Leptospirosis bacteria found in dolphins, sea lions
Two studies by scientists from different Brazilian research centers have found for the first time the bacterium Leptospira sp. in dolphins and sea lions off the coast of the country. The microorganism is the pathogen that causes leptospirosis, a disease that has killed more than 2,800 people in Brazil in the last ten years.The scientists analyzed the DNA from the kidneys of dead marine mammals. In the study of 142 dolphins, the scientists found the bacteria in 21 individuals from five species: Stenella clymene, Sotalia guianensis, Pontoporia blainvillei, Steno bredanensis, and Tursiops truncatus.The prevalence of the bacteria in coastal species (25 percent, or 17 out of 68 individuals studied) was found to be higher than in oceanic species (7.5 percent, or four out of 53 individuals).
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