Poxvirus and Toxoplasma Gondii Co-Infection in a Free-Ranging Paraguayan Hairy Dwarf Porcupine (Coendou Spinosus), Brazil

The study reports a case of co-infection with Brazilian porcupine poxvirus (BPoPV) and Toxoplasma gondii in a free-ranging Paraguayan hairy dwarf porcupine (Coendou spinosus) in São Paulo, Brazil. The adult female porcupine exhibited poor health, with multiple skin lesions and hepatomegaly. Microscopic examination revealed hyperplastic ulcerated epidermis, myxomatous edema, and eosinophilic intracytoplasmic inclusions in various cell types. The protozoan cyst was linked to non-suppurative meningoencephalitis and glial nodules in the brain. BPoPV infection was confirmed through immunohistochemistry and molecular analysis, while T. gondii co-infection was confirmed by molecular investigation. The study concludes that neotropical porcupines are susceptible to such co-infections, and further research is needed to understand the impact of this interaction.