1. DEVRIESEA AGAMARUM INFECTION AMONG A FREE-RANGING POPULATION OF ENDANGERED LESSER ANTILLEAN IGUANAS (IGUANA DELICATISSIMA)
A Ballmann1, K Questel2, DE Green1, B Berlowski-Zier1, A Le Flèche-Matéos3, M Breuil2, F LeQuellec2, D Blehert1
1USGS-National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, WI USA 53711; 2Réserve Naturelle Marine de St. Barth, Gustavia, Saint Barthélemy 97133; 3Institut Pasteur, Cellule d’Intervention Biologique d’Urgence (CIBU), Paris France 75724
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Case Summary
D. agamarum dermatitis: an emerging disease
Since April 2011, endangered Lesser Antillean iguanas (Iguana delicatissima), also known as West Indian iguanas, on the French Caribbean island of St. Barthélemy have been observed with large, hard nodules and abscesses on the body, predominantly occurring on bite-prone areas of the legs, tail, back and neck (fig. 1). These lesions had not been previously observed in this population during monitoring efforts by St. Barthélemy Nature Reserve biologists who estimated approximately 10% of the male population at multiple locations around the island were involved (fig. 2). In addition, several affected males were found dead. Frozen and formalin-fixed samples of affected tissues from two freshly dead individuals were evaluated by two independent laboratories. The actinobacterium Devriesea agamarum, identified by partial nucleic acid sequencing (??? bp), was consistently isolated from multiple lesions on ?? culture media. Salmonella spp., Micrococcus sp., Corynebacterium sp., and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were also inconsistently isolated from the nodules. Histologically, 3 different nodule types were present in the skin, dermis, muscle, and vertebral column (bacterial granuloma; keratin pearls; giant cell granuloma) in one of the iguanas examined (fig. 3-histo slides). Intralesional D. agamarum consisted of 2 forms: Gram-positive bacillus or Gram-variable thin filamentous bacteria. No intralesional fungal hyphae or acid-fast organisms were observed.
Reported in captive reptiles, particularly among Old World agamid species, and can lead to fatal septicemia if untreated. Uromastyx, Laudakia,and Agama and iguanids (Crotaphytus sp.) appear to highly susceptible to infection.6,7 Bearded dragons (Pongoa vitticeps) are known to be subclinical carriers in their oral microflora.2
Isolated from a single Iguana sp. in Belgium3
Inoculation to abraded skin is necessary for lesions to develop2
Clinical signs include scaly changes around the mouth, cloaca, dorsum, swelling of forelimbs, occasional toe sloughing, plaques to subcutaneous nodules, and chronic proliferative dermatitis.5-7
Viable up to 57 days in dermal crusts and >5 months in moist sand or distilled water.4
Significance
1st report of D. agamarum in the Western Hemisphere
1st report of D. agamarum infection in a free-ranging iguanid population
1st report of D. agamarum granulomas possibly associated with bite wounds
Origin of introduction to St. Barthélemy remains uncertain
Proposed Future Directions
Survey oral, cutaneous flora of native and non-native iguanids on St. Barthelemy and unaffected neighboring islands for presence and prevalence of D. agamarum
Natural History of I. delicatissma1
Full necropsies and cause of death determinations on similarly affected native iguanas
Historic range- islands of Anguilla to Martinique (northern Lesser Antilles). Extirpated from St. Martin, Antigua, Barbuda, St. Kitts, Nevis, Marie-Galante. Likely extirpated from Grand-Terre (Guadeloupe), Les Iles des Saintes. CITES Appendix II (IUCN)
References:
Breuil, M., Day, M. & Knapp, C Iguana delicatissima. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version < Downloaded on 12 July 2014.
Hellebuyck T, A Martel, K Chiers, F Haesesbrouck, and F Pasmans Deverisea agamarum causes dermatitis in bearded dragons (Pogona vitticeps). Veterinary Microbiology 134:
Est. ≥70% population decline. Remaining population is ~ 15,000-20,000 and is decreasing in most locations due to loss of habitat, vehicular impact, poaching, predation by cats and dogs, and competition with invasive, non-native common green iguanas (I. iguana).
Hellebuyck T, F Pasmans, F Haesesbrouck, A Martel Designing a successful antimicrobial treatment against Devriesea agamarum infections in lizards. Veterinary Microbiology 139:
Hellebuyck T, F Pasmans, M Blooi, F Haesesbrouck, and A Martel Prolonged environmental persistence requires efficient disinfection procedures to control Devriesea agamarum-associated disease in lizards. Letters in Applied Microbiology 52(1):
Lukac M, D Horvatek-Tomic, E Prukner-Radovcic Findings of Devreisea agamarum associated infections in spiny-tailed lizards (Uromastyx sp.) in Croatia. JZWM 44(2):
Habitat ranges from sea level to 1000 m elevation and includes dry scrub woodland to transitional rainforest.
Martel A, F Pasmans, T Hellebuyck, F Haesebrouck, and P Vandamme Devriesea agamarum gen. nov., sp. Nov., a novel actinobacterium associated with dermatitis and septicaemia in agamid lizards. Intl J Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology 58:
Sexual maturity at ~2-3 years old. Breeding success in males depends on their ability to demonstrate dominance and defend suitable territory.
Pasmans F, T Hellebuyck, and A Martel Dermatology in reptiles. Proceedings of the Intl SCIVAC (Italian Assoc. of Companion Animal Veterinarians) Congress (Rimini, Italy). Pp
Figure 2. Distribution of affected native iguana populations on St. Barthelemy. Highlighted box in map inset shows historic range for I. delicatissma. (Images credit: Google Earth).
Figure 3. A. Various subcutaneous nodule s observed in an affected individual at gross necropsy. B. Intralesional bacteria seen (Photo credits: NWHC).
Figure 1. Lesions observed in free-ranging, male Lesser Antillean iguanas on St. Barthelemy. (Photo credits: Agence territoriale de l'environnement de Saint-Barthélemy)
July 2014