Fatal Parasitic Gastroenteritis and Pneumonia In A Captive African Civet (Civettictis civetta)

The African civet cat (Civetticus civetta) is native to Ethiopia, Guinea, Senegal, and other places in equatorial Africa. Civet cats are grouped under order Carnivora and family Viverridae and are wild viverids of the tropics. They are nocturnal and solitary animals that only mix during mating. Though, civet cats are primarily carnivorous, they are opportunistic omnivores, but feeds on a mixture of fruits and vegetables, maize meal and meat (1kg/civet), eggs, insects, rodents, invertebrates and birds. Parasitic and infectious diseases have become a major concern in the conservation of endangered species as they can cause mortality, dramatic population declines, and even contribute to local extinction events. This report concern is about a Civet which was acquired in May, 2016 by the private forest garden. It showed no previous sign of illness prior to its death in July. The carcass weighed approximately 4kg and was in good bodily condition. Congestion of the lungs were evident, while the stomach was empty, but the duodenum contained cream-coloured mucoid exudates admixed with two long cestodes, measuring up to 52cm and numerous short segments of this worm, (up to 2 cm in length) within the lumen of the proximal 1/3rd of the duodenum and extending to the jejunum and ileum. Parasitological examination revealed that the cestodes was Dipylidium spp. It was concluded that, the Civet could have died as a result of parasitic gastroenteritis and pneumonia 53 days after it was introduced into the forest garden. It is most likely that the infection was acquired from the wild before the animal was introduced into the forest garden.