Abstract
We report the diagnosis and molecular characterization of lobomycosis-like lesions in a captive bottlenose dolphin. The clinical picture and the absence of growth in conventional media resembled the features associated with Lacazia loboi. However sequencing of ribosomal DNA and further phylogenetic analyses showed a novel sequence more related to Paracoccidioides brasilensis than to L. loboi. Moreover, the morphology of the yeast cells differed from those L. loboi causing infections humans. These facts suggest that the dolphin lobomycosis-like lesions might have been be caused by different a different fungus clustered inside the order Onygenales. A successful treatment protocol based on topic and systemic terbinafine is also detailed.
Acknowledgements
The authors thank Elena Neves, Verónica Nogal and María Gómez-Nieves for their technical assistance. This work has been financially supported by the MARM-INIA CC08-C20. The authors are grateful to the editor and the reviewers for their comments to improve this manuscript.
Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.