Epidemiology of tattoo skin disease in bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus from the Sado estuary, Portugal

Bressem, Marie‐Françoise Van; Gaspar, Raquel; Aznar, Francisco Javier

doi:10.3354/dao056171

Cited by 52 publications

(67 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…The coastal environment in California, and in Monterey Bay in particular, is of concern because of high contaminant loads and general levels of pollutants (Hartwell 2008). Environmental contaminants have been linked to marine mammal diseases (Aguilar and Borrell 1994;Ross et al 1996), and high contaminant levels have been associated with higher prevalence of tattoo lesions (PoxLike Lesions) in dolphins in some studies (Van Bressem et al 2003). However, no direct link between contaminants (cause) and skin lesions (effect) has been verified.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prevalence of Epidermal Conditions in California Coastal Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in Monterey Bay

Maldini¹,

Riggin

Cecchetti³

et al. 2010

AMBIO

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The prevalence of epidermal conditions in a small population of coastal bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in Monterey Bay was evaluated between 2006 and 2008. Five different skin condition categories were considered, including Pox-Like Lesions, Discoloration, Orange Film, Polygon Lesions, and Miscellaneous Markings. Of 147 adults and 42 calves photographically examined, at least 90 and 71%, respectively, were affected by at least one or multiple conditions. Pox-Like Lesions were the most prevalent, affecting 80% of the population, including adults and calves. This condition warrants the most urgent investigation being possibly indicative of the widespread presence of poxvirus or a similar pathogen in the population. In view of the high number of individuals affected, standard monitoring of the health status of Monterey Bay bottlenose dolphins is considered imperative. Discoloration was strongly associated with Pox-Like lesions. Orange Films were likely an epifaunal infestation caused by diatoms, which have been documented in other cetacean species. Polygon Lesions, a newly described category, could be the result of infestation by barnacles of the genus Cryptolepas. Miscellaneous Markings were variable in appearance and may not have the same causative factor. Although none of the proposed etiologies can be confirmed without appropriate clinical tests, recognizing common visible characteristics of the conditions could aid in preliminary comparisons across populations and individuals.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prevalence of Epidermal Conditions in California Coastal Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in Monterey Bay

Maldini¹,

Riggin

Cecchetti³

et al. 2010

AMBIO

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“…The earliest recognition of this condition dates back to January 2005. Characteristic tattoo skin disease (Geraci et al 1979, Van Bressem et al 2003 was not observed in these dolphins. …”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Cutaneous nodules in Irrawaddy dolphins: an emerging disease in vulnerable populations

Bressem¹,

Minton²,

Sutaria³

et al. 2014

Dis. Aquat. Org.

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The presence of cutaneous nodules is reported in vulnerable populations of Irrawaddy dolphins Orcaella brevirostris from Malaysia (Kuching, Bintulu-Similajau, KinabatanganSegama and Penang Island), India (Chilika Lagoon) and Bangladesh (Sundarbans). Approximately 5700 images taken for photo-identification studies in 2004 to 2013 were examined for skin disorders. Nodules were detected in 6 populations. They appeared as circumscribed elevations of the skin and varied in size from 2 to > 30 mm, were sparse or numerous and occurred on all visible body areas. In 8 photo-identified (PI) dolphins from India and Malaysia, the lesions remained stable (N = 2) or progressed (N = 6) over months but did not regress. The 2 most severely affected individuals were seen in Kuching and the Chilika Lagoon. Their fate is unknown. Cutaneous nodules were sampled in a female that died in a gillnet in Kuching in 2012. Histologically, the lesions consisted of thick collagen bundles covered by a moderately hyperplasic epithelium and were diagnosed as fibropapillomas. Whether the nodules observed in the other O. brevirostris were also fibropapillomas remains to be investigated. Disease prevalence ranged from 2.2% (N = 46; Bintulu-Similajau) to 13.9% (N = 72; Chilika) in 4 populations from Malaysia and India. It was not significantly different in 3 study areas in eastern Malaysia. In Chilika, prevalence was significantly higher (p = 0. well et al. 1975, Kiszka et al. 2009, Reif et al. 2009, Van Bressem et al. 2009b. In some small communities of inshore and estuarine populations, these pathologies are highly prevalent, may progress to cover extensive body areas and have been associated with the death or disappearance of severely affected individuals, including calves (Simões-Lopes et al. 1993, Van Bressem et al. 2007a, Kiszka et al. 2009, Daura-Jorge & Simões-Lopes 2011. However, their impact on the long-term viability of affected communities is still vastly unknown. The fungi Lacazia loboi, Fusarium spp., Paracoccidioides brasiliensis and Trichophyton spp. have been identified as the aetiological agents of some nodular disorders (Caldwell et al. 1975, Frasca et al. 1996, Van Bressem et al. 2007a, Esperón et al. 2012, Tanaka et al. 2012). Immune dysfunction is also known to play a role in the pathogenesis of L. loboi disease in coastal common bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus from Florida, USA (Reif et al. 2009, Murdoch et al. 2010.Irrawaddy dolphins Orcaella brevirostris occur in large rivers and marine appended lakes in South Asia, as well as in the coastal waters of the Indo-Pacific Ocean (Smith 2009). Estuarine and nearshore populations are distributed in tropical and subtropical waters of the Indo-Pacific Ocean, from eastern India to the Philippines (Dolar et al. 2002, Minton et al. 2011. Riverine populations have been documented in 3 major river systems: the Mahakam (Indonesia), the Ayeyarwady (Myanmar) and the Mekong (Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam) (Smith 2009). Their habitat preference exposes them to multiple anthropog...

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“…Very high prevalence levels (over 60%) of tattoo disease in the populations of D. capensis and P. spinipinnis studied suggest that the poxvirus had evolved to counteract the immune response and to persist in the skin cells. The fact that tattoo skin lesions may last for months or even years and may grow very large (Geraci et al, 1979;Van Bressem and Van Waerebeek, 1996;Van Bressem et al, 2003) is also in favour of these hypotheses.…”

mentioning

confidence: 88%

Orthopoxvirus neutralising antibodies in small cetaceans from the Southeast Pacific

Bressem¹,

Waerebeek²,

Bennett³

2006

Lat. Am. J. Aquat. Mamm.

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Epidemiology of tattoo skin disease in bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus from the Sado estuary, Portugal

Cited by 52 publications

References 10 publications

Prevalence of Epidermal Conditions in California Coastal Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in Monterey Bay

Prevalence of Epidermal Conditions in California Coastal Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in Monterey Bay

Cutaneous nodules in Irrawaddy dolphins: an emerging disease in vulnerable populations

Orthopoxvirus neutralising antibodies in small cetaceans from the Southeast Pacific

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