Disseminated and fatal infection by Schizophyllum commune in a harbor seal (Phoca vitulina) kept under human care in Brazil.

@article{rocha2026disseminated,
  title = {{Disseminated and fatal infection by Schizophyllum commune in a harbor seal (Phoca vitulina) kept under human care in Brazil.}},
  author = {Jhonatan Henrique Lima da Rocha and Laura Chrispim Reisfeld and Paloma Canedo and Islene Silva Santos and Jordana Barros and Jessica de Brito Ferreira Nascimento and Isabella Galesi Tallach and Ketlyn Bolsachini Figueiredo and Ana Carolina Souza Ramos de Carvalho and Lidia Midori Kimura and Leonardo José Tadeu de Araújo and Juliana Possatto Fernandes Takahashi and Juliana Fernandes de Paula Castro and Pedro Enrique Navaz Suarez and Jamile Macedo Garcia and Cinthya Dos Santos Cirqueira Borges and Natália Coelho Couto de Azevedo Fernandes and Juliana Mariotti Guerra},
  journal = {Veterinary research communications},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.1007/s11259-026-11559-9},
  url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42839055},
  note = {CC BY},
}

TY  - JOUR
TI  - Disseminated and fatal infection by Schizophyllum commune in a harbor seal (Phoca vitulina) kept under human care in Brazil.
AU  - Jhonatan Henrique Lima da Rocha
AU  - Laura Chrispim Reisfeld
AU  - Paloma Canedo
AU  - Islene Silva Santos
AU  - Jordana Barros
AU  - Jessica de Brito Ferreira Nascimento
AU  - Isabella Galesi Tallach
AU  - Ketlyn Bolsachini Figueiredo
AU  - Ana Carolina Souza Ramos de Carvalho
AU  - Lidia Midori Kimura
AU  - Leonardo José Tadeu de Araújo
AU  - Juliana Possatto Fernandes Takahashi
AU  - Juliana Fernandes de Paula Castro
AU  - Pedro Enrique Navaz Suarez
AU  - Jamile Macedo Garcia
AU  - Cinthya Dos Santos Cirqueira Borges
AU  - Natália Coelho Couto de Azevedo Fernandes
AU  - Juliana Mariotti Guerra
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/07
JO  - Veterinary research communications
DO  - 10.1007/s11259-026-11559-9
UR  - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42839055
AB  - Background  Schizophyllum commune is an environmental basidiomycete increasingly recognized as an opportunistic pathogen in humans and domestic animals, whereas infections in wildlife remain rarely reported. In marine mammals, fungal infections involving the central nervous system and respiratory tract are uncommon and may pose diagnostic challenges.Case report  A captive 5-year-old female harbor seal (Phoca vitulina) from Brazil developed progressive neurological abnormalities over approximately 11 months, initially characterized by cervical dystonia and head deviation, followed by respiratory distress, tremors, opisthotonos, hyperthermia, and apnea. Despite supportive treatment, the animal died. Histopathological examination revealed severe pyogranulomatous encephalitis involving the cerebral cortex and severe multifocal to coalescing pyogranulomatous pneumonia, both associated with extensive necrosis and numerous intralesional hyaline, pauciseptate fungal hyphae measuring approximately 2-4 μm in diameter, with irregular branching at angles ranging from 30° to 90°, highlighted by Grocott's methenamine silver staining. Molecular investigation was performed using panfungal PCR targeting the D1/D2 domain of the 28 S rDNA and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region. Sequence analysis, particularly of the ITS region, identified the fungus as S. commune, with phylogenetic analysis further supporting its placement within the S. commune clade.Conclusion  To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of disseminated S. commune infection involving the central nervous system and lungs in a harbor seal. The case highlights S. commune's potential to cause severe systemic disease in wildlife and emphasizes the value of integrating histopathological examination with molecular and phylogenetic analyses for accurate identification of fungal pathogens.
SN  - 0165-7380
SN  - 1573-7446
ER  -