Abstract
Disseminated protothecosis in a Cape hyrax (Procavia capensis) was studied. Severe granulomatous inflammation with myriads of PAS-positive prothothecal organisms, 5 by 5 to 20 by 30μm, were seen in the thickened mucosa in the gastrointestinal tract The kidneys had multifocal granulomas with organisms. Electron microscopy revealed numerous algae-like organisms with obvious cell wall but without chloroplasts in the cytoplasm of macrophages. This case may be the first case of protothecosis in Cape hyraxes.
