William G. Gilmartin

Pathological findings in the Hawaiian monk seal.

Postmortem examinations were performed on 45 Hawaiian monk seals (Monachus schauinslandi) collected during field research on the beaches of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (USA) from 1981 to 1985. Both males and females of all age groups, perinatal through adult, were examined. Frequent findings included parasites, trauma, cardiovascular disease (congenital and acquired), and respiratory infections. Emaciation was a common condition. All animals except neonates were infected with parasites; infection was severe in several cases. Splenic hematopoiesis was a universal histopathologic finding. Some cases exhibited lesions consistent with renal, gastrointestinal, and toxic disorders; ectopic tissue calcification; gallstones; and ophthalmologic and dental problems.

Salmonellae in feral pinnipeds off the Southern California coast.

Rectal swabs were collected from 90 Northern fur seal (Callorhinus ursinus) and 50 California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) pups on San Miguel Island for Salmonella screening. Three serotypes (newport, heidelberg, and oranienburg) were recovered from 33% of the fur seals and 40% of the sea lions.

DETECTION OF A NON-CULTIVATABLE CALICIVIRUS FROM THE WHITE TERN (GYGIS ALBA ROTHSCHILDI)

In April 1992, on Tern Island, French Frigate Shoals, Hawaii (USA), researchers observed a hand-reared white tern hatchling (Gygis alba rothschildi) develop vesicular lesions on the webbing between its toes, 6 days after falling out of its nest. Vesicular fluid collected from the foot lesions contained virus-like particles having typical calicivirus morphology. Calicivirus RNA was detected in the vesicular fluid by dot hybridization with a group-specific calicivirus copy DNA probe. Attempts to cultivate the virus in African green monkey kidney cells and porcine kidney cells were unsuccessful. This is the first report of a calicivirus infection associated with vesicular disease in a wild avian species.

HEMATOLOGY AND SERUM CHEMISTRY OF THE YOUNG HAWAIIAN MONK SEAL (MONACHUS SCHAUINSLANDI)

Between January 1984 and May 1987, blood samples were collected from 12 young (3- to 6-mo-old) Hawaiian monk seals (Monachus schauinslandi) that were captured in the wild and held in captivity. All samples evaluated were from clinically normal animals. Average hematologic and serum chemistry values were not remarkable for a young diving mammal. The blood and serum analyses performed established reference ranges, which can be used as indicators of health status for this endangered species.

BATH TREATMENT OF CHANNEL CATFISH WITH THREE BROAD-SPECTRUM ANTIBIOTICS

Serum drug levels were measured in channel catfish following bath exposure to kanamycin, gentamicin and chloramphenicol. Kanamycin was absorbed at a rate sufficient to attain therapeutic blood levels in several treatment schedules. Therapeutic blood concentrations could not be attained with gentamicin or chloramphenicol following 24 hrs exposure at 80 and 100 μg/ml water concentrations, respectively.