Volume 22, Number 4—April 2016
Letter
Morbillivirus and Pilot Whale Deaths, Canary Islands, Spain, 2015
Table
Characteristics for 3 short-finned pilot whales stranded along the Canary Islands, Spain, 2015*
Animal no., age/sex | Total body length, cm | Weight, kg | Date stranded | Location | Decomposition code | Main pathologic findings | IHC-positive result | PCR-positive result |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1, J/F | 202 | 119 | Jan 14 | Fuerteventura | Moderate autolysis | Dermatitis, suppurative rhinitis, paranasal sinusitis, otitis media, air sacculitis, laryngitis, laryngeal tonsillitis, BIP, hyperkeratotic gastritis, lymphoid depletion | Lung, larynx, laryngeal tonsil, lymph nodes, spleen, adrenal gland, keratinized stomach, intestine, uterus, ovary | Lung, larynx, pulmonary lymph node, laryngeal tonsil, spleen, intestine |
2, C/M | 168 | 75 | May 15 | Fuerteventura | Fresh | Dermatitis, cheilitis, suppurative laryngeal tonsillitis, BIP, encephalitis | Lung, laryngeal tonsil, lymph nodes, spleen, kidney, testis, epididymis, intestine, adrenal gland, urinary bladder, brain | Lung, pulmonary lymph node, laryngeal tonsil, intestine, brain |
3, A/M | 448 | 900 | May 20 | Tenerife | Advanced autolysis | Advanced autolysis | None | Laryngeal tonsil |
*IHC, immunohistochemical analysis; J, juvenile; BIP, bronchointerstitial pneumonia; C, calf; A, adult. Tissues that were positive for herpesvirus and morbillivirus simultaneously are indicated in bold.