• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.321-324
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• 2007

Pneumocystis (P.) carinii is an opportunistic fungal pathogen of many animal species and human, which can cause fatal pneumonia in immunocompromised individuals. Three 100-day-old pigs with progressive atrophy, anorexia and respiratory distress were submitted to the Cheju National University for diagnosis. Grossly, the lungs were enlarged with rubbery consistency. Histopathologically, the lungs were characterized by diffuse interstitial pneumonia with thickening of alveolar septa due to infiltration of macrophages and lymphocytes. Alveolar lumens were filled with a foamy eosinophilic proteinaceous material in which numerous punctiform organisms. The organisms were demonstrated as P. carinii by Grocott-methenamine-silver staining and immunohistochemistry in lungs of two pigs. In our best knowledge, this is believed to be the first report of P. carinii pneumonia in pigs in Korea.