OSTEOMYELITIS ON THE CERVICAL VERTEBRAS OF A FREE-LIVING EUROPEAN HEDGEHOG (Erinaceus europaeus) BY Paeniclostridium sordellii

A free-living European hedgehog ( Erinaceus europaeus ) adult female was admitted to the Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre of Parque Biologico de Gaia (Portugal), with severe breathing distress and poor body condition. Its neck was displaced 60 degrees caudally. During the post- mortem exam, an abscess in the cervical vertebras was observed. Paeniclostridium sordellii was the agent isolated from the purulent exudate that was removed from the lesion. This is the first reported case of P. sordellii associated osteomyelitis on the cervical vertebras, and the first time that this pathology is describe in this specie associated with this agent. Key words: Erinaceus europaeus; Portugal; Paeniclostridium sordellii; osteomyelitis OSTEOMIELITIS VRATNIH VRETENC PRI PROSTOŽIVECM EVROPSKEM JEŽU ( Erinaceus europaeus ), POVZROCEN Z BAKTERIJO Paeniclostridium sordellii Izvlecek: Prosto živeca odrasla samica evropskega ježa ( Erinaceus europaeus ) je bila sprejeta v Center za rehabilitacijo divjih živali Parque Biologico de Gaia (Portugalska) s hudo dihalno stisko in slabim telesnim stanjem. Njen vrat je bil premaknjen kavdalno za 60 stopinj. Med sekcijo po smrti so opazili absces na vratnih vretencih. Iz gnojnega eksudata lezije je bila izolirana bakteerija Paeniclostridium sordellii . V clanku porocamo o prvem zabeleženem primeru osteomielitisa, povezanega s P. sordellii , na vratnih vretencih in o prvem primeru opisa tovrstne patologije pri evropskem ježu, povezani s tem povzrociteljem. Kljucne besede: Erinaceus europaeus ; Portugalska; Paeniclostridium sordellii ; osteomielitis