Cutaneous Granulomas in Dolphins Caused by Novel UncultivatedParacoccidioides brasiliensis

Abstract

Our findings could stimulate study of public health implications of diseases caused by this fungus.

Health and Environmental Risk Assessment Project for bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus from the southeastern USA. I. Infectious diseases

“…While historically the lesions and causative organisms appeared morphologically similar, initial gene sequencing of the organism from dolphins suggested it was more closely related to Paracoccidioides brasiliensis than to L. loboi of hu man origin (Rotstein et al 2009). More recent molecular data from HERA dolphins and others supported these preliminary findings and show that a novel uncultivated strain of P. brasiliensis is the cause of dolphin lacaziosis/lobomycosis, which has now been renamed PC (Vilela et al 2016). Previously, lobo mycosis was often referred to as a zoonotic disease because it affected delphinids and humans.…”

“…Additional details for specific health-related findings described below are found in previous publications as cited. cently proposed name of the disease caused by a novel uncultivated strain of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis and historically named lacaziosis/lobomycosis; Vilela et al 2016) and orogenital papillomatosis (OP) accounted for two-thirds (67%) of the diagnoses of definite disease among first captures. Eleven percent of dolphins captured in the IRL had PC, which was not identified among dolphins at the CHS site.…”

<b>Research and characterization of selected pathogens of cutaneous and mucocutaneous lesions in cetaceans from the Brazilian coast</b>

“…Other alternative methods adapted to the study of cetaceans' health include exhaled breath analysis and skin biopsies (NOREN; MOCKLIN, 2012;RAVERTY et al, 2017). These studies have clarified many of the current cetacean morbidity and mortality causes, such as: (1) fishing interaction and competition, (2) hunting, (3) pollution: debris, heavy metals, organic pollutants (e.g., the high of neoplasm prevalence in the St. Lawrence River's beluga whale [Delphinapterus leucas] population in Canada, associated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and reproduction impairment in odontocetes from European waters associated with polychlorinated biphenyls), (4) ship collision and acoustic pollution, (5) biotoxins, (6) the effects of climate change (e.g., oceanic acidification, alterations in the food chain), and (7) infectious diseases (DE GUISE;LEGACE;BÉLAND, 1994;MARTINEAU et al, 2002;WRIGHT et al, 2007;FERNÁNDEZ et al, 2008;PARSONS et al, 2008;MARIGO et al, 2010;KAPLAN et al, 2013;LITZ et al, 2014;LAW, 2016;UNGER et al, 2016 BELLIERE et al, 2011;GONZALES-VIERA et al, 2013;GROCH et al, 2014;SIMEONE et al 2015;VILELA et al, 2016).…”

“…Papillomaviruses cause tumors (papillomas) -mainly in the oral and genital mucosa -in several cetacean species (LAMBERTSEN et al, 1987;REHTANZ et al, 2006; VAN BRESSEM et al, 2007;RECTOR et al, 2008 brasiliensis non-cultivable yeasts of the order Onygenales (ROTSTEIN et al, 2009;ESPERON et al, 2012;UEDA et al, 2013;VILELA et al, 2016), closely related to Lacazia loboi, the etiological agent of lacaziosis in humans (VILELA et al, 2016).…”

“…The study of infectious diseases affecting the skin and oral and genital mucosa of cetaceans is considered especially relevant for several reasons: (1) the skin is directly evaluated through visual assessment, which is sometimes the only or the main available resource in field studies; (2) although infectious cutaneous and mucosal diseases are usually not fatal, and often self-limiting, they may serve as entry routes for other pathogens; (3) several systemic diseases cause cutaneous and oral mucosal alterations (e.g., herpesvirus, erysipelas); and (4) ESPERON et al, 2012;VILELA et al, 2016). …”