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Dangoudoubiyam S, Norris JK, Namasivayam S, de Paula Baptista R, Cannes do Nascimento N, Camp J, Schardl CL, Kissinger JC, Howe DK. Temporal gene expression during asexual development of the apicomplexan Sarcocystis neurona. mSphere 2024; 9:e0011124. [PMID: 38809064 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00111-24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Asexual replication in the apicomplexan Sarcocystis neurona involves two main developmental stages: the motile extracellular merozoite and the sessile intracellular schizont. Merozoites invade host cells and transform into schizonts that undergo replication via endopolygeny to form multiple (64) daughter merozoites that are invasive to new host cells. Given that the capabilities of the merozoite vary significantly from the schizont, the patterns of transcript levels throughout the asexual lifecycle were determined and compared in this study. RNA-Seq data were generated from extracellular merozoites and four intracellular schizont development time points. Of the 6,938 genes annotated in the S. neurona genome, 6,784 were identified in the transcriptome. Of these, 4,111 genes exhibited significant differential expression between the merozoite and at least one schizont development time point. Transcript levels were significantly higher for 2,338 genes in the merozoite and 1,773 genes in the schizont stages. Included in this list were genes encoding the secretory pathogenesis determinants (SPDs), which encompass the surface antigen and SAG-related sequence (SAG/SRS) and the secretory organelle proteins of the invasive zoite stage (micronemes, rhoptries, and dense granules). As anticipated, many of the S. neurona SPD gene transcripts were abundant in merozoites. However, several SPD transcripts were elevated in intracellular schizonts, suggesting roles unrelated to host cell invasion and the initial establishment of the intracellular niche. The hypothetical genes that are potentially unique to the genus Sarcocystis are of particular interest. Their conserved expression patterns are instructive for future investigations into the possible functions of these putative Sarcocystis-unique genes. IMPORTANCE The genus Sarcocystis is an expansive clade within the Apicomplexa, with the species S. neurona being an important cause of neurological disease in horses. Research to decipher the biology of S. neurona and its host-pathogen interactions can be enhanced by gene expression data. This study has identified conserved apicomplexan orthologs in S. neurona, putative Sarcocystis-unique genes, and gene transcripts abundant in the merozoite and schizont stages. Importantly, we have identified distinct clusters of genes with transcript levels peaking during different intracellular schizont development time points, reflecting active gene expression changes across endopolygeny. Each cluster also has subsets of transcripts with unknown functions, and investigation of these seemingly Sarcocystis-unique transcripts will provide insights into the interesting biology of this parasite genus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sriveny Dangoudoubiyam
- Maxwell H. Gluck Equine Research Center, Department of Veterinary Science, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
| | - Jamie K Norris
- Maxwell H. Gluck Equine Research Center, Department of Veterinary Science, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
| | - Sivaranjani Namasivayam
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Rodrigo de Paula Baptista
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
- Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Naila Cannes do Nascimento
- Department of Comparative Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
| | - Joseph Camp
- Department of Comparative Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
| | | | - Jessica C Kissinger
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
- Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Daniel K Howe
- Maxwell H. Gluck Equine Research Center, Department of Veterinary Science, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
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Prager KC, Danil K, Wurster E, Colegrove KM, Galloway R, Kettler N, Mani R, McDonough RF, Sahl JW, Stone NE, Wagner DM, Lloyd-Smith JO. Detection of Leptospira kirschneri in a short-beaked common dolphin (Delphinus delphis delphis) stranded off the coast of southern California, USA. BMC Vet Res 2024; 20:266. [PMID: 38902706 PMCID: PMC11188202 DOI: 10.1186/s12917-024-04111-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pathogenic Leptospira species are globally important zoonotic pathogens capable of infecting a wide range of host species. In marine mammals, reports of Leptospira have predominantly been in pinnipeds, with isolated reports of infections in cetaceans. CASE PRESENTATION On 28 June 2021, a 150.5 cm long female, short-beaked common dolphin (Delphinus delphis delphis) stranded alive on the coast of southern California and subsequently died. Gross necropsy revealed multifocal cortical pallor within the reniculi of the kidney, and lymphoplasmacytic tubulointerstitial nephritis was observed histologically. Immunohistochemistry confirmed Leptospira infection, and PCR followed by lfb1 gene amplicon sequencing suggested that the infecting organism was L.kirschneri. Leptospira DNA capture and enrichment allowed for whole-genome sequencing to be conducted. Phylogenetic analyses confirmed the causative agent was a previously undescribed, divergent lineage of L.kirschneri. CONCLUSIONS We report the first detection of pathogenic Leptospira in a short-beaked common dolphin, and the first detection in any cetacean in the northeastern Pacific Ocean. Renal lesions were consistent with leptospirosis in other host species, including marine mammals, and were the most significant lesions detected overall, suggesting leptospirosis as the likely cause of death. We identified the cause of the infection as L.kirschneri, a species detected only once before in a marine mammal - a northern elephant seal (Mirounga angustirostris) of the northeastern Pacific. These findings raise questions about the mechanism of transmission, given the obligate marine lifestyle of cetaceans (in contrast to pinnipeds, which spend time on land) and the commonly accepted view that Leptospira are quickly killed by salt water. They also raise important questions regarding the source of infection, and whether it arose from transmission among marine mammals or from terrestrial-to-marine spillover. Moving forward, surveillance and sampling must be expanded to better understand the extent to which Leptospira infections occur in the marine ecosystem and possible epidemiological linkages between and among marine and terrestrial host species. Generating Leptospira genomes from different host species will yield crucial information about possible transmission links, and our study highlights the power of new techniques such as DNA enrichment to illuminate the complex ecology of this important zoonotic pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- K C Prager
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
| | - Kerri Danil
- Southwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Elyse Wurster
- Ocean Associates Inc. Under Contract to Southwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Kathleen M Colegrove
- Zoological Pathology Program, University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, 3300 Golf Rd, Brookfield, IL, 60513, USA
| | - Renee Galloway
- National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, 30333, USA
| | - Niesa Kettler
- Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, 48825, USA
| | - Rinosh Mani
- Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, 48825, USA
| | - Ryelan F McDonough
- The Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, 86011, USA
| | - Jason W Sahl
- The Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, 86011, USA
| | - Nathan E Stone
- The Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, 86011, USA
| | - David M Wagner
- The Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, 86011, USA
| | - James O Lloyd-Smith
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
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McEntire MS, Tang KN, O'Connor MR, Haulena M. THE MANAGEMENT OF LYMPHOPROLIFERATIVE NEOPLASIA IN FOUR NORTHERN SEA OTTERS ( ENHYDRA LUTRIS KENYONI). J Zoo Wildl Med 2024; 55:511-520. [PMID: 38875209 DOI: 10.1638/2022-0096] [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: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Lymphoproliferative neoplasia has been reported in both free-ranging sea otters and those in managed care, but little information is available on the management of this neoplastic disease in this species. This case series describes clinical lymphoma in four northern sea otters (Enhydra lutris kenyoni) in managed care. Two otters presented with Stage 5 lymphoma with evidence of hematologic spread resulting in leukemia. Two additional otters presented with Stage 3 disease. Immunophenotypes in these cases included disseminated large B-cell lymphoma and lymphoblastic lymphoma of potential T-cell origin. Cases were managed with multiagent chemotherapy protocols including prednisone, L-asparaginase, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, cytosine arabinoside, lomustine, and doxorubicin. Unique approaches included the use of a vascular access port in one case and development of an autologous vaccine in another. Survival time ranged from 81 to 409 days. Diagnosis, staging, and treatment with multiagent protocols is recommended for the management of lymphoma in sea otters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael S McEntire
- John G. Shedd Aquarium, Chicago IL 60605, USA and Vancouver Aquarium, Vancouver BC V6G 3E2, Canada
| | - Karisa N Tang
- John G. Shedd Aquarium, Chicago IL 60605, USA and Vancouver Aquarium, Vancouver BC V6G 3E2, Canada
| | - Matthew R O'Connor
- John G. Shedd Aquarium, Chicago IL 60605, USA and Vancouver Aquarium, Vancouver BC V6G 3E2, Canada
| | - Martin Haulena
- John G. Shedd Aquarium, Chicago IL 60605, USA and Vancouver Aquarium, Vancouver BC V6G 3E2, Canada,
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Romero CH, Tuomi P, Burek-Huntington KA, Gill VA. Novel lambdapapillomavirus in northern sea otters Enhydra lutris kenyoni, associated with oral hyperplastic nodules. DISEASES OF AQUATIC ORGANISMS 2024; 157:73-80. [PMID: 38421009 DOI: 10.3354/dao03771] [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: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
A novel papillomavirus (PV) associated with hyperplastic nodules scattered over the muco-cutaneous border of the oral cavity of a dead, wild, subadult northern sea otter Enhydra lutris kenyoni (NSO) in 2004 in Homer, Alaska, USA, was genetically characterized. Primers for the amplification of 2 large overlapping DNA fragments that contained the complete genome of the NSO PV were designed. Sanger methodology generated sequences from which new specific primers were designed for the primer-walking approach. The NSO PV genome consists of 8085 nucleotides and contains an early region composed of E6, E7, E1, and E2 open reading frames (ORFs), an E4 ORF (contained within E2) lacking an in-frame proximal ATG start codon, an unusually long (907 nucleotide) stretch lacking any ORFs, a late region that contains the capsid genes L2 and L1, and a non-coding regulatory region (ncRR). This NSO PV has been tentatively named Enhydra lutris kenyoni PV2 (ElkPV2). Pairwise and multiple sequence alignments of the complete L1 ORF nucleotides and concatenated E1-E2-L1 amino acid sequences showed that the NSO PV is a novel PV, phylogenetically most closely related to southern sea otter PV1. The carboxy end of the E6 oncoprotein does not contain the PDZ-binding motif with a strong correlation with oncogenicity, suggesting a low-risk PV, which is in agreement with histopathological findings. However, the ElkPV2 E7 oncoprotein does contain the retinoblastoma (pRb) binding domain LXCXE (LQCYE in ElkPV2), associated with oncogenicity in some high-risk PVs. Further studies on the prevalence and clinical significance of ElkPV2 infections in NSO are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos H Romero
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32608, USA
| | - Pam Tuomi
- Alaska Sealife Center, Veterinary Sciences, Seward, Alaska 99664, USA
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de Mello Zanim Michelazzo M, Martinelli TM, de Amorim VRG, Silva LE, Silva FHP, Xavier AAC, Cubas ZS, de Almeida RF, de Moraes W, Headley SA. Canine distemper virus and canine adenovirus type-2 infections in neotropical otters (Lontra longicaudis) from Southern Brazil. Braz J Microbiol 2021; 53:369-375. [PMID: 34709597 DOI: 10.1007/s42770-021-00636-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
All descriptions of infectious diseases affecting otters were published in the Northern Hemisphere, with no occurrence identified in neotropical otters (Lontra longicaudis). Consequently, a retrospective histopathological study using archival tissue samples from six free-living neotropical otters was done to investigate the possible occurrence of disease patterns associated with common viral infectious disease agents of the domestic dogs. Immunohistochemical (IHC) assays were designed to identify intralesional tissue antigens of canine distemper virus (CDV), and canine adenovirus-1 (CAdV-1) and canine adenovirus-2 (CAdV-2). The most frequent histopathological patterns diagnosed were interstitial pneumonia (83.33%; 6/5) and hepatocellular vacuolar degeneration (50%; 3/6). IHC identified intralesional intracytoplasmic immunoreactivity to CDV antigens in all otters evaluated, with positive immunolabeling occurring within epithelial cells of the lungs, stomach, kidneys, and liver, and skin. Intracytoplasmic CAdV-2 antigens were identified within epithelial cells of the peribronchial glands in four otters with interstitial pneumonia. These findings resulted in singular and simultaneous infections in these neotropical otters, represented the first report of concomitant infections by CDV and CAdV-2 in free-living neotropical otters from the Southern Hemisphere, and suggested that this mammalian species is susceptible to infections by viral disease agents common to the domestic dogs and may develop similar histopathologic disease patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana de Mello Zanim Michelazzo
- Laboratory of Animal Pathology, Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Rodovia Celso Garcia Cid, PR 445 Km 380, Campus Universitário, PO Box 10.011, Londrina, Paraná, 86057-970, Brazil
| | - Tayná Messias Martinelli
- Laboratory of Animal Pathology, Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Rodovia Celso Garcia Cid, PR 445 Km 380, Campus Universitário, PO Box 10.011, Londrina, Paraná, 86057-970, Brazil
| | | | - Luara Evangelista Silva
- Laboratory of Animal Pathology, Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Rodovia Celso Garcia Cid, PR 445 Km 380, Campus Universitário, PO Box 10.011, Londrina, Paraná, 86057-970, Brazil
| | | | - Ana Aparecida Correa Xavier
- Laboratory of Animal Pathology, Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Rodovia Celso Garcia Cid, PR 445 Km 380, Campus Universitário, PO Box 10.011, Londrina, Paraná, 86057-970, Brazil
| | | | | | | | - Selwyn Arlington Headley
- Laboratory of Animal Pathology, Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Rodovia Celso Garcia Cid, PR 445 Km 380, Campus Universitário, PO Box 10.011, Londrina, Paraná, 86057-970, Brazil.
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biociência Animal, Universidade de Cuiabá, Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brazil.
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Saúde e Produção Animal, Universidade Norte do Paraná, Arapongas, Paraná, Brazil.
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CANINE DISTEMPER VIRUS IN THE SEA OTTER (ENHYDRA LUTRIS) POPULATION IN WASHINGTON STATE, USA. J Wildl Dis 2021; 56:873-883. [PMID: 32609600 DOI: 10.7589/jwd-d-19-00008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2019] [Accepted: 03/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Before 2001, all serosurveys for morbilliviruses in sea otters (Enhydra lutris) in California, Washington, and Alaska, US, documented a 0% seroprevalence. The first published serologic detections of morbillivirus in sea otters occurred in 2001-02 in live-captured Washington sea otters, with a documented 80% seroprevalence. We conducted a retrospective study of sea otter cases from 1989 to 2010 compiled at the US Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center to identify cases of morbilliviral disease in Washington sea otters and to characterize the disease using immunohistochemistry, reverse transcription (RT)-PCR, genetic sequencing, virus isolation, and serology. We identified six cases of morbilliviral disease and 12 cases of morbilliviral infection in this population of sea otters during 2000-10. Significant histologic findings included inflammation in the white and gray matter of the brain characterized by lymphoplasmacytic perivascular cuffing, neuronal necrosis, and satellitosis in gray matter and by spongiosis, myelin degeneration, spheroids, and gemistocytes in white matter. Intranuclear and intracytoplasmic viral inclusion bodies were found in neurons, Purkinje cells, and glia. Immunohistochemistry for canine distemper virus (CDV) showed positive staining in neurons, glial cells, and cell processes. A pan-morbillivirus RT-PCR with subsequent restriction endonuclease digestion or sequencing identified CDV. Virus isolation was not successful. Two sea otters with morbilliviral encephalitis showed greater antibody titers to CDV than phocine distemper virus. Histologic changes were confined to the central nervous system and resembled neurologic canine distemper in domestic dogs. Cases of sea otters with morbilliviral infection without histologic changes could represent early infections or incompletely cleared sublethal infections. We found that morbillivirus was present in the Washington sea otter population as early as 2000, and we provide a description of the pathology of canine distemper in sea otters.
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LEPTOSPIRA, PARVOVIRUS, AND TOXOPLASMA IN THE NORTH AMERICAN RIVER OTTER (LONTRA CANADENSIS) IN NORTH CAROLINA, USA. J Wildl Dis 2021; 56:791-802. [PMID: 32320341 DOI: 10.7589/2019-05-129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2019] [Accepted: 11/07/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The North American river otter (Lontra canadensis) is the largest mustelid in North Carolina, US, and was once extirpated from the central and western portions of the state. Over time and after a successful reintroduction project, otters are now abundant and occur throughout North Carolina. However, there is a concern that diseases may have an impact on the otter population, as well as on other aquatic mammals, either through exposure to emerging diseases, contact with domestic animals such as domestic cats (Felis catus), or less robust condition of individuals through declines in water quality. We tested brain and kidney tissue from harvested otters for the pathogens that cause leptospirosis, parvovirus, and toxoplasmosis. Leptospirosis and toxoplasmosis are priority zoonoses and are maintained by domestic and wild mammals. Although parvovirus is not zoonotic, it does affect pets, causing mild to fatal symptoms. Across the 2014-15 and 2015-16 trapping seasons, we tested 220 otters (76 females, 144 males) using real-time PCR for Leptospira interrogans, parvovirus, and Toxoplasma gondii. Of the otters tested, 1% (3/220) were positive for L. interrogans, 19% (41/220) were positive for parvovirus, and 24% (53/220) were positive for T. gondii. Although the pathogens for parvovirus and toxoplasmosis are relatively common in North Carolina otters, the otter harvest has remained steady and the population appears to be abundant and self-sustaining. Therefore, parvovirus and toxoplasmosis do not currently appear to be negatively impacting the population. However, subsequent research should examine transmission parameters between domestic and wild species and the sublethal effects of infection.
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O'Byrne AM, Lambourn DM, Rejmanek D, Haman K, O'Byrne M, VanWormer E, Shapiro K. Sarcocystis neurona Transmission from Opossums to Marine Mammals in the Pacific Northwest. ECOHEALTH 2021; 18:84-94. [PMID: 34213686 PMCID: PMC8367900 DOI: 10.1007/s10393-021-01536-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2020] [Revised: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Increasing reports of marine mammal deaths have been attributed to the parasite Sarcocystis neurona. Infected opossums, the only known definitive hosts, shed S. neurona sporocysts in their feces. Sporocysts can contaminate the marine environment via overland runoff, and subsequent ingestion by marine mammals can lead to fatal encephalitis. Our aim was to determine the prevalence of S. neurona in opossums from coastal areas of Washington State (USA) and to compare genetic markers between S. neurona in opossums and marine mammals. Thirty-two road-kill opossums and tissue samples from 30 stranded marine mammals meeting inclusion criteria were included in analyses. Three opossums (9.4%) and twelve marine mammals (40%) were confirmed positive for S. neurona via DNA amplification at the ITS1 locus. Genetic identity at microsatellites (sn3, sn7, sn9) and the snSAG3 gene of S. neurona was demonstrated among one harbor porpoise and two opossums. Watershed mapping further demonstrated plausible sporocyst transport pathways from one of these opossums to the location where an infected harbor porpoise carcass was recovered. Our results provide the first reported link between S. neurona genotypes on land and sea in the Pacific Northwest, and further demonstrate how terrestrial pathogen pollution can impact the health of marine wildlife.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice M O'Byrne
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, D04 W6F6, Ireland
| | - Dyanna M Lambourn
- Wildlife Program, WA Department of Fish and Wildlife, 1111 Washington Street SE, Olympia, WA, 98501, USA
| | - Daniel Rejmanek
- California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Katherine Haman
- Wildlife Program, WA Department of Fish and Wildlife, 1111 Washington Street SE, Olympia, WA, 98501, USA
| | - Michael O'Byrne
- University of Göttingen, Wilhelmsplatz 1, 37073, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Elizabeth VanWormer
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, School of Natural Resources, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - Karen Shapiro
- Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, University of California Davis, One Shields Avenue, 4206 VM3A, Davis, CA, 95616-5270, USA.
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Dubey JP, Murata FHA, Cerqueira-Cézar CK, Kwok OCH, Grigg ME. Recent epidemiologic and clinical importance of Toxoplasma gondii infections in marine mammals: 2009-2020. Vet Parasitol 2020; 288:109296. [PMID: 33271425 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2020.109296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2020] [Revised: 10/23/2020] [Accepted: 10/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii infections are common in humans and animals worldwide. T. gondii causes mortality in several species of marine mammals, including threatened Southern sea otters (Enhydra lutris) and endangered Hawaiian monk seals (Monachus schauinslandi). Marine mammals are now considered sentinels for environmental exposure to protozoan agents contaminating marine waters, including T. gondii oocysts. Marine mammals also serve as food for humans and can result in foodborne T. gondii infections in humans. The present review summarizes worldwide information on the prevalence of clinical and subclinical infections, epidemiology, and genetic diversity of T. gondii infecting marine mammals in the past decade. The role of genetic types of T. gondii and clinical disease is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jitender P Dubey
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, Beltsville, MD 20705-2350, USA.
| | - Fernando H A Murata
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, Beltsville, MD 20705-2350, USA
| | - Camila K Cerqueira-Cézar
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, Beltsville, MD 20705-2350, USA
| | - Oliver C H Kwok
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, Beltsville, MD 20705-2350, USA
| | - Michael E Grigg
- Molecular Parasitology Section, Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20895, USA
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Shanebeck KM, Lakemeyer J, Siebert U, Lehnert K. Novel infections of Corynosoma enhydri and Profilicollis sp. (Acanthocephala: Polymorphidae) identified in sea otters Enhydra lutris. DISEASES OF AQUATIC ORGANISMS 2020; 137:239-246. [PMID: 32132276 DOI: 10.3354/dao03442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Infectious disease is a major cause of mortality for sea otters Enhydra lutris, a keystone species of continued concern for conservationists. Parasitic infection has long been identified as a cause of mortality in otters in both Alaska and California, USA. Corynosoma enhydri (Acanthocephala) is the only parasite that uses sea otters as its primary definitive host and is highly prevalent in otter populations; however, it is generally considered unimportant both pathologically and ecologically, although this assumption is based on limited empirical knowledge. Research has instead focused on Profilicollis infections (P. major, P. kenti, P. altmani) as a significant source of otter mortality due to associated enteritis and peritonitis, which are threats to otter health. Here we describe acanthocephalan infections in sea otters by Profilicollis spp. and C. enhydri, from a survey comparing C. enhydri infections between northern sea otters E. lutris kenyoni (n = 12) and southern sea otters E. lutris nereis (n = 19). We report a novel infection of C. enhydri in a pup approximately 1 mo of age, which shows that the early introduction to solid food at around 3 wk by their mothers may lead to subsequent infection via infected prey items. We also document the first 2 known cases of Profilicollis infection in northern sea otters, which may present an unknown threat to the Alaskan population, or may be an interesting example of accidental infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle M Shanebeck
- Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover Foundation, Werftstr. 6, 25761 Büsum, Germany
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Abstract
We diagnosed leptospirosis in six northern sea otters (Enhydra lutris kenyoni) that stranded on beaches in Washington State, US in 2002. Significant gross findings included cyanotic oral mucous membranes, renal swelling, congestion or pale streaks on the cut surface of renal lobules, hematuria, dehydration, lymphadenopathy, pulmonary congestion, and rarely adrenal hemorrhage and congestion. Histopathology showed lymphoplasmacytic tubulointerstitial nephritis with intraluminal spirochetes and immunoreactivity to leptospiral antigens in the renal tubules and interstitium. A quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) using kidney or urine for the leptospiral lipL32 gene was positive with cycle threshold values indicative of abundant or moderate amounts of nucleic acid. A microscopic agglutination test showed the highest serum antibody titer to serovar Pomona and positive titers to serovars Autumnalis, Bratislava, Hebdomadis, Grippotyphosa, Icterohaemorrhagiae, Pyrogenes, Ballum, Canicola, and Hardjo. Although antibodies to Leptospira interrogans have been previously detected in sea otters, this report describes the pathology of leptospirosis in diseased free-ranging sea otters.
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12
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Verma SK, Knowles S, Cerqueira-Cézar CK, Kwok OC, Jiang T, Su C, Dubey JP. An update on Toxoplasma gondii infections in northern sea otters (Enhydra lutris kenyoni) from Washington State, USA. Vet Parasitol 2018; 258:133-137. [DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2018.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2018] [Revised: 05/02/2018] [Accepted: 05/21/2018] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
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