SYSTEMIC MICROSPORIDIOSIS IN INLAND BEARDED DRAGONS (POGONA-VITTICEPS)

One laboratory-hatched and -reared inland bearded dragon (Pogona vitti ceps) (No. 1) and two privately owned inland bearded dragons (Nos. 2 a nd 3) died, showing nonspecific signs of illness. Light microscopic ex amination of hematoxylin and eosin-stained tissue sections from lizard No. 1 revealed severe hepatic necrosis with clusters of light basophi lic intracytoplasmic microorganisms packing and distending hepatocytes and free in areas of necrosis. Similar microorganisms were within cyt oplasmic vacuoles in distended renal epithelial cells, pulmonary epith elial cells, gastric mucosal epithelial cells, enterocytes, and capill ary endothelial cells and ventricular ependymal cells in the brain. In lizard Nos. 2 and 3, microorganisms of similar appearance were in mac rophages in granulomatous inflammation in the colon, adrenal glands, a nd ovaries. The microorganism was gram positive and acid fast and had a small polar granule that stained using the periodic acid-Schiff reac tion. Electron microscopic examination of deparaffinized liver of liza rd No. 1 revealed merogonic and sporogonic stages of a protozoan compa tible with members of the phylum Microspora. This report provides the first description of microsporidiosis in bearded dragons and is only t he second report of this infection in a lizard.