Search

An intussusception resulting from an embedded fishhook and a mass of nylon cord, monofilament line, and wire was determined to be the cause of death in a Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris). Pathologic findings are given along with information on bacteria (Edwardsiella tarda), pesticide residues (DDE, PCB's and dieldrin), and parasites (Chiorchis fabaceus).

Type C botulism was determined to be the cause of an epizootic among waterfowl and shorebirds in a phosphate mine settling pond in northern Florida during May and June of 1979. Several hundred birds, the most common of which were American coots (Fulica americana), wood ducks (Aix sponsa), common gallinules (Gallinula chloropus), and northern shovelers (Anas clypeata), were afflicted over about a three-week period. A second smaller outbreak occurred in the same pond in early December of 1979. This is apparently the first time that botulism has been reported in waterbirds of Florida.

During February and March, 1974, an epizootic involving lesser scaup (Aythya affinis) occurred in the Tampa Bay area on the west coast of Florida. Several thousand ducks are estimated to have died. Concurrent with this epizootic was a red tide caused by heavy blooms of the toxic dinoflagellate Gymnodinium breve intoxication were evident in some of the lesser scaup. A controlled experimental feeding of G. breve toxic material to White Pekin ducklings produced illness and death with signs comparable to some of those seen in the scaup.

Antimicrobial resistant Salmonella spp. were found in double-crested cormorants and common loons in Florida. Single or multiple resistance occurred in all Salmonella agona isolates from cormorants, primarily to ampicillin, sulfonamids, streptomycin, neomycin, and kanamycin. Similar patterns of resistance were found in S. agona isolates from common loons. In addition, isolates of S. Saint paul from loons were found resistant to tetracycline and streptomycin, while 2 of 7 isolates of S. infantis were resistant to tetracycline only.