Pneumonia in a Captive Central Bearded Dragon With Concurrent Detection of Helodermatid Adenovirus 2 and a Novel Mycoplasma Species

Authors

Nicholas A. Crossland, 1 Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA.
Peter M. DiGeronimo, 2 Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA.
Yulia Sokolova, 3 Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA.
April L. Childress, 4 College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
James F. Wellehan, 4 College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
Javier Nevarez, 2 Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA.
Daniel Paulsen, 1 Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA.

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

11-1-2018

Abstract

A 4-year-old captive male central bearded dragon ( Pogona vitticeps) was presented for recurrent episodic dyspnea and anorexia with occasional expulsion of oral mucoid discharge. Despite empirical antimicrobial therapy and supportive care, the animal died and was submitted for autopsy. Defining histologic features included heterophilic and lymphocytic interstitial pneumonia, with occasional amphophilic intranuclear inclusions and prominent type II pneumocyte hyperplasia. Transmission electron microscopy revealed intranuclear 80-nm, nonenveloped, hexagonal viral particles within pneumocytes. Helodermatid adenovirus 2 (HeAdV2) was determined as the etiologic agent through pan-adenoviral consensus polymerase (PCR) chain reaction and sequencing. Nucleic acid from a novel Mycoplasma sp. (provisionally called Mycoplasma pogonae) was identified by pan-generic PCR targeting the mycoplasma 16S ribosomal RNA gene with sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. As bacteria morphologically consistent with Mycoplasma sp. were not observed by special stains and transmission electron microscopy, the detection of M. pogonae nucleic acid is of indeterminate significance; however, M. pogonae and HeAdV2 coinfection may have exacerbated disease.

Publication Source (Journal or Book title)

Veterinary pathology

First Page

900

Last Page

904

Recommended Citation

Crossland, N. A., DiGeronimo, P. M., Sokolova, Y., Childress, A. L., Wellehan, J. F., Nevarez, J., & Paulsen, D. (2018). Pneumonia in a Captive Central Bearded Dragon With Concurrent Detection of Helodermatid Adenovirus 2 and a Novel Mycoplasma Species. Veterinary pathology, 55 (6), 900-904. https://doi.org/10.1177/0300985818780451