| Journal of Animal Biology & Therapeutics
Received: 11 August 2026; Revised: 10 September 2026; Accepted: 11 September 2026; Published Online: 15 September 2026.
J. Anim. Biol. Ther., 2026, 1(1), 26701 | Volume 1 Issue 1 (September 2026) | DOI: https://doi.org/10.64189/abt.26701
© The Author(s) 2026
This article is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC-BY-NC 4.0)
Fatal Necrotizing and Suppurative Masticatory
Myositis with Intracranial Involvement in an Albino
Notamacropus rufogriseus)
Andreia Garcês,
1,2,3
* Luís Sousa,
1,3
Camila Cardoso,
1,3
Roberto Sargo,
1,2,3
Luana Monteiro,
1
Diogo Silva,
1
Ricardo Lopes,
3,4,5
Filipe Silva
1,2,3
and Justina Prada
2,3
1
Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre (CRAS), Veterinary Teaching Hospital, University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD), Quinta dos
Prados, 4500-801, Vila Real, Portugal
2
Associate Laboratory for Animal and Veterinary Sciences (AL4AnimalS), Animal and Veterinary Research Centre (CECAV), University
of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD), Quinta dos Prados, 4500-801, Vila Real, Portugal
3
Department of Veterinary Sciences, School of Agrarian and Veterinary Sciences (ECAV), University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro
(UTAD), Quinta dos Prados, 4500-801, Vila Real, Portugal
4
Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University Institute of Health Sciences (IUCS), CESPU, 4585-116 Gandra, Portugal
5
CEDIVET Veterinary Laboratories, Lionesa Business Hub, R. Lionesa 446 C24, 4465-671 Leça do Balio, Portugal
*Email: andreiamvg@gmail.com (Andreia Garcês)
Abstract
Notamacropus rufogriseus) was presented in an unconscious state and died
shortly after admission. Post-mortem examination revealed severe necrotizing and suppurative myositis
affecting the masticatory muscles, with extensive abscess formation and associated subcutaneous hematoma.
Purulent material extended from the affected soft tissues toward the optic canal and cranial cavity, and a
subdural hematoma was also identified. Histopathological examination confirmed extensive myofiber
degeneration and necrosis, marked suppurative inflammation, tissue disruption, and numerous intralesional
bacterial colonies. Microbiological culture of the affected tissues yielded Enterobacter cloacae complex and
Enterococcus faecalis, supporting a polymicrobial bacterial infection. Based on the distribution and
characteristics of the lesions, the infection was considered most likely to have originated from trauma to the
oral soft tissues, followed by local bacterial invasion and progressive extension into adjacent structures. Unlike
rapidly progressive bacterial soft-tissue infection involving the masticatory musculature. The findings
emphasize the value of comprehensive post-mortem examination, histopathology, microbiological culture, and
antimicrobial susceptibility testing for accurately characterizing jaw-associated disease in macropods.
Keywords: Jaw; Myositis; Subdural Hematoma; Notamacropus rufogriseus; Enterococcus faecalis.
1. Introduction
Notamacropus rufogriseus
Actinomyces spp.Fusobacterium spp.,
N. rufogriseus
N. rufogriseus
N. rufogriseus
Source: Illustration by Andreia Garcês.
Enterobacter cloacae complexEnterococcus faecalis
Enterobacter cloacae complex
Enterococcus faecalis
Enterobacter cloacae complexEnterococcus faecalis
Actinomyces spp
CRediT Author Contribution Statement
Andreia Garcês: Conceptualization, Methodology, Formal Analysis, Investigation, Validation, Visualization,
Supervision, Project Administration, Writing Original Draft, Writing Review & Editing. Luís Sousa: Data
curation, Resources, Investigation, Software. Camila Cardoso: Data curation, Resources, Investigation,
Software. Roberto Sargo: Data curation, Resources, Investigation, Software. Luana Monteiro: Data curation,
Resources, Investigation, Software. Diogo Silva: Data curation, Resources, Investigation, Software. Ricardo
Lopes: Data curation, Resources, Investigation, Software. Filipe Silva: Supervision, Writing review & editing.
Justina Prada: Conceptualization, Methodology, Formal Analysis, Investigation, Validation, Visualization,
Supervision, Project Administration, Writing Original Draft, Writing Review & Editing. All authors have read
and approved the final version of the manuscript for publication and agree to be accountable for all aspects of
the work, ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately
investigated and resolved.
Japanese Journal of Veterinary Research,
Veterinary Microbiology
Macropus rufusJournal of veterinary
diagnostic investigation
Macropus rufogriseus
Journal of the American
Veterinary Medical Association
Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine
Veterinary Science Communications
Publisher Note: The views, statements, and data in all publications solely belong to the authors and
contributors. GR Scholastic is not responsible for any injury resulting from the ideas, methods, or products
mentioned. GR Scholastic remains neutral regarding jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional
affiliations.
Open Access
This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License, which
permits the non-commercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format,
as long as appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source is given by providing a link to the Creative
Commons License and changes need to be indicated if there are any. The images or other third-party material
in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons License, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line
to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons License and your intended use is
not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly
from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this License, visit: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-
nc/4.0/
© The Author(s) 2026
