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- Title
Nocardiosis in Free-Ranging Cetaceans from the Central-Eastern Atlantic Ocean and Contiguous Mediterranean Sea.
- Authors
Díaz-Santana, Pablo; Fernández, Antonio; Díaz-Delgado, Josue; Vela, Ana Isabel; Domínguez, Lucas; Suárez-Santana, Cristian; Puig-Lozano, Raquel; Fernández-Maldonado, Carolina; Sierra, Eva; Arbelo, Manuel
- Abstract
Simple Summary: Characterization, description, and geographical location of harmful bacterial agents in cetaceans are important for population surveillance and health monitoring around the world. This research compiles the pathologic features of nocardiosis in five free-ranging delphinids from the Canary Islands and Andalusia. All examined animals showed a disseminated pattern of infection with characteristic suppurative to pyogranulomatous lesions with thromboembolism in two or more organs. The obtained results provide the first record of N. otitidiscaviarum in cetaceans, the first account of N. farcinica in free-ranging dolphins, and confirmation of nocardiosis in central eastern Atlantic Ocean. We report the pathologic features of nocardiosis in five free-ranging delphinids from the Canary Islands and Andalusia, namely four striped dolphins (Stenella coerulealba) and one bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). All animals had a multiorgan (disseminated) pattern of infection involving suppurative to pyogranulomatous and thromboembolic lesions in two or more organs. Most affected organs were (by decreasing order) lung, pulmonary lymph nodes, liver, kidney, adrenal glands, and central nervous system. Typical intralesional and intravascular branched and filamentous bacteria were highlighted by Grocott's methenamine silver and Gram stains. Bacterial analysis including 16S rRNA gene sequencing identified Nocardia farcinica in two striped dolphins and Nocardia otitidiscaviarum in one striped dolphin and the bottlenose dolphin. All dolphins tested (n = 4) for cetacean morbillivirus were negative; one dolphin had concurrent cutaneous herpesvirosis. These results provide the first record of N. otitidiscaviarum in cetaceans, the first account of N. farcinica in free-ranging dolphins, and confirmation of nocardiosis in central eastern Atlantic Ocean. These results expand the known geographic range of nocardiosis in cetaceans.
- Subjects
CANARY Islands; ANDALUSIA (Spain); BOTTLENOSE dolphin; NOCARDIOSIS; CETACEA; STRIPED dolphin; FILAMENTOUS bacteria; LUNGS; CENTRAL nervous system; ADRENAL glands
- Publication
Animals (2076-2615), 2022, Vol 12, Issue 4, p434
- ISSN
2076-2615
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.3390/ani12040434