Bacteriological and histopathological findings in cetaceans that stranded in the Philippines from 2017 to 2018

AbstractThe relatively high frequency of marine mammal stranding events in the Philippines provide many research opportunities. A select set of stranders (n=21) from 2017 to 2018 were sampled for bacteriology and histopathology. Pertinent tissues and bacteria were collected from eight species (i.e. Feresa attenuata, Kogia breviceps, Globicephala macrorhynchus, Grampus griseus, Lagenodelphis hosei, Peponocephala electra, Stenella attenuata and Stenella longirostris) and were subjected to histopathological examination and antibiotic resistance screening, respectively. Lesions that were observed in tissues of 19 cetaceans include congestion, hemorrhage, edema, hemosiderosis, glomerulopathy, Zenker’s necrosis, atrophy, atelectasis, and parasitic cysts. These lesions may be associated with factors possibly contributing to the death, debility, and stress of the animals during their strandings. On the other hand, the resistance profiles of 24 bacteria (belonging to genera Escherichia, Enterobacter, Klebsiella, Proteus, and Shigella) that were isolated from four cetaceans were determined using 18 antibiotics. All 24 isolates were resistant to at least one antibiotic class, and 79.17% were classified as multiple antibiotic resistant (MAR). The MAR index values of isolates ranged from 0.06 to 0.39 with all the isolates resistant to erythromycin (100%; n=24) and susceptible to imipenem, doripenem, ciprofloxacin, chloramphenicol, and gentamicin (100%; n=24). The resistance profiles of these bacteria can be used as basis for selecting antibiotics needed in the medical management of stranded cetaceans that need to be rehabilitated. Overall, the histopathological and bacteriological findings of the study demonstrate the challenges faced by cetacean species in the wild, such as but not limited to, biological pollution through land-sea movement of effluents, fisheries interactions, and anthropogenic activities.

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Bacteriological and histopathological findings in cetaceans that stranded in the Philippines from 2017 to 2018

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0243691 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (11) ◽

pp. e0243691

Author(s):

Marie Christine M. Obusan ◽

Jamaica Ann A. Caras ◽

Lara Sabrina L. Lumang ◽

Erika Joyce S. Calderon ◽

Ren Mark D. Villanueva ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Antibiotic Resistance ◽

Histopathological Examination ◽

Anthropogenic Activities ◽

Disease Diagnosis ◽

The Philippines ◽

Cetacean Species ◽

Histopathological Findings ◽

In The Wild ◽

Stenella Attenuata ◽

Lagenodelphis Hosei

The relatively high frequency of marine mammal stranding events in the Philippines provide many research opportunities. A select set of stranders (n = 21) from 2017 to 2018 were sampled for bacteriology and histopathology. Pertinent tissues and bacteria were collected from individuals representing eight cetacean species (i.e. Feresa attenuata, Kogia breviceps, Globicephala macrorhynchus, Grampus griseus, Lagenodelphis hosei, Peponocephala electra, Stenella attenuata and Stenella longirostris) and were subjected to histopathological examination and antibiotic resistance screening, respectively. The antibiotic resistance profiles of 24 bacteria (belonging to genera Escherichia, Enterobacter, Klebsiella, Proteus, and Shigella) that were isolated from four cetaceans were determined using 18 antibiotics. All 24 isolates were resistant to at least one antibiotic class, and 79.17% were classified as multiple antibiotic resistant (MAR). The MAR index values of isolates ranged from 0.06 to 0.39 with all the isolates resistant to erythromycin (100%; n = 24) and susceptible to imipenem, doripenem, ciprofloxacin, chloramphenicol, and gentamicin (100%; n = 24). The resistance profiles of these bacteria show the extent of antimicrobial resistance in the marine environment, and may inform medical management decisions during rehabilitation of stranded cetaceans. Due to inadequate gross descriptions and limited data gathered by the responders during the stranding events, the significance of histopathological lesions in association with disease diagnosis in each cetacean stranding or mortality remained inconclusive; however, these histopathological findings may be indicative or contributory to the resulting debility and stress during their strandings. The findings of the study demonstrate the challenges faced by cetacean species in the wild, such as but not limited to, biological pollution through land-sea movement of effluents, fisheries interactions, and anthropogenic activities.

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Modeling cetacean habitat use in an urban coastal area in southeastern Brazil

Marine Ecology Progress Series ◽

10.3354/meps13313 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 642 ◽

pp. 227-240

Author(s):

L Lodi ◽

R Tardin ◽

G Maricato

Keyword(s):

Habitat Use ◽

Protected Areas ◽

Linear Models ◽

Anthropogenic Activities ◽

Buffer Zone ◽

Humpback Whales ◽

Southeastern Brazil ◽

Major Influence ◽

Cetacean Species ◽

Few Data

Most studies of cetacean habitat use do not consider the influence of anthropogenic activities. We investigated the influence of environmental and anthropogenic variables on habitat use by humpback Megaptera novaeangliae and Bryde’s whales Balaenoptera brydei off the coast of the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro. Although there are 2 marine protected areas (MPAs) in this area, few data are available on cetacean habitat use or on the overlap of different cetacean species within these MPAs. Our aim was to evaluate the effectiveness of the MPAs and propose a buffer zone to better protect the biodiversity of the study area. We conducted systematic surveys and developed spatial eigenvector generalized linear models to characterize habitat use by the species in the study area. Habitat use by humpback whales was influenced only by depth, whereas for Bryde’s whales there was the additional influence of anthropogenic variables. For Bryde’s whales, which use the area for feeding, sea surface temperature and the distance to anchorages had a major influence on habitat use. We also showed that neither of the MPAs in the study area adequately protects the hotspots of either whale species. Most of the humpback whale grid cells with high sighting predictions were located within 2 km of the MPAs, while areas of high sighting prediction of Bryde’s whales were located up to 5 km from the MPAs, closer to beaches. Our findings provide important insights for the delimitation of protected areas and zoning of the MPAs.

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Testudines as Sentinels for Monitoring the Dissemination of Antibiotic Resistance in Marine Environments: An Integrative Review

Antibiotics ◽

10.3390/antibiotics10070775 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (7) ◽

pp. 775

Author(s):

Kezia Drane ◽

Roger Huerlimann ◽

Michelle Power ◽

Anna Whelan ◽

Ellen Ariel ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Antibiotic Resistance ◽

Anthropogenic Activities ◽

Sea Turtles ◽

Multidrug Resistant ◽

Resistant Bacteria ◽

Marine Environments ◽

Beta Lactam ◽

Antibiotic Resistant ◽

Sensitivity Tests ◽

Standard Culture

Dissemination of antibiotic resistance (AR) in marine environments is a global concern with a propensity to affect public health and many ecosystems worldwide. We evaluated the use of sea turtles as sentinel species for monitoring AR in marine environments. In this field, antibiotic-resistant bacteria have been commonly identified by using standard culture and sensitivity tests, leading to an overrepresentation of specific, culturable bacterial classes in the available literature. AR was detected against all major antibiotic classes, but the highest cumulative global frequency of resistance in all represented geographical sites was against the beta-lactam class by a two-fold difference compared to all other antibiotics. Wastewater facilities and turtle rehabilitation centres were associated with higher incidences of multidrug-resistant bacteria (MDRB) accounting for an average of 58% and 49% of resistant isolates, respectively. Furthermore, a relatively similar prevalence of MDRB was seen in all studied locations. These data suggest that anthropogenically driven selection pressures for the development of AR in sea turtles and marine environments are relatively similar worldwide. There is a need, however, to establish direct demonstrable associations between AR in sea turtles in their respective marine environments with wastewater facilities and other anthropogenic activities worldwide.

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How Blue Carbon Ecosystems Are Perceived by Local Communities in the Coral Triangle: Comparative and Empirical Examinations in the Philippines and Indonesia

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13010127 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

pp. 127

Author(s):

Jay Mar D. Quevedo ◽

Yuta Uchiyama ◽

Kevin Muhamad Lukman ◽

Ryo Kohsaka

Keyword(s):

Global Climate ◽

Anthropogenic Activities ◽

Local Level ◽

Management Strategies ◽

The Philippines ◽

Local Communities ◽

Blue Carbon ◽

Utilization Rate ◽

Coral Triangle ◽

Factors Affecting

Blue carbon ecosystem (BCE) initiatives in the Coral Triangle Region (CTR) are increasing due to their amplified recognition in mitigating global climate change. Although transdisciplinary approaches in the “blue carbon” discourse and collaborative actions are gaining momentum in the international and national arenas, more work is still needed at the local level. The study pursues how BCE initiatives permeate through the local communities in the Philippines and Indonesia, as part of CTR. Using perception surveys, the coastal residents from Busuanga, Philippines, and Karimunjawa, Indonesia were interviewed on their awareness, utilization, perceived threats, and management strategies for BCEs. Potential factors affecting residents’ perceptions were explored using multivariate regression and correlation analyses. Also, a comparative analysis was done to determine distinctions and commonalities in perceptions as influenced by site-specific scenarios. Results show that, despite respondents presenting relatively high awareness of BCE services, levels of utilization are low with 42.9–92.9% and 23.4–85.1% respondents in Busuanga and Karimunjawa, respectively, not directly utilizing BCE resources. Regression analysis showed that respondents’ occupation significantly influenced their utilization rate and observed opposite correlations in Busuanga (positive) and Karimunjawa (negative). Perceived threats are found to be driven by personal experiences—occurrence of natural disasters in Busuanga whereas discerned anthropogenic activities (i.e., land-use conversion) in Karimunjawa. Meanwhile, recognized management strategies are influenced by the strong presence of relevant agencies like non-government and people’s organizations in Busuanga and the local government in Karimunjawa. These results can be translated as useful metrics in contextualizing and/or enhancing BCE management plans specifically in strategizing advocacy campaigns and engagement of local stakeholders across the CTR.

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Food partitioning among three sympatric odontocetes (Grampus griseus, Lagenodelphis hosei, and Stenella attenuata)

Marine Mammal Science ◽

10.1111/j.1748-7692.2011.00501.x ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 28 (2) ◽

pp. E143-E157 ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

Ming-Chih Wang ◽

Kwang-Tsao Shao ◽

Shiang-Lin Huang ◽

Lien-Siang Chou

Keyword(s):

Grampus Griseus ◽

Stenella Attenuata ◽

Food Partitioning ◽

Lagenodelphis Hosei

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MULTIPLE ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE INDEXING OF NON- FERMENTING GRAM NEGATIVE BACILLI

Asian Journal of Pharmaceutical and Clinical Research ◽

10.22159/ajpcr.2017.v10i6.17717 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 10 (6) ◽

pp. 78

Author(s):

Bhuvaneshwari Gunasekar

Keyword(s):

Antibiotic Resistance ◽

Tertiary Care ◽

Multidrug Resistant ◽

Diffusion Method ◽

Care Hospital ◽

Multiple Antibiotic Resistance ◽

Antibiotic Resistant ◽

Gram Negative ◽

Mar Index ◽

Surgery Department

Objective: The multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) indexing and finding Multidrug resistant (MDR) bacteria will help to indicate the origin from high risk of contamination where the antibiotics are often used. Hence this study was carried out to give the MAR index of non-fermenting Gram negative bacilli in a tertiary care hospital which would help our infection control team also.Methods: Drug resistance was tested by Kirby bauer’s disc diffusion method. MAR index was calculated using the formula, a/b (were a= number of antibiotics to which the organism was resistant and b= total number of antibiotics to which the organism was tested).Results: Out of 240 Gram negative non-fermenters isolated, 117 (49%) strains were greater than 0.2 of MAR index, 95(81%) was from in-patient department. 73(62%) were hospitalized for more than 3 days, 44 (38%) was from surgery department. 49(42%) was wound specimen. Out of 117 multiple antibiotic resistant isolates 99 (85%) were MDR isolates.Conclusion: 51% prevalence of isolates >0.2 MAR index shows that the source of contamination can still be brought up down by proper surveillance and management with proper usage of surface and skin disinfectants especially in surgery ward where the MAR index has indicated more usage of antibiotics

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Investigation of the Prevalence, Virulence Genes, and Antibiogram of Motile Aeromonads Isolated from Nile Tilapia Fish Farms in Egypt and Assessment of their Water Quality

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani10081432 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (8) ◽

pp. 1432

Author(s):

Fatma A. El-Gohary ◽

Eman Zahran ◽

Eman A. Abd El-Gawad ◽

Adel H. El-Gohary ◽

Fatma M. Abdelhamid ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Water Quality ◽

Water Samples ◽

Nile Tilapia ◽

Bacterial Infections ◽

Virulence Genes ◽

Virulence Gene ◽

Fish Farms ◽

Antibiotic Resistant ◽

Bacterial Diseases ◽

Mar Index

The aquaculture industry is a fast-growing sector in Egypt; however, the progress of this industry is impeded by many challenges such as poor water quality and associated bacterial infections. Among others, Motile Aeromonas Septicemia (MAS), caused by aeromonads, is among the most important bacterial diseases affecting aquaculture due to its zoonotic potential. In the present work, motile aeromonads were isolated from water samples (n= 8) and Nile tilapia (n= 240) in four fish farms (farms I, II, III, and IV) in Kafr El-Sheikh province during the period March to August 2017. This step was followed by investigation of the prevalence and phenotypic, molecular, and histopathological characterization of aeromonads. In addition, antimicrobial susceptibility and virulence gene detection were analyzed. Interestingly, physicochemical water analysis revealed different ranges in relation to the fish farms and seasons. More importantly, Aeromonas isolates were phenotypically identified in 33.3% and 12.5% from fish and water samples, respectively. The highest prevalence of motile aeromonads (46.7%) was recorded from farm IV, and only 12.5% of water samples were positive for them. Out of 80 isolates, 65 (81.25%) were molecularly identified at the genus level using gyrase B (gyrB). The prevalence of the virulence genes detected in the isolated motile aeromonads was aerolysin (aer), 52.2%; elastase (ahp), 26.25%; hemolysin (hyl), 35%; and lipase (lip), 3.75%. The antibiogram profile revealed that the highest resistance of aeromonads isolates (80%) was recorded to chloramphenicol, kanamycin, and azithromycin. Meanwhile, lower resistance levels of 40%, 30%, and 20% were found for streptomycin, cefotaxime, and amoxicillin, respectively. The multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) index values ranged between 0.27 and 0.82 of motile aeromonads isolates. Furthermore, the histopathological examinations of naturally diseased tilapia revealed widespread hepatocellular necrosis with diffuse, numerous rod-shaped bacteria in liver with melanomacrophages and lymphocytic depletion with edema and hemosiderosis in the spleen. Our findings provide an updated epidemiological baseline for future reference and highlight the likely role of the adverse impact of water quality in the outbreaks of motile aeromonads with special reference to virulence genes and antibiotic resistant traits.

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A rain-forest raptor in danger

Oryx ◽

10.1017/s0030605300020032 ◽

1986 ◽

Vol 20 (3) ◽

pp. 170-175 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Richard E. Lewis

Keyword(s):

Endemic Species ◽

Rain Forest ◽

Land Development ◽

The Philippines ◽

Rain Forests ◽

Forest Habitat ◽

Conservation Movement ◽

The World ◽

In The Wild

Living in the rain forests of the Philippines is one of the largest and rarest eagles in the world, the Philippine eagle Pithecophaga jefferyi.This magnificent bird is in danger of extinction due to the pressures of land development and human persecution. The author spent three0 years, from 1982 to 1985, helping to study the eagle, both in the wild and captivity, as part of a team dedicated to its conservation. The eagle has become the symbol of the conservation movement in the Philippines, and linked with its survival are a host of endemic species that share the same forest habitat.

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Interspecific cetacean interactions during the breeding season of humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) on the north coast of Bahia State, Brazil

Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom ◽

10.1017/s0025315409000897 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 89 (5) ◽

pp. 961-966 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Marcos R. Rossi-Santos ◽

Elitieri Santos-Neto ◽

Clarêncio G. Baracho

Keyword(s):

Breeding Season ◽

Megaptera Novaeangliae ◽

Humpback Whales ◽

North Coast ◽

Balaenoptera Acutorostrata ◽

Cetacean Species ◽

The North ◽

Eastern Brazil ◽

North Eastern ◽

Stenella Attenuata

The large majority of cetacean interspecific studies report only on dolphin interactions, while studies on interactions between odontocete and mysticete are less common. The present work aims to report on sightings of cetacean interactions, during the breeding season of humpback whales(Megaptera novaeangliae), along 370 km of the Bahia State, north-eastern Brazil, addressing aspects of cetacean distribution and behaviour. During 7 seasons (2000–2006), a total of 230 research cruises were performed, in which 38 events of interactions among humpback whales and other cetaceans(Tursiops truncatus, Steno bredanensis, Peponocephala electraandBalaenoptera acutorostrata)were observed, plus another 5 encounters without the whale's presence, includingT. truncatus, S. bredanensis, P. electra, Stenella clymeneandStenella attenuata. Our results confirm the occurrence of multiple cetacean species in the Bahia State, being the first study in the world to report on a large range of interactions involving another 4 cetacean species, grouped with up to 3 mixed species per sighting, with humpback whales in their annual breeding ground.

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School is out on noisy reefs: the effect of boat noise on predator learning and survival of juvenile coral reef fishes

Proceedings of The Royal Society B Biological Sciences ◽

10.1098/rspb.2018.0033 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 285 (1871) ◽

pp. 20180033 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Maud C. O. Ferrari ◽

Mark I. McCormick ◽

Mark G. Meekan ◽

Stephen D. Simpson ◽

Sophie L. Nedelec ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Anthropogenic Activities ◽

Reef Fishes ◽

Juvenile Coral ◽

Fish Cognition ◽

In The Wild ◽

Latent Effects ◽

Predator Learning ◽

The Moment ◽

The Individual ◽

Predator Training

Noise produced by anthropogenic activities is increasing in many marine ecosystems. We investigated the effect of playback of boat noise on fish cognition. We focused on noise from small motorboats, since its occurrence can dominate soundscapes in coastal communities, the number of noise-producing vessels is increasing rapidly and their proximity to marine life has the potential to cause deleterious effects. Cognition—or the ability of individuals to learn and remember information—is crucial, given that most species rely on learning to achieve fitness-promoting tasks, such as finding food, choosing mates and recognizing predators. The caveat with cognition is its latent effect: the individual that fails to learn an important piece of information will live normally until the moment where it needs the information to make a fitness-related decision. Such latent effects can easily be overlooked by traditional risk assessment methods. Here, we conducted three experiments to assess the effect of boat noise playbacks on the ability of fish to learn to recognize predation threats, using a common, conserved learning paradigm. We found that fish that were trained to recognize a novel predator while being exposed to ‘reef + boat noise’ playbacks failed to subsequently respond to the predator, while their ‘reef noise’ counterparts responded appropriately. We repeated the training, giving the fish three opportunities to learn three common reef predators, and released the fish in the wild. Those trained in the presence of ‘reef + boat noise’ playbacks survived 40% less than the ‘reef noise’ controls over our 72 h monitoring period, a performance equal to that of predator-naive fish. Our last experiment indicated that these results were likely due to failed learning, as opposed to stress effects from the sound exposure. Neither playbacks nor real boat noise affected survival in the absence of predator training. Our results indicate that boat noise has the potential to cause latent effects on learning long after the stressor has gone.

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