AUTHOR=Morick Danny , Davidovich Nadav , Zemah-Shamir Ziv , Bigal Eyal , Rokney Assaf , Ron Merav , Blum Shlomo E. , Fleker Marcelo , Soto Esteban , Heckman Taylor I. , Lau Stanley C. K. , Wosnick Natascha , Tchernov Dan , Scheinin Aviad P. 

TITLE=First Isolation and Characterization of Streptococcus agalactiae From a Stranded Wild Common Dolphin (Delphinus delphis)

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Marine Science

VOLUME=9

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2022.824071

DOI=10.3389/fmars.2022.824071

ISSN=2296-7745

ABSTRACT=<p>Streptococcosis is an infectious bacterial disease of both homeotherms and poikilotherms. Among the <italic>Streptococcus</italic> species that infect marine animals, <italic>Streptococcus agalactiae</italic> has the broadest host spectrum, including different aquatic organisms in freshwater and marine environments. The common dolphin (<italic>Delphinus delphis</italic>) is categorized as Endangered in the Mediterranean Sea. There are few reports of a streptococcal infection of <italic>D</italic>. <italic>delphis</italic>, caused by <italic>Streptococcus phocae</italic> and <italic>Streptococcus iniae</italic>. Here we report the isolation and identification of <italic>S</italic>. <italic>agalactiae</italic> in a stranded, wild male common dolphin that was found dead in September 2020 on the seashore next to the city of Bat-Yam, Israel. The carcass was fresh with a moderate nutritional status and with no apparent fishing gear or other anthropogenic-related signs. A <italic>post-mortem</italic> examination did not reveal an apparent cause of death, but further laboratory analysis demonstrated a <italic>S</italic>. <italic>agalactiae</italic> bacterial presence in urine, lungs and pericardial fluid that was characterized as type Ia-ST7 by whole genome sequencing. Interestingly, this isolate was found to be almost identical to another isolate recently recovered from a wild sandbar shark (<italic>Carcharhinus plumbeus</italic>) in the same area in Israel, the eastern Mediterranean Sea.</p>