Chronic Morbilliviral Encephalitis in a Young Striped Dolphin from Italy

• Published in: Nature precedings
• Main Authors: Eleni, Claudia, Di Guardo, Giovanni, Cocumelli, Cristiano, Scholl, Francesco, Di Francesco, Cristina Esmeralda, Speranza, Roberto, Pennelli, Massimiliano
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 15.09.2010
• ISSN: 1756-0357; 1756-0357
• DOI: 10.1038/npre.2010.4912.1

Abstract A young male striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) found stranded in November 2009 was affected by a chronic non-suppurative encephalitis, with prominent mononuclear cell perivascular cuffs, neuronal degeneration, microgliosis, neuronophagia and occasional presence of multinucleate syncytia. Immunohistochemical and biomolecular investigations for Morbillivirus were positive exclusively from the brain, but not from the cerebellum nor from any other tissue, with morbilliviral antigen being detected in neurons and astrocytes. A low neutralizing antibody titer (1:10) against Morbillivirus (CDV) was also found, with no simultaneous presence of anti-Brucella antibodies.The main reason why the present case appears to be of interest is provided by its peculiar neuro-histopathologic, immunohistochemical and biomolecular features, with Morbillivirus antigenic and genomic positivity being exclusively confined to the brain of this dolphin, which may have developed a transplacentally-acquired infection.