Cerebrospinal setariosis with Setaria marshalli and Setaria digitata infection in cattle

Abstract

Setaria digitata and S. marshalli larvae were observed in the cerebrospinal cavity of 2 paralyzed cattle in Taiwan. The 2 affected cattle showed quadriplegia and lumbar paralysis, respectively. At necropsy, which was performed 7 days after the 7-month-old cattle became quadriplegic, three and nineteen S. marshalli larvae as well as two female adult worms were found in the cranial cavity, spinal cavity and peritoneal cavity of the cattle, respectively. Necropsy on the other 8-month-old cattle was also performed 3 days after it showed lumbar paralysis, and ten S. digitata larvae were found in the spinal cavity. In both cattle, many mononuclear inflammatory cells mixed with a few eosinophils were seen accumulated in the connective tissue around the root of the spinal nerves. Infiltration of eosinophils and mononuclear inflammatory cells into the epidura and arachnoidea of the brain were also observed. The major inflammatory cell was lymphocytes, but neutrophils and eosinophils were also present. The number of cells in the cerebrospinal fluid collected initially from the two affected cattle were 105/0.01 ml and 143/ 0.01 ml, respectively. This is the first report of cerebrospinal setariosis in cattle associated with S. marshalli.