Abstract
Diagnosis and management of respiratory disease in cetaceans is a common challenge for clinicians; mycotic disease can be particularly challenging to diagnose and resolve.1,2 Clinical presentation varies from subtle changes in respiratory rate or character to nonspecific signs of illness to severe dyspnea or fatal tracheal obstruction.3
A juvenile female bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) was successfully treated for pneumonia in 2010. The animal presented in May, 2012 for a transient cough that waxed and waned over the next few months. The cough was associated with harsh respirations with a prolonged expiratory phase. This was accompanied by a leukopenia and hyperglobulinemia. The dolphin was otherwise clinically normal with respect to appetite and behavior. Tracheobronchoscopy revealed an area of tan raised plaques and necrotic debris near the accessory bronchus. Biopsy of the plaques yielded a diagnosis of severe necrotizing tracheitis. Nonpigmented fungal hyphae were identified on histopathology of the lesions and Aspergillus fumigatus was recovered on cultures of tracheal plaques and bronchoalveolar lavage during bronchoscopy.
Treatment consisted of an extended course of antifungal and antibacterial therapy, including poolside antifungal nebulization. Response was monitored via serial bronchoscopy, thoracic radiographs and CBC and chemistry analysis. Therapy was discontinued when lesions were no longer seen on bronchoscopy or thoracic radiographs, cultures of samples obtained through bronchoalveolar lavage were negative for growth of pathogens, blood parameters had normalized and abnormal respirations were no longer noted. Clinical aspergillus tracheitis can be effectively treated with extended antifungal therapy.
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank the Animal Training and Veterinary Services teams at SeaWorld Orlando and Discovery Cove. We would also like to thank Dr. Sophie Dennison and Dr. Judy St. Leger for consultation.
* Presenting author
Literature Cited
1. Delaney MA, Terio KA, Colegrove KM, et al. 2012. Occlusive fungal tracheitis in 4 captive bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Vet Pathol. 50(1):172–176.
2. Kinsel MJ, Briggs MB. 2005. Chronic fungal tracheitis with stenosis in an Atlantic bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). IAAAM 36th Annual Conference Proceedings, Seward, AL; 41–43.
3. Dierauf LA, Gulland FMD. 2001. CRC Handbook of Marine Mammal Medicine. 2nd ed. CRC Press. 1063p.