A Pacific harbor seal (Phoca vitulina richardsii) was found on the central California coast with neurologic signs and labored breathing, which were unresponsive to treatment. Necropsy revealed a nonsuppurative necrotizing meningoencephalitis, a multilocular thymic cyst, and nonsuppurative cystitis and renal pyelitis. Microscopic examination revealed protozoans in the brain, thymic cyst, and bladder mucosa. Ultrastructurally, the protozoal tachyzoites were different from those of Neospora caninum, Toxoplasma gondii, and Sarcocystis neurona; the rhoptries were small and had electron-dense contents, and the organism divided by endodyogeny. Specific antibodies were not detected in serum using agglutination (N. caninum, T. gondii) and immunoblot assays (S. neurona). Immunohistochemistry for these organisms was negative. Polymerase chain reaction on brain tissue using specific primers did not amplify T. gondii deoxyribonucleic acid. The meningoencephalitis in this seal thus appears to have been caused by a novel protozoan.
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August 2003
RESEARCH NOTES|
August 01 2003
Meningoencephalitis Associated with an Unidentified Apicomplexan Protozoan in a Pacific Harbor Seal
J. M. Lapointe;
J. M. Lapointe
aUniversity of California–Davis, Davis, California 95616
bPresent address: 393 Pequot Avenue, New London, Connecticut 06320
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P. J. Duignan;
P. J. Duignan
cInstitute of Veterinary, Animal, and Biomedical Sciences, Massey University, New Zealand
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B. C. Barr;
B. C. Barr
d‡California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System, Davis, California 95616
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A. K. Petrich;
A. K. Petrich
eMicrobiology Department, St. Joseph's Healthcare, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada L8N 4A6
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D. W. MacPherson;
D. W. MacPherson
fCentre for Emergency Preparedness and Response, Health Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1A 0K9
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F. M. Gulland;
F. M. Gulland
gThe Marine Mammal Center, Marin Headlands, Sausalito, California 94965
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J. P. Dubey
J. P. Dubey
hParasite Biology, Epidemiology, and Systematics Laboratory, USDA-ARS, Beltsville, Maryland 20705. jean-martin_lapointe@groton.pfizer.com
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J Parasitol (2003) 89 (4): 859–862.
Citation
J. M. Lapointe, P. J. Duignan, B. C. Barr, A. K. Petrich, D. W. MacPherson, F. M. Gulland, J. P. Dubey; Meningoencephalitis Associated with an Unidentified Apicomplexan Protozoan in a Pacific Harbor Seal. J Parasitol 1 August 2003; 89 (4): 859–862. doi: https://doi.org/10.1645/GE-62R1
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