ARMED FORCES INSTTTUTE OF PATHOLOGY 

 WASHINGTON. DC 20306-6000 



»«EPl.r TO Sr. 



AmtfnoN Of ■*•'••». p. "•' 



November 2, 1990 



Department* -G^ Veterinary Pathology 



Larry Hansen 



Southeast Fisheries Science Center 



National Marine Fisheries Service 



75 Virginia Beach Drive 



Miami , FT. T?i4Q 



Sxunmary of Pathologic Findings in Atlantic Bottlenose 

 Dolphins from the Giilf of Mexico. 



The Department of Veterinary Pathology of the Armed Forces Institute 

 of Pathology received material from five Atlantic bottlenose dolphins 

 that died from March through June 1990. All were from Texas waters. 

 Two of the five had gram-negative septicemia. One of these two also 

 had gram-negative bacterial pneumonia and £. coli was cultured from 

 lung. Another of the five dolphins had cutaneous lesions suggestive 

 of gram-negative septicemia. Gram-negative septicemia has not been 

 found to be a common cause of death in dolphins, although Pseudomonas 

 pseudomallei has caused septicemias in an aquarium in Hong Kong. 

 Generally, grzun-negative septicemia tends to occur in the terminal 

 stages of chronic diseases and in individuals with some basis for 

 depressed immunity. The remaining two dolphins had various lesions 

 but no clear-cut cause of death. 



A number of interesting lesions were found in these five 

 dolphins. Diffuse hepatic microvesicular vacuolar change, consistent 

 with microvesicular fatty change, vas found in two dolphi.ns. 

 Although hepatic fatty change can be caused by a variety of 

 physiologic and pathologic processes, diffuse microvesicular fatty 

 change has been associated with a variety of toxins in other 

 species. Lymphocytic portal hepatitis was present in two dolphins. 

 This lesion has been previously described in dolphins from the Gulf 

 of Mexico; its cause is unknown. Lymphadenitis, lymphoid hyperplasia 

 and lymphoid depletion were all seen, occasionally in the same 

 animal. The significance of these lesions is unknown. Significant 

 amounts of pulmonary fibrosis were present in three dolphins; these 

 probably represent areas of resolved pneumonia. One dolphin had 

 severe pancreatic fibrosis and atrophy. Pancreatic lesions of this 

 type have been recognized previously, but generally in dolphins that 

 were older. (This dolphin was sexually immature.) 



Thomas P. Lipscomb, DVM 



MAJ, VC, USA 



Department of Veterinary Pathology 



180 



