Bigal Eyal, Morick Danny, Scheinin Aviad P, Salant Harold, Berkowitz Asaf, King Roni, Levy Yaniv, Melero Mar, Sánchez-Vizcaíno José Manuel, Goffman Oz, Hadar Nir, Roditi-Elasar Mia, Tchernov Dan
Department of Marine Biology, Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, 3498838, Israel; Morris Kahn Marine Research Station, University of Haifa, Haifa, 3498838, Israel; Israel Marine Mammal Research & Assistance Center (IMMRAC), Department of Maritime Civilizations, Leon Recanati Institute for Marine Studies, University of Haifa, Haifa, 3498838, Israel.
Morris Kahn Marine Research Station, University of Haifa, Haifa, 3498838, Israel; Israel Marine Mammal Research & Assistance Center (IMMRAC), Department of Maritime Civilizations, Leon Recanati Institute for Marine Studies, University of Haifa, Haifa, 3498838, Israel.
Vet Parasitol. 2018 Jul 15;258:74-78. doi: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2018.06.009. Epub 2018 Jun 11.
Toxoplasma gondii has been described in several marine mammals around the world including numerous species of cetaceans, yet infection and transmission mechanisms in the marine environment are not clearly defined. The Israel Marine Mammal Research and Assistance Center has been collating a database of all marine mammal stranding events along the country's national coastlines since 1993. In this study, we describe the molecular detection and characterisation of T. gondii in three common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) including one case of coinfection with herpesvirus. The animals were found stranded on the Mediterranean coast of Israel in May and November 2013. In one of the three cases, the dolphin was found alive and admitted to intensive care. To our knowledge, this is the first report of T. gondii infection of marine mammals in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. As this parasite acts as an indicator for marine pollution and marine mammal health, we believe these findings add important information regarding the state of the environment in this region.
世界各地的几种海洋哺乳动物体内都发现了刚地弓形虫，包括许多鲸目动物，但海洋环境中的感染和传播机制尚不清楚。自1993年以来，以色列海洋哺乳动物研究与救助中心一直在整理该国海岸线沿线所有海洋哺乳动物搁浅事件的数据库。在本研究中，我们描述了三只宽吻海豚（瓶鼻海豚）体内刚地弓形虫的分子检测和特征，其中一例为与疱疹病毒的合并感染。这些动物于2013年5月和11月被发现搁浅在以色列地中海沿岸。在这三例中的一例中，这只海豚被发现时还活着，并被送入重症监护室。据我们所知，这是东地中海海洋哺乳动物感染刚地弓形虫的首次报告。由于这种寄生虫是海洋污染和海洋哺乳动物健康的指标，我们认为这些发现为该地区的环境状况增添了重要信息。
