Phaeohyphomycoses in a Free-Ranging Loggerhead Turtle (Caretta caretta) from Southern Brazil

• Published in: Mycopathologia (1975) Vol. 178; no. 1-2; pp. 123 - 128
• Main Authors: Domiciano, Isabela Guarnier, Domit, Camila, Trigo, Cariane Campos, de Alcântara, Brígida K., Headley, Selwyn A., Bracarense, Ana Paula F. R. L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.08.2014; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Ampelomyces; Animals; Ascomycota - classification; Ascomycota - genetics; Ascomycota - isolation & purification; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Brazil; Caretta caretta; Cladosporium cladosporioides; Cluster Analysis; DNA, Fungal - chemistry; DNA, Fungal - genetics; DNA, Ribosomal Spacer - chemistry; DNA, Ribosomal Spacer - genetics; Eukaryotic Microbiology; Female; Fungi; Granulomas; Health aspects; Histocytochemistry; Infections; Kidney - pathology; Life Sciences; Medical Microbiology; Microbial Ecology; Microbiology; Microscopy; Molecular Sequence Data; Mycoses; Nephritis - microbiology; Nephritis - pathology; Peritoneum - pathology; Peritonitis - microbiology; Peritonitis - pathology; Phaeohyphomycosis - microbiology; Phaeohyphomycosis - pathology; Phylogeny; Plant Sciences; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Reptiles & amphibians; Sea turtles; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Turtles - microbiology; Brazil; Rio Grande do Sul Brazil; ASW, Brazil, Rio Grande do Sul; South America; Cheloniidae; sp; Fungal disease
• ISSN: 0301-486X; 1573-0832
• DOI: 10.1007/s11046-014-9769-x

This report describes the occurrence of mycotic infection in a loggerhead turtle, Caretta caretta , found on Mostardas beach in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Southern Brazil. The specimen was observed alive, emaciated, and died the following day. A necropsy was performed soon after death and tissue samples routinely processed for histopathological and molecular evaluation. Significant pathological alterations included multifocal to coalescing, 0.5–4 cm in diameter nodules were observed throughout the peritoneum and kidneys that revealed caseous, grayish content when sectioned; histopathological evaluation revealed severe peritonitis and nephritis associated with intralesional fungi. Fungal PCR that targeted the internal transcribed spacer region of fungi revealed three different species of fungi: Cladosporium cladosporioides and Alternata arborescens within the kidneys while Ampelomyces sp. was identified within peritoneal granulomas. C. cladosporioides and A. arborescens are melanized fungi that produce phaeohyphomycosis in a wide range of species. However, the importance of the identification of the mycoparasite Ampelomyces sp. DNA within the peritoneal granulomas remains unclear.