Causes of mortality in northern elephant seal pups on San Miguel Island, California

• Published in: Journal of veterinary diagnostic investigation 2020-03, Vol.32 (2), p.312-316
• Main Authors: Spraker, Terry R., Kuzmina, Tetiana A., DeLong, Robert L.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Bacterial Infections - mortality; Bacterial Infections - veterinary; Brief Communications; California - epidemiology; Female; Humans; Male; Muscular Diseases - mortality; Muscular Diseases - veterinary; Seals, Earless - injuries; Starvation - mortality; Starvation - veterinary
• ISSN: 1040-6387; 1943-4936
• DOI: 10.1177/1040638720907100

In February 2015, we conducted a field study of causes of mortality of northern elephant seal (Mirounga angustirostris) pups on San Miguel Island, California. Autopsies were performed on 18 freshly dead pups. Ages of pups ranged from stillborn to 6–8 wk. Gross and histologic lesions included trauma (9 of 18 pups), multifocal necrotizing myopathy (8 of 18), starvation with emaciation (7 of 18), congenital anomalies (3 of 18), bacterial infections (3 of 18), and perinatal mortality (stillbirths and neonates; 2 of 18). Trauma and emaciation or starvation were the most significant contributors to death. Bacterial infections included hemolytic Escherichia coli isolated from the lungs of 2 pups with pneumonia. Additionally, non-hemolytic Streptococcus sp. and hemolytic E. coli were isolated from the liver of an emaciated pup that had mild multifocal suppurative hepatitis. Other lesions, including a previously described necrotizing myopathy, congenital anomalies, and bacterial infections, were detected concurrently in cases with starvation and/or emaciation or trauma.