ENCEPHALOMALACIA ASSOCIATED WITH VITAMIN-E-DEFICIENCY IN COMMERCIALLYRAISED EMUS - CASE-REPORT

Thirteen of 64 emus on a commercial emu farm in Ohio exhibited neurolo gical signs that included backward staggering, incoordination, general ized weakness, and sitting on their hocks with head retracted backward . Eight of the birds showing such signs were found dead. Two of these emus were necropsied, and no significant gross lesions were observed. Major histopathological lesions were found in the cerebellum and inclu ded multiple malacic foci in association with neuropil rarefaction and astrogliosis within the white matter of folia. In addition, the hepat ic vitamin E level of one emu was determined at the Michigan State Uni versity Animal Health Diagnostic Laboratory (MSU-AHDL) to be 14.61 mu g/g dry weight. This vitamin E level was in the lower percentile (35%) of 30 emu liver samples examined at MSU-AHDL. A diagnosis of vitamin E-associated encephalomalacia was made based on clinical signs, gross and histological lesions, and liver vitamin E levels.