title: Pathological and serological evidence of Brucella-infection in baleen whales (Mysticeti) in the western North Pacific.
abstract: Abnormal testes and uterus were observed in 13 males (33%) and one female (3%) out of 40 common minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) in the western North Pacific. Similar lesions were found in testis and ovary, respectively, in one male (2%) and female (2%) out of 43 Bryde's whales (Balaenoptera edeni) in the western North Pacific. Grossly, granular lesions with caseation and calcification were main pathological signs, and they were restricted to reproductive organs of mature whales. Chronic purulent or granulomatous orchitis was observed by microscopic analysis. Antibodies to Brucella species were detected in the serum samples of 15/40 (38%) of common minke whales and 4/43 (9%) of Bryde's whales. Neither pathological nor serological change was found in the examined sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) in the western North Pacific and Antarctic minke whales (Balaenoptera bonaerensis). These results strongly suggest that Brucella infection was involved in two species of baleen whales (Mysticeti) in the North Pacific.
authors.affiliation: Otsuchi Marine Research Center, Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, 2-106-1, Akahama, Iwate 028-1102, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazue
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ohishi
authors.forename: Ryoko
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zenitani
authors.forename: Takeharu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bando
authors.forename: Yoshitaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Goto
authors.forename: Kazuyuki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Uchida
authors.forename: Tadashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Maruyama
authors.forename: Saburo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Nobuyuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Miyazaki
authors.forename: Yoshihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fujise
mesh_terms: D000372:Agglutination Tests / Q000662:veterinary; D000818:Animals; D000864:Antarctic Regions / Q000453:epidemiology; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D002002:Brucella / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002006:Brucellosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D006651:Histocytochemistry / Q000662:veterinary; D008297:Male; D010140:Pacific Ocean; D012741:Sexual Maturation / Q000502:physiology; D013737:Testis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D014599:Uterus / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D014907:Whales / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial