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Munday MR, Russell ML, Clark CD, Delaney MA, Kinsel MJ, Carmichael RH, Bloodgood JCG. FOUR CASES OF SEVERED PEDUNCLES IN BOTTLENOSE DOLPHINS ( TURSIOPS TRUNCATUS) ALONG THE ALABAMA COAST. J Zoo Wildl Med 2024; 55:521-530. [PMID: 38875210 DOI: 10.1638/2023-0126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/25/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Alabama (AL) is a hotspot in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) for human interaction-related cetacean strandings, including harassment, vessel strikes, and fisheries interactions. We examined four bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) stranded dead along the AL coast during 2012-2017 with severed peduncles suspected to be related to human interaction (HI). Evidence from each case, including photographs, gross necropsy results, and histopathologic findings when available, was reviewed to determine the mode of severance and whether it contributed to death. In each case, the severance site had smooth, clean edges on at least one side, indicating the use of a sharp instrument to remove the caudal peduncle and flukes. Three cases also had evidence of fisheries interactions, including linear impressions around the rostrum, fins and/or flukes, indicating that these animals may have been entangled in fisheries gear prior to death. Histopathology in one of these cases revealed that the severance occurred perimortem; speculatively, the caudal peduncle and flukes may have been cut off to facilitate removing the dolphin from its entanglement. Although cases of amputation and mutilation are not uncommon globally among stranding reports, few cases have been described and analyzed in the literature. This paper is the first to document and compare multiple cases of severed peduncles with evidence of HI, including fisheries, in the GoM. This case series enhances our understanding of the types of HI occurring in bottlenose dolphins and highlights the need for continued public education, policy, and management to address cases like these.
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Affiliation(s)
- McKenzie R Munday
- Marine Mammal Research Program, Dauphin Island Sea Lab, Dauphin Island, AL 36528, USA
- Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, North Grafton, MA 01536, USA
| | - Mackenzie L Russell
- Marine Mammal Research Program, Dauphin Island Sea Lab, Dauphin Island, AL 36528, USA
| | - Cristina Díaz Clark
- Marine Mammal Research Program, Dauphin Island Sea Lab, Dauphin Island, AL 36528, USA
| | - Martha A Delaney
- Zoological Pathology Program, University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, Urbana, IL 61802, USA
| | - Michael J Kinsel
- Zoological Pathology Program, University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, Urbana, IL 61802, USA
| | - Ruth H Carmichael
- Marine Mammal Research Program, Dauphin Island Sea Lab, Dauphin Island, AL 36528, USA
- Stokes School of Marine and Environmental Sciences, University of South Alabama, Department of Marine Sciences, Mobile, AL 36688, USA
| | - Jennifer C G Bloodgood
- Marine Mammal Research Program, Dauphin Island Sea Lab, Dauphin Island, AL 36528, USA,
- Stokes School of Marine and Environmental Sciences, University of South Alabama, Department of Marine Sciences, Mobile, AL 36688, USA
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Barrett CE, Evans I, Morgan T, Olivier AK. Novel processing and staining methodology of bottlenose dolphin ( Tursiops truncatus) teeth for age determination. J Histotechnol 2024:1-8. [PMID: 38465369 DOI: 10.1080/01478885.2024.2327155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
Age determination of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) is a critical tool in understanding both individual and population health. There are many methods of aging bottlenose dolphins including analysis of teeth, pectoral flipper radiographs, and epigenetics. The most common and oldest method for aging toothed cetaceans is the counting of growth layer groups (GLGs) in the teeth. Current techniques have technical and repeatability challenges. Therefore, a processing technique that results in better resolution of GLGs is needed. This study compares different decalcifications and different histochemical staining techniques. Decalcification was done using 10% EDTA, Kristensen's decalcification, and Rapid Decalcification Solution (RDO). Following decalcification and routine processing, GLGs were assessed using Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E), hematoxylin, Giemsa, Wright-Giemsa, Toluidine Blue (T-Blue), Masson's Trichrome, and Congo Red staining techniques. Decalcification with Kristensen's and staining with Masson's Trichrome and Congo Red were determined to best highlight GLGs. This processing and staining was then applied to a sample population of 102 bottlenose dolphins that were evaluated independently and blindly by two observers. Of the 102 dolphin samples, 13 (12.7%) were unable to age due to no clear distinction or distortion between GLGs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christa E Barrett
- Global Center for Aquatic Health and Food Security, Mississippi State University, Mississippi, MS, USA
| | - Ian Evans
- Global Center for Aquatic Health and Food Security, Mississippi State University, Mississippi, MS, USA
| | - Timothy Morgan
- Department of Pathobiology and Population Medicine, Mississippi State University, Mississippi, MS, USA
| | - Alicia K Olivier
- Department of Pathobiology and Population Medicine, Mississippi State University, Mississippi, MS, USA
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3
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Bloodgood JCG, Deming AC, Colegrove KM, Russell ML, Díaz Clark C, Carmichael RH. Causes of death and pathogen prevalence in bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus stranded in Alabama, USA, between 2015 and 2020, following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. DISEASES OF AQUATIC ORGANISMS 2023; 155:87-102. [PMID: 37650480 DOI: 10.3354/dao03746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
Between 2010 and 2014, an unusual mortality event (UME) involving bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus occurred in the northern Gulf of Mexico, associated with the Deepwater Horizon oil spill (DWHOS). Cause of death (COD) patterns in bottlenose dolphins since then have not been analyzed, and baseline prevalence data for Brucella ceti and cetacean morbillivirus, 2 pathogens previously reported in this region, are lacking. We analyzed records from bottlenose dolphins stranded in Alabama from 2015 to 2020 with necropsy and histological findings to determine COD (n = 108). This period included another UME in 2019 associated with prolonged freshwater exposure. A subset of individuals that stranded during this period were selected for molecular testing for Brucella spp. and Morbillivirus spp. Causes of death for all age classes were grouped into 6 categories, including (1) human interaction, (2) infectious disease, (3) noninfectious disease (prolonged freshwater exposure and degenerative), (4) trauma, (5) multifactorial, and (6) unknown. Two additional categories unique to perinates included fetal distress and in utero pneumonia. Human interaction was the most common primary COD (19.4%) followed closely by infectious disease (17.6%) and noninfectious disease (freshwater exposure; 13.9%). Brucella was detected in 18.4% of the 98 animals tested, but morbillivirus was not detected in any of the 66 animals tested. Brucella was detected in some moderately to severely decomposed carcasses, indicating that it may be beneficial to test a broad condition range of stranded animals. This study provides valuable information on COD in bottlenose dolphins in Alabama following the DWHOS and is the first to examine baseline prevalence of 2 common pathogens in stranded animals from this region.
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Affiliation(s)
- J C G Bloodgood
- Dauphin Island Sea Lab, 101 Bienville Blvd., Dauphin Island, Alabama 36528, USA
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Grattarola C, Petrella A, Lucifora G, Di Francesco G, Di Nocera F, Pintore A, Cocumelli C, Terracciano G, Battisti A, Di Renzo L, Farina D, Di Francesco CE, Crescio MI, Zoppi S, Dondo A, Iulini B, Varello K, Mignone W, Goria M, Mattioda V, Giorda F, Di Guardo G, Janowicz A, Tittarelli M, De Massis F, Casalone C, Garofolo G. Brucella ceti Infection in Striped Dolphins from Italian Seas: Associated Lesions and Epidemiological Data. Pathogens 2023; 12:1034. [PMID: 37623994 PMCID: PMC10459742 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12081034] [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] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Revised: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Brucella ceti infections have been increasingly reported in cetaceans. In this study, we analyzed all cases of B. ceti infection detected in striped dolphins stranded along the Italian coastline between 2012 and 2021 (N = 24). We focused on the pathogenic role of B. ceti through detailed pathological studies, and ad hoc microbiological, biomolecular, and serological investigations, coupled with a comparative genomic analysis of the strains. Neurobrucellosis was observed in 20 animals. The primary histopathologic features included non-suppurative meningoencephalitis (N = 9), meningitis (N = 6), and meningoencephalomyelitis (N = 5), which was also associated with typical lesions in other tissues (N = 8). Co-infections were detected in more than half of the cases, mostly involving Cetacean Morbillivirus (CeMV). The 24 B. ceti isolates were assigned primarily to sequence type 26 (ST26) (N = 21) and, in a few cases, ST49 (N = 3). The multilocus sequence typing (cgMLST) based on whole genome sequencing (WGS) data showed that strains from Italy clustered into four genetically distinct clades. Plotting these clades onto a geographic map suggests a link between their phylogeny and the topographical distribution. These results support the role of B. ceti as a primary neurotropic pathogen for striped dolphins and highlight the utility of WGS data in understanding the evolution of this emerging pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Grattarola
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, 10154 Torino, Italy; (M.I.C.); (S.Z.); (A.D.); (B.I.); (K.V.); (W.M.); (M.G.); (V.M.); (F.G.); (C.C.)
| | - Antonio Petrella
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Puglia e della Basilicata, 71121 Foggia, Italy; (A.P.); (D.F.)
| | - Giuseppe Lucifora
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, 89852 Vibo Valentia, Italy;
| | - Gabriella Di Francesco
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise, 64100 Teramo, Italy; (G.D.F.); (L.D.R.)
| | - Fabio Di Nocera
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, 80055 Portici, Italy;
| | - Antonio Pintore
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sardegna, 07100 Sassari, Italy;
| | - Cristiano Cocumelli
- Istituto Zooprofilattico del Lazio e della Toscana, 00178 Roma, Italy; (C.C.); (A.B.)
| | | | - Antonio Battisti
- Istituto Zooprofilattico del Lazio e della Toscana, 00178 Roma, Italy; (C.C.); (A.B.)
| | - Ludovica Di Renzo
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise, 64100 Teramo, Italy; (G.D.F.); (L.D.R.)
| | - Donatella Farina
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Puglia e della Basilicata, 71121 Foggia, Italy; (A.P.); (D.F.)
| | | | - Maria Ines Crescio
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, 10154 Torino, Italy; (M.I.C.); (S.Z.); (A.D.); (B.I.); (K.V.); (W.M.); (M.G.); (V.M.); (F.G.); (C.C.)
| | - Simona Zoppi
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, 10154 Torino, Italy; (M.I.C.); (S.Z.); (A.D.); (B.I.); (K.V.); (W.M.); (M.G.); (V.M.); (F.G.); (C.C.)
| | - Alessandro Dondo
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, 10154 Torino, Italy; (M.I.C.); (S.Z.); (A.D.); (B.I.); (K.V.); (W.M.); (M.G.); (V.M.); (F.G.); (C.C.)
| | - Barbara Iulini
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, 10154 Torino, Italy; (M.I.C.); (S.Z.); (A.D.); (B.I.); (K.V.); (W.M.); (M.G.); (V.M.); (F.G.); (C.C.)
| | - Katia Varello
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, 10154 Torino, Italy; (M.I.C.); (S.Z.); (A.D.); (B.I.); (K.V.); (W.M.); (M.G.); (V.M.); (F.G.); (C.C.)
| | - Walter Mignone
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, 10154 Torino, Italy; (M.I.C.); (S.Z.); (A.D.); (B.I.); (K.V.); (W.M.); (M.G.); (V.M.); (F.G.); (C.C.)
| | - Maria Goria
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, 10154 Torino, Italy; (M.I.C.); (S.Z.); (A.D.); (B.I.); (K.V.); (W.M.); (M.G.); (V.M.); (F.G.); (C.C.)
| | - Virginia Mattioda
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, 10154 Torino, Italy; (M.I.C.); (S.Z.); (A.D.); (B.I.); (K.V.); (W.M.); (M.G.); (V.M.); (F.G.); (C.C.)
| | - Federica Giorda
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, 10154 Torino, Italy; (M.I.C.); (S.Z.); (A.D.); (B.I.); (K.V.); (W.M.); (M.G.); (V.M.); (F.G.); (C.C.)
| | - Giovanni Di Guardo
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Teramo, 64100 Teramo, Italy; (C.E.D.F.); (G.D.G.)
| | - Anna Janowicz
- National and OIE Reference Laboratory for Brucellosis, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise, 64100 Teramo, Italy; (A.J.); (M.T.); (F.D.M.)
| | - Manuela Tittarelli
- National and OIE Reference Laboratory for Brucellosis, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise, 64100 Teramo, Italy; (A.J.); (M.T.); (F.D.M.)
| | - Fabrizio De Massis
- National and OIE Reference Laboratory for Brucellosis, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise, 64100 Teramo, Italy; (A.J.); (M.T.); (F.D.M.)
| | - Cristina Casalone
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, 10154 Torino, Italy; (M.I.C.); (S.Z.); (A.D.); (B.I.); (K.V.); (W.M.); (M.G.); (V.M.); (F.G.); (C.C.)
| | - Giuliano Garofolo
- National and OIE Reference Laboratory for Brucellosis, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise, 64100 Teramo, Italy; (A.J.); (M.T.); (F.D.M.)
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5
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Sharp SM, Gomez FM, Meegan JM, Rowles TK, Townsend F, Schwacke LH, Smith CR. Using Blood Gas Analysis and Capnography to Determine Oxygenation Status in Bottlenose Dolphins ( Tursiops truncatus) Following the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. TOXICS 2023; 11:toxics11050423. [PMID: 37235238 DOI: 10.3390/toxics11050423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Revised: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Following the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill in 2010, poor pulmonary health and reproductive failure in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in the northern Gulf of Mexico were well-documented. One postulated etiology for the increased fetal distress syndrome and pneumonia found in affected perinatal dolphins was maternal hypoxia caused by lung disease. The objective of this study was to evaluate the utility of blood gas analysis and capnography in determining oxygenation status in bottlenose dolphins with and without pulmonary disease. Blood and breath samples were collected from 59 free-ranging dolphins in Barataria Bay, Louisiana (BB), during a capture-release health assessment program, and from 30 managed dolphins from the U.S. Navy Marine Mammal Program in San Diego, CA. The former was the oil-exposed cohort and the latter served as a control cohort with known health histories. Capnography and select blood gas parameters were compared based on the following factors: cohort, sex, age/length class, reproductive status, and severity of pulmonary disease. Animals with moderate-severe lung disease had higher bicarbonate concentrations (p = 0.005), pH (p < 0.001), TCO2 (p = 0.012), and more positive base excess (p = 0.001) than animals with normal-mild disease. Capnography (ETCO2) was found to have a weak positive correlation with blood PCO2 (p = 0.020), with a mean difference of 5.02 mmHg (p < 0.001). Based on these findings, indirect oxygenation measures, including TCO2, bicarbonate, and pH, show promise in establishing the oxygenation status in dolphins with and without pulmonary disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah M Sharp
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, San Diego, CA 92106, USA
- International Fund for Animal Welfare, Yarmouth Port, MA 02675, USA
| | | | - Jenny M Meegan
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, San Diego, CA 92106, USA
| | - Teresa K Rowles
- Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program, National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA
| | - Forrest Townsend
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36832, USA
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Rebollada-Merino A, García-Seco T, Pérez-Sancho M, Domínguez L, Rodríguez-Bertos A. Histopathologic and immunohistochemical findings in the placentas and fetuses of domestic swine naturally infected with Brucella suis biovar 2. J Vet Diagn Invest 2023; 35:258-265. [PMID: 36988301 PMCID: PMC10186003 DOI: 10.1177/10406387231163867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Porcine brucellosis, which is caused by Brucella suis biovar (bv) 2, is a re-emerging disease that causes reproductive problems in pigs in Europe. The pathogenesis and lesions of B. suis intrauterine infection are poorly characterized; characterization could facilitate the diagnosis and investigation of porcine brucellosis. We collected samples of placentas and fetuses for histologic and microbiologic studies during an outbreak of abortions on a pig-breeding farm in Spain. Brucella was cultured from the vaginal swabs obtained from sows that had aborted, some placentas, and fetal tissues (spleen, liver, lung, gastric content); molecular testing confirmed B. suis bv 2 infection. Histologically, there was necrotizing and hemorrhagic placentitis; suppurative hepatitis; lymphoid depletion and sinusoidal histiocytosis in the spleen, lymph nodes, and thymus; and bronchointerstitial pneumonia. Hemorrhages were observed in the umbilical cord, heart, kidneys, and brain. We detected Brucella by immunohistochemistry (IHC) in all of the placentas and fetal organs studied, specifically in the trophoblasts of the chorionic epithelium, in the cytoplasm of macrophages in the chorionic stroma, and extracellularly in necrotic debris. Furthermore, we assessed the lymphocyte population in the placentas through the use of IHC (anti-CD3, anti-Pax5 antibodies), revealing that the lymphocytic response was composed of T cells but not B cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agustín Rebollada-Merino
- VISAVET Health Surveillance Centre, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Departments of Internal Medicine and Animal Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Teresa García-Seco
- VISAVET Health Surveillance Centre, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta Pérez-Sancho
- VISAVET Health Surveillance Centre, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Lucas Domínguez
- VISAVET Health Surveillance Centre, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Antonio Rodríguez-Bertos
- VISAVET Health Surveillance Centre, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Departments of Internal Medicine and Animal Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
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Balik SE, Ossiboff RJ, Stacy NI, Wellehan JFX, Huguet EE, Gallastegui A, Childress AL, Baldrica BE, Dolan BA, Adler LE, Walsh MT. Case report: Sarcocystis speeri, Aspergillus fumigatus, and novel Treponema sp. infections in an adult Atlantic spotted dolphin (Stenella frontalis). Front Vet Sci 2023; 10:1132161. [PMID: 37077953 PMCID: PMC10106728 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1132161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
A complete postmortem examination, including a computed tomography scan “virtopsy” (virtual necropsy), gross necropsy, cytology, histology, and molecular diagnostics were performed to investigate the cause of death of a deceased adult male Atlantic spotted dolphin (Stenella frontalis) that stranded on Pensacola Beach, Florida, USA in February 2020. Significant findings included chronic inflammation of the meninges, brain, and spinal cord with intralesional protozoa (identified as Sarcocystis speeri via 18S rRNA and ITS-1 sequences), suppurative fungal tracheitis and bronchopneumonia (identified as Aspergillus fumigatus via ITS-2 gene sequence) and ulcerative bacterial glossitis (associated with a novel Treponema species, Candidatus Treponema stenella, identified via 23S rRNA gene sequence). This is the first reported case of S. speeri in a marine mammal. Little is understood about the epidemiology of S. speeri, including the identity of its intermediate hosts. The findings of this case suggest that S. frontalis may be a capable aberrant host and experience morbidity and mortality from this parasite. It is suspected that the novel Treponema and Aspergillus fumigatus infections were opportunistic or secondary to immunosuppression, either due to S. speeri infection or other co-morbidities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Emily Balik
- Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
- *Correspondence: Sarah Emily Balik
| | - Robert James Ossiboff
- Department of Comparative, Diagnostic, and Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Nicole Indra Stacy
- Department of Comparative, Diagnostic, and Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - James F. X. Wellehan
- Department of Comparative, Diagnostic, and Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Elodie E. Huguet
- Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Aitor Gallastegui
- Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - April L. Childress
- Department of Comparative, Diagnostic, and Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | | | | | - Laurie E. Adler
- Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Michael Thomas Walsh
- Department of Comparative, Diagnostic, and Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
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8
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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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9
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Linnehan BK, Gomez FM, Huston SM, Hsu A, Takeshita R, Colegrove KM, Harms CA, Barratclough A, Deming AC, Rowles TK, Musser WB, Zolman ES, Wells RS, Jensen ED, Schwacke LH, Smith CR. Cardiac assessments of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in the Northern Gulf of Mexico following exposure to Deepwater Horizon oil. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0261112. [PMID: 34905585 PMCID: PMC8670661 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0261112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill profoundly impacted the health of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in Barataria Bay, LA (BB). To comprehensively assess the cardiac health of dolphins living within the DWH oil spill footprint, techniques for in-water cardiac evaluation were refined with dolphins cared for by the U.S. Navy Marine Mammal Program in 2018 and applied to free-ranging bottlenose dolphins in BB (n = 34) and Sarasota Bay, Florida (SB) (n = 19), a non-oiled reference population. Cardiac auscultation detected systolic murmurs in the majority of dolphins from both sites (88% BB, 89% SB) and echocardiography showed most of the murmurs were innocent flow murmurs attributed to elevated blood flow velocity [1]. Telemetric six-lead electrocardiography detected arrhythmias in BB dolphins (43%) and SB dolphins (31%), all of which were considered low to moderate risk for adverse cardiac events. Echocardiography showed BB dolphins had thinner left ventricular walls, with significant differences in intraventricular septum thickness at the end of diastole (p = 0.002), and left ventricular posterior wall thickness at the end of diastole (p = 0.033). BB dolphins also had smaller left atrial size (p = 0.004), higher prevalence of tricuspid valve prolapse (p = 0.003), higher prevalence of tricuspid valve thickening (p = 0.033), and higher prevalence of aortic valve thickening (p = 0.008). Two dolphins in BB were diagnosed with pulmonary arterial hypertension based on Doppler echocardiography-derived estimates and supporting echocardiographic findings. Histopathology of dolphins who stranded within the DWH oil spill footprint showed a significantly higher prevalence of myocardial fibrosis (p = 0.003), regardless of age, compared to dolphins outside the oil spill footprint. In conclusion, there were substantial cardiac abnormalities identified in BB dolphins which may be related to DWH oil exposure, however, future work is needed to rule out other hypotheses and further elucidate the connection between oil exposure, pulmonary disease, and the observed cardiac abnormalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara K. Linnehan
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, San Diego, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Forrest M. Gomez
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Sharon M. Huston
- San Diego Veterinary Cardiology, San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Adonia Hsu
- San Diego Veterinary Cardiology, San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Ryan Takeshita
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Kathleen M. Colegrove
- Zoological Pathology Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Brookfield, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Craig A. Harms
- North Carolina State University, Center for Marine Sciences and Technology, Morehead City, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Ashley Barratclough
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Alissa C. Deming
- Dauphin Island Sea Lab, Dauphin Island, Alabama, United States of America
| | - Teri K. Rowles
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Office of Protected Resources, Silver Spring, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Whitney B. Musser
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Eric S. Zolman
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Randall S. Wells
- Chicago Zoological Society’s Sarasota Dolphin Research Program, c/o Mote Marine Laboratory, Sarasota, Florida, United States of America
| | - Eric D. Jensen
- U.S. Navy Marine Mammal Program, Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific, San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Lori H. Schwacke
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Cynthia R. Smith
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, San Diego, California, United States of America
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Takeshita R, Bursian SJ, Colegrove KM, Collier TK, Deak K, Dean KM, De Guise S, DiPinto LM, Elferink CJ, Esbaugh AJ, Griffitt RJ, Grosell M, Harr KE, Incardona JP, Kwok RK, Lipton J, Mitchelmore CL, Morris JM, Peters ES, Roberts AP, Rowles TK, Rusiecki JA, Schwacke LH, Smith CR, Wetzel DL, Ziccardi MH, Hall AJ. A review of the toxicology of oil in vertebrates: what we have learned following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. JOURNAL OF TOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH. PART B, CRITICAL REVIEWS 2021; 24:355-394. [PMID: 34542016 DOI: 10.1080/10937404.2021.1975182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
In the wake of the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill, a number of government agencies, academic institutions, consultants, and nonprofit organizations conducted lab- and field-based research to understand the toxic effects of the oil. Lab testing was performed with a variety of fish, birds, turtles, and vertebrate cell lines (as well as invertebrates); field biologists conducted observations on fish, birds, turtles, and marine mammals; and epidemiologists carried out observational studies in humans. Eight years after the spill, scientists and resource managers held a workshop to summarize the similarities and differences in the effects of DWH oil on vertebrate taxa and to identify remaining gaps in our understanding of oil toxicity in wildlife and humans, building upon the cross-taxonomic synthesis initiated during the Natural Resource Damage Assessment. Across the studies, consistency was found in the types of toxic response observed in the different organisms. Impairment of stress responses and adrenal gland function, cardiotoxicity, immune system dysfunction, disruption of blood cells and their function, effects on locomotion, and oxidative damage were observed across taxa. This consistency suggests conservation in the mechanisms of action and disease pathogenesis. From a toxicological perspective, a logical progression of impacts was noted: from molecular and cellular effects that manifest as organ dysfunction, to systemic effects that compromise fitness, growth, reproductive potential, and survival. From a clinical perspective, adverse health effects from DWH oil spill exposure formed a suite of signs/symptomatic responses that at the highest doses/concentrations resulted in multi-organ system failure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Takeshita
- Conservation Medicine, National Marine Mammal Foundation, San Diego, California, United States
| | - Steven J Bursian
- Department of Animal Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States
| | - Kathleen M Colegrove
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Brookfield, Illinois, United States
| | - Tracy K Collier
- Zoological Pathology Program, Huxley College of the Environment, Western Washington University, Bellingham, Washington, United States
| | - Kristina Deak
- College of Marine Sciences, University of South Florida, St. Petersburg, Florida, United States
| | | | - Sylvain De Guise
- Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, United States
| | - Lisa M DiPinto
- Office of Response and Restoration, NOAA, Silver Spring, Maryland, United States
| | - Cornelis J Elferink
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, United States
| | - Andrew J Esbaugh
- Marine Science Institute, University of Texas at Austin, Port Aransas, Texas, United States
| | - Robert J Griffitt
- Division of Coastal Sciences, School of Ocean Science and Engineering, University of Southern Mississippi, Gulfport, Mississippi, United States
| | - Martin Grosell
- RSMAS, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, United States
| | | | - John P Incardona
- NOAA Environmental Conservation Division, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, Seattle, Washington, United States
| | - Richard K Kwok
- Department of Health and Human Services, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, North Carolina, United States
| | | | - Carys L Mitchelmore
- University of Maryland Center of Environmental Science, Chesapeake Biological Laboratory, Solomons, Maryland, United States
| | - Jeffrey M Morris
- Health and Environment Division, Abt Associates, Boulder, Colorado, United States
| | - Edward S Peters
- Department of Epidemiology, LSU School of Public Health, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
| | - Aaron P Roberts
- Advanced Environmental Research Institute and Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas, United States
| | - Teresa K Rowles
- NOAA Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service, Silver Spring, Maryland, United States
| | - Jennifer A Rusiecki
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, Maryland, United States
| | - Lori H Schwacke
- Conservation Medicine, National Marine Mammal Foundation, San Diego, California, United States
| | - Cynthia R Smith
- Conservation Medicine, National Marine Mammal Foundation, San Diego, California, United States
| | - Dana L Wetzel
- Environmental Laboratory of Forensics, Mote Marine Laboratory, Sarasota, Florida, United States
| | - Michael H Ziccardi
- School of Veterinary Medicine, One Health Institute, University of California, Davis, California, United States
| | - Ailsa J Hall
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
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11
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Takeshita R, Balmer BC, Messina F, Zolman ES, Thomas L, Wells RS, Smith CR, Rowles TK, Schwacke LH. High site-fidelity in common bottlenose dolphins despite low salinity exposure and associated indicators of compromised health. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0258031. [PMID: 34591903 PMCID: PMC8483354 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0258031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
More than 2,000 common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) inhabit the Barataria Bay Estuarine System in Louisiana, USA, a highly productive estuary with variable salinity driven by natural and man-made processes. It was unclear whether dolphins that are long-term residents to specific areas within the basin move in response to fluctuations in salinity, which at times can decline to 0 parts per thousand in portions of the basin. In June 2017, we conducted health assessments and deployed satellite telemetry tags on dolphins in the northern portions of the Barataria Bay Estuarine System Stock area (9 females; 4 males). We analyzed their fine-scale movements relative to modeled salinity trends compared to dolphins tagged near the barrier islands (higher salinity environments) from 2011 to 2017 (37 females; 21 males). Even though we observed different movement patterns among individual dolphins, we found no evidence that tagged dolphins moved coincident with changes in salinity. One tagged dolphin spent at least 35 consecutive days, and 75 days in total, in salinity under 5 parts per thousand. Health assessments took place early in a seasonal period of decreased salinity. Nonetheless, we found an increased prevalence of skin lesions, as well as abnormalities in serum biochemical markers and urine:serum osmolality ratios for dolphins sampled in lower salinity areas. This study provides essential information on the likely behavioral responses of dolphins to changes in salinity (e.g., severe storms or from the proposed Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion project) and on physiological markers to inform the timing and severity of impacts from low salinity exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Takeshita
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, San Diego, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Brian C. Balmer
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Francesca Messina
- Water Institute of the Gulf, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States of America
| | - Eric S. Zolman
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Len Thomas
- Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, United Kingdom
| | - Randall S. Wells
- Chicago Zoological Society’s Sarasota Dolphin Research Program, Mote Marine Laboratory, Sarasota, Florida, United States of America
| | - Cynthia R. Smith
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Teresa K. Rowles
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service, Office of Protected Resources, Silver Spring, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Lori H. Schwacke
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, San Diego, California, United States of America
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12
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Bowen-Stevens SR, Gannon DP, Hazelkorn RA, Lovewell G, Volker KM, Smith S, Tumlin MC, Litz J. Diet of Common Bottlenose Dolphins, Tursiops truncatus, that Stranded in and Near Barataria Bay, Louisiana, 2010–2012. SOUTHEAST NAT 2021. [DOI: 10.1656/058.020.0113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Damon P. Gannon
- University of Georgia Marine Institute, PO Box 32, Sapelo Island, GA 31327
| | | | - Gretchen Lovewell
- Stranding Investigations Program, Mote Marine Laboratory, Sarasota, FL 34236
| | - Kristen M. Volker
- Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center, Virginia Beach, VA 23451
| | - Suzanne Smith
- Audubon Aquarium of the Americas, New Orleans, LA 70130
| | - Mandy C. Tumlin
- Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Baton Rouge, LA 70898
| | - Jenny Litz
- National Marine Fisheries Service, Southeast Fisheries Science Center, Miami, FL 33149
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13
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McCormack MA, Jackson BP, Dutton J. Relationship between mercury and selenium concentrations in tissues from stranded odontocetes in the northern Gulf of Mexico. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 749:141350. [PMID: 33370896 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Revised: 07/13/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Odontocetes are apex predators that, despite accumulating mercury (Hg) to high concentrations in their tissues, show few signs of Hg toxicity. One method of Hg detoxification in odontocetes includes the sequestering of Hg in toxicologically inert mercury selenide (HgSe) compounds. To explore the tissue-specific accumulation of Hg and Se and the potential protective role of Se against Hg toxicity, we measured the concentrations of total mercury (THg) and selenium (Se) in multiple tissues from 11 species of odontocetes that stranded along the northern Gulf of Mexico coast [Florida (FL) and Louisiana (LA)]. Tissues were collected primarily from bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus; n = 93); however, individuals from species in the following 8 genera were also sampled: Feresa (n = 1), Globicephala (n = 1), Grampus (n = 2), Kogia (n = 5), Mesoplodon (n = 1), Peponocephala (n = 4), Stenella (n = 9), and Steno (n = 1). In all species, mean THg concentrations were greatest in the liver and lowest in the blubber, lung, or skin. In contrast, in most species, mean Se concentrations were greatest in the liver, lung, or skin, and lowest in the blubber. For all species combined, Se:Hg molar ratios decreased with increasing THg concentration in the blubber, kidney, liver, lung, and skin following an exponential decay relationship. In bottlenose dolphins, THg concentrations in the kidney, liver, and lung were significantly greater in FL dolphins compared to LA dolphins. On average, in bottlenose dolphins, Se:Hg molar ratios were approximately 1:1 in the liver and >1:1 in blubber, kidney, lung, and skin, suggesting that Se likely protects against Hg toxicity. However, more research is necessary to understand the variation in Hg accumulation within and among species and to assess how Hg, in combination with other environmental stressors, influences odontocete population health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meaghan A McCormack
- Department of Biology, Texas State University, Aquatic Station, San Marcos, TX 78666, USA.
| | - Brian P Jackson
- Department of Earth Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, USA.
| | - Jessica Dutton
- Department of Biology, Texas State University, Aquatic Station, San Marcos, TX 78666, USA.
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14
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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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15
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Garofolo G, Petrella A, Lucifora G, Di Francesco G, Di Guardo G, Pautasso A, Iulini B, Varello K, Giorda F, Goria M, Dondo A, Zoppi S, Di Francesco CE, Giglio S, Ferringo F, Serrecchia L, Ferrantino MAR, Zilli K, Janowicz A, Tittarelli M, Mignone W, Casalone C, Grattarola C. Occurrence of Brucella ceti in striped dolphins from Italian Seas. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0240178. [PMID: 33007030 PMCID: PMC7531818 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0240178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2020] [Accepted: 09/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Brucella ceti infections have been increasingly reported in cetaceans, although a very limited characterization of Mediterranean Brucella spp. isolates has been previously reported and relatively few data exist about brucellosis among cetaceans in Italy. To address this gap, we studied 8 cases of B. ceti infection in striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba) stranded along the Italian coastline from 2012 to 2018, investigated thanks to the Italian surveillance activity on stranded cetaceans. We focused on cases of stranding in eastern and western Italian seas, occurred along the Apulia (N = 6), Liguria (N = 1) and Calabria (N = 1) coastlines, through the analysis of gross and microscopic findings, the results of microbiological, biomolecular and serological investigations, as well as the detection of other relevant pathogens. The comparative genomic analysis used whole genome sequences of B. ceti from Italy paired with the publicly available complete genomes. Pathological changes consistent with B. ceti infection were detected in the central nervous system of 7 animals, showing non-suppurative meningoencephalitis. In 4 cases severe coinfections were detected, mostly involving Dolphin Morbillivirus (DMV). The severity of B. ceti-associated lesions supports the role of this microbial agent as a primary neurotropic pathogen for striped dolphins. We classified the 8 isolates into the common sequence type 26 (ST-26). Whole genome SNP analysis showed that the strains from Italy clustered into two genetically distinct clades. The first clade comprised exclusively the isolates from Ionian and Adriatic Seas, while the second one included the strain from the Ligurian Sea and those from the Catalonian coast. Plotting these clades onto the geographic map suggests a link between their phylogeny and topographical distribution. These results represent the first extensive characterization of B. ceti isolated from Italian waters reported to date and show the usefulness of WGS for understanding of the evolution of this emerging pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuliano Garofolo
- National and OIE Reference Laboratory for Brucellosis, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise, Teramo, Italy
| | - Antonio Petrella
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Puglia e della Basilicata, Foggia, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Lucifora
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, Vibo Valentia, Italy
| | - Gabriella Di Francesco
- National and OIE Reference Laboratory for Brucellosis, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise, Teramo, Italy
| | | | | | - Barbara Iulini
- OIE Collaborating Centre Health of Marine Mammals, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, Torino, Italy
| | - Katia Varello
- OIE Collaborating Centre Health of Marine Mammals, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, Torino, Italy
| | - Federica Giorda
- OIE Collaborating Centre Health of Marine Mammals, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, Torino, Italy
- Institute for Animal Health and Food Safety (IUSA), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain
| | - Maria Goria
- OIE Collaborating Centre Health of Marine Mammals, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, Torino, Italy
| | - Alessandro Dondo
- OIE Collaborating Centre Health of Marine Mammals, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, Torino, Italy
| | - Simona Zoppi
- OIE Collaborating Centre Health of Marine Mammals, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, Torino, Italy
| | | | - Stefania Giglio
- M.A.R.E. Calabria Association, Montepaone (Catanzaro), Italy
| | - Furio Ferringo
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Puglia e della Basilicata, Foggia, Italy
| | - Luigina Serrecchia
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Puglia e della Basilicata, Foggia, Italy
| | | | - Katiuscia Zilli
- National and OIE Reference Laboratory for Brucellosis, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise, Teramo, Italy
| | - Anna Janowicz
- National and OIE Reference Laboratory for Brucellosis, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise, Teramo, Italy
| | - Manuela Tittarelli
- National and OIE Reference Laboratory for Brucellosis, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise, Teramo, Italy
| | - Walter Mignone
- OIE Collaborating Centre Health of Marine Mammals, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, Torino, Italy
| | - Cristina Casalone
- OIE Collaborating Centre Health of Marine Mammals, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, Torino, Italy
| | - Carla Grattarola
- OIE Collaborating Centre Health of Marine Mammals, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, Torino, Italy
- * E-mail:
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16
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Detection of Brucella ceti in Two Indo-Pacific Finless Porpoises ( Neophocaena Phocaenoides) Stranded in Hong Kong. J Wildl Dis 2020; 56:698-701. [PMID: 32216678 DOI: 10.7589/2019-05-113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Brucella ceti has been detected in several species of free-ranging odontocetes, in several geographic areas but it has not been reported in Indo-Pacific finless porpoises (Neophocaena phocaenoides) nor in any odontocetes in waters in the South China Sea. Sampling of odontocetes stranded in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China, was carried out as part of a stranding monitoring program to evaluate the pathogens harbored by these threatened species. A real-time PCR method targeting the Brucella genus-specific 31kDa Brucella cell surface salt extractable (bcsp31) gene, gene sequencing, and phylogenetic characterisation produced three PCR products of the expected size and sequence, from two stranded Indo-Pacific finless porpoises. The PCR products were obtained from brain tissue from of a neonate and from mammary fluid from a sexually mature female. Further testing for this pathogen should be performed to determine whether Brucella ceti might have a detrimental effect on reproduction and calf survival in Indo-Pacific finless porpoises and pose a threat to the conservation of this species. The importance of biosafety and biosecurity measures when handling cetaceans or their tissues and products in the South China Sea is also highlighted.
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17
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Ivančić M, Gomez FM, Musser WB, Barratclough A, Meegan JM, Waitt SM, Cárdenas Llerenas A, Jensen ED, Smith CR. Ultrasonographic findings associated with normal pregnancy and fetal well-being in the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). Vet Radiol Ultrasound 2020; 61:215-226. [PMID: 31899939 PMCID: PMC7155047 DOI: 10.1111/vru.12835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2019] [Revised: 09/10/2019] [Accepted: 10/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Reproductive success is vital in sustaining free‐ranging and managed bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) populations. Ultrasonography is an invaluable, non‐invasive tool in assessing the fetomaternal unit in humans and animals, including dolphins and horses. The purpose of this prospective longitudinal cohort study was to develop a protocol for fetomaternal ultrasonographic monitoring in dolphins and to report normal measurements and descriptive findings correlated with a positive outcome. From 2010 to 2017, serial ultrasonographic evaluations of 12 healthy dolphins were performed over the course of 16 pregnancies. A total of 203 ultrasound examinations were included in the study. Several metrics were accurate in predicting fetal age. Fetal biparietal diameter (BPD), thoracic width in dorsal and transverse planes, thoracic height in a sagittal plane, aortic diameter, and blubber thickness all demonstrated high correlation with gestational age (r > 0.94, P < .00001). Regional uteroplacental thickness significantly increased with each trimester (range 0.22–0.40 cm; P < .00011 cranial uterus, P < .00057 mid, and P < .000011 caudal). Lung:liver mean pixel intensity was 2.57 ± 0.46 (95% confidence interval 2.47‐2.67). Ultrasonographic characteristics of normal pregnancy in dolphins are described and an equation for prediction of parturition date in Tursiops is reported: days to parturition = 348.16 − (26.03 × BPD(cm)) (R2 = 0.99). Future applications of these normal data will help identify in utero abnormalities indicative of fetal morbidity, and improve understanding of reproductive failure in wild and managed populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Ivančić
- Chicago Zoological Society, Brookfield Zoo, Brookfield, Illinois
| | | | | | | | | | - Sophie M Waitt
- University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
| | | | - Eric D Jensen
- US Navy Marine Mammal Program, San Diego, California
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18
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Esquible JA, Burek-Huntington K, Atkinson S, Klink AC, Bortz E, Goldstein TA, Beckmen K, Pabilonia K, Tiller R. Pathological findings and survey for pathogens associated with reproductive failure in perinatal Steller sea lions Eumetopias jubatus. DISEASES OF AQUATIC ORGANISMS 2019; 137:131-144. [PMID: 31854331 DOI: 10.3354/dao03421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Steller sea lions (SSLs) Eumetopias jubatus experienced a population decline in the 1960s, leading to the listing of the western stock as endangered and the eastern stock as threatened under the US Endangered Species Act. A decrease of births in the western stock beginning in the late 1960s indicates that reproductive failure may have contributed to the decline. We evaluated the role pathogens play in spontaneous abortions, premature births and neonatal deaths in SSLs. Archived tissues from carcasses (n = 19) collected in Alaska from 2002 to 2015 were tested by PCR for Coxiella burnetii, Brucella spp., Chlamydia and morbilliviruses. Animals examined included 47% premature pups, 32% aborted fetuses, 11% neonates and 11% intrauterine fetuses. Gross necropsy and histology findings were summarized in the context of the PCR findings. Tissues were negative for Chlamydia and C. burnetii. Brucella spp. were detected in the lung tissues of 3 animals, including 1 positive for the ST27 strain, the first detection of Brucella spp. DNA in SSLs. Phocine distemper virus was detected in 3 animals in 2 skin lesions and 1 placenta by hemi-nested diagnostic qRT-PCR. Both skin and the placental lesions had vesiculoulcerative changes, and 1 skin lesion contained inclusion bodies in syncytia and upon histologic examination, suggesting that the lesions may be associated with an infection reminiscent of phocine distemper virus, the first in SSLs. We highlight the continuing need for disease surveillance programs to improve our understanding of the prevalence and potential population impacts of these infectious disease agents for pinnipeds in Alaskan waters.
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Affiliation(s)
- J A Esquible
- College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 107 Alex Hately, Bethel, AK 99559, USA
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Barratclough A, Wells RS, Schwacke LH, Rowles TK, Gomez FM, Fauquier DA, Sweeney JC, Townsend FI, Hansen LJ, Zolman ES, Balmer BC, Smith CR. Health Assessments of Common Bottlenose Dolphins ( Tursiops truncatus): Past, Present, and Potential Conservation Applications. Front Vet Sci 2019; 6:444. [PMID: 31921905 PMCID: PMC6923228 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2019.00444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2019] [Accepted: 11/26/2019] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) is a global marine mammal species for which some populations, due to their coastal accessibility, have been monitored diligently by scientists for decades. Health assessment examinations have developed a comprehensive knowledge base of dolphin biology, population structure, and environmental or anthropogenic stressors affecting their dynamics. Bottlenose dolphin health assessments initially started as stock assessments prior to acquisition. Over the last four decades, health assessments have evolved into essential conservation management tools of free-ranging dolphin populations. Baseline data enable comparison of stressors between geographic locations and associated changes in individual and population health status. In addition, long-term monitoring provides opportunities for insights into population shifts over time, with retrospective application of novel diagnostic tests on archived samples. Expanding scientific knowledge enables effective long-term conservation management strategies by facilitating informed decision making and improving social understanding of the anthropogenic effects. The ability to use bottlenose dolphins as a model for studying marine mammal health has been pivotal in our understanding of anthropogenic effects on multiple marine mammal species. Future studies aim to build on current knowledge to influence management decisions and species conservation. This paper reviews the historical approaches to dolphin health assessments, present day achievements, and development of future conservation goals.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Randall S Wells
- Chicago Zoological Society's Sarasota Dolphin Research Program, Mote Marine Laboratory, Sarasota, FL, United States
| | - Lori H Schwacke
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Teresa K Rowles
- NOAA, National Marine Fisheries Service, Office of Protected Resources, Silver Spring, MD, United States
| | - Forrest M Gomez
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Deborah A Fauquier
- NOAA, National Marine Fisheries Service, Office of Protected Resources, Silver Spring, MD, United States
| | | | | | - Larry J Hansen
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Eric S Zolman
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Brian C Balmer
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Cynthia R Smith
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, San Diego, CA, United States
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Danil K, Dennison S, Wurster E, Garner MM, Lulich J, St Leger J. Renal and vaginal calculi in a free-ranging long-beaked common dolphin Delphinus capensis. DISEASES OF AQUATIC ORGANISMS 2019; 136:265-271. [PMID: 31724559 DOI: 10.3354/dao03414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Bilateral nephrolithiasis with a concurrent vaginal calculus was identified in a stranded free-ranging long-beaked common dolphin Delphinus capensis. Necropsy and radiologic examinations of the sexually mature D. capensis revealed multiple small irregularly round nephroliths and a 6.4 × 4.1 × 9.2 cm vaginal calculus weighing 182 g. Nephroliths numbered 68 and 71 in the left and right kidneys, respectively, and ranged from 1.7 to 6.9 mm in diameter. Nephroliths were composed of 100% ammonium urate, which has been found in captive dolphin populations. However, the vaginolith consisted of struvite and calcium carbonate suggesting an alternate etiology. The composition of the vaginolith suggests that bacterial vaginitis could have served as the predisposing condition. Renal lesions included chronic tubulointerstitial nephritis with tubular degeneration and loss, likely secondary to the nephroliths. The pathogenesis of ammonium urate nephrolithiasis in managed care is suspected to be linked to diet and age but in this case may be due to metabolic disruption. However, if environmental changes cause a shift in prey species, the risk of nephrolithiasis in free-ranging cetaceans could increase. Careful surveillance for nephroliths in free-ranging populations should be considered by researchers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerri Danil
- Southwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
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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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Radiographic assessment of pectoral flipper bone maturation in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), as a novel technique to accurately estimate chronological age. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0222722. [PMID: 31557197 PMCID: PMC6762177 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0222722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2019] [Accepted: 09/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Accurate age estimation in wildlife conservation is an important diagnostic tool in the interpretation of biological data, necropsy examination, reproductive status and population demographics. The most frequently utilized methods to age bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) include tooth extraction; counting dental growth layer groups and dental radiography. These methods are inaccurate in dolphins > 13 years old, due to overlapping of the growth layer groups in dolphins and worn teeth. Establishing a non-invasive method of accurately aging bottlenose dolphins across the entire age range is important to long term conservation efforts to understand health status, lifespan, reproduction and survivability. A database of 126 radiographs from 94 dolphins of known chronological age was utilized to establish the stages of skeletal ossification over time. A numerical score from -1 to 8 was assigned to 16 anatomic locations on the pectoral radiograph, to create a formula to estimate age. The most informative areas to evaluate morphologically were the metaphyseal regions of the radius and ulna, and the proximal and distal epiphysis of metacarpals II and III. Third order polynomial regression calculated separate age predictor formulas for male and female dolphins, with females reaching sexual maturity earlier than males. Completion of epiphyseal closure of the long bones correlated with average sexual maturity. Managed care dolphin ages could be properly estimated with decreasing precision from within 3 months in animals < 5 years old, to within 5 years in animals > 30 years old. This diagnostic tool could also be applied to diagnose atypical ossification patterns consistent with nutritional, developmental or growth abnormalities, and identifying subclinical health issues. In conclusion, knowledge of the lifespan and the onset of sexual maturity for each species will allow this model to be applied to other cetaceans, facilitating age estimation via pectoral radiography in future research.
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CLINICOPATHOLOGIC FEATURES OF INFECTION WITH NOVEL BRUCELLA ORGANISMS IN CAPTIVE WAXY TREE FROGS ( PHYLLOMEDUSA SAUVAGII) AND COLORADO RIVER TOADS ( INCILIUS ALVARIUS). J Zoo Wildl Med 2019. [PMID: 29517430 DOI: 10.1638/2017-0026r1.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Two novel and distinct Brucella strains were recovered from 5 of 10 adult, sex undetermined, captive waxy tree frogs ( Phyllomedusa sauvagii) and two of five adult, sex undetermined, captive Colorado river toads ( Incilius alvarius) held in a zoologic collection with clinical and pathologic findings of bacterial disease. These amphibians originated from three separate private breeding facilities over several years and exhibited disease 9-49 mo following release from quarantine. Common presenting signs were vague but included focal abscessation, weight loss, change in coloration, anorexia, and decreased perching. Two waxy tree frogs and one Colorado river toad recovered with supportive care and antimicrobial treatment based on susceptibility testing. Microgranulomatosis, subcutaneous and renal abscessation, femoral osteomyelitis, and multicentric infection were the most common histologic findings. The organisms were identified antemortem in samples from subcutaneous abscesses, cloaca, and skin and from a variety of organ systems postmortem, and demonstrated a consistent susceptibility pattern. Initial isolates were misidentified as Ochrobactrum anthropi. Polymerase chain reaction and sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene identified the two organisms as novel Brucella strains similar to Brucella inopinata-like sp. and other novel organisms within the emerging "BO clade." Brucella strain oaks (isolated from waxy tree frogs) and Brucella strain leathers (isolated from Colorado river toads) differed from each other by 16 of 571 base pairs in a region of chromosome 2, and did not closely match any previous GenBank entries. This report describes the clinicopathologic features of infection by these bacteria in two amphibian species and expands the range of novel Brucella organisms from amphibian reservoirs.
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24
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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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Sánchez-Sarmiento AM, Carvalho VL, Meirelles ACO, Gravena W, Marigo J, Sacristán C, Costa-Silva S, Groch KR, Silva ND, Ferreira Neto JS, Catão-Dias JL. Survey of Brucella spp. and Leptospira spp. antibodies in cetaceans and manatees of the Amazon basin and Atlantic Ocean, Brazil. DISEASES OF AQUATIC ORGANISMS 2018; 132:1-11. [PMID: 30530926 DOI: 10.3354/dao03312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Aquatic mammals can act as sentinels of emerging and resurging pathogens in the environment. Brucella spp. and Leptospira spp. are 2 zoonotic pathogens relevant to aquatic mammals, and their detection can be used to assess pathogen exposure. In this study, serum from 84 individuals-63 cetaceans (families Iniidae, n = 37; Delphinidae, n = 22; and Kogiidae, n = 4) and 21 West Indian manatees Trichechus manatus-was tested by the Rose Bengal Test (RBT) and a commercial competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (c-ELISA) for detecting Brucella spp. antibodies, and the microscopic agglutination test (MAT) for screening Leptospira spp. exposure. Overall, 4.8% (3/63) of cetaceans were positive by RBT and 15.9% (10/63) by c-ELISA for Brucella spp. Serum from 8 c-ELISA positive cetaceans (with available serum) was further tested via serum agglutination test (SAT) and 1 individual was positive. c-ELISA was more sensitive than RBT. Exposure to Brucella spp. was found in 5 cetacean species: Clymene dolphin Stenella clymene, short-finned pilot whale Globicephala macrorhynchus, pygmy killer whale Feresa attenuata, melon-headed whale Peponocephala electra and Atlantic bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus in the Atlantic Ocean, Brazil, expanding the range of known Brucella seropositive aquatic hosts. No evidence of Brucella spp. exposure was found in Iniidae and Kogiidae odontocetes and manatees. Antibodies against Leptospira spp. were not detected in cetaceans and sirenians by MAT. These results contribute to the evaluation of different Brucella spp. serological methods in cetaceans and manatees and highlight the epidemiology of zoonotic pathogens in aquatic mammals of the southwestern Atlantic Ocean and the Amazon basin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angélica M Sánchez-Sarmiento
- Laboratório de Patologia Comparada de Animais Selvagens, Departamento de Patologia, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, Avenida Professor Dr. Orlando Marques de Paiva 87, 05508-270 São Paulo, SP, Brazil
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Rhyan J, Garner M, Spraker T, Lambourn D, Cheville N. Brucella pinnipedialis in lungworms Parafilaroides sp. and Pacific harbor seals Phoca vitulina richardsi: proposed pathogenesis. DISEASES OF AQUATIC ORGANISMS 2018; 131:87-94. [PMID: 30460915 DOI: 10.3354/dao03291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Brucella spp. were first isolated from marine mammals in 1994 and since have been described in numerous pinniped and cetacean species with nearly global distribution. Microscopic, electron microscopic, or culture results have shown lungworms in harbor seals to be infected with brucellae, suggesting that the lungworms may serve a role in this infection. In this study, we reviewed archived and more recent case material from 5 Pacific harbor seals from Washington State (USA) with evidence of B. pinnipedialis infection in the lungworm Parafilaroides sp. Twenty-two sections of lung containing approximately 220 Parafilaroides sp., stained with an immunohistochemical technique using antibody to B. abortus, showed approximately 80 (36%) infected nematodes. A few brucellae were also present in lung parenchyma in proximity to nematodes. Infection was present in the first- and fourth-stage larvae in the seal lung and intestines, as well as in the male and female reproductive organs of adult nematodes. Infected sperm deposits in the nematode uterus were suggestive of venereal transmission between lungworms. Massive infection of some degenerate adult lungworms and evidence of degeneration of some developing larvae in utero were observed. Based on these observations, we suggest that Parafilaroides sp., rather than the Pacific harbor seal Phoca vitulina richardsi, is the preferred host of B. pinnipedialis infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack Rhyan
- United States Department of Agriculture, National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA
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27
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Abstract
This chapter presents the pathology of cetaceans, a diverse group of mammals restricted exclusively to aquatic habitats. The taxa include the largest mammals on earth, the baleen whales, as well as marine and freshwater toothed whales, dolphins, and porpoises. Pathologies of these species include infectious, toxic, and other disease processes, such as ship strike and entanglements in free-ranging animals. In animals under managed care, concerns include nutritional, degenerative and geriatric processes, such as formation of ammonium urate renal calculi. Due to potential population level effects and individual animal health concerns, viral agents of interest include morbilliviruses, pox virus, and herpes viruses. Both free ranging and captive animals have important neoplasms, including a variety of toxin-related tumors in beluga whales from the St. Lawrence Estuary and oral squamous cell carcinomas in bottlenose dolphins in managed care.
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Whatmore AM, Dawson C, Muchowski J, Perrett LL, Stubberfield E, Koylass M, Foster G, Davison NJ, Quance C, Sidor IF, Field CL, St. Leger J. Characterisation of North American Brucella isolates from marine mammals. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0184758. [PMID: 28934239 PMCID: PMC5608248 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0184758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2017] [Accepted: 08/30/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Extension of known ecological niches of Brucella has included the description of two novel species from marine mammals. Brucella pinnipedialis is associated predominantly with seals, while two major Brucella ceti clades, most commonly associated with porpoises or dolphins respectively, have been identified. To date there has been limited characterisation of Brucella isolates obtained from marine mammals outside Northern European waters, including North American waters. To address this gap, and extend knowledge of the global population structure and host associations of these Brucella species, 61 isolates from marine mammals inhabiting North American waters were subject to molecular and phenotypic characterisation enabling comparison with existing European isolates. The majority of isolates represent genotypes previously described in Europe although novel genotypes were identified in both B. ceti clades. Harp seals were found to carry B. pinnipedialis genotypes previously confined to hooded seals among a diverse repertoire of sequence types (STs) associated with this species. For the first time Brucella isolates were characterised from beluga whales and found to represent a number of distinct B. pinnipedialis genotypes. In addition the known host range of ST27 was extended with the identification of this ST from California sea lion samples. Finally the performance of the frequently used diagnostic tool Bruce-ladder, in differentiating B. ceti and B. pinnipedialis, was critically assessed based on improved knowledge of the global population structure of Brucella associated with marine mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian M. Whatmore
- FAO/WHO Collaborating Centre for Brucellosis, OIE Brucellosis Reference Laboratory, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Addlestone, Surrey, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Claire Dawson
- FAO/WHO Collaborating Centre for Brucellosis, OIE Brucellosis Reference Laboratory, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Addlestone, Surrey, United Kingdom
| | - Jakub Muchowski
- FAO/WHO Collaborating Centre for Brucellosis, OIE Brucellosis Reference Laboratory, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Addlestone, Surrey, United Kingdom
| | - Lorraine L. Perrett
- FAO/WHO Collaborating Centre for Brucellosis, OIE Brucellosis Reference Laboratory, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Addlestone, Surrey, United Kingdom
| | - Emma Stubberfield
- FAO/WHO Collaborating Centre for Brucellosis, OIE Brucellosis Reference Laboratory, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Addlestone, Surrey, United Kingdom
| | - Mark Koylass
- FAO/WHO Collaborating Centre for Brucellosis, OIE Brucellosis Reference Laboratory, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Addlestone, Surrey, United Kingdom
| | - Geoffrey Foster
- Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme, SRUC Veterinary Services, Drummondhill, Inverness, United Kingdom
| | - Nicholas J. Davison
- Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme, SRUC Veterinary Services, Drummondhill, Inverness, United Kingdom
| | - Christine Quance
- Mycobacteria and Brucella Section, National Veterinary Services Laboratories, USDA-APHIS, Ames, Iowa, United States of America
| | - Inga F. Sidor
- Mystic Aquarium & Institute for Exploration, Mystic, CT, United States of America
| | - Cara L. Field
- Mystic Aquarium & Institute for Exploration, Mystic, CT, United States of America
| | - Judy St. Leger
- SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment, San Diego, CA, United States of America
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29
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Sánchez-Sarmiento AM, Carvalho VL, Sacristán C, Groch KR, Ressio RA, Fernandes NCCA, Guerra JM, Costa-Silva S, Díaz-Delgado J, Favero CM, Silva NS, Ferreira Neto JS, Meirelles ACO, Catão-Dias JL. Brucellosis in a Clymene dolphin (Stenella clymene) stranded in Brazil. Transbound Emerg Dis 2017; 65:289-291. [PMID: 28816014 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.12696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- A M Sánchez-Sarmiento
- Laboratório de Patologia Comparada de Animais Selvagens, Departamento de Patologia, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - V L Carvalho
- Associação de Pesquisa e Preservação de Ecossistemas Aquáticos-AQUASIS, Caucaia, Ceará, Brazil
| | - C Sacristán
- Laboratório de Patologia Comparada de Animais Selvagens, Departamento de Patologia, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - K R Groch
- Laboratório de Patologia Comparada de Animais Selvagens, Departamento de Patologia, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - R A Ressio
- Instituto Adolfo Lutz, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - J M Guerra
- Instituto Adolfo Lutz, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - S Costa-Silva
- Laboratório de Patologia Comparada de Animais Selvagens, Departamento de Patologia, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - J Díaz-Delgado
- Laboratório de Patologia Comparada de Animais Selvagens, Departamento de Patologia, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Instituto Adolfo Lutz, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - C M Favero
- Laboratório de Patologia Comparada de Animais Selvagens, Departamento de Patologia, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - N S Silva
- Laboratório de Zoonoses Bacterianas, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - J S Ferreira Neto
- Laboratório de Zoonoses Bacterianas, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - A C O Meirelles
- Associação de Pesquisa e Preservação de Ecossistemas Aquáticos-AQUASIS, Caucaia, Ceará, Brazil
| | - J L Catão-Dias
- Laboratório de Patologia Comparada de Animais Selvagens, Departamento de Patologia, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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30
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De Guise S, Levin M, Gebhard E, Jasperse L, Burdett Hart L, Smith CR, Venn-Watson S, Townsend F, Wells R, Balmer B, Zolman E, Rowles T, Schwacke L. Changes in immune functions in bottlenose dolphins in the northern Gulf of Mexico associated with the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2017. [DOI: 10.3354/esr00814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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31
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Pasamontes A, Aksenov AA, Schivo M, Rowles T, Smith CR, Schwacke LH, Wells RS, Yeates L, Venn-Watson S, Davis CE. Noninvasive Respiratory Metabolite Analysis Associated with Clinical Disease in Cetaceans: A Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Study. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2017; 51:5737-5746. [PMID: 28406294 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.6b06482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Health assessments of wild cetaceans can be challenging due to the difficulty of gaining access to conventional diagnostic matrices of blood, serum and others. While the noninvasive detection of metabolites in exhaled breath could potentially help to address this problem, there exists a knowledge gap regarding associations between known disease states and breath metabolite profiles in cetaceans. This technology was applied to the largest marine oil spill in U.S. history (The 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico). An accurate analysis was performed to test for associations between the exhaled breath metabolome and sonographic lung abnormalities as well as hematological, serum biochemical, and endocrine hormone parameters. Importantly, metabolites consistent with chronic inflammation, such as products of lung epithelial cellular breakdown and arachidonic acid cascade metabolites were associated with sonographic evidence of lung consolidation. Exhaled breath condensate (EBC) metabolite profiles also correlated with serum hormone concentrations (cortisol and aldosterone), hepatobiliary enzyme levels, white blood cell counts, and iron homeostasis. The correlations among breath metabolites and conventional health measures suggest potential application of breath sampling for remotely assessing health of wild cetaceans. This methodology may hold promise for large cetaceans in the wild for which routine collection of blood and respiratory anomalies are not currently feasible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Pasamontes
- Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California , One Shields Avenue, Davis, California 95616, United States
| | - Alexander A Aksenov
- Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California , One Shields Avenue, Davis, California 95616, United States
| | - Michael Schivo
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of California , 4150 V Street, Suite 3400, Sacramento, California 95817, United States
- Center for Comparative Respiratory Biology and Medicine, University of California , Davis, California 95616, United States
| | - Teri Rowles
- Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 1315 East West Highway, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910, United States
| | - Cynthia R Smith
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, 2240 Shelter Island Drive, Suite 200, San Diego, California 92106, United States
| | - Lori H Schwacke
- National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 331 Fort Johnson Road, Charleston, South Carolina 29412, United States
| | - Randall S Wells
- Chicago Zoological Society's Sarasota Dolphin Research Program, c/o Mote Marine Laboratory, 1600 Ken Thompson Parkway, Sarasota, Florida 34236, United States
| | - Laura Yeates
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, 2240 Shelter Island Drive, Suite 200, San Diego, California 92106, United States
| | - Stephanie Venn-Watson
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, 2240 Shelter Island Drive, Suite 200, San Diego, California 92106, United States
| | - Cristina E Davis
- Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California , One Shields Avenue, Davis, California 95616, United States
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32
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Buckle K, Roe WD, Howe L, Michael S, Duignan PJ, Burrows E, Ha HJ, Humphrey S, McDonald WL. Brucellosis in Endangered Hector's Dolphins (Cephalorhynchus hectori). Vet Pathol 2017; 54:838-845. [PMID: 28494705 DOI: 10.1177/0300985817707023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Brucella spp infections of marine mammals are often asymptomatic but have been associated with reproductive losses and deaths. Zoonotic infections originating from marine isolates have also been described. Hector's dolphins (Cephalorhynchus hectori) are an endangered species with a declining population, and the role of infectious disease in population dynamics is not fully understood. In this study, 27 Hector's dolphins found dead around the New Zealand coastline between November 2006 and October 2010 were evaluated for lesions previously associated with cetacean brucellosis. Tissues were examined using histological, immunohistochemical, and molecular (polymerase chain reaction [PCR]) techniques. Seven of 27 dolphins (26%) had at least 1 tissue that was positive on PCR for Brucella spp. Lesions consistent with brucellosis were present in 10 of 27 (37%) dolphins, but in 8 of these dolphins Brucella infection could not be demonstrated in lesional tissues. Two dolphins (7%) were diagnosed with active brucellosis: 1 female with placentitis and metritis, and 1 stillborn male fetus. Brucella identified in these 2 dolphins had genetic similarity (99%) to Brucella pinnipedialis. The omp2a gene amplicon from the uterus of the female had 100% homology with ST27 genotype isolates from a human in New Zealand and a bottlenose dolphin of Pacific origin. The remaining 5 PCR-positive dolphins were assessed as having asymptomatic or latent infection. While most Brucella infections identified in this study appeared to be subclinical, the finding of 2 dolphins with reproductive disease due to Brucella infection suggests that this disease has the potential to affect reproductive success in this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly Buckle
- 1 Ministry for Primary Industries, Investigation and Diagnostic Centers and Response, Wallaceville, New Zealand
| | - Wendi D Roe
- 2 Institute of Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
| | - Laryssa Howe
- 2 Institute of Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
| | - Sarah Michael
- 2 Institute of Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
| | | | - E Burrows
- 2 Institute of Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
| | - Hye Jeong Ha
- 1 Ministry for Primary Industries, Investigation and Diagnostic Centers and Response, Wallaceville, New Zealand
| | - Sharon Humphrey
- 1 Ministry for Primary Industries, Investigation and Diagnostic Centers and Response, Wallaceville, New Zealand
| | - Wendy L McDonald
- 1 Ministry for Primary Industries, Investigation and Diagnostic Centers and Response, Wallaceville, New Zealand
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33
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Wallace BP, Brosnan T, McLamb D, Rowles T, Ruder E, Schroeder B, Schwacke L, Stacy B, Sullivan L, Takeshita R, Wehner D. Effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on protected marine species. ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2017. [DOI: 10.3354/esr00789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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34
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Hohn AA, Thomas L, Carmichael RH, Litz J, Clemons-Chevis C, Shippee SF, Sinclair C, Smith S, Speakman TR, Tumlin MC, Zolman ES. Assigning stranded bottlenose dolphins to source stocks using stable isotope ratios following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2017. [DOI: 10.3354/esr00783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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35
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Kellar NM, Speakman TR, Smith CR, Lane SM, Balmer BC, Trego ML, Catelani KN, Robbins MN, Allen CD, Wells RS, Zolman ES, Rowles TK, Schwacke LH. Low reproductive success rates of common bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus in the northern Gulf of Mexico following the Deepwater Horizon disaster (2010-2015). ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2017. [DOI: 10.3354/esr00775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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36
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Wilkin SM, Rowles TK, Stratton E, Adimey N, Field CL, Wissmann S, Shigenaka G, Fougères E, Mase B, Southeast Region Stranding N, Ziccardi MH. Marine mammal response operations during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2017. [DOI: 10.3354/esr00811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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37
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Takeshita R, Sullivan L, Smith C, Collier T, Hall A, Brosnan T, Rowles T, Schwacke L. The Deepwater Horizon oil spill marine mammal injury assessment. ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2017. [DOI: 10.3354/esr00808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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38
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Cetacean Morbillivirus in Odontocetes Stranded along the Central California Coast, USA, 2000-15. J Wildl Dis 2017; 53:386-392. [PMID: 28122193 DOI: 10.7589/2016-09-219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Effects of cetacean morbillivirus (CeMV) on dolphins vary from causing epidemics to subclinical infections. The former have been documented in the North Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea but not in the North Pacific Ocean, and the reasons for this are unknown. To explore the distribution of this virus in areas that have not experienced epidemics, we reviewed evidence for morbilliviral infection in odontocetes stranded along the California coast, US from 2000-15. Nine of 212 animals examined histologically had lesions compatible with morbilliviral infection, and 11 were tested for CeMV via reverse transcriptase-PCR. One striped dolphin ( Stenella coeruleoalba ) was PCR positive, and the sequenced product was most closely related to sequences in two strains found in cetaceans in Hawaii. This study suggests that CeMV may be a cause of morbidity and a rare contributor to mortality in cetaceans stranding along the California coast. Additional work is needed to understand CeMV distribution and host species susceptibility in this region.
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39
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Simmonds MP. Of Poisons and Plastics: An Overview of the Latest Pollution Issues Affecting Marine Mammals. MARINE MAMMAL WELFARE 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-46994-2_3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
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