{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,4]],"date-time":"2026-10-04T18:55:59Z","timestamp":1791140159779,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":30,"publisher":"Springer Science and Business Media LLC","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2019,10,11]],"date-time":"2019-10-11T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1570752000000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2019,10,11]],"date-time":"2019-10-11T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1570752000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"}],"funder":[{"name":"The Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme receives financial support from the Scottish Government Marine Directorate and the UK Department of Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["link.springer.com"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Sci Rep"],"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title><jats:p><jats:italic>Neisseria animaloris<\/jats:italic> is considered to be a commensal of the canine and feline oral cavities. It is able to cause systemic infections in animals as well as humans, usually after a biting trauma has occurred. We recovered <jats:italic>N<\/jats:italic>. <jats:italic>animaloris<\/jats:italic> from chronically inflamed bite wounds on pectoral fins and tailstocks, from lungs and other internal organs of eight harbour porpoises. Gross and histopathological evidence suggest that fatal disseminated <jats:italic>N<\/jats:italic>. <jats:italic>animaloris<\/jats:italic> infections had occurred due to traumatic injury from grey seals. We therefore conclude that these porpoises survived a grey seal predatory attack, with the bite lesions representing the subsequent portal of entry for bacteria to infect the animals causing abscesses in multiple tissues, and eventually death. We demonstrate that forensic microbiology provides a useful tool for linking a perpetrator to its victim. Moreover, <jats:italic>N<\/jats:italic>. <jats:italic>animaloris<\/jats:italic> should be added to the list of potential zoonotic bacteria following interactions with seals, as the finding of systemic transfer to the lungs and other tissues of the harbour porpoises may suggest a potential to do likewise in humans.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1038\/s41598-019-50979-3","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2019,10,11]],"date-time":"2019-10-11T10:04:04Z","timestamp":1570788244000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/springer_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":25,"title":["Forensic microbiology reveals that Neisseria animaloris infections in harbour porpoises follow traumatic injuries by grey seals"],"prefix":"10.1038","volume":"9","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5527-758X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Geoffrey","family":"Foster","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Adrian M.","family":"Whatmore","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mark P.","family":"Dagleish","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Henry","family":"Malnick","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Maarten J.","family":"Gilbert","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Lineke","family":"Begeman","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Shaheed K.","family":"Macgregor","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Nicholas J.","family":"Davison","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hendrik Jan","family":"Roest","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Paul","family":"Jepson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Fiona","family":"Howie","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jakub","family":"Muchowski","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Andrew C.","family":"Brownlow","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jaap A.","family":"Wagenaar","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Marja J. L.","family":"Kik","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Rob","family":"Deaville","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mariel T. I. ten","family":"Doeschate","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jason","family":"Barley","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Laura","family":"Hunter","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7288-9118","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Lonneke L.","family":"IJsseldijk","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"297","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2019,10,11]]},"reference":[{"key":"50979_CR1","unstructured":"T\u00f8ne, T. Genus 1. Neisseria Trevisan 1885, 105AL. In: Bergey\u2019s Manual of Systematic Bacteriology Volume 2, the Proteobacteria Part C the alpha, beta, delta and epsilonproteobacteria pp. 777\u2013798. Edited by Brenner, D. J., Krieg, N. R. & Staley, J. T. Springer (2005)."},{"key":"50979_CR2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"819","DOI":"10.1007\/s00203-018-1499-x","volume":"200","author":"DV Volokhov","year":"2018","unstructured":"Volokhov, D. V. et al. Neisseria zalophili sp. nov., isolated from oral cavity of Californian sea lions (Zalophilus californianus. Arch. Microbiol. 200, 819\u2013828 (2018).","journal-title":"Arch. Microbiol."},{"key":"50979_CR3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1801","DOI":"10.1099\/ijs.0.64142-0","volume":"56","author":"P Vandamme","year":"2006","unstructured":"Vandamme, P., Holmes, B., Bercovier, H. & Coenye, T. Classification of Centers for Disease Control group eugonic fermenter (EF)-4a and EF-4b as Neisseria animaloris sp. nov. and Neisseria zoodegmatis sp. nov. respectively. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. 56, 1801\u20131805 (2006).","journal-title":"Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol."},{"key":"50979_CR4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1016\/0378-1135(94)00110-I","volume":"44","author":"JP Gani\u00e8re","year":"1995","unstructured":"Gani\u00e8re, J. P., Escande, F., Andr\u00e9-Fontaine, G., Larrat, M. & Filloneau, C. Characterisation of group EF-4 bacteria from the oral cavity of dogs. Vet. Microbiol. 44, 1\u20139 (1995).","journal-title":"Vet. Microbiol."},{"key":"50979_CR5","unstructured":"Holmes, B. & Ahmed, M. S. Group EF-4: a Pasteurella-like organism. In: Haemophilus, Pasteurella and Actinobacillus, pp. 161\u2013174. Edited by Kilian, M., Frederiksen, W. & Biberstein, E. L. London: Academic Press (1981)."},{"key":"50979_CR6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"612","DOI":"10.1128\/jcm.14.6.612-616.1981","volume":"14","author":"SB Dees","year":"1981","unstructured":"Dees, S. B., Powell, J., Moss, C. W., Hollis, D. G. & Weaver, R. E. Cellular fatty acid composition of organisms frequently associated with human infections from dog bites: Pasteurella multocida and groups of EF-4, IIj, M-5, and DF-2. J. Clin. Microbiol. 14, 612\u2013616 (1981).","journal-title":"J. Clin. Microbiol."},{"key":"50979_CR7","first-page":"81","volume":"68","author":"B Holmes","year":"1990","unstructured":"Holmes, B., Costas, M. & Wood, C. A. Numerical analysis of electrophoretic patterns of group EF-4 bacteria, predominantly from dog-bite wounds of humans. J. Appl. Microbiol. 68, 81\u201391 (1990).","journal-title":"J. Appl. Microbiol."},{"key":"50979_CR8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"20142429","DOI":"10.1098\/rspb.2014.2429","volume":"282","author":"MF Leopold","year":"2015","unstructured":"Leopold, M. F. et al. Exposing the grey seal as a major predator of harbour porpoises. Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B. 282, 20142429 (2015).","journal-title":"Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B."},{"key":"50979_CR9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"49","DOI":"10.3354\/dao03182","volume":"127","author":"MT Ten Doeschate","year":"2017","unstructured":"Ten Doeschate, M. T. et al. Quantifying parasite presence in relation to biological parameters of harbour porpoises Phocoena phocoena stranded on the Dutch coast. Dis. Aquat. Organ. 127, 49\u201356 (2017).","journal-title":"Dis. Aquat. Organ."},{"key":"50979_CR10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"846","DOI":"10.1099\/00207713-44-4-846","volume":"44","author":"E Stackebrandt","year":"1994","unstructured":"Stackebrandt, E. & Goebel, B. M. Taxonomic note: a place for DNA-DNA reassociation and 16S rRNA sequence analysis in the present species definition in bacteriology. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 44, 846\u2013849 (1994).","journal-title":"Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol."},{"key":"50979_CR11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3623","DOI":"10.1128\/JCM.38.10.3623-3630.2000","volume":"38","author":"M Drancourt","year":"2000","unstructured":"Drancourt, M. et al. 16S ribosomal DNA sequence analysis of a large collection of environmental and clinical unidentifiable bacterial isolates. J. Clin. Microbiol. 38, 3623\u20133630 (2000).","journal-title":"J. Clin. Microbiol."},{"key":"50979_CR12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1375","DOI":"10.1128\/JCM.03529-13","volume":"52","author":"JS Bennett","year":"2014","unstructured":"Bennett, J. S., Watkins, E. R., Jolley, K. A., Harrison, O. B. & Maiden, M. C. Identifying Neisseria species by use of the 50S ribosomal protein L6 (rplF) gene. J. Clin. Microbiol. 52, 1375\u20131381 (2014).","journal-title":"J. Clin. Microbiol."},{"issue":"2","key":"50979_CR13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"198","DOI":"10.1578\/AM.37.2.2011.198","volume":"37","author":"J Haelters","year":"2011","unstructured":"Haelters, J. & Everaarts, E. Two cases of physical interaction between white-beaked dolphins Lagenorhynchus albirostris and juvenile harbour porpoises Phocoena phocoena in the southern North Sea. Aquat. Mamm. 37(2), 198\u2013201 (2011).","journal-title":"Aquat. Mamm."},{"key":"50979_CR14","first-page":"283286","volume":"263","author":"HM Ross","year":"1996","unstructured":"Ross, H. M. & Wilson, B. Violent interactions between bottlenose dolphins and harbour porpoises. Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B. 263, 283286 (1996).","journal-title":"Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B."},{"key":"50979_CR15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1167","DOI":"10.1098\/rspb.1998.0414","volume":"265","author":"IAP Patterson","year":"1998","unstructured":"Patterson, I. A. P. et al. Evidence for infanticide in bottlenose dolphins: An explanation for violent interactions with harbour porpoises? Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B. 265, 1167\u20131170 (1998).","journal-title":"Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B."},{"issue":"2","key":"50979_CR16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"227","DOI":"10.1578\/AM.42.2.2016.227","volume":"42","author":"J Haelters","year":"2016","unstructured":"Haelters, J. et al. A suspected scavenging event by red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) on a live, stranded harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena). Aquat. Mamm. 42(2), 227\u2013232 (2016).","journal-title":"Aquat. Mamm."},{"key":"50979_CR17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"343","DOI":"10.1578\/AM.38.4.2012.343","volume":"38","author":"J Haelters","year":"2012","unstructured":"Haelters, J., Kerckhof, F., Jauniaux, T. & Degraer, S. The grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) as a predator of harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena)? Aquat. Mamm. 38, 343\u2013353 (2012).","journal-title":"Aquat. Mamm."},{"key":"50979_CR18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1542","DOI":"10.1111\/mms.12111","volume":"30","author":"T Bouveroux","year":"2014","unstructured":"Bouveroux, T., Kiszka, J. J., Heithaus, M. R., Jauniaux, T. & Pezeril, S. Direct evidence for gray seal (Halichoerus grypus) predation and scavenging on harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena). Mar. Mam. Sci. 30, 1542\u20131548 (2014).","journal-title":"Mar. Mam. Sci."},{"issue":"2","key":"50979_CR19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"188","DOI":"10.1578\/AM.41.2.2015.188","volume":"41","author":"T Stringell","year":"2015","unstructured":"Stringell, T. et al. Predation of harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) by grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) in Wales. Aquat. Mamm. 41(2), 188\u2013191 (2015).","journal-title":"Aquat. Mamm."},{"key":"50979_CR20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"277","DOI":"10.3354\/meps11004","volume":"513","author":"JDL van Bleijswijk","year":"2014","unstructured":"van Bleijswijk, J. D. L. et al. Detection of grey seal Halichoerus grypus DNA in attack wounds on stranded harbour porpoises Phocoena phocoena. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 513, 277\u2013281 (2014).","journal-title":"Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser."},{"key":"50979_CR21","first-page":"1371","volume":"10","author":"T Jauniaux","year":"2014","unstructured":"Jauniaux, T. et al. Bite injuries of grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) on harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena). PloS One 10, 1371 (2014).","journal-title":"PloS One"},{"key":"50979_CR22","first-page":"105","volume":"60","author":"A Podt","year":"2017","unstructured":"Podt, A. & IJsseldijk, L. L. Grey seal attacks on harbour porpoises in the Eastern Scheldt: Cases of survival and mortality. Lutra 60, 105\u2013116 (2017).","journal-title":"Lutra"},{"key":"50979_CR23","unstructured":"Special Committee on seals (SCOS). Scientific advice on matters related to the management of seal populations: St Andrews: Sea Mammal Research Unit, SCOS main advice, http:\/\/www.smru.st-andrews.ac.uk\/files\/2018\/01\/SCOS-2017.pdf (2017)."},{"key":"50979_CR24","first-page":"926","volume":"31","author":"CL Williams","year":"2003","unstructured":"Williams, C. L., Blejwas, K., Johnston, J. J. & Jaeger, M. M. A coyote in sheep\u2019s clothing: predator identification from saliva. Wildl. Soc. Bull. 31, 926\u2013932 (2003).","journal-title":"Wildl. Soc. Bull."},{"key":"50979_CR25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1087","DOI":"10.2193\/0022-541X(2006)70[1087:SDECBM]2.0.CO;2","volume":"70","author":"KM Blejwas","year":"2006","unstructured":"Blejwas, K. M., Williams, C. L., Shin, G. T., McCullough, D. R. & Jaeger, M. M. Salivary DNA evidence convicts breeding male coyotes of killing sheep. J. Wildl. Manag. 70, 1087\u20131093 (2006).","journal-title":"J. Wildl. Manag."},{"key":"50979_CR26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"32","DOI":"10.1016\/j.seares.2018.07.008","volume":"140","author":"T Heers","year":"2018","unstructured":"Heers, T. et al. Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) as a confirmatory and rapid DNA detection method for grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) predation on harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena). J. Sea Res. 140, 32\u201339 (2018).","journal-title":"J. Sea Res."},{"issue":"14","key":"50979_CR27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"6477","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.1000162107","volume":"107","author":"N Fierer","year":"2010","unstructured":"Fierer, N. et al. Forensic identification using skin bacterial communities. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 107(14), 6477\u20136481 (2010).","journal-title":"Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci."},{"key":"50979_CR28","unstructured":"Kuiken, T. & Hartmann, M. G. Dissection techniques and tissue sampling. Proceedings of the first ECS workshop on cetacean pathology, Leiden, The Netherlands, September 13\u201314, 1991. pp 1\u201339 (1993)."},{"key":"50979_CR29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"563","DOI":"10.1016\/S0378-1135(02)00236-5","volume":"90","author":"G Foster","year":"2002","unstructured":"Foster, G. et al. A review of Brucella sp. Infection of sea mammals with particular emphasis on isolates from Scotland. Vet. Microbiol. 90, 563\u2013580 (2002).","journal-title":"Vet. Microbiol."},{"issue":"163(3\u20134)","key":"50979_CR30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"383","DOI":"10.1016\/j.vetmic.2012.12.036","volume":"3","author":"B Hunt","year":"2013","unstructured":"Hunt, B., Bidewell, C., Koylass, M. S. & Whatmore, A. M. A novel taxon within the genus Actinobacillus isolated from alpaca (Vicugna pacos) in the United Kingdom. Vet Microbiol. 3(163(3\u20134)), 383\u20137 (2013).","journal-title":"Vet Microbiol."}],"container-title":["Scientific Reports"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41598-019-50979-3.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41598-019-50979-3","content-type":"text\/html","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41598-019-50979-3.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2022,12,17]],"date-time":"2022-12-17T14:24:13Z","timestamp":1671287053000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41598-019-50979-3"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2019,10,11]]},"references-count":30,"journal-issue":{"issue":"1","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2019,12]]}},"alternative-id":["50979"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41598-019-50979-3","relation":{},"ISSN":["2045-2322"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2045-2322","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2019,10,11]]},"assertion":[{"value":"14 February 2019","order":1,"name":"received","label":"Received","group":{"name":"ArticleHistory","label":"Article History"}},{"value":"20 September 2019","order":2,"name":"accepted","label":"Accepted","group":{"name":"ArticleHistory","label":"Article History"}},{"value":"11 October 2019","order":3,"name":"first_online","label":"First Online","group":{"name":"ArticleHistory","label":"Article History"}},{"value":"The authors declare no competing interests.","order":1,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Competing Interests"}}],"article-number":"14338"}}