Congenital toxoplasmosis in a Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus)

J Parasitol. 2002 Feb;88(1):197-9. doi: 10.1645/0022-3395(2002)088[0197:CTIAIP]2.0.CO;2.

Abstract

Toxoplasma gondii was identified in tissues of a stillborn late-term fetus from an Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus). Myocardial necrosis and nonsuppurative inflammation in the heart and nonsuppurative necrotizing encephalitis were associated with tachyzoites and tissue cysts. The diagnosis was confirmed by immunohistochemical staining with anti-T. gondii-specific polyclonal rabbit serum.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Australia
  • Brain / parasitology
  • Dolphins / parasitology*
  • Female
  • Fetal Heart / parasitology
  • Fetus / parasitology*
  • Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical / veterinary*
  • Pregnancy
  • Toxoplasma / isolation & purification*
  • Toxoplasmosis, Animal / congenital*
  • Toxoplasmosis, Animal / parasitology