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1 October 2008 BARTONELLA HENSELAE IN CAPTIVE AND HUNTER-HARVESTED BELUGA (DELPHINAPTERUS LEUCAS)
Ricardo G. Maggi, Stephen A. Raverty, Sally J. Lester, David G. Huff, Martin Haulena, Susan L. Ford, Ole Nielsen, John H. Robinson, Edward B. Breitschwerdt
Author Affiliations +
Abstract

Previously, we reported the isolation of Bartonella henselae from the blood of harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) and loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) from the North Carolina coast. Hematologic, pathologic, and microbiologic findings surrounding the death of a juvenile captive beluga in Vancouver initiated an outbreak investigation designed to define the molecular prevalence of Bartonella infection in belugas. Using polymerase chain reaction analyses targeting the intergenic spacer region (ITS), two B. henselae ITS strains were identified in 78% of captive and free-ranging hunter-harvested belugas. These findings may have public health implications and may influence aquarium management procedures for captive marine mammals.

Maggi, Raverty, Lester, Huff, Haulena, Ford, Nielsen, Robinson, and Breitschwerdt: BARTONELLA HENSELAE IN CAPTIVE AND HUNTER-HARVESTED BELUGA (DELPHINAPTERUS LEUCAS)
Ricardo G. Maggi, Stephen A. Raverty, Sally J. Lester, David G. Huff, Martin Haulena, Susan L. Ford, Ole Nielsen, John H. Robinson, and Edward B. Breitschwerdt "BARTONELLA HENSELAE IN CAPTIVE AND HUNTER-HARVESTED BELUGA (DELPHINAPTERUS LEUCAS)," Journal of Wildlife Diseases 44(4), 871-877, (1 October 2008). https://doi.org/10.7589/0090-3558-44.4.871
Received: 16 January 2008; Published: 1 October 2008
KEYWORDS
Bartonella
beluga
captive
Delphinapterus leucas
free-ranging
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