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ATTIA EL HILI H, MAATOUK K. [Zoonotic potential of brucellosis in marine mammals]. MEDECINE TROPICALE ET SANTE INTERNATIONALE 2024; 4:mtsi.v4i1.2024.489. [PMID: 38846127 PMCID: PMC11151931 DOI: 10.48327/mtsi.v4i1.2024.489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2024]
Abstract
Introduction Brucellosis in marine mammals (cetacean and pinnipeds) has emerged in a very significant way during the last two decades. Currently Brucella ceti and Brucella pinnipedialis are the two recognized species in marine mammals, but available information is still limited. Several genotypes have been identified, and studies on the relationship between sequence type (ST) and organ pathogenicity or tropism have indicated differences in pathogenesis between B. ceti sequences in cetaceans. The zoonotic potential of this disease is based on the identification of the main sources of introduction and spread of Brucella spp. in the marine environment as well as on the factors of exposure of marine mammals and humans to the bacteria. Bibliographic review This article is a bibliographical review on marine mammal brucellosis, including the features, sources and transmission modes of each Brucella species, as well as their potential pathogenicity in animals and humans. Conclusion Different genotypes of marine Brucella spp have been isolated from marine mammal species but without any evidence of pathology induced by these bacteria. Associated lesions are variable and include subcutaneous abscesses, meningo-encephalomyelitis, pneumonia, myocarditis, osteoarthritis, orchitis, endometritis, placentitis and abortion. The isolation of marine B. spp from marine mammal respiratory parasites associated to lung injury has raised the intriguing possibility that they may serve as a vector for the transmission of this bacterium.The severity of marine B. spp remains unknown due to the lack of an estimate of the prevalence of this disease in marine mammals. The number of suspected human cases is still very limited. However, by analogy with other germs of the genus Brucella responsible for abortion in ruminants and for a febrile and painful state in human beings, prevention measures are essential. The significant increase in the number of strandings coupled with a high seroprevalence in certain species of marine mammals must be considered for people in direct or indirect contact with these animals. Ongoing epidemiological monitoring combined with extensive post-mortem examinations (necropsy, bacteriology and sequencing) of all species of stranded marine mammals would deepen knowledge on the zoonotic potential of marine Brucella species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kaouthar MAATOUK
- Institut national des sciences et technologies de la mer, Monastir, Tunisie
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de Carvalho TP, da Silva LA, Castanheira TLL, de Souza TD, da Paixão TA, Lazaro-Anton L, Tsolis RM, Santos RL. Cell and Tissue Tropism of Brucella spp. Infect Immun 2023; 91:e0006223. [PMID: 37129522 PMCID: PMC10187126 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00062-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Brucella spp. are facultatively intracellular bacteria that can infect, survive, and multiply in various host cell types in vivo and/or in vitro. The genus Brucella has markedly expanded in recent years with the identification of novel species and hosts, which has revealed additional information about the cell and tissue tropism of these pathogens. Classically, Brucella spp. are considered to have tropism for organs that contain large populations of phagocytes such as lymph nodes, spleen, and liver, as well as for organs of the genital system, including the uterus, epididymis, testis, and placenta. However, experimental infections of several different cultured cell types indicate that Brucella may actually have a broader cell tropism than previously thought. Indeed, recent studies indicate that certain Brucella species in particular hosts may display a pantropic distribution in vivo. This review discusses the available knowledge on cell and tissue tropism of Brucella spp. in natural infections of various host species, as well as in experimental animal models and cultured cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thaynara Parente de Carvalho
- Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of California – Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Laice Alves da Silva
- Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Thaís Larissa Lourenço Castanheira
- Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
- Instituto Federal de Educação Ciência e Tecnologia do Norte de Minas Gerais, Salinas, Brazil
| | - Tayse Domingues de Souza
- Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Facultad de Agronomía e Ingeniería Forestal, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas y Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Tatiane Alves da Paixão
- Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Leticia Lazaro-Anton
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of California – Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Renee M. Tsolis
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of California – Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Renato Lima Santos
- Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of California – Davis, Davis, California, USA
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Curtiss JB, Colegrove KM, Dianis A, Kinsel MJ, Ahmed N, Fauquier D, Rowles T, Niemeyer M, Rotstein DS, Maddox CW, Terio KA. Brucella ceti sequence type 23, 26, and 27 infections in North American cetaceans. DISEASES OF AQUATIC ORGANISMS 2022; 148:57-72. [PMID: 35200159 DOI: 10.3354/dao03644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Brucella ceti infection is associated with a variety of disease outcomes in cetaceans globally. Multiple genotypes of B. ceti have been identified. This retrospective aimed to determine if specific lesions were associated with different B. ceti DNA sequence types (STs). Characterization of ST was performed on 163 samples from 88 free-ranging cetaceans, including common bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus (T.t.; n = 73), common short-beaked dolphin Delphinus delphis (D.d.; n = 7), striped dolphin Stenella coeruleoalba (n = 3), Pacific white-sided dolphin Lagenorhynchus obliquidens (n = 2), sperm whale Physeter macrocephalus (n = 2), and harbour porpoise Phocoena phocoena (n = 1), that stranded along the coast of the US mainland and Hawaii. ST was determined using a previously described insertion sequence 711 quantitative PCR. Concordance with 9-locus multi-locus sequence typing was assessed in a subset of samples (n = 18). ST 26 was most commonly identified in adult dolphins along the US east coast with non-suppurative meningoencephalitis (p = 0.009). Animals infected with ST 27 were predominately perinates that were aborted or died shortly after birth with evidence of in utero pneumonia (p = 0.035). Reproductive tract inflammation and meningoencephalitis were also observed in adult T.t. and D.d. with ST 27, though low sample size limited interpretation. ST 23 infections can cause disease in cetacean families other than porpoises (Phocoenidae), including neurobrucellosis in D.d. In total, 11 animals were potentially infected with multiple STs. These data indicate differences in pathogenesis among B. ceti STs in free-ranging cetaceans, and infection with multiple STs is possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey B Curtiss
- Zoological Pathology Program, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Brookfield, IL 60513, USA
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Davison NJ, Dagleish MP, Ten Doeschate M, Muchowski J, Perrett LL, Rocchi M, Whatmore AM, Brownlow A. Meningoencephalitis in a common minke whale Balaenoptera acutorostrata associated with Brucella pinnipedialis and gamma-herpesvirus infection. DISEASES OF AQUATIC ORGANISMS 2021; 144:231-235. [PMID: 34042070 DOI: 10.3354/dao03590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Fatal marine Brucella infections with histologic lesions specific to the central nervous system (CNS), known as neurobrucellosis, have been described in 5 species of odontocete cetaceans in the UK: striped dolphins Stenella coeruleoalba, Atlantic white-sided dolphins Lagenorhynchus acutus, short-beaked common dolphins Delphinus delphis, long-finned pilot whale Globicephala melas and Sowerby's beaked whale Mesoplodon bidens. To date, these CNS lesions have only been associated with Brucella ceti ST26 and not with B. pinnipedialis, which is rarely isolated from cetaceans and, although commonly found in various seal species, has never been associated with any pathology. This paper describes the first report of neurobrucellosis in a common minke whale Balaenoptera acutorostrata which was associated with the isolation of Brucella pinnipedialis ST24 and co-infection with Balaenoptera acutorostrata gamma-herpesvirus 2. This is the first report of neurobrucellosis in any species of mysticete and the first report of Brucella pinnipedialis in association with any pathology in any species of marine mammal, which may be due to co-infection with a herpesvirus, as these are known to be associated with immunosuppression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas J Davison
- Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme, SRUC Northern Faculty, An Lòchran, Inverness Campus, Inverness IV2 5NA, UK
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Dagleish MP, Perri A, Maley M, Ballingall KT, Baily JL, Davison NJ, Brownlow AC, Rocchi MS. Novel Dermatitis and Relative Viral Nucleic Acid Tissue Loads in a Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus) with Systemic Cetacean Morbillivirus Infection. J Comp Pathol 2021; 183:57-62. [PMID: 33714433 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcpa.2021.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2020] [Revised: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Cetacean morbilliviruses (CeMVs) are significant causes of mortality in many cetacean species in epizootics and smaller outbreaks. Despite the prominence of skin lesions in seals and terrestrial animals, including humans, affected by other morbilliviruses, they have not been reported in CeMV-infected cetaceans. Here we report CeMV-associated skin lesions in a fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) with subacute, systemic CeMV infection that live-stranded in Scotland, UK. Grossly, the skin was sloughing in large sheets, presumed due to autolysis, but histological examination showed syncytia, below the dermoepidermal junction, that were strongly immunopositive for morbillivirus antigen, as were syncytia in other organs. By polymerase chain reaction (PCR), the relative load of CeMV-specific RNA was largest in the liver and urinary bladder, even in formalin-fixed, paraffin-wax embedded samples. Levels were low in skin and only detectable in frozen samples. Genetic comparison of the CeMV revealed close alignment with isolates from fin whales from the North Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea, but that it was distinct from the porpoise CeMV clade. These findings show skin samples can be used to diagnose CeMV infection in cetaceans, highlighting the potential of ante-mortem sampling for monitoring disease in current populations and assessment of changes in host and pathogen genetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark P Dagleish
- Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Penicuik.
| | - Adele Perri
- Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Penicuik
| | - Madeleine Maley
- Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Penicuik
| | | | - Johanna L Baily
- Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Penicuik
| | - Nicholas J Davison
- Scottish Marine Animal Strandings Scheme, SRUC Northern Faculty, An Lòchran, Inverness, Scotland, UK
| | - Andrew C Brownlow
- Scottish Marine Animal Strandings Scheme, SRUC Northern Faculty, An Lòchran, Inverness, Scotland, UK
| | - Mara S Rocchi
- Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Penicuik
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Neurobrucellosis due to Brucella ceti ST26 in Three Sowerby's Beaked Whales (Mesoplodon bidens). J Comp Pathol 2020; 182:1-8. [PMID: 33494901 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcpa.2020.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Revised: 09/22/2020] [Accepted: 10/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Fatal meningoencephalitis due to Brucella ceti infection has been described in striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba), Atlantic white-sided dolphins (Lagenorhynchus acutus), short-beaked common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) and long-finned pilot whales (Globicephala melas), which are all within the family Delphinidae. We report B. ceti-associated neurobrucellosis in three juvenile male Sowerby's beaked whales (Mesoplodon bidens) that all had typical lesions of lymphocytic meningoencephalitis, which increased in severity from rostral to caudal regions of the brain. In two cases there was loss of ependymal cells lining the cerebral ventricular system, with large numbers of lymphocytes in the underlying neuropil. This finding suggests that B. ceti gains access to, and multiplies in, the cerebrospinal fluid, and confirms that this is the sample of choice for bacteriological recovery of the causative organism. These findings expand the increasing range of cetaceans susceptible to neurobrucellosis to members of the family Ziphiidae.
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McFee WE, Wu D, Colegrove K, Terio K, Balthis L, Young R. Occurrence of Brucella ceti in stranded bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus coincides with calving season. DISEASES OF AQUATIC ORGANISMS 2020; 141:185-193. [PMID: 33089823 DOI: 10.3354/dao03526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Brucellosis is a disease caused by the Gram-negative facultative intracellular bacterium Brucella spp. In terrestrial species, this zoonotic bacterium is a global public health risk, but there is also concern over the zoonotic potential of marine forms, such as B. ceti, which affects cetaceans. Due to the detection of B. ceti in samples from bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus during the 2010-2014 Gulf of Mexico Unusual Mortality Event, a long-term study of the prevalence of Brucella in stranded bottlenose dolphins from South Carolina, USA, was conducted. From 2012 through 2017, 282 stranded bottlenose dolphins were tested for B. ceti via real-time PCR. Nearly 32% of the dolphins tested positive in at least one sample (brain, lung, blowhole swab). Very little information exists in the literature on the occurrence of Brucella spp. in marine mammals, though in terrestrial species, such as cattle and elk, higher prevalence is often reported in spring. Similar results were found in this study with the peak occurrence being between March and June, a known period of calving in South Carolina. Results from this study provide important insights into the occurrence of the marine bacterium B. ceti.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wayne E McFee
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Ocean Service, Center for Coastal Environmental Health and Biomolecular Research, Charleston, SC 29412, USA
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Sierra E, Fernández A, Felipe-Jiménez I, Zucca D, Díaz-Delgado J, Puig-Lozano R, Câmara N, Consoli F, Díaz-Santana P, Suárez-Santana C, Arbelo M. Histopathological Differential Diagnosis of Meningoencephalitis in Cetaceans: Morbillivirus, Herpesvirus, Toxoplasma gondii, Brucella sp., and Nasitrema sp. Front Vet Sci 2020; 7:650. [PMID: 33195505 PMCID: PMC7554640 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2020.00650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2020] [Accepted: 08/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Infectious and inflammatory processes are among the most common causes of central nervous system involvement in stranded cetaceans. Meningitis and encephalitis are among the leading known natural causes of death in stranded cetaceans and may be caused by a wide range of pathogens. This study describes histopathological findings in post-mortem brain tissue specimens from stranded cetaceans associated with five relevant infectious agents: viruses [Cetacean Morbillivirus (CeMV) and Herpesvirus (HV); n = 29], bacteria (Brucella sp.; n = 7), protozoa (Toxoplasma gondii; n = 6), and helminths (Nasitrema sp.; n = 1). Aetiological diagnosis was established by molecular methods. Histopathologic evaluations of brain samples were performed in all the cases, and additional histochemical and/or immunohistochemical stains were carried out accordingly. Compared with those produced by other types of pathogens in our study, the characteristic features of viral meningoencephalitis (CeMV and HV) included the most severe and frequent presence of malacia, intranuclear, and/or intracytoplasmic inclusion bodies, neuronal necrosis and associated neuronophagia, syncytia and hemorrhages, predominantly in the cerebrum. The characteristic features of Brucella sp. meningoencephalitis included the most severe and frequent presence of meningitis, perivascular cuffing, cerebellitis, myelitis, polyradiculoneuritis, choroiditis, ventriculitis, vasculitis, and fibrinoid necrosis of vessels. The characteristic features of T. gondii meningoencephalitis included lymphocytic and granulomatous encephalitis, tissue cysts, microgliosis, and oedema. In the case of Nasitrema sp. infection, lesions are all that we describe since just one animal was available. The results of this study are expected to contribute, to a large extent, to a better understanding of brain-pathogen-associated lesions in cetaceans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Sierra
- Veterinary Histology and Pathology, Institute of Animal Health and Food Safety, Veterinary School, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
| | - Antonio Fernández
- Veterinary Histology and Pathology, Institute of Animal Health and Food Safety, Veterinary School, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
| | - Idaira Felipe-Jiménez
- Veterinary Histology and Pathology, Institute of Animal Health and Food Safety, Veterinary School, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
| | - Daniele Zucca
- Veterinary Histology and Pathology, Institute of Animal Health and Food Safety, Veterinary School, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
| | - Josué Díaz-Delgado
- Veterinary Histology and Pathology, Institute of Animal Health and Food Safety, Veterinary School, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain.,Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Raquel Puig-Lozano
- Veterinary Histology and Pathology, Institute of Animal Health and Food Safety, Veterinary School, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
| | - Nakita Câmara
- Veterinary Histology and Pathology, Institute of Animal Health and Food Safety, Veterinary School, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
| | - Francesco Consoli
- Veterinary Histology and Pathology, Institute of Animal Health and Food Safety, Veterinary School, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain.,Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, University G. D'Annunzio, Chieti, Italy
| | - Pablo Díaz-Santana
- Veterinary Histology and Pathology, Institute of Animal Health and Food Safety, Veterinary School, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
| | - Cristian Suárez-Santana
- Veterinary Histology and Pathology, Institute of Animal Health and Food Safety, Veterinary School, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
| | - Manuel Arbelo
- Veterinary Histology and Pathology, Institute of Animal Health and Food Safety, Veterinary School, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
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Sierra E, Fernández A, Felipe-Jiménez I, Zucca D, Di Francesco G, Díaz-Delgado J, Sacchini S, Rivero MA, Arbelo M. Neurobrucellosis in a common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) stranded in the Canary Islands. BMC Vet Res 2019; 15:353. [PMID: 31638986 PMCID: PMC6805616 DOI: 10.1186/s12917-019-2089-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2018] [Accepted: 09/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Brucella spp. isolation is increasingly reported in cetaceans, although associated pathologies, including lesions of the musculoskeletal and nervous systems, are less frequently described. Concerning the nervous system, Brucella sp. infection causing meningitis, meningoencephalitis or meningoencephalomyelitis have been extensively reported in striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba), and less frequently in other cetacean species. Case presentation A juvenile female common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) was found stranded alive in Lanzarote (Canary Islands, Spain) in 2005, but died shortly after. On physical examination, the dolphin showed a moderate body condition and was classified as code 2 (fresh dead) at the time of necropsy. The main gross findings were severe multiorgan parasitism, thickened and congested leptomeninges, and (sero)fibrino-suppurative and proliferative arthritis of the shoulder joint. Histopathological examination revealed the distinct features of a sub-acute systemic disease associated with Cetacean Morbillivirus (CeMV) infection. However, brain lesions diverged from those reported in systemic CeMV infection. This led to suspect that there was a coinfecting pathogen, based on the characteristics of the inflammatory response and the lesion distribution pattern in the central nervous system. Brucella sp. was detected in the brain tissue by PCR and Brucella antigen was demonstrated by immunohistochemistry in the brain and shoulder joint lesions. Conclusions The zoonotic potential of marine mammal strains of Brucella has been demonstrated both in natural and laboratory conditions. In this study, PCR detected Brucella sp. in the brain of a common bottlenose dolphin stranded in the Canary Islands; the dolphin was also co-infected with CeMV. This is the first detection of Brucella sp. infection in a stranded cetacean in this archipelago. Therefore, we stress the importance of taking adequate measures during the handling of these species to prevent the transmissions of the infection to humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Sierra
- Division of Histology and Animal Pathology, Institute for Animal Health and Food Security (IUSA), Veterinary School, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35416, Arucas, Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain
| | - Antonio Fernández
- Division of Histology and Animal Pathology, Institute for Animal Health and Food Security (IUSA), Veterinary School, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35416, Arucas, Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain.
| | - Idaira Felipe-Jiménez
- Division of Histology and Animal Pathology, Institute for Animal Health and Food Security (IUSA), Veterinary School, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35416, Arucas, Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain
| | - Daniele Zucca
- Division of Histology and Animal Pathology, Institute for Animal Health and Food Security (IUSA), Veterinary School, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35416, Arucas, Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain
| | - Gabriella Di Francesco
- National and international Reference Laboratory for Brucellosis, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Abruzzo e Molise, Teramo, Italy
| | - Josué Díaz-Delgado
- Division of Histology and Animal Pathology, Institute for Animal Health and Food Security (IUSA), Veterinary School, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35416, Arucas, Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain.,Laboratory of Wildlife Comparative Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.,Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (TVMDL), College Station, TX, USA
| | - Simona Sacchini
- Division of Histology and Animal Pathology, Institute for Animal Health and Food Security (IUSA), Veterinary School, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35416, Arucas, Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain
| | - Miguel A Rivero
- Division of Histology and Animal Pathology, Institute for Animal Health and Food Security (IUSA), Veterinary School, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35416, Arucas, Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain
| | - Manuel Arbelo
- Division of Histology and Animal Pathology, Institute for Animal Health and Food Security (IUSA), Veterinary School, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35416, Arucas, Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain
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10
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Sánchez-Sarmiento AM, Carvalho VL, Díaz-Delgado J, Ressio RA, Fernandes NCCA, Guerra JM, Sacristán C, Groch KR, Silvestre-Perez N, Ferreira-Machado E, Costa-Silva S, Navas-Suárez P, Meirelles ACO, Favero C, Marigo J, Bertozzi CP, Colosio AC, Marcondes MCC, Cremer MJ, Dos Santos Silva N, Ferreira Neto JS, Keid LB, Soares R, Sierra E, Fernández A, Catão-Dias JL. Molecular, serological, pathological, immunohistochemical and microbiological investigation of Brucella spp. in marine mammals of Brazil reveals new cetacean hosts. Transbound Emerg Dis 2019; 66:1674-1692. [PMID: 30980699 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.13203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2018] [Revised: 03/19/2019] [Accepted: 03/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Brucella-exposure and infection is increasingly recognized in marine mammals worldwide. To better understand the epidemiology and health impacts of Brucella spp. in marine mammals of Brazil, molecular (conventional PCR and/or real-time PCR), serological (Rose Bengal Test [RBT], Competitive [c]ELISA, Serum Agglutination Test [SAT]), pathological, immunohistochemical (IHC) and/or microbiological investigations were conducted in samples of 129 stranded or by-caught marine mammals (orders Cetartiodactyla [n = 124], Carnivora [n = 4] and Sirenia [n = 1]). Previous serological tests performed on available sera of 27 of the 129 animals (26 cetaceans and one manatee), indicated 10 seropositive cetaceans. Conventional PCR and/or real-time PCR performed in cases with available organs (n = 119) and/or blood or swabs (n = 10) revealed 4/129 (3.1%) Brucella-infected cetaceans (one of them with positive serology; the remaining three with no available sera). Pathological, IHC and/or microbiological analyses conducted in PCR/real-time PCR and/or seropositive cases (n = 13) revealed Brucella-type lesions, including meningitis/meningoencephalitis, pneumonia, necrotizing hepatitis, pericarditis and osteoarthritis in some of those animals, and positive IHC was found in all of them (excepting two live-stranded animals without available organs). Brucella spp. culture attempts were unsuccessful. Our results demonstrated exposure, asymptomatic, acute and chronic Brucella sp. infection in several cetacean species in the Brazilian coast, highlighting the role of this pathogen in stranding and/or death, particularly in Clymene dolphin (Stenella clymene) and short-finned pilot whale (Globicephala macrorhynchus) off Ceará State. Novel hosts susceptible to Brucella included the franciscana (Pontoporia blainvillei), the Guiana dolphin (Sotalia guianensis) and the spinner dolphin (Stenella longirostris). Additionally, three coinfection cases involving Brucella spp. and cetacean morbillivirus, Edwarsiella tarda and Proteus mirabilis were detected. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first long-term and large-scale survey of Brucella spp. in marine mammals of South America, widening the spectrum of susceptible hosts and geographical distribution range of this agent with zoonotic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angélica M Sánchez-Sarmiento
- Laboratory of Wildlife Comparative Pathology, Department of Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Vitor L Carvalho
- Associação de Pesquisa e Preservação de Ecossistemas Aquáticos-AQUASIS, Caucaia, Brazil
| | - Josué Díaz-Delgado
- Laboratory of Wildlife Comparative Pathology, Department of Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | | | | | - Carlos Sacristán
- Laboratory of Wildlife Comparative Pathology, Department of Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Kátia R Groch
- Laboratory of Wildlife Comparative Pathology, Department of Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Natalia Silvestre-Perez
- Laboratory of Wildlife Comparative Pathology, Department of Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Eduardo Ferreira-Machado
- Laboratory of Wildlife Comparative Pathology, Department of Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Samira Costa-Silva
- Laboratory of Wildlife Comparative Pathology, Department of Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Pedro Navas-Suárez
- Laboratory of Wildlife Comparative Pathology, Department of Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ana C O Meirelles
- Associação de Pesquisa e Preservação de Ecossistemas Aquáticos-AQUASIS, Caucaia, Brazil
| | - Cintia Favero
- Laboratory of Wildlife Comparative Pathology, Department of Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Juliana Marigo
- Laboratory of Wildlife Comparative Pathology, Department of Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Carolina P Bertozzi
- Instituto de Biociências, campus do Litoral Paulista, IB/CLP - Universidade Estadual Paulista - UNESP, São Vicente, Brazil
| | | | | | - Marta J Cremer
- Laboratório de Ecologia e Conservação de Tetrápodes Marinhos e Costeiros, University of the Region of Joinville, São Francisco do Sul, Brazil
| | - Nairléia Dos Santos Silva
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, School of Veterinary Medicine and animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Jose Soares Ferreira Neto
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, School of Veterinary Medicine and animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Lara B Keid
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Animal Science and Food Engineering, University of São Paulo, Pirassununga, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo Soares
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, School of Veterinary Medicine and animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Eva Sierra
- Institute for Animal Health and Food Hygiene, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Las Palmas of Gran Canaria, Arucas, Gran Canaria, Spain
| | - Antonio Fernández
- Institute for Animal Health and Food Hygiene, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Las Palmas of Gran Canaria, Arucas, Gran Canaria, Spain
| | - José L Catão-Dias
- Laboratory of Wildlife Comparative Pathology, Department of Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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11
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Brucella ceti Infection in a Common Minke Whale ( Balaenoptera acutorostrata ) with Associated Pathology. J Wildl Dis 2017; 53:572-576. [PMID: 28418765 DOI: 10.7589/2016-08-200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
There are three major lineages of marine mammal strains of Brucella spp.: Brucella ceti ST23, found predominantly in porpoises; B. ceti ST26, in pelagic delphinids and ziphiids; and Brucella pinnipedialis ST24/25, predominantly in seals. The isolation of Brucella spp. in mysticetes has been described only in common minke whales ( Balaenoptera acutorostrata ) in Norway and Scotland. We report a third case of Brucella infection and isolation in a minke whale associated with a large abscess. In contrast to the two previous reports that involved isolates of B. pinnipedialis ST24 or the porpoise-associated B. ceti complex ST23, this case was associated with the dolphin-associated B. ceti ST26. Thus, minke whales can be infected naturally with members of all the distinct major lineages of Brucella associated with marine mammals. This report is unique in that the B. ceti ST26 did not originate from a pelagic delphinid or a beaked whale.
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12
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McAloose D, Rago MV, Di Martino M, Chirife A, Olson SH, Beltramino L, Pozzi LM, Musmeci L, La Sala L, Mohamed N, Sala JE, Bandieri L, Andrejuk J, Tomaszewicz A, Seimon T, Sironi M, Samartino LE, Rowntree V, Uhart MM. Post-mortem findings in southern right whales Eubalaena australis at Península Valdés, Argentina, 2003-2012. DISEASES OF AQUATIC ORGANISMS 2016; 119:17-36. [PMID: 27068500 DOI: 10.3354/dao02986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Between 2003 and 2012, 605 southern right whales (SRW; Eubalaena australis) were found dead along the shores of Península Valdés (PV), Argentina. These deaths included alarmingly high annual losses between 2007 and 2012, a peak number of deaths (116) in 2012, and a significant number of deaths across years in calves-of-the-year (544 of 605 [89.9%]; average = 60.4 yr(-1)). Post-mortem examination and pathogen testing were performed on 212 whales; 208 (98.1%) were calves-of-the-year and 48.0% of these were newborns or neonates. A known or probable cause of death was established in only a small number (6.6%) of cases. These included ship strike in a juvenile and blunt trauma or lacerations (n = 5), pneumonia (n = 4), myocarditis (n = 2), meningitis (n = 1), or myocarditis and meningitis (n = 1) in calves. Ante-mortem gull parasitism was the most common gross finding. It was associated with systemic disease in a single 1-2 mo old calf. Immunohistochemical labeling for canine distemper virus, Toxoplasma gondii and Brucella spp., and PCR for cetacean morbillivirus (CeMV), influenza A, and apicomplexan protozoa were negative on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded lung and brain samples from a subset of whales; PCR for Brucella spp. was positive in a newborn/neonate with pneumonia. Skin samples from whales with gull parasitism were PCR negative for CeMV, poxvirus, and papillomavirus. This is the first long-term study to investigate and summarize notable post-mortem findings in the PV SRW population. Consistent, significant findings within or between years to explain the majority of deaths and those in high-mortality years remain to be identified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denise McAloose
- Wildlife Conservation Society Zoological Health Program, Bronx, New York 10464, USA
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