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Saviano P, Fiorucci L, Grande F, Macrelli R, Troisi A, Polisca A, Orlandi R. Pregnancy and Fetal Development: Cephalic Presentation and Other Descriptive Ultrasonographic Findings from Clinically Healthy Bottlenose Dolphins ( Tursiops truncatus) under Human Care. Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:ani10050908. [PMID: 32456332 PMCID: PMC7278404 DOI: 10.3390/ani10050908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2020] [Revised: 05/19/2020] [Accepted: 05/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Ultrasound data are vital for monitoring and detecting problems in pregnancies, and although there is a significant amount of data for domestic species, data for marine mammals are scarce. In domestic species, the use of ultrasonography to monitor a pregnancy usually has the following aims: fetal movements, fetal heart rates, measurements of the skull and the thorax for the prediction of the birth date interval, the morphological aspects of the fetal organs, the appearance of the umbilical cord, and the placentation. The purpose of this study is to provide to the clinician additional relevant data on fetal development and well-being during a dolphin pregnancy that may also be useful for wild population monitoring. This study is the result of a retrospective analysis of 192 ultrasound scans over 10 years that, for the first time, describes the sonographic findings of the bottlenose dolphin organogenesis and their correlation with the stage of pregnancy, as well as the calf presentation at birth, according to its position within the uterus, and moreover a complete literature review. Abstract Ultrasonography is widely used in veterinary medicine for the diagnosis of pregnancy, and can also be used to monitor abnormal pregnancies, embryonic resorption, or fetal abortion. Ultrasonography plays an important role in modern-day cetacean preventative medicine because it is a non-invasive technique, it is safe for both patient and operator, and it can be performed routinely using trained responses that enable medical procedures. Reproductive success is an important aspect of dolphin population health, as it is an indicator of the future trajectory of the population. The aim of this study is to provide additional relevant data on feto-maternal ultrasonographic monitoring in bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) species, for both the clinicians and for in situ population studies. From 2009 to 2019, serial ultrasonographic exams of 11 healthy bottlenose dolphin females kept under human care were evaluated over the course of 16 pregnancies. A total of 192 ultrasound exams were included in the study. For the first time, the sonographic findings of the bottlenose dolphin organogenesis and their correlation with the stage of pregnancy are described. Furthermore, this is the first report that forecasts the cephalic presentation of the calf at birth, according to its position within the uterus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pietro Saviano
- Ambulatorio Veterinario Saviano-Larocca, 41042 Spezzano, Italy; (P.S.); (F.G.)
| | - Letizia Fiorucci
- Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Arucas, 35416 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
- Correspondence:
| | - Francesco Grande
- Ambulatorio Veterinario Saviano-Larocca, 41042 Spezzano, Italy; (P.S.); (F.G.)
| | - Roberto Macrelli
- Dipartimento di Scienze Pure e Applicate, Università di Urbino, 61029 Urbino, Italy;
| | - Alessandro Troisi
- Scuola di Bioscienze e Medicina Veterinaria, Università di Camerino, 62024 Matelica, Italy;
| | - Angela Polisca
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università di Perugia, 06124 Perugia, Italy;
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Ivančić M, Gomez FM, Musser WB, Barratclough A, Meegan JM, Waitt SM, Cárdenas Llerenas A, Jensen ED, Smith CR. Ultrasonographic findings associated with normal pregnancy and fetal well-being in the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). Vet Radiol Ultrasound 2020; 61:215-226. [PMID: 31899939 PMCID: PMC7155047 DOI: 10.1111/vru.12835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2019] [Revised: 09/10/2019] [Accepted: 10/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Reproductive success is vital in sustaining free‐ranging and managed bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) populations. Ultrasonography is an invaluable, non‐invasive tool in assessing the fetomaternal unit in humans and animals, including dolphins and horses. The purpose of this prospective longitudinal cohort study was to develop a protocol for fetomaternal ultrasonographic monitoring in dolphins and to report normal measurements and descriptive findings correlated with a positive outcome. From 2010 to 2017, serial ultrasonographic evaluations of 12 healthy dolphins were performed over the course of 16 pregnancies. A total of 203 ultrasound examinations were included in the study. Several metrics were accurate in predicting fetal age. Fetal biparietal diameter (BPD), thoracic width in dorsal and transverse planes, thoracic height in a sagittal plane, aortic diameter, and blubber thickness all demonstrated high correlation with gestational age (r > 0.94, P < .00001). Regional uteroplacental thickness significantly increased with each trimester (range 0.22–0.40 cm; P < .00011 cranial uterus, P < .00057 mid, and P < .000011 caudal). Lung:liver mean pixel intensity was 2.57 ± 0.46 (95% confidence interval 2.47‐2.67). Ultrasonographic characteristics of normal pregnancy in dolphins are described and an equation for prediction of parturition date in Tursiops is reported: days to parturition = 348.16 − (26.03 × BPD(cm)) (R2 = 0.99). Future applications of these normal data will help identify in utero abnormalities indicative of fetal morbidity, and improve understanding of reproductive failure in wild and managed populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Ivančić
- Chicago Zoological Society, Brookfield Zoo, Brookfield, Illinois
| | | | | | | | | | - Sophie M Waitt
- University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
| | | | - Eric D Jensen
- US Navy Marine Mammal Program, San Diego, California
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Barratclough A, Wells RS, Schwacke LH, Rowles TK, Gomez FM, Fauquier DA, Sweeney JC, Townsend FI, Hansen LJ, Zolman ES, Balmer BC, Smith CR. Health Assessments of Common Bottlenose Dolphins ( Tursiops truncatus): Past, Present, and Potential Conservation Applications. Front Vet Sci 2019; 6:444. [PMID: 31921905 PMCID: PMC6923228 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2019.00444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2019] [Accepted: 11/26/2019] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) is a global marine mammal species for which some populations, due to their coastal accessibility, have been monitored diligently by scientists for decades. Health assessment examinations have developed a comprehensive knowledge base of dolphin biology, population structure, and environmental or anthropogenic stressors affecting their dynamics. Bottlenose dolphin health assessments initially started as stock assessments prior to acquisition. Over the last four decades, health assessments have evolved into essential conservation management tools of free-ranging dolphin populations. Baseline data enable comparison of stressors between geographic locations and associated changes in individual and population health status. In addition, long-term monitoring provides opportunities for insights into population shifts over time, with retrospective application of novel diagnostic tests on archived samples. Expanding scientific knowledge enables effective long-term conservation management strategies by facilitating informed decision making and improving social understanding of the anthropogenic effects. The ability to use bottlenose dolphins as a model for studying marine mammal health has been pivotal in our understanding of anthropogenic effects on multiple marine mammal species. Future studies aim to build on current knowledge to influence management decisions and species conservation. This paper reviews the historical approaches to dolphin health assessments, present day achievements, and development of future conservation goals.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Randall S Wells
- Chicago Zoological Society's Sarasota Dolphin Research Program, Mote Marine Laboratory, Sarasota, FL, United States
| | - Lori H Schwacke
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Teresa K Rowles
- NOAA, National Marine Fisheries Service, Office of Protected Resources, Silver Spring, MD, United States
| | - Forrest M Gomez
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Deborah A Fauquier
- NOAA, National Marine Fisheries Service, Office of Protected Resources, Silver Spring, MD, United States
| | | | | | - Larry J Hansen
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Eric S Zolman
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Brian C Balmer
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Cynthia R Smith
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, San Diego, CA, United States
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Galligan TM, Boggs ASP, Balmer BC, Rowles T, Smith CR, Townsend F, Wells RS, Kellar NM, Zolman ES, Schwacke LH. Blubber steroid hormone profiles as indicators of physiological state in free-ranging common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2019; 239:110583. [PMID: 31648064 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2019.110583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2019] [Revised: 09/27/2019] [Accepted: 10/01/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Blubber has been proposed as a possible alternative to blood in the assessment of endocrine physiology in marine mammals because it can be collected via remote biopsy, which removes some of the confounding variables and logistical constraints associated with blood collection. To date, few studies have directly assessed the relationships between circulating versus blubber steroid hormone profiles in marine mammals, and these studies have been limited to a small subset of steroid hormones, which collectively limit the current utility of blubber steroid hormone measurements. In this study, we used liquid-chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to screen for 16 steroid hormones in matched blood and blubber samples from free-ranging common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Seven steroid hormones were detected and quantified, including two progestogens, two androgens, and three corticosteroids. Using principal components analysis (PCA), we explored relationships between hormones in both matrices and three physiological states: sexual maturity, pregnancy, and acute stress response. Plasma and blubber testosterone and its precursors, 17-hydroxyprogesterone and androstenedione, loaded to the first principal component (PC1), and PC1 scores were higher in mature males. Plasma and blubber progesterone loaded to PC2, and pregnant/probable pregnant females had significantly higher PC2 scores. Pregnant females also had higher PC1 scores than other females, suggesting differences in androgen profiles between these groups. There was disagreement between plasma and blubber corticosteroid profiles, as indicated by their loading to different PCs; plasma corticosteroids loaded to PC3 and blubber corticosteroids to PC4. PC3 scores were significantly predicted by elapsed time to blood collection (i.e., time between initiating the capture process and blood collection), while elapsed time to blubber collection significantly predicted PC4 scores, indicating that corticosteroid profiles shift in both tissues during acute stress. Corticosteroid profiles were not related to demographic group, site-month, body mass index, water temperature, or time spent outside of the water on the processing boat. Overall, these results demonstrate that blubber steroid hormone profiles reflect changes in endocrine function that occur over broad temporal scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas M Galligan
- Hollings Marine Laboratory, Medical University of South Carolina, 331 Fort Johnson Rd, Charleston, SC 29412, USA; Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, College of Natural Resources and the Environment, Virginia Tech, 101 Cheatham Hall, 310 West Campus Dr., Blacksburg, VA 24060, USA.
| | - Ashley S P Boggs
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Chemical Sciences Division, Hollings Marine Laboratory, 331 Fort Johnson Road, Charleston, SC 29412, USA
| | - Brian C Balmer
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, 2240 Shelter Island Drive, Suite 200, San Diego, CA 92106, USA
| | - Teri Rowles
- Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA
| | - Cynthia R Smith
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, 2240 Shelter Island Drive, Suite 200, San Diego, CA 92106, USA
| | - Forrest Townsend
- Bayside Hospital for Animals, 251 Racetrack Road NE, Fort Walton Beach, FL 32547, USA
| | - Randall S Wells
- Chicago Zoological Society's Sarasota Dolphin Research Program, c/o Mote Marine Laboratory, 1600 Ken Thompson Pkwy, Sarasota, FL 34236, USA
| | - Nicholas M Kellar
- Ocean Associates, Inc., under contract to the Southwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 4007 N Abingdon St, Arlington, VA 22207, USA
| | - Eric S Zolman
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, 2240 Shelter Island Drive, Suite 200, San Diego, CA 92106, USA
| | - Lori H Schwacke
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, 2240 Shelter Island Drive, Suite 200, San Diego, CA 92106, USA
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Balmer B, Zolman E, Rowles T, Smith C, Townsend F, Fauquier D, George C, Goldstein T, Hansen L, Quigley B, McFee W, Morey J, Rosel P, Saliki J, Speakman T, Schwacke L. Ranging patterns, spatial overlap, and association with dolphin morbillivirus exposure in common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) along the Georgia, USA coast. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:12890-12904. [PMID: 30619591 PMCID: PMC6308875 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2018] [Revised: 10/10/2018] [Accepted: 10/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
During 2013-2015, an outbreak of dolphin morbillivirus (DMV) occurred in the western North Atlantic, which resulted in the stranding of over 1,600 common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). There are currently five coastal and 10 bay, sound, and estuary dolphin stocks along the U.S. Atlantic coast, yet there is very limited understanding of which stocks were exposed to DMV during the recent outbreak, or how DMV was transmitted across stocks. In order to address these questions, information is needed on spatial overlap and stock interactions. The goals of this project were to determine ranging patterns, prevalence of DMV, and spatial overlap of the South Carolina-Georgia (SC-GA) Coastal Stock, and adjacent Southern Georgia Estuarine System (SGES) Stock. During September 2015, a health assessment and telemetry study was conducted in which 19 dolphins were captured, tested for antibodies to DMV, and satellite tagged. Dolphins were classified into one of three ranging patterns (Coastal, Sound, or Estuary) based upon telemetry data. Coastal dolphins (likely members of the SC-GA Coastal Stock) had a significantly higher prevalence of positive DMV antibody titers (0.67; N = 2/3), than Sound and Estuary dolphins (likely members of the SGES Stock) (0.13; N = 2/16). These results suggest that the SC-GA Coastal Stock may have experienced greater exposure to DMV as compared to the SGES Stock. However, due to the small size of the SGES Stock and its exposure to high levels of persistent contaminants, this stock may be particularly vulnerable to DMV infection in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Balmer
- Jardon and Howard Technologies (JHT) IncorporatedOrlandoFlorida
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Ocean ServiceNational Centers for Coastal Ocean ScienceCharlestonSouth Carolina
- National Marine Mammal FoundationSan DiegoCalifornia
| | - Eric Zolman
- Jardon and Howard Technologies (JHT) IncorporatedOrlandoFlorida
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Ocean ServiceNational Centers for Coastal Ocean ScienceCharlestonSouth Carolina
- National Marine Mammal FoundationSan DiegoCalifornia
| | - Teri Rowles
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries ServiceOffice of Protected ResourcesSilver SpringMaryland
| | - Cynthia Smith
- National Marine Mammal FoundationSan DiegoCalifornia
| | | | - Deborah Fauquier
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries ServiceOffice of Protected ResourcesSilver SpringMaryland
| | - Clay George
- Georgia Department of Natural ResourcesNongame Wildlife ConservationBrunswickGeorgia
| | - Tracey Goldstein
- Karen C. Drayer Wildlife Health Center, One Health Institute, School of Veterinary MedicineUniversity of CaliforniaDavisCalifornia
| | - Larry Hansen
- National Marine Mammal FoundationSan DiegoCalifornia
| | - Brian Quigley
- Jardon and Howard Technologies (JHT) IncorporatedOrlandoFlorida
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Ocean ServiceNational Centers for Coastal Ocean ScienceCharlestonSouth Carolina
| | - Wayne McFee
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Ocean ServiceNational Centers for Coastal Ocean ScienceCharlestonSouth Carolina
| | - Jeanine Morey
- Jardon and Howard Technologies (JHT) IncorporatedOrlandoFlorida
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Ocean ServiceNational Centers for Coastal Ocean ScienceCharlestonSouth Carolina
- National Marine Mammal FoundationSan DiegoCalifornia
| | - Patricia Rosel
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries ServiceSoutheast Fisheries Science CenterLafayetteLouisiana
| | - Jerry Saliki
- Athens Veterinary Diagnostic LaboratoryUniversity of GeorgiaAthensGeorgia
| | - Todd Speakman
- Jardon and Howard Technologies (JHT) IncorporatedOrlandoFlorida
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Ocean ServiceNational Centers for Coastal Ocean ScienceCharlestonSouth Carolina
| | - Lori Schwacke
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Ocean ServiceNational Centers for Coastal Ocean ScienceCharlestonSouth Carolina
- National Marine Mammal FoundationSan DiegoCalifornia
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Kellar NM, Speakman TR, Smith CR, Lane SM, Balmer BC, Trego ML, Catelani KN, Robbins MN, Allen CD, Wells RS, Zolman ES, Rowles TK, Schwacke LH. Low reproductive success rates of common bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus in the northern Gulf of Mexico following the Deepwater Horizon disaster (2010-2015). ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2017. [DOI: 10.3354/esr00775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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Smith CR, Rowles TK, Hart LB, Townsend FI, Wells RS, Zolman ES, Balmer BC, Quigley B, Ivancˇic΄ M, McKercher W, Tumlin MC, Mullin KD, Adams JD, Wu Q, McFee W, Collier TK, Schwacke LH. Slow recovery of Barataria Bay dolphin health following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill (2013-2014), with evidence of persistent lung disease and impaired stress response. ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2017. [DOI: 10.3354/esr00778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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Lane SM, Smith CR, Mitchell J, Balmer BC, Barry KP, McDonald T, Mori CS, Rosel PE, Rowles TK, Speakman TR, Townsend FI, Tumlin MC, Wells RS, Zolman ES, Schwacke LH. Reproductive outcome and survival of common bottlenose dolphins sampled in Barataria Bay, Louisiana, USA, following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Proc Biol Sci 2016; 282:20151944. [PMID: 26538595 PMCID: PMC4650159 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2015.1944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) inhabit bays, sounds and estuaries across the Gulf of Mexico. Following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, studies were initiated to assess potential effects on these ecologically important apex predators. A previous study reported disease conditions, including lung disease and impaired stress response, for 32 dolphins that were temporarily captured and given health assessments in Barataria Bay, Louisiana, USA. Ten of the sampled dolphins were determined to be pregnant, with expected due dates the following spring or summer. Here, we report findings after 47 months of follow-up monitoring of those sampled dolphins. Only 20% (95% CI: 2.50–55.6%) of the pregnant dolphins produced viable calves, as compared with a previously reported pregnancy success rate of 83% in a reference population. Fifty-seven per cent of pregnant females that did not successfully produce a calf had been previously diagnosed with moderate–severe lung disease. In addition, the estimated annual survival rate of the sampled cohort was low (86.8%, 95% CI: 80.0–92.7%) as compared with survival rates of 95.1% and 96.2% from two other previously studied bottlenose dolphin populations. Our findings confirm low reproductive success and high mortality in dolphins from a heavily oiled estuary when compared with other populations. Follow-up studies are needed to better understand the potential recovery of dolphins in Barataria Bay and, by extension, other Gulf coastal regions impacted by the spill.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzanne M Lane
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, Hollings Marine Laboratory, Charleston, SC, USA
| | | | | | - Brian C Balmer
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, Hollings Marine Laboratory, Charleston, SC, USA Chicago Zoological Society, c/o Mote Marine Laboratory, Sarasota, FL, USA
| | - Kevin P Barry
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service, Pascagoula, MS, USA
| | | | | | - Patricia E Rosel
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service, Lafayette, LA, USA
| | - Teresa K Rowles
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service, Office of Protected Resources, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - Todd R Speakman
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, Hollings Marine Laboratory, Charleston, SC, USA
| | | | - Mandy C Tumlin
- Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | - Randall S Wells
- Chicago Zoological Society, c/o Mote Marine Laboratory, Sarasota, FL, USA
| | - Eric S Zolman
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, Hollings Marine Laboratory, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Lori H Schwacke
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, Hollings Marine Laboratory, Charleston, SC, USA
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Colegrove KM, Venn-Watson S, Litz J, Kinsel MJ, Terio KA, Fougeres E, Ewing R, Pabst DA, McLellan WA, Raverty S, Saliki J, Fire S, Rappucci G, Bowen-Stevens S, Noble L, Costidis A, Barbieri M, Field C, Smith S, Carmichael RH, Chevis C, Hatchett W, Shannon D, Tumlin M, Lovewell G, McFee W, Rowles TK. Fetal distress and in utero pneumonia in perinatal dolphins during the Northern Gulf of Mexico unusual mortality event. DISEASES OF AQUATIC ORGANISMS 2016; 119:1-16. [PMID: 27068499 DOI: 10.3354/dao02969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
An unusual mortality event (UME) involving primarily common bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus of all size classes stranding along coastal Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, USA, started in early 2010 and continued into 2014. During this northern Gulf of Mexico UME, a distinct cluster of perinatal dolphins (total body length <115 cm) stranded in Mississippi and Alabama during 2011. The proportion of annual dolphin strandings that were perinates between 2009 and 2013 were compared to baseline strandings (2000-2005). A case-reference study was conducted to compare demographics, histologic lesions, and Brucella sp. infection prevalence in 69 UME perinatal dolphins to findings from 26 reference perinates stranded in South Carolina and Florida outside of the UME area. Compared to reference perinates, UME perinates were more likely to have died in utero or very soon after birth (presence of atelectasis in 88 vs. 15%, p < 0.0001), have fetal distress (87 vs. 27%, p < 0.0001), and have pneumonia not associated with lungworm infection (65 vs. 19%, p = 0.0001). The percentage of perinates with Brucella sp. infections identified via lung PCR was higher among UME perinates stranding in Mississippi and Alabama compared to reference perinates (61 vs. 24%, p = 0.01), and multiple different Brucella omp genetic sequences were identified in UME perinates. These results support that from 2011 to 2013, during the northern Gulf of Mexico UME, bottlenose dolphins were particularly susceptible to late-term pregnancy failures and development of in utero infections including brucellosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen M Colegrove
- Zoological Pathology Program, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Maywood, IL 60153
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Smith CR, Venn-Watson S, Wells RS, Johnson SP, Maffeo N, Balmer BC, Jensen ED, Townsend FI, Sakhaee K. Comparison of Nephrolithiasis Prevalence in Two Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) Populations. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2013; 4:145. [PMID: 24137158 PMCID: PMC3797464 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2013.00145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2013] [Accepted: 09/26/2013] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
In humans, ammonium urate (AU) nephrolithiasis is rare in the Western hemisphere and more common in Japan and developing countries. Among a variety of risk factors, insulin resistance has been associated with urate nephrolithiasis in people. Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) are susceptible to AU nephrolithiasis, and it is believed that some populations are more likely to develop nephrolithiasis compared to others. In an effort to better understand population-based risk factors for AU nephrolithiasis in dolphins and their comparative value to humans, sonographic evaluation was performed on dolphins from a managed collection in San Diego Bay, CA (n = 40) and dolphins from a free-ranging, nearshore population in Sarasota Bay, FL (n = 39) to look for evidence of nephrolithiasis. While 14 (35%) of San Diego Bay dolphins evaluated for the study had sonographic evidence of nephrolithiasis, none of the Sarasota Bay dolphins had evidence of disease. Presence or absence of stones was confirmed by computed tomography in a subset of the San Diego collection (n = 10; four dolphins with stones, six without stones). Age was identified as a risk factor, as dolphins with stones in the San Diego collection were significantly older than dolphins without stones (25.4 vs. 19.1 years, respectively; P = 0.04). Additionally, San Diego dolphins included in the study were significantly older than Sarasota Bay dolphins (21.3 vs. 13.8 years, respectively; P = 0.008). In addition to the previously reported risk factors of hypocitraturia and hyperinsulinemia in bottlenose dolphins, other potential factors include geographic location, managed vs. free-ranging status, prey species, and feeding schedules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia R. Smith
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, San Diego, CA, USA
- *Correspondence: Cynthia R. Smith, National Marine Mammal Foundation, 2240 Shelter Island Drive, Suite 200, San Diego, CA 92106, USA e-mail:
| | | | - Randall S. Wells
- Sarasota Dolphin Research Program, Chicago Zoological Society, Sarasota, FL, USA
| | | | - Natalie Maffeo
- College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Brian C. Balmer
- Sarasota Dolphin Research Program, Chicago Zoological Society, Sarasota, FL, USA
| | - Eric D. Jensen
- US Navy Marine Mammal Program, Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific, San Diego, CA, USA
| | | | - Khashayar Sakhaee
- Department of Internal Medicine and Charles, Jane Pak Center for Mineral Metabolism and Clinical Research, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
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