Cuterebrid Myiasis (Diptera: Oestridae) in Captive Ring-Tailed Lemurs (Lemur catta) at a South Carolina Zoo

Abstract

In September 2008, two ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta), comprising a mother-daughter pair, at the Greenville Zoo, Greenville, South Carolina, USA, were diagnosed with cuterebrid myiasis (Diptera: Oestridae) subsequent to sudden death of the adult lemur. On necropsy, a single bot warble was discovered in the subcutis of the axillary region. Histopathology revealed a severe eosinophilic bronchopneumonia. The juvenile lemur was inspected and found to have warbles on three separate dates in late September. One representative bot fly larva was identified as a Cuterebra sp. that normally infests lagomorphs in the southeastern United States. Cuterebrid myiasis is rarely reported in lemurs and has not been previously associated with pneumonia or death in these animals.

Radiographic thoracic anatomy of the ring‐tailed lemur (Lemur catta)

“…Radiography is commonly used in primates, and several authors have documented the normal radiographic anatomy of the thorax in primates, which provides a reference for diagnosis of disease . Various thoracic diseases have been reported in ring‐tailed lemurs such as pneumonia , tuberculosis , hydatidosis , neoplasia , pleural effusions , lung atelectasis , encephalomyocarditis virus infection and sudden acute respiratory distress syndrome (M. Barrows, personal communication).…”

A review of the Forensic Entomology literature in the south‐eastern United States

“…For the forensic entomologist who works with wildlife cases, it should be noted that wildlife species can be unusually impacted by cases of myiasis. Tuten, Miller, and Ellis (2011) reports a case of cuterebrid myiasis in a ring‐tailed lemur ( Lemur catta ). Cases of human myiasis still occur in the south‐eastern United States as Mccoy, Rabley, Prasad, and Rovner (2016) published a rare case study of human urinary myiasis.…”

Myiasis in domestic cats: a global review

“…They may also develop in atypical rodent hosts, such as black rats, Rattus rattus (L.) (Muridae) [13], and European rabbits, Oryctolagus cuniculus (L.) (Leporidae) [14]. Besides cats (Table 2), other atypical mammalian hosts may be affected, among which are red kangaroos, Macropus rufus Desmarest and Bennett’s wallabies, Macropus rufogriseus fruticus (Ogilby) (Diprotodontia: Macropodidae) [15], cattle, Bos taurus L. [16] and Günther’s dik-diks, Madoqua guentheri Thomas [15] (Artiodactyla: Bovidae), domestic pigs, Sus scrofa domesticus Erxleben (Artiodactyla: Suidae) [16], horses, Equus ferus caballus L. [17] and mules, Equus asinus L. × E. ferus caballus [16] (Perissodactyla: Equidae), domestic dogs, Canis lupus familiaris L. (Carnivora: Canidae) [18–25], snow leopards, Panthera uncia (Schreber) (Carnivora: Felidae) [26], raccoons, Procyon lotor L. (Carnivora: Procyonidae) [27] and primates such as ring-tailed lemurs, Lemur catta L. (Lemuridae) [28] and humans [29–36]. Myiasis caused by species of the genus Cuterebra has also been reported in non-mammalian species such as reptiles [37] and birds [38].…”