Advances in the Pathology and Infectious Diseases of Marine Mammals

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Mammals".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 April 2025) | Viewed by 1765

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta-WOAH Collaborating Centre for the Health of Marine Mammals, Turin, Italy
Interests: marine mammals; veterinary pathology; veterinary neuropathology; veterinary medicine; veterinary microbiology; conservation; veterinary histology

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta-WOAH Collaborating Centre for the Health of Marine Mammals, Turin, Italy
Interests: marine mammals; veterinary pathology; veterinary neuropathology; veterinary medicine; veterinary microbiology; conservation; veterinary histology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

As homeothermal creatures occupying the upper tiers of the trophic chain and boasting prolonged lifespans, marine mammals are regarded as exemplary sentinels of the marine environment. In addition, many species share the coastal environment with humans and may serve as efficient bioindicators for infectious agents, including those with zoonotic potential, thus becoming important indicators for public health-related issues.

Monitoring their causes of stranding is of paramount importance, as it provides valuable and crucial information of the stressors and threats affecting marine ecosystems.

Preserving a sustainable equilibrium between human activities and the preservation of the oceans stands as a worldwide imperative for safeguarding marine ecosystems. Marine mammals provide critical information on the extent of degradation or preservation within this habitat through comprehensive post-mortem examinations.

The primary objective of this Special Issue is to present a collection of innovative research and review articles leveraging pathology as a fundamental instrument for promoting the health and conservation of cetaceans and other marine mammals. Contributions that explore advancements in marine mammal pathology, encompassing both field and laboratory diagnostics, as well as the introduction of novel methodologies and tools, are enthusiastically encouraged.

Dr. Federica Giorda
Dr. Carla Grattarola
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • marine mammals
  • cetacean
  • pinnipeds
  • dolphin
  • pathology
  • neuropathology
  • conservation

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

12 pages, 698 KiB  
Article
Photobacterium damselae subsp. damselae in Stranded Cetaceans: A 6-Year Monitoring of the Ligurian Sea in Italy
by Roberta Battistini, Chiara Masotti, Federica Giorda, Carla Grattarola, Simone Peletto, Camilla Testori, Simona Zoppi, Enrica Berio, Maria Ines Crescio, Nicola Pussini, Laura Serracca and Cristina Casalone
Animals 2024, 14(19), 2825; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14192825 - 30 Sep 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1196
Abstract
Photobacterium damselae subsp. damselae (Pdd) is an increasingly common bacterium in post-mortem diagnostics of beached marine mammals, but little is known about its precise etiological responsibility. To estimate the prevalence of Pdd in stranded cetaceans from 2017 to 2022 on the Ligurian coast [...] Read more.
Photobacterium damselae subsp. damselae (Pdd) is an increasingly common bacterium in post-mortem diagnostics of beached marine mammals, but little is known about its precise etiological responsibility. To estimate the prevalence of Pdd in stranded cetaceans from 2017 to 2022 on the Ligurian coast (Pelagos Sanctuary), we tested tissues from 53 stranded individuals belonging to four cetacean species. DNA extracts from cetacean tissue were screened using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay targeting the Pdd ureC gene. Positive samples were screened by PCR for dly, hlyApl and hlyAch hemolysin genes, which were confirmed by sequencing. Twenty-two out of 53 (41.5%) cetaceans analyzed by PCR were confirmed for Pdd DNA in at least one tissue among those analyzed. Five of these cetaceans were positive for at least one of the hemolysin genes tested. In all Pdd-positive cetaceans, other pathogens that were considered responsible for the causa mortis of the animals were also found. The results provide new information on the spread of Pdd in cetaceans and support the thesis that Pdd might be an opportunistic agent that could contribute to worsening health conditions in subjects already compromised by other pathogens. However, further studies are needed to investigate and deepen this hypothesis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Pathology and Infectious Diseases of Marine Mammals)
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