Dear colleagues, On behalf of all co-authors, I am pleased to announce the publication of our article about erysipelas in a common bottlenose dolphin from Brazil.
Sacristan C, Ewbank AC, Sanchez Sarmiento AM, Duarte-Benvenuto A, Gomes Borges JC, Araujo Rebelo V, Diaz-Delgado J, Borges Keid L, Catao Dias JL. (2022). Erysipelas in a stranded common bottlenose dolphin: First report in a South American odontocete. Brazilian Journal of Microbiology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42770-022-00810-5. In this manuscript we report a case of erysipelas in an adult common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) found dead and in advanced autolysis in Paraíba state, northeastern Brazil, on July 19th, 2020. Upon gross examination, 80% of the body surface presented disseminated rhomboid cutaneous lesions ranging from 4 to 6 cm-width, characterized by well-defined edges and occasional ulceration, consistent with erysipelas. Additionally, anthropic-made postmortem linear cuts and partial mechanical removal of the flank musculature were noted. Skin samples were collected for histopathologic and molecular analyses. Microscopically, it was possible to observe multifocal dermatitis with vasculitis. Erysipelothrix sp. was detected by PCR. Despite previous reports of human consumption of cetacean meat in northeastern Brazil, the observed marks and advanced carcass autolysis suggested that the animal was most likely used as bait for fishing instead of human intake. This case highlights the value of postmortem examination and PCR even in poorly preserved cadavers and contributes to the understanding of the epidemiology of cutaneous erysipelas in free-ranging cetaceans (first report in an odontocete from the Southern Hemisphere). Due to the zoonotic potential of certain Erysipelothrix species (i.e., E. rhusiopathiae), active public health policies are required to inform field professionals and the general public about the health threats associated with marine mammal manipulation and consumption. You can discover more in the link: https://rdcu.be/cTzXK Best regards, Carlos Sacristan DVM, MSc, PhD Postdoctoral Researcher, DVM, MSc, PhD Epidemiology and Environmental Health Group (EYSA) Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas Member of the Expert Advisory Panel on Strandings of the International Whaling Commission
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