Gastric ulcerations in dolphins have been reported for decades. Some of these lesions were associated with parasitic infections. However, cases of nonparasitic gastric ulcers with no clearly defined etiology also have been reported in wild and captive dolphins. Considerable speculation exists as to whether dolphins have Helicobacter-associated gastritis and peptic ulcer disease. The stomachs of seven stranded Atlantic white-sided dolphins, Lagenorhynchus acutus, and 1 common dolphin, Delphinus delphis, were assessed for the presence of Helicobacter species. Novel Helicobacter species were identified by culture in the gastric mucosa of two of the eight dolphins studied and by PCR in seven of the eight dolphins. The gram-negative organisms were urease, catalase, and oxidase positive. Spiral to fusiform bacteria were detected in gastric mucosa by Warthin Starry staining. Histopathology revealed mild to moderate diffuse lymphoplasmacytic gastritis within the superficial mucosa of the main stomach. The pyloric stomach was less inflamed, and bacteria did not extend deep into the glands. The lesions parallel those observed in Helicobacter pylori-infected humans. Bacteria from two dolphins classified by 16S rRNA analysis clustered with gastric helicobacters and represent a novel Helicobacter sp. most closely related to H. pylori. These findings suggest that a novel Helicobacter sp. may play a role in the etiopathogenesis of gastritis and gastric ulcers in dolphins. To our knowledge this represents the first isolation and characterization of a novel Helicobacter sp. from a marine mammal and emphasizes the wide host distribution and pathogenic potential of this increasingly important genus.

The gastric fluid and feces of three belugas from the Mystic Aquarium were assessed for the presence of Helicobacter spp. Gastric fluid and feces from the two clinically healthy belugas were negative for helicobacter, and endoscopy performed on these animals revealed no lesions. However, a helicobacter isolate and PCR product similar to helicobacter strains previously recovered from dolphins were identified, respectively, from the feces and gastric fluid of a beluga manifesting intermittent inappetence and lethargy. Esophageal and forestomach ulcers were noted on endoscopy. This is the first report of novel Helicobacter spp. being identified from whales.Belugas are a circumpolar species with an endangered relic population living in the Saint Lawrence River Estuary (17,18,23). Three belugas (animals 1, 2, and 3) cohoused at the Mystic Aquarium were assessed for helicobacter infection. Animal 1 manifested clinical signs, including intermittent inappetence and lethargy, and esophageal and forestomach ulcers were observed at endoscopic examination. Animals 2 and 3 showed no clinical signs, nor were esophageal and forestomach ulcers diagnosed endoscopically.Rectal swabs and gastric fluid were obtained from all three belugas for culture and PCR. A sterile swab (Becton Dickinson and Company, Sparks, Md.) was inserted through the anus to a depth sufficient to coat the swab with feces. The swab was then removed and placed in vials containing 20% glycerol in brucella broth. The gastric fluid was collected by endoscopy (Olympus 210-cm Videoscope) and aliquoted in individual one-dram vials. The endoscope and its channels were rinsed sequentially in dilute chlorhexidine, 70% alcohol, and water between each sampling. A Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) accession number was assigned to each fecal and gastric fluid sample collected: samples from animal 1 were MIT 00-7128 and MIT 00-7129, those from animal 2 were MIT 00-7125 and MIT 00-7126, and those from animal 3 were MIT 00-7131 and MIT 00-7132. These sample numbers are used throughout this work.The fecal and gastric fluid samples used for microaerobic culture were placed in individual vials with 3 ml of 20% glycerol in brucella broth. The samples were placed on dry ice and then stored at Ϫ70°C prior to culture. The media used for culture were Trypticase soy agar with 5% sheep blood and TVP (trimethoprim, vancomycin, and polymyxin) and CVA (cefoperazone, vancomycin, and amphotericin B) antibioticimpregnated media (Remel Laboratories, Lenexa, Kans.). In addition, selective antibiotic medium (ABM) was prepared with blood agar base (Oxoid; Remel), 5% horse blood (Remel), amphotericin B (50 g/ml), vancomycin (100 g/ml), polymyxin B (3.3 g/ml), bacitracin (200 g/ml), and nalidixic acid (10.7 /ml) (all antibiotics from Sigma Chemical Co., St. Louis, Mo.). Approximately 0.5 g of feces was homogenized in 1 ml of brucella broth (Difco Laboratories, Detroit, Mich.) containing 5% fetal calf serum (Summit Technologies, Fort Collins, Colo.) in a glass tissue grinder. Approximate...

Respiratory disease is common in captive and wild cetaceans. Bronchoscopy may permit early diagnosis of respiratory disease in dolphins and porpoises. Refinement of cetacean bronchoscopy requires development of a nomenclature system to facilitate description of the anatomic site at which lesions occur. A standard bronchoscopic nomenclature also permits serial evaluations of lesions and enhances communication between veterinarians. In this project, we adapted the bronchoscopic nomenclature devised by Amis and McKiernan for the dog and horse to the harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena). Silastic and air-dried models of the bronchial tree of the harbor porpoise were made to illustrate the anatomy and devise the nomenclature. Bronchial anatomy was consistent among the four porpoise lungs studied. The Amis and McKiernan nomenclature was readily adaptable to the harbor porpoise lung with minor modifications and may be useful for cetacean bronchoscopy.

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