Acinetobacter baumanniiin Localised Cutaneous Mycobacteriosis in Falcons

Between May 2007 and April 2009, 29 falcons with identically localized, yellowish discolored cutaneous lesions in the thigh and lateral body wall region were presented at Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital. Out of 18 falcons integrated in this study, 16 tested positive toMycobacterium. aviumcomplex. The 2 negative falcons tested positive in theMycobacteriumgenus PCR. Moreover, 1 falcon tested positive toM. avium. paratuberculosisin tissue samples by PCR. In all cases, blood and fecal samples tested negative. In the acid-fast stain, all samples showed the for mycobacteriosis typical rods. Moreover, in 13 samplesAcinetobacter baumanniiwas detected by PCR and proven by DNA sequencing. Clinical features included highly elevated WBCs, heterophilia, lymphocytopenia, monocytosis, severe anemia and weight loss.A. baumannii, a gram-negative bacillus with the ability to integrate foreign DNA, has emerged as one of the major multidrug resistant bacteria. In veterinary medicine, it has so far been detected in dogs, cats, horses and wild birds. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of anA. baumanniiinfection in falcons and of a veterinaryMycobacterium-Acinetobactercoinfection.