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Rebollada-Merino A, Giorda F, Pumarola M, Martino L, Gomez-Buendia A, Romani-Cremaschi U, Casalone C, Mattioda V, Di Nocera F, Lucifora G, Petrella A, Domínguez L, Domingo M, Grattarola C, Rodríguez-Bertos A. Neurobrucellosis ( Brucella ceti) in striped dolphins ( Stenella coeruleoalba): Immunohistochemical studies on immune response and neuroinflammation. Vet Pathol 2024:3009858241250336. [PMID: 38760940 DOI: 10.1177/03009858241250336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2024]
Abstract
Neurobrucellosis is a shared condition of cetaceans and humans. However, the pathogenesis and immune response in cetacean neurobrucellosis has not been extensively studied. In this multicentric investigation, 21 striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) neurobrucellosis (Brucella ceti) cases diagnosed over a 10-year period (2012-2022) were retrospectively evaluated. For each case, morphological changes were assessed by evaluating 21 histological parameters. Furthermore, the immunohistochemical expression of Brucella antigen, glial fibrillary acid protein (GFAP), and a selection of inflammatory cell (IBA-1, CD3, and CD20) and cytokine (tumor necrosis factor-alpha [TNF-α], interferon-gamma [IFN-γ], interleukin [IL]-1β, IL-2, and IL-6) markers were investigated. Inflammation of the leptomeninges, ependyma, and/or choroid plexus was lymphohistiocytic, containing macrophages/microglia (IBA-1+), T-cells (CD3+), and B-cells (CD20+) in equal proportion. B-cells occasionally formed tertiary follicles. GFAP expression showed astrocytosis in most cases. Expression of TNF-α, IFN-γ, and IL-2 indicated an intense proinflammatory response, stimulating both macrophages and T-cells. Our results showed that the inflammation and neuroinflammation in neurobrucellosis of striped dolphins mimic human neurobrucellosis and in vitro and in vivo studies in laboratory animals. Cetacean disease surveillance can be exploited to expand the knowledge of the pathogenesis and immunology of infectious diseases, particularly brucellosis, under a One Health approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agustín Rebollada-Merino
- Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, Section of Anatomic Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
| | - Federica Giorda
- World Organisation for Animal Health Collaborating Centre for the Health of Marine Mammals, Italian National Reference Centre for Diagnostic Activities in Stranded Marine Mammals (C.Re.Di.Ma), Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta, Torino, Italy
| | - Martí Pumarola
- Departament de Medicina i Cirurgía Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Laura Martino
- Departament de Sanitat i Anatomia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Alberto Gomez-Buendia
- VISAVET Health Surveillance Centre, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Cristina Casalone
- World Organisation for Animal Health Collaborating Centre for the Health of Marine Mammals, Italian National Reference Centre for Diagnostic Activities in Stranded Marine Mammals (C.Re.Di.Ma), Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta, Torino, Italy
| | - Virginia Mattioda
- World Organisation for Animal Health Collaborating Centre for the Health of Marine Mammals, Italian National Reference Centre for Diagnostic Activities in Stranded Marine Mammals (C.Re.Di.Ma), Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta, Torino, Italy
| | - Fabio Di Nocera
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, Portici, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Lucifora
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, Portici, Italy
| | - Antonio Petrella
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Puglia e della Basilicata, Foggia, Italy
| | - Lucas Domínguez
- VISAVET Health Surveillance Centre, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Mariano Domingo
- Departament de Sanitat i Anatomia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
- Unitat Mixta d'investigació IRTA-UAB en Sanitat Animal, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Carla Grattarola
- World Organisation for Animal Health Collaborating Centre for the Health of Marine Mammals, Italian National Reference Centre for Diagnostic Activities in Stranded Marine Mammals (C.Re.Di.Ma), Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta, Torino, Italy
| | - Antonio Rodríguez-Bertos
- VISAVET Health Surveillance Centre, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Internal Medicine and Animal Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
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Vargas-Castro I, Crespo-Picazo JL, Fayos M, Jiménez-Martínez MDLÁ, Torre-Fuentes L, Álvarez J, Moura AE, Hernández M, Buendía A, Barroso-Arévalo S, García-Seco T, Pérez-Sancho M, De Miguel MJ, Andrés-Barranco S, Marco-Cabedo V, Peñin-Villahoz G, Muñoz PM, Domínguez L, García-Párraga D, Sánchez-Vizcaíno JM. New insights into the pathogenesis and transmission of Brucella pinnipedialis: systemic infection in two bottlenose dolphins ( Tursiops truncatus). Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0199723. [PMID: 37800951 PMCID: PMC10848334 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01997-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Brucella spp. are zoonotic pathogens that can affect both terrestrial and marine mammals. Brucella ceti has been identified in various cetacean species, but only one sequence type (ST27) has been reported in humans. However, it is important to conduct surveillance studies to better understand the impact of marine Brucella species on marine mammals, a typically understudied host group. Here, we describe a systemic infection by two related strains of Brucella pinnipedialis (ST25) in a couple of live-stranded bottlenose dolphins, with more severe lesions in the younger animal. Furthermore, B. pinnipedialis was first detected in milk from a female cetacean that stranded with its offspring. Our study reveals novel insights into the epidemiology and pathological consequences of B. pinnipedialis infections in cetaceans, emphasizing the crucial importance of ongoing surveillance and accurate diagnosis to understand the impact of this pathogen on marine mammal populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ignacio Vargas-Castro
- VISAVET Health Surveillance Centre, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Animal Health Department, Veterinary School, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Manena Fayos
- Centro de Recuperación de Fauna Silvestre de Cantabria, Santander, Spain
| | | | - Laura Torre-Fuentes
- VISAVET Health Surveillance Centre, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Julio Álvarez
- VISAVET Health Surveillance Centre, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Animal Health Department, Veterinary School, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - André E. Moura
- Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Marta Hernández
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Instituto Tecnológico Agrario de Castilla y León, Valladolid, Spain
| | - Aranzazu Buendía
- VISAVET Health Surveillance Centre, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Sandra Barroso-Arévalo
- VISAVET Health Surveillance Centre, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Animal Health Department, Veterinary School, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Teresa García-Seco
- VISAVET Health Surveillance Centre, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta Pérez-Sancho
- VISAVET Health Surveillance Centre, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Animal Health Department, Veterinary School, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - María Jesús De Miguel
- Departamento de Ciencia Animal, Centro de Investigación y Tecnología Agroalimentaria de Aragón (CITA) - Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón-IA2 (CITA-Universidad de Zaragoza), Zaragoza, España, Spain
| | - Sara Andrés-Barranco
- Departamento de Ciencia Animal, Centro de Investigación y Tecnología Agroalimentaria de Aragón (CITA) - Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón-IA2 (CITA-Universidad de Zaragoza), Zaragoza, España, Spain
| | - Vicente Marco-Cabedo
- />Fundación Oceanogràfic. Oceanogràfic. Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias, Valencia, Spain
| | | | - Pilar María Muñoz
- Departamento de Ciencia Animal, Centro de Investigación y Tecnología Agroalimentaria de Aragón (CITA) - Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón-IA2 (CITA-Universidad de Zaragoza), Zaragoza, España, Spain
| | - Lucas Domínguez
- VISAVET Health Surveillance Centre, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Animal Health Department, Veterinary School, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Daniel García-Párraga
- />Fundación Oceanogràfic. Oceanogràfic. Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias, Valencia, Spain
| | - José Manuel Sánchez-Vizcaíno
- VISAVET Health Surveillance Centre, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Animal Health Department, Veterinary School, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
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Orsini M, Ianni A, Zinzula L. Brucella ceti and Brucella pinnipedialis genome characterization unveils genetic features that highlight their zoonotic potential. Microbiologyopen 2022; 11:e1329. [PMID: 36314752 PMCID: PMC9597259 DOI: 10.1002/mbo3.1329] [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: 05/13/2022] [Revised: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The Gram-negative bacteria Brucella ceti and Brucella pinnipedialis circulate in marine environments primarily infecting marine mammals, where they cause an often-fatal disease named brucellosis. The increase of brucellosis among several species of cetaceans and pinnipeds, together with the report of sporadic human infections, raises concerns about the zoonotic potential of these pathogens on a large scale and may pose a threat to coastal communities worldwide. Therefore, the characterization of the B. ceti and B. pinnipedialis genetic features is a priority to better understand the pathological factors that may impact global health. Moreover, an in-depth functional analysis of the B. ceti and B. pinnipedialis genome in the context of virulence and pathogenesis was not undertaken so far. Within this picture, here we present the comparative whole-genome characterization of all B. ceti and B. pinnipedialis genomes available in public resources, uncovering a collection of genetic tools possessed by these aquatic bacterial species compared to their zoonotic terrestrial relatives. We show that B. ceti and B. pinnipedialis genomes display a wide host-range infection capability and a polyphyletic phylogeny within the genus, showing a genomic structure that fits the canonical definition of closeness. Functional genome annotation led to identifying genes related to several pathways involved in mechanisms of infection, others conferring pan-susceptibility to antimicrobials and a set of virulence genes that highlight the similarity of B. ceti and B. pinnipedialis genotypes to those of Brucella spp. displaying human-infecting phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Massimiliano Orsini
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Laboratory of Microbial Ecology and GenomicsLegnaroItaly
| | - Andrea Ianni
- Research Unit in Hygiene, Statistics and Public HealthCampus Bio‐Medico di Roma UniversityRomeItaly
| | - Luca Zinzula
- Department of Molecular Structural BiologyMax Planck Institute of BiochemistryMartinsriedGermany
- Centro di Educazione Ambientale e alla Sostenibilità (CEAS) Laguna di NoraPulaItaly
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