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Diseases of Aquatic Organisms

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DAO 127:41-47 (2017)  -  DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/dao03184

Fatal fibrino-hemorrhagic bronchopneumonia associated with Morganella morganii in a bottlenose dolphin: a case report

Ahmed K. Elfadl1,2, Seoung-Woo Lee1, Ji-Hyung Kim3, Kyung-Lee Lee4, H. M. Arif Ullah1,2, Myung-Jin Chung1,2, Soong-Gu Ghim1,2, Eun-Joo Lee1,2, Yong Deuk Kim1,2, Sung-Min Kim1,2, Sul-Gi Jeon1,2, Jong-Hyub Lim1,2, Hye Joo Choi1,2, Jin-Kyu Park1,2,*, Kyu-Shik Jeong1,2,* 

1Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Republic of Korea
2Stem Cell Therapeutic Research Institute, Kyungpook National University College of Veterinary Medicine, Daegu, Republic of Korea
3Infectious Disease Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience & Biotechnology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
4Cetacean Research Institute, National Institute of Fisheries Science, Ulsan, Republic of Korea
*Corresponding authors:

ABSTRACT: A 5 yr old, 184 kg, and 262 cm total length female bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus was found dead in a display after bloody discharge from the blowhole was observed 3 h prior to death. Pathological examination revealed fibrinous bronchopneumonia with prominent areas of necrosis (sequestra) and numerous Gram-negative bacilli within alveoli and in blood vessels of the lungs and liver and between muscle fibers. The cause of death was attributed to septicemia. Often, cases of fibrinous bronchopneumonia are characterized by bacteremia in the latter stages of infection, resulting in the death of the animal. Septicemia likely accounts for the ecchymoses and petechiae noted on the spleen, pancreas, forestomach, lungs, visceral peritoneum, and small intestine. Additional lesions included hemothorax, stable red frothy fluid in the trachea, and lymphoid depletion in the spleen and lymph nodes. Pure growth of Morganella morganii was isolated from the lungs, blood, liver, and blowhole mucosa. Sequencing of 16s rRNA of the isolated bacteria showed more than 99.6% identity with M. morganii strain FDAARGOS_172. To our knowledge, this is the first report of fatal fibrinonecrotizing bronchopneumonia associated with M. morganii infection in a cetacean.


KEY WORDS: Gram-negative bacilli · 16s RNA · Lungs · Sequestra · Hemothorax


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Cite this article as: Elfadl AK, Lee SW, Kim JH, Lee KL and others (2017) Fatal fibrino-hemorrhagic bronchopneumonia associated with Morganella morganii in a bottlenose dolphin: a case report. Dis Aquat Org 127:41-47. https://doi.org/10.3354/dao03184

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