Servei de Diagnòstic de Patologia Veterinària, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain.
Facultat de Veterinària de Barcelona, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain.
Dis Aquat Organ. 2024 Feb 1;157:31-43. doi: 10.3354/dao03770.
Infections by Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae occur in domestic animals and cause the disease known as 'erysipelas'. The ubiquity of Erysipelothrix spp. makes infection possible in a wide range of vertebrates and invertebrates. Cetaceans are highly susceptible to erysipelas, especially those under human care. The number of cases documented in wild cetaceans is low, the pathogenesis is incompletely understood, and the full spectrum of lesions is not well defined. The possible serotypes and species of the genus that can cause disease are unknown. In October 2022, a common bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus stranded in Vilassar de Mar (Catalonia) showing skin lesions consistent with 'diamond skin disease', a characteristic lesion of erysipelas shared by swine and cetaceans. Necropsy was performed following standardized procedures, and multiple samples were taken for histopathology and bacteriology. Erysipelothrix sp. grew in pure culture in many tissue samples. Genetic characterization by multi-locus sequence analysis identified the species as E. rhusiopathiae. Histologically, the main lesions were an intense suppurative vasculitis of leptomeningeal arteries and veins with abundant intramural Gram-positive bacilli and meningeal hemorrhages. Meningeal lesions were considered the cause of death. The affected skin showed moderate suppurative dermatitis. Herein we document a case of erysipelas in a Mediterranean common bottlenose dolphin with unusual lesions in the leptomeningeal vessels and marked skin tropism. To our knowledge, this is the first case of severe brain involvement in erysipelas in a cetacean. We also provide a review of available cases in wild cetaceans, to highlight the characteristics of the disease and improve future diagnosis.
红斑丹毒丝菌感染发生在家畜中，引起俗称“丹毒”的疾病。红斑丹毒丝菌属在各种脊椎动物和无脊椎动物中广泛存在，这使得感染成为可能。鲸目动物对丹毒非常敏感，特别是那些受到人类照顾的动物。在野生鲸目动物中记录的病例数量较少，发病机制尚不完全清楚，病变的全貌也没有很好地定义。可能引起疾病的该属血清型和种属尚不清楚。2022 年 10 月，一只普通瓶鼻海豚 Tursiops truncatus 在 Vilassar de Mar（加泰罗尼亚）搁浅，表现出与“钻石皮肤病”一致的皮肤损伤，这是一种猪和鲸目动物共有的丹毒特征性病变。按照标准化程序进行尸检，并采集多个样本进行组织病理学和细菌学检查。红斑丹毒丝菌在许多组织样本中均能在纯培养中生长。通过多位点序列分析进行的遗传特征鉴定将该物种确定为红斑丹毒丝菌。组织学上，主要病变是脑膜动脉和静脉的强烈化脓性血管炎，有大量的腔内革兰阳性杆菌和脑膜出血。脑膜病变被认为是死亡的原因。受影响的皮肤表现为中度化脓性皮炎。本文记录了一例地中海普通瓶鼻海豚的丹毒病例，脑膜血管的病变不常见，皮肤有明显的嗜性。据我们所知，这是首例鲸目动物丹毒严重脑受累的病例。我们还对野生鲸目动物中已有的病例进行了综述，以突出该疾病的特征并改善未来的诊断。
