Cross‑continental emergence of Nannizziopsis barbatae disease may threaten wild Australian lizards

Nicola Peterson; Karrie Rose; Stephanie Shaw; Tim H Hyndman; Lynne Sigler; Ipek Kurtboke; Josh Llinas; Bethan Littleford-Colquhoun; Romane Cristescu; Celine Frere

doi:10.1038/s41598-020-77865-7

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Cross‑continental emergence of Nannizziopsis barbatae disease may threaten wild Australian lizards

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Cross‑continental emergence of Nannizziopsis barbatae disease may threaten wild Australian lizards

Nicola Peterson, Karrie Rose, Stephanie Shaw, Tim H Hyndman, Lynne Sigler, Ipek Kurtboke, Josh Llinas, Bethan Littleford-Colquhoun, Romane Cristescu and Celine Frere

Scientific Reports, Vol.10, pp.1-12

2020

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-77865-7

PMCID: PMC7708475

PMID: 33262365

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Abstract

Fungi

Infectious-disease diagnostics

Biodiversity

Members of the genus Nannizziopsis are emerging fungal pathogens of reptiles that have been documented as the cause of fatal mycoses in a wide range of reptiles in captivity. Cases of severe, proliferative dermatitis, debility and death have been detected in multiple free-living lizard species from locations across Australia, including a substantial outbreak among Eastern water dragons (Intellagama lesueurii) in Brisbane, Queensland. We investigated this disease in a subset of severely affected lizards and identified a clinically consistent syndrome characterized by hyperkeratosis, epidermal hyperplasia, dermal inflammation, necrosis, ulceration, and emaciation. Using a novel fungal isolation method, histopathology, and molecular techniques, we identified the etiologic agent as Nannizziopsis barbatae, a species reported only once previously from captive lizards in Australia. Here we report severe dermatomycosis caused by N. barbatae in five species of Australian lizard, representing the first cases of Nannizziopsis infection among free-living reptiles, globally. Further, we evaluate key pathogen and host characteristics that indicate N. barbatae-associated dermatomycosis may pose a concerning threat to Australian lizards.

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Title: Cross‑continental emergence of Nannizziopsis barbatae disease may threaten wild Australian lizards
Authors: Nicola Peterson (Corresponding Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Science and Engineering - Legacy
Karrie Rose (Author) - Taronga Conservation Society Australia
Stephanie Shaw (Author) - The University of Queensland
Tim H Hyndman (Author) - Murdoch University
Lynne Sigler (Author) - University of Alberta
Ipek Kurtboke (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Science and Engineering - Legacy
Josh Llinas (Author) - Unusual Pet Vets
Bethan Littleford-Colquhoun (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Science and Engineering - Legacy
Romane Cristescu (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Science and Engineering - Legacy
Celine Frere (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Science and Engineering - Legacy
Publication details: Scientific Reports, Vol.10, pp.1-12
Publisher: Nature Publishing Group
Date published: 2020
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-77865-7
ISSN: 2045-2322
PMID: 33262365; PMC7708475
Copyright note: Copyright (c) 2020 the Authors. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
Organisation Unit: School of Science and Engineering - Legacy; University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; GeneCology Research Centre - Legacy; School of Science, Technology and Engineering; Centre for Bioinnovation
Language: English
Record Identifier: 99489207702621
Output Type: Journal article

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Collaboration types: Domestic collaboration; International collaboration
Web Of Science research areas: Veterinary Sciences

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