The first report of meningitis in a Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus)

James E F Barnett; Ladislav Novotny; Kelly Astley; Rob Deaville; Richard I Fox; Cally Ham; Shinto K John; Shaheed K MacGregor; Peter J Perkins; Gurkan Tut; Adrian M Whatmore; Mark E Wessels

doi:10.1016/j.jcpa.2023.04.004

The first report of meningitis in a Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus)

J Comp Pathol. 2023 May:203:31-35. doi: 10.1016/j.jcpa.2023.04.004. Epub 2023 May 25.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Cornwall Marine Pathology Team, Fishers Well, Higher Brill, Constantine, Falmouth, Cornwall TR11 5QG, UK. Electronic address: jamesbarnettvet@gmail.com.
² Finn Pathologists, One Eyed Lane, Weybread, Norfolk IP22 5TT, UK; Department of Comparative Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, 625 Harrison Street, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA.
³ Cornwall Marine Pathology Team, Fishers Well, Higher Brill, Constantine, Falmouth, Cornwall TR11 5QG, UK; Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regents Park, London NW1 4RY, UK.
⁴ Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regents Park, London NW1 4RY, UK.
⁵ Finn Pathologists, One Eyed Lane, Weybread, Norfolk IP22 5TT, UK.
⁶ Cornwall Marine Pathology Team, Fishers Well, Higher Brill, Constantine, Falmouth, Cornwall TR11 5QG, UK.
⁷ Wildlife Health Services Department, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London NW1 4RY, UK.
⁸ Department of Bacteriology, Animal & Plant Health Agency, Weybridge, Surrey KT15 3NB, UK.

PMID: 37244160
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcpa.2023.04.004

Abstract

The Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus) is a large species of shark found in the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans and is believed to be the longest living vertebrate. Relatively little is known about its biology, abundance, health or diseases. In March 2022, only the third reported UK stranding of this species occurred and it was the first to undergo post-mortem examination. The animal was a sexually immature female, measuring 3.96 m in length and 285 kg in weight, and was in poor nutritional state. Gross findings included haemorrhages in the skin and soft tissues, particularly of the head, and silt in the stomach suggestive of live stranding, bilateral corneal opacity, slightly turbid cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and patchy congestion of the brain. Histopathological findings included keratitis and anterior uveitis, fibrinonecrotic and lymphohistiocytic meningitis of the brain and proximal spinal cord and fibrinonecrotizing choroid plexitis. A near pure growth of a Vibrio organism was isolated from CSF. This is believed to be the first report of meningitis in this species.

Keywords: Greenland shark; Vibrio species; choroid plexitis; meningitis.

MeSH terms

Animals
Arctic Regions
Environmental Monitoring*
Female
Sharks*