title: Dermatomycosis caused by Paranannizziopsis australasiensis in five tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus) and a coastal bearded dragon (Pogona barbata) in a zoological collection in New Zealand.
abstract: METHODS
  Health monitoring of tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus) at Auckland Zoo between 2001 and 2009 showed that 58/93 tuatara had been affected by dermatitis of unknown origin. From 2011 onwards, cases of suspected fungal dermatitis underwent extensive diagnostic investigations.
  Six cases of dermatomycosis were attributed to Paranannizziopsis australasiensis, five in tuatara and one in a coastal bearded dragon (Pogona barbata). Cases presented typically as raised, yellow to brown encrustations on the skin. Severe cases progressed to necrotising ulcerative dermatitis, and in the bearded dragon to fatal systemic mycosis. Following topical and systemic treatments, lesions resolved in all five tuatara.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Histopathological examination of skin biopsy samples revealed dermatitis with intralesional septate branching hyphae. Fungal culture yielded isolates morphologically resembling Chrysosporium species, and isolates were submitted for molecular confirmation and sequencing of DNA.
  
  
  METHODS
  All six cases were confirmed as dermatitis due to infection with P. australasiensis, on the basis of fungal culture and DNA sequencing of isolates.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These are the first reported cases of dermatomycosis associated with P. australasiensis infection in tuatara, and the first cases in which systemic therapeutic agents have been used in the treatment of such disease. Tuatara at the Auckland Zoo are now routinely examined every 3 months and tissue samples from any lesions sent for histopathology and fungal culture. Further work to elucidate the epidemiology and significance of P. australasiensis infections in reptiles in New Zealand is important for both welfare and conservation purposes.
authors.affiliation: a Zoological Society of London , London NW1 4RY , United Kingdom.
authors.forename: N J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Masters
authors.affiliation: b New Zealand Centre for Conservation Medicine, Auckland Zoo , Western Springs 1022 , New Zealand.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Alexander
authors.affiliation: b New Zealand Centre for Conservation Medicine, Auckland Zoo , Western Springs 1022 , New Zealand.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.affiliation: c University of Alberta Microfungus Collection and Herbarium , Devonian Botanic Garden, Edmonton , Alberta , T6G 2E1 , Canada.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sigler
authors.affiliation: b New Zealand Centre for Conservation Medicine, Auckland Zoo , Western Springs 1022 , New Zealand.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chatterton
authors.affiliation: d New Zealand Veterinary Pathology , Western Springs 1022 , New Zealand.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Harvey
authors.affiliation: b New Zealand Centre for Conservation Medicine, Auckland Zoo , Western Springs 1022 , New Zealand.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gibson
authors.affiliation: e Ministry for Primary Industries , PO Box 40742, Upper Hutt 5140 , New Zealand.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Humphrey
authors.affiliation: e Ministry for Primary Industries , PO Box 40742, Upper Hutt 5140 , New Zealand.
authors.forename: T G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Rawdon
authors.affiliation: e Ministry for Primary Industries , PO Box 40742, Upper Hutt 5140 , New Zealand.
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Spence
authors.affiliation: e Ministry for Primary Industries , PO Box 40742, Upper Hutt 5140 , New Zealand.
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Ha
authors.affiliation: f Department of Conservation , PO Box 10420, Wellington 6143 , New Zealand.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: McInnes
authors.affiliation: b New Zealand Centre for Conservation Medicine, Auckland Zoo , Western Springs 1022 , New Zealand.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jakob-Hoff
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000836:Animals, Zoo / Q000382:microbiology; D003881:Dermatomycoses / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D008116:Lizards / Q000382:microbiology*; D008297:Male; D009520:New Zealand; D020036:Onygenales; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D012104:Reptiles / Q000382:microbiology*; D012867:Skin / Q000382:microbiology
keywords: Dermatomycosis; Paranannizziopsis australasiensis; coastal bearded dragon; tuatara