Dear all, We are delighted to announce the publication of our paper in Diseases of Aquatic Organisms (DAO): Grattarola C, Giorda F, Iulini B, Pautasso A, Ballardini M, Zoppi S, Marsili L, Peletto S, Masoero L, Varello K, Garibaldi F, Scaglione FE, Di Guardo G, Dondo A, Goria M, Serracca L, Mignone W, Casalone C. Occlusive mycotic tracheobronchitis and systemic Alphaherpesvirus coinfection in a free-living striped dolphin Stenella coeruleoalba in Italy. Dis Aquat Organ. 2018 Jan 31;127(2):137-144. doi: 10.3354/dao03190. Abstract: A juvenile female striped dolphin Stenella coeruleoalba live stranded on 4 March 2016 at Alassio, western Ligurian Sea coast, Italy. The dolphin died shortly after stranding, and a complete postmortem examination was performed. Necropsy revealed severe tracheal occlusion and unilateral bronchial stenosis with luminal accumulation of abundant green-yellow mucous-gelatinous material. Histological features suggestive of tracheobronchial aspergillosis were observed. Cultures of lung tissue and tracheo-bronchial exudate isolated Aspergillus fumigatus, identified by a Microseq D2 LSUrDNA fungal sequencing kit. A pan-Herpesvirus nested-PCR assay on frozen samples obtained from multiple organs was positive. Phylogenetic analysis on the partial DNA polymerase gene revealed that the striped dolphin isolate was closely related to known cetacean Alphaherpesvirus sequences from the same host species. Attempted virus isolation was unsuccessful. The tissue levels of different persistent organic pollutants and the toxicological stress, evaluated using a theoretical model, showed a severely impaired immune response. This study reports the first case of occlusive mycotic tracheobronchitis in a free-living cetacean and the first molecular identification of an Alphaherpesvirus in a free-ranging striped dolphin stranded on the coast of Italy. You can find the article here: http://www.int-res.com/abstracts/dao/v127/n2/p137-144/ Or send any enquires directly to me at: carla.grattarola@izsto.it<mailto:carla.grattarola@izsto.it> Best wishes, Carla Grattarola Carla Grattarola DVM S.C. Neuroscienze-Lab Neuropatologia CEA-Centro di Referenza Nazionale per le TSE C.Re.Di.Ma.- Centro di Referenza Nazionale per le indagini diagnostiche sui Mammiferi Marini spiaggiati Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta Via Bologna 148 10154 TORINO tel +39 011 2686 296 carla.grattarola@izsto.it<mailto:carla.grattarola@izsto.it> www.izsto.it<http://www.izsto.it/>