Morbilliviral encephalitis in a striped dolphin Stenella coeruleoalba calf from Italy

A free-living, striped dolphin Stenella coeruleoalba calf was stranded on the Latium coast of Italy in November 2009. Significant neuropathological findings included non-suppurative meningoencephalitis, microgliosis, neuronal degeneration, astrocytosis, and occasional multinucleate syncytia. Immunoh...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Diseases of aquatic organisms 2011-07, Vol.95 (3), p.247-251
Main Authors: DI GUARDO, Giovanni, COCUMELLI, Cristiano, SCHOLL, Francesco, ESMERALDA DI FRANCESCO, Cristina, SPERANZA, Roberto, PENNELLI, Massimiliano, ELENI, Claudia
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal aquaculture
Animal productions
Animals
Biological and medical sciences
Brucella
Canine distemper virus
Cetacea
Encephalitis, Viral - veterinary
Encephalitis, Viral - virology
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Italy - epidemiology
Mammalia
Morbillivirus
Morbillivirus - isolation & purification
Morbillivirus Infections - epidemiology
Morbillivirus Infections - veterinary
Morbillivirus Infections - virology
Stenella
Stenella coeruleoalba
Toxoplasma gondii
Vertebrates: general zoology, morphology, phylogeny, systematics, cytogenetics, geographical distribution
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Summary:A free-living, striped dolphin Stenella coeruleoalba calf was stranded on the Latium coast of Italy in November 2009. Significant neuropathological findings included non-suppurative meningoencephalitis, microgliosis, neuronal degeneration, astrocytosis, and occasional multinucleate syncytia. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for Morbillivirus were positive exclusively from the brain, with morbilliviral antigen and nucleic acid being detected in neurons and, to a lesser extent, in astrocytes. A low neutralizing antibody titer (1:10) against Morbillivirus (Canine distemper virus, CDV) was also found in blood serum, with no simultaneous presence of serum antibodies to Brucella spp. or Toxoplasma gondii. Furthermore, no pathogenic bacteria were isolated from any tissue or biological sample. This is the second report of morbilliviral encephalitis in a striped dolphin stranded along the Italian coastline in a 16 yr period (1993 to 2009). The neurohistopathological, IHC, and biomolecular features of this case are of additional interest, as antigenic and genomic positivity were exclusively confined to the brain of this dolphin, which may have acquired morbilliviral infection either postnatally or transplacentally.
ISSN:0177-5103
1616-1580
DOI:10.3354/dao02355