Some parasitic and other natural diseases of the African elephant in the Kruger National Park

BASSON, P. A., McCULLY, R. M., DEVOS, V., YOUNG, E. & KRUGER, S. P., 1971. Some parasitic and other natural diseases of the African elephant in the Kruger National Park. Ondenlepoqrl}. vet. Res. 38 (4) 239-254 (197 1). Derailed descriptions are given of the lesions encountered at autopsy on a random selection of 32 free-living African elephants (Loxotknla afritaf/a (Blumenbach, 1797)1. Lymphoid nodules with inclusion­ bearing syncytia caused by a herpes virus were found in many lungs and similar lesions occurred in the pancreas. Suspected viral lesions somewhat resembling bovine granular vaginitis were encountered in the genitalia. Dipetalonema goui Baylis, 1923, which was originally recorded from the abdominal cavity, was recovered from the portal veins of several animals. They proved to be responsible for severe intrahepatic vasculitis and eos inophili c hepatitis in 50% of the elephants. Grammotephalus tlathmtm (Baird, 1868) Railliet & Henry 1910 was constantly present in the bile ducts where fairly marked cholangitis was pro­ duced .. Even mild localized pancreatitis was sometimes caused by these parasites. Part1bronemn n}ricanum Baylis, 1921 was found in l aq~e numbers in gastric ulcers. A new mite, Loxanoetw bauo11i Fain, 1970 was obtained from the cars. The livers of two elephants contained a few suspected schistosome ova. Sidcroric and haemangiomatoid splenic lesions occurred in several :1dult animals. Many of the cows had multiple periuterine papillomata. Arteriosclerosis of rhe aorta was occasionally encountered. Skin lesions re­ sembling porcine lesions of zinc deficiency were observed. Mycotic lesions were seen once in the lungs and lymph nodes. The aetiology of focal disseminated cystitis in 39% of the cows was not established. A cropping programme of African elephant [Loxodonta africana (Biumenbach, 1797)] in the Kruger National Park during 1968 and 1969 afforded an opportunity to study the pathology of some parasitic and other natural disease entities of this mammal. The major object of the campaign was to relieve a steadily worsening ecological situation caused by the overpopulation of elephants. The meat and by-products were processed in as short a time as possible to prevent spoilage and the above studies were subordinate and consequently limited by these procedures. H ence, a complete and thorough sur­ vey of parasites and diseases was impossible and the following report deals only with the most significant observations obtained. The incidence of herpes nodules in the lungs of elephant has already been reported (Mc­ Cull y, Basson, Pienaar, Erasmus, Young & Pieterse, 1969; Basson, McCully, Kruger, van Niekerk, Young, de V os, Keep & Ebedes, 1971 ; Me Cully, Basson, Pienaar, Erasmus & Young, 1971; Erasmus, McCully, Pienaar, Young, Pieterse & Els, 1971). MATERIALS AND METHODS A random selection of 32 elephants was either shot or immobilized with scoline and then shot. These ani­ mals were used for a survey of lesions and parasites. Some additional elephants which were cropped sub­ sequently are also included in trus study but do not form part of the survey. A macroscopic examination was done on most of the organs that were available. Blood smears were prepared and stained with Giemsa and specimens of various tissues and organs were collected in 10% buffered glucose formalin. Some parasites for identifica­ tion were preserved in 10% formalin, but a complete study of the intestinal helminths and bats was not made.