title: Coinfection by Cetacean morbillivirus and Aspergillus fumigatus in a juvenile bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) in the Gulf of Mexico.
abstract: A recently deceased juvenile male bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) was found floating in the Gulf of Mexico, off Sand Key in Clearwater, Florida. At autopsy, we identified pneumonia and a focus of malacia in the right cerebrum. Cytologic evaluation of tissue imprints from the right cerebrum revealed fungal hyphae. Fungal cultures of the lung and brain yielded Aspergillus fumigatus, which was confirmed by amplification of a portion of the fungal nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer 2 region sequence. Microscopic pulmonary lesions of bronchiolar epithelial cell syncytia with intracytoplasmic and intranuclear inclusions within bronchiolar epithelial cells were suggestive of Cetacean morbillivirus (CeMV) infection. The occurrence of CeMV infection was supported by positive immunohistochemical staining for morbillivirus antigen. CeMV detection was confirmed by amplification and sequencing a portion of the morbilliviral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase gene from lung tissue. This case provides CeMV sequence data available from the Gulf of Mexico and underscores the need for genomic sequencing across diverse host, temporospatial, and population (i.e., single animal vs. mass mortality events) scales to improve our understanding of these globally emerging pathogens.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Large Animal Clinical Sciences (Cassle, Stacy, Walsh), College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FLInfectious Diseases and Pathology (Landrau-Giovannetti, Farina, Leone, Thompson, Waltzek), College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FLSmall Animal Clinical Sciences (Wellehan), College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FLClearwater Marine Aquarium, Clearwater, FL (Herring, Walsh)National Marine Fisheries Service, Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Network, Southeast Region, Miami, FL (Mase-Guthrie)Athens Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA (Blas-Machado, Saliki).
authors.forename: Stephen E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Cassle
authors.affiliation: Departments of Large Animal Clinical Sciences (Cassle, Stacy, Walsh), College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FLInfectious Diseases and Pathology (Landrau-Giovannetti, Farina, Leone, Thompson, Waltzek), College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FLSmall Animal Clinical Sciences (Wellehan), College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FLClearwater Marine Aquarium, Clearwater, FL (Herring, Walsh)National Marine Fisheries Service, Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Network, Southeast Region, Miami, FL (Mase-Guthrie)Athens Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA (Blas-Machado, Saliki).
authors.forename: Nelmarie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Landrau-Giovannetti
authors.affiliation: Departments of Large Animal Clinical Sciences (Cassle, Stacy, Walsh), College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FLInfectious Diseases and Pathology (Landrau-Giovannetti, Farina, Leone, Thompson, Waltzek), College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FLSmall Animal Clinical Sciences (Wellehan), College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FLClearwater Marine Aquarium, Clearwater, FL (Herring, Walsh)National Marine Fisheries Service, Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Network, Southeast Region, Miami, FL (Mase-Guthrie)Athens Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA (Blas-Machado, Saliki).
authors.forename: Lisa L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Farina
authors.affiliation: Departments of Large Animal Clinical Sciences (Cassle, Stacy, Walsh), College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FLInfectious Diseases and Pathology (Landrau-Giovannetti, Farina, Leone, Thompson, Waltzek), College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FLSmall Animal Clinical Sciences (Wellehan), College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FLClearwater Marine Aquarium, Clearwater, FL (Herring, Walsh)National Marine Fisheries Service, Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Network, Southeast Region, Miami, FL (Mase-Guthrie)Athens Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA (Blas-Machado, Saliki).
authors.forename: Angelique
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Leone
authors.affiliation: Departments of Large Animal Clinical Sciences (Cassle, Stacy, Walsh), College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FLInfectious Diseases and Pathology (Landrau-Giovannetti, Farina, Leone, Thompson, Waltzek), College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FLSmall Animal Clinical Sciences (Wellehan), College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FLClearwater Marine Aquarium, Clearwater, FL (Herring, Walsh)National Marine Fisheries Service, Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Network, Southeast Region, Miami, FL (Mase-Guthrie)Athens Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA (Blas-Machado, Saliki).
authors.forename: James F X
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Wellehan
authors.affiliation: Departments of Large Animal Clinical Sciences (Cassle, Stacy, Walsh), College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FLInfectious Diseases and Pathology (Landrau-Giovannetti, Farina, Leone, Thompson, Waltzek), College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FLSmall Animal Clinical Sciences (Wellehan), College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FLClearwater Marine Aquarium, Clearwater, FL (Herring, Walsh)National Marine Fisheries Service, Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Network, Southeast Region, Miami, FL (Mase-Guthrie)Athens Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA (Blas-Machado, Saliki).
authors.forename: Nicole I
authors.initials: NI
authors.lastname: Stacy
authors.affiliation: Departments of Large Animal Clinical Sciences (Cassle, Stacy, Walsh), College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FLInfectious Diseases and Pathology (Landrau-Giovannetti, Farina, Leone, Thompson, Waltzek), College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FLSmall Animal Clinical Sciences (Wellehan), College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FLClearwater Marine Aquarium, Clearwater, FL (Herring, Walsh)National Marine Fisheries Service, Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Network, Southeast Region, Miami, FL (Mase-Guthrie)Athens Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA (Blas-Machado, Saliki).
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.affiliation: Departments of Large Animal Clinical Sciences (Cassle, Stacy, Walsh), College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FLInfectious Diseases and Pathology (Landrau-Giovannetti, Farina, Leone, Thompson, Waltzek), College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FLSmall Animal Clinical Sciences (Wellehan), College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FLClearwater Marine Aquarium, Clearwater, FL (Herring, Walsh)National Marine Fisheries Service, Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Network, Southeast Region, Miami, FL (Mase-Guthrie)Athens Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA (Blas-Machado, Saliki).
authors.forename: Hada
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Herring
authors.affiliation: Departments of Large Animal Clinical Sciences (Cassle, Stacy, Walsh), College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FLInfectious Diseases and Pathology (Landrau-Giovannetti, Farina, Leone, Thompson, Waltzek), College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FLSmall Animal Clinical Sciences (Wellehan), College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FLClearwater Marine Aquarium, Clearwater, FL (Herring, Walsh)National Marine Fisheries Service, Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Network, Southeast Region, Miami, FL (Mase-Guthrie)Athens Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA (Blas-Machado, Saliki).
authors.forename: Blair
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mase-Guthrie
authors.affiliation: Departments of Large Animal Clinical Sciences (Cassle, Stacy, Walsh), College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FLInfectious Diseases and Pathology (Landrau-Giovannetti, Farina, Leone, Thompson, Waltzek), College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FLSmall Animal Clinical Sciences (Wellehan), College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FLClearwater Marine Aquarium, Clearwater, FL (Herring, Walsh)National Marine Fisheries Service, Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Network, Southeast Region, Miami, FL (Mase-Guthrie)Athens Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA (Blas-Machado, Saliki).
authors.forename: Uriel
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Blas-Machado
authors.affiliation: Departments of Large Animal Clinical Sciences (Cassle, Stacy, Walsh), College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FLInfectious Diseases and Pathology (Landrau-Giovannetti, Farina, Leone, Thompson, Waltzek), College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FLSmall Animal Clinical Sciences (Wellehan), College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FLClearwater Marine Aquarium, Clearwater, FL (Herring, Walsh)National Marine Fisheries Service, Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Network, Southeast Region, Miami, FL (Mase-Guthrie)Athens Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA (Blas-Machado, Saliki).
authors.forename: Jeremiah T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Saliki
authors.affiliation: Departments of Large Animal Clinical Sciences (Cassle, Stacy, Walsh), College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FLInfectious Diseases and Pathology (Landrau-Giovannetti, Farina, Leone, Thompson, Waltzek), College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FLSmall Animal Clinical Sciences (Wellehan), College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FLClearwater Marine Aquarium, Clearwater, FL (Herring, Walsh)National Marine Fisheries Service, Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Network, Southeast Region, Miami, FL (Mase-Guthrie)Athens Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA (Blas-Machado, Saliki).
authors.forename: Michael T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Walsh
authors.affiliation: Departments of Large Animal Clinical Sciences (Cassle, Stacy, Walsh), College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FLInfectious Diseases and Pathology (Landrau-Giovannetti, Farina, Leone, Thompson, Waltzek), College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FLSmall Animal Clinical Sciences (Wellehan), College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FLClearwater Marine Aquarium, Clearwater, FL (Herring, Walsh)National Marine Fisheries Service, Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Network, Southeast Region, Miami, FL (Mase-Guthrie)Athens Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA (Blas-Machado, Saliki) tbwaltzek@ufl.edu.
authors.forename: Thomas B
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Waltzek
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001228:Aspergillosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D001232:Aspergillus fumigatus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D050681:Bottle-Nosed Dolphin; D060085:Coinfection / Q000662:veterinary; D060851:Gulf of America; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D018103:Morbillivirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D018185:Morbillivirus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*
keywords: Aspergillus fumigatus; Tursiops truncatus; bottlenose dolphins; morbillivirus