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Volume 28, Number 10—October 2022
Dispatch

Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola, Etiologic Agent of Snake Fungal Disease, in Europe since Late 1950s

Francesco C. OriggiComments to Author , Simone R.R. Pisano, Olivier Glaizot, Stefan T. Hertwig, Andreas Schmitz, and Sylvain Ursenbacher
Author affiliations: University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland (F.C. Origgi, S.R.R. Pisano, S.T. Hertwig); Museum of Zoology, Lausanne, Switzerland (O. Glaizot); University of Lausanne, Lausanne (O. Glaizot); Naturhistorisches Museum Burgergemeinde Bern, Bern (S.T. Hertwig); Natural History Museum of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland (A. Schmitz); University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland (S. Ursenbacher); info fauna CSCF & karch, Neuchâtel, Switzerland (S. Ursenbacher).

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Table 2

Histologic findings from investigation of snake fungal disease in Europe*

Sample Light microscopy descriptions PAS findings Score†
1
 Epidermal hyperplasia with serocellular crusts and histiocytic granulomas; mononuclear to heterophilic dermatitis
 Septate fungal hyphae, 3 µm thick, branching both at 90 and 45 degrees
 3
2
 Epidermal hyperplasia with serocellular crusts and microabscesses
 Rare, septate fungal hyphae, 2–3 µm thick, branching at 90 degrees
 2
3
 Epidermal ulceration with heterophilic infiltration and histiocytic dermatitis, intralesional bacteria and foreign material
 Septate fungal hyphae, 3 µm thick, branching at 90 degrees
 1
4
 Ulcerative dermatitis with serocellular crusts and hyperkeratosis
 No evidence of fungal hyphae
 0
5
 Hyperkeratosis
 Septate fungal hyphae, embedded in the keratin, 2–3 µm thick, branching at 90 degrees and acute angle
 1
6
 Hyperkeratosis with histiocytic (granulomatous) dermatitis
 Septate fungal hyphae, 3–4 µm thick, branching at acute angle
 3
7
 Heterophilic granulomas and microabscesses in the epidermis
 Rare fungal hyphae, 3 µm thick embedded or associated with the microgranulomas
 3
8
 Hyperkeratosis with serocellular crusts, epidermal microgranulomas and lymphocytic dermatitis
 Septate fungal hyphae, 3 µm thick, branching at 90 degrees and acute angle
 2
9
 Large crusts surrounded by histiocytic to heterophilic infiltrate and multifocal microgranulomas
 Fungal hyphae in the crusts, 2–3 µm thick
 3
10
 Few crust fragments admixed with bacteria
 No detectable fungal hyphae
 0
11
 Lympho-histiocytic dermatitis with dermal heterophilic granulomas
 Rare fragmented hyphae in the heterophilic granulomas
 2
12
 Serocellular crusts together with large heterophilic granulomas and more diffused histiocytic infiltration; lympho-histiocytic dermatitis
 Septate fungal hyphae, 3 µm thick, branching at 90 degrees or acute angle
 3
13
 Small serocellular crusts
 No evidence of fungal hyphae
 0
14
 Small and rare heterophilic granulomas
 Fragments of fungal hyphae in microgranulomas
 2
15
 A small serocellular crust
 Few fungal septate hyphae, 2–3 µm thick, branching at 90 degrees
 1
16
 Severe dermal edema with isolated inflammatory cells
 No obvious fungal elements
 0
17
 Serocellular crusts with intralesional bacteria
 Fragments of non-septate hyphae
 1
18
 Hyperkeratosis with upper keratin heterophilic to histiocytic infiltration
 No obvious fungal elements
 0
19
 Serocellular crust
 No obvious fungal elements
 0
20
 Intradermal heterophilic granulomas
 No obvious fungal elements
 0
21
 Epidermal heterophilic granulomas with serocellular crusts
 Septate fungal hyphae, 2–3 µm thick, branching at 90 degrees
 2
22 Intraepidermal crusts with heterophilic granulomas and intralesional bacteria No obvious fungal elements 0

*PAS, periodic acid–Schiff. †Subjective scoring system complementing morphologic and molecular data; 0, PCR-negative with no histologic evidence of fungi; 1, PCR-negative with presence of fungi but without lesions consistent with those observed in PCR-positive samples (absence of heterophilic granulomas); 2, PCR-negative with presence of fungi and lesions consistent with snake fungal disease; 3, PCR-positive with presence of fungi consistent with Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola.

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Page created: July 31, 2022
Page updated: September 21, 2022
Page reviewed: September 21, 2022
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