Hypovitaminosis A - associated neurologic syndrome with concurrent babesiosis in a captive African lion cub (Panthera leo), Kano, Nigeria

Abstract

Neurological disorders in captive wild felids presents diagnostic and therapeutic challenges, particularly in juveniles animals maintained under suboptimal nutritional transitions. This case report describes the synergistic effects of dietary deficiencies and a concurrent hemoparasitic infection in a seven-month-old male African lion cub (Panthera leo) weighing 30 kg, housed at Audu Bako Zoological Garden in Kano, Nigeria. Following premature weaning onto an unsupplemented muscle-meat diet, the cub exhibited progressive neurological symptoms, including ataxia, hindlimb paresis, star-gazing, and opisthotonos. Hematological analysis revealed a mild normocytic, normochromic anemia (packed cell volume; 23%) and the presence of erythrocytes rouleaux formation, while Giemsa-stained blood smear confirmed low-grade Babesia spp parasitemia. Treatment involved oral vitamin A supplementation administered via cod liver oil, which resulted in a rapid, marked, and sustained resolution of neurological signs, thus confirming a primary diagnosis of hypovitaminosis A-associated neurological syndrome complicated by concurrent babesiosis. Concurrently, oral doxycycline was administered, and acaricides were applied throughout the enclosure to address the tick-borne infestation. This case highlights the importance pathophysiological interplay between precise husbandry nutrition and vector management in prematurely weaned captive lion cubs. Furthermore, it demonstrates the clinical efficacy of treatment-based diagnostic strategies in wildlife medicine, particularly within resource-limited zoological settings.