Pulmonary Aspergillis in the dolphin (Pontoporia blainvillei)

Abstract

Fungal infections that affect marine mammals, like most fungal infections, can be secondary to environmental stress or other infectious diseases. This article describes a case of pulmonary infection by Aspergillus spp. in a specimen of Pontoporia blainvillei found dead near the town of San Clemente de Tuyu and near the bay of Samborombón, Buenos Aires, Argentina. The lung was collapsed with necrotic foci, fragments were collected, fixed in 10% formalin and submitted to histopathological examination. Microscopically, a marked change of the pulmonary architecture was observed, with total alveolar collapse, extensive necrotic areas, where septal hyphae were observed weakly, when stained with H-E and clearly evidenced with Grocott staining. Since the potential causes of immunosuppression were not evident, the authors consider it probable that infection by Aspergillus spp. was established in the lungs that presented a primary, possibly bacterial pneumonia, as a result of some degree of immunosuppression.

Identificação e classificação de patógenos com risco potencial de impactar as populações de Cetáceos marinhos, como critério para efetivação de ações de conservação: revisão de literatura

“…foi reportada em Stenella frontalis com broncopneumonia piogranulomatosa necrotizante que encalhou em Santa Catarina (Groch et al, 2018b). Infecção pulmonar fatal também foi reportada em uma Franciscana (Pontoporia blainvillei) na Argentina (Romano et al, 2020). (Abdo et al, 2012b).…”