Forensic microbiology reveals that Neisseria animaloris infections in harbour porpoises follow traumatic injuries by grey seals

Foster, Geoffrey; Whatmore, Adrian M.; Dagleish, Mark P.; Malnick, Henry; Gilbert, Maarten J.; Begeman, Lineke; Macgregor, Shaheed K.; Davison, Nicholas J.; Roest, Hendrik Jan; Jepson, Paul D.; Howie, Fiona; Muchowski, Jakub; Brownlow, Andrew; Wagenaar, Jaap A.; Kik, Marja; Deaville, Rob; Barley, J.P.; Hunter, Laura; IJsseldijk, Lonneke L.

doi:10.1038/s41598-019-50979-3

Cited by 13 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…The macroscopic and histological changes observed in this study were compatible with those described by Foster et al [10], who investigated the infection by N. animaloris in porpoises (Phocoena phocoena). In both the cats, this multiple foci pattern indicated a hematogenous spread as described in porpoises after bites by gray seals (Halichoerus grypus).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

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Pneumonia in Cats associated with Neisseria sp.

et al. 2021

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Neisseria sp. is a Gram-negative diplococcus bacterium usually present on the mucosal surfaces of animals without causing an obvious pathology. The objective of this study was to report the isolation of Neisseria sp. from severe cases of pyogranulomatous pneumonia with the formation of a Splendore-Hoeppli structure in two cats treated at a veterinary hospital. This paper suggests that the Neisseria genus members may be involved in lower respiratory tract infections in cats, with the molecular diagnosis being a necessary method for the correct identification of this bacteria in animals.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

“…in animals. More recent studies have reported the isolation of this bacteria in a case of deep dermatitis in a dog and of a nasofacial infection in a cat, and in the brains of geese and porpoises [7][8][9][10].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Pneumonia in Cats associated with Neisseria sp.

et al. 2021

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“…A seal-associated genetic variant of Neisseria animaloris was present in four grey seal oral cavities and absent from other sample types, including harbour porpoise lesions. Nevertheless, at present, this N. animaloris variant is only known from the grey seal oral cavity and from internal organs and skin lesions of harbour porpoises attacked by grey seals [17], suggesting that N. animaloris transfer from grey seal to harbour porpoise and subsequent infection is plausible. The apparent absence of this N. animaloris variant in harbour porpoise skin lesions in the present study could be explained, as the infected porpoises from the previous study [17] were not included, and not all grey seals appear to carry N. animaloris.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

“…A well-known example among people interacting with seals is the 'seal finger' (also known as sealer's finger or spekk finger), in which a seal bite to the hands becomes infected, very likely by Mycoplasma [12][13][14][15], although species like Bisgaardia have been indicated as well [16]. Also, a genetically distinct variant of Neisseria animaloris was isolated from skin abscesses, lungs and other organs of several stranded harbour porpoises with traumatic injury inflicted by grey seals [17]. As N. animaloris has been recovered mostly from human wounds as a result of cat or dog bites [18], a similar mode of transmission from seals to harbour porpoises was suspected.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

After the bite: bacterial transmission from grey seals ( Halichoerus grypus ) to harbour porpoises ( Phocoena phocoena )

et al. 2020

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Recent population growth of the harbour porpoise ( Phocoena phocoena ), grey seal ( Halichoerus grypus ) and common seal ( Phoca vitulina ) in the North Sea has increased potential interaction between these species. Grey seals are known to attack harbour porpoises. Some harbour porpoises survive initially, but succumb eventually, often showing severely infected skin lesions. Bacteria transferred from the grey seal oral cavity may be involved in these infections and eventual death of the animal. In humans, seal bites are known to cause severe infections. In this study, a 16S rRNA-based microbiome sequencing approach is used to identify the oral bacterial diversity in harbour porpoises, grey seals and common seals; detect the potential transfer of bacteria from grey seals to harbour porpoises by biting and provide insights in the bacteria with zoonotic potential present in the seal oral cavity. β-diversity analysis showed that 12.9% (4/31) of the harbour porpoise skin lesion microbiomes resembled seal oral microbiomes, while most of the other skin lesion microbiomes also showed seal-associated bacterial species, including potential pathogens. In conclusion, this study shows that bacterial transmission from grey seals to harbour porpoises by biting is highly likely and that seal oral cavities harbour many bacterial pathogens with zoonotic potential.

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“…In addition to cases for which the attack of a grey seal directly led to the death of the animal, interestingly, it seems not unusual that porpoises escape this predator. Several observations have been described in the literature 5,6,13,24 and nine cases were documented in German waters (Figs. 1, 2).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Assessing harbour porpoise carcasses potentially subjected to grey seal predation

Neer¹,

Groß²,

Kesselring³

et al. 2020

Sci Rep

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As a follow-up on the data presented for seals, we herein report and discuss outcomes resulting from a retrospective evaluation of harbour porpoise stranding and necropsy data from Schleswig–Holstein, Germany (n = 4463) to enable an objective evaluation of potential ecological effects of grey seal predation on porpoises. Results are compared to a recent case of definite grey seal predation as well as to reports from other countries. Porpoise carcasses potentially subject to grey seal predation show severe lacerations, with large parts of skin and underlying tissue being detached from the body. Loss of blubber tissue is common. Based on the occurrence frequencies of encountered lesions, a list of parameters as well as a complementary decision tree are suggested to be used for future assessments. The results shown add to an increasingly standardised assessment protocol of suspected grey seal predation cases making respective results comparable between different areas and countries. The usage of a standardised protocol may increase the awareness of grey seal predation and the reporting of such cases. By this, differences in the predation and feeding patterns as well as the potential ecological relevance of this behaviour may be elucidated.

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Forensic microbiology reveals that Neisseria animaloris infections in harbour porpoises follow traumatic injuries by grey seals

Cited by 13 publications

References 23 publications

Pneumonia in Cats associated with Neisseria sp.

Pneumonia in Cats associated with Neisseria sp.

After the bite: bacterial transmission from grey seals ( Halichoerus grypus ) to harbour porpoises ( Phocoena phocoena )

Assessing harbour porpoise carcasses potentially subjected to grey seal predation

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