Evaluation of diagnostic modalities for the detection of Nannizziopsis guarroi in experimentally infected bearded dragons (Pogona vittticeps)

Nannizziopsis guarroi causes mycotic dermatitis, colloquially known as “yellow fungus disease,” in lizards. Several fungal diagnostic assays may detect this microbe in clinical cases, but the clinical performance of these assays has yet to be explored. Six adult bearded dragons were cutaneously exposed to N. guarroi along the dorsal midline and serially sampled over five months as clinical cutaneous lesions developed. The median dates of first test positivity for fungal culture, quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), and commercially available next-generation sequencing (NGS) tests were 28, 6, and 17.5 days prior to lesion development, respectively. Lesions did not fluoresce under long-wave ultraviolent illumination. Femoral pores were a frequent site of infection in all four male lizards, representing a novel presentation. Additionally, one lizard developed subclinical granulomatous N. guarroi pneumonia. Postmortem assessment of diagnostics identified a high level of agreement between histopathology, fungal culture, and qPCR, however, cytologic agreement with histopathology was poor. Fungal culture, qPCR, and NGS are appropriate screening tools for detection of N. guarroi prior to the onset of cutaneous lesions and may all be used as diagnostic tools to confirm N. guarroi infection in clinically affected bearded dragons.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.S.

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

VMS - Veterinary Clinical Medicine

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2024

Author dc:creator

• Wong, Amanda Danielle

Contributors dc:contributor

• Keller, Krista A
• Allender, Matthew C
• Terio, Karen A
• Reinhart, Jennifer M

• Bearded Dragon
• Pogona
• Pogona Vitticeps
• Lizard
• Fungal
• Fungus
• Nannizziopsis
• Nannizziopsis Guarroi

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2024 Amanda Wong

Language dc:language

en, eng

Handle dc:identifier

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/127514

OAI record oai:identifier

https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=etdms&identifier=oai%3Awww.ideals.illinois.edu%3A2142%2F127514