Dermatitis with invasive ciliated protozoa in dolphins that died during the 1987-1988 Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphin morbilliviral epizootic

Dermatitis with intradermal cilated protozoa was identified in 18 of 95 (19 %) Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) that died during the 1 987-1988 Atlantic-dolphin morbillivirus epizootic. The lesions were charact erized by focally extensive suppurative and histiocytic dermatitis and cell ulitis with ulceration and variable numbers of dermal and hypodermal ciliat es. Vasculitis, thrombosis, and/or intravascular ciliates were rarely prese nt. In one dolphin, there was an associated lymphadenitis with ciliates, ac id in another, bronchopneumonia with rare intrabronchiolar ciliates. Ten of the dolphins were female, and eight were male. The animals ranged in lengt h from 148 to 260 cm. Eleven were from Virginia, four were from New Jersey, and three were from Florida. In 13 dolphins, results of immunohistochemica l and/or polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests were positive for morbillivi rus infection. Results of immunohistochemical tests were negative in four d olphins that were not also tested with PCR. Results were also negative in o ne dolphin tested using both methods. Nine dolphins had concomitant bacteri al, fungal, and/or other protozoal infections. Fourteen other dolphins with ciliate-associated dermatitis were identified from 414 Atlantic bottlenose dolphin cases (3%) archived at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology. Th e incidence of dermatitis with invasive ciliates is much greater in dolphin s that died during the 1987-1988 epizootic.