, two wild canids have been reported as reservoirs of rabies virus Cerdocyon thous (crab-eating fox) and Pseudalopex vetulus (hoary fox) (previously called Dusicyon vetulus). The diagnosis of rabies in foxes is usually performed through fluorescent antibody test (FAT) and mouse inoculation test (MIT). However, until the moment, there are no detailed histopathological and immunohistochemical (IHC) description studies in foxes affected by this disease studies. Therefore, the aim of this work was the characterization of pathological and IHC findings of foxes with rabies sent to the Laboratory of Animal Pathology (LPA) of the Federal University of Campina Grande (UFCG) in Patos, semiarid region of Paraiba, Brazil. Case Two foxes were sent to the LPA, phenotypic species identification through analysis of morphological aspects was performed and posteriorly necropsied. Fragments of organs of the thoracic and abdominal cavities, salivary glands, eye and Gasser ganglia were collected in addition to the central nervous system (CNS) that was collected integer and fixed at 10% buffered formalin. Later, serial sections of the 16 fragments of the CNS were performed, measuring about 0.5 cm thick and cleaved. Fragments of cerebrum, cerebellum, brainstem, spinal cord and salivary glands were sent...(AU)