Erysipelas with preferential brain and skin involvement in a Mediterranean bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus
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Author
Martino, Laura
Serrano, Bárbara
Alomar, Jaume
Pérez, Lola
Abarca, Maria Lourdes
Yazdi, Zeinab
Soto, Esteban
Domingo, Mariano
Publication date
2024-02-01ISSN
0177-5103
Abstract
Infections by Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae occur in domestic animals and cause the
disease known as ‘erysipelas’. The ubiquity of Erysipelothrix spp. makes infection possible in a
wide range of vertebrates and invertebrates. Cetaceans are highly susceptible to erysipelas, especially those under human care. The number of cases documented in wild cetaceans is low, the
pathogenesis is incompletely understood, and the full spectrum of lesions is not well defined. The
possible serotypes and species of the genus that can cause disease are unknown. In October 2022,
a common bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus stranded in Vilassar de Mar (Catalonia) showing
skin lesions consistent with ‘diamond skin disease’, a characteristic lesion of erysipelas shared by
swine and cetaceans. Necropsy was performed following standardized procedures, and multiple
samples were taken for histopathology and bacteriology. Erysipelothrix sp. grew in pure culture in
many tissue samples. Genetic characterization by multi-locus sequence analysis identified the species as E. rhusiopathiae. Histologically, the main lesions were an intense suppurative vasculitis of
leptomeningeal arteries and veins with abundant intramural Gram-positive bacilli and meningeal
hemorrhages. Meningeal lesions were considered the cause of death. The affected skin showed
moderate suppurative dermatitis. Herein we document a case of erysipelas in a Mediterranean
common bottlenose dolphin with unusual lesions in the leptomeningeal vessels and marked skin
tropism. To our knowledge, this is the first case of severe brain involvement in erysipelas in a cetacean. We also provide a review of available cases in wild cetaceans, to highlight the characteristics
of the disease and improve future diagnosis.
Document Type
Article
Document version
Published version
Language
English
Subject (CDU)
619 - Veterinary science
Pages
13
Publisher
Inter-Research Science
Is part of
Diseases of Aquatic Organisms
Citation
Martino, L, B. Adell Serrano, Jaume Alomar, Luis Pérez, Virginia Aragón, Àlex Cobos, M. L. Abarca, Zeinab Yazdi, Esteban Soto, and Mariano Cuesta Domingo. 2024. “Erysipelas With Preferential Brain and Skin Involvement in a Mediterranean Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops Truncatus).” Diseases of Aquatic Organisms. 157: 31-43. doi:10.3354/dao03770.
Program
Sanitat Animal
This item appears in the following Collection(s)
- ARTICLES CIENTÍFICS [2685]
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