Abstract
A 19-year-old female black-footed penguin (Spheniscus demersus) presented for labored breathing and anorexia. Radiographs revealed two soft-tissue density lesions in the left lung fields and fluid in the right. Aspergillosis was suspected. It was given 100 ml Normosol®-R (Hospira, Lake Forest, IL) subcutaneously and nebulized with 1 mg/ml amphotericin B (X-Gen, Northport, NY) for 15 minutes, and placed on oxygen. The penguin died during the night. Necropsy revealed multiple granulomas in the left lung field and the right hemicoelomic area was filled with milky fluid and a 4-cm mass. Large numbers of acid-fast positive, rod-shaped bacteria were noted in histopathologic preparations of the lung mass, liver, kidney, and spleen indicating mycobacteriosis as the primary disease. Mycobacterium genavense DNA was detected in the fixed paraffin-embedded tissues by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using primers specific for M. genavense.7,8 Mycobacterium avium complex was not detected by PCR techniques.2 Mycobacterium genavense is one of the common causes of mycobacteriosis in avians.1,3-6 This is the first report of M. genavense in a black-footed penguin.
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