Subject(s)
Gastritis, Hypertrophic/etiology , Helicobacter Infections/complications , Helicobacter pylori , Amoxicillin/therapeutic use , Clarithromycin/therapeutic use , Drug Therapy, Combination , Gastric Mucosa/pathology , Gastritis, Hypertrophic/prevention & control , Helicobacter Infections/drug therapy , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Omeprazole/therapeutic use , Protein-Losing Enteropathies/prevention & controlABSTRACT
An outbreak of chronic cryptosporidiosis resulting in hypertrophic gastritis occurred in a captive colony of Australian elapid snakes. Two species of the genus Notechis were involved: Notechis ater (Black Tiger Snake) and Notechis scutatus (Eastern or Mainland Tiger Snake). The infection was eventually fatal in all 9 affected snakes. Typical histopathological findings of the stomach included mucosal thickening with cystic dilatation of gastric glands, moderate oedema and fibrosis of the lamina propria, and a mild to moderate patchy infiltration of inflammatory cells. Procedures implemented to contain the outbreak included the use of a formaldehyde-based disinfectant, prompt removal of faecal matter, uneaten and regurgitated food from enclosures, and examination of faecal specimens for Cryptosporidium oocytes and other pathogens.