title: Central nervous system mucormycosis caused by Cunninghamella bertholletiae in a bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus).
abstract: In May 2012, an adult, male bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) was found stranded and dead on the Spanish Mediterranean coast. At necropsy, several areas of malacia were macroscopically observed in the periventricular parenchyma of the cerebrum. Microscopically a severe, diffuse, pyogranulomatous, and necrotizing meningoencephalomyelitis was associated with numerous intralesional highly pleomorphic fungal structures. After culture, the fungus, Cunninghamella bertholletiae, was identified by culture and PCR. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of central nervous system mucormycosis due to Cunninghamella bertholletiae in a cetacean.
authors.affiliation: 1  Servei de Diagnòstic de Patologia Veterinària, Veterinary School, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Marcos
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Isidoro-Ayza
authors.forename: Lola
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pérez
authors.forename: F Javier
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Cabañes
authors.forename: Gemma
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Castellà
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Andrés
authors.forename: Enric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vidal
authors.forename: Mariano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Domingo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D050681:Bottle-Nosed Dolphin; D002494:Central Nervous System Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D020093:Cunninghamella / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D008297:Male; D009091:Mucormycosis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*
keywords: Bottlenose dolphin; Cunninghamella bertholletiae; cetacean; meningoencephalitis; mucormycosis; mycosis