Shrews: a review of the diseases, anomalies, and parasites.

The diseases, lesions, congenital disorders, and parasites of both Insectivora and prosimian shrews were reviewed. Preliminary baseline data provide encouraging prospects for using these animals as research models because few spontaneous diseases and lesions have been reported. It must be pointed out, however, that throughout the literature reviewed, clinical histories were incomplete and histopathologic examinations had seldom been performed, particularly with the parasitic entities.

Eurytrema procyonis, a pancreatic fluke of North American carnivores.

Eurytrema procyonis is reported from the pancreatic ducts of domestic cats from North Carolina and Virginia. There were extensive histopathological alterations to the pancreas, especially the pancreatic ducts. However, there was no clinical evidence of infections. The incorporation of a synanthropic host in the life history of E. procyonis allows for rapid distribution of this fluke over its potential geographical range.