Galoncus perniciosus-associated death in a wild Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris)

The tiger (Panthera tigris), which is the largest living feline, is waging a grim battle for survival, with only less than 2300 left out in the wild. Information on the cause of death of every single tiger is important, as it will help in devising suitable conservation measures. However, most of the deaths reported in the wild are due to ‘unknown etiology’ and reports on infectious causes are almost absent. The present paper describes the death of a wild tiger, associated with infection of the submucosal hookworm of large felines, Galoncus perniciosus. Necropsy revealed that the small intestinal serosa was congested with extensive paint-brush haemorrhages for the most part. There were about 27 intestinal nodules, each measuring about 1.5 cm in diameter, containing haemorrhagic exudate and parasites identified as G. perniciosus. The serosa also showed clear ante-mortem circumferential tears in seven places; some of them were superficial, limited to the serosa, while others extended into the muscularis mucosa. The possibility of death due to septicaemia or neurogenic shock resulting from galoncosis is discussed based on the circumstances and distinct necropsy lesions. The implications of such infectious diseases on the tiger conservation strategy are also discussed.