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Mycotic encephalitis in a grey seal ( Halichoerus grypus ) pup associated with Rhizomucor pusillus infection
Author(s) -
Barnett James,
Riley Paul,
Cooper Tamara,
Linton Christopher,
Wessels Mark
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
veterinary record case reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.165
H-Index - 4
ISSN - 2052-6121
DOI - 10.1136/vetreccr-2014-000115
Subject(s) - medicine , zygomycosis , encephalitis , meningoencephalitis , pathology , dermatology , amphotericin b , virology , antifungal , virus
A three‐month‐old grey seal ( Halichoerus grypus ), admitted to a rehabilitation facility with severe gingivitis and minor trauma, developed neurological signs 36 hours after arrival, including loss of swallowing reflex, muscle tremors and a poor response to stimuli. The animal was euthanased due to the poor prognosis. Initial gross postmortem findings were unremarkable, but coronal slicing of the brain found a focal extensive area of red/brown discolouration within the right thalamic region. On histological examination, subacute, neutrophilic and histiocytic, leucocytoclastic, necrotising cerebral vasculitis, encephalitis and meningitis was present, with intralesional fungal hyphae with morphology suggestive of a zygomycete. PCR sequences of fungal DNA purified from digested paraffin sections of the brain matched best those for Rhizomucor pusillus (99 per cent homology) demonstrating the value of this technique in speciating fungi. This is believed to be the first published case of CNS infection in a pinniped with a zygomycete fungus.