Abstract

An immature female pilot whale stranded in Rye, New Hampshire, was transported to the New England Aquarium. The animal was alert, responsive, but unable to right itself in the water. A 30-hour attempt at treatment failed.

At necropsy, the whale had left-sided pneumothorax associated with a large dissecting periaortic abscess in the thorax, acute focal bronchopneumonia, and holo-trich ciliated protozoans associated with mucus hypersecretion in the larynx. There were also focal sclerotic lesions in the mesenteric and inguinal lymph nodes, focal necrotizing enteritis suggesting a viral etiology, and multifocal areas of mild necrosis, and chronic inflammation of the membranes in the cranial sinuses, associated with large numbers of nematodes, Stenurus globicephaiae. There was also acute ischemic necrosis along the hypaxial muscles, suggestive of terminal vascular collapse (shock).

Notes

The holo-trich ciliated protozoans found in the larynx were not present in the lung itself. The focal sclerotic lesions in the lymph nodes were made up of calcified onion-like connective tissue. In the middle ear there was hyperplasia of the epidermis and signs of chronic inflammation. There were large nearly occluded arteries in this region.