Two Cases of
Bacterial Pneumonia in Bottle-nosed Dolphins
(Tursiops Gillii)
at the
Seoul
Zoo,
Korea
Kyung-Yeon Eo and Oh-Deog Kwon
Seoul
Zoo, Gwacheon 427-702,
Korea;
1College
of Veterinary Medicine,
Kyungpook
National
University,
Daegu 702-701,
Korea
*Corresponding
author: odkwon@knu.ac.kr
Abstract
Two bacterial pneumonia cases of bottle-nosed dolphins (Tursiops
gillii) were found in Seoul Zoo. Firstly, severe fibrous pleuropneumonia was
revealed in a 14-year-old male bottle-nosed dolphin on its necropsy. The
clinical signs included anorexia, listing posture, and vertical submerging after
the initial signs of low activity and avoiding trainers. White blood cell count
increased up to 31.80 × 103/µl. Despite aggressive antibiotics
therapy of intramuscular injection and nebulization it died two months later. At
early time of illness Staphylococcus aureus and
Proteus mirabilis were isolated. Lately
Pseudomonas
aeruginosa
was isolated from the exhaled air culture and direct sample of lung parenchyma
on necropsy. Secondly, a 6-year-old male bottle-nosed dolphin with anorexia and
tendency to avoid trainers was completely recovered after prompt treatment with
antibiotics and NSAIDs for six days prior to diagnosis. The diagnosis was based
on history, clinical signs, blood cell count, and mucous culture from blowhole.
The count of white blood cell dramatically decreased from 25.36 × 103/µl to
7.28 × 103/ µl after four days of antibiotics therapy.
Staphylococcus aureus was isolated from the culture.