SEVERE HEPATITIS RESULTING FROM TOXOPLASMOSIS IN A BARREL OWL (STRIX VARIA) FROM QUEBEC, CANADA

A female adult barred owl (Strix varia) had been hurt by a car. Its ge neral status declined gradually within 2 wk with anorexia and inactivi ty. Necropsy examination revealed marked multifocal pale areas in live r, emaciation, and mild airsacculitis and pericarditis. Histopathologi c examination revealed severe acute multifocal hepatic necrosis with n umerous protozoal tachyzoites within necrotic loci and In the cytoplas m of hepatocytes and macrophages. These tachyzoites stained with. an i ndirect immunohistochemistry method for Toxoplasma gondii antigens. Th is is the first reported case of hepatitis resulting from toxoplasmosi s in a raptor.