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Edwardsiella tarda sepsis in a live-stranded sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus)

Piet Cools1, Jan Haelters, Guido Lopes dos Santos Santiago

  • 1Ghent University, De Pintelaan 185, 9000 Ghent, Belgium. Piet.Cools@Ugent.be

Veterinary Microbiology
|July 6, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Researchers identified the bacterium Edwardsiella tarda in a stranded sperm whale, marking the first documented case of sepsis in this species. This finding highlights the potential role of bacterial infections in unexplained whale strandings.

Area of Science:

  • Marine Mammal Health
  • Veterinary Pathology
  • Microbiology

Background:

  • Whale strandings are a poorly understood phenomenon.
  • Bacterial infections are hypothesized to play a role in cetacean strandings.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the potential contribution of bacterial infections to whale strandings.
  • To report the first case of sepsis in a sperm whale.

Main Methods:

  • Isolation of bacteria from the blood of a stranded sperm whale.
  • Identification of the pathogen using MALDI-TOF MS and 16S rRNA gene sequencing.
  • Quantification of the pathogen in blood via quantitative PCR (qPCR).

Main Results:

  • Edwardsiella tarda was successfully isolated from the blood of the stranded sperm whale.
  • The bacterium was confirmed as E. tarda through genetic sequencing.
  • Sepsis was diagnosed in the sperm whale, representing a novel finding for the species.

Conclusions:

  • This study reports the first case of Edwardsiella tarda sepsis in a sperm whale.
  • The findings suggest bacterial infections, specifically E. tarda, may contribute to sperm whale strandings.
  • The zoonotic potential of E. tarda warrants consideration in the context of marine mammal health and human interaction.
Keywords:
Edwardsiella tardaEmerging pathogenSepsisSperm whaleStrandingZoonosis

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