Fig. 2

Histopathology of melioidosis in meerkats. All main images are low power (40X) views, bars = 500 μm. (a.) Gastric wall of case #2 (also depicted grossly in Fig. 1b). The lumen is at the top right of the image, serosa near the lower left. There is marked congestion and transmural oedema, with vascular thrombosis and foci of necrotic neutrophils in the wall (asterisk). The muscular tunics and serosa are mildly expanded by early fibroplasia. (b.) Entrance of portal vein (asterisks indicate two sections of the lumen) at the hepatic hilus in case #6. The architecture of the vein is obliterated by a dense infiltrate of necrotic neutrophils expanding into the surrounding tissue, which is expanded by early fibroplasia. The inset shows a higher magnification of a portal triad with thrombosed intrahepatic tributary of the portal vein largely obliterated by an infiltrate of necrotic neutrophils (asterisk, note portal arteriole and bile duct to lower left of the vein). (c.) Liver from case #4 (also depicted grossly in Fig. 1c). Suppurative foci (asterisks) in this case are random, typical of embolic showering of bacteria from the systemic circulation. Note unaffected nearby portal triads (arrows). (d.) Embolic showering of the lung in case #6 (also depicted grossly in Fig. 1d) in which the primary lesion was likely via the portal circulation (depicted in Fig. 2b). Multiple random foci of neutrophil infiltration (asterisks) with surrounding haemorrhage. Note relatively unaffected nearby bronchioles (arrows)