Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Environmental Isolates of Fungi from Aquarium Pools Housing Killer Whales (Orcinus orca)

  • Published:
Mycopathologia Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Systemic mycoses in killer whales (Orcinus orca) are rare diseases, but have been reported. Two killer whales died by fungal infections at the Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium in Japan. In this study, the fungal flora of the pool environment at the aquarium was characterized. Alternaria spp., Aspergillus spp. (A. fumigatus, A. niger, A. versicolor), Fusarium spp. and Penicillium spp. were isolated from the air and the pool surroundings. The other isolates were identified as fungal species non-pathogenic for mammals. However, the species of fungi isolated from the environmental samples in this study were not the same as those isolated from the cases of disease in killer whales previously reported.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Abdo W, Kawachi T, Sakai H, Fukushi H, Kano R, Shibahara T, Shirouzu H, Kakizoe Y, Tuji H, Yanai T. Disseminated mycosis in a killer whale (Orcinus orca). J Vet Diagn Invest. 2012;24:211–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Abdo W, Kakizoe Y, Ryono M, Dover SR, Fukushi H, Okuda H, Kano R, Shibahara T, Okada E, Sakai H, Yanai T. Pulmonary zygomycosis with Cunninghamella bertholletiae in a killer whale (Orcinus orca). J Comp Pathol. 2012;147:94–9.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. David E, Davis S, Alexiou H, Hanke R, Bartley R. Descriptions of medical fungi. 2nd ed. Adelaide: Nexus Print Solutions; 2007.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Hinrikson HP, Hurst SF, Lott TJ, Warnock DW, Morrison CJ. Assessment of ribosomal large-subunit D1-D2, internal transcribed spacer 1, and internal transcribed spacer 2 regions as target for molecular identification of medically important Aspergillus species. J Clin Microbiol. 2005;43:2092–103.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Kwon-Chung KL, Bennet JE. Medical mycology. Philadelphia: Lea & Febiger; 1992.

  6. Robeck TR, Dalton LM. Saksenaea vasiformis and Apophysomyces elegans zygomycotic infections in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), a killer whale (Orcinus orca), and pacific white-sided dolphins (Lagenorhynchus obliquidens). J Zoo Wild Med. 2002;33:356–66.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Takahashi H, Ueda K, Itano EN, Yanagisawa M, Murata Y, Murata M, Yaguchi T, Murakami M, Kamei K, Inomata T, Miyahara H, Sano A, Uchida S. Candida albicans and C. tropicalis isolates from the expired breathes of captive dolphins and their environments in an aquarium. Vet Med Int. 2010; 22. doi:10.4061/2010/349364.

Download references

Acknowledgments

This study was supported by grants from the Academic Frontier Project of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (MEXT) and Nihon University Research Grant (2013). We also thank Dr. Sano at the University of the Ryukyus and Dr. Ueda at the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium for advice on sampling.

Author information

Author notes

  1. Rui Kano

    Present address: Department of Pathobiology, Nihon University School of Veterinary Medicine, 1866 Kameino, Fujisawa, Kanagawa, 252-0880, Japan

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pathobiology, Nihon University School of Veterinary Medicine, 1866 Kameino, Fujisawa, Kanagawa, 252-0880, Japan

    Erina Kohata & Hiroshi Kamata

  2. Port of Nogoya Public Aquarium, 1-3 Minatomachi, Minatoku, Nagoya, 455-0033, Japan

    Yuichiro Akune, Yoshito Ohno & Makoto Soichi

  3. Department of Veterinary Pathology, Faculty of Applied Biological Science, Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu, 501-1193, Japan

    Tokuma Yanai

  4. Teikyo University Institute of Medical Mycology, 539 Otsuka, Hachioji, Tokyo, 192-0395, Japan

    Atsuhiko Hasegawa

Authors
  1. Erina Kohata
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Rui Kano
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Yuichiro Akune
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Yoshito Ohno
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Makoto Soichi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Tokuma Yanai
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Atsuhiko Hasegawa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Hiroshi Kamata
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rui Kano.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kohata, E., Kano, R., Akune, Y. et al. Environmental Isolates of Fungi from Aquarium Pools Housing Killer Whales (Orcinus orca). Mycopathologia 176, 403–408 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11046-013-9702-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11046-013-9702-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation