Dermocystid infection in Japanese fire-bellied newt, Cynops pyrrhogaster.

ABSTRACT: Here, we report details of a new infectious disease in wild-caught Japanese fire-bellied newts (Cynops pyrrhogaster), a Near Threatened species. Skin lesions consisting of numerous masses were found in the animals near Lake Biwa, Shiga Prefecture, Japan. The gross appearance of the skin lesions showed blister-, cyst-, and/or tumor-like morphology. Various sizes of skin lesions were observed on their entire body surface. Histologically, spherical basophilic cysts, including numerous spores, were observed in the dermis layer. Ultrastructural analysis indicated the presence of main bodies of flagellated zoospores within the spores. While 18s rRNA gene sequencing indicated that the skin lesions were due to dermocystid infection. To our knowledge, this is the first report of dermocystid infecti

SUBMITTER: Kawahara G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9586028 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature