A morbid female penguin suffering from heat exhaustion was removed from the penguin holding area and placed under observation at the Ocean Park veterinary hospital. Over the next few days the penguin was force fed an emulsion of fish and vitamins, given antimicrobials, placed in a temperature-controlled isolation room, and monitored very closely. In spite of intensive care, the penguin was found dead in its isolation room. A necropsy was performed, and cultures were collected for bacteriological isolation, and parasitological examination.

Pseudomonas pseudomallei was isolated in pure culture from the liver, spleen and heart blood. Ps. pseudomallei was isolated from mixed cultures collected from the lung, kidney, stomach, and abdominal air sac fluid.

This is the first report of Ps. pseudomallei isolation from a penguin, and one of only a few reports of isolation of this organism from any avian species.