Fatal infection caused by in a captive-reared jaguar ( onca).

Fatal infections with are common in domestic cats, and jaguars () are believed carriers of this protozoan. Fatal infections have never been described in jaguars before. Thus, this study describes such an infection in a 5-month-old captive-reared jaguar that presented hyporexia and died at 26 days after the first clinical signs. During necropsy, samples were taken from several tissues, some were fixed in 10% formalin and process for histopathological diagnosis, and some samples were used for DNA extraction, amplification via PCR and sequencing of the potential pathogens. Grossly, marked splenomegaly and icterus were observed. Histologically, numerous structures that are morphologically compatible with spp. schizonts obliterated multiple blood vessels in the brain, leptomeninges, spinal cord, lungs, heart, skeletal muscle, adrenal gland, kidneys, spleen, small intestine and pancreas. was identified by PCR in many organs. Thus, infection in jaguars can be fatal, and the clinicopathological findings are similar to those of cytauxzoonosis in other wild and domestic felid species.