Disseminated systemic mycosis in Veiled chameleons (Chamaeleo calyptratus) caused by Chamaeleomyces granulomatis

Plenz, Bastian; Pfaff, Miriam; Pees, Michael

doi:10.1016/j.vetmic.2012.07.017

Cited by 20 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…Pathomorphological findings are comparable to mycoses caused by M. granulomatis (19,20). Observations of disease outbreaks caused by M. granulomatis in collections of veiled chameleons within a time frame of 10 months are suggestive of a primary fungal pathogen (19,20). This is most likely also the case with M. viride infections in lizard species, which are described here.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 73%

“…Therefore, besides M. granulomatis, M. viride is an important fungal pathogen causing disseminated mycosis in veiled chameleons and furthermore in other chameleons and bearded dragons. Contrary to M. granulomatis-induced mycosis, fungal dermatitis or toe necrosis was absent in the cases of M. viride-induced mycosis described here (19,20). Clinical signs are similar for both mycoses and include anorexia caused by a granulomatous reaction inside the oral cavity, emaciation as result of anorexia, and visceral granulomatous fungal disease.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 53%

“…Besides a disease outbreak in a collection of carpet chameleons in 1964, these are the first documented cases in veiled chameleons, panther chameleons, and inland bearded dragons (21). Pathomorphological findings are comparable to mycoses caused by M. granulomatis (19,20). Observations of disease outbreaks caused by M. granulomatis in collections of veiled chameleons within a time frame of 10 months are suggestive of a primary fungal pathogen (19,20).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 59%

“…However, in other lizards, no deficits in husbandry and feeding conditions or primary immunosuppressive disease was evident. Age-related disease outbreaks are a consis- tent finding in both mycoses, as only adult lizards were affected (19,20). According to these results, it can be stated that M. viride is a primary pathogenic fungal pathogen for various adult chameleons and inland bearded dragons, causing fungal granulomatous glossitis and pharyngitis as well as fatal disseminated visceral granulomatous mycosis.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 92%

“…Metarhizium granulomatis is a common fungal pathogen in captive veiled chameleons kept as pets as well as in zoological enclosures; it causes dermatitis and fatal granulomatous glossitis in conjunction with systemic visceral mycosis and is therefore an important differential causative pathogen for fungal dermatitis in these species (19,20). Metarhizium viride is phylogenetically closely related to M. granulomatis; clinical and pathological findings, such as granulomatous glossitis and visceral mycosis, are very similar (19,21,22).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Characterization of Metarhizium viride Mycosis in Veiled Chameleons (Chamaeleo calyptratus), Panther Chameleons (Furcifer pardalis), and Inland Bearded Dragons (Pogona vitticeps)

Klasen¹,

Schneider²,

Hübel³

et al. 2017

J Clin Microbiol

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Metarhizium viride has been associated with fatal systemic mycoses in chameleons, but subsequent data on mycoses caused by this fungus in reptiles are lacking. The aim of this investigation was therefore to obtain information on the presence of M. viride in reptiles kept as pets in captivity and its association with clinical signs and pathological findings as well as improvement of diagnostic procedures. Beside 18S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) (small subunit [SSU]) and internal transcribed spacer region 1 (ITS-1), a fragment of the large subunit (LSU) of 28S rDNA, including domain 1 (D1) and D2, was sequenced for the identification of the fungus and phylogenetic analysis. Cultural isolation and histopathological examinations as well as the pattern of antifungal drug resistance, determined by using agar diffusion testing, were additionally used for comparison of the isolates. In total, 20 isolates from eight inland bearded dragons (Pogona vitticeps), six veiled chameleons (Chamaeleo calyptratus), and six panther chameleons (Furcifer pardalis) were examined. Most of the lizards suffered from fungal glossitis, stomatitis, and pharyngitis or died due to visceral mycosis. Treatment with different antifungal drugs according to resistance patterns in all three different lizard species was unsuccessful. Sequence analysis resulted in four different genotypes of M. viride based on differences in the LSU fragment, whereas the SSU and ITS-1 were identical in all isolates. Sequence analysis of the SSU fragment revealed the first presentation of a valid large fragment of the SSU of M. viride. According to statistical analysis, genotypes did not correlate with differences in pathogenicity, antifungal susceptibility, or species specificity.KEYWORDS Clavicipitaceae, Hypocreales, granulomatous glossitis, lizards, reptiles, ribosomal DNA, visceral mycosis N umbers of fungal infections caused by different emerging obligate and facultative pathogenic fungi in captive as well as in free-living reptiles have been increasing during the last decade (1, 2). Some of the most common reported fungal diseases in reptiles are yellow fungus disease in lizards and snake fungal disease in snakes, caused by keratinophilic ascomycetous fungi of the family Onygenaceae (Eurotiomycetes: Onygenales), identified as a member of the Chrysosporium anamorph of the Nannizziopsis vriesii complex (CANV) (3-6). Different reports in recent years have indicated that CANV is a reason for often fatal superficial or deep dermatomycosis in various lizard species, including veiled chameleons (Chamaeleo calyptratus) and inland bearded dragons (Pogona vitticeps) (7-12). Beside skin lesions, there have been rare cases of systemic infection (10). Another primary pathogenic species of the Onygenaceae family is Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola, causing snake fungal disease, a well-known disease in

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