Abstract
As part of the Bottlenose Dolphin Health and Risk Assessment study (HERA), blood, gastric, fecal, and blowhole samples were collected from 114 Atlantic bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in the Indian River Lagoon, FL (IRL) and 73 dolphins from the estuarine waters around Charleston, SC (CHS to assess the presence and degree of gastric leukocytosis and from 2003 to 2007.1 The prevalence of moderate and severe gastric leukocytosis was 9.6% in the IRL and 11.0% at CHS. We then conducted a case-control study of 19 dolphins with gastric leukocytosis and 82 with normal cytology from the combined populations. Blood parameters evaluated included hematology, serum chemistry, serum protein electrophoresis and stress hormones. Few differences of clinical or statistical significance were found between affected and unaffected dolphins, serum norepinephrine and cortisol were significantly higher in cases compared to the controls and aldosterone was marginally higher (p=0.06) based on eight cases. None of the hematologic, serum chemistry or serum electrophoresis results were significantly different. Gastric fluid pH was not significantly different between cases and controls. There were no clinically significant aerobic/anaerobic or fungal culture results from gastric contents; bacteria cultured from both groups were considered to represent normal flora. Antibiotic resistance patterns for affected and unaffected dolphins were examined but no significant differences were found. Historically, gastric leukocytosis has constituted a marker of systemic illness in dolphins; however, there was little evidence to indicate systemic illness among affected animals. The data obtained from this study provide a basis for further investigation and evaluation of gastric cytology in wild and managed bottlenose dolphins.
Acknowledgements
This work was conducted under NMFS permit 998-1678 issued to Dr. Gregory Bossart as part of the Health and Risk Assessment of Bottlenose Dolphins Project (HERA) conducted in the Indian River Lagoon, FL. The authors would like to acknowledge Sarah Pflaum, Dr. Forrest Townsend, Wayne McFee for determination of age , the HERA veterinary medical staff as well all of the HERA volunteers, collaborators and staff members, and HBOI Computer Services. Funding for this project was provided through the Protect Wild Dolphins License Plate Program and the NOAA Fisheries Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program.
Reference
1. Reif JS, Fair PA, Adams JA, Joseph BA, Kilpatrick DS, Sanchez JD, Goldstein JD, Townsend FI, McCulloch SD, Mazzoil M, Zolman ES, Hansen LJ, Bossart GD. Evaluation and comparison of the health status of Atlantic bottlenose dolphins from the Indian River Lagoon, Florida and Charleston, South Carolina. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 2008; 233 (2):299–307.