Culicoides midges (diptera: ceratopogonidae) as vectors of orbiviruses in Slovakia.

A road-killed Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) in Italy revealed the first documented case of adiaspiromycosis, a pulmonary disease caused by the soil fungus Emmonsia spp. Histological analysis showed multifocal round structures with a thick, PAS-positive tri-laminar wall and central basophilic mass within alveoli, surrounded by severe granulomatous inflammation. The otter's lesions included cholesterol granulomas, suggesting systemic involvement. This finding extends knowledge of adiaspiromycosis in Mustelidae, previously reported in otters across Europe but not Italy. The discovery underscores the potential for incidental fungal infections in apparently healthy wildlife, with implications for veterinary pathology and conservation efforts.

Sarvašová, A., Goffredo, M., & Sopoliga, I. (2014). Culicoides midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) as vectors of orbiviruses in Slovakia [JB]. Veterinaria Italiana, 50(3), 203–212. https://doi.org/10.12834/VetIt.2405.11