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Katia R Groch - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Pathologic findings and causes of death in southern right whales Eubalaena australis, Brazil.
Diseases of Aquatic Organisms, 2019Co-Authors: Katia R Groch, Cristiane K M Kolesnikovas, Pedro Volkmer De Castilho, Luciana M P Moreira, Cecil R M B Barros, José Luiz Catão-dias, Karina R. Groch, Camila R. Morais De Medeiros, Eduardo P. Renault-braga, M. SansoneAbstract:: Southern right whales Eubalaena australis (SRWs) migrate to southern Brazil for breeding and calving from June through November. Overall, there is scarce knowledge on health status and pathologic conditions in SRWs. We report the pathologic and molecular investigation results of 8 SRWs that were necropsied between 2010 and 2017 within a breeding and calving ground in Santa Catarina state, Brazil. The animals were of various ages (7 newborns/calves, 1 adult) and sex (3 females, 5 males). Five whales stranded dead; 3 stranded alive and died shortly after (n = 2) or were euthanized (n = 1). The causes of stranding and/or death were neonatal respiratory distress syndrome with meconium aspiration (n = 3) with concomitant congenital hepatopathy in one of them; trauma of unknown origin (n = 3), infectious renal and lung disease with presumed sepsis (n = 1), and euthanasia (n = 1). Three animals were PCR-positive for Cetacean Morbillivirus; one of them also had morbilliviral antigen in kidney via immunohistochemical analysis. These results, integrating novel findings and a published report, contribute to the pathology knowledge of this species.
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Molecular, serological, pathological, immunohistochemical and microbiological investigation of Brucella spp. in marine mammals of Brazil reveals new Cetacean hosts.
Transboundary and Emerging Diseases, 2019Co-Authors: Angélica María Sánchez-sarmiento, Katia R Groch, Carlos Sacristan, Rodrigo Albergaria Ressio, Josué Díaz-delgado, Vítor Carvalho, Natália Coelho Couto De Azevedo Fernandes, Juliana Mariotti Guerra, Natalia Silvestre‐perez, Eduardo Ferreira-machadoAbstract:: Brucella-exposure and infection is increasingly recognized in marine mammals worldwide. To better understand the epidemiology and health impacts of Brucella spp. in marine mammals of Brazil, molecular (conventional PCR and/or real-time PCR), serological (Rose Bengal Test [RBT], Competitive [c]ELISA, Serum Agglutination Test [SAT]), pathological, immunohistochemical (IHC) and/or microbiological investigations were conducted in samples of 129 stranded or by-caught marine mammals (orders Cetartiodactyla [n = 124], Carnivora [n = 4] and Sirenia [n = 1]). Previous serological tests performed on available sera of 27 of the 129 animals (26 Cetaceans and one manatee), indicated 10 seropositive Cetaceans. Conventional PCR and/or real-time PCR performed in cases with available organs (n = 119) and/or blood or swabs (n = 10) revealed 4/129 (3.1%) Brucella-infected Cetaceans (one of them with positive serology; the remaining three with no available sera). Pathological, IHC and/or microbiological analyses conducted in PCR/real-time PCR and/or seropositive cases (n = 13) revealed Brucella-type lesions, including meningitis/meningoencephalitis, pneumonia, necrotizing hepatitis, pericarditis and osteoarthritis in some of those animals, and positive IHC was found in all of them (excepting two live-stranded animals without available organs). Brucella spp. culture attempts were unsuccessful. Our results demonstrated exposure, asymptomatic, acute and chronic Brucella sp. infection in several Cetacean species in the Brazilian coast, highlighting the role of this pathogen in stranding and/or death, particularly in Clymene dolphin (Stenella clymene) and short-finned pilot whale (Globicephala macrorhynchus) off Ceara State. Novel hosts susceptible to Brucella included the franciscana (Pontoporia blainvillei), the Guiana dolphin (Sotalia guianensis) and the spinner dolphin (Stenella longirostris). Additionally, three coinfection cases involving Brucella spp. and Cetacean Morbillivirus, Edwarsiella tarda and Proteus mirabilis were detected. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first long-term and large-scale survey of Brucella spp. in marine mammals of South America, widening the spectrum of susceptible hosts and geographical distribution range of this agent with zoonotic potential.
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Comparative histopathologic and viral immunohistochemical studies on CeMV infection among Western Mediterranean, Northeast-Central, and Southwestern Atlantic Cetaceans
PLOS ONE, 2019Co-Authors: Josué Díaz-delgado, Katia R Groch, Eva Sierra, Antonio Fernandez, Manuel Arbelo, Daniele Zucca, Simona Sacchini, O. Quesada-canales, Elitieri Santos, Joana IkedaAbstract:Cetacean Morbillivirus (CeMV) is a major natural cause of morbidity and mortality in Cetaceans worldwide and results in epidemic and endemic fatalities. The pathogenesis of CeMV has not been fully elucidated, and questions remain regarding tissue tropism and the mechanisms of immunosuppression. We compared the histopathologic and viral immunohistochemical features in molecularly confirmed CeMV-infected Guiana dolphins (Sotalia guianensis) from the Southwestern Atlantic (Brazil) and striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba) and bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) from the Northeast-Central Atlantic (Canary Islands, Spain) and the Western Mediterranean Sea (Italy). Major emphasis was placed on the central nervous system (CNS), including neuroanatomical distribution of lesions, and the lymphoid system and lung were also examined. Eleven Guiana dolphins, 13 striped dolphins, and 3 bottlenose dolphins were selected by defined criteria. CeMV infections showed a remarkable neurotropism in striped dolphins and bottlenose dolphins, while this was a rare feature in CeMV-infected Guiana dolphins. Neuroanatomical distribution of lesions in dolphins stranded in the Canary Islands revealed a consistent involvement of the cerebrum, thalamus, and cerebellum, followed by caudal brainstem and spinal cord. In most cases, Guiana dolphins had more severe lung lesions. The lymphoid system was involved in all three species, with consistent lymphoid depletion. Multinucleate giant cells/syncytia and characteristic viral inclusion bodies were variably observed in these organs. Overall, there was widespread lymphohistiocytic, epithelial, and neuronal/neuroglial viral antigen immunolabeling with some individual, host species, and CeMV strain differences. Preexisting and opportunistic infections were common, particularly endoparasitism, followed by bacterial, fungal, and viral infections. These results contribute to understanding CeMV infections in susceptible Cetacean hosts in relation to factors such as CeMV strains and geographic locations, thereby establishing the basis for future neuro- and immunopathological comparative investigations.
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comparative immunopathology of Cetacean Morbillivirus infection in free ranging dolphins from western mediterranean northeast central and southwestern atlantic
Frontiers in Immunology, 2019Co-Authors: Josue Diazdelgado, Katia R Groch, Eva Sierra, A Fernandez, Manuel Arbelo, Rodrigo Albergaria Ressio, Isis P J Riskallah, Simona Sacchini, O Quesadacanales, Elitieri B SantosnetoAbstract:: Cetacean Morbillivirus (CeMV; Paramyxoviridae) causes epizootic and interepizootic fatalities in odontocetes and mysticetes worldwide. Studies suggest there is different species-specific susceptibility to CeMV infection, with striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba), bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), and Guiana dolphins (Sotalia guianensis) ranking among the most susceptible Cetacean hosts. The pathogenesis of CeMV infection is not fully resolved. Since no previous studies have evaluated the organ-specific immunopathogenetic features of CeMV infection in tissues from infected dolphins, this study was aimed at characterizing and comparing immunophenotypic profiles of local immune responses in lymphoid organs (lymph nodes, spleen), lung and CNS in CeMV-molecularly (RT-PCR)-positive Cetaceans from Western Mediterranean, Northeast-Central, and Southwestern Atlantic. Immunohistochemical (IHC) analyses targeted molecules of immunologic interest: caspase 3, CD3, CD20, CD57, CD68, FoxP3, MHCII, Iba1, IFNγ, IgG, IL4, IL10, lysozyme, TGFβ, and PAX5. We detected consistent CeMV-associated inflammatory response patterns. Within CNS, inflammation was dominated by CD3+ (T cells), and CD20+ and PAX5+ (B cells) lymphocytes, accompanied by fewer Iba1+, CD68+, and lysozyme+ histiocytes, mainly in striped dolphins and bottlenose dolphins. Multicentric lymphoid depletion was characterized by reduced numbers of T cells and B cells, more pronounced in Guiana dolphins. Striped dolphins and bottlenose dolphins often had hyperplastic (regenerative) phenomena involving the aforementioned cell populations, particularly chronically infected animals. In the lung, there was mild to moderate increase in T cells, B cells, and histiocytes. Additionally, there was a generalized increased expression of caspase 3 in lymphoid, lung, and CNS tissues. Apoptosis, therefore, is believed to play a major role in generalized lymphoid depletion and likely overt immunosuppression during CeMV infection. No differences were detected regarding cytokine immunoreactivity in lymph nodes, spleen, and lung from infected and non-infected dolphins by semiquantitative analysis; however, there was striking immunoreactivity for IFNγ in the CNS of infected dolphins. These novel results set the basis for tissue-specific immunophenotypic responses during CeMV infection in three highly susceptible delphinid species. They also suggest a complex interplay between viral and host's immune factors, thereby contributing to gain valuable insights into similarities, and differences of CeMV infection's immunopathogenesis in relation to body tissues, CeMV strains, and Cetacean hosts.
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Cetacean Morbillivirus in southern right whales brazil
Transboundary and Emerging Diseases, 2019Co-Authors: Katia R Groch, Cristiane K M Kolesnikovas, Pedro Volkmer De Castilho, Luciana M P Moreira, Cecil R M B Barros, Camila R Morais, Eduardo P Renaultbraga, Eva Sierra, A FernandezAbstract:: Cetacean Morbillivirus (CeMV) has caused repeated epizootics and interepizootic fatalities in a variety of Cetacean species worldwide. Recently, a novel CeMV strain (GD-CeMV) was linked to a mass die-off of Guiana dolphins (Sotalia guianensis) in Brazil. Southern right whales (SRWs; Eubalaena australis) migrate to the southern Brazilian coast during austral winter and spring (June through November) for breeding and calving. Because unexplained high calf mortality rates have recurrently been documented in SRWs, we hypothesized they could be infected with CeMV. We developed a novel real-time RT-PCR method based on SYBR® GREEN for detection of CeMV and identified the virus in three out of five stranded SRWs from Santa Catarina state, Brazil. The partial sequences of the Morbillivirus phosphoprotein gene suggest that the virus is similar to the GD-CeMV strain. Our results indicate CeMV can infect SRWs and should be considered in the differential aetiologic diagnosis of infectious diseases in this species. It also raises concern for potential conservation implications for this species in its main coastal breeding area off Southern Brazil.
Sandro Mazzariol - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Cetacean Morbillivirus a land to sea journey and back
Virologica Sinica, 2019Co-Authors: Giovanni Di Guardo, Sandro MazzariolAbstract:Cetacean Morbillivirus (CeMV), the most relevant pathogen impacting the health and conservation of several already threatened Cetacean populations worldwide ( Van Bressem et al. 2014 ), has shown in recent years an apparently increased tendency to cross "interspecies barriers" ( Jo et al. 2018a ), thereby giving rise to disease and mortality outbreaks in free-ranging dolphins and whales ( Mazzariol et al. 2016 , 2017 ; Jo et al. 2018b ). Additional cases of infection have been also reported in aquatic mammals with a mixed aquatic-terrestrial ecology like common seals (Phoca vitulina) ( Mazzariol et al. 2013 ) and Eurasian otters (Lutra lutra) ( Padalino et al. 2019 ), increasing the overall concern and attention towards this Morbillivirus genus member. Within such context, the demonstrated ability of the dolphin Morbillivirus (DMV) strain to utilize both dolphin and seal SLAM/CD150 as host cell receptors ( Jo et al. 2018b ) is biologically relevant and supports cross-species viral transmission events.
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Cetacean Morbillivirus, a journey from land to sea and viceversa
2019Co-Authors: Giovanni Di Guardo, Sandro MazzariolAbstract:Cetacean Morbillivirus, the most relevant pathogen impacting the health and conservation of Cetaceans worldwide, has shown in recent years an increased tendency to cross “interspecies barriers”, thereby giving rise to disease and mortality outbreaks in free-ranging dolphins and whales. This "Personal View" deals with the evolutionary “trajectories” of this viral pathogen, likely originating from Rinderpest Virus, along with its "journey" from land to sea (and viceversa), mimicking that of Cetaceans' terrestrial ancestors.
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Cetacean Morbillivirus, a journey from land to sea and vice versa
2019Co-Authors: Giovanni Di Guardo, Sandro MazzariolAbstract:Cetacean Morbillivirus, the most relevant pathogen impacting the health and conservation of Cetaceans worldwide, has shown in recent years an increased tendency to cross “interspecies barriers”, thereby giving rise to disease and mortality outbreaks in free-ranging dolphins and whales. The present “Opinion Article” deals with the evolutionary “trajectories” of this viral pathogen, likely originating from Rinderpest Virus, along with its "journey" from land to sea (and vice versa), mimicking that of Cetaceans' terrestrial ancestors.
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Cetacean Morbillivirus, a journey from land to sea and viceversa
2019Co-Authors: Giovanni Di Guardo, Sandro MazzariolAbstract:Cetacean Morbillivirus, the most relevant pathogen impacting the health and conservation of Cetaceans worldwide, has shown in recent years an increased tendency to cross “interspecies barriers”, thereby giving rise to disease and mortality outbreaks in free-ranging dolphins and whales. This "Perspective” article deals with the evolutionary “trajectories” of this viral pathogen, likely originating from Rinderpest Virus, along with its "journey" from land to sea (and viceversa), mimicking that of Cetaceans' terrestrial ancestors.
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evolutionary evidence for multi host transmission of Cetacean Morbillivirus
Emerging microbes & infections, 2018Co-Authors: Wendy K Jo, Jochen Kruppa, A Habierski, Marco W G Van De Bildt, Sandro Mazzariol, Giovanni Di Guardo, Ursula Siebert, Thijs Kuiken, Klaus Jung, Albert D M E OsterhausAbstract:Cetacean Morbillivirus (CeMV) has emerged as the pathogen that poses the greatest risk of triggering epizootics in Cetacean populations worldwide, and has a high propensity for interspecies transmi...
Fernando Esperón - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Genetic heterogeneity of dolphin Morbilliviruses detected in the Spanish Mediterranean in inter-epizootic period.
BMC Veterinary Research, 2018Co-Authors: Consuelo Rubio-guerri, Eva Sierra, Manuel Arbelo, Edwige Nina Belliere, Mar Melero, Daniel García-párraga, M. Ángeles Jiménez, Josué Díaz-delgado, José Luis Crespo-picazo, Fernando EsperónAbstract:Background In the last 20 years, Cetacean Morbillivirus (CeMV) has been responsible for many die-offs in marine mammals worldwide, as clearly exemplified by the three dolphin Morbillivirus (DMV) epizootics of 1990–1992, 2006–2008 and 2011 that affected Mediterranean striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba). Systemic infection caused by DMV in the Mediterranean has been reported only during these outbreaks.
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Genetic heterogeneity of dolphin Morbilliviruses detected in the Spanish Mediterranean in inter-epizootic period
BMC Veterinary Research, 2018Co-Authors: Consuelo Rubio-guerri, Eva Sierra, Edwige N. Bellière, Manuel Arbelo, Mar Melero, Daniel García-párraga, M. Ángeles Jiménez, Josué Díaz-delgado, José Luis Crespo-picazo, Fernando EsperónAbstract:Background In the last 20 years, Cetacean Morbillivirus (CeMV) has been responsible for many die-offs in marine mammals worldwide, as clearly exemplified by the three dolphin Morbillivirus (DMV) epizootics of 1990–1992, 2006–2008 and 2011 that affected Mediterranean striped dolphins ( Stenella coeruleoalba ). Systemic infection caused by DMV in the Mediterranean has been reported only during these outbreaks. Results We report the infection of five striped dolphins ( Stenella coeruleoalba ) stranded on the Spanish Mediterranean coast of Valencia after the last DMV outbreak that ended in 2011. Animal 1 stranded in late 2011 and Animal 2 in 2012. Systemic infection affecting all tissues was found based on histopathology and positive immunohistochemical and polymerase chain reaction positive results. Animal 3 stranded in 2014; molecular and immunohistochemical detection was positive only in the central nervous system. Animals 4 and 5 stranded in 2015, and DMV antigen was found in several tissues. Partial sequences of the DMV phosphoprotein (P), nucleoprotein (N), and hemagglutinin (H) genes were identical for Animals 2, 3, 4, and 5, and were remarkably different from those in Animal 1. The P sequence from Animal 1 was identical to that of the DMV strain that caused the epizootic of 2011 in the Spanish Mediterranean. The corresponding sequence from Animals 2–5 was identical to that from a striped dolphin stranded in 2011 on the Canary Islands and to six dolphins stranded in northeastern Atlantic of the Iberian Peninsula. Conclusions These results suggest the existence of an endemic infection cycle among striped dolphins in the Mediterranean that may lead to occasional systemic disease presentations outside epizootic periods. This cycle involves multiple pathogenic viral strains, one of which may have originated in the Atlantic Ocean.
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diagnosis of Cetacean Morbillivirus a sensitive one step real time rt fast pcr method based on sybr green
Journal of Virological Methods, 2015Co-Authors: Carlos Sacristan, Edwige Nina Belliere, M J Munoz, M Carballo, Elena Neves, Veronica Nogal, Fernando EsperónAbstract:Abstract Cetacean Morbillivirus (CeMV) (family Paramyxoviridae, genus Morbillivirus) is considered the most pathogenic virus of Cetaceans. It was first implicated in the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) mass stranding episode along the Northwestern Atlantic coast in the late 1980s, and in several more recent worldwide epizootics in different Odontoceti species. This study describes a new one step real-time reverse transcription fast polymerase chain reaction (real-time RT-fast PCR) method based on SYBR® Green to detect a fragment of the CeMV fusion protein gene. This primer set also works for conventional RT-PCR diagnosis. This method detected and identified all three well-characterized strains of CeMV: porpoise Morbillivirus (PMV), dolphin Morbillivirus (DMV) and pilot whale Morbillivirus (PWMV). Relative sensitivity was measured by comparing the results obtained from 10-fold dilution series of PMV and DMV positive controls and a PWMV field sample, to those obtained by the previously described conventional phosphoprotein gene based RT-PCR method. Both the conventional and real-time RT-PCR methods involving the fusion protein gene were 100- to 1000-fold more sensitive than the previously described conventional RT-PCR method.
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Diagnosis of Cetacean Morbillivirus: A sensitive one step real time RT fast-PCR method based on SYBR(®) Green.
Journal of Virological Methods, 2015Co-Authors: Carlos Sacristan, Edwige Nina Belliere, M J Munoz, M Carballo, Elena Neves, Veronica Nogal, Fernando EsperónAbstract:Abstract Cetacean Morbillivirus (CeMV) (family Paramyxoviridae, genus Morbillivirus) is considered the most pathogenic virus of Cetaceans. It was first implicated in the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) mass stranding episode along the Northwestern Atlantic coast in the late 1980s, and in several more recent worldwide epizootics in different Odontoceti species. This study describes a new one step real-time reverse transcription fast polymerase chain reaction (real-time RT-fast PCR) method based on SYBR® Green to detect a fragment of the CeMV fusion protein gene. This primer set also works for conventional RT-PCR diagnosis. This method detected and identified all three well-characterized strains of CeMV: porpoise Morbillivirus (PMV), dolphin Morbillivirus (DMV) and pilot whale Morbillivirus (PWMV). Relative sensitivity was measured by comparing the results obtained from 10-fold dilution series of PMV and DMV positive controls and a PWMV field sample, to those obtained by the previously described conventional phosphoprotein gene based RT-PCR method. Both the conventional and real-time RT-PCR methods involving the fusion protein gene were 100- to 1000-fold more sensitive than the previously described conventional RT-PCR method.
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simultaneous diagnosis of Cetacean Morbillivirus infection in dolphins stranded in the spanish mediterranean sea in 2011 using a novel universal probe library upl rt pcr assay
Veterinary Microbiology, 2013Co-Authors: Consuelo Rubioguerri, Fernando Esperón, Edwige Nina Belliere, Mar Melero, Jose Luis Crespo, Daniel Garciaparraga, Belen Riveraarroyo, J M SanchezvizcainoAbstract:Abstract A highly sensitive and specific real-time (rt) RT-PCR assay has been developed for rapid, simultaneous detection of three strains of Cetacean Morbillivirus (CeMV). In this assay, two PCR primers and a hydrolysis probe from a commercially available Universal Probe Library (UPL) are used to amplify a highly conserved region within the fusion protein gene. RT-PCR is carried out on the same sample using two primer sets in parallel: one set detects the more virulent strains, dolphin Morbillivirus (DMV) and porpoise Morbillivirus (PMV), and the other set detects the least virulent and least common strain, pilot whale Morbillivirus (PWMV). Sensitivity analysis using dilute samples containing purified DMV, PMV and PWMV showed that viral RNA detection limits in this UPL RT-PCR assay were lower than in a conventional RT-PCR assay. Our method gave no amplification signal with field samples positive for viruses related and unrelated to CeMV, such as phocine distemper virus (PDV). The reliability and robustness of the UPL RT-PCR assay were verified using tissue samples previously analyzed by conventional methods, as well as a panel of clinical samples suspected of containing CeMV. Using the UPL RT-PCR assay, we were able to associate DMV with a mass stranding of striped dolphins in the Spanish Mediterranean in 2011 with greater reliability than was possible with a conventional RT-PCR method. These results suggest that this UPL RT-PCR method is more sensitive and specific than the conventional approach, and that it may be an affordable and rapid test for routine diagnosis of three CeMV strains.
Eva Sierra - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Neurobrucellosis in a common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) stranded in the Canary Islands
BMC Veterinary Research, 2019Co-Authors: Eva Sierra, Antonio Fernandez, Daniele Zucca, Simona Sacchini, Josué Díaz-delgado, Idaira Felipe-jiménez, Gabriella Di Francesco, Miguel A. Rivero, Manuel ArbeloAbstract:Background Brucella spp. isolation is increasingly reported in Cetaceans, although associated pathologies, including lesions of the musculoskeletal and nervous systems, are less frequently described. Concerning the nervous system, Brucella sp. infection causing meningitis, meningoencephalitis or meningoencephalomyelitis have been extensively reported in striped dolphins ( Stenella coeruleoalba ), and less frequently in other Cetacean species. Case presentation A juvenile female common bottlenose dolphin ( Tursiops truncatus ) was found stranded alive in Lanzarote (Canary Islands, Spain) in 2005, but died shortly after. On physical examination, the dolphin showed a moderate body condition and was classified as code 2 (fresh dead) at the time of necropsy. The main gross findings were severe multiorgan parasitism, thickened and congested leptomeninges, and (sero)fibrino-suppurative and proliferative arthritis of the shoulder joint. Histopathological examination revealed the distinct features of a sub-acute systemic disease associated with Cetacean Morbillivirus (CeMV) infection. However, brain lesions diverged from those reported in systemic CeMV infection. This led to suspect that there was a coinfecting pathogen, based on the characteristics of the inflammatory response and the lesion distribution pattern in the central nervous system. Brucella sp. was detected in the brain tissue by PCR and Brucella antigen was demonstrated by immunohistochemistry in the brain and shoulder joint lesions. Conclusions The zoonotic potential of marine mammal strains of Brucella has been demonstrated both in natural and laboratory conditions. In this study, PCR detected Brucella sp. in the brain of a common bottlenose dolphin stranded in the Canary Islands; the dolphin was also co-infected with CeMV. This is the first detection of Brucella sp. infection in a stranded Cetacean in this archipelago. Therefore, we stress the importance of taking adequate measures during the handling of these species to prevent the transmissions of the infection to humans.
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Comparative histopathologic and viral immunohistochemical studies on CeMV infection among Western Mediterranean, Northeast-Central, and Southwestern Atlantic Cetaceans
PLOS ONE, 2019Co-Authors: Josué Díaz-delgado, Katia R Groch, Eva Sierra, Antonio Fernandez, Manuel Arbelo, Daniele Zucca, Simona Sacchini, O. Quesada-canales, Elitieri Santos, Joana IkedaAbstract:Cetacean Morbillivirus (CeMV) is a major natural cause of morbidity and mortality in Cetaceans worldwide and results in epidemic and endemic fatalities. The pathogenesis of CeMV has not been fully elucidated, and questions remain regarding tissue tropism and the mechanisms of immunosuppression. We compared the histopathologic and viral immunohistochemical features in molecularly confirmed CeMV-infected Guiana dolphins (Sotalia guianensis) from the Southwestern Atlantic (Brazil) and striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba) and bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) from the Northeast-Central Atlantic (Canary Islands, Spain) and the Western Mediterranean Sea (Italy). Major emphasis was placed on the central nervous system (CNS), including neuroanatomical distribution of lesions, and the lymphoid system and lung were also examined. Eleven Guiana dolphins, 13 striped dolphins, and 3 bottlenose dolphins were selected by defined criteria. CeMV infections showed a remarkable neurotropism in striped dolphins and bottlenose dolphins, while this was a rare feature in CeMV-infected Guiana dolphins. Neuroanatomical distribution of lesions in dolphins stranded in the Canary Islands revealed a consistent involvement of the cerebrum, thalamus, and cerebellum, followed by caudal brainstem and spinal cord. In most cases, Guiana dolphins had more severe lung lesions. The lymphoid system was involved in all three species, with consistent lymphoid depletion. Multinucleate giant cells/syncytia and characteristic viral inclusion bodies were variably observed in these organs. Overall, there was widespread lymphohistiocytic, epithelial, and neuronal/neuroglial viral antigen immunolabeling with some individual, host species, and CeMV strain differences. Preexisting and opportunistic infections were common, particularly endoparasitism, followed by bacterial, fungal, and viral infections. These results contribute to understanding CeMV infections in susceptible Cetacean hosts in relation to factors such as CeMV strains and geographic locations, thereby establishing the basis for future neuro- and immunopathological comparative investigations.
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comparative immunopathology of Cetacean Morbillivirus infection in free ranging dolphins from western mediterranean northeast central and southwestern atlantic
Frontiers in Immunology, 2019Co-Authors: Josue Diazdelgado, Katia R Groch, Eva Sierra, A Fernandez, Manuel Arbelo, Rodrigo Albergaria Ressio, Isis P J Riskallah, Simona Sacchini, O Quesadacanales, Elitieri B SantosnetoAbstract:: Cetacean Morbillivirus (CeMV; Paramyxoviridae) causes epizootic and interepizootic fatalities in odontocetes and mysticetes worldwide. Studies suggest there is different species-specific susceptibility to CeMV infection, with striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba), bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), and Guiana dolphins (Sotalia guianensis) ranking among the most susceptible Cetacean hosts. The pathogenesis of CeMV infection is not fully resolved. Since no previous studies have evaluated the organ-specific immunopathogenetic features of CeMV infection in tissues from infected dolphins, this study was aimed at characterizing and comparing immunophenotypic profiles of local immune responses in lymphoid organs (lymph nodes, spleen), lung and CNS in CeMV-molecularly (RT-PCR)-positive Cetaceans from Western Mediterranean, Northeast-Central, and Southwestern Atlantic. Immunohistochemical (IHC) analyses targeted molecules of immunologic interest: caspase 3, CD3, CD20, CD57, CD68, FoxP3, MHCII, Iba1, IFNγ, IgG, IL4, IL10, lysozyme, TGFβ, and PAX5. We detected consistent CeMV-associated inflammatory response patterns. Within CNS, inflammation was dominated by CD3+ (T cells), and CD20+ and PAX5+ (B cells) lymphocytes, accompanied by fewer Iba1+, CD68+, and lysozyme+ histiocytes, mainly in striped dolphins and bottlenose dolphins. Multicentric lymphoid depletion was characterized by reduced numbers of T cells and B cells, more pronounced in Guiana dolphins. Striped dolphins and bottlenose dolphins often had hyperplastic (regenerative) phenomena involving the aforementioned cell populations, particularly chronically infected animals. In the lung, there was mild to moderate increase in T cells, B cells, and histiocytes. Additionally, there was a generalized increased expression of caspase 3 in lymphoid, lung, and CNS tissues. Apoptosis, therefore, is believed to play a major role in generalized lymphoid depletion and likely overt immunosuppression during CeMV infection. No differences were detected regarding cytokine immunoreactivity in lymph nodes, spleen, and lung from infected and non-infected dolphins by semiquantitative analysis; however, there was striking immunoreactivity for IFNγ in the CNS of infected dolphins. These novel results set the basis for tissue-specific immunophenotypic responses during CeMV infection in three highly susceptible delphinid species. They also suggest a complex interplay between viral and host's immune factors, thereby contributing to gain valuable insights into similarities, and differences of CeMV infection's immunopathogenesis in relation to body tissues, CeMV strains, and Cetacean hosts.
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Cetacean Morbillivirus in southern right whales brazil
Transboundary and Emerging Diseases, 2019Co-Authors: Katia R Groch, Cristiane K M Kolesnikovas, Pedro Volkmer De Castilho, Luciana M P Moreira, Cecil R M B Barros, Camila R Morais, Eduardo P Renaultbraga, Eva Sierra, A FernandezAbstract:: Cetacean Morbillivirus (CeMV) has caused repeated epizootics and interepizootic fatalities in a variety of Cetacean species worldwide. Recently, a novel CeMV strain (GD-CeMV) was linked to a mass die-off of Guiana dolphins (Sotalia guianensis) in Brazil. Southern right whales (SRWs; Eubalaena australis) migrate to the southern Brazilian coast during austral winter and spring (June through November) for breeding and calving. Because unexplained high calf mortality rates have recurrently been documented in SRWs, we hypothesized they could be infected with CeMV. We developed a novel real-time RT-PCR method based on SYBR® GREEN for detection of CeMV and identified the virus in three out of five stranded SRWs from Santa Catarina state, Brazil. The partial sequences of the Morbillivirus phosphoprotein gene suggest that the virus is similar to the GD-CeMV strain. Our results indicate CeMV can infect SRWs and should be considered in the differential aetiologic diagnosis of infectious diseases in this species. It also raises concern for potential conservation implications for this species in its main coastal breeding area off Southern Brazil.
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pyogranulomatous obliterative laryngotracheitis by rhizopus arrhizus syn r oryzae in a free ranging atlantic spotted dolphin stenella frontalis
Diseases of Aquatic Organisms, 2018Co-Authors: Argine Cerezo, Josue Diazdelgado, Eva Sierra, A Fernandez, O Quesadacanales, Jamie Henningson, Manuel ArbeloAbstract:: We report the gross and microscopic findings and molecular identification of fungal hyphate infection in a juvenile female Atlantic spotted dolphin Stenella frontalis found dead off Arguineguin, Gran Canaria (Canary Islands, Spain). On necropsy examination, the animal had a large cranial intrathoracic mass and multiple variably-sized nodules throughout the larynx and trachea that obliterated the lumen. Microscopically, the masses were composed of abundant pyogranulomatous inflammation with numerous fungal hyphae. These were pauciseptate (coenocytic) and had non-parallel walls, non-dichotomous irregular to right angle branching, and bulbous dilations. PCR analysis from these inflammatory foci yielded Rhizopus arrhizus (syn. R. oryzae). This fungal pathogen is often ascribed to opportunistic infections in immunosuppressed humans and animals. In the present case, a potential cause for immunosuppression was not identified; PCR analysis for Cetacean Morbillivirus was negative. Herein, we report the first confirmed case of R. arrhizus infection in a free-living Atlantic Cetacean. These findings add to the body of knowledge on fungal disease in Cetaceans in general and, in particular, in odontocetes, where respiratory involvement is common.
Giovanni Di Guardo - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Cetacean Morbillivirus a land to sea journey and back
Virologica Sinica, 2019Co-Authors: Giovanni Di Guardo, Sandro MazzariolAbstract:Cetacean Morbillivirus (CeMV), the most relevant pathogen impacting the health and conservation of several already threatened Cetacean populations worldwide ( Van Bressem et al. 2014 ), has shown in recent years an apparently increased tendency to cross "interspecies barriers" ( Jo et al. 2018a ), thereby giving rise to disease and mortality outbreaks in free-ranging dolphins and whales ( Mazzariol et al. 2016 , 2017 ; Jo et al. 2018b ). Additional cases of infection have been also reported in aquatic mammals with a mixed aquatic-terrestrial ecology like common seals (Phoca vitulina) ( Mazzariol et al. 2013 ) and Eurasian otters (Lutra lutra) ( Padalino et al. 2019 ), increasing the overall concern and attention towards this Morbillivirus genus member. Within such context, the demonstrated ability of the dolphin Morbillivirus (DMV) strain to utilize both dolphin and seal SLAM/CD150 as host cell receptors ( Jo et al. 2018b ) is biologically relevant and supports cross-species viral transmission events.
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Cetacean Morbillivirus, a journey from land to sea and viceversa
2019Co-Authors: Giovanni Di Guardo, Sandro MazzariolAbstract:Cetacean Morbillivirus, the most relevant pathogen impacting the health and conservation of Cetaceans worldwide, has shown in recent years an increased tendency to cross “interspecies barriers”, thereby giving rise to disease and mortality outbreaks in free-ranging dolphins and whales. This "Personal View" deals with the evolutionary “trajectories” of this viral pathogen, likely originating from Rinderpest Virus, along with its "journey" from land to sea (and viceversa), mimicking that of Cetaceans' terrestrial ancestors.
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Cetacean Morbillivirus, a journey from land to sea and vice versa
2019Co-Authors: Giovanni Di Guardo, Sandro MazzariolAbstract:Cetacean Morbillivirus, the most relevant pathogen impacting the health and conservation of Cetaceans worldwide, has shown in recent years an increased tendency to cross “interspecies barriers”, thereby giving rise to disease and mortality outbreaks in free-ranging dolphins and whales. The present “Opinion Article” deals with the evolutionary “trajectories” of this viral pathogen, likely originating from Rinderpest Virus, along with its "journey" from land to sea (and vice versa), mimicking that of Cetaceans' terrestrial ancestors.
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Cetacean Morbillivirus, a journey from land to sea and viceversa
2019Co-Authors: Giovanni Di Guardo, Sandro MazzariolAbstract:Cetacean Morbillivirus, the most relevant pathogen impacting the health and conservation of Cetaceans worldwide, has shown in recent years an increased tendency to cross “interspecies barriers”, thereby giving rise to disease and mortality outbreaks in free-ranging dolphins and whales. This "Perspective” article deals with the evolutionary “trajectories” of this viral pathogen, likely originating from Rinderpest Virus, along with its "journey" from land to sea (and viceversa), mimicking that of Cetaceans' terrestrial ancestors.
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evolutionary evidence for multi host transmission of Cetacean Morbillivirus
Emerging microbes & infections, 2018Co-Authors: Wendy K Jo, Jochen Kruppa, A Habierski, Marco W G Van De Bildt, Sandro Mazzariol, Giovanni Di Guardo, Ursula Siebert, Thijs Kuiken, Klaus Jung, Albert D M E OsterhausAbstract:Cetacean Morbillivirus (CeMV) has emerged as the pathogen that poses the greatest risk of triggering epizootics in Cetacean populations worldwide, and has a high propensity for interspecies transmi...