Pathological study of intestines and mesenteric lymph nodes of camels (Camelus dromedarius) slaughtered in Iran

Considering the importance of digestive system in camel, this study was done in order to investigate the pathologic lesions of small and large intestines together with mesenteric lymph nodes in 100 slaughtered camels in Iran. The results of this study indicate that the most important lesions and their frequency consisted of Eimeria infection (63%), balantidiasis (19%), besnoitiosis (5%), nematodiasis (21%), cestodiasis (5%), eosinophilic lymphadenitis (8%), purulent lymphadenitis (10%), lymphoid hyperplasia (17%) and linguatulosis (590). Diagnostic histopathological lesions in Eimeria infection included presence of developmental stages of Eimeria in epithelium of mucosa and glands in crypts of lieberkuhn along with eosinophilic enteritis, lymphoid hyperplasia, congestion and oedema of submucosa. Caecum and colon affected with balantidiasis showed necrosis of the epithelium and penetration of trophozoites of Balantidia into the mucosa. In Besnoitiosis, small to large cysts of besnoitia with or without inflammatory reaction were seen in mucosa of small intestine. In linguatulosis, sections of Linguatula larvae and cavities due to migration of larvae were seen in the affected mesenteric lymph nodes.