A simple polymerase chain reaction-sequencing analysis capable of identifying multiple medically relevant filamentous fungal species

A review of lobomycosis and lobomycosis-like skin disease in cetaceans worldwide, with new data from the Gulf of Guayaquil, Ecuador

Lobomycosis, also called paracoccidioidomycosis ceti, is a chronic mycotic cutaneous disease affecting odontocetes. Lobomycosis-like disease (LLD) has a clinical presentation consistent with lobomycosis but lacks a histological and molecular diagnosis. We review the literature on lobomycosis aetiology, clinical signs and pathogenesis, species affected and geographic distribution and examine the factors influencing the presence, transmission and prevalence of the disease, to better understand its ecology. In addition, we provide unpublished information on LLD in two common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) communities inhabiting the Gulf of Guayaquil, Ecuador. Lobomycosis and LLD occur in Delphinidae from the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans between 33°N and 35°S. Primary risk factors include habitat, sex, age, sociality, and pollution. In dolphins from the Americas and Japan, lobomycosis is caused by Paracoccidioides ceti, family Ajellomycetaceae. The disease is characterized by cutaneous granulomatous lesions that may occur anywhere on the body, grow to large size, and may ulcerate. Histologically, the lesions consist of acanthosis and histiocytic granulomas between the skin and subcutaneous tissues, with inflammatory changes that extend deep into the dermis. Multiple yeast cells with a double refringent layer stained positive using Gomori-Grocott methenamine silver in the dermis of a T. truncatus from Ecuador diagnosed with LLD since 2011, a first record for the Southeast Pacific. Injuries may enable the entry of P. ceti into the dermis while skin contact likely favours transmission, putting males at higher risk than females. Lobomycosis and LLD may have a negative impact on small communities already threatened by anthropogenic factors.

Fusariosis in a Captive South American Sea Lion (Otaria flavescens): A Case Report

Superficial mycoses are commonly reported in captive pinnipeds, usually maintained in wet and warm environments, favorable to fungal growth. Most superficial mycoses in pinnipeds have been described as difficult to treat; however, the majority of the reports come from past decades. Cutaneous lesions associated with opportunistic Fusarium sp. infections have been previously recognized in this taxon. We described the clinical signs, associated lesions and diagnosis (thermography, imprint cytology, histopathology, culture, electron microscopy, PCR) of a fusariosis case by Fusarium sp. in the nails and skin of an adult male captive South American sea lion (Otaria flavescens) recently transferred from another zoological institution, and its successful long-term treatment with Ketoconazole PO (60 days) and Miconazole solution spray TO, followed by Itraconazole PO (30 days). Herein we provide a successful approach to the diagnosis and treatment of fusariosis.

Molecular diagnosis of lobomycosis-like disease in a bottlenose dolphin in captivity

We report the diagnosis and molecular characterization of lobomycosis-like lesions in a captive bottlenose dolphin. The clinical picture and the absence of growth in conventional media resembled the features associated with Lacazia loboi. However sequencing of ribosomal DNA and further phylogenetic analyses showed a novel sequence more related to Paracoccidioides brasilensis than to L. loboi. Moreover, the morphology of the yeast cells differed from those L. loboi causing infections humans. These facts suggest that the dolphin lobomycosis-like lesions might have been be caused by different a different fungus clustered inside the order Onygenales. A successful treatment protocol based on topic and systemic terbinafine is also detailed.

Development of a Method for Detection of the Biocontrol Agent Penicillium oxalicum Strain 212 by Combining PCR and a Selective Medium

The registration of biological control agents requires the development of monitoring systems to detect and quantify the agent in the environment. Penicillium oxalicum strain 212 (PO212) is being developed for the control of tomato pathogens. In this study, we demonstrated that PO212 was more effective for controlling Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici in tomato plants than 13 other P. oxalicum strains. A new semiselective medium was developed as a preliminary screen for P. oxalicum from soil. This semiselective medium was a modified Fusarium selective medium that contained 0.006 g of nystatin per liter. The growth of P. oxalicum strain 212 was not inhibited on this medium, but it did inhibit the growth of 11 fungal species. Specific identification of the biocontrol strain and its quantification were achieved using a polymerase chain reaction with a strain-specific pair of primers (POITS1F/POITS2R1) and dilution plating. This primer set differentiated the biocontrol strain from 13 other strains of P. oxalicum. There were differences in the nucleotide sequences of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions of the ribosomal DNA of 25 strains of P. oxalicum and those of PO212. Based on the differences in the nucleotide sequences of the ITS regions in rDNA of PO212 and other P. oxalicum strains, a relationship between the nucleotide sequences in the ITS region and biocontrol efficacy is postulated.