title: Post-mortem findings in southern right whales Eubalaena australis at Península Valdés, Argentina, 2003-2012.
abstract: Between 2003 and 2012, 605 southern right whales (SRW; Eubalaena australis) were found dead along the shores of Península Valdés (PV), Argentina. These deaths included alarmingly high annual losses between 2007 and 2012, a peak number of deaths (116) in 2012, and a significant number of deaths across years in calves-of-the-year (544 of 605 [89.9%]; average = 60.4 yr(-1)). Post-mortem examination and pathogen testing were performed on 212 whales; 208 (98.1%) were calves-of-the-year and 48.0% of these were newborns or neonates. A known or probable cause of death was established in only a small number (6.6%) of cases. These included ship strike in a juvenile and blunt trauma or lacerations (n = 5), pneumonia (n = 4), myocarditis (n = 2), meningitis (n = 1), or myocarditis and meningitis (n = 1) in calves. Ante-mortem gull parasitism was the most common gross finding. It was associated with systemic disease in a single 1-2 mo old calf. Immunohistochemical labeling for canine distemper virus, Toxoplasma gondii and Brucella spp., and PCR for cetacean morbillivirus (CeMV), influenza A, and apicomplexan protozoa were negative on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded lung and brain samples from a subset of whales; PCR for Brucella spp. was positive in a newborn/neonate with pneumonia. Skin samples from whales with gull parasitism were PCR negative for CeMV, poxvirus, and papillomavirus. This is the first long-term study to investigate and summarize notable post-mortem findings in the PV SRW population. Consistent, significant findings within or between years to explain the majority of deaths and those in high-mortality years remain to be identified.
authors.affiliation: Wildlife Conservation Society Zoological Health Program, Bronx, New York 10464, USA.
authors.forename: Denise
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: McAloose
authors.forename: M Virginia
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Rago
authors.forename: Matías
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Di Martino
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chirife
authors.forename: Sarah H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Olson
authors.forename: Lucas
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Beltramino
authors.forename: Luciana M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Pozzi
authors.forename: Luciana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Musmeci
authors.forename: Luciano
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: La Sala
authors.forename: Nadia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mohamed
authors.forename: Juan Emilio
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Sala
authors.forename: Lucas
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bandieri
authors.forename: Julian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Andrejuk
authors.forename: Ania
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tomaszewicz
authors.forename: Tracie
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Seimon
authors.forename: Mariano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sironi
authors.forename: Luis E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Samartino
authors.forename: Victoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Rowntree
authors.forename: Marcela M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Uhart
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D001118:Argentina; D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D005333:Fetus; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology; D014118:Toxins, Biological; D014907:Whales; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*
chemical_list: D014118:Toxins, Biological