1
|
Wu Q, Wang Y, Zhang X, Gu X, He H, Jin X. Pyogranulomatous dermatitis with Enterococcus faecalis in a spotted seal (Phoca larga). Vet Med Sci 2023; 9:985-991. [PMID: 36253881 PMCID: PMC10029880 DOI: 10.1002/vms3.973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cutaneous infections are important diseases in captive and free-ranging pinnipeds and are associated with various causative agents. Some special agents, such as fungi, morbillivirus and mycobacteria, can cause cutaneous specific granulomatous inflammation. OBJECTIVES To identity the cause of chronic dermatitis in a spotted seal in an aquarium. METHODS Herein, we analyze the clinical history and cutaneous samples of the spotted seal through differential diagnosis (histopathology, microorganism culture, special histochemical staining methods, PCR), and antibiotic susceptibility test. RESULTS This is a rare pyogranulomatous dermatitis case caused by E. faecalis in a captive adult male spotted seal (Phoca largha) in an aquarium. CONCLUSIONS We provide a meaningful approach to the diagnosis and treatment of bacterial dermatitis in pinnipeds.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qiaoxing Wu
- Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Shaanxi Institute of Zoology, Shaanxi Academy of Sciences, Xi'an, China
| | | | - Xinke Zhang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
| | | | - Hongxuan He
- Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xuelin Jin
- Shaanxi Institute of Zoology, Shaanxi Academy of Sciences, Xi'an, China
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Katz H, Schelotto F, Bakker D, Castro-Ramos M, Gutiérrez-Expósito D, Panzera Y, Pérez R, Franco-Trecu V, Hernández E, Menéndez C, Meny P. Survey of selected pathogens in free-ranging pinnipeds in Uruguay. DISEASES OF AQUATIC ORGANISMS 2022; 150:69-83. [PMID: 35833546 DOI: 10.3354/dao03676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Marine mammals, regarded as sentinels of aquatic ecosystem health, are exposed to different pathogens and parasites under natural conditions. We surveyed live South American fur seals Arctocephalus australis and South American sea lions Otaria flavescens in Uruguay for Leptospira spp., canine distemper virus (CDV), Mycobacterium spp., Toxoplasma gondii, and Neospora caninum. Samples were collected from 2007 to 2013. The seroprevalence of Leptospira spp. was 37.6% positive, 50.9% negative, and 11.5% suspect for A. australis (n = 61) while for O. flavescens (n = 12) it was 67% positive, 25% negative, and 8% suspect. CDV RNA was not detected in any of the analyzed samples. Most animals tested seropositive to tuberculosis antigens by WiZo ELISA (A. australis: 29/30; O. flavescens: 20/20); reactivity varied with a novel ELISA test (antigens MPB70, MPB83, ESAT6 and MPB59). Seroprevalence against N. caninum and T. gondii was 6.7 and 13.3% positive for O. flavescens and 0 and 2.2% positive for A. australis respectively. To evaluate possible sources of infection for pinnipeds, wild rats Rattus rattus and semi-feral cats Felis catus were also tested for Leptospira spp. and T. gondii respectively. Water samples tested for Leptospira revealed saprofitic L. bioflexa. Pathogenic Leptospira were detected in the kidneys of 2 rats, and cats tested positive for T. gondii (100%). These results represent a substantial contribution to the study of the health status of wild pinnipeds in Uruguay.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- H Katz
- Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de la República (UdelaR), 11600 Montevideo, Uruguay
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
3
|
Felipe-Jiménez I, Fernández A, Arbelo M, Segura-Göthlin S, Colom-Rivero A, Suárez-Santana CM, De La Fuente J, Sierra E. Molecular Diagnosis of Cetacean Morbillivirus in Beaked Whales Stranded in the Canary Islands (1999–2017). Vet Sci 2022; 9:vetsci9030121. [PMID: 35324849 PMCID: PMC8950905 DOI: 10.3390/vetsci9030121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Revised: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
A retrospective survey for detecting the cetacean morbillivirus (CeMV) was carried out in beaked whales (BWs) stranded in the Canary Islands (1999–2017). CeMV is responsible for causing worldwide epizootic events with the highest mass die-offs in cetaceans, although the epidemic status of the Canarian Archipelago seems to be that of an endemic situation. A total of 319 tissue samples from 55 BWs (35 Cuvier’s BWs and 20 specimens belonging to the Mesoplodon genus) were subjected to the amplification of a fragment of the fusion protein (F) and/or phosphoprotein (P) genes of CeMV by means of one or more of three polymerase chain reactions (PCR). RNA integrity could not be demonstrated in samples from 11 animals. Positivity (dolphin morbillivirus strain (DMV)) was detected in the skin sample of only a subadult male Cuvier’s BW stranded in 2002, being the earliest confirmed occurrence of DMV in the Cuvier’s BW species. The obtained P gene sequence showed the closest relationship with other DMVs detected in a striped dolphin stranded in the Canary Islands in the same year. A phylogenetic analysis supports a previous hypothesis of a cross-species infection and the existence of the circulation of endemic DMV strains in the Atlantic Ocean similar to those later detected in the North-East Atlantic, the Mediterranean Sea and the South-West Pacific.
Collapse
|
4
|
CANINE DISTEMPER VIRUS IN THE SEA OTTER (ENHYDRA LUTRIS) POPULATION IN WASHINGTON STATE, USA. J Wildl Dis 2021; 56:873-883. [PMID: 32609600 DOI: 10.7589/jwd-d-19-00008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2019] [Accepted: 03/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Before 2001, all serosurveys for morbilliviruses in sea otters (Enhydra lutris) in California, Washington, and Alaska, US, documented a 0% seroprevalence. The first published serologic detections of morbillivirus in sea otters occurred in 2001-02 in live-captured Washington sea otters, with a documented 80% seroprevalence. We conducted a retrospective study of sea otter cases from 1989 to 2010 compiled at the US Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center to identify cases of morbilliviral disease in Washington sea otters and to characterize the disease using immunohistochemistry, reverse transcription (RT)-PCR, genetic sequencing, virus isolation, and serology. We identified six cases of morbilliviral disease and 12 cases of morbilliviral infection in this population of sea otters during 2000-10. Significant histologic findings included inflammation in the white and gray matter of the brain characterized by lymphoplasmacytic perivascular cuffing, neuronal necrosis, and satellitosis in gray matter and by spongiosis, myelin degeneration, spheroids, and gemistocytes in white matter. Intranuclear and intracytoplasmic viral inclusion bodies were found in neurons, Purkinje cells, and glia. Immunohistochemistry for canine distemper virus (CDV) showed positive staining in neurons, glial cells, and cell processes. A pan-morbillivirus RT-PCR with subsequent restriction endonuclease digestion or sequencing identified CDV. Virus isolation was not successful. Two sea otters with morbilliviral encephalitis showed greater antibody titers to CDV than phocine distemper virus. Histologic changes were confined to the central nervous system and resembled neurologic canine distemper in domestic dogs. Cases of sea otters with morbilliviral infection without histologic changes could represent early infections or incompletely cleared sublethal infections. We found that morbillivirus was present in the Washington sea otter population as early as 2000, and we provide a description of the pathology of canine distemper in sea otters.
Collapse
|
5
|
Batley KC, Sandoval-Castillo J, Kemper CM, Zanardo N, Tomo I, Beheregaray LB, Möller LM. Whole genomes reveal multiple candidate genes and pathways involved in the immune response of dolphins to a highly infectious virus. Mol Ecol 2021; 30:6434-6448. [PMID: 33675577 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Revised: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Wildlife species are challenged by various infectious diseases that act as important demographic drivers of populations and have become a great conservation concern particularly under growing environmental changes. The new era of whole genome sequencing provides new opportunities and avenues to explore the role of genetic variants in the plasticity of immune responses, particularly in non-model systems. Cetacean morbillivirus (CeMV) has emerged as a major viral threat to cetacean populations worldwide, contributing to the death of thousands of individuals of multiple dolphin and whale species. To understand the genomic basis of immune responses to CeMV, we generated and analysed whole genomes of 53 Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) exposed to Australia's largest known CeMV-related mortality event that killed at least 50 dolphins from three different species. The genomic data set consisted of 10,168,981 SNPs anchored onto 23 chromosome-length scaffolds and 77 short scaffolds. Whole genome analysis indicated that levels of inbreeding in the dolphin population did not influence the outcome of an individual. Allele frequency estimates between survivors and nonsurvivors of the outbreak revealed 15,769 candidate SNPs, of which 689 were annotated to 295 protein coding genes. These included 50 genes with functions related to innate and adaptive immune responses, and cytokine signalling pathways and genes thought to be involved in immune responses to other morbilliviruses. Our study characterised genomic regions and pathways that may contribute to CeMV immune responses in dolphins. This represents a stride towards clarifying the complex interactions of the cetacean immune system and emphasises the value of whole genome data sets in understanding genetic elements that are essential for species conservation, including disease susceptibility and adaptation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kimberley C Batley
- Molecular Ecology Laboratory, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.,Cetacean Ecology, Behaviour, and Evolution Laboratory, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Jonathan Sandoval-Castillo
- Molecular Ecology Laboratory, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | | | - Nikki Zanardo
- Molecular Ecology Laboratory, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.,Cetacean Ecology, Behaviour, and Evolution Laboratory, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Ikuko Tomo
- South Australian Museum, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Luciano B Beheregaray
- Molecular Ecology Laboratory, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Luciana M Möller
- Molecular Ecology Laboratory, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.,Cetacean Ecology, Behaviour, and Evolution Laboratory, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Dou Y, Liang Z, Prajapati M, Zhang R, Li Y, Zhang Z. Expanding Diversity of Susceptible Hosts in Peste Des Petits Ruminants Virus Infection and Its Potential Mechanism Beyond. Front Vet Sci 2020; 7:66. [PMID: 32181263 PMCID: PMC7059747 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2020.00066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2019] [Accepted: 01/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) is a severe respiratory and digestive tract disease of domestic small ruminants caused by PPR virus (PPRV) of the genus Morbillivirus. Although the primary hosts of PPRV are goats and sheep, the host range of PPRV has been continuously expanding and reported to infect various animal hosts over the last decades, which could bring a potential challenge to effectively control and eradicate PPR globally. In this review, we focused on current knowledge about host expansion and interspecies infection of PPRV and discussed the potential mechanisms involved.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yongxi Dou
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agriculture Sciences, Lanzhou, China.,CAAS-ILRI Joint Laboratory for Ruminant Disease Control, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agriculture Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Zhongxiang Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agriculture Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Meera Prajapati
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agriculture Sciences, Lanzhou, China.,CAAS-ILRI Joint Laboratory for Ruminant Disease Control, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agriculture Sciences, Lanzhou, China.,Animal Health Research Division, Nepal Agricultural Research Council, Lalitpur, Nepal
| | - Rui Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agriculture Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Yanmin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agriculture Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Zhidong Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agriculture Sciences, Lanzhou, China.,CAAS-ILRI Joint Laboratory for Ruminant Disease Control, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agriculture Sciences, Lanzhou, China.,College of Life Science and Technology, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu, China
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Sahoo M, M D, Thakor JC, Baloni S, Saxena S, Shrivastava S, Dhama K, Singh K, Singh R. Neuropathology mediated through caspase dependent extrinsic pathway in goat kids naturally infected with PPRV. Microb Pathog 2019; 140:103949. [PMID: 31875517 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2019.103949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2019] [Revised: 11/18/2019] [Accepted: 12/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Peste des petits ruminant (PPR), a highly contagious viral disease of small ruminants, is characterized by erosive stomatitis and pneumo-enteritis. However, its neurovirulence potential as observed with other morbilliviruses has not been fully investigated. The present study describes the neuropathological alterations induced by PPR virus through apoptotic pathway. A total number of 12 carcasses of local breed goat kids of either sex were received for postmortem examination. The clinical history was described as symptoms of mucopurulent nasal discharge, high to low grade fever, erosive stomatitis, dyspnoea and profuse watery diarrhoea followed by mortality of 35 goat kids within a week. The pathoanatomical lesions and immunohistochemical demonstration of PPRV antigen in lungs, intestine, spleen and lymph nodes confirmed PPR disease in goats. Grossly, five brain specimens showed moderate to severe leptomeningeal congestion during necropsy. Microscopically, brain sections showed leptomeningitis and nonsuppurative encephalitis characterized by vascular congestion, haemorrhages in the parenchyma, perivascular cuffing with mild to moderate mononuclear cells (mainly lymphocytes and few macrophages), focal to diffuse microgliosis, neuronal degeneration, satellitosis and neuronophagia. Immunolabelling of viral antigen was observed in the cytoplasm of neurons and glial cells. The RT-PCR amplification of N gene fragment also confirmed the presence of PPRV in the brain. The strong immunoreactivity of Caspase-3, Caspase-8 and comparatively lower expression of caspase-9 along with the absence of any reactivity for Apaf-1 antigen in the brain sections indicated the role of caspase dependent extrinsic pathway in inducing neuropathological changes. The presence of apoptotic neurons in the brain by TUNEL assay further confirmed the apoptosis and strong immunoreactivity of iNOS in neurons which suggested the generation of oxidative stress, that might have induced the apoptosis. The overall findings confirm the neurovirulence potential of PPR virus, via the extrinsic pathway of apoptosis, in natural cases of PPR disease in goat kids.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Monalisa Sahoo
- Division of Pathology, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI), Izatnagar, India.
| | - Dinesh M
- Division of Pathology, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI), Izatnagar, India
| | | | - Suraj Baloni
- Division of Pathology, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI), Izatnagar, India
| | - Sonal Saxena
- Division of Veterinary Biotechnology, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI), Izatnagar, India
| | - Sameer Shrivastava
- Division of Veterinary Biotechnology, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI), Izatnagar, India
| | - Kuldeep Dhama
- Division of Pathology, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI), Izatnagar, India
| | - Karampal Singh
- Division of Pathology, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI), Izatnagar, India
| | - Rajendra Singh
- Division of Pathology, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI), Izatnagar, India
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Ohishi K, Maruyama T, Seki F, Takeda M. Marine Morbilliviruses: Diversity and Interaction with Signaling Lymphocyte Activation Molecules. Viruses 2019; 11:E606. [PMID: 31277275 PMCID: PMC6669707 DOI: 10.3390/v11070606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2019] [Revised: 06/27/2019] [Accepted: 06/29/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Epidemiological reports of phocine distemper virus (PDV) and cetacean morbillivirus (CeMV) have accumulated since their discovery nearly 30 years ago. In this review, we focus on the interaction between these marine morbilliviruses and their major cellular receptor, the signaling lymphocyte activation molecule (SLAM). The three-dimensional crystal structure and homology models of SLAMs have demonstrated that 35 residues are important for binding to the morbillivirus hemagglutinin (H) protein and contribute to viral tropism. These 35 residues are essentially conserved among pinnipeds and highly conserved among the Caniformia, suggesting that PDV can infect these animals, but are less conserved among cetaceans. Because CeMV can infect various cetacean species, including toothed and baleen whales, the CeMV-H protein is postulated to have broader specificity to accommodate more divergent SLAM interfaces and may enable the virus to infect seals. In silico analysis of viral H protein and SLAM indicates that each residue of the H protein interacts with multiple residues of SLAM and vice versa. The integration of epidemiological, virological, structural, and computational studies should provide deeper insight into host specificity and switching of marine morbilliviruses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kazue Ohishi
- Faculty of Engineering, Tokyo Polytechnic University, 1583, Iiyama, Atsugi, Kanagawa 243-0297, Japan.
| | - Tadashi Maruyama
- School of Marine Biosciences, Kitasato University, 1-15-1, Kitazato, Minami, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 252-0373, Japan
| | - Fumio Seki
- Department of Virology III, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 4-7-1, Gakuen, Musashimurayama, Tokyo 208-0011, Japan
| | - Makoto Takeda
- Department of Virology III, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 4-7-1, Gakuen, Musashimurayama, Tokyo 208-0011, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Robinson S, Milner‐Gulland EJ, Grachev Y, Salemgareyev A, Orynbayev M, Lushchekina A, Morgan E, Beauvais W, Singh N, Khomenko S, Cammack R, Kock R. Opportunistic bacteria and mass mortality in ungulates: lessons from an extreme event. Ecosphere 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Robinson
- Department of Zoology University of Oxford Oxford OX2 6GG UK
| | | | - Yuri Grachev
- Institute of Zoology 93 Al Farabi Street, Akademgorodok Almaty 480060 Kazakhstan
| | - Albert Salemgareyev
- Association for the Conservation of Biodiversity of Kazakhstan 18 Beibitshilik Street Astana 020000 Kazakhstan
| | - Mukhit Orynbayev
- Laboratory for Monitoring of Bacterial and Viral Infections Research Institute for Biological Safety Problems 2‐13 Pionerskaya Street Gvardeiskiy Kordaiskiy Rayon, Zhambylskaya Oblast 080409 Kazakhstan
| | - Anna Lushchekina
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution Laboratory for Biodiversity Conservation 33 Lenin Prospekt Moscow 119071 Russia
| | - Eric Morgan
- Institute for Global Food Security Queen's University Belfast University Road Belfast BT7 1NN UK
| | - Wendy Beauvais
- Ivanek Laboratory Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine 602 Tower Road Ithaca New York 14853‐6401 USA
| | - Navinder Singh
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Almas Allé 8 Umea Västerbotten SE‐901 83 Sweden
| | - Sergei Khomenko
- Animal Production and Health Division Food and Agriculture Organisation Viale delle Terme di Caracalla Rome 00153 Italy
| | - Rosie Cammack
- University of Oxford, Saint Hilda's College Oxford OX4 1DY UK
| | - Richard Kock
- Pathobiology and Population Sciences Royal Veterinary College 4 Royal College Street London NW1 0TU UK
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Ohishi K, Abe E, Amano M, Miyazaki N, Boltunov A, Katsumata E, Maruyama T. Detection of serum antibodies to Brucella in Russian aquatic mammals. J Vet Med Sci 2018; 80:1696-1701. [PMID: 30185724 PMCID: PMC6261826 DOI: 10.1292/jvms.18-0330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
A serologic survey of Brucella infection was performed in Caspian seals (Pusa caspica, n=71), Baikal seals (P. sibirica, n=7), ringed seals (P. hispida hispida, n=6), and beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas, n=4) inhabiting Russian waters, by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using Brucella abortus and B. canis as antigens. The sera of 4 Caspian seals (4%) tested positive for B. abortus. The same sera samples demonstrated weaker yet detectable affinity for B. canis antigens. Several discrete bands against B. abortus and B. canis antigens were detected on Western blot analysis of the ELISA-positive seal sera; the bands against B. canis were weaker than those against B. abortus. The sera of 3 beluga whales (75%) were positive for B. abortus antigens but showed no binding to B. canis antigens in the ELISA. The positive whale sera showed a strong band appearance only against B. abortus antigens in the Western blot analysis. Many detected bands were discrete, while some of them had a smeared appearance. The present results indicate that Brucella infection occurred in Caspian seals and beluga whales inhabiting Russian waters, and that the Brucella strains infecting the seals and the whales were antigenetically distinct.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kazue Ohishi
- Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), 2-15 Natsushima-cho, Yokosuka, Kanagawa 237-0061, Japan
| | - Erika Abe
- Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), 2-15 Natsushima-cho, Yokosuka, Kanagawa 237-0061, Japan
| | - Masao Amano
- Graduate School of Fisheries and Environmental Sciences, Nagasaki University, 1-14 Bunkyo-machi, Nagasaki 852-8521, Japan
| | - Nobuyuki Miyazaki
- Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8564, Japan.,Japan Marine Science Foundation, 1-1-1 Ikenohata, Taito-ku, Tokyo 110-0008, Japan
| | - Andrei Boltunov
- Marine Mammal Research and Expedition Center, Moscow 115551, Russia
| | | | - Tadashi Maruyama
- Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), 2-15 Natsushima-cho, Yokosuka, Kanagawa 237-0061, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Refining Aging Criteria for Northern Sea Otters in Washington State. JOURNAL OF FISH AND WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT 2018. [DOI: 10.3996/052017-jfwm-040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Measurement of skull ossification patterns is a standard method for aging various mammalian species and has been used to age sea otters Enhydra lutris from Russia, California, and Alaska. Cementum annuli counts have also been verified as an accurate aging method for sea otters in Alaska. In this study, we compared cementum annuli count results and skull ossification patterns as methods for aging the northern sea otter, E. l. kenyoni, in Washington State. We found significant agreement between the two methods, suggesting that either method could be used to age sea otters in Washington. We found that ossification of the squamosal–jugal suture at the ventral glenoid fossa can be used to differentiate male subadults from adults. To assist field biologists or others without access to cementum annuli or skull ossification analysis techniques, we analyzed a suite of morphologic, physiologic, and developmental characteristics to assess whether a set of these more easily accessible parameters could also predict age class. We identified tooth condition score, evidence of reproductive activity in females, and tooth eruption pattern as the most useful criteria for classifying sea otters in Washington. We created a simple decision tree based on characteristics accessible in the field or at necropsy, which can be used to reliably predict age class of Washington sea otters as determined by cementum annuli. These techniques offer field biologists and marine mammal stranding networks a replicable, cost-conscious methodology to gather useful biological information from sea otters.
Collapse
|
12
|
Valenzuela-Sánchez A, Schmidt BR, Uribe-Rivera DE, Costas F, Cunningham AA, Soto-Azat C. Cryptic disease-induced mortality may cause host extinction in an apparently stable host-parasite system. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 284:rspb.2017.1176. [PMID: 28954907 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.1176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2017] [Accepted: 08/25/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The decline of wildlife populations due to emerging infectious disease often shows a common pattern: the parasite invades a naive host population, producing epidemic disease and a population decline, sometimes with extirpation. Some susceptible host populations can survive the epidemic phase and persist with endemic parasitic infection. Understanding host-parasite dynamics leading to persistence of the system is imperative to adequately inform conservation practice. Here we combine field data, statistical and mathematical modelling to explore the dynamics of the apparently stable Rhinoderma darwinii-Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) system. Our results indicate that Bd-induced population extirpation may occur even in the absence of epidemics and where parasite prevalence is relatively low. These empirical findings are consistent with previous theoretical predictions showing that highly pathogenic parasites are able to regulate host populations even at extremely low prevalence, highlighting that disease threats should be investigated as a cause of population declines even in the absence of an overt increase in mortality.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrés Valenzuela-Sánchez
- Centro de Investigación para la Sustentabilidad, Facultad de Ecología y Recursos Naturales, Universidad Andres Bello, República 440, Santiago, Chile .,ONG Ranita de Darwin, Nataniel Cox 152, Santiago, Chile.,Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London NW1 4RY, UK
| | - Benedikt R Schmidt
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.,Info Fauna KARCH, Passage Maximilien-de-Meuron 6, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Andrew A Cunningham
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London NW1 4RY, UK
| | - Claudio Soto-Azat
- Centro de Investigación para la Sustentabilidad, Facultad de Ecología y Recursos Naturales, Universidad Andres Bello, República 440, Santiago, Chile
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Abstract
We summarized the neuropathologic findings in 60 cetaceans stranded along the Italian coastline from 2002 to 2014. The following neuropathologic changes were detected in 45% (27/60) of animals: nonsuppurative meningo-encephalitides (30%, 18/60), nonspecific lesions (12%, 7/60), suppurative encephalitis (2%, 1/60), and neoplasm (2%, 1/60). No histologic lesions were found in 47% (28/60) of the specimens. Five (8%, 5/60) samples were unsuitable for analysis. Analysis with PCR detected Brucella spp., morbillivirus, and Toxoplasma gondii infection in one, six, and seven individuals, respectively. Immunohistochemical analysis confirmed positivity for morbillivirus and for T. gondii infection in three cases each. No evidence of the scrapie-associated prion protein PrPSc was detected. Our findings underscore the importance of an adequate surveillance system for monitoring aquatic mammal pathologies and for protecting both animal and human health.
Collapse
|
14
|
Centelleghe C, Beffagna G, Palmisano G, Franzo G, Casalone C, Pautasso A, Giorda F, Di Nocera F, Iaccarino D, Santoro M, Di Guardo G, Mazzariol S. Dolphin Morbillivirus in a Cuvier's Beaked Whale ( Ziphius cavirostris), Italy. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:111. [PMID: 28197145 PMCID: PMC5281547 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.00111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2016] [Accepted: 01/16/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Dolphin morbillivirus (DMV) has caused several mortality events in Mediterranean striped (Stenella coeruleoalba) and bottlenose (Tursiops truncatus) dolphins populations since 19; in the last 5 years, the virus was reported to infect new hosts in this basin, such as fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus), sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus), and even a harbor seal (Phoca vitulina). Very recently, a calf Cuvier's beaked whale (Ziphius cavirostris) calf stranded on the Southern Italian coastline with mild pathological findings suggestive of morbilliviral infection, received the first confirmation of DMV infection in this species by biomolecular evidences on lung tissue. This new cross-species infection report, along with 19% of the cetaceans specimens examined by the Italian Stranding Network being found positive to DMV, support the hypothesis of an endemic circulation of this virus among Mediterranean cetaceans.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cinzia Centelleghe
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padova Legnaro, Italy
| | - Giorgia Beffagna
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padova Legnaro, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Palmisano
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padova Legnaro, Italy
| | - Giovanni Franzo
- Department of Animal Medicine, Production and Health, University of Padua Legnaro, Italy
| | - Cristina Casalone
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta Torino, Italy
| | - Alessandra Pautasso
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta Torino, Italy
| | - Federica Giorda
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta Torino, Italy
| | - Fabio Di Nocera
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno Portici, Italy
| | - Doriana Iaccarino
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno Portici, Italy
| | - Mario Santoro
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno Portici, Italy
| | | | - Sandro Mazzariol
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padova Legnaro, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Fauquier DA, Litz J, Sanchez S, Colegrove K, Schwacke LH, Hart L, Saliki J, Smith C, Goldstein T, Bowen-Stevens S, McFee W, Fougeres E, Mase-Guthrie B, Stratton E, Ewing R, Venn-Watson S, Carmichael RH, Clemons-Chevis C, Hatchett W, Shannon D, Shippee S, Smith S, Staggs L, Tumlin MC, Wingers NL, Rowles TK. Evaluation of morbillivirus exposure in cetaceans from the northern Gulf of Mexico 2010-2014. ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2017. [DOI: 10.3354/esr00772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
|
16
|
Levin M, Gebhard E, Jasperse L, Desforges JP, Dietz R, Sonne C, Eulaers I, Covaci A, Bossi R, De Guise S. Immunomodulatory effects of exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls and perfluoroalkyl acids in East Greenland ringed seals (Pusa hispida). ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2016; 151:244-250. [PMID: 27504872 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2016.07.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2016] [Revised: 07/08/2016] [Accepted: 07/11/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
To better elucidate the potential immune-related health effects of exposure to environmentally persistent organic pollutants (POP), such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), in ringed seals (Pusa hispida), a sentinel Arctic species, we assessed 1) associations between mitogen-induced lymphocyte proliferation and in vivo tissue contaminant burdens, and 2) the concentration-response effects of in vitro exposure to PFASs and PCB congeners on mitogen-induced lymphocyte proliferation. Upon in vitro contaminant exposure, the non-coplanar PCB congeners CB 138, 153, and 180, but not the coplanar CB 169, significantly reduced lymphocyte proliferation between 10 and 20µgg-1 ww. The respective in vitro EC50 values for these congeners were 13.3, 20.7, 20.8, and 54.6µgg-1 ww. No modulation of lymphocyte proliferation was observed upon in vitro exposure to two individual PFASs, perfluorooctane sulphonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), at concentrations up to 1000ngg-1. In addition, no significant correlations were found between lymphocyte proliferation and any blood or blubber contaminant measured. Taken together, these data suggest this population of ringed seals is not currently at high risk of altered lymphocyte proliferation from exposure to the POPs or PFASs in this study.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Milton Levin
- Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science, University of Connecticut, 61 North Eagleville Road, Storrs, CT 06269-3089, United States.
| | - Erika Gebhard
- Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science, University of Connecticut, 61 North Eagleville Road, Storrs, CT 06269-3089, United States
| | - Lindsay Jasperse
- Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science, University of Connecticut, 61 North Eagleville Road, Storrs, CT 06269-3089, United States
| | - Jean-Pierre Desforges
- Department of Bioscience, Arctic Research Centre (ARC), Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, PO Box 358, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Rune Dietz
- Department of Bioscience, Arctic Research Centre (ARC), Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, PO Box 358, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Christian Sonne
- Department of Bioscience, Arctic Research Centre (ARC), Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, PO Box 358, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Igor Eulaers
- Department of Bioscience, Arctic Research Centre (ARC), Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, PO Box 358, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Adrian Covaci
- Toxicological Centre, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, BE-2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Rossana Bossi
- Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, PO Box 358, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Sylvain De Guise
- Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science, University of Connecticut, 61 North Eagleville Road, Storrs, CT 06269-3089, United States
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Di Sabatino D, Di Francesco G, Zaccaria G, Malatesta D, Brugnola L, Marcacci M, Portanti O, De Massis F, Savini G, Teodori L, Ruggieri E, Mangone I, Badagliacca P, Lorusso A. Lethal distemper in badgers (Meles meles) following epidemic in dogs and wolves. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2016; 46:130-137. [PMID: 27876612 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2016.10.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2016] [Revised: 10/08/2016] [Accepted: 10/24/2016] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Canine distemper virus (CDV) represents an important conservation threat to many wild carnivores. A large distemper epidemic sustained by an Arctic-lineage strain occurred in Italy in 2013, mainly in the Abruzzi region, causing overt disease in domestic and shepherd dogs, Apennine wolves (Canis lupus) and other wild carnivores. Two badgers were collected by the end of September 2015 in a rural area of the Abruzzi region and were demonstrated to be CDV-positive by real time RT-PCR and IHC in several tissues. The genome of CDV isolates from badgers showed Y549H substitution in the mature H protein. By employing all publicly available Arctic-lineage H protein encoding gene sequences, six amino acid changes in recent Italian strains with respect to Italian strains of dogs from 2000 to 2008, were observed. A CDV strain belonging to the European-wildlife lineage was also identified in a fox found dead in the same region in 2016, proving co-circulation of an additional CDV lineage.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daria Di Sabatino
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise (IZSAM), Campo Boario, 64100, Teramo, Italy
| | - Gabriella Di Francesco
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise (IZSAM), Campo Boario, 64100, Teramo, Italy
| | - Guendalina Zaccaria
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise (IZSAM), Campo Boario, 64100, Teramo, Italy
| | - Daniela Malatesta
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise (IZSAM), Campo Boario, 64100, Teramo, Italy
| | - Luca Brugnola
- Corpo Forestale dello Stato, Ufficio Territoriale per la Biodiversità, Viale Riviera 29, 65121, Pescara, Italy
| | - Maurilia Marcacci
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise (IZSAM), Campo Boario, 64100, Teramo, Italy
| | - Ottavio Portanti
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise (IZSAM), Campo Boario, 64100, Teramo, Italy
| | - Fabrizio De Massis
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise (IZSAM), Campo Boario, 64100, Teramo, Italy
| | - Giovanni Savini
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise (IZSAM), Campo Boario, 64100, Teramo, Italy
| | - Liana Teodori
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise (IZSAM), Campo Boario, 64100, Teramo, Italy
| | - Enzo Ruggieri
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise (IZSAM), Campo Boario, 64100, Teramo, Italy
| | - Iolanda Mangone
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise (IZSAM), Campo Boario, 64100, Teramo, Italy
| | - Pietro Badagliacca
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise (IZSAM), Campo Boario, 64100, Teramo, Italy
| | - Alessio Lorusso
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise (IZSAM), Campo Boario, 64100, Teramo, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Di Guardo G, Mazzariol S. Cetacean Morbillivirus-Associated Pathology: Knowns and Unknowns. Front Microbiol 2016; 7:112. [PMID: 26903991 PMCID: PMC4744835 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.00112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2015] [Accepted: 01/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The present minireview deals with the pathology of Cetacean Morbillivirus (CeMV) infection in free-ranging cetaceans. In this respect, while "classical" CeMV-associated lesions were observed in the lung, brain, and lymphoid tissues from striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba) and pilot whales (Globicephala melas) which were victims of the 1990-1992 and 2006-2008 epidemics in the Western Mediterranean, an apparent reduction in CeMV neurovirulence, along with a different viral antigen's tissue and cell distribution, were found during the 2010-2011 and the 2013 outbreaks in the same area. Of remarkable concern are also the documented CeMV ability to induce maternally acquired infections in wild cetaceans, coupled with the progressively expanding geographic and host range of the virus in both Hemispheres, as well as in conjunction with the intriguing forms of "brain-only" morbilliviral infection increasingly reported in Mediterranean-striped dolphins. Future research in this area should address the virus-host interaction dynamics, with particular emphasis on the cell receptors specifying viral tissue tropism in relation to the different cetacean species and to their susceptibility to infection, as well as to the CeMV strains circulating worldwide.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Sandro Mazzariol
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Hygiene, University of Padova Padova, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Jacob JM, West KL, Levine G, Sanchez S, Jensen BA. Initial characterization of novel beaked whale morbillivirus in Hawaiian cetaceans. DISEASES OF AQUATIC ORGANISMS 2016; 117:215-227. [PMID: 26758655 DOI: 10.3354/dao02941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Cetacean morbillivirus (CeMV) is a causative factor in epizootics that have resulted in thousands of deaths throughout the Atlantic and Mediterranean since 1987, but less is known of its presence and significance in the Pacific. The first case of CeMV reported in Hawai'i was in a Longman's beaked whale that stranded in 2010. The initial CeMV sequence from this individual indicated the possibility of a novel strain. To address this, archived samples from cetaceans that stranded in Hawai'i between 1997 and 2014 were screened for CeMV. The beaked whale morbillivirus (BWMV) was detected in 15 individuals representing 12 different species (24% of Code 1 and 2 stranded cetaceans). The earliest detected case was a humpback whale that stranded in 1998. Sequence comparisons of a 2.2 kb sequence spanning the phosphoprotein (P) and nucleocapsid (N) genes strongly suggest that the BWMV represents a novel strain of CeMV present in Hawai'i and the Central Pacific. In contrast to recently reported isolates from Brazil and Australia that may represent a distinct clade, BWMV appears to be more closely related to known strains of CeMV (dolphin morbillivirus; porpoise morbillivirus; and pilot whale morbillivirus). Detection rates with repeat sampling of positive lymph nodes were between 2 and 61%, illustrating the extreme heterogeneity that can occur in affected tissues. Taken together, these results suggest that BWMV may be common and established in Hawaiian cetacean populations. BWMV will be important for understanding CeMV and health threats in the relatively understudied cetaceans of the Pacific.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jessica M Jacob
- College of Natural and Computational Sciences, Hawai'i Pacific University, 45-045 Kamehameha Highway, Kaneohe, Hawai'i 96744, USA
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
20
|
Abstract
Feline morbillivirus (FmoPV) is an emerging virus in cats, which is associated with tubulointerstitial nephritis. To study the in vitro host range of FmoPV, we inoculated FmoPV strain SS1 to 32 cell lines originated from 13 species and cultured for 2 weeks, followed by RNA extraction and reverse-transcription-polymerase chain reaction for FmoPV detection. As a result, only cell lines derived from cats and African green monkeys were susceptible to FmoPV. FmoPV infects diverse feline cell lines: epithelial, fibroblastic, lymphoid and glial cells. These results indicate that the receptor (s) for FmoPV are ubiquitously expressed in cats. No infectivity of FmoPV was observed in human cell lines, which suggests least threatening of cross-species transmission of FmoPV from cats to humans.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shoichi Sakaguchi
- Laboratory of Signal Transduction, Department of Cell Biology, Institute for Virus Research, Kyoto University, 53 Shogoin-Kawaharacho, Sakyu-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
21
|
Zhang X, Wallace OL, Domi A, Wright KJ, Driscoll J, Anzala O, Sanders EJ, Kamali A, Karita E, Allen S, Fast P, Gilmour J, Price MA, Parks CL. Canine distemper virus neutralization activity is low in human serum and it is sensitive to an amino acid substitution in the hemagglutinin protein. Virology 2015; 482:218-24. [PMID: 25880113 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2015.03.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2014] [Revised: 01/04/2015] [Accepted: 03/17/2015] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Serum was analyzed from 146 healthy adult volunteers in eastern Africa to evaluate measles virus (MV) and canine distemper virus (CDV) neutralizing antibody (nAb) prevalence and potency. MV plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT) results indicated that all sera were positive for MV nAbs. Furthermore, the 50% neutralizing dose (ND50) for the majority of sera corresponded to antibody titers induced by MV vaccination. CDV nAbs titers were low and generally were detected in sera with high MV nAb titers. A mutant CDV was generated that was less sensitive to neutralization by human serum. The mutant virus genome had 10 nucleotide substitutions, which coded for single amino acid substitutions in the fusion (F) and hemagglutinin (H) glycoproteins and two substitutions in the large polymerase (L) protein. The H substitution occurred in a conserved region involved in receptor interactions among morbilliviruses, implying that this region is a target for cross-reactive neutralizing antibodies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xinsheng Zhang
- AIDS Vaccine Design and Development Laboratory, International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), Brooklyn, NY, USA; Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, State University of New York, Brooklyn, NY, USA.
| | - Olivia L Wallace
- AIDS Vaccine Design and Development Laboratory, International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), Brooklyn, NY, USA
| | - Arban Domi
- AIDS Vaccine Design and Development Laboratory, International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), Brooklyn, NY, USA
| | - Kevin J Wright
- AIDS Vaccine Design and Development Laboratory, International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), Brooklyn, NY, USA
| | - Jonathan Driscoll
- AIDS Vaccine Design and Development Laboratory, International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), Brooklyn, NY, USA
| | - Omu Anzala
- Kenya AIDS Vaccine Initiative (KAVI)-Institute of Clinical Research, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Eduard J Sanders
- Centre for Geographic Medicine Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), Kilifi, Kenya & Centre for Clinical Vaccinology and Tropical Medicine, University of Oxford, Headington, UK
| | - Anatoli Kamali
- MRC/UVRI Uganda Virus Research Unit on AIDS, Masaka and Entebbe, Uganda
| | | | - Susan Allen
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Pat Fast
- Department of Medical Affairs, International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, NY, NY, USA
| | - Jill Gilmour
- Human Immunology Laboratory, International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, London, UK
| | - Matt A Price
- Department of Medical Affairs, International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, NY, NY, USA; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Christopher L Parks
- AIDS Vaccine Design and Development Laboratory, International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), Brooklyn, NY, USA; Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, State University of New York, Brooklyn, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
First Gammaherpesvirus detection in a free-living Mediterranean bottlenose dolphin. J Zoo Wildl Med 2015; 45:922-5. [PMID: 25632684 DOI: 10.1638/2014-0019.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Recently, herpes viruses have been detected in different cetacean species from the Atlantic and in Mediterranean striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba). While pathogens such as cetacean morbillivirus have been widely studied following recent epizootics, herpesvirus (HV) distribution and pathogenic effects in cetaceans are still understudied. This study reports the first molecular identification of a Gammaherpesvirus in the genital mucosa of a free-living Mediterranean bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) stranded off the coast of central Italy. Sequenced herpesviral PCR product was closely related to other HVs recently isolated in the genital mucosa of various cetacean species.
Collapse
|
23
|
Groch KR, Colosio AC, Marcondes MCC, Zucca D, Díaz-Delgado J, Niemeyer C, Marigo J, Brandão PE, Fernández A, Luiz Catão-Dias J. Novel cetacean morbillivirus in Guiana dolphin, Brazil. Emerg Infect Dis 2015; 20:511-3. [PMID: 24565559 PMCID: PMC3944878 DOI: 10.3201/eid2003.131557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
|
24
|
Zarlenga DS, Hoberg E, Rosenthal B, Mattiucci S, Nascetti G. Anthropogenics: Human Influence on Global and Genetic Homogenization of Parasite Populations. J Parasitol 2014; 100:756-72. [DOI: 10.1645/14-622.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
|
25
|
Greig DJ, Gulland FMD, Smith WA, Conrad PA, Field CL, Fleetwood M, Harvey JT, Ip HS, Jang S, Packham A, Wheeler E, Hall AJ. Surveillance for zoonotic and selected pathogens in harbor seals Phoca vitulina from central California. DISEASES OF AQUATIC ORGANISMS 2014; 111:93-106. [PMID: 25266897 DOI: 10.3354/dao02762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
The infection status of harbor seals Phoca vitulina in central California, USA, was evaluated through broad surveillance for pathogens in stranded and wild-caught animals from 2001 to 2008, with most samples collected in 2007 and 2008. Stranded animals from Mendocino County to San Luis Obispo County were sampled at a rehabilitation facility: The Marine Mammal Center (TMMC, n = 175); wild-caught animals were sampled at 2 locations: San Francisco Bay (SF, n = 78) and Tomales Bay (TB, n = 97), that differed in degree of urbanization. Low prevalences of Salmonella, Campylobacter, Giardia, and Cryptosporidium were detected in the feces of stranded and wild-caught seals. Clostridium perfringens and Escherichia coli were more prevalent in the feces of stranded (58% [78 out of 135] and 76% [102 out of 135]) than wild-caught (42% [45 out of 106] and 66% [68 out of 106]) seals, whereas Vibrio spp. were 16 times more likely to be cultured from the feces of seals from SF than TB or TMMC (p < 0.005). Brucella DNA was detected in 3.4% of dead stranded harbor seals (2 out of 58). Type A influenza was isolated from feces of 1 out of 96 wild-caught seals. Exposure to Toxoplasma gondii, Sarcocystis neurona, and type A influenza was only detected in the wild-caught harbor seals (post-weaning age classes), whereas antibody titers to Leptospira spp. were detected in stranded and wild-caught seals. No stranded (n = 109) or wild-caught (n = 217) harbor seals had antibodies to phocine distemper virus, although a single low titer to canine distemper virus was detected. These results highlight the role of harbor seals as sentinel species for zoonotic and terrestrial pathogens in the marine environment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Denise J Greig
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 8LB, UK
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
26
|
Lane EP, de Wet M, Thompson P, Siebert U, Wohlsein P, Plön S. A systematic health assessment of indian ocean bottlenose (Tursiops aduncus) and indo-pacific humpback (Sousa plumbea) dolphins incidentally caught in shark nets off the KwaZulu-Natal Coast, South Africa. PLoS One 2014; 9:e107038. [PMID: 25203143 PMCID: PMC4159300 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0107038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2014] [Accepted: 08/13/2014] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Coastal dolphins are regarded as indicators of changes in coastal marine ecosystem health that could impact humans utilizing the marine environment for food or recreation. Necropsy and histology examinations were performed on 35 Indian Ocean bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) and five Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins (Sousa plumbea) incidentally caught in shark nets off the KwaZulu-Natal coast, South Africa, between 2010 and 2012. Parasitic lesions included pneumonia (85%), abdominal and thoracic serositis (75%), gastroenteritis (70%), hepatitis (62%), and endometritis (42%). Parasitic species identified were Halocercus sp. (lung), Crassicauda sp. (skeletal muscle) and Xenobalanus globicipitis (skin). Additional findings included bronchiolar epithelial mineralisation (83%), splenic filamentous tags (45%), non-suppurative meningoencephalitis (39%), and myocardial fibrosis (26%). No immunohistochemically positive reaction was present in lesions suggestive of dolphin morbillivirus, Toxoplasma gondii and Brucella spp. The first confirmed cases of lobomycosis and sarcocystosis in South African dolphins were documented. Most lesions were mild, and all animals were considered to be in good nutritional condition, based on blubber thickness and muscle mass. Apparent temporal changes in parasitic disease prevalence may indicate a change in the host/parasite interface. This study provided valuable baseline information on conditions affecting coastal dolphin populations in South Africa and, to our knowledge, constitutes the first reported systematic health assessment in incidentally caught dolphins in the Southern Hemisphere. Further research on temporal disease trends as well as disease pathophysiology and anthropogenic factors affecting these populations is needed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emily P. Lane
- Department of Research and Scientific Services, National Zoological Gardens of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Morné de Wet
- Epidemiology Section, Department of Production Animal Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Peter Thompson
- Epidemiology Section, Department of Production Animal Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Ursula Siebert
- Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, University of Veterinary Medicine, Hannover, Foundation, Germany
| | - Peter Wohlsein
- Department of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Hannover, Foundation, Germany
| | - Stephanie Plön
- South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity, c/o Port Elizabeth Museum/Bayworld, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Di Guardo G, Mazzariol S. Cetacean morbillivirus in Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Front Microbiol 2014; 5:211. [PMID: 24847322 PMCID: PMC4019840 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2014.00211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2014] [Accepted: 04/21/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Sandro Mazzariol
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padua Padua, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Di Sabatino D, Lorusso A, Di Francesco CE, Gentile L, Di Pirro V, Bellacicco AL, Giovannini A, Di Francesco G, Marruchella G, Marsilio F, Savini G. Arctic lineage-canine distemper virus as a cause of death in Apennine wolves (Canis lupus) in Italy. PLoS One 2014; 9:e82356. [PMID: 24465373 PMCID: PMC3896332 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0082356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2013] [Accepted: 10/22/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Canine distemper virus (CDV) infection is a primary threat affecting a wide number of carnivore species, including wild animals. In January 2013, two carcasses of Apennine wolves (Canis lupus) were collected in Ortona dei Marsi (L'Aquila province, Italy) by the local Veterinary Services. CDV was immediately identified either by RT-PCR or immunohistochemistry in lung and central nervous tissue samples. At the same time, severe clinical signs consistent with CDV infection were identified and taped (Videos S1-S3) from three wolves rescued in the areas surrounding the National Parks of the Abruzzi region by the Veterinary Services. The samples collected from these symptomatic animals also turned out CDV positive by RT-PCR. So far, 30 carcasses of wolves were screened and CDV was detected in 20 of them. The sequencing of the haemagglutinin gene and subsequent phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that the identified virus belonged to the CDV Arctic lineage. Strains belonging to this lineage are known to circulate in Italy and in Eastern Europe amongst domestic dogs. To the best of our knowledge this is the first report of CDV Arctic lineage epidemics in the wild population in Europe.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daria Di Sabatino
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise “G. Caporale”, Teramo, Italy
| | - Alessio Lorusso
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise “G. Caporale”, Teramo, Italy
| | | | - Leonardo Gentile
- Veterinary Services, National Park of Abruzzi, Lazio and Molise, Pescasseroli (AQ), Italy
| | - Vincenza Di Pirro
- Veterinary Services, National Park of Abruzzi, Lazio and Molise, Pescasseroli (AQ), Italy
| | - Anna Lucia Bellacicco
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise “G. Caporale”, Teramo, Italy
| | - Armando Giovannini
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise “G. Caporale”, Teramo, Italy
| | - Gabriella Di Francesco
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise “G. Caporale”, Teramo, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Marruchella
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise “G. Caporale”, Teramo, Italy
| | - Fulvio Marsilio
- Unit of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of Teramo, Teramo, Italy
| | - Giovanni Savini
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise “G. Caporale”, Teramo, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
de Moura JF, Hauser-Davis RA, Lemos L, Emin-Lima R, Siciliano S. Guiana dolphins (Sotalia guianensis) as marine ecosystem sentinels: ecotoxicology and emerging diseases. REVIEWS OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY 2014; 228:1-29. [PMID: 24162090 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-01619-1_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Guiana dolphins (Sotalia guianensis) are small cetaceans that inhabit coastal regions down to a 50 m depth. As a coastally distributed species, they are exposed to a variety of human-induced risks that include passive fishing nets, persistent environmental pollution, and emerging diseases. As a top predatorS. guianensis occupies an important ecological niche in marine ecosystems. However, this niche also exposes this dolphin to extensive biomagnification of marine contaminants that may accumulate and be stored throughout their life of about 30 years.In this paper, we have compiled available data on the Guiana dolphin as regards its exposure to chemical pollutants, pathogenic microbes, infectious diseases, and injuries caused by interactions with passive fishing gears. Our analysis of the data shows that Guiana dolphins are particularly sensitive to environmental changes.Although the major mortal threat to dolphins results from contact with fishing other human-related activities in coastal zones also pose risks and need more attention.Such human-related risks include the presence of persistent toxicants in the marine environment, such as PCBs and PBDEs. Residues of these chemicals have been detected in Guiana dolphin's tissues at similar or higher levels that exist in cetaceans from other known polluted areas. Another risk encountered by this species is the non lethal injuries caused by fishing gear. Several incidents of this sort have occurred along the Brazilian coast with this species. When injuries are produced by interaction with fishing gear, the dorsal fin is the part of the dolphin anatomy that is more affected, commonly causing severe laceration or even total loss.The Guiana dolphins also face risks from infectious diseases. The major ones thus far identified include giardiasis, lobomycosis, toxoplasmosis, skin and skeletal lesions. Many bacterial pathogens from the family Aeromonadaceae and Vibrionaceae have been isolated from Guiana dolphins. Several helminth species have also been observed to affectS. guianensis. These results suggest a vulnerability of this species to environmental disturbances. Moreover, there is some evidence that the effects of some infectious diseases may be enhanced from stress caused by habitat impairment. For example, certain diseases and pathogenic organisms in S.guianensis may be associated with the high levels of endocrine-disruptor contaminants(e.g., PCBs; DDTs; PBDEs) that have been detected in marine waters.Although the data available on S. guianensis is growing, most of the work has been focused on a small portion of the species total area of distribution. Most studies,to date, have been carried out in the Southern region of the distribution, and in north eastern Brazil. Few studies have been conducted in the northern region of the South America or in Central America. Therefore, future studies should be conducted that address the heterogeneity of this species total distribution.The biology and ecology of the Guiana dolphin renders this species potentially useful as a sentinel species for detecting environmental changes, such as chemical and biological pollution. Research about this dolphin is encouraged as a way to assess what coastal environmental changes have occurred and to continue evaluating the health status of this vulnerable species in a changing environment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jailson Fulgencio de Moura
- PPG em Saúde Pública e Meio Ambiente, Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública/FIOCRUZ & Grupo de Estudos de Mamíferos Marinhos da Região dos Lagos - GEMM-Lagos, Rua Leopoldo Bulhões, 1.480 - 6° andar, sala 611, Manguinhos, 21041-210, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil,
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
30
|
Bodewes R, Rubio García A, Wiersma LCM, Getu S, Beukers M, Schapendonk CME, van Run PRWA, van de Bildt MWG, Poen MJ, Osinga N, Sánchez Contreras GJ, Kuiken T, Smits SL, Osterhaus ADME. Novel B19-like parvovirus in the brain of a harbor seal. PLoS One 2013; 8:e79259. [PMID: 24223918 PMCID: PMC3818428 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0079259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2013] [Accepted: 09/20/2013] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Using random PCR in combination with next-generation sequencing, a novel parvovirus was detected in the brain of a young harbor seal (Phoca vitulina) with chronic non-suppurative meningo-encephalitis that was rehabilitated at the Seal Rehabilitation and Research Centre (SRRC) in the Netherlands. In addition, two novel viruses belonging to the family Anelloviridae were detected in the lungs of this animal. Phylogenetic analysis of the coding sequence of the novel parvovirus, tentatively called Seal parvovirus, indicated that this virus belonged to the genus Erythrovirus, to which human parvovirus B19 also belongs. Although no other seals with similar signs were rehabilitated in SRRC in recent years, a prevalence study of tissues of seals from the same area collected in the period 2008-2012 indicated that the Seal parvovirus has circulated in the harbor seal population at least since 2008. The presence of the Seal parvovirus in the brain was confirmed by real-time PCR and in vitro replication. Using in situ hybridization, we showed for the first time that a parvovirus of the genus Erythrovirus was present in the Virchow-Robin space and in cerebral parenchyma adjacent to the meninges. These findings showed that a parvovirus of the genus Erythrovirus can be involved in central nervous system infection and inflammation, as has also been suspected but not proven for human parvovirus B19 infection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rogier Bodewes
- Department of Viroscience, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- * E-mail:
| | - Ana Rubio García
- Seal Rehabilitation and Research Centre, Pieterburen, the Netherlands
| | | | - Sarah Getu
- Department of Viroscience, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Martijn Beukers
- Division of Diagnostic Imaging, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | | | | | | | - Marjolein J. Poen
- Department of Viroscience, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Nynke Osinga
- Seal Rehabilitation and Research Centre, Pieterburen, the Netherlands
| | | | - Thijs Kuiken
- Department of Viroscience, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Saskia L. Smits
- Department of Viroscience, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Viroclinics Biosciences B.V., Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Albert D. M. E. Osterhaus
- Department of Viroscience, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Viroclinics Biosciences B.V., Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
PATHOGEN EXPOSURE AND BLOOD CHEMISTRY IN THE WASHINGTON, USA POPULATION OF NORTHERN SEA OTTERS (ENHYDRA LUTRIS KENYONI). J Wildl Dis 2013; 49:887-99. [DOI: 10.7589/2013-03-053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
|
32
|
Roeder P, Mariner J, Kock R. Rinderpest: the veterinary perspective on eradication. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2013; 368:20120139. [PMID: 23798687 PMCID: PMC3720037 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2012.0139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Rinderpest was a devastating disease of livestock responsible for continent-wide famine and poverty. Centuries of veterinary advances culminated in 2011 with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Organization for Animal Health declaring global eradication of rinderpest; only the second disease to be eradicated and the greatest veterinary achievement of our time. Conventional control measures, principally mass vaccination combined with zoosanitary procedures, led to substantial declines in the incidence of rinderpest. However, during the past decades, innovative strategies were deployed for the last mile to overcome diagnostic and surveillance challenges, unanticipated variations in virus pathogenicity, circulation of disease in wildlife populations and to service remote and nomadic communities in often-unstable states. This review provides an overview of these challenges, describes how they were overcome and identifies key factors for this success.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Peter Roeder
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 00153 Rome, Italy.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
33
|
Di Guardo G. Morbillivirus-host interaction: lessons from aquatic mammals. Front Microbiol 2012; 3:431. [PMID: 23269920 PMCID: PMC3529506 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2012.00431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2012] [Accepted: 12/12/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Di Guardo
- Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Teramo Teramo, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Dolphin morbillivirus infection in a captive harbor seal (Phoca vitulina). J Clin Microbiol 2012; 51:708-11. [PMID: 23224101 DOI: 10.1128/jcm.02710-12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
During the second morbillivirus epidemic (2007 to 2011) in cetaceans along the Italian coastline, dolphin morbillivirus (DMV) was detected by molecular analyses in a captive harbor seal (Phoca vitulina), with pathological findings consistent with morbillivirus infection. This report confirms interspecies DMV transmission from cetaceans to pinnipeds.
Collapse
|
35
|
Smith CR, Solano M, Lutmerding BA, Johnson SP, Meegan JM, Le-Bert CR, Emory-Gomez F, Cassle S, Carlin K, Jensen ED. Pulmonary ultrasound findings in a bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus population. DISEASES OF AQUATIC ORGANISMS 2012; 101:243-255. [PMID: 23324421 DOI: 10.3354/dao02537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Lung disease is common among wild and managed populations of bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus. The purpose of the study was to apply standardized techniques to the ultrasound evaluation of dolphin lungs, and to identify normal and abnormal sonographic findings associated with pleuropulmonary diseases. During a 5 yr period (2005 to 2010), 498 non-cardiac thoracic ultrasound exams were performed on bottlenose dolphins at the Navy Marine Mammal Program in San Diego, California, USA. Exams were conducted as part of routine physical exams, diagnostic workups, and disease monitoring. In the majority of routine exams, no abnormal pleural or pulmonary findings were detected with ultrasound. Abnormal findings were typically detected during non-routine exams to identify and track disease progression or resolution; therefore, abnormal results are overrepresented in the study. In order of decreasing prevalence, abnormal sonographic findings included evidence of alveolar-interstitial syndrome, pleural effusion, pulmonary masses, and pulmonary consolidation. Of these findings, alveolar-interstitial syndrome was generally nonspecific as it represented several possible disease states. Pairing ultrasound findings with clinical signs was critical to determine relevance. Pleural effusion, pulmonary masses, and pulmonary consolidation were relatively straightforward to diagnose and interpret. Further diagnostics were performed to obtain definitive diagnoses when appropriate, specifically ultrasound-guided thoracocentesis, fine needle aspirates, and lung biopsies, as well as radiographs and computed tomography (CT) exams. Occasionally, post mortem gross necropsy and histopathology data were available to provide confirmation of diagnoses. Thoracic ultrasound was determined to be a valuable diagnostic tool for detecting pleural and pulmonary diseases in dolphins.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia R Smith
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, San Diego, California 92106, USA.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
36
|
Di Guardo G, Di Francesco CE, Eleni C, Cocumelli C, Scholl F, Casalone C, Peletto S, Mignone W, Tittarelli C, Di Nocera F, Leonardi L, Fernández A, Marcer F, Mazzariol S. Morbillivirus infection in cetaceans stranded along the Italian coastline: pathological, immunohistochemical and biomolecular findings. Res Vet Sci 2012; 94:132-7. [PMID: 22921372 DOI: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2012.07.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2012] [Revised: 07/10/2012] [Accepted: 07/28/2012] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Morbilliviruses are recognized as biological agents highly impacting the health and conservation status of free-ranging cetaceans worldwide, as clearly exemplified by the two Dolphin Morbillivirus (DMV) epidemics of 1990-1992 and 2006-2008 among Mediterranean striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba). After these two epidemics, morbilliviral infection (MI) cases with peculiar neurobiological features were reported in striped dolphins stranded along the Spanish coastline. Affected cetaceans showed a subacute-to-chronic, non-suppurative encephalitis, with brain lesions strongly resembling those found in human "subacute sclerosing panencephalitis" and "old dog encephalitis". Brain was the only tissue in which morbilliviral antigen and/or genome could be detected. Beside a case of morbilliviral encephalitis in a striped dolphin's calf stranded in 2009, we observed 5 additional MI cases in 2 striped dolphins, 1 bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) and 2 fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus), all stranded in 2011 along the Italian coastline. Noteworthy, 3 of these animals (2 striped dolphins and 1 bottlenose dolphin) showed immunohistochemical (IHC) and/or biomolecular (PCR) evidence of morbilliviral antigen and/or genome exclusively in their brain, with 1 striped dolphin and 1 bottlenose dolphin also exhibiting a non-suppurative encephalitis. Furthermore, simultaneous IHC and PCR evidence of a Toxoplasma gondii coinfection was obtained in 1 fin whale. The above results are consistent with those reported in striped dolphins after the two MI epidemics of 1990-92 and 2006-2008, with evidence of morbilliviral antigen and/or genome being found exclusively in the brain tissue from affected animals.
Collapse
|
37
|
Bossart GD, Romano TA, Peden-Adams MM, Schaefer A, McCulloch S, Goldstein JD, Rice CD, Saliki JT, Fair PA, Reif JS. Clinicoimmunopathologic findings in Atlantic bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus with positive cetacean morbillivirus antibody titers. DISEASES OF AQUATIC ORGANISMS 2011; 97:103-112. [PMID: 22303627 DOI: 10.3354/dao02410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Sera from free-ranging Atlantic bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus inhabiting the Indian River Lagoon (IRL), Florida were tested for antibodies to cetacean morbilliviruses from 2003 to 2007 as part of a multidisciplinary study of individual and population health. A suite of clinicoimmunopathologic variables were evaluated in morbillivirus-seropositive dolphins (n = 14) and seronegative healthy dolphins (n = 49). Several important differences were found. Serum alkaline phosphatase, creatine phosphokinase, chloride, albumin and albumin/globulin ratios were significantly lower in seropositive dolphins. Innate immunity appeared to be upregulated with significant increases in lysozyme concentration and marginally significant increases in monocytic phagocytosis. Adaptive immunity was also impacted in dolphins with positive morbillivirus antibody titers. Mitogen-induced T lymphocyte proliferation responses were significantly reduced in dolphins with positive morbillivirus antibody titers, and marginally significant decreases were found for absolute numbers of CD4+ lymphocytes. The findings suggest impairment of cell-mediated adaptive immunity, similar to the immunologic pattern reported with acute morbillivirus infection in other species. In contrast, dolphins with positive morbillivirus antibody titers appeared to have at least a partially upregulated humoral immune response with significantly higher levels of gamma globulins than healthy dolphins, which may represent an antibody response to morbillivirus infection or other pathogens. These data suggest that subclinical dolphin morbillivirus infection in IRL dolphins may produce clinicoimmunopathologic perturbations that impact overall health.
Collapse
|
38
|
Stone BM, Blyde DJ, Saliki JT, Blas-Machado U, Bingham J, Hyatt A, Wang J, Payne J, Crameri S. Fatal cetacean morbillivirus infection in an Australian offshore bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). Aust Vet J 2011; 89:452-7. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1751-0813.2011.00849.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
|
39
|
Abstract
Among the several threats to which free-ranging cetaceans are exposed, a number of biological noxae are believed to represent a serious hazard to their health and conservation on a global scale, with special emphasis on the Mediterranean Sea. These pathogens include viral agents such as Morbillivirus, which during the last 25 years have caused dramatic epidemics and die-offs among several aquatic mammal species and populations worldwide, as well as Herpesvirus, protozoan agents such as Toxoplasma gondii and bacterial pathogens such as Brucella spp.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Di Guardo
- University of Teramo, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, 64100 Teramo, Italy.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
40
|
Soto S, González R, Alegre F, González B, Medina P, Raga JA, Marco A, Domingo M. Epizootic of dolphin morbillivirus on the Catalonian Mediterranean coast in 2007. Vet Rec 2011; 169:101. [DOI: 10.1136/vr.d1686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- S. Soto
- Departament de Sanitat i d'Anatomia Animals; Facultat de Veterinària; Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; 08193 Bellaterra Barcelona Spain
| | - R. González
- Departamento de Patología, Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria; Universidad Nacional Autónoma; 3000 Heredia Costa Rica
| | - F. Alegre
- Fundació per la Conservació y Recuperació d'Animals Marins; Carretera de la Platja 28-30, 08820 El Prat de Llobregat Barcelona Spain
| | - B. González
- Fundació per la Conservació y Recuperació d'Animals Marins; Carretera de la Platja 28-30, 08820 El Prat de Llobregat Barcelona Spain
| | - P. Medina
- Fundació per la Conservació y Recuperació d'Animals Marins; Carretera de la Platja 28-30, 08820 El Prat de Llobregat Barcelona Spain
| | - J. A. Raga
- Institut Cavanilles de Biodiversitat i Biologia Evolutiva; Universitat de València; Catedrático José Beltrán 2, 46980 Paterna Valencia Spain
| | - A. Marco
- Departament de Sanitat i d'Anatomia Animals; Facultat de Veterinària; Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; 08193 Bellaterra Barcelona Spain
| | - M. Domingo
- Departament de Sanitat i d'Anatomia Animals; Facultat de Veterinària; Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; 08193 Bellaterra Barcelona Spain
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Di Guardo G, Cocumelli C, Scholl F, Di Francesco CE, Speranza R, Pennelli M, Eleni C. Morbilliviral encephalitis in a striped dolphin Stenella coeruleoalba calf from Italy. DISEASES OF AQUATIC ORGANISMS 2011; 95:247-251. [PMID: 21932537 DOI: 10.3354/dao02355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
A free-living, striped dolphin Stenella coeruleoalba calf was stranded on the Latium coast of Italy in November 2009. Significant neuropathological findings included non-suppurative meningoencephalitis, microgliosis, neuronal degeneration, astrocytosis, and occasional multinucleate syncytia. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for Morbillivirus were positive exclusively from the brain, with morbilliviral antigen and nucleic acid being detected in neurons and, to a lesser extent, in astrocytes. A low neutralizing antibody titer (1:10) against Morbillivirus (Canine distemper virus, CDV) was also found in blood serum, with no simultaneous presence of serum antibodies to Brucella spp. or Toxoplasma gondii. Furthermore, no pathogenic bacteria were isolated from any tissue or biological sample. This is the second report of morbilliviral encephalitis in a striped dolphin stranded along the Italian coastline in a 16 yr period (1993 to 2009). The neurohistopathological, IHC, and biomolecular features of this case are of additional interest, as antigenic and genomic positivity were exclusively confined to the brain of this dolphin, which may have acquired morbilliviral infection either postnatally or transplacentally.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Di Guardo
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, University of Teramo, Piazza Aldo Moro 45, 64100 Teramo, Italy.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
42
|
Bilgmann K, Möller LM, Harcourt RG, Kemper CM, Beheregaray LB. The use of carcasses for the analysis of cetacean population genetic structure: a comparative study in two dolphin species. PLoS One 2011; 6:e20103. [PMID: 21655285 PMCID: PMC3105009 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0020103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2011] [Accepted: 04/12/2011] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Advances in molecular techniques have enabled the study of genetic diversity and population structure in many different contexts. Studies that assess the genetic structure of cetacean populations often use biopsy samples from free-ranging individuals and tissue samples from stranded animals or individuals that became entangled in fishery or aquaculture equipment. This leads to the question of how representative the location of a stranded or entangled animal is with respect to its natural range, and whether similar results would be obtained when comparing carcass samples with samples from free-ranging individuals in studies of population structure. Here we use tissue samples from carcasses of dolphins that stranded or died as a result of bycatch in South Australia to investigate spatial population structure in two species: coastal bottlenose (Tursiops sp.) and short-beaked common dolphins (Delphinus delphis). We compare these results with those previously obtained from biopsy sampled free-ranging dolphins in the same area to test whether carcass samples yield similar patterns of genetic variability and population structure. Data from dolphin carcasses were gathered using seven microsatellite markers and a fragment of the mitochondrial DNA control region. Analyses based on carcass samples alone failed to detect genetic structure in Tursiops sp., a species previously shown to exhibit restricted dispersal and moderate genetic differentiation across a small spatial scale in this region. However, genetic structure was correctly inferred in D. delphis, a species previously shown to have reduced genetic structure over a similar geographic area. We propose that in the absence of corroborating data, and when population structure is assessed over relatively small spatial scales, the sole use of carcasses may lead to an underestimate of genetic differentiation. This can lead to a failure in identifying management units for conservation. Therefore, this risk should be carefully assessed when planning population genetic studies of cetaceans.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kerstin Bilgmann
- Marine Mammal Research Group, Graduate School of the Environment, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
43
|
Gómez-Campos E, Borrell A, Aguilar A. Nitrogen and carbon stable isotopes do not reflect nutritional condition in the striped dolphin. RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY : RCM 2011; 25:1343-7. [PMID: 21488129 DOI: 10.1002/rcm.4999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
|
44
|
Bellière EN, Esperón F, Arbelo M, Muñoz MJ, Fernández A, Sánchez-Vizcaíno JM. Presence of herpesvirus in striped dolphins stranded during the cetacean morbillivirus epizootic along the Mediterranean Spanish coast in 2007. Arch Virol 2010; 155:1307-11. [PMID: 20495987 DOI: 10.1007/s00705-010-0697-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2010] [Accepted: 05/10/2010] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
A screening for herpesvirus (HV) was carried out using a tissue bank obtained from the cetacean morbillivirus (CeMV) mortality episode that occurred along the Mediterranean Spanish coast in 2007. A total of 14 cetaceans, including six long-finned pilot whales and eight striped dolphins, were studied using histopathology and molecular analysis to detect HV and CeMV. In five of the eight dolphins (62.5%) infected with CeMV, eight novel HV sequences were also detected. No HV lesions were found in any of the coinfected dolphins, which may indicate that HV did not contribute to the mortality in the CeMV outbreak. This is the first report of HV infection in any cetacean from the Mediterranean Sea.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Edwige N Bellière
- National Institute for Agricultural and Food Research and Technology, Valdeolmos, Spain.
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
45
|
Gingrich E, Scorza A, Clifford E, Olea-Popelka F, Lappin M. Intestinal parasites of dogs on the Galapagos Islands. Vet Parasitol 2010; 169:404-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2010.01.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2009] [Revised: 12/21/2009] [Accepted: 01/14/2010] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
|
46
|
Stimmer L, Siebert U, Wohlsein P, Fontaine JJ, Baumgärtner W, Beineke A. Viral protein expression and phenotyping of inflammatory responses in the central nervous system of phocine distemper virus-infected harbor seals (Phoca vitulina). Vet Microbiol 2010; 145:23-33. [PMID: 20303682 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2010.02.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2009] [Revised: 02/18/2010] [Accepted: 02/23/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
The central nervous system (CNS) represents an important target organ of the phocine distemper virus (PDV). The aim of the present study was to characterize pathological changes in the CNS of harbor seals suffering from natural PDV-infection. The distribution of virus protein and mRNA was investigated by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and in situ hybridization, respectively. In addition, inflammatory and glial cells were characterized by IHC. Polioencephalitis with glial activation, neuronal death and perivascular mononuclear infiltrations in the cerebral cortex was the main histopathological finding. Inflammatory responses, dominated by CD3(+) T-cells and activated microglia/macrophages were associated with a prominent MHC-II upregulation within the CNS. Viral protein was found predominantly in neurofilament-expressing neurons within inflamed areas as demonstrated by immunohistochemical double-labeling. Morbillivirus nucleo-, phospho-, matrix-, fusion- and hemagglutinin-proteins were found in CNS-lesions. The expressions of viral matrix- and fusion-proteins were reduced in severely inflamed plaques. Comparison of viral protein and mRNA expression revealed a diminished amount of viral phosphoprotein preferentially associated with perivascular inflammation. In summary, CNS-lesions in PDV-infected seals are similar to canine distemper virus-induced acute polioencephalitis in dogs and measles virus inclusion body polioencephalitis in men, respectively.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lev Stimmer
- Department of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hanover, Bünteweg 17, 30559 Hannover, Germany
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
47
|
Di Guardo G, Proietto U, Di Francesco CE, Marsilio F, Zaccaroni A, Scaravelli D, Mignone W, Garibaldi F, Kennedy S, Forster F, Iulini B, Bozzetta E, Casalone C. Cerebral toxoplasmosis in striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba) stranded along the Ligurian Sea coast of Italy. Vet Pathol 2009; 47:245-53. [PMID: 20118319 DOI: 10.1177/0300985809358036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
This article reports the results of necropsy, parasitologic, microbiologic, histopathologic, immunohistochemical, indirect immunofluorescence, biomolecular, and serologic investigations on 8 striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba) found stranded from August to December 2007 on the Ligurian Sea coast of Italy. Severe, nonsuppurative meningoencephalitis was found in 4 animals, as characterized by prominent perivascular mononuclear cell cuffing and macrophage accumulations in neuropil. These lesions were associated with mild lymphocytic-plasmacytic infiltration of choroid plexuses in 1 dolphin. Toxoplasma gondii cysts and zoites, confirmed by immunohistochemical labeling, were scattered throughout the brain parenchyma of 2 of the 4 dolphins. No viral inclusions were seen in the brain of any animal. Other findings included severe bronchointerstitial pneumonia and pulmonary atelectasis, consolidation, and emphysema. Parasites were identified in a variety of organs, including lung (Halocerchus lagenorhynchi). Microbiologic and serologic examinations for Brucella spp were negative on all 8 dolphins. The 4 animals with meningoencephalitis had serum antibodies against T gondii (titers ranging from 1:80 to 1:320) but not against morbillivirus. In contrast, the other 4 dolphins were seropositive for morbillivirus (with titers ranging from 1:10 to 1:40) but seronegative for T gondii. No morbillivirus antigen or nucleic acid was detected in the tissues of any dolphin. It is concluded that the severe lung and brain lesions were the cause of death and that T gondii was the likely etiologic agent of the cerebral lesions. Morbillivirus infection was not considered to have contributed to death of these animals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- G Di Guardo
- Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
48
|
Bossart GD, Reif JS, Schaefer AM, Goldstein J, Fair PA, Saliki JT. Morbillivirus infection in free-ranging Atlantic bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) from the Southeastern United States: seroepidemiologic and pathologic evidence of subclinical infection. Vet Microbiol 2009; 143:160-6. [PMID: 20005646 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2009.11.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2009] [Revised: 11/06/2009] [Accepted: 11/16/2009] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
From 2003 to 2007, sera (n=234) from free-ranging Atlantic bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) inhabiting two southeast Atlantic estuarine regions, the Indian River Lagoon (IRL), FL and Charleston, SC (CHS) were tested for antibodies to cetacean morbilliviruses as part of a multidisciplinary study of individual and population health. Positive morbillivirus titers were found on initial capture in 12 of 122 (9.8%) IRL dolphins in the absence of an epizootic. All CHS dolphins were seronegative. Positive fluctuating morbillivirus titers and seroconversion were found in IRL dolphins. Seropositivity was detected in dolphins 8-13 years of age as well as in dolphins that were alive during the 1987-1988 epizootic. During the study period, pathologic and immunohistochemical findings from stranded IRL dolphins (n=14) did not demonstrate typical morbillivirus-associated lesions or the presence of morbillivirus antigen. The findings suggest that morbillivirus infections are occurring in the absence of widespread mortality in IRL dolphins.
Collapse
|
49
|
Beineke A, Siebert U, Wohlsein P, Baumgärtner W. Immunology of whales and dolphins. Vet Immunol Immunopathol 2009; 133:81-94. [PMID: 19700205 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetimm.2009.06.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2009] [Revised: 05/08/2009] [Accepted: 06/22/2009] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The increasing disease susceptibility in different whale and dolphin populations has led to speculation about a possible negative influence of environmental contaminants on the immune system and therefore on the health status of marine mammals. Despite current efforts in the immunology of marine mammals several aspects of immune functions in aquatic mammals remain unknown. However, assays for evaluating cellular immune responses, such as lymphocyte proliferation, respiratory burst as well as phagocytic and cytotoxic activity of leukocytes and humoral immune responses have been established for different cetacean species. Additionally, immunological and molecular techniques enable the detection and quantification of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines in lymphoid cells during inflammation or immune responses, respectively. Different T and B cell subsets as well as antigen-presenting cells can be detected by flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry. Despite great homologies between marine and terrestrial mammal lymphoid organs, some unique anatomical structures, particularly the complex lymphoepithelial laryngeal glands in cetaceans represent an adaptation to the marine environment. Additionally, physiological changes, such as age-related thymic atrophy and cystic degeneration of the "anal tonsil" of whales have to be taken into account when investigating these lymphoid structures. Systemic morbillivirus infections lead to fatalities in cetaceans associated with generalized lymphoid depletion. Similarly, chronic diseases and starvation are associated with a loss of functional lymphoid cells and decreased resistance against opportunistic infections. There is growing evidence for an immunotoxic effect of different environmental contaminants in whales and dolphins, as demonstrated in field studies. Furthermore, immunomodulatory properties of different persistent xenobiotics have been confirmed in cetacean lymphoid cells in vitro as well as in animal models in vivo. However, species-specific differences of the immune system and detoxification of xenobiotics between cetaceans and laboratory rodents have to be considered when interpreting these toxicological data for risk assessment in whales and dolphins.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Beineke
- Department of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Bünteweg 17, 30559 Hannover, Germany
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
50
|
Ohishi K, Ando A, Suzuki R, Takishita K, Kawato M, Katsumata E, Ohtsu D, Okutsu K, Tokutake K, Miyahara H, Nakamura H, Murayama T, Maruyama T. Host-virus specificity of morbilliviruses predicted by structural modeling of the marine mammal SLAM, a receptor. Comp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis 2008; 33:227-41. [PMID: 19027953 DOI: 10.1016/j.cimid.2008.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/04/2008] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Signaling lymphocyte activation molecule (SLAM) is thought to be a major cellular receptor for high-host specificity morbilliviruses, which cause devastating and highly infectious diseases in mammals. We determined the sequences of SLAM cDNA from five species of marine mammal, including two cetaceans, two pinnipeds and one sirenian, and generated three-dimensional models to understand the receptor-virus interaction. Twenty-one amino acid residues in the immunoglobulin-like V domains of the SLAMs were shown to bind the viral protein. Notably, the sequences from pinnipeds and dogs were highly homologous, which is consistent with the fact that canine distemper virus was previously shown to cause a mass die-off of seals. Among these twenty-one residues, eight (63, 66, 68, 72, 84, 119, 121 and 130) were shared by animal groups susceptible to a particular morbillivirus species. This set of residues appears to determine host-virus specificity and may be useful for risk estimation for morbilliviruses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kazue Ohishi
- Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|