POSTMORTEM COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY and MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING FINDINGS in A CASE of COINFECTION of DOLPHIN MORBILLIVIRUS and ASPERGILLUS FUMIGATUS in A JUVENILE BOTTLENOSE DOLPHIN (TURSIOPS TRUNCATUS)

Philip E.S. Hamel, Robson F. Giglio, Stephen E. Cassle, Lisa L. Farina, Angelique M. Leone, Michael T. Walsh

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

A freshly dead juvenile bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), recovered from the waters near Sand Key, Clearwater, FL, was imaged postmortem using computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging prior to conventional necropsy. The pattern of imaging findings in the brain was compatible with severe multifocal meningoencephalitis with intralesional necrosis and/or hemorrhage, and the pattern of imaging findings in the lungs was compatible with severe multifocal bronchopneumonia. The subsequent investigation included necropsy, histology, culture, and molecular diagnostics and demonstrated disseminated coinfection of dolphin morbillivirus and Aspergillus fumigatus. This is the first report documenting the cross-sectional imaging findings of this important cetacean comorbidity and demonstrates advances in modern, cooperative investigations of marine mammal mortality events.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)448-454
Number of pages7
JournalJournal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine
Volume51
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 2020

Keywords

  • Aspergillus fumigatus
  • PMCT
  • PMMR
  • Tursiops truncatus
  • bottlenose dolphin
  • dolphin morbillivirus
  • virtopsy

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Animal Science and Zoology
  • General Veterinary

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