Abstract
Marine mammals drive curiosity in people due to their fully aquatic lifestyle and beauty, which increases demands for better welfare and medicine for those in managed care. Managed care provides researchers a chance to study cetaceans in a controlled setting, thus enhancing our knowledge and ability to better manage and protect their wild counterparts. Marine mammals experience several health issues in both the wild and in captivity, but animals under direct human care can partake in preventative medicine. Preventative medicine is achieved through successful husbandry training, which results in the animals voluntarily participating in their own health care, including blood draws. Diagnostics can be performed once a sample is collected, and cultures and susceptibilities aid in identifying and treating underlying infections. Identification of bacteria or fungi and their sensitivities to medications can be achieved through these tests which allows veterinarians to treat captive cetaceans efficiently and effectively. Antibiograms can be developed to aid in making rapid treatment decisions if an animal becomes clinical. The purpose of this study was to create antibiograms for cetaceans at a marine mammal managed care facility by gathering culture and susceptibility results from at least one calendar year. An antibiogram was created for each animal by recording which medications different strains of bacteria were sensitive to and extrapolated further to include data for each of the five enclosures. 16non- coliform, 11-coliform bacteria, and 9 fungal species were cultured across all study subjects and 19 antibiotics were tested for efficacy. E. coli was cultured the most often, with Aeromonas hydrophila and Vibrio alginolyticus cultured the second and third most frequently, respectively. Amikacin had the highest mean percent efficacy, while erythromycin had the lowest mean
percent efficacy. Of the fungi, Candida species were cultured most commonly. All microorganisms are ubiquitous in the marine environment and are part of the natural microbial flora of animals. They have the potential to become pathogenic under certain conditions (e.g., decreased immunocompetence). The goal of this project was to develop a practical tool for the attending veterinarian(s) to utilize in the assessment of pathogens present in the animals’ environment, as well as the efficacy of various antibiotic treatments. As such, the antibiograms will aid in the ethical and effective treatment of various health issues, thus contributing to the improved care and welfare of the cetaceans in their care.