FOUR CASES OF SEVERED PEDUNCLES IN BOTTLENOSE DOLPHINS () ALONG THE ALABAMA COAST.

Alabama (AL) is a hotspot in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) for human interaction-related cetacean strandings, including harassment, vessel strikes, and fisheries interactions. We examined four bottlenose dolphins () stranded dead along the AL coast during 2012-2017 with severed peduncles suspected to be related to human interaction (HI). Evidence from each case, including photographs, gross necropsy results, and histopathologic findings when available, was reviewed to determine the mode of severance and whether it contributed to death.

Survival of an Indian Ocean humpback dolphin Sousa plumbea in the wild despite chronic osteologic pathologies.

Skeletal examination of a female adult Indian Ocean humpback dolphin Sousa plumbea from South Africa suggested a chronic disease process. It manifested as erosions and pitting of the atlanto-occipital articulation as well as circumferential hyperostosis and ankylosis of some of the caudal vertebrae, findings rarely recorded together in the same animal. The character of the erosive process and vertebral fusion appeared chronic, and further findings of underdevelopment of the fluke, sternum and left humerus with remodeling of the periarticular region of the left scapula may support initiation of the process early in life.

Draft Genome Sequences of sp. Strains Isolated from Stranded Septic Bottlenose Dolphins in Alabama, USA.

We report the genome sequences of two isolates from fatal cases of sepsis in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). The genomes were found to be most closely related to Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae and Erysipelothrix piscisicarius. This information expands our knowledge of the genetic characteristics of this pathogen, which can affect free-ranging marine mammals.

Experimental Infection of Domestic Piglets (Sus scrofa) with Rift Valley Fever Virus.

Rift Valley fever phlebovirus (RVFV) is a mosquito-transmitted phlebovirus (Family: Phenuiviridae, Order: Bunyavirales) causing severe neonatal mortality and abortion primarily in domestic ruminants. The susceptibility of young domestic swine to RVFV and this species' role in geographic expansion and establishment of viral endemicity is unclear. Six commercially bred Landrace-cross piglets were inoculated subcutaneously with 105 plaque-forming units of RVFV ZH501 strain and two piglets received a sham inoculum.

Chronic Wasting Disease Diagnostic Discrepancies: The Importance of Testing Both Medial Retropharyngeal Lymph Nodes.

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) is a fatal neurologic disease that is spreading across North America. A common surveillance protocol for CWD currently involves screening with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) followed by confirmatory testing with immunohistochemistry (IHC). Medial retropharyngeal lymph nodes (MRPLN) are the tissue of choice to diagnose CWD in free-ranging white-tailed deer.

The effect of diet on the gastrointestinal microbiome of juvenile rehabilitating green turtles (Chelonia mydas).

Threatened and endangered green turtles (Chelonia mydas) are unique because as juveniles they recruit from pelagic to near-shore waters and shift from an omnivorous to primarily herbivorous diet (i.e. seagrass and algae).

COMPARISON OF HEMATOLOGICAL, PLASMA BIOCHEMICAL, AND NUTRITIONAL ANALYTES OF REHABILITATING AND APPARENTLY HEALTHY FREE-RANGING ATLANTIC GREEN TURTLES ().

Green turtles () are unique because hatchlings and pelagic juveniles are carnivorous, whereas later life stages become primarily herbivorous. Although this dietary shift is well understood, nutritional requirements at each developmental stage are not. Diet selection during rehabilitation is challenging, because turtles are often fed high-protein, low-fiber diets to counteract poor appetite and emaciation, which can result in gastrointestinal disorders.