title: Septicaemia caused by Edwardsiella tarda and Plesiomonas shigelloides in captive penguin chicks.
abstract: Three cases of fatal septicaemia due to Plesiomonas shigelloides and one due to Edwardsiella tarda were diagnosed in newborn penguins from the Basle Zoo, Switzerland from 2003 to 2007. The affected penguins were of two different species (king penguin, Aptenodytes patagonicus, and African penguin, Spheniscus demersus) and between 2 and 10 days old at the time of death. The causative agents, E. tarda and P. shigelloides are ubiquitous bacteria which are reported to be present in the normal intestinal flora of wild and captive aquatic animals, including penguins. Their occurrence and infectious potential is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Fish and Wildlife Health, Institute of Animal Pathology, University of Bern.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nimmervoll
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wenker
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Robert
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Albini
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000836:Animals, Zoo; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000382:microbiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000662:veterinary*; D001715:Bird Diseases / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000401:mortality; D002423:Cause of Death; D020609:Edwardsiella tarda / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004756:Enterobacteriaceae Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000662:veterinary*; D016981:Plesiomonas / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D046429:Spheniscidae; D015996:Survival Rate