| Autor: |
Lum AM; Mystic Aquarium, Mystic, CT 06355, USA., Tuttle AD; Mystic Aquarium, Mystic, CT 06355, USA, atuttle@mysticaquarium.org., Martony ME; Mystic Aquarium, Mystic, CT 06355, USA., Anderson ET; Mystic Aquarium, Mystic, CT 06355, USA., Anderson CE; Mystic Aquarium, Mystic, CT 06355, USA., Haulena M; Vancouver Aquarium, Vancouver, BC V6G 3E2, Canada., Goertz CEC; Alaska SeaLife Center, Seward, AK 99664, USA., Raverty SA; Animal Health Centre, Abbotsford, BC V3G 2M3, Canada., Burek-Huntington KA; Alaska Veterinary Pathology Services, Eagle River, AK 99577, USA., Thompson LA; Mystic Aquarium, Mystic, CT 06355, USA., Dunn JL; Mystic Aquarium, Mystic, CT 06355, USA. |
| Abstrakt: |
To date, published comprehensive pathology investigations documented in Steller sea lions (SSL; Eumetopias jubatus ) are from free-ranging populations, whereas health data from those under professional care in aquariums are currently lacking. A retrospective review of gross and histopathologic reports of SSL under human care in North American aquariums from 1979 to 2021 ( n = 20) was performed. Associations between age, sex, or birth origin (born in aquariums versus the wild) with cause of death (COD) and comorbidities were explored. Age was significantly associated with development of endocrine organ pathology ( P = 0.011). A relationship between age and both cardiovascular and ocular disease was suggested by the data, but did not reach significance ( P = 0.058). Ocular disease was significantly associated with being born in aquariums ( P = 0.022). The most common COD was neoplasia ( n = 10), which was significantly associated with aged animals ( P = 0.038). Less frequent COD included sepsis (confirmed, n = 2; suspected, n = 3), cardiomyopathy ( n = 1), clostridial enteritis ( n = 1), Sarcocystis spp. ( n = 1), complication secondary to sedation ( n = 1), and unknown ( n = 1). This is the first report documenting the high prevalence of neoplasia in SSL, with tumors found incidentally in three individuals, frequent metastasis (10/13, 77%), and many cases of multiple primary malignancies (6/13, 46%). These data expand upon the current understanding of disease in SSL, highlight this species' predisposition to neoplasia with increasing longevity, and underscore the need for heightened screening in aged animals, which may ultimately serve to elevate the care of SSL under professional care in aquariums. |
