AUTHOR=Segura-Göthlin Simone , Fernández Antonio , Arbelo Manuel , Almunia Javier , von Fersen Lorenzo , Baumgartner Katrin , Garcés José Guerra , Llanos Aldo Gutiérrez , Felipe-Jiménez Idaira , Colom-Rivero Ana , Sierra Eva 

TITLE=Towards understanding host–pathogen dynamics of cetacean poxvirus: attainable approach through the application of a repetitive non-invasive skin sampling in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) under human care

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Marine Science

VOLUME=Volume 10 - 2023

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2023.1125629

DOI=10.3389/fmars.2023.1125629

ISSN=2296-7745

ABSTRACT=Nowadays, zoos and aquariums, along with the constant advancement of sociocultural moral values, are proactively committed to ensuring and safeguarding cetaceans’ health standards. This entails developing new approaches in health assessments by embracing minimally invasive sampling methods and enhancing animal handling and management, among other aspects. Hence, in the present survey, in order to appraise skin diseases, implementation of cytology cell samplers as a non-invasive skin sampling device on 18 bottlenose dolphins housed in two facilities in the Canary Islands during the months of April, October, and December 2019 was performed in order to isolate cetacean poxvirus in tattoo-like lesions through a real-time PCR based on the DNA polymerase gene. Samples were repeatedly collected over time from eleven tattoo-like lesions, and on apparently healthy skin to serve as a control from all the study animals. From the total 55 skin samples obtained, detection of poxvirus was attained in 31 (56.36%); specifically, on 20 of 21 samples collected from tattoo-like lesions (95.23%) and on 11 of 34 samples acquired from apparently healthy skin (32.35%). Correspondingly, the current study constitutes the first report of the isolation of cetacean poxvirus in skin samples without macroscopical signs of tattoo lesions in cetaceans. Likewise, ten of the eleven dolphins that showed tattoo lesions housed in Facility 1 were positive to Tattoo Skin Disease while four dolphins held in Facility 2 were positive to cetacean poxvirus without ever showing clinical evidence of the disease, raising the question of whether this pathogen could produce latent infections, and that progression of the disease may depend on environmental stimuli, viral loads, or the good health/immunological status of the individuals. Accordingly, further scientific research on cetaceans under human care could provide the knowledge, skills, and resources to understand the host-pathogen dynamics of cetacean poxvirus and their effect on cetaceans’ health.