First isolation of Prototheca bovis from a bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus)

Abstract

To our knowledge, this is the first report of Prototheca sp. isolated from the digestive tract of a dolphin. A captive-born female bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) weighing 165 kg that was housed at Enoshima Aquarium presented with a slightly elevated body temperature and candida-like yeasts in stomach fluid and feces. Gastroscopy revealed cobblestone-like thickening of the mucosa with a few ulcers in the forestomach. Prototheca bovis was isolated from the biopsy specimen of the lesion.