LESIONES ASOCIADAS A UNA TOXOPLASMOSIS AGUDA EN PERDICES ROJAS (Alectoris rufa) INFECTADAS EXPERIMENTALMENTE

The present study describes lesions associated with acute toxoplasmosis in red-legged partridges (Alectoris rufa). Thirty red-legged partridges, 5-month-old, were orally inoculated with oocysts of the OV-51/95 strain of Toxoplasma gondii. Birds were distributed into five groups, and received respectively 10, 50, 102, 103 and 104 oocysts. Only two partridges that received 50 and 10000 oocysts, respectively, died suddenly of acute toxoplasmosis at 7 day after inoculation. Partridges had splenomegaly, hepatomegaly and gastrointestinal congestion. The main microscopic lesions were seen only in small intestine, spleen and liver sections, associated with numerous tachyzoites of T. gondii. Tachyzoites were also seen in pancreas, lung, kidney, heart and esqueletal muscle, proventriculus, gizzard and bursa of Fabricius histological sections.