Diseases of Aquatic Organisms
DAO is a hybrid research journal on all aspects of disease phenomena in aquatic organisms.
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/dao02957
copiedMeningoencephalitis and Listeria monocytogenes, Toxoplasma gondii and Brucella spp. coinfection in a dolphin in Italy
- Carla Grattarola
- Federica Giorda
- Barbara Iulini
- Maria Domenica Pintore
- Alessandra Pautasso
- Simona Zoppi
- Maria Goria
- Angelo Romano
- Simone Peletto
- Katia Varello
- Fulvio Garibaldi
- Giuliano Garofolo
- Cristina Esmeralda Di Francesco
- Letizia Marsili
- Elena Bozzetta
- Giovanni Di Guardo
- Alessandro Dondo
- Walter Mignone
- Cristina Casalone
ABSTRACT: Listeria monocytogenes, Toxoplasma gondii and Brucella spp. can infect a wide range of species, including humans. In cetaceans, meningoencephalitis has been associated with T. gondii and Brucella spp. infection, whereas to our knowledge, L. monocytogenes infection has not previously been reported. Meningoencephalitis and L. monocytogenes, T. gondii and Brucella spp. were identified by means of both direct and indirect laboratory techniques in an adult female striped dolphin Stenella coeruleoalba found stranded in January 2015 on the Ligurian Sea coast, northwestern Italy. The animal was emaciated, and histopathology disclosed severe meningoencephalitis. The nature of the inflammatory response and intra-lesional protozoa were consistent with a mixed infection by L. monocytogenes, T. gondii and Brucella spp. We believe this is an unprecedented case of infection by 3 zoonotic pathogens and also the first bacteriologically confirmed case report of neurolisteriosis in cetaceans. Cerebral toxoplasmosis and neurobrucellosis may have led to the animal’s disorientation and stranding, with L. monocytogenes having likely exacerbated the coinfection leading to the demise of this dolphin.
KEYWORDS
Carla Grattarola (Co-author)
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, Via Bologna 148, 10154 Turin, Italy
Federica Giorda (Co-author)
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, Via Bologna 148, 10154 Turin, Italy
Barbara Iulini (Co-author)
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, Via Bologna 148, 10154 Turin, Italy
Maria Domenica Pintore (Co-author)
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, Via Bologna 148, 10154 Turin, Italy
Alessandra Pautasso (Co-author)
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, Via Bologna 148, 10154 Turin, Italy
Simona Zoppi (Co-author)
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, Via Bologna 148, 10154 Turin, Italy
Maria Goria (Co-author)
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, Via Bologna 148, 10154 Turin, Italy
Angelo Romano (Co-author)
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, Via Bologna 148, 10154 Turin, Italy
Simone Peletto (Co-author)
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, Via Bologna 148, 10154 Turin, Italy
Katia Varello (Co-author)
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, Via Bologna 148, 10154 Turin, Italy
Fulvio Garibaldi (Co-author)
- University of Genova, Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, dell’ Ambiente e della Vita, Corso Europa 26, 16132 Genova, Italy
Giuliano Garofolo (Co-author)
- National and OIE Reference Laboratory for Brucellosis, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise, Campo Boario, 64100 Teramo, Italy
Cristina Esmeralda Di Francesco (Co-author)
- University of Teramo, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Località Piano D’Accio, 64100 Teramo, Italy
Letizia Marsili (Co-author)
- University of Siena, Dipartimento di Scienze Fisiche, della Terra e dell’Ambiente, Via Mattioli 4, 53100 Siena, Italy
Elena Bozzetta (Co-author)
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, Via Bologna 148, 10154 Turin, Italy
Giovanni Di Guardo (Co-author)
- University of Teramo, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Località Piano D’Accio, 64100 Teramo, Italy
Alessandro Dondo (Co-author)
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, Via Bologna 148, 10154 Turin, Italy
Walter Mignone (Co-author)
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, Via Nizza 4, 18100 Imperia, Italy
Cristina Casalone (Corresponding Author)
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, Via Bologna 148, 10154 Turin, Italy