Histopathologic and Immunocytochemical Studies of Distemper in Seals
Thousands of harbor seals ( Phoca vitulina) died in European seas during 1988. Respiratory distress and oculonasal discharge were common clinical signs. We necropsied 76 affected seals. The main necropsy finding was severe pneumonia. Microscopic lung changes were characterized by proliferation of ty...
| Published in: | Veterinary Pathology |
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
| Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
SAGE Publications
1989
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/030098588902600201 http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/030098588902600201 |
| Summary: | Thousands of harbor seals ( Phoca vitulina) died in European seas during 1988. Respiratory distress and oculonasal discharge were common clinical signs. We necropsied 76 affected seals. The main necropsy finding was severe pneumonia. Microscopic lung changes were characterized by proliferation of type II pneumocytes, filling of alveolar lumina with serofibrinous exudate, leukocytes, and macrophages, and necrosis of bronchial and bronchiolar epithelium. Intracytoplasmic and intranuclear acidophilic inclusion bodies characteristic of morbillivirus infection were seen in bronchial and bronchiolar epithelial cells. Microscopic lesions of non-suppurative demyelinating encephalitis were seen in the brain. There was degeneration and necrosis of neurons, focal gliosis, perivascular cuffing, and patchy demyelination. Many neurons and astrocytes contained intracytoplasmic and intranuclear inclusions. Using an immunoperoxidase technique, we detected morbillivirus antigen in many tissues including lung, brain, spleen, and urinary bladder. The origin of the seal morbillivirus is unknown. |
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