Detection of Brucella ceti and Brucella-Associated Disease in Stranded Cetaceans in Hawaii, USA, 2000-24. Silva-Krott, I., D. Rotstein, C. Humann, C. Clifton, J. Odani, N. Davis, and K.L. West. Journal of Wildlife Diseases. 2025. 61(2):522–529
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Date Published:
  • April 1, 2025

Numerous marine mammal populations worldwide are declining because of increased anthropogenic and natural threats, including infectious disease. Brucella ceti, morbillivirus, and herpesvirus have been detected from stranded cetaceans and been recognized as pathogens that may result in considerable cetacean morbidity and mortality. Beaked whale circovirus has been reported in multiple cetacean species in Hawaii, USA, and the western Pacific Ocean, but the pathologic relevance in these species remains uncertain. We screened for the presence of Brucella in 66 cetaceans of 17 species that stranded in Hawaii 2000-24 by targeting the insertion sequence 711 partial sequence using PCR.

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