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Edwardsiella tarda sepsis in a live-stranded sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus)
Cools, P.; Haelters, J.; Lopes dos Santos Santiago, G.; Claeys, G.; Boelens, J.; Leroux-Roels, I.; Vaneechoutte, M.; Deschaght, P. (2013). Edwardsiella tarda sepsis in a live-stranded sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus). Vet. Microbiol. 166(1-2): 311-315. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.vetmic.2013.05.020
In: Veterinary Microbiology. Elsevier: Tokyo; Oxford; New York; London; Amsterdam. ISSN 0378-1135; e-ISSN 1873-2542, more
Peer reviewed article  
Available in  Authors 
Keywords
    Whale stranding
    Edwardsiella tarda; Physeter macrocephalus Linnaeus, 1758 [WoRMS]; Physeteridae [WoRMS]
    ANE, Belgium, Belgian Coast [Marine Regions]; ANE, Belgium, Knokke-Heist [Marine Regions]
    Marine/Coastal
Author keywords
    Sperm whale; Stranding; Edwardsiella tarda; Emerging pathogen; Sepsis; Zoonosis
Authors  Top 
  • Cools, P., more
  • Haelters, J., more
  • Lopes dos Santos Santiago, G.
  • Claeys, G.
  • Boelens, J.
  • Leroux-Roels, I.
  • Vaneechoutte, M.
  • Deschaght, P.
Abstract
    Whale strandings remain poorly understood, although bacterial infections have been suggested to contribute. We isolated Edwardsiella tarda from the blood of a stranded sperm whale. The pathogen was identified with MALDI-TOF MS, confirmed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing and quantified in blood by qPCR. We report the first case of sepsis in a sperm whale. The zoonotic potential of E. tarda and the possible role of bacterial infections in the enigmatic strandings of cetaceans are discussed.
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