Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Eastern screech owl treated successfully for malaria after injury
By Tavernier, Paul et al.·Published in Avian diseases·2005·Kliniek voor Vogels en Bijzondere Dieren·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Malaria in an eastern screech owl (Otus asio).
Plain-English summary
An Eastern screech owl was brought in after suffering traumatic injuries and later showed symptoms of malaria, with a high presence of the malaria parasite in its blood. The owl also had another unidentified blood parasite, which could be related to the stress from its injuries and treatment. To treat the malaria, the veterinarian administered mefloquine, a medication that successfully eliminated the parasites and resolved the owl's symptoms. The owl recovered well after the treatment.
People also search for: owl malaria treatment · Eastern screech owl blood parasites · what to do if an owl is injured
Abstract
Owls are frequent carriers of blood parasites but clinical malaria infections are rare. Various stages of Plasmodium subpraecox were seen in 90% of the erythrocytes of an Eastern screech owl (Otus asio) showing symptoms consistent with malaria 1 wk after admission for traumatic injuries. An additional unidentified blood parasite, either a Plasmodium or a Haemoproteus spp. was found in small numbers of red blood cells on blood films examined at admission and at day 7 postadmission. Combined infestation, trauma-induced stress, and iatrogenic corticosteroid administration are possible factors that could have induced disease. Oral treatment with mefloquine at 30 mg/kg, repeated after 12, 24, and 48 hr, proved successful in eliminating both organisms and signs of clinical disease.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16252502/