Abstract

Diagnosis of fungal diseases in marine mammals has been well documented.^1-6 Two facilities in the Florida panhandle have had several cases of lethal fungal infections over the past 20 years. This is a retrospective study which was performed on 21 cases of fungal infections from the order Mucorales. These infections spread quickly and appear to have an affinity for the CNS tissue. Gender, age, animal species, time of year, clinical presentation, health of the animal prior to illness, environment, and location of fungal lesions were all evaluated.

Further evaluation of the rates of incidence of Apophysomyces elegans was conducted. Monthly and annual populations of dolphins in human care were constructed in order to refine the incidence estimates and control for the evolution and gender composition of the population over time. This analysis indicated a mean annual incidence rate of 5.88%, with a 95% confidence interval of 5.18–6.58%. Furthermore, analysis of the gender sub-populations revealed a statistically significant difference (P < 0.01) between incidence rates for male and female dolphins. Specifically, female dolphins were approximately 40% more at risk of infection versus their male counterparts. For female specimens, an annual incidence rate of 6.59% (95% CI: 5.60–7.59%) was established versus an annual incidence rate of 4.70% (95% CI: 3.75–5.67%) for males.

References

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