MUCOR-AMPHIBIORUM INFECTION IN PLATYPUS (ORNITHORHYNCHUS-ANATINUS) FROM TASMANIA

Mucor amphibiorum, a fungus previously isolated from frogs and toads, is reported from free-living platypus, Ornithorhynchus anatinus, from rivers in northern Tasmania. This fungus is responsible for the severe ulcerative skin condition originally described by Munday and Peel (19 83). Mucor amphibiorum was isolated from dermal lesions OD four separa te occasions. The gross and histopathological appearance of the fungal lesions were similar to the earlier description. In vivo this fungus develops as spherical forms containing a number of daughter spherules; no mycelia are seen in tissue sections. By contrast, the in vitro gro wth consists of aerial aseptate mycelia and sporangia, features typica l of the genus Mucor. This is the first report of this organism causin g a fatal disease in a mammal. Susceptibility to infection may be due to the platypus having a body temperature of 32 C while the maximum te mperature for growth of M. amphibiorum is 36 C.