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Barnett JEF, Novotny L, Astley K, Deaville R, Fox RI, Ham C, John SK, MacGregor SK, Perkins PJ, Tut G, Whatmore AM, Wessels ME. The first report of meningitis in a Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus). J Comp Pathol 2023; 203:31-35. [PMID: 37244160 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcpa.2023.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2022] [Revised: 03/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
The Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus) is a large species of shark found in the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans and is believed to be the longest living vertebrate. Relatively little is known about its biology, abundance, health or diseases. In March 2022, only the third reported UK stranding of this species occurred and it was the first to undergo post-mortem examination. The animal was a sexually immature female, measuring 3.96 m in length and 285 kg in weight, and was in poor nutritional state. Gross findings included haemorrhages in the skin and soft tissues, particularly of the head, and silt in the stomach suggestive of live stranding, bilateral corneal opacity, slightly turbid cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and patchy congestion of the brain. Histopathological findings included keratitis and anterior uveitis, fibrinonecrotic and lymphohistiocytic meningitis of the brain and proximal spinal cord and fibrinonecrotizing choroid plexitis. A near pure growth of a Vibrio organism was isolated from CSF. This is believed to be the first report of meningitis in this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- James E F Barnett
- Cornwall Marine Pathology Team, Fishers Well, Higher Brill, Constantine, Falmouth, Cornwall TR11 5QG, UK.
| | - Ladislav Novotny
- Finn Pathologists, One Eyed Lane, Weybread, Norfolk IP22 5TT, UK; Department of Comparative Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, 625 Harrison Street, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA
| | - Kelly Astley
- Cornwall Marine Pathology Team, Fishers Well, Higher Brill, Constantine, Falmouth, Cornwall TR11 5QG, UK; Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regents Park, London NW1 4RY, UK
| | - Rob Deaville
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regents Park, London NW1 4RY, UK
| | - Richard I Fox
- Finn Pathologists, One Eyed Lane, Weybread, Norfolk IP22 5TT, UK
| | - Cally Ham
- Cornwall Marine Pathology Team, Fishers Well, Higher Brill, Constantine, Falmouth, Cornwall TR11 5QG, UK
| | - Shinto K John
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regents Park, London NW1 4RY, UK
| | - Shaheed K MacGregor
- Wildlife Health Services Department, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London NW1 4RY, UK
| | - Peter J Perkins
- Cornwall Marine Pathology Team, Fishers Well, Higher Brill, Constantine, Falmouth, Cornwall TR11 5QG, UK
| | - Gurkan Tut
- Department of Bacteriology, Animal & Plant Health Agency, Weybridge, Surrey KT15 3NB, UK
| | - Adrian M Whatmore
- Department of Bacteriology, Animal & Plant Health Agency, Weybridge, Surrey KT15 3NB, UK
| | - Mark E Wessels
- Finn Pathologists, One Eyed Lane, Weybread, Norfolk IP22 5TT, UK
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