Dear colleagues My co-authors and I are pleased to announce the publication of three new papers on infectious diseases in cetaceans in the Mediterranean Sea and Indian Ocean. Here below the details of our publications: 1. Grattarola C, Pietroluongo G, Belluscio D, Berio E, Canonico C, Centelleghe C, Cocumelli C, Crotti S, Denurra D, Di Donato A, Di Francesco G, Di Guardo G, Di Nocera F, Di Renzo L, Gavaudan S, Giorda F, Lucifora G, Marino L, Marcer F, Marsili L, Migliore S, Pascucci I, Petrella A, Pintore A, Puleio R, Rubini S, Terracciano G, Toffan A, Mazzariol S, Casalone C. Pathogen Prevalence in Cetaceans Stranded along the Italian Coastline between 2015 and 2020. Pathogens. 2024 Sep 4;13(9):762. doi: 10.3390/pathogens13090762. Abstract The monitoring of stranded marine mammals represents a strategic method to assess their health, conservation status, and ecological role in the marine ecosystem. Networks worldwide track stranding events for the passive monitoring of mortality patterns, emerging and reemerging pathogens, climate change, and environmental degradation from a One Health perspective. This study summarizes pathogen prevalence data from the Italian Stranding Network (ISN) derived from post-mortem investigations on cetaceans found dead stranded along the Italian coastline between 2015 and 2020. The decomposition of the carcasses and logistics limited the post-mortem examination to 585 individuals, out of 1236 single-stranding reports. The most relevant pathogens identified were Cetacean Morbillivirus, Herpesvirus, Brucella spp., and Toxoplasma gondii, whose roles as environmental stressors are well known, despite their real impact still needing to be investigated in depth. Statistical analysis showed that age and sex seem to be positively related to the presence of pathogens. This study represents the first step in harmonizing post-mortem investigations, which is crucial for evidence-based conservation efforts. Implementing diagnostic and forensic frameworks could offer an indirect insight into the systematic monitoring of diseases to improve the identification of regional and temporal hotspots in which to target specific mitigation, management, and conservation strategies. https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/13/9/762 Pathogen Prevalence in Cetaceans Stranded along the Italian Coastline between 2015 and 2020 mdpi.com 2. Legnardi M, Franzo G, Cecchinato M, Si H, Baston R, Mazzariol S, Centelleghe C, Pietroluongo G, Holcer D, Miočić-Stošić J, Hofs J, Frleta-Valić M, Tucciarone CM. First Detection of Gammacoronavirus in a Striped Dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) from the Adriatic Sea. Animals (Basel). 2024 Sep 20;14(18):2725. doi: 10.3390/ani14182725. Abstract This case report presents the first molecular identification of a gammacoronavirus in a free-ranging striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) that was found stranded along the Croatian coastline in 2022. The dolphin exhibited a concurrent infection with cetacean morbillivirus. The gammacoronavirus strain was amplified and sequenced from heart tissue imprinted on an FTA®card, revealing a notable genetic distance (approximately 8%) from previously characterized cetacean gammacoronaviruses. This finding highlights the importance of including gammacoronaviruses in routine diagnostics for stranded dolphins to gather epidemiological data on their prevalence and potential role in causing disease in cetaceans. This study sets the premises for a further understanding of the diversity and distribution of gammacoronaviruses in marine mammals and highlights the necessity for ongoing surveillance of emerging infectious diseases in wild populations. https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/14/18/2725 First Detection of Gammacoronavirus in a Striped Dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) from the Adriatic Sea mdpi.com 3. Pietroluongo, G.; Tucciarone, C.M.; Cecchinato, M.; Si, H.; Spadotto, L.; Danyer, I.A.; Isuru, H.; Wijesundera, K.; Ekanayake, L.; Centelleghe, C.; et al. Coinfection with Dolphin Morbillivirus (DMV) and Gammaherpesvirus in a Spinner Dolphin (Stenella longirostris) Stranded in Sri Lanka. Viruses 2024, 16, 1662. https://doi.org/10.3390/v16111662 Abstract Following the X-Press Pearl maritime disaster off the coast of Sri Lanka, a stranded spinner dolphin (Stenella longirostris) was recovered, and the cause of death was investigated. Post-mortem examinations revealed evidence of by-catch, but a natural coinfection with dolphin morbillivirus (DMV) and gammaherpesvirus was detected by further analyses, marking the first documented case of a dual viral infection in this species within the region. Molecular diagnostics, including PCR and sequencing, were performed on tissue imprints collected on FTA® cards, confirming the presence of DMV in the prescapular lymph node and gammaherpesvirus in the lesions in the oral cavity. The concurrent detection of DMV and gammaherpesvirus raises significant concerns regarding the potential impacts of environmental stressors, such as chemical pollutants from the X-Press Pearl maritime disaster, on exacerbating susceptibility to viral infections in marine mammals. These findings highlight the need for ongoing surveillance of cetacean populations in the Indian Ocean to better understand pathogen circulation and health and conservation implications of anthropogenic activities on the marine ecosystem. https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/16/11/1662 Coinfection with Dolphin Morbillivirus (DMV) and Gammaherpesvirus in a Spinner Dolphin (Stenella longirostris) Stranded in Sri Lanka mdpi.com If you have any questions you can directly contact the corresponding author or myself. Best wishes Sandro Mazzariol Sandro Mazzariol, DVM, PhD Full Professor of Veterinary Pathology Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science (BCA) - University of Padova AGRIPOLIS - Ed. BCA1 Viale dell’Università, 16 - 35020 - Legnaro (PD) tel.: +39 049 827 2963 fax: +39 049 827 2973 sandro.mazzariol@unipd.it marinemammals.bca@unipd.it wildlife.bca@unipd.it
