Case Report: Ambergris coprolite and septicemia in a male sperm whale stranded in La Palma (Canary Islands)

Antonio Fernández; Cristian Suárez-Santana; Paula Alonso-Almorox; Francesco Achille Consoli; Zuleima Suárez González; Ignacio Molpeceres-Diego; Claudia Iglesias González; Marta Lorente Hernández; Amaranta Hugo Pérez; José Luis Martín-Barrasa; Laura Iglesias Llorente; Félix M Medina; Raiden Grandía Guzmán; Diego Llinás Rueda; Manuel Arbelo; Eva Sierra

doi:10.3389/fvets.2024.1388276

Case Report: Ambergris coprolite and septicemia in a male sperm whale stranded in La Palma (Canary Islands)

Front Vet Sci. 2024 Apr 8:11:1388276. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2024.1388276. eCollection 2024.

Authors

Antonio Fernández^{1

2}, Cristian Suárez-Santana^{1

2}, Paula Alonso-Almorox^{1

2}, Francesco Achille Consoli^{1

2}, Zuleima Suárez González^{1

2}, Ignacio Molpeceres-Diego^{1

2}, Claudia Iglesias González^{1

2}, Marta Lorente Hernández², Amaranta Hugo Pérez², José Luis Martín-Barrasa^{3

4}, Laura Iglesias Llorente⁵, Félix M Medina⁶, Raiden Grandía Guzmán^{1

2}, Diego Llinás Rueda^{1

2}, Manuel Arbelo^{1

2}, Eva Sierra^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Veterinary Histology and Pathology, Institute of Animal Health and Food Safety (IUSA), Atlantic Center for Cetacean Research, Marine Mammals Health WOAH col Centre, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Veterinary School, Las Palmas, Spain.
² Canary Islands Stranding Network, Canary Islands Government, Canary Islands, Spain.
³ Group of Fish Health and Infectious Diseases, University Institute of Animal Health, and Food Safety (IUSA), University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Veterinary School, Las Palmas, Spain.
⁴ Country Animal Facility, Research Unit, Hospital Universitario de Gran Canaria Dr. Negrín, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain.
⁵ Microbiology Department, Hospital Universitario de Gran Canaria Dr. Negrín, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain.
⁶ Biodiversity Unit, Cabildo de la Isla de La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain.

Abstract

On the 21st of May 2023, a dead adult male sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) of 13 m in length and estimated weight of around 18,000 kg was reportedly stranded at Playa Los Nogales, La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain. A necropsy was performed 48hpm. A 50 cm diameter and 9.5 kg coprolite was found obstructing the caudal colon-rectal lumen. Necro-hemorrhagic lesions were found in heart muscles and three different bacteria of intestinal origin were isolated and identified (Edwarsiella tarda, Hathewaya limosa and Clostridium perfringens). It is reported a lethal septicemia of intestinal origin associated with ambergris coprolite as cause of death in this sperm whale.

Keywords: Ambergris; pathology; septicemia; sperm whale; stranding.

Copyright © 2024 Fernández, Suárez-Santana, Alonso-Almorox, Consoli, Suárez González, Molpeceres-Diego, Iglesias González, Hernández, Pérez, Martín-Barrasa, Llorente, Medina, Guzmán, Rueda, Arbelo and Sierra.

Publication types

Case Reports

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare that no financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.