Histopathological Differential Diagnosis of Meningoencephalitis in Cetaceans: Morbillivirus, Herpesvirus, Toxoplasma gondii, Brucella sp., and Nasitrema sp.

Sierra, Eva; Fernández, Antonio; Felipe-Jiménez, Idaira; Zucca, Daniele; Díaz‐Delgado, Josué; Puig-Lozano, Raquel; Câmara, Nakita; Consoli, Francesco; Díaz-Santana, Pablo; Suárez-Santana, Cristian; Arbelo, Manuel

doi:10.3389/fvets.2020.00650

Cited by 23 publications

(38 citation statements)

References 66 publications

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“…For the present study, the cerebral and the cerebellar cortex (because always present in the sample set) were re-examined according to the scheme devised by Sierra and colleagues (2020) [ 2 ] and slightly modified according to the description of CNS lesions reported in dogs affected by CDV [ 14 , 31 ]. Two independent pathologists scored the severity of meningitis, perivascular cuffing, astro-microgliosis, malacia, neuronal necrosis, and spongiosis as absent (–), minimal (+), mild (++), moderate (+ + +), and severe (+ + + +); intranuclear and/or intracytoplasmic inclusion bodies (INCIBs), haemorrhage, and IHC labelling for morbillivirus were scored as absent (–) or present (+).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Neuro-inflammation is a leading cause of death in stranded cetaceans, in which the brain is found to be the only organ affected in some cases [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]. Viral meningoencephalitis sustained by cetacean morbillivirus (CeMV) is the most frequent form of meningoencephalitis in cetaceans [ 2 , 3 ]. A member of the genus Morbillivirus (family Paramyxoviridae, subfamily Orthoparamyxovirinae), CeMV is the natural agent with the greatest impact on cetacean health and conservation worldwide [ 4 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Neuropathological Characterization of Dolphin Morbillivirus Infection in Cetaceans Stranded in Italy

Giorda

Crociara

Iulini

et al. 2022

Animals

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Cetacean morbillivirus (CeMV) is responsible for epidemic and endemic fatalities in free-ranging cetaceans. Neuro-inflammation sustained by CeMV is a leading cause of death in stranded cetaceans. A novel dolphin morbillivirus (DMV) strain of Atlantic origin circulating in Italian waters since early 2016 has caused acute/subacute lesions associated with positive immunolabelling of the virus. To date, myelin damage has not been fully documented and investigated in cetaceans. This study describes neuropathological findings in the brain tissue of 31 cetaceans found stranded along the Italian coastline and positive for DMV infection on molecular testing. Cell changes in the areas of myelinopathy were revealed by double indirect immunofluorescence. The most frequent DMV-associated lesions were astro-microgliosis, neuronal necrosis, spongiosis, malacia, and non-suppurative meningoencephalitis. Myelin reduction and areas of demyelination were revealed by means of a specific myelin biomarker. Morbilliviral antigen immunolabelling was mainly observed in neurons and microglial cells, in association with a marked activation of microglia and astrocytes. These findings extend our knowledge of DMV-associated brain lesions and shed light on their pathogenesis.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Neuropathological Characterization of Dolphin Morbillivirus Infection in Cetaceans Stranded in Italy

Giorda

Crociara

Iulini

et al. 2022

Animals

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“…Histopathological assessment of tissues is a very useful tool to identify factors causing the death of stranded cetaceans or determine the cause of their stranding events [ 15 , 45 – 47 ]. However, our histopathological findings were mainly limited to indicative debility and stress during the stranding events because of the inadequate gross descriptions available from the stranding and necropsy reports, prohibiting us to link these findings to disease processes particularly those contributory to cetacean mortalities.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bacteriological and histopathological findings in cetaceans that stranded in the Philippines from 2017 to 2018

et al. 2021

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The relatively high frequency of marine mammal stranding events in the Philippines provide many research opportunities. A select set of stranders (n = 21) from 2017 to 2018 were sampled for bacteriology and histopathology. Pertinent tissues and bacteria were collected from individuals representing eight cetacean species (i.e. Feresa attenuata, Kogia breviceps, Globicephala macrorhynchus, Grampus griseus, Lagenodelphis hosei, Peponocephala electra, Stenella attenuata and Stenella longirostris) and were subjected to histopathological examination and antibiotic resistance screening, respectively. The antibiotic resistance profiles of 24 bacteria (belonging to genera Escherichia, Enterobacter, Klebsiella, Proteus, and Shigella) that were isolated from four cetaceans were determined using 18 antibiotics. All 24 isolates were resistant to at least one antibiotic class, and 79.17% were classified as multiple antibiotic resistant (MAR). The MAR index values of isolates ranged from 0.06 to 0.39 with all the isolates resistant to erythromycin (100%; n = 24) and susceptible to imipenem, doripenem, ciprofloxacin, chloramphenicol, and gentamicin (100%; n = 24). The resistance profiles of these bacteria show the extent of antimicrobial resistance in the marine environment, and may inform medical management decisions during rehabilitation of stranded cetaceans. Due to inadequate gross descriptions and limited data gathered by the responders during the stranding events, the significance of histopathological lesions in association with disease diagnosis in each cetacean stranding or mortality remained inconclusive; however, these histopathological findings may be indicative or contributory to the resulting debility and stress during their strandings. The findings of the study demonstrate the challenges faced by cetacean species in the wild, such as but not limited to, biological pollution through land-sea movement of effluents, fisheries interactions, and anthropogenic activities.

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“…GHV has been suggested to be the causative agent of non-suppurative encephalitis in black bears [67], while here we report the presence of meningitis and encephalitis in GHV-positive samples in cetaceans (six striped dolphins and one bottlenose dolphin). However, non-suppurative inflammations in the CNS have also been associated with other agents, such as CeMV, Brucella ceti, or Toxoplasma gondii [15,68]. Although a co-infection between HV and CeMV was found in only one sample, the presence of other agents such as B. ceti and T. gondii that may have participated in the pathogenesis of the lesions cannot be ruled out.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Systematic Determination of Herpesvirus in Free-Ranging Cetaceans Stranded in the Western Mediterranean: Tissue Tropism and Associated Lesions

Vargas-Castro

Melero

Crespo-Picazo

et al. 2021

Viruses

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The monitoring of herpesvirus infection provides useful information when assessing marine mammals’ health. This paper shows the prevalence of herpesvirus infection (80.85%) in 47 cetaceans stranded on the coast of the Valencian Community, Spain. Of the 966 tissues evaluated, 121 tested positive when employing nested-PCR (12.53%). The largest proportion of herpesvirus-positive tissue samples was in the reproductive system, nervous system, and tegument. Herpesvirus was more prevalent in females, juveniles, and calves. More than half the DNA PCR positive tissues contained herpesvirus RNA, indicating the presence of actively replicating virus. This RNA was most frequently found in neonates. Fourteen unique sequences were identified. Most amplified sequences belonged to the Gammaherpesvirinae subfamily, but a greater variation was found in Alphaherpesvirinae sequences. This is the first report of systematic herpesvirus DNA and RNA determination in free-ranging cetaceans. Nine (19.14%) were infected with cetacean morbillivirus and all of them (100%) were coinfected with herpesvirus. Lesions similar to those caused by herpesvirus in other species were observed, mainly in the skin, upper digestive tract, genitalia, and central nervous system. Other lesions were also attributable to concomitant etiologies or were nonspecific. It is necessary to investigate the possible role of herpesvirus infection in those cases.

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Histopathological Differential Diagnosis of Meningoencephalitis in Cetaceans: Morbillivirus, Herpesvirus, Toxoplasma gondii, Brucella sp., and Nasitrema sp.

Cited by 23 publications

References 66 publications

Neuropathological Characterization of Dolphin Morbillivirus Infection in Cetaceans Stranded in Italy

Neuropathological Characterization of Dolphin Morbillivirus Infection in Cetaceans Stranded in Italy

Bacteriological and histopathological findings in cetaceans that stranded in the Philippines from 2017 to 2018

Systematic Determination of Herpesvirus in Free-Ranging Cetaceans Stranded in the Western Mediterranean: Tissue Tropism and Associated Lesions

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