Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padua, Legnaro, Padova, Italy.
Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padua, Legnaro, Padova, Italy.
J Comp Pathol. 2021 Apr;184:65-71. doi: 10.1016/j.jcpa.2021.02.005. Epub 2021 Mar 23.
The Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) is the rarest species of pinniped in the world. Necropsy of a Mediterranean monk seal pup that stranded alive on the southern Adriatic Italian coast and died a few hours later revealed co-infection by cetacean morbillivirus (CeMV) and Toxoplasma gondii. Pathological lesions included a multifocal, moderate to severe, necrotizing myocarditis and a diffuse, chronic, moderate interstitial pneumonia with bronchial and bronchiolar epithelial hyperplasia. Lesions of atypical necrotizing arteritis were seen in the aorta and major pulmonary arteries in association with the presence T. gondii organisms. Severe haemorrhagic foci and lesions of non-suppurative meningoencephalitis, together with the presence of protozoal cysts, were seen in the brain. Co-infection of CeMV and T. gondii has not been previously reported in monk seals. The vascular lesions found in this animal can be considered atypical because they have not been reported in other terrestrial or marine mammal species. The disseminated toxoplasmosis associated with the unusual vascular and haemorrhagic brain lesions could be related to the immunosuppressive effects of CeMV infection.
地中海僧海豹（Monachus monachus）是世界上最稀有的鳍足类动物。对一只在地中海意大利亚得里亚海南部海滩搁浅后存活数小时后死亡的幼僧海豹进行剖检，发现其同时感染了鲸瘟热病毒（CeMV）和刚地弓形虫。病理学病变包括局灶性、中度至重度、坏死性心肌炎和弥漫性、慢性、中度间质性肺炎，伴有支气管和细支气管上皮增生。在主动脉和主要肺动脉中发现了非典型坏死性动脉炎病变，同时存在刚地弓形虫。在大脑中还发现了严重的出血灶和非化脓性脑膜脑炎病变，以及原生动物包囊。在僧海豹中尚未报道过 CeMV 和刚地弓形虫的合并感染。在这种动物中发现的血管病变可以被认为是非典型的，因为它们尚未在其他陆地或海洋哺乳动物物种中报道过。与不常见的血管和出血性脑病变相关的播散性弓形体病可能与 CeMV 感染的免疫抑制作用有关。
