PROGRESSIVE ULCERATIVE DERMATITIS IN A CAPTIVE, WILD-CAUGHT, SOUTH-AMERICAN GIANT TREE FROG (PHYLLOMEDUCA BICOLOR) WITH MICROSPORIDIAL SEPTICEMIA

One of 14 captive, wild-caught South American giant tree frogs (Phyllo medusa bicolor) displayed progressive ulcerative erythematous dermatit is on the dorsal skin lateral to the vertebral column and on the left hind leg. It had septicemia of unknown etiology. Tissue imprints revea led a mass of microsporidial spores. Red blood cells were parasitized by gamonts of Hepatozoon sp. (Apicomplexa: Hepatozooidae) or meronts o f Babesiosoma stableri (Apicomplexa: Dactylostomatidae) or had inclusi ons and single or multiple cytoplasm lesions caused by frog erythrocyt ic virus. Monocytes had lesions in the nuclei and cytoplasm caused by frog leucocytic virus. Intramuscular injections with 6.25 mg of chlora mphenicol sodium succinate for 18 days and topically administration of oxytetracycline HC1 with polymyxin B sulfate for 21 days led to heali ng of the lesions. The total prevalence of infection for 14 P. bicolor was 50% for B. stableri and Hepatozoon sp., 36% for frog erythrocytic virus, and 21% for frog leucocytic virus.