搁浅宽吻海豚（Tursiops truncatus）慢性布鲁氏菌 ceti 感染相关的脑积水和听力损失

文献信息

中文摘要

布鲁氏菌 ceti 呈全球分布，与鲸类动物的神经系统疾病、全身性感染和生殖损失相关。在美国南部和东部海岸，无论是在异常死亡事件期间还是之外，B. ceti 均与搁浅宽吻海豚（BND）Tursiops truncatus 的围产期死亡和散发性全身性感染相关。2014-2015年，来自德克萨斯州和佛罗里达州水域的2头BND在不同时间搁浅，被送入康复机构，随后接受永久性专业照护。两头海豚均有轻微、非特异性的健康异常体征、迁延的神经系统体征，以及经系列听觉诱发电位检测确认的双侧听力缺陷。病例1通过先进影像学诊断为脑积水，并且布鲁氏菌滴度升高，这为神经布鲁氏菌病提供了强有力的生前指征。两例均通过小脑（病例1）或脑脊液（病例2）的布鲁氏菌PCR在尸检中确认B. ceti感染。病理发现包括严重脑积水、淋巴细胞性脑膜炎和室管膜炎，以及两例均存在的前庭耳蜗神经炎。病例1还存在内耳感觉细胞丢失。据我们所知，这些病例代表了鲸类动物中布鲁氏菌相关听力损失和前庭耳蜗神经炎的首例报告，也是搁浅BND被送入康复机构并接受永久性专业照护后诊断神经布鲁氏菌病的首例报告，以及应用先进影像学在搁浅鲸类动物中实现脑积水生前诊断的首例报告。这些病例强调，慢性神经布鲁氏菌病是搁浅海豚出现行为异常或听力缺陷时的重要鉴别诊断。

英文摘要

Brucella ceti has a global distribution and is associated with neurologic disease, systemic infection, and reproductive losses in cetaceans. B. ceti has been associated with perinate mortality and sporadic systemic infections in bottlenose dolphins (BNDs) Tursiops truncatus from strandings both during and outside of unusual mortality events on the southern and eastern coasts of the USA. In 2014-2015, 2 BND from the waters of Texas and Florida stranded on separate occasions, were admitted to rehabilitation facilities, and were later placed under permanent professional care. Both dolphins had subtle, nonspecific signs of abnormal health, protracted neurological signs, and bilateral hearing deficits confirmed via serial auditory evoked potentials testing. Case 1 had hydrocephalus diagnosed with advanced imaging, as well as rising Brucella titers, which provided a strong antemortem indication of neurobrucellosis. B. ceti infection was confirmed on postmortem examination in both cases via Brucella PCR on cerebellum (Case 1) or cerebrospinal fluid (Case 2). Pathologic findings included severe hydrocephalus, lymphocytic meningitis and ependymitis, and vestibulocochlear neuritis in both cases. Case 1 also had loss of sensory cells in the inner ear. To our knowledge, these cases represent the first report of Brucella-associated hearing loss and vestibulocochlear neuritis in cetaceans, neurobrucellosis diagnosed in stranded BND admitted to rehabilitation and placed under permanent professional care, and application of advanced imaging to achieve antemortem diagnosis of hydrocephalus in a stranded cetacean. These cases highlight chronic neurobrucellosis as an important differential for stranded dolphins with abnormal behavior or hearing deficits.